The Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office found that nitazenes, a synthetic opioid up to 40 times more powerful than fentanyl, were connected to at least five overdose deaths in Philadelphia in the past two years.

The nitazene deaths are just a small part of a much bigger problem. A record 1,413 people died from overdoses on ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Osceola resident Oscar Hernandez is scrambling to ensure his 16-year-old terminally ill son, Llarell, will continue to receive medical care.

Llarell is paralyzed and relies on three life support machines and specialized nursing care for 16 hours per day. Hernandez thought his son would receive Medicaid coverage for the rest of ...Read more

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Health care workers and advocates held a rally inside the Illinois State Capitol on Thursday to promote legislation aimed at enhancing the safety of hospital employees amid staffing shortages at some medical facilities.

“This is something that impacts the workers but then think about your loved ones when they are the ...Read more

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A recent Mayo Clinic study suggests that active workstations incorporating a walking pad, bike, stepper and/or standing desk are successful strategies for reducing sedentary time and improving mental cognition at work without reducing job performance. Extended sedentary behavior, whether at work or home, increases a person's...Read more

A TMJ patient in Maine had six surgeries to replace part or all of the joints of her jaw.

Another woman in California, desperate for relief, used a screwdriver to lengthen her jawbone daily, turning screws that protruded from her neck.

A third in New York had bone from her rib and fat from her belly grafted into her jaw joint, and twice a ...Read more

When a surgeon accidentally leaves a surgical tool inside a patient’s body after a procedure, the harm can be severe. The patient can suffer from life-threatening infections, organ damage, and an additional surgery to remove the object.

This type of medical error is extremely rare. But it does happen:

An Inquirer investigation identified 203...Read more

Patients hurl verbal abuse at Michelle Ravera every day in the emergency room. Physical violence is less common, she said, but has become a growing threat.

Ravera, an ER nurse at Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento, recalled an incident in which an agitated patient wanted to leave. “Without any warning he just reached up, grabbed my glasses, ...Read more

Kidney cancer is one the most common cancers in the U.S., with over 81,000 new diagnoses in 2023 alone. Mayo Clinic sees a high volume of kidney cancer cases and is among the most experienced institutions in treating kidney tumors.

In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Dr. Aaron Potretzke, a Mayo Clinic urologist, explains how advances in diagnostics and...Read more

The more scientists learn about the health risks of PFAS, found in everything from nonstick cookware to carpets to ski wax, the more concerning these “forever chemicals” become.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now believes there is no safe level for two common PFAS – PFOA and PFOS – in drinking water, and it ...Read more

“Sauerkraut” is simply the German word for sour cabbage.

The folklore

Although sauerkraut is considered to be a national dish of Germany, and has been a staple of the German diet since the 1600s, it didn’t originate in Germany. It is believed to have originated in China and was then brought to Europe. Originally, sauerkraut was fermented...Read more

The average American household wastes nearly $2,000 worth of food a year. Fighting food waste sounds smart, right? What it doesn’t sound: delicious. That’s where this use-the-whole-veg, root-to-leaf cooking approach comes in. Here are some delicious ways to make the most of your vegetable bounty. 100% outrageously good food. Zero waste.

1. ...Read more

Headaches are very common in children and teens. In fact, more than half will suffer from headaches at some point, and by 18 years the majority of adolescents have had them. And while most headaches are part of a viral illness, some are migraines. In fact, recurring migraines affect as many as one in 10 children and teens overall.

What should ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My husband has swapped out his regular morning coffee for an energy drink. Are these healthy options for getting his daily dose of caffeine? Do energy drinks have more caffeine than regular coffee? And how much caffeine is too much?

ANSWER: People love their caffeine, whether it’s coffee, tea, soda or energy drinks like your...Read more

Throat cancer is one of the fastest-growing cancers, and it is often linked to HPV. Oropharyngeal cancer, or throat cancer, is a type of head and neck cancer that can be divided into two subgroups: HPV-associated cancers and non-HPV-associated cancers. And depending on the type of subgroup, they are treated differently.

Dr. Katharine Price, a ...Read more

Some consumers covered by Affordable Care Act insurance plans are being switched from one plan to another without their express permission, potentially leaving them unable to see their doctors or fill prescriptions. Some face large IRS bills for back taxes.

Unauthorized enrollment or plan-switching is emerging as a serious challenge for the ACA...Read more

For Cindy Westman, $30 buys a week’s worth of gas to drive to medical appointments and run errands.

It’s also how much she spent on her monthly internet bill before the federal Affordable Connectivity Program stepped in and covered her payments.

“When you have low income and you are living on disability and your daughter’s disabled, ...Read more

There are more than 90,000 people on the waiting list for a kidney transplant in the U.S. Unfortunately, the demand for kidneys exceeds the supply. However, so-called living donor chains are giving hope to those in need of vital organs.

Dr. Shennen Mao, a Mayo Clinic transplant surgeon, explains how donor chains work.

Every 10 minutes, someone...Read more

Months after Kaiser Permanente reached a sweeping agreement with state regulators to improve its mental health services, the healthcare giant is facing union allegations that patients could be improperly losing such care.

The National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents thousands of Kaiser mental health professionals, complained ...Read more

ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said Monday they have met with state health leaders in Georgia and around the country, telling them to be prepared for more human cases of bird flu after a dairy worker in Texas was being treated for the virus.

While stating the risk to the public is low, the federal agency is...Read more