News - HealthDigest

Maria Scinto

Are The Risks Of Schools Staying Closed Higher Than Schools Opening Up?

As COVID rates spike in many parts of the nation, school systems continue transitioning from online back to in-person learning. While this action may, at first, seem pretty questionable, upon reflection, the issue is far more complicated.

Jorie Mark

Face Masks Are Helping People Manage Their Anxiety. Here's Why

Take people who have social anxiety, which is the fear of being judged negatively by other people. A Polish study of how wearing face masks impacted individuals with this disorder revealed that the use of these simple cloth coverings reduced their anxiety levels.

Maria Scinto

The Important Benefit Being Social Has On Older Adults

Science has shown, time and again, that what really benefits older adults (and younger ones, too) is maintaining some sort of social connection. As it turns out, staying social can have a benefit you never knew about.

Karen Veazey

The Seasonal Fruit You're Not Eating But Should

Advice from the medical community has long told us that, for our best health, we should eat a colorful diet. There's one fruit that fits that bill and is packed full of nutritional goodness that you may be missing — and it's in season right now.

Valerie Kalfrin

This Is What You Need In Your Medicine Cabinet Before Winter

With cold and flu season approaching, it's a good time to restock your home medicine cabinet with pain relievers, cough medicines, and cold aids to avoid running low when you're not feeling well, medical experts say.

Jorie Mark

The Percentage Of Americans Dealing With Anxiety Right Now Is Higher Than You Think

If the chaotic state of existence otherwise known as '2020' is stressing you out, you're certainly not alone. In fact, one in three Americans is experiencing anxiety, and a total of 40 percent of the U.S. population has suffered from mental health struggles.

Maria Scinto

The FDA Just Changed Its Guidelines On NSAIDs And Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be a real headache, all right — quite literally, since headaches, as well as other bodily aches and pains, are a symptom experienced by many expectant moms. Unfortunately, you can't always cure said headache just by reaching for your trusty bottle of ibuprofen.

Poster on a city street advertising flu shots

Valerie Kalfrin

Why The Flu Vaccine Won't Impact Your COVID Chances

The flu vaccine won't protect you against the coronavirus — but it won't make you more vulnerable to catching COVID-19, either, says the CDC.

Doctor holding up positive COVID-19 test

Karen Veazey

The COVID-19 Complication That Adults Shouldn't Ignore

It's been eight months since life changed into a socially-distanced, mask-wearing reality. Yet even now, scientists are still learning new things about the coronavirus and how it impacts the human body. A new complication showing up in adults has doctors concerned.

Maria Scinto

The Surprising Connection Between Elections And Heart Attacks

Well, you might not be too thrilled to hear it, but if you've come to dread election season, medical science has found some hard facts to back up your fears. It seems that the more stressed out the election is making you feel, the more danger you're in of suffering dangerous health consequences.

Valerie Kalfrin

Why Rural America May Be More At Risk For COVID Than Cities

Residents in rural America may be more at risk for the coronavirus than previously thought because of certain risk factors that densely populated cities don't have, researchers say.

Jorie Mark

What You Need To Know About COVID-19 Reinfection

How well you fare from a coronavirus infection might seem a little like Russian roulette — on one hand, you have the asymptomatic carriers, and on the other, you have the more than 218,000 deaths in the United States alone. Once you've gone through it once, though, can you get it again?

Maria Scinto

What You Need To Know About 'Long-Haul COVID'

There are reports that there is a possible outcome of a COVID diagnosis that we all need to be aware of. It's called 'long-haul COVID, which refers to the fact that some sufferers may take many months to recover from their virus symptoms.

Jorie Mark

Study Reveals Surprising Findings About COVID And Child Care Centers

Ready for some good news about the pandemic? Because as it turns out, there actually is such a thing. A study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that there was not a heightened risk of COVID-19 infection among childcare workers compared to adults in other lines of work.

Karen Veazey

Read This If You've Recently Bought Cottonelle Wipes

If you've purchased any disposable wipes, particularly the flushable kind, you'll want to check your cabinets right away.

Maria Scinto

How Restrictive Reproductive Health Policies Can Impact Babies' Health

A study showed that women receive better health care in states classified as 'less restrictive' regarding reproductive healthcare access, and that those women gave birth to healthier babies who were likely to be at a lower risk of complications such as breathing difficulties and infection.

Maria Scinto

Why Your Blood Type Might Be A Major Factor For COVID-19 Infection

One of the factors that medical science is taking into account for coronavirus infection is blood type, and they may have discovered a connection, or at least a correlation, between your blood type and your likelihood of becoming infected with COVID.

Valerie Kalfrin

A Surprising Benefit Of Having Acupuncture Before Surgery

Even if you're not fond of needles, trying acupuncture before surgery can significantly reduce your pain afterward, according to a new study presented before the American Society of Anesthesiologists in Chicago, Illinois.

A child wearing a face shield and another wearing a mask compare looks

Valerie Kalfrin

How Parents Might Unknowingly Influence Their Kids About COVID Safety

If you've grumbled about COVID-19 safety guidelines such as wearing masks in public - or ignored such measures - your children could follow your example.

Valerie Kalfrin

The Real Reason Your Allergies Are So Much Worse This Fall

We can point a finger at the coronavirus for a lot of changes in our daily lives. But if your eyes have felt inflamed for weeks and you're more congested than usual this fall, climate change is the real culprit, allergy specialists say.

Maria Scinto

The Real Reason You Should Drink More Water As You Age

While you may not need to drink eight glasses of plain water every day, you do know (well, you should know!) the importance of staying well-hydrated.

Maria Scinto

How Your Quarantine Hobby May Be Benefiting Your Health

What was the quarantine hobby that helped get you through the darkest of days when it seemed like we'd never get outside our own four walls again?

Valerie Kalfrin

This Is How Much More Alcohol Americans Are Drinking During The Pandemic

American adults are drinking more during the coronavirus pandemic, with women and people ages 30 to 59, in particular, consuming more alcoholic beverages.

Valerie Kalfrin

The Actual Number Of Global COVID Cases May Be Far Higher Than Thought

The actual number of global COVID-19 cases and fatalities may be far higher than thought, says the World Health Organization (WHO), which said Monday that the virus may have infected about 10 percent of the world's population, or roughly 760 million people.

Jorie Mark

Why Women Are More Likely To Die In The Hospital After A Heart Attack

Dying because of a heart attack is much less common than it used to be in the 1970s and 1980s. ut according to a recent report, of the people who do die from this condition, a disproportionate number are women.

Maria Scinto

The Reason COVID-19 Is Causing Kids To Miss These Important Health Screens

What's not so great is, some kids, particularly low-income ones, are missing out on some much-needed medical care.

Maria Scinto

How Nutrition Can Play A Role In Fighting COVID-19

There were many rumors about how to prevent or cure COVID-19 dating from the start of the pandemic, but what you eat may play a bigger role than you thought.