Health category, Page 136
5 things to know about this year’s flu season
As influenza season trudges on, public health officials report fewer cases than last year’s severe and deadly season. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released recently shows a more effective vaccine compared with the previous two seasons and called this season a low-severity year so far for influenza...
Cat scratch fever is more than just an old rock ‘n roll song
Dear Mayo Clinic: My cat scratched me while I was trimming his claws and the wound later became infected. Are cat scratches a special concern? Answer: A bite or scratch from a cat carries particular risks, and infection is common. Cat scratch disease (or cat scratch fever) is a specific...
Health Happenings – Feb. 26, 2019
Blood drives American Red Cross will host these blood drives: — 12:30-5 p.m. Thursday American Legion Post 515, 1811 Ligonier St., Latrobe — Noon-4:30 p.m. Monday , Excela Square at Frick, 508 S. Church St., Mt. Pleasant Appointments: 1-800 733-2767 or redcrossblood.org Classes/programs • These classes will meet in Excela...
Anti-vaxxers face backlash as measles cases surgeVideo
The resurgence of measles across the United States is spurring a backlash against vaccine critics, from congressional hearings probing the spread of vaccine misinformation to state measures that would make it harder for parents to opt out of immunizing their children. In Washington state, where the worst measles outbreak in...
FDA takes fresh look at whether opioids are effective for chronic pain
The Food and Drug Administration will require drug companies to study whether prescription opioids already on the market are effective in quelling chronic pain — another step in the government’s efforts to rein in use of the narcotics that spawned the drug epidemic. Some studies already indicate that opioids are...
The Big Number: Diet drinks linked to 23 percent increase in stroke risk in women
Swapping regular sodas for diet drinks might seem like a smart way to cut calories. But new research suggests that women who drink a lot of artificially sweetened beverages increase their risk of having a stroke by 23 percent. What’s a lot? At least two diet beverages a day for...
‘We’re here to help’: Excela bolsters system’s health with focus on primary careVideo
When officials at the Excela Health System were looking to leverage their impact in Westmoreland County, it didn’t take long to target diabetes care. “There’s no shortage of diabetics in Western Pennsylvania and we’re here to help,” said Dr. David S. Richards. Richards, a Westmoreland County native, is executive medical...
AHN to offer Saturday appointments for colonoscopies in March
Allegheny Health Network patients who can’t make it to the doctor during the week will have the chance to get a colonoscopy on Saturdays in March. The Saturday appointments at select outpatient locations are part of AHN’s observance of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and a way to make it...
Measles outbreak leads lawmakers to rethink religion exemptions for vaccines
Recent measles outbreaks in states such as Washington, New York and New Jersey have cast a spotlight on a group of Americans who receive exemptions from immunizing their children on the grounds that the vaccines violate their religious freedoms. Now the states that suffered outbreaks are taking aim at those...
U.S. mining sites dump 50 million gallons of fouled wastewater daily
RIMINI, Mont. — Every day many millions of gallons of water loaded with arsenic, lead and other toxic metals flow from some of the most contaminated mining sites in the United States and into surrounding lakes and streams without being treated, the Associated Press has found. That torrent is poisoning...
Smoking can damage eyesight by age 35, study suggests
Smoking cigarettes has long been known for its ability to damage eyesight, on top of the harm it causes to the lungs, heart, and other organs. But a new study suggests that smoking can impair vision far earlier than is commonly thought. Heavy smokers with an average age of 35...
Understanding the depression gender gap
Women are nearly twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression and it can occur at any age. Some mood changes and depressed feelings occur with normal hormonal changes, but hormonal changes alone don’t cause depression. Other biological factors, inherited traits and personal life circumstances and experiences are...
Health happenings in Westmoreland County
Blood drives • American Red Cross blood drives: — 12:30-6 p.m. Friday , Norwin Christian Church, 9610 Barnes Lake Road, Irwin —9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday , St. Michael’s Orthodox Church, 1182 Ashland St., Greensburg — 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday, First Commonwealth, 111 S. Main St., Greensburg Appointments: 800-733-2767 or redcrossblood.org;...
