Health & Safety

What's Behind The U.S. Opposition To Pro-Breastfeeding Language

5:31pm July 09, 2018

At a World Health Assembly summit in Geneva in May, the U.S. led a charge against pro-breastfeeding language. NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with New York Times reporter Andrew Jacobs about what's happening and why.

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Lipitor, a best-seller as a cholesterol treatment, is being tested as a remedy for the flu.

Health & Safety

Scientists Find New Tricks For Old Drugs

5:31pm July 09, 2018

by Richard Harris

Researchers are looking to redeploy drugs used for years to treat cholesterol and high blood pressure as remedies for influenza and Ebola.

Health & Safety

Why Health Insurance Premiums May Rise Next Year

5:00pm July 09, 2018

by Alison Kodjak

Heath insurance premiums could rise again next year after the Trump administration suspended part of the Affordable Care Act that's designed to stabilize insurance markets.

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Mumbai's Juhu beach is strewn with trash at low tide during monsoon season. Floodwaters flush garbage out of the city and into the Arabian Sea. As tides ebb, beaches are blanketed in trash, much of it plastic.

An Indian State Bans Plastic Bags, Straws And More. Will It Work?

3:35pm July 09, 2018

by Lauren Frayer

In Mumbai, beaches are strewn with plastic trash, so now there's a ban on plastics — and penalties for violators. But there are some exceptions.

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Alan Dambach developed tremors that caused his hands to shake uncontrollably. His condition made it difficult to work on his family's tree farm in Fombell, Pa.

Health & Safety

How Highly Focused Sound Waves Steadied A Farmer's Trembling Hand

3:25pm July 09, 2018

by Jon Hamilton

Tree farmer Alan Dambach's tremor got so bad he couldn't read his own signature. Then he tried a new procedure that uses sound waves to destroy specific brain cells.

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U.S. Tries To Derail WHO Resolution Endorsing Breastfeeding

11:55am July 09, 2018

David Greene talks to Patti Rundall, of the British advocacy group Baby Milk Action, about a resolution that was expected to be approved by delegates at the U.N.-affiliated World Health Assembly.

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When ticks come into contact with clothing sprayed with permethrin, research shows, they quickly become incapacitated and are unable to bite.

To Repel Ticks, Try Spraying Your Clothes With A Pesticide That Mimics Mums

11:23am July 09, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

Just in time for summer hikes and outdoor play, a study finds that the ticks that often convey Lyme disease become unable to bite, and soon die, after exposure to clothing treated with permethrin.

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Shannon Hubbard has complex regional pain syndrome and considers herself lucky that her doctor hasn't cut back her pain prescription dosage.

Patients With Chronic Pain Feel Caught In An Opioid Prescribing Debate

6:43pm July 08, 2018

by Will Stone

States are passing laws that limit a doctor's ability to prescribe opioids. Doctors and patients alike are wrestling with what that means in cases of chronic pain

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The Trump administration is halting billions of dollars in payments required under the ACA, citing a district court decision in New Mexico from earlier this year. Insurers say, the timing of the decision could mean higher premiums for millions of individu

Trump Administration Freezes Payments Required By The Affordable Care Act

6:08pm July 08, 2018

by Maggie Penman

Citing a February ruling from a district court in New Mexico, the administration said it will halt risk adjustment payments required by the ACA. Insurers say the move will increase premiums.

States Adopt Opioid Prescribing Limits

5:59pm July 08, 2018

by Will Stone

Arizona and many other states have enacted laws that limit a care provider's ability to prescribe opioids. Doctors and patients are wrestling with the restrictions in legitimate pain management cases.

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