Latest Health News

MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The size and shape of the blood vessels in your brain may help predict your risk of an often-fatal type of stroke, called an aneurysm, a new study finds. An aneurysm is a bulge in an artery wall. "A subarachnoid hemorrhage is the most dangerous type of stroke and occurs when a brain aneurysm leaks or ruptures, causing bleeding into the brain, killing more than 50% of affected people," said Dr. Arjun Burlakoti, a University of South Australia neuroanatomist.For the study, Burlakoti conducted imaging tests of 145 patients and found people with varying sized brain arteries have greater odds of an aneurysm.The brain images of people with aneurysms showed that the four arteries that enter the brain box, divide into segments and supply blood to the...

SUNDAY, Oct. 3, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Although the focus is on the COVID-19 vaccine, don't forget to also get your flu shot — it's important, an expert says."In the United States, it is recommended that everyone over the age of 6 months be vaccinated against the flu, and there are many vaccines available that will fit your need based on age and other important risk factors," said Dr. Pedro Piedra. He is a professor of molecular virology and microbiology and pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.Last year's flu season was very mild, probably due to masking and social distancing to prevent COVID-19. But, now that these guidelines have been eased, this year's flu season could look quite different.According to Piedra:All flu vaccines this season contain four components...

SATURDAY, Oct. 2, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- If you work from home and can't sleep, it may be your circadian rhythms are out of sync, a new study suggests. In short, your sleep-wake cycle may be out of whack, according to Randy Nelson, director of the West Virginia University Center for Foundational Neuroscience Research and Education."During the course of evolution, the temporal rhythm of our rotating planet was internalized in our bodies. Virtually, all organisms on the planet have self-sustaining, internal biological clocks," Nelson said in a university news release. "In humans, virtually every aspect of our physiology and behavior, ranging from sleep to hormone secretion, to body temperature regulation, metabolism and food intake, is mediated by our internal clocks." These internal...

FRIDAY, Oct. 1, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- A small fix might make reading a bit easier for kids with dyslexia, as well as their classmates: Increasing the amount of space between printed letters.That's the finding of a small study that tested the effects of "extra-large" letter spacing on school children's reading speed and accuracy. And it adds to a conflicting body of research into whether visual aids are useful to people with dyslexia.Dyslexia is a learning disability that affects 15% to 20% of Americans, according to the International Dyslexia Association. It causes difficulty with reading, spelling and writing.In the new study, researchers found that putting extra room between printed letters seemed to make the task of reading aloud a little easier for kids with and without...