Tag: health & medicine
Doctor suggests social media may be cause of a viral twitching disorder
Doctors treating the case of nearly 20 teenagers with a bizarre outbreak of a twitching disorder in upstate New York say that the symptoms may be spreading through social media. However, some doctors are offering a different explanation of the cause of the illness--an autoimmune disorder called PANDAS....
Atlanta ad campaign uses obese kids to try and shock parents
The ads use kids who are overweight describing the problems they face in an effort to get parents to realize their children are overweight. The ads, which were designed in consultation with a local hospital, have caused critics to label them as just another example of fat-shaming....
Mental health officials try to help Middle Eastern refugees with PTSD
Among California's burgeoning Middle Eastern population, not everything is well. Many of the newest immigrants, refugees, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. But cultural stereotypes make them loath to get the help they need....
Romney, Obama tangle on issue of access to contraception
Gov. Mitt Romney is taking heat for his previous actions around access to birth control, while President Barack Obama takes criticism for a new mandate requiring religious-affiliated health plans to offer access to contraception....
Dutch company turns cremation remains into global charity
When a body is cremated, if it has any metal parts, like a titanium hip, those metal parts are left behind. For years it was either buried in graves or sent to the dump. But a Dutch company, OrthoMetals, has a business that gathers those materials and processes them for industrial reuse, sending the proceeds to charity....
Paula Deen says she has diabetes, will endorse pharmaceutical company
Paula Deen, the celebrity chef known for her love of butter, has announced she has diabetes. Instead of using it as a reason to lighten her cooking, she's becoming a paid spokeswoman for a pharmaceutical company....
Bioethicist discusses why hospitals may deny transplants for intellectually disabled
Amelia Rivera has a genetic disorder that has presented her with many challenges in life. She also needs a kidney transplant. Her mother says a hospital told her she wouldn't be getting the transplant because of her mental disability....
FDA makes confusing, conflicting statements on antibiotic use in farm animals
Late last year, the FDA said it would no longer seek to formally regulate the use of the most common antibiotics in farm animals. A month later, though, the FDA said it would regulate the use of cephalosporins, which represent less than 1 percent of the antibiotics used on farms....
Facebook's suicide prevention efforts draw mixed review
In December, Facebook rolled out new tools it said should help with suicide prevention. One psychiatrist, however, while lauding the effort, says the initiative needs some tweaks....
Scientists urge CDC to revise lead exposure level deemed safe in children
A panel of scientists are urging the U.S. government to cut dramatically the level of lead exposure that's believed to be safe, after continued research suggested that even at levels considered safe, neurological damage was occurring. ...
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