WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration is working to finalize a rule that would make it easier for many adults to get hearing aids, a policy change five years in the making that is sparking intense lobbying.

The change comes after a 2017 law required a regulation for selling over-the-counter hearing aids. Implementation was delayed in ...Read more

You may have heard the adage, “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.” But the truth is most of us snack in the evening, sometimes even after a large dinner. According to the Washington D.C.-based International Food Information Council’s 2021 Food and Health Survey, about 65 percent of those surveyed said...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am 56 and have noticed a few things are changing as I get older. I know as I age there will be more changes in my body and mind, but can you provide insights on what are some common things that I can expect?

ANSWER: Throughout life, your body is constantly changing, and there are some surprising changes that can occur within...Read more

You may associate cranberries with the holidays, but there are good reasons to consume them year-round, either frozen, dried or in juice form. Here are six cranberry benefits, including research about how these gems may help counter the global threat of antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

1. Cranberries may curb antibiotic resistance.

In a 2019 ...Read more

If you’ve learned that your newborn or young child has sickle cell disease, you — and other family members and friends — may have many questions.

These days, most cases of sickle cell disease in the U.S. are diagnosed through newborn screening. It’s important to make the diagnosis early, so that babies can be started on penicillin (or ...Read more

Last week, Dr. Raul Pino, Orange County’s top public health official, was placed on administrative leave by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office.

In the middle of a pandemic. Just a few weeks after Orange County hit its all-time high for COVID-19 infections, with hospitalization rates climbing. This is when DeSantis decided to bench a trusted and ...Read more

January is Thyroid Awareness Month, which makes this a good time to learn about thyroid cancer risk factors.

Thyroid cancer occurs in the cells of the thyroid, which is a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck. Your thyroid produces hormones that regulate your heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and weight.

There may be no ...Read more

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, a common misconception is that kids aren't affected much by COVID-19, and if they were to get sick, their symptoms would be mild. However, the pandemic is affecting children in many ways, physically and mentally.

Dr. Nusheen Ameenuddin, a Mayo Clinic pediatrician, and Janice Schreier, a clinical therapist at ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Two influential senators are calling for an overhaul of the U.S.’s public health programs in a new bill that would change how the government monitors disease outbreaks, stockpiles supplies and responds to future pandemic threats.

The legislation, released as a draft on Tuesday, also aims to refocus the mission of the Centers ...Read more

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Legislature on Tuesday began moving forward with a bill that would allow health care providers to act on their “conscience” when deciding whether to provide certain treatments for patients.

For some lawmakers, the proposal exposed the line between religious freedom for doctors and medical discrimination ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — There's not a whole lot of mirth in the halls of health care right now. COVID-19 has everybody pretty down, and going for medical tests is never anyone's idea of a fun time.

Pennsylvania Hospital's Cardiology Department, however, just might be the exception. On any given day, you're likely to hear chuckles — perhaps even a ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Thinking about intentionally exposing yourself to the coronavirus?

Thinking that you'll probably get away with a mild case and become immune to COVID-19?

You need to think again. Even if you're fully vaccinated.

If you get COVID on purpose, there's no guarantee you'll only get a little sick, though the contagious omicron ...Read more

Gov. Gavin Newsom made guaranteed health care a central piece of his gubernatorial campaign some four years ago, promising specifically to deliver a single-payer system that would give every resident free access to comprehensive treatment.

In an April 2018 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, however, Newsom did what he's done on ...Read more

More than 800,000 rapid COVID-19 tests passed their expiration date recently in a Florida warehouse, prompting concerns that they would go to waste.

But the manufacturer, Abbott, obtained a three-month extension on the expiration date after supplying additional data to the FDA.

Such tests — which work by detecting antigens (pieces of viral ...Read more

The phrase "you are what you eat" is commonly used in conversations about health and the connection between food and the body. Eating an unhealthy diet can have serious consequences and can increase someone's risk of dying from heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes.

In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Dr. Stephen Kopecky, a preventive cardiologist ...Read more

CHICAGO -- Along with everything else, COVID-19 is also creating problems with our teeth.

That’s what dentists say after treating patients who are under stress during the pandemic and taking it out on their teeth. According to local providers and the American Dental Association, dentists have seen more stress-related oral health conditions ...Read more

The world was abuzz in late December of 2019 and early January 2020 with the news of human-to-human spread of COVID-19. It would not be named COVID-19 until Feb. 11, 2020, by the World Health Organization.

Patients were confirmed in China, Thailand and the United States, and soon many other countries. More than 5 million worldwide have died ...Read more

Q: When should my kids get their COVID-19 booster?

A: Vaccines are our best hope to end the COVID-19 pandemic. A vaccine now is available for children ages 5 and up, and boosters have been authorized for some older children. Clinical trials are under way for a vaccine for children ages 6 months to 4 years.

Research shows the COVID-19 vaccines ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — The suspension of Orange County’s Dr. Raul Pino — after urging his health department staff to get vaccinated against COVID-19 — is the most blatant example yet of the state’s increasingly tight muzzle on health authorities fighting the pandemic, critics say, making Florida one of the most repressive in the nation when ...Read more

The U.S. hasn't yet reached a national peak in the surge of the omicron variant. But experts say it is coming soon. COVID-19 cases are beginning to plateau in certain parts of the country.

Mayo Clinic's Predictive Analytics Task Force has been tracking COVID-19 cases in the U.S. since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts have been ...Read more