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MONDAY, July 17, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A new study from Australia tied some dangerous and unsettling issues to sleep disorders in young people.The research found links to daytime drowsiness, mental health issues and motor vehicle accidents and noted that as many as 20% of younger people are affected by sleep disorders.Workplace productivity losses were up to 40% greater among 22-year-olds with clinical sleep disorders compared to their peers with no sleep disorders.“This is equivalent to total workplace productivity loss [followed up on multiple occasions across 12 months] of about four weeks for young people with clinically significant sleep disorders, compared with less than one week for those without,” said study leader Amy Reynolds, an associate professor in clinical sleep...

MONDAY, July 17, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Using skin lightening products can be dangerous without a doctor’s supervision because they may contain harmful ingredients.Still, nearly a quarter of people in a recent survey said they used the products not for a medical issue, but for overall skin lightening. It’s an issue that relates back to colorism, the system of inequality that considers lighter skin more beautiful, researchers say.“The most surprising finding was the lack of awareness of ingredients in products being purchased over the counter and their potential detrimental effects,” said lead investigator Dr. Roopal Kundu, a professor of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.“These products are bought from chain grocery stores, community-based...

MONDAY, July 17, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- It’s commonly thought that having a companion animal — be it a dog, cat or bird — is good for the owner’s mental health.A new study suggests that’s not so, at least for people with severe mental illness and for pets that aren’t trained therapy animals. Pets may, however, be an important part of the social network for folks with severe mental illness.Having pets was not significantly associated with the well-being, depression, anxiety or loneliness scores for owners with a range of severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and psychosis, according to the study published July 14 in the journal Human-Animal Interactions.This research followed up on a 2021 survey, in which researchers found a self-reported decline in mental...

SUNDAY, July 16, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Dermatologist Dr. Caroline Opene is often asked if certain types of sun blocks are better for people with darker skin.Not necessarily, says the director of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Health Skin of Color clinic.“In general, the best sunscreen is the one you put on consistently,” Opene said in a UCLA Health news release. “While I recommend a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher for everyone, there are options: mineral sunscreens made with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide may be better for those with sensitive skin, and young children. Zinc oxide also provides good UVA protection, so I tend to recommend it to those prone to hyperpigmentation,” she added.But these mineral sunscreens can sometimes leave an...