Health A-Z News

Brain-Eating Amoeba Tied to Tap Water in Neti Pot Dec. 10, 2018 -- The use of tap water in a nasal-flushing Neti pot likely led to a Seattle woman's death from a brain-eating amoeba, doctors write in a case study.Instead of using sterile water or saline, it's believed the 69-year-old woman used tap water she'd put in a filter-equipped pitcher, CBS News reported.The amoeba got into her upper nasal cavity and then into her bloodstream, eventually reaching her brain, according to the study in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.This a rare case that serves as a

The app converts fingernail colors into quick readings of blood hemoglobin levels, according to researchers at Emory University in Atlanta. They said the technology could be used by anyone at any time, but its use right now is  limited to screening, not a formal diagnosis of anemia.

The therapy targets the genetic flaw that causes sickle cell. In a small group of patients, researchers said the therapy appears safe and effective enough to keep moving forward into larger trials.

Between 60 and 80 percent of people admit they avoid telling their doctor details that could be relevant to their well-being.

Nearly 8 out of 10 medications Americans take have some component made abroad, largely in developing industrial powers China and India.

The U.S. government has approved the first drug that reduces ammonia gas emissions from an animal or its waste.

Researchers found that accepting a heart from an increased-risk donor resulted in a higher 1-year survival rate for patients than declining that offer and waiting for a different organ

The typhus involved in the L.A. outbreak is known as murine typhus and can spread to people from infected feces of fleas. The feces of fleas are infected with bacteria called Rickettsia typhi, according to the CDC.

Taking the drug allopurinol to manage gout, a painful form of arthritis, is not only safe, but also potentially beneficial in reducing risk of kidney disease, researchers say.

High tech safety features on new cars could prevent 40 percent of all vehicle crashes and nearly 30 percent of traffic deaths, researchers said this week. But a lot of work needs to be done in to help drives know the devices’ limitations and their proper use.

When parents of adult children become ill, it's often up to their children to become caregivers. It's a role reversal fraught with challenges, but it can also offer loving rewards.

In fact, if your personal exposome was visible to the naked eye, the researchers said, you'd look like the "Peanuts" character Pig-Pen.

Cargill Meat Solutions has recalled 126,000 pounds of ground beef because of E. coli contamination. One person has died and another 17 have become sick after eating the beef, according to the USDA.

Former CDC Director Tom Frieden was arrested Friday in New York City and charged with sex abuse.

People with A, B and AB blood should receive donations that match their blood type, lest they suffer a severe and potentially fatal immune reaction. However, any of them can receive type O blood.

While global warming appeared to have eased early in the 21st century, a new forecasting method points to the likelihood of abnormally high average air temperatures worldwide.

Synthetic marijuana products spiked with an ingredient in rat poison have caused several deaths and hundreds of hospitalizations, the FDA says. The contaminant -- a blood thinner called brodifacoum -- can cause severe bleeding and has been found in products with names such as K2 and Spice.

Endari, a medicine-grade version of the dietary supplement L-glutamine, reduced sickle cell patients' number of acute pain crises by 25 percent compared with a placebo, researchers have found.

In a recent survey by Medscape, 27% of doctors said they had been sexually harassed by patients in the office, including those who acted in an overtly sexual manner toward the physician; asked for a date; patients who tried to touch, grope, or grab them. In all three categories, the harassment happened more frequently to female physicians.

While the decision means the lawsuits can move forward, the judge noted that it could be a "daunting challenge" to convince him to allow a jury to hear testimony that glyphosate was responsible for individual cancer cases, the AP reported.

Last year saw the highest number of firework-related injuries, says the Consumer Product Safety Commission. There were at least eight reported deaths and an estimated 12,900 injuries. Of those, 8,700 happened in the summer.

10% of Doctors Sexually Harassed in Last 3 Years June 21, 2018 -- Twelve percent of female doctors and 4% of male doctors said they have experienced sexual abuse, harassment, or misconduct in the past 3 years, according to Medscape's Sexual Harassment of Physicians: Report 2018.The results are from a survey of more than 6,200 clinicians in the U.S. who were asked about specific behavior they experienced or witnessed in the past 3 years, where it occurred, how they responded, and how it affected them. The survey also asked whether they had been accused of sexual harassment.Overall,

The first confirmed human case of Keystone virus has been diagnosed in a Florida teen, but it's likely that infection with the mosquito-borne disease is common among state residents, researchers report.

If you're in the hospital suffering from an infectious disease, you're half as likely to die if you're overweight or obese, Danish researchers report.

Rabies is fatal if not treated early. With a better test, people exposed to potentially rabid animals could avoid the weeks-long series of shots now given to prevent the disease.