Health News

Health News for 02/21/11

February 21, 2011

Health Tip: Protect Your Eyes From Corneal Abrasion

Carelessly handled contact lenses, a low-hanging tree branch or a fingernail used to relieve an itch can scratch the eye's cornea, resulting in what is called a corneal abrasion.

Health Tip: When You Sweat All the Time

Becoming drenched with sweat during an intense workout is to be expected. But what if you constantly sweat, even without exertion?

Can Prescription Amphetamine Use Raise Parkinson's Risk?

Taking prescription amphetamines may raise your risk of developing Parkinson's disease later, new research suggests.

Busy Social Life May Stave Off Disability in Elderly

Seniors who are more socially active are less likely to become disabled, researchers say.

Kids With Perforated Appendix May Benefit From Early Surgery

Early appendectomy is better for children with a perforated appendix than postponing the surgery, a new study finds.

Education Might Help Kidney Recipients Spot Skin Cancer

Educating kidney transplant patients about their risk for skin cancer helps increase rates of skin self-examination and follow-up with a dermatologist, researchers have found.

Bone-Anchored Hearing Aids May Benefit Kids

Children with hearing loss in one or both ears benefit from bone-anchored hearing aids, according to a new study.

Kids' Callousness Associated With Conduct Problems

Children who display a lack of emotion and a lack of empathy or guilt -- features that psychologists call "callous-unemotional traits" -- are at risk of antisocial behavior and other adjustment problems, research shows.

Going 'Green' May Cut Hospital Costs

Implementing practical, environmentally friendly practices in operating rooms and other hospital facilities could reduce health-care costs without compromising patient safety, says a new study.

Clots in Coronary Stents More Likely in Early Morning

Prior research has shown that stroke risk peaks in the early morning hours. Now a new study finds that blood clots within stents -- a potential trigger for stroke as well as heart attacks -- also follow a circadian pattern and peak in the early morning.

Teens Posting 'Cutting' Videos on YouTube

The YouTube videos are disturbing -- images of teens with their arms bleeding and scarred where they sliced into themselves with a razor blade or other sharp object; poetry about pain, loneliness and hopelessness.

High Cholesterol, Hypertension May Harm Memory in Middle Age

Hypertension and high cholesterol may be linked to losses in memory and mental abilities in middle age, a new study finds.

Study Finds Too Many Surgical Breast Biopsies Performed

Too often surgical breast biopsies, and not less invasive and safer needle biopsies, are being performed on women who have abnormal mammograms, a new study says.

Simple Tests Can Tell Who Can Drive After Stroke: Study

A new review of existing research contends that three brief tests could help doctors figure out whether recovering stroke patients are well enough to drive.

Health Highlights: Feb. 21, 2011

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Surviving Melanoma May Take Different Toll on Women, Men

The experience of surviving a melanoma may weigh more heavily on the emotional lives of women than men, a new study suggests.

Hearing Loss Common Among Middle-Aged Adults: Study

An estimated 21 percent of Americans aged 48 to 59 struggle with some kind of hearing loss, and the number rises to 90 percent of adults 80 and older, a new study says.

Gastric Bypass Best for Weight Loss, Study Finds

When it comes to shedding pounds and improving or eliminating type 2 diabetes, gastric bypass surgery may be better than other surgical weight-loss procedures, two new studies find.

Climate Change Extending Ragweed Season in Colder Climes: Study

People with ragweed allergies who live in northern climates aren't imaging that their misery is lasting longer and longer each year.