Health Advice
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CDC encourages mpox vaccination to prevent summer outbreak
PITTSBURGH — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report encouraging those at risk for the virus mpox — formerly called monkeypox — and in areas with low vaccination rates to get vaccinated.
The study is based on statistical modeling that takes into account total U.S. mpox cases since May 2022 and varying levels of ...Read more

A little-understood sleep disorder affects millions and has clear links to dementia – 4 questions answered
A little-known and poorly understood sleep disorder that occurs during the rapid eye movement, or REM, stage of sleep has been garnering attention for its role in foreshadowing neurodegenerative brain diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. The disorder, known as REM sleep behavior disorder, or RBD in the medical...Read more

Ready to run: What are some signs of overtraining?
We're surrounded by warning signs on roads, at work, and on packaging and equipment. Your body sends warning signs too. As your race date nears, it's tempting to pull out all the stops in your training. That makes this a prime time to watch for warning signs of overtraining.
Overtraining or overuse injuries are any muscle or joint injuries, ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q and A: Binge-eating disorders
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My niece is living in my home while she is attending college. I've invited her to eat meals with our family, but she typically declines, desiring to eat alone in her room. I'm concerned because she often seems to eat a lot of food at one time, like two sandwiches with two bags of chips or a quart of ice cream. Could this be a ...Read more

Accused seller of 'sham' health insurance paid $100 million for consumer refunds before seeking bankruptcy protection
A Tampa, Florida-based health insurance distributor accused by the Federal Trade Commission of misleading consumers into buying “sham” health insurance plans has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Benefytt Technologies, which has offices in Fort Lauderdale and Sunrise, last year settled a Federal Trade Commission complaint that it ...Read more

California's fentanyl problem is getting worse
California has allocated more than $1 billion in recent years to combat its opioid crisis. Much of the money has been used to distribute fentanyl test strips and the overdose reversal drug naloxone, as well as deliver medical care to people who are homeless. The state has an opioid awareness campaign tailored to youths and recently called on the...Read more

$5,995 for a leg compression sleeve? Here's how to deal with an exorbitant medical bill in collections
PHILADELPHIA — David Heydt had been hitting the tennis courts too hard and needed minor elbow surgery to loosen a tight tendon.
The 71-year-old thought nothing of the compression sleeves to reduce the risk of blood clots during recovery that he was handed on his way out.
Three and a half years later, this past February, he received a ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Minute: What are the benefits, risks of sleeping with melatonin gummies?
Many people rely on melatonin gummies to help them get a good night's sleep. But a recent study finds that these over-the-counter supplements may not reliably contain the advertised amount of melatonin.
According to the National Institutes of Health, about 19% of adults in the U.S. don't get enough sleep, and some of those sleep-deprived people...Read more

Ready to run: Assessing protein needs for performance
As you train for your upcoming distance race or other athletic event, you may be looking for ways to fine-tune your program and up your performance. Now's the time to take another look at what you're eating since nutrition is a key component of your training plan.
Do you know how much protein you need when exercising? Judging by all the protein...Read more

Editorial: Major questions on minors: Research and regulation needed on child social media use
A new report from U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy outlines how often compulsive social media use by children and teens leads to a variety of negative health outcomes, including declining mental health, lack of sleep, exposure to harassment and other problems. As platforms like Instagram and TikTok become ubiquitous with 95% of kids using some ...Read more

Inside South Florida ERs: Gunshots can be deadly, surviving them traumatic
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- In the chaos of Memorial Regional Hospital’s trauma unit, surgeon Niqui Kiffin has removed bullets from a man shot multiple times while sleeping. She has operated on a college student who shot himself playing with a gun while FaceTiming his girlfriend. And she has operated on a Golden Beach police officer who took a ...Read more

Can't sleep? These podcasts are better than counting sheep
Benjamin Boster was driving in a car with his boss, trying to relay an exciting anecdote, when he discovered that his main talent as a storyteller lies elsewhere.
“He was like, ‘Ben, I’m sorry, your voice is so soothing that I just kind of fell asleep,’” recalls Boster, a 42-year-old father of three.
Rather than take it as an insult,...Read more

Small, rural communities have become abortion access battlegrounds
WEST WENDOVER, Nevada — In April, Mark Lee Dickson arrived in this 4,500-person city that hugs the Utah-Nevada border to pitch an ordinance banning abortion.
Dickson is the director of the anti-abortion group Right to Life of East Texas and founder of another organization that has spent the past few years traveling the United States trying to...Read more

Thousands face Medicaid whiplash in South Dakota and North Carolina
Until recently, Jonathon Murray relied on Medicaid to pay for treatments for multiple health conditions, including chronic insomnia. Murray, a 20-year-old restaurant worker from the college town of Brookings, South Dakota, said that without his medication, he would stay awake for several nights in a row.
“I’d probably not be able to work ...Read more

Missouri AG calls on Kansas City police to enforce trans care ban that chief says outside jurisdiction
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey on Wednesday urged the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners to enforce a ban on gender-affirming care for minors passed by Missouri lawmakers this month.
But Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves has already said that the ban, which has not yet been signed into law by Gov. Mike ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: Do you need to use a hunger scale?
Do you have a tendency to graze all day rather than eat real meals, perhaps mindlessly? Does it seem like you go from perfectly fine to hangry — hungry and angry — in the blink of an eye? Do you get wrapped up in a project, a book, or several episodes of your favorite streaming show, only to emerge on the other side ready to eat whatever isn...Read more

Are pinto beans healthy? Here’s what a dietitian has to say
Like other bean varieties, pinto beans are a plant-based protein that adds flavor, texture and color to an array of dishes. What might surprise you is that pinto beans are the most popular type of beans eaten by Americans, claiming the top spot among all the bean varieties.
What are pinto beans?
Pinto beans are tan-colored, oval-shaped beans ...Read more

Weighing the new approaches to treating Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a condition that involves inflammation of the digestive tract. In recent years, treatment options for IBD have rapidly expanded. The goal of these newer treatments is to improve control of inflammation in the gut, which can greatly improve ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Tips for dealing with back pain
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: It seems like everyone I know has some type of back pain. My husband and I both suffer from back pain but mine is a dull ache at the end of the day while he seems to have shooting pain. Why are our backs so susceptible to pain and how do I know when we should talk with our doctor?
ANSWER: Back pain is extremely common, so you ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Minute: Menopause and sexual health
Hot flashes and night sweats are some of the symptoms often associated with menopause. But how does menopause affect sexual health?
Experts say menopause can put women at increased risk for a condition that can lead to pain during sexual intercourse. Mayo Clinic's Dr. Juliana Kling explains why and says there are safe and effective treatments. ...Read more
Popular Stories
- Mayo Clinic Q and A: Binge-eating disorders
- A little-understood sleep disorder affects millions and has clear links to dementia – 4 questions answered
- Thousands face Medicaid whiplash in South Dakota and North Carolina
- Ready to run: Assessing protein needs for performance
- 'Growing evidence' social media harms kids' mental health, says Surgeon general