Latest Health News

MONDAY, Sept. 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Hot weather can pose serious health risks for older adults.Existing medical conditions, problems moving around and medications raise the risk of heatstroke, according to an expert at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.Being prepared can help prevent heat exhaustion and heatstroke.“As we age, we become less efficient at noticing and adjusting to the heat,” geriatrics specialist Dr. Juan Cobo said in a center news release. “We sweat less, slowing our ability to cool down. At the same time, we become less sensitive to thirst. By the time we feel thirsty, we’re already dehydrated to some degree.”Certain conditions and medications add to the risk that someone will overheat. These include lack of mobility because it may be hard for...

SUNDAY, Sept. 10, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- When someone has surgery, pain may be top of mind. An expert in managing post-op pain offers three tips for keeping it under control, safely. “Pain can inhibit recovery, but good pain control can be an accelerator of a patient’s recovery,” said Dr. Jonah Stulberg, a member of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Patient Education Committee and vice chair of research for the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center of Houston.While for most people pain will be either mild or relieved within a few days following surgery, some patients have lingering pain that may develop into chronic pain.First, patients should begin by discussing pain control with their health providers before surgery.“Bringing up pain...

SATURDAY, Sept. 9, 2023 (HealthDay News) – Lots of parents are giving their children the supplement melatonin to help with sleep, but is it safe? In a new survey, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) found that 46% of parents -- what it called a “shocking number” -- have given melatonin to children under the age of 13. About 30% gave their teenager melatonin to aid in sleep.Yet, there is little evidence that melatonin helps with insomnia in children, the AASM said. A natural hormone that helps regulate the body’s internal clock, melatonin may seem like a simple solution, the AASM said. Yet the organization noted important safety concerns. Parents should talk to a health care professional before giving melatonin or any supplement to children, the AASM advised. Melatonin...

FRIDAY, Sept. 8, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- There's an adage that in romantic relationships, opposites attract. Now, a large, new study confirms that just like many old sayings, it's wrong.In an analysis of about 200 studies involving millions of couples, researchers came to the conclusion that there is little behind the claim that opposites attract. If anything, the one about birds of feather flocking together is much closer to the truth.When it came to the hundreds of "traits" the study analyzed -- from political leanings to smoking and drinking habits -- partners were almost always more alike than different.It was only in relation to 3% of traits that people tended to pair off with someone who had different inclinations, according to the findings published recently in the journal...