Doctors’ dilemma: To see or not to see unvaccinated kidsVideo
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate. It’s an issue that surfaces again and again, despite evidence on how effective immunizations are in disease control. The use of vaccines worldwide has eradicated smallpox and done nearly the same for polio. In the United States, diphtheria, bacterial influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus...
Ohio children’s hospital ends use of cats for medical procedure class
CINCINNATI — Cats will no longer be used by an Ohio children’s hospital for teaching doctors a method of examining human airways and lungs. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals had complained to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center about practicing bronchoscopy procedure on cats. The animal rights group says...
Dave McElhinny: Having health care can be ‘bittersweet’
I don’t know about you, but I think “prejudiced people are all alike.” This is what’s known as an oxymoron, a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear together. I used to think oxymoron was a term to describe a dumb person who has acne. When I mentioned...
How bad is measles? Pediatrician who has seen it kill patients implores vaccinating
Measles is back. German measles and chickenpox will undoubtedly follow unless more people vaccinate their children. Some think they are “innocuous childhood diseases”, but if you had ever seen a child who was very sick with any of these vaccine-preventable diseases, you would know better. In 1977, I was a...
Cancer death racial gap narrows but still higher for blacks
NEW YORK — For a long time, blacks have died of cancer at higher rates than other Americans. But a new report says the gap is narrowing. Nearly 30 years ago, black men had a 47 higher cancer death rate than white men. Now it’s 19 percent higher. Black women...
Understanding secondary headache disorder
Dear Mayo Clinic: How can you tell when a headache requires additional diagnostic testing? Answer: Headaches come with a wide range of accompanying symptoms and severity. Most often, they are due to a primary headache disorder, such as a tension-type headache or migraine. In older adults, most headaches are still...
Morning or night? With food or without? Answers to your questions about taking supplements
Whether multivitamins and other dietary supplements are necessary for the general population is a source of debate. Supplements remain recommended for certain populations with specific conditions — such as pregnant women who should take folic acid to reduce the risk of neural tube defects, or children in developing countries whose...
Why millennial women are seeking out plastic surgeons: ‘Now it’s part of my routine.’
After her fourth child, Lisa Wilkie felt open to getting a little cosmetic work done. Feeling the toll having children had taken on her body, she made an appointment to discuss breast augmentation. After that procedure in 2017, Wilkie, 34, also began Botox, an appointment she’s made every 12 weeks...
Health happenings in Westmoreland County
Classes/programs • Tours of the Family Additions Maternity Center are planned at 2 p.m. Sunday at Excela Westmoreland Hospital, 532 W. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg. Details: 877-771-1234 • Childbirth and Beyond, a two-week class meets Wednesdays, 6:30-9 p.m. beginning Feb. 20 in Excela Westmoreland Hospital, 532 W. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg. Details:...
Even in best-case scenario, opioid overdose deaths will keep rising until 2022
In the nation’s opioid epidemic, the carnage is far from over. A new projection of opioid overdose death rates suggests that even if there is steady progress in reducing prescription narcotics abuse nationwide, the number of fatal overdoses — which reached 47,600 in 2017 — will rise sharply in the...
Telemedicine struggles to lure patients
Walmart workers can now see a doctor for only $4. The catch? It has to be a virtual visit. The retail giant recently rolled back the $40 price on telemedicine, becoming the latest big company to nudge employees toward a high-tech way to get diagnosed and treated remotely. But patients...
WVU research touts value of vegetarian diets for diabetes management
Pass the celery sticks, please. Our friends at West Virginia University are tackling wellness issues that cross state lines into Western Pennsylvania, specifically type 2 diabetes. Researchers at WVU have looked at the relationship between vegetarian diets and diabetes outcomes. And, surprise, they found that a diet based on whole...
