Health category, Page 130
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...
Health Happenings – Apr. 30, 2019
Blood drives — 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. today, Triangle Tech, 222 E. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg — 12:30-5 p.m. May 7, Ascension Church, 621 Division St., Jeannette Appointments: 800-733-2767 or redcrossblood.org; walk-ins welcome Classes/programs • Excela Health fitness classes for the mind, body and spirit at Westmoreland Hospital, 532 W. Pittsburgh St.,...
U.S. measles cases top 700, with many illnesses among kids
NEW YORK — Measles continues to spread in the United States, with more 704 cases reported so far this year in 22 states. U.S. health officials on Monday updated the national tally. It has already eclipsed the total for any full year since 1994, when 963 cases were reported. The...
Alzheimer’s care takes toll on patients, families and societyVideo
Alzheimer’s disease is sometimes referred to as a “silent killer,” as it eventually robs patients of the ability to communicate and interact with others and with the outside world. Here are facts for 2019 from the Alzheimer’s Association, about the (sometimes silent) costs of the disease on patients, their loved...
‘Alzheimer’s Stories’ choral work offers hope through music
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, incurable brain disorder that slowly robs the sufferer of memory and cognitive functions, eventually claiming the ability to carry out even simple tasks. Yet, it’s been noted that music can sometimes evoke responses from Alzheimer’s patients when nothing else can. “Musical memories are often preserved...
Pittsburgh-area doctors sound alarm about deadly fungal superbug
A deadly fungus that is outsmarting major antifungal medications is slowly spreading across the United States, prompting infectious-disease doctors in Western Pennsylvania to prepare for its eventual arrival. The fungus, called Candida auris, has been confirmed in New York and New Jersey, but no cases have been reported in Pennsylvania,...
State laws highlight war over drug pricing
WASHINGTON — Recent laws in several states that protect drugmakers’ contributions toward patients’ prescription copays are highlighting an escalating battle in the larger war on drug pricing. In the past month, Arizona, Virginia and West Virginia became the first states to enact laws restricting insurance companies from excluding most drug...
Record 250 herpes cases reported per day near Coachella Festival
Music fans apparently caught more than some great tunes at a California music festival this month. The annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival draws about 250,000 people to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, across two weekends in April. In addition to the impacts that any large event...
Men’s beards are dirtier than dogs’ fur, study says
Talk about a romantic mood killer. Before you go in close for a kiss with that hirsute dude, you might want to look at a new study out of Zurich, Switzerland, that found men’s beards contain more bacteria than a dog’s fur. The Hirslanden Clinic looked at the “bacterial load...
Food poisoning remains persistent problem, U.S. report finds
NEW YORK — As recent illnesses tied to raw turkey , ground beef , cut melon and romaine lettuce suggest, U.S. food poisoning cases don’t appear to be going away anytime soon. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report Thursday that the frequency of several types...
Bloodsucking ‘kissing bugs’ are on the march
It’s like “Sleeping Beauty” with a dose of nightmare fuel: A flat-bodied, six-legged insect moves toward you as you slumber, bound for the blood that surges around your eyes and lips. It crawls on your face. And the poop it leaves behind can be deadly. The triatomine bug, also known...
Patients can review doctors in new Allegheny Health Network system
Allegheny Health Network patients can now find out online what people like — or don’t like — about their doctor. AHN announced Thursday it has implemented a new verified star rating system and comment section for all physicians where patients can give feedback to help others decide who might be...
Planet Fitness offering free gym to teens during summer
If your Planet Fitness gym seems a little more crowded this summer, this might be why. The fitness chain announced that it is offering teens ages 15-18 free access to its clubs during the summer. The Teen Summer Challenge kicks off May 15 and goes until Sept. 1. During that...
