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More Severe Strain of Flu Starting to Spread Widely: CDC

FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Americans aren't out of the woods yet, as the flu season continues to spread across the country, health officials reported Friday.

One major shift that's occurred is in the viruses that are circulating. At the start of the flu season, the predominant strain was influenza A H1N1, but now a more...

A Hard Look at Smoking's Effect on Vision

FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- If life looks gray and cloudy when you smoke, you might not be imagining it.

Heavy smoking may actually damage color and contrast vision, researchers report.

They looked at 71 healthy people who smoked fewer than 15 cigarettes in their lives and 63 people who smoked more than 20 cigar...

Peanut Allergy Patch Shows Middling Results in Trial

FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Delivering "exposure therapy" via a patch to help curb peanut allergy in kids is somewhat effective, but not as good as delivering the tiny amounts of peanut by mouth, new research shows.

The international trial involved 356 children, aged 4 to 11, from five countries. All had been diagnosed wi...

Mom's Prenatal Fish Oil Might Help Kids' Blood Pressure Later

FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Obese young children may have less risk for high blood pressure if their mother took the omega-3 fatty acid DHA -- found in fish oil -- during pregnancy, new research suggests.

The findings could be important since rising numbers of American children are obese and experiencing hikes in blood pr...

Opioid Overdose Deaths Quadruple, Centered in 8 States

FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. opioid overdose deaths have quadrupled in the last two decades, and the highest rates are now seen in eight Eastern states, a new study shows.

Those states are: Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire and Ohio.

The researchers also found that...

Berkeley's Efforts Suggest Soda Taxes Do Cut Soda Sales

FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Tax it, and fewer folks will buy it.

So it goes with sugar-sweetened drinks, new research suggests.

The California city of Berkeley introduced the nation's first soda tax in 2014, and within months people were buying 21 percent fewer sugary drinks. Three years later, 52 percent few...

AHA News: For the Best Health, Does the Intensity of Your Workout Matter?

FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (American Heart Association News) -- Jog for long enough or engage in just about any physical activity that gets the heart pumping, and the result can be a feeling of euphoria commonly known as a runner's high.

Sure, it feels good, but does higher-intensity exercise lead to better health?

It can. Rece...

Fewer U.S. Doctors Are Facing Burnout

FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- For decades, U.S. doctors have battled the long hours and demanding schedules that often lead to "burnout." But a new study brings welcome news, showing a slight decline in the numbers of physicians dealing with the issue.

In the third of a series of studies, researchers surveyed more than 5,40...

What's the Right Age to Test for Osteoporosis?

FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Osteoporosis is a threat to many women, especially after menopause. But the lead up to weak, brittle bones can start much earlier in life.

When bone density drops but isn't yet at the level of osteoporosis, it's called osteopenia. Osteopenia affects more than 33 million Americans over age 50, ...

Go Nuts Over Nuts

FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Nuts are a delicious food to enjoy year-round, adding a richer taste to many of your favorite dishes. High in protein, fiber and essential minerals, nuts also contain healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats that help fight inflammation.

Nuts are natural hunger-busters, but pay attention to your ...

Tips for Healthy Nails

THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Want to have attractive, well-groomed hands? Here's a guide to the right way to trim your nails.

The American Academy of Dermatology notes that short, manicured nails not only look great, but are less likely to trap dirt and bacteria that can lead to infection. And the correct nail clipping ...

Kratom-Related Poisonings Are Soaring, Study Finds

THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Calls to U.S. poison control centers related to the herbal drug kratom have skyrocketed, increasing more than 50-fold in a matter of six years, a new study shows.

Back in 2011, poison centers received about one call a month regarding someone who'd taken too much kratom, a plant that is purpor...

Toxins in Home Furnishings Can Be Passed on to Kids

THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Children who live in homes with vinyl flooring and flame-retardant furniture have higher levels of potentially harmful chemicals in their blood or urine, researchers have found.

The new study included 203 children from 190 families who were tested for these chemicals -- so-called semi-volat...

Panicked Hawaiians Swarmed Social Media During Nuke Attack False Alarm

THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- First came confusion, shock and fear, as people struggled to process the emergency warning they'd received.

"There's a missile threat here right now guys. I love you all and I'm scared as [expletive deleted]."

Later came anger, mistrust and denunciation, when they found the frighten...

Brain Condition CTE Seen in H.S. Football Players: Study

THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Crippling brain injury from football can start early, even among high school players, a new study suggests.

And its effects can last over time, even without additional head impacts, researchers report.

Football players can develop chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after playing hi...

FDA Aims to Strengthen Sunscreen Rules

THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration took steps Thursday to tighten regulation of over-the-counter sunscreen products.

Included in the proposed rule are updates on sunscreen safety, sun protection factor (SPF) requirements, and the effectiveness of insect repellent/sunscreen combinations.

Payments for Research Can Lead to Lies: Study

THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- People who are paid to take part in research may be more likely to lie about their eligibility than those who aren't paid, a new study finds.

It included nearly 2,300 people who were surveyed on whether they're received a recent flu shot. One group of participants was told that their eligibil...

Most Nations May Be Rid of Cervical Cancer By 2100

THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Rapid expansion of HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening could eliminate the cancer as a major health problem in many countries by the end of the century, a new study claims.

HPV (human papillomavirus) causes most cases of cervical cancer, and the researchers determined that more than...

AHA News: Up-and-Coming Texas Singer Lucky to Be Alive and Still Singing the Blues

THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (American Heart Association News) -- A few years ago, Texas country-blues singer Charley Crockett wrote "How Long Will I Last" about an uncertain love affair. Little did he know the song title would also apply to his struggle with heart disease.

"The cardiologist determined I was one year away from heart failur...

AHA News: With New Heart, Mom of Four Competes in Transplant Games

THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (American Heart Association News) -- Kristen Patton was settling in to feed her newborn on Christmas Eve as her three older children went to bed.

It was the holiday evening she had envisioned -- relaxed family time the day after coming home from the hospital following the birth of her daughter, Hattie.