Coronavirus has sickened tens of thousands in China and killed hundreds, but few cases have reached the US. Experts explain exactly what this Coronavirus is and the relative danger it poses compared to more familiar diseases such as influenza.
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Parents who have a mental illness known as factitious disorder may fake or induce illness in their children to get attention, sometimes taking kids to hundreds of medical visits and deceiving doctors into performing numerous procedures and surgeries. Experts and a parent who got his child out of an abusive situation discuss how the legal & medical system may fail kids, danger signs and the road to recovery.
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A look at the top medical headlines for the week of February 16, 2020, including: Studies showing physical activity helps prevent obesity virtually from birth. Then, low doses of lithium may show promise in treating dementia. Then, about half of people who are recovering from a concussion have sleep problems. And finally, a study showing that maybe the two genders are becoming more equal.
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Untold millions of people are afraid of needles. Most manage by looking the other way when they’re facing an injection, but many may avoid the doctor as a result of their fear. The problem is increasingly dangerous for the rising number of people with diabetes, who must inject themselves with insulin to survive. A needle-phobic woman and doctor who’s squeamish himself discuss.
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Spouses of Alzheimer’s disease patients often struggle with depression while caregiving and are desperate for support. Some have started new relationships while their loved one is still alive but no longer recognizes them. Acceptance of such infidelity is highly individual. Experts and a woman involved in such a relationship discuss how it can benefit even the incapacitated spouse, as long as families find it acceptable.
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The gap between black and white uninsured rates has dropped by more than four percent. Plus, a new study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine shows that only two percent of those who are considered high risk for drug overdose have filled a prescription for Naloxone. Then, Cancer patients often receive radiation therapy over several months, but a new study shows how it could all be done in less than one second using high-energy flash therapy. And finally, a study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine shows that when we lose weight, we lose it everywhere, even in the tongue.
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Super Bowl party snacks are prime territory for contamination via cross contamination and being dropped on the floor. A scientist who has studied both phenomena discusses the truth (or lack of truth) in two old myths.
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Pre-medical students have typically majored in science, but some medical schools are finding that liberal arts and even music majors with no science background can do well. Some admissions officers and doctors believe they may even have advantages, given the importance of communications in the doctor-patient relationship. A musician-turned-med student, an admissions officer and a musical doctor explain.
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A look at the top medical headlines for the week of February 2, 2020 including a vaccine against dementia could be in human trials within a couple of years. Then, computers are taking over a lot of functions… and reading mammograms may someday be one of them. And finally, just about everybody knows that the normal temperature of the human body is 98-point-six. except it’s not any more.
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New research shows that most people with ADHD have a disordered body clock, prompting disturbed sleep, sleep deprivation, and a worsening of ADHD symptoms. Experts discuss how fixing the body clock could lessen the impact of both ADHD and physical diseases that result from poor sleep.
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Surveys show the vast majority of employees go to work when they’re sick, risking fellow workers and slowing their own healing. Experts discuss the maladjusted workplace culture that promotes this, how to know when you really should stay home, and ways to protect yourself from illness at the office.
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A look at the top medical headlines for the week of January 26, 2020 including A new report from the American Cancer Society finds that in 2017, the overall cancer death rate dropped more than two percent. Then, a new experimental technique using a special kind of imaging and machine learning has been developed to battle colon cancer. Then, a new machine that can keep livers alive outside the body for a week. And finally, a class of naturally occurring proteins called sestrin can possibly deliver the benefits of exercise without moving a muscle.
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Nearly a quarter of us owe past due medical debt, and hospitals are moving more aggressively to collect. The rise is the result of a tradeoff–Americans have avoided higher health insurance premiums only to be jeopardized by extremely high deductibles and out-of-network costs. Experts explain what unpaid medical debt can mean, how patients can escape its clutches, and how one charity works to buy and forgive debt.
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Doctors are realizing that concussions can smolder in the brain for years with symptoms that are missed, making diagnosis at the time of occurrence all the more important. Yet a new study shows that protocols affecting the most vulnerable—young athletes—often are not followed. Experts explain why, and what people should do when they receive any blow to the head.
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A look at the top medical headlines for the week of January 19, 2020, including: Late-stage age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, is the leading cause of vision loss among older people. Then, long term effects of being born as a result of in vitro fertilization. And finally, people in Scandinavian countries say that taking a sauna has all kinds of benefits, and they’re apparently right.
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