U.S. health officials are warning clinicians to be alert for cases of measles following several outbreaks, largely among children who were eligible for the vaccine but did not receive it. As USA Today reports, in an email sent last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged vigilance among health providers across the U.S. […]
January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month. Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the United States. It is a condition in which elevated eye pressure may damage the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain. There are many different types of glaucoma, but the most common type in the United […]
Chronic wasting disease is sometimes referred to as “zombie deer disease,” or affected deer can be called “zombie deer” due to the neurological signs of the disease, which include weight loss, lack of coordination, listlessness and drooling. As USA Today reports, the disease mainly affects free-ranging deer, elk and moose, according to the Centers for […]
As the new year gets underway, health officials are issuing a nationwide alert about a triple threat: The simultaneous spread of the flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. As CBS News reports, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting a significant rise in emergency room visits due to flu and COVID-19, while RSV […]
A new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 is rising to prominence in the U.S. as winter illness season approaches its peak: JN.1, yet another gift from the Omicron variant. As Time magazine reports, JN.1 was first detected in the U.S. in September but spread slowly at first. In recent weeks, however, it has accounted for […]
Thanksgiving Day often involves family, friends, food and football, yet sometimes the cooking, eating and traveling frenzy over the holiday weekend can lead to an unexpected trip to the emergency room. “There is usually light volume on Thanksgiving Day, but post-Thanksgiving dinner is when we usually see a surge in the ER,” Dr. Poonam Desai, an […]
If you contract the chickenpox virus, also known as varicella-zoster, your illness will typically clear up in a week or two. However, this virus remains in your body even after you’ve recovered. When you first contract the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), you’ll get chickenpox. When you fight off this virus, your body creates immunity to it, so it’s […]
As more Americans are being diagnosed with multiple chronic health problems at younger ages, for the first time, the American Heart Association (AHA) is identifying a new medical condition that reflects the strong links among obesity, diabetes and heart and kidney disease. As NBC News reports, in an advisory released this month, the goal in […]
Last week, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that everyone ages 6 months and older should get the new COVID-19 vaccine this fall, and kids under 5 may be eligible to receive two doses of the new vaccine if they haven’t been vaccinated previously. The new COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are […]
Last week, health officials approved updated versions of the COVID-19 vaccines that protect against coronavirus strains that emerged more recently. And, as was the case in previous years, you’ll have the option to get this booster and your usual flu vaccine at the same appointment. As NBC‘s Today Show reports, summer’s COVID-19 resurgence has lingered into fall, and […]