Health & Safety

Women in Gaza are desperately in need of washrooms, privacy and pads

4:24pm January 05, 2024

by Aya Batrawy

Hundreds of thousands of displaced women in Gaza are not only struggling to survive Israeli bombardment, but also have to contend with private struggles trying to find washrooms and pads.

Health & Safety

RSV has likely peaked in Triad as flu and COVID-19 cases increase

3:59pm January 05, 2024

by Bethany Chafin

As the respiratory viral season picks up, local infectious disease expert Dr. Christopher Ohl gave an update Friday on three major viruses health care providers are seeing.

Navigating the respiratory illnesses — including COVID — going around post-holidays

5:18pm January 04, 2024

by Pien Huang

Respiratory illnesses are rising after the holidays. CDC Director Mandy Cohen and other health experts share data and advice on how to navigate what is typically the peak respiratory virus season.

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A poll from the American Psychological Association found that nearly half of respondents wished they had someone to help them manage stress.

Health & Safety

Want to stress less in 2024? A new book offers '5 resets' to tame toxic stress

4:50pm January 04, 2024

by Rhitu Chatterjee

Dr. Aditi Nerurkar, a Harvard physician and researcher, is out with a new book of science-backed strategies to reduce stress and build resilience.

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Health & Safety

How medications like Ozempic are revolutionizing the weight loss industry

1:37pm January 04, 2024

by Tonya Mosley

Bloomberg News reporter Emma Court explains how these so-called "miracle drugs" work, and discusses side effects, long-term impacts, and what it all means for the body positivity movement.

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Global wishes for 2024: Pay for family leave. Empower Black men. Respect rural voices

12:25pm January 04, 2024

by NPR Staff

We asked leaders in global health and development to share their wishes for the new year. Here's what they hope will happen in the year ahead. And readers, we'd like to hear from you.

People who use hearing aids to restore hearing have a 24% lower risk of death, compared to people who don't use hearing aids, a new study finds.

Hearing aids may boost longevity, study finds. But only if used regularly

5:00am January 04, 2024

by Allison Aubrey

Roughly 40 million adults in the U.S. have hearing loss, but most don't use hearing aids. This increases the risk of social isolation, physical and cognitive decline and may lead to premature death.

Older adults who are in Medicare Advantage and are dissatisfied with their plans can make a switch until March 31.

Health & Safety

Older Americans say they feel trapped in Medicare Advantage plans

6:05pm January 03, 2024

by Sarah Jane Tribble

As enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans grows, so do concerns about how well the insurance works, including from those who say they have become trapped in the private plans as their health declines.

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Left to right: Alexis Mukwedi tested positive for sleeping sickness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A sandfly, whose bite can spread the parasite causing visceral leishmaniasis, lands on the photographer for a blood meal. A woman in Vietnam receives an eye exam to see if she has trachoma, which can cause blindness. Last year several countries eliminated the threat from this disease.

Health & Safety

Some overlooked good news from 2023: Six countries knock out 'neglected' diseases

5:28pm January 03, 2024

by Nurith Aizenman

In 2023, six nations were able to eliminate virtually all cases of at least one of the illnesses on the World Health Organization's priority list of "neglected tropical diseases."

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Texas abortion bans upheld in federal court

4:58pm January 03, 2024

by Julie Rovner

The extremely strict abortion bans in Texas won again in the federal courts on Tuesday. The federal appeals court in New Orleans sided with Texas in a case about abortions in emergencies.