Latest Health News

7Oct
2020

White House Approves Tougher Rules for COVID-19 Vaccine Development

White House Approves Tougher Rules for COVID-19 Vaccine DevelopmentWEDNESDAY, Oct. 7, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Following weeks of delay, the White House on Tuesday approved tough new rules for coronavirus vaccine developers that will make it unlikely that a vaccine will be approved before Election Day. The approval came only after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published the updated guidelines on its website as part of briefing materials for outside vaccine advisers, the Washington Post reported. The standards, which would be applied to an emergency-use authorization for a vaccine, are similar to the standards for a traditional approval. But the White House has worried that the criteria would delay authorization of a vaccine beyond Nov. 3 and sat on the guidance, the Post reported. The delayed clearance by the White House came only after...

Plan Ahead to Keep Halloween Safe for Kids With Asthma,...

6 October 2020
Plan Ahead to Keep Halloween Safe for Kids With Asthma, AllergiesTUESDAY, Oct. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- This Halloween may be especially challenging for parents of children with asthma and allergies, as they also have to guard against COVID-19. "Every year we send out tips on how to keep your kids with allergies and asthma symptom-free as they celebrate one of their favorite holidays," said allergist Dr. J. Allen Meadows, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). "This year, along with our usual guidance, we want to point people to the [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and their recommendations for avoiding COVID-19," Meadows said in a college news release. As you plan for the holiday, consider these tips from the ACAAI: If kids are attending events, outdoor activities are always best....

Fall in the Southeast Means Guarding Against Fire Ant Stings

6 October 2020
Fall in the Southeast Means Guarding Against Fire Ant StingsTUESDAY, Oct. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The sting of fire ants can be painful and even deadly -- and the threat rises during fall across the southeastern United States. At this time of year, fire ants move to warm surfaces such as concrete slabs or asphalt roads, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), which urges people to take precautions. A child can be stung walking through the yard because the colony may be traveling through the grass in search of a warm winter home. Fire ant sting attack rates have been reported as high as 50%. "Parents should be just as aware of fire ants in the fall as the spring, because it's dangerous for a child to step in a fire ant mound this time of the year and be stung," said Dr. J. Allen Meadows, ACAAI...

Antibiotics May Be Best First Treatment for Appendicitis

6 October 2020
Antibiotics May Be Best First Treatment for AppendicitisTUESDAY, Oct. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- For some patients suffering from appendicitis, antibiotics may do the trick, a large U.S. trial suggests. More than 70% of patients who received antibiotics avoided surgery for at least 90 days, according to the new report. "When we compared the outcomes of people treated with antibiotics alone or surgery to remove the appendix, we found that people receiving either treatment felt well at 30 days," said co-principal investigator Dr. David Talan. "In terms of overall health status, antibiotics were no worse than surgery and allowed most people to avoid an operation in the short term." Talan is a professor of emergency medicine and infectious diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In the trial, more than 1,500 patients...

AHA News: Beloved San Francisco Drag Queen Spreads Message of Heart Health

6 October 2020
AHA News: Beloved San Francisco Drag Queen Spreads Message of Heart HealthTUESDAY, Oct. 6, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- Drag queen Mutha Chucka is known for splashy costumes, striking hair and makeup, and humorous, politically pointed performances. A fixture of the San Francisco nightlife scene, Mutha has blossomed into a beloved celebrity, locally and beyond. "People embraced me, and I just kept pushing the boundaries and pushing the boundaries," Mutha said. "I love the hair, I love the makeup, I love the clothes. … I love to engage with the audience. I have fun." Mutha, also known as Chuck Gutro and to some friends as "Chucka," first performed in drag in 1976. As a 14-year-old in New England, he donned his mother's clothes and wig and entertained a surprised audience at a church youth talent show. "It was quite some time ago," he said, "and...

Researchers Identify Bacteria Responsible for Key Crohn's Complication

6 October 2020
Researchers Identify Bacteria Responsible for Key Crohn`s ComplicationTUESDAY, Oct. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Leaking bacteria from the intestine triggers "creeping fat" that often occurs in people with Crohn's disease, according to a new study. Creeping fat is abdominal fat that wraps around the intestines of patients with this type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It was unknown what triggered the fat to do this. "Creeping fat is often a landmark for surgeons performing resections on an IBD patient's bowels because they know when they see it, that's likely where the lesions are located," said study author Suzanne Devkota, an assistant professor of gastroenterology at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. "But we don't know whether the presence of the fat is making the disease worse or trying to protect the intestines from something," she added in a...

Parents Often in the Dark When Kids Take Up Vaping

6 October 2020
Parents Often in the Dark When Kids Take Up VapingTUESDAY, Oct. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Parents are often clueless when their kids start smoking e-cigarettes, a new study finds. On the other hand, Mom and Dad usually can tell if their children take up traditional smoking, said researchers from the University of California, San Francisco. Having strict household rules against any form of tobacco is the best form of prevention, researchers found. And those rules should apply to adults, too. "Tobacco use by children is troubling, and dentists, like all health care providers, should be concerned about preventing youth tobacco use," study co-author Dr. Benjamin Chaffee, an associate professor in the university's School of Dentistry. "We know that tobacco-free homes are a key tool to help prevent smoking by kids," he said in a...

During and After Surgery, Pot Users Need More Anesthesia, Painkillers: Study

6 October 2020
During and After Surgery, Pot Users Need More Anesthesia, Painkillers: StudyTUESDAY, Oct. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Marijuana users appear to need more anesthesia than nonusers, and also more opioids to relieve their pain after surgery, a new, preliminary study reports. Users of cannabis products who had surgery for a broken leg required higher doses of sevoflurane, an inhaled anesthetic that keeps you asleep during a procedure. These folks also required nearly 60% more opioid painkillers per day while recuperating in the hospital, the researchers found. The results jibe with earlier studies indicating that marijuana users might need more anesthesia initially to put them under, said lead author Dr. Ian Holmen, a resident anesthesiologist with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. "It's similar to flying a plane. You have a takeoff...

4 in 10 Teens, Young Adults Have Used CBD Oil, Study Finds

TUESDAY, Oct. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Many teenagers and young adults may be using so-called CBD products, often in the belief that they will aid health conditions, a preliminary study...

Heart Patients Need to Be Wary of Coronavirus

TUESDAY, Oct. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The coronavirus pandemic and flu season pose a double risk for heart disease patients, so they need to be extra vigilant about their health, the American...
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