Health

Allergy season is upon us, and it’s bringing about some of the worst cases yet."Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns allow plants and trees to grow in places they didn’t before," according to the American Lung Association — which means a rising pollen count, and even new types of pollen.The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) recently released its annual allergy report, which identifies the "most challenging cities" for […]

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first at-home screening test for cervical cancer, the product’s maker announced on Friday.The DIY test could serve as an alternative to in-person "Pap smears," which are recommended every three years for women up to age 65.The self-collection device — the Teal Wand, made by Teal Health in San Francisco — allows women to procure a sample and mail it in for […]

An Ohio music conductor is using deep brain stimulation to combat his Parkinson’s disease.Rand Laycock, 70, the director and conductor of a symphony orchestra, was diagnosed just before his 60th birthday, according to a press release from Cleveland Clinic."My doctor at the time told me [a Parkinson’s diagnosis] wasn’t a death sentence, and there would be advancements over the next few years to help with my treatment," said Laycock.STEM-CELL THERAPY […]

Left-handedness and certain neurological disorders could go hand-in-hand, a new study revealed, though the researchers and others acknowledged potential limitations. While about 10% of people in the world are left-handed, people with autism are 3.5 times more likely to have the trait, according to an international team of researchers that analyzed data from over 200,000 individuals.The study, published in the journal Psychological Bulletin, indicated that left- and mixed-handedness also appear more often in […]

The list of potential benefits of the shingles vaccine continues to grow.Beyond protecting against the viral infection and resulting painful rash, the shot has also been linked to a reduced risk of dementia, as Fox News Digital previously reported.And now, a new study has found that the vaccine could lower the risk of heart disease for up to eight years.DEMENTIA RISK COULD DIP WITH COMMON VACCINE, STUDY SUGGESTSIn the long-running […]

A young Maryland woman is "relieved and recovering" after doctors performed a novel surgery to remove her potentially deadly cancerous tumors.A surgical team at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) extracted the tumors, which had wrapped around the spinal cord, through the patient’s eye socket.This was the first time surgeons removed a spinal tumor using a "transorbital" approach, according to a UMMC press release.MICHAEL BOLTON HAD STRANGE SYMPTOMS BEFORE […]

Tossing in a load of wash at home sounds ordinary and harmless.   But healthcare professionals who wash their work uniforms at home may be unknowingly spreading superbugs, according to a new study.Professor Katie Laird of De Montfort University Leicester, a public university in England, tested home washing machines in a study and found the machines failed to remove potentially harmful material, even after running a hot water setting at the […]

Researchers have developed a new "body clock" tool that calculates people’s biological age — and could even predict the risk of disability or death.The tool, which comes from the University of Washington School of Medicine, uses eight different metrics from a patient’s physical exam and bloodwork to determine the results, according to a press release from UW.The tool’s method — officially named the Health Octo Tool — is detailed in […]

As Parkinson’s cases continue to rise, the race is on for therapies to combat the effects of the disease — and researchers have pinpointed an unlikely source of relief.Psilocybin, a psychedelic compound found in some mushrooms, has been found to improve mood, cognition and motor symptoms in Parkinson’s patients, according to a new study from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF).The substance, often referred to as "magic mushrooms," has […]