Health category, Page 124
U.S. measles cases still climbing, topping 800 for year
NEW YORK — U.S. health officials say this year’s count of measles cases has surpassed 800, a growing tally that is already the nation’s highest in 25 years. A total of 839 cases were reported as of last week. That’s the most since 1994, when 963 were reported for the...
With measles still rising, what religion has to say about vaccination
Each new update in the nationwide surge of measles cases takes Dr. Paul Offit back to the battlefield that was Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia during a regional outbreak that began in 1990. By the time it ended the following year, more than 1,400 city and suburban residents had contracted the...
Yoga’s benefits include boosting mood, healthier eating, flexibilityVideo
The lights are dim and soft music plays as newly minted yoga instructor Tony Ranieri, 69, of Hempfield, teaches a beginners’ class at Greensburg’s Red Brick Yoga. “I’m going to ask you for the next hour to be mindful, not focus on things you can’t control,” he tells the group....
Police: Latrobe students use vape pens to smoke marijuana
Latrobe police are warning parents after some Greater Latrobe School District students were taken to the hospital for allegedly using vape pens, also known as e-cigarettes, to smoke marijuana, said police Chief John Sleasman. “We believe that marijuana is of a very high potency level,” Sleasman said. “The system or...
Why this spring’s pollen counts are bad for allergy sufferers
If it feels like a bad spring for allergies, blame it on higher-than-normal pollen counts. Pollen counts throughout the region are reaching the highest levels that can be measured by the National Allergy Bureau, said Dr. Merrit L. Fajt, an allergist with UPMC. “The higher the count, the greater the...
TV pitches for prescription drugs will have to include price
TV pitches for prescription drugs will soon include the price, giving consumers more information upfront as they make medication choices at a time when new drugs can carry anxiety-inducing prices. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Wednesday the Trump administration has finalized regulations requiring drug companies to disclose...
Walmart raises minimum age to buy tobacco to 21
NEW YORK — Walmart said Wednesday that it will raise the minimum age to buy tobaccoproducts and e-cigarettes at its U.S. stores to 21 amid growing pressure from regulators to cut tobacco sales and use among minors. The world’s largest retailer also said it will also stop selling fruit and...
Go Red for Women Luncheon hopes to raise heart health awareness
Red is the color for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Luncheon at 10 a.m. Friday at the Fairmont Pittsburgh Hotel, Downtown. The Go Red for Women movement is dedicated to raising awareness of heart disease and stroke in women all over the world. This 15th annual event...
Psychedelic mushrooms may be the next illicit drugs to go legal
First pot. Now shrooms. Americans want access to psychedelic mushrooms and the psilocybin they produce. Advocates are pushing for legalization on several fronts. Denver is the latest place where the mushroom movement is trying gain ground, reports NPR. Who's at the door in Denver? Magic mushrooms.Volunteers canvas for America's first...
U.S. pregnancy deaths up, and report says most are preventable
More U.S. women are dying from pregnancy-related causes, and more than half of those deaths are preventable, government health officials said in a report Tuesday. Although these deaths are rare — about 700 a year — they have been rising for decades, especially among black women. “An American mom today...
Art therapy helps people explore and resolve many issues
Larry Beaver of Jeannette is known in area art circles as the creator of beautiful pastels. His work is showing in “Trance,” a solo retrospective exhibition running through June 9 at You Are Here Gallery in Jeannette. He’s also been featured in shows in the Latrobe and Greensburg art centers,...
Build more activity into your day using the NEAT way
While writing this paragraph, I stood up and sat back down five times, swiveled in my chair, walked to the kitchen to make a pot of tea, brushed my dog, made my bed and performed at least six seated leg crisscrosses with my feet raised a good 12 inches off...
Avocados are ‘nutrient dense’ with healthy fat, B-vitamins
I laugh when I remember what George Burns, in his role as God in a 1997 film, said about avocados: “Made the pits too big.” Probably not a mistake at all, say those who muse on such things. Native avocado trees in South America had to compete with larger trees...
Art therapy professionals receive master’s level training
“Art therapy is a master’s level training program used in mental health counseling and social work,” says Dana Elmendorf, program director of the Seton Hill University Graduate Art Therapy Program. Art making is a technique used by some mental health professionals in working with their clients, but art therapy is...
More than 2 million pounds of P.F. Chang’s frozen meals have been recalled
More than 2 million pounds of P.F. Chang’s meals sold at the grocery store have been recalled due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Saturday. Arkansas-based Conagra Brands is recalling the P.F. Chang’s home menu chicken pad Thai and...
What you need to know about measles
Allegheny County last week reported five confirmed cases of measles, its first ones of the year, and health officials are warning residents there will likely be more cases. Measles cases nationwide have exceeded 700 so far this year, making it the worst outbreak in more than two decades, according to...
Bethel Park child dealing with brain tumor creates smiles for sick children
A smile goes a long way. And when you meet Sean Rovers, you will see why. The 11-year-old from Bethel Park “lights up a room” with his smile, says one of the doctors treating him for a rare brain tumor. “The minute you see him he has a smile on...
Cocaine deaths up in U.S., and opioids are a big part of it
NEW YORK — Cocaine deaths have been rising in the U.S., health officials said Thursday in their latest report on the nation’s deadliest drug overdose epidemic. After several years of decline, overdose deaths involving cocaine began rising around 2012. And they jumped by more than a third between 2016 and...
Shrimp test positive for cocaine in U.K. waters
How fresh is that shrimp? But, perhaps a better question would be how high is that shrimp? If it comes from the waterways in Britain, it’s a concern. A new study, published today in Environment International, found all freshwater shrimp tested positive for cocaine. King’s College London and the University...
EPA reaffirms weed killer safe for users as court cases grow
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency reaffirmed Tuesday that a popular weed killer is safe for people, as legal claims mount from Americans who blame the herbicide for their cancer. The EPA’s draft conclusion Tuesday came in a periodic review of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup. The agency found...
U.S. sales OK’d for cigarette alternative that heats tobacco
WASHINGTON — U.S. health officials on Tuesday said Philip Morris can sell a cigarette alternative that heats tobacco without burning it, a key decision in the tobacco industry’s shift toward newer products. The Food and Drug Administration has not yet decided whether to allow the device, IQOS (EYE-kose), to be...
Rep. Metcalfe pushes bill requiring doctors to treat unvaccinated kids
As measles continues to spread across the nation, state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe rallied support Tuesday for a bill he introduced in January that would prevent doctors from denying care to children whose parents have chosen not to have them vaccinated. House Bill 286, also known as the Informed Consent Protection...
Congo Ebola cases hit record for most reported in single day
BUTEMBO, Congo — The woman spent more than a week at home sick before family members tried to take her to an Ebola treatment center in eastern Congo. Before the motorcycle could reach the facility, it was too late. Her crumpled body rested against the driver’s back as he worriedly...
Forget that persistent myth: You can drink water while eating
It’s the kind of advice a well-meaning friend might chime in with as you chug a glass of water after sitting down for a meal: “You shouldn’t drink water before eating — it’s bad for your digestion.” She may have heard that warning from her mom years ago and assumed...
Know your triggers for stress
The kids are screaming, the bills are due and the pile of papers on your desk is growing at an alarming pace. It’s undeniable — life is full of stress. Understanding the types and sources of stress — short term and long term, internal and external — is an important...
