Tick Paralysis: When A Tick Bite Can Be Fatal (2020)
Summer is tick season, and tick bites are common. However, bites from a couple of types of ticks can produce paralysis and even death.
Medical Notes: Week of July 12, 2020
An analysis showing states that stuck to tough shelter in place rules are now recovering. Then, your blood type could be a more factor that can raise your risk of contracting coronavirus. Plus, Americans are less happy than they've been in at least 50 years.
Medical Notes: Week of July 5, 2020
Shelter in place rules have brought the economy to its knees but researchers say it was worth it. Then, people who’ve never smoked make up about 25 percent of those who develop the lung disease COPD. Plus, resetting the body clock may be as simple as exercise. And finally, people have joked about the “Covid 15,” the supposed weight gain of people staying …
Medical Notes: Week of June 28, 2020
Researchers have been looking for an already existing drug to quickly take on Covid-19, and apparently, now they’ve found one. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration has closed the door on using the malaria treatment Hydroxychloroquine (hy-drox-ee-klor-oh-quin) to treat Covid-19. Then, social isolation has been a lifesaver the last few months, but if it …
Medical Notes: Week of June 21, 2020
A study finds a much lower death rate among coronavirus patients placed on a ventilator. Then, everyone’s wiping down surfaces with disinfectant these days…but they may become contaminated again within seconds. Then, a new study shows that one reason older men have a higher risk for Covid-19 is because they’re not worried about it. And finally, if you’re …
Misunderstanding Stuttering
Stuttering is an extremely misunderstood disability. Many stutterers go to great lengths to avoid the words or phrases that trip them up, and are often successful in keeping their disability hidden. Yet then it may be mistaken for other problems. Experts explain, using former Vice President Joe Biden as an example.
Disease Risk and Inheritance
Scientists have learned that the habits and environments of our parents and grandparents can have a strong effect on our health and longevity.
Medical Notes: Week of June 14, 2020
People who recover from a coronavirus infection often still have a long way to go to recover their mental health. Then, a study that shows sick leave is a good way to slow the spread of diseases like Covid-19. Plus, doing good for other people is contagious. And finally, if you’re feeling stressed and anxious about the pandemic, you can bet your dog or cat …
What Every Parent Should Know: “It Doesn’t Look Like Drowning”
Seven hundred children under age 15 drown in the US each year, most within sight of a parent or other adult. Experts discuss one major reason: drowning doesn’t look like most people picture it.
Medical Notes: Week of May 31, 2020
A newly developed smartphone app is remarkably effective at predicting if a person is infected with Covid-19. Then biomarkers for ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease can be found in a person’s teeth in the first decade of life. Then, a study shows that changing the way physical therapy is done can improve strength by an additional 30 percent. And finally, The labels …
The Shrinking Human Jaw
Over the last 8,000 years, the human jaw has been getting smaller due to an increasingly soft diet and a lack of jaw exercise. The result is an epidemic of crooked teeth and serious health consequences, as two experts explain.
Androgens and Covid-19
For people under about age 70, Covid-19 is much harder on men than on women, especially those with strong male characteristics like scalp balding and plentiful body hair. A group of researchers has a theory as to why—that male hormones provide the virus with an entry into the cell. One of the researchers discusses what that could mean in terms of treatment.
