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FRIDAY, April 9, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors, nurses and other frontline health workers in U.S. emergency departments have struggled with significant mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new poll reveals."As the nation moves into what many believe is a fourth wave of COVID, this study is important to our understanding of the impact of the pandemic on the mental well-being of frontline medical personnel," said lead author Dr. Robert Rodriguez, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.His team surveyed about 1,600 physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers, social workers and other personnel at 20 U.S. emergency departments between May and July of 2020.Survey respondents reported high stress levels, emotional...

FRIDAY, April 9, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Could there actually be a mental health upside to the ongoing pandemic? In a word, yes. At least that's the finding of a new survey, in which roughly four in 10 U.S. military veterans said that the experience has in some ways proven psychologically rewarding.Nearly 3,100 veterans participated in the survey, which was conducted in two parts, one just before the pandemic and one a year later. Over that time span, roughly 13% said that COVID-19 had triggered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while 8% reported having contemplated suicide.But far more -- just over 43% -- said they had acquired a better appreciation for life and an ability to foster more intimate relationships. They also reported a surge in feelings of personal strength.Notably,...

FRIDAY, April 9, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Obese women can be more likely to have heavy monthly periods, and now new research hints at why.In addition to stirring up inflammation, excess weight may slow down the uterine repair process, U.K. researchers reported. Menstruation occurs when the lining of the uterus (endometrium) sheds each month, but the healing process stops the bleeding so the lining can build back up. Heavy periods -- defined as needing to change your tampon or pad after less than two hours and/or passing large blood clots -- can take a dramatic toll on a woman's quality of life, said study author Dr. Jacqueline Maybin, a researcher at the MRC Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh. "Some people have such heavy periods that they can't leave the...

FRIDAY, April 9, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- COVID-19 might have a tough new foe: The sun.New research shows that sunnier regions of the United States have lower COVID-19 death rates than cloudier areas, suggesting that the sun's UV rays might somehow provide some protection against the disease.The effect is not due to better uptake of the healthy "sunshine vitamin," vitamin D, noted the Scottish research team led by Richard Weller, of the University of Edinburgh. "The effect appears independent of a vitamin D pathway," the researchers reported, and they also stressed that the study wasn't designed to prove a cause-and-effect relationship. However, if sunshine does help prevent severe COVID-19, "optimizing sun exposure may be a possible public health intervention," the study authors...