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My search for a psychiatric bed in an overburdened health system

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting “988.”

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Eight days before my 33rd birthday in April, a social worker at a crisis clinic near Denver determined I was an imminent danger to myself. She placed me on an involuntary 72-hour mental health ...Read more

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Lawmakers look to make abortion shield laws less dependent on who's governor

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

When Gov. Gavin Newsom, using his executive power, refused to extradite a physician accused of prescribing and mailing abortion pills to a Louisiana woman, he said California would “not ever” allow “extremist politicians” to punish its doctors.

Newsom, who is considering a run for president, has long championed reproductive rights, but ...Read more

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Knee pain? Ragged cartilage? Research suggests surgery's not the best answer

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Thousands of Americans who undergo a common knee surgery might be making their problems worse rather than better.

Researchers who followed patients for 10 years after they received either the actual procedure, arthroscopic knee surgery to trim degenerative cartilage tears, or merely “sham surgery” — a skin incision — for knee pain, ...Read more

Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun/TNS

Cases of diarrhea-causing cyclosporiasis in Maryland have doubled in past week

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The number of confirmed cyclosporiasis cases, the parasitic intestinal illness that often results in watery diarrhea and explosive bowel movements, has more than doubled in the past week, the Maryland Department of Health confirmed Wednesday.

The total number of cases in the state is now 69, with 65 of those cases occurring since May 1, ...Read more

Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

Senators press UnitedHealthcare and other Medicare Advantage giants over payment denials

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Federal lawmakers are turning up the pressure on UnitedHealthcare and two rival Medicare Advantage insurers over their use of artificial intelligence and their prior authorization rules for post-hospital rehab care.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, and Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, sent letters this ...Read more

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/TNS

Five cases of measles confirmed in Maryland

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Five cases of measles have been confirmed in Maryland residents, according to the Maryland Department of Health.

Officials are warning anyone who visited the Carroll Hospital Center emergency department waiting room in Westminster on July 13 between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. may have been exposed. All five cases were in people who recently traveled ...Read more

Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun/TNS

Cases of diarrhea-causing cyclosoriasis in Maryland have doubled in past week

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The number of confirmed cyclosoriasis cases, the parasitic intestinal illness that often results in watery diarrhea and explosive bowel movements, has more than doubled in the past week, the Maryland Department of Health confirmed Wednesday.

The total number of cases in the state is now 69, with 65 of those cases occurring since May 1, ...Read more

Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Cyclosporiasis cases in Michigan rise above 3,700

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DETROIT — The number of cyclosporiasis cases in Michigan rose to 3,762 as of Wednesday morning, a 13.7% increase over Tuesday, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said.

That's a smaller percent increase than that between Monday and Tuesday ― 25%. Tuesday's case total was 3,309.

Forty-four people have reportedly been ...Read more

Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/TNS

What to know about eating at home and dining out during the cyclospora outbreak

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

CHICAGO — A parasite causing “explosive diarrhea” has caused widespread panic across the country, adding new complexities to safe food handling at home and worrying diners about ordering the wrong leafy green at a restaurant. Health experts in Chicago say caution is warranted either way, but suggest considering several key factors before ...Read more

FDA drug approval affects healthcare around the world, but political shortcuts could hurt the agency’s international reputation

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

At the beginning of July 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first gene therapy for young children with sickle cell disease.

While this is good news for children in the U.S. born with this illness, the FDA’s approval may also benefit thousands of children beyond the U.S. border.

About 70% of countries ...Read more

5 costly mistakes that can trigger Medicare surcharges

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

High-income retirees are often surprised by a Medicare expense that can lurk behind the scenes, automatically deducted from their Social Security benefits each month.

It’s a surcharge added to Part B and D premiums known as the income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA).

These surcharges are tiered, meaning sometimes a single ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: What is nutritional yeast?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Q: What is nutritional yeast and what is it used for?

A: Nutritional yeast is a type of yeast that has been grown and then heated so it is no longer active. This means it cannot make bread rise or be used for brewing. Instead, it is used for its nutrients and its unique flavor. It is usually sold as yellow flakes or powder.

Nutritional yeast ...Read more

Strategies for scaling back on salt

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Even if you rarely salt your food, chances are you consume way more sodium than is healthy. That’s because 70% of the sodium (a major component of salt) in the typical American diet comes from processed, prepared, and restaurant foods. The biggest sources include bread, deli meats, pizza, burritos, tacos, soups, and salty snacks.

The average ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Tips for maintaining muscle while focusing on fat loss

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’m thinking about using a weight-loss drug, but I’ve heard that muscle loss can be a side effect. I’m at the age where women should strive to maintain muscle mass and strength, rather than risk losing them. Can you tell me more?

ANSWER: Medically assisted weight loss, whether through bariatric surgery or one of the ...Read more

(Heidi de Marco/KFF Health News)/KFF Health News/TNS

They harvest the nation's food, but a new rule may strip them of health insurance

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Seasonal work. Inconsistent hours. Frequent moves. Cash payments and informal jobs. For farmworkers who rely on Medicaid, these common employment patterns could put their health coverage at risk.

It’s a heightened concern for the estimated million-plus farmworkers who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, as new work requirements ...Read more

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS

From pantry staple to social media darling: BeanTok is fueling interest in the humble bean

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

PITTSBURGH -- The social media trend known as #BeanTok has turned lowly legumes like lentils, chickpeas and black beans into unlikely internet celebrities.

Videos showcasing colorful heirloom varieties (like scarlet runner and tiger’s eye), dense bean salads (cowboy caviar) and sly substitution recipes (ever tasted black bean brownies?) have ...Read more

E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Northwestern performs rare quadruple-organ transplant on woman who previously had lung transplant

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

CHICAGO — Before she went into surgery, Elizabeth Wehrle knew that doctors wanted to transplant four new organs into her body.

She didn’t know, at the time, that the operation at Northwestern Memorial Hospital was potentially the first of its kind in the country — a quadruple-organ transplant performed on a person who had already had a ...Read more

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What to know about cyclosporiasis as the parasitic infection is found in 34 states

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

An intestinal parasite that causes “explosive” diarrhea is sickening people across 34 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday.

Despite outbreaks affecting two states bordering Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia region so far shows no signs of widespread illness from Cyclospora cayetanensis.

Speaking to reporters, ...Read more

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CDC sees parasite cases rising all summer as it hunts for source

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expects cases of severe diarrhea caused by the Cyclospora parasite to keep rising, possibly until the end of August, as it searches for the source of the outbreak that’s already sickened thousands.

At least 1,645 cases across 34 U.S. states have been confirmed by lab tests, the CDC said, ...Read more

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Salad greens scrutinized as cyclosporiasis outbreak spreads

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

As state and federal officials work to identify the source of the recent outbreak of the intestinal illness cyclosporiasis, Michigan health officials have identified lettuces or salad greens as one potential culprit.

“Early information has shown lettuce as a common product that regularly comes up during the investigation,” said Dr. Natasha ...Read more