Category: Health Conditions

IUDs: What to Know

Amid all the furor about abortion and abortion laws, it seems relevant to discuss an often overlooked and relatively safe, long-term option to avoid the issue altogether. The intrauterine device (IUD) is a simple device that’s placed into the uterus (womb) to prevent pregnancy. There’s no evidence of human use of an IUD before the 20th…


Childhood Bronchitis Linked to Lung Issues in Later Life

Researchers from the Allergy and Lung Health Unit at the University of Melbourne in Australia have discovered that lung diseases in middle adulthood can be linked to childhood bronchitis. The researchers found that children who have had bronchitis at least once before they reach seven are more likely to develop lung problems in their later…


Early Intervention Critical to Mitigate Mental Health Impact on Children Exposed to Violence

A new study led by researchers from the University of Western Australia (UWA) has found that children exposed to domestic and family violence (DFV) are at a much greater risk of mental health issues such as anxiety and depression than children with no experience of violence, and are also five times more likely to require help…


Could Vaccines Make SARS-CoV-2 Infection Worse? Scientists Weigh in on Antibody Dependent Enhancement

In October 2020, when the world was under the dark cloud of COVID-19, and the United States was in the midst of massive political upheaval, some scientists were working hard to make sense of the virus. Others were trying to figure out effective treatment and public health protocols. Others, knowing the ongoing expedited vaccine development…


4 Simple Exercises to Eliminate Knee Joint Pain and Help Your Knee Caps Last for 2 More Decades

Many people have experienced knee pain, especially older people whose knee joints are getting increasingly degenerated, which often leads to difficulties in walking. And in the worst cases, they may require artificial knee joint replacement. Some people will put on medicated patches to temporarily relieve the pain, but this may only treat the symptoms and…


Lifestyle Changes Better Than Surgery for Preventing Stroke: Analysis

The risk of stroke can be better mitigated with lifestyle changes and medication than through invasive procedures, a study at Australia’s Monash University shows. Analysing more than 40 years of data on common treatments for advanced carotid stenosis—a leading cause of stroke—Monash University researcher Associate Professor Anne Abbott from the Central Clinical School found that…


Gold Nanoparticles for Cancer Treatment

There are many ways to treat cancer, and some of them are nearly as frightening as the disease itself. But today, researchers are beginning to unravel some new approaches, including one that comes from seemingly miraculous recoveries in cancer patients who experienced severe fever. And the interesting part is that gold might be just the…


Stopping Juvenile Diabetes in Its Tracks: Australian Researchers Discover Protein That May Prevent Type 1 Diabetes

Australian researchers have developed a biological agent that may prevent Type 1 diabetes by improving an aspect of white blood cell function, which is compromised in people who develop the autoimmune disease. University of Queensland (UQ) Faculty of Medicine researcher Prof. Josephine Forbes said in a release on Thursday that lab testing showed the protein—known…


Socializing Gives Older Adults a Healthier Sense of Purpose

Having positive social interactions is associated with a sense of purpose for older adults, which can fluctuate from day to day, according to new research. And although these findings apply to both working and retired adults, the research found that for better and for worse, these interactions are more strongly correlated to purposefulness in people…


Lithium: The Cinderella Drug

Dr. Walter Brown begins his 2020 book “Lithium, a Doctor, a Drug and a Breakthrough,” by asking, “What do Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Ernest Hemingway have in common?” The answer is bipolar disorder, previously known as manic-depressive illness. Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness characterized by extreme mood swings, including extreme excitement (mania)…