A year and a half into the pandemic, the long-feared specter of rationed health care — that is, the delay or denial of medical treatment to some patients who need it because there simply aren’t enough resources to go around — is perilously close to becoming reality. As unvaccinated coronavirus victims overwhelm hospitals, some states are ...Read more

CHICAGO -- As we lurch into fall and then winter, we also say hello to flu season, which starts in early to mid-September.

But we are also in the throes of a pandemic, and when we come down with sore throats and runny noses, how do we tell if it’s COVID-19 or something else?

The short answer is that there’s no rule, according to Dr. Mary ...Read more

The 2021 flu season is hitting us at the same time that millions of Americans are considering a COVID-19 booster vaccination.

The FDA has endorsed a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines by people with certain health conditions that compromise their immune systems, and for people age 65 and older.

In August, we spoke with Dr. ...Read more

Fever, upset stomach, diarrhea, sore throat, chills, coughing, sneezing and headache all can make you feel miserable. And when you're not feeling well, it sometimes can be hard to know exactly what's wrong and how you can help yourself feel better.

With flu season approaching, this is a good time to look at the symptoms of what is — and is ...Read more

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone over 6 months get a flu shot every season with rare exceptions.

Dr. Priya Sampathkumar, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist, says getting vaccinated for the flu is safe. Billions of doses have been given for more than 80 years to prevent flu, reduce symptoms and protect...Read more

COVID-19 is infecting more kids, and the racial disparities of who is falling ill is similar to those among adults, an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows.

The age group 19 and younger saw nearly 4.9 million COVID-19 infections, over 39,000 hospitalizations, and 725 deaths nationwide through the end of August, according to the ...Read more

In recent months, some European airlines have banned the use of cloth face coverings to control the spread of the coronavirus during air travel, instead favoring surgical masks — sometimes referred to as medical or disposable — and N95 respirators.

It’s another salvo in the debate over the effectiveness of the ubiquitous cloth mask, which...Read more

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) refers to a progressive group of lung diseases, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, that make it hard to breathe. Millions of people around the globe die each year because of COPD, and nearly 16 million people in the U.S. have a form of the disease.

The No. 1 cause of COPD in developed ...Read more

Although being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 dramatically reduces your chances of becoming hospitalized and dying from the disease, the shots don’t entirely eliminate risks of infection.

That’s why health experts have continued to urge people to practice other preventive measures — including wearing masks to benefit from an additional...Read more

Plant-based burgers have soared in popularity over the past couple of years. Are these meat alternatives healthier for you than the real thing? Introducing more plant-based foods in your diet is a good thing, says Katherine Zeratsky, a Mayo Clinic registered dietitian nutritionist, but pay attention to the ingredients.

It looks like a burger. ...Read more

September is Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month, which makes this a good time to learn about four common rheumatic diseases: ankylosing spondylitis, gout, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and lupus.

Ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory disease that can cause some of the small bones in your spine to fuse. This fusing ...Read more

CLAYTON, Mo. — The St. Louis County Council on Tuesday delayed a vote to confirm Dr. Faisal Khan as county health director until after they meet with him to discuss a possible new mask mandate as well as fallout from a contentious public meeting in July where he lost his composure.

Khan, as acting health director, appeared before the council ...Read more

Q: What are amino acids and how do I get them in my diet?

A: Amino acids are “building block” compounds that make up the proteins in the body. There are 20 amino acids that fall into three different groupings: essential, nonessential, or conditional. The term “essential” means that the body cannot produce the compound itself so it must ...Read more

It’ll come as no surprise that eating a healthy, balanced diet can benefit our bodies in so many ways. But have you ever thought about how food affects your mood? Sure, we’ve all turned to carbs like our favorite cookies when we’ve had a bad day, and we might think of typical comfort foods as mood-boosting because they’re easy to make ...Read more

We think of eating a nutritious diet and exercising as healthy behaviors, but sleep is one of the pillars of a healthy lifestyle. Why is this? Sleep sets the stage for our days. If we experience sound sleep for seven to eight hours, we arise energized in the morning. Diet, exercise and sleep work synergistically, and affect one another. All ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I recently turned 50, and I walk about 1 mile daily and work out two to three times per week. I believe I am beginning to go into menopause, as I have not had a period in a few months. Also, I have noticed the number on my scale rising, even though I have not changed my diet or activities. I’ve heard weight gain is common in ...Read more

WIMAUMA, Fla. — A Florida nonprofit is proving there’s an appetite for healthy eating among Hispanics who are at risk of medical complications from a poor diet.

More than 1,000 people took advantage of education and training offered during the past two years in Wimauma by the nonprofit Hispanic Services Council. At least 275 of them stuck ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A truck claiming to be from a funeral home was emblazoned with a blunt message Sunday while driving around Bank of America Stadium, where the Charlotte Panthers were playing the New Orleans Saints: “Don’t get vaccinated.”

It remains unclear who might be behind the scare tactic urging people to finally get vaccinated ...Read more

In 2016, Isis Mabel, of Mexico, wanted to improve her English. On advice from an aunt, she enrolled with an au pair agency to come to the United States to live with a family and care for the children. The job typically pays about $200 a week on top of lodging and meals. She said she gave the agency $360 and was told that would cover costs like ...Read more

Desperation led José Luis Hernández to ride atop a speeding train through northern Mexico with hopes of reaching the United States 13 years ago. But he didn’t make it. Slipping off a step above a train coupling, he slid under the steel wheels. In the aftermath, he lost his right arm and leg, and all but one finger on his left hand.

He had ...Read more