Month: October 2016

Research shows that women who masturbate regularly are healthier ? both physically and emotionally. Sometimes, though, hitting the spot takes a little longer than we’d like it to. In the BuzzFeed video above, a few women test out the Womanizer, a sex toy whose manufacturer claims that 80 percent of users orgasm after two to three minutes of use.  It’s a bold promise ? but does this bad boy really get the job done? Watch the clip above to see,

A UC San Diego study of 12 million Facebook users says they do with one caveat: This happens only when Facebook helps you reinforce and enhance your real-world connections. In other words, “likes” from strangers really don’t matter. The study ? which the researchers say is an association study and cannot identify causation ? was just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  In an era where many of us spend more time

Across four different studies, the researchers found that more agreeable people feel a strong need to respond in kind when they are forgiven, which means not repeating the behavior that bothered or upset their partner–such as smoking, flirting, neglecting chores, or overspending. Why? The research provides some evidence that agreeable people feel a sense of obligation when they’re forgiven, a kind of moral contract: You forgave me, so I’ll reciprocate by treating you well.

Jeffrey D. Cirillo, Ph.D., a professor at the Texas AM College of Medicine, says it doesn’t take much of a foothold for tuberculosis to get going.

Mental illness is a health condition, not a Halloween costume.  And this Halloween, social media users are spreading the word. Mental health advocates are taking selfies with the hashtag #FaceOfMentalIllness to gently remind everyone that mental illness is not a horror show or a scene to be frightened or ashamed by.  “Mental illness is nothing to make fun of, or use as a frightening attraction,”Jennifer Marshall, cofounder and executive director of the advocacy community This Is My

Brenna uses her Instagram account to discuss her journey to a healthier relationship with her body, even posting side-by-side photos of her 50-pound weight loss. She says she experienced body dysmorphia, a condition in which people can think about their real and perceived flaws for hours on end. She tried every supposed remedy for cellulite, she told The Huffington Post, from Epsom salt baths, to creams, to using a dry brush before a shower, foam rolling

“I didn’t talk to anyone about it. I was very reluctant,” Adele said. “My boyfriend said I should talk to other women who were pregnant, and I said, ‘Fuck that, I ain’t hanging around with a fuckin’ bunch of mothers.’ Then, without realizing it, I was gravitating towards pregnant women and other women with children, because I found they’re a bit more patient. You’ll be talking to someone, but you’re not really listening, because you’re

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Credit: Wikimedia Commons For as long as scientists have been listening in on the activity of the brain, they have been trying to understand the source of its noisy, apparently random, activity. In the past 20 years, “balanced network theory” has emerged to explain this apparent randomness through a balance of excitation and inhibition in recurrently coupled networks of neurons. A team of scientists has extended the balanced model to provide deep and testable predictions

Electron tomography reveals the three-dimensional structure of membrane contact sites (colored red) between ER tubules (green) and mitochondria (purple) in a yeast cell (right) or an endosome (yellow) in an animal cell (left). Credit: Matthew West. A new University of Colorado Boulder study shows for the first time the final stages of how mitochondria, the sausage-shaped, power-generating organelles found in nearly all living cells, regularly divide and propagate. In 2011, CU Boulder Associate Professor Gia

A new study suggests that an ability to delay immediate gratification is associated with less frequent consumption of fast food. The study, which appears early online in Preventive Medicine has public health significance since away-from-home eating, and fast food consumption in particular, contribute to obesity in the United States. Food consumed away from home often consists of energy-dense nutrient-poor food, which increases the risk for obesity and other chronic conditions. Behavioral economics, the application of

A new study published today in JACC: Basic to Translational Science sheds light on PCSK9 inhibitors, a new class of low density lipoprotein (LDL) lowering drugs, and their impact on another risk factor for heart disease, levels of lipoprotein (a). Efforts to prevent atherosclerotic heart disease to date have focused on lowering LDL concentrations. However, observational and human genetic studies have identified lipoprotein (a) as an important risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk, which is

Low and very high levels of HDL, or “good cholesterol” are associated with a higher risk of dying from heart disease, cancer and other causes, according to a study today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The findings from the first of its kind study suggest that a low level of good cholesterol may not be a heart disease risk factor on its own and that raising HDL does not likely reduce

CHICAGO –  A study of mice infected with Zika showed the virus caused lasting damage to key cells in the male reproductive system, resulting in shrunken testicles, lower levels of sex hormones and reduced fertility, U.S. researchers said on Monday. So far, the findings are only in mice, but the result is worrisome enough to warrant further study because of possible implications for people, said Dr. Michael Diamond of Washington University in St. Louis, whose

Singer Adele said in a magazine interview released on Monday that she suffered from post-partum depression after the birth of her son and had undergone therapy when younger for what she called her “very dark side.” The British singer, who is nearing the end of a 10-month tour to mark her album “25,” told Vanity Fair in an interview for its December cover story published on its website on Monday that she would be happy

(Reuters Health) – More than a quarter of older U.S. Medicare beneficiaries have not done any advanced care planning, and Latinos, African Americans and people with low incomes are least likely to have made end-of-life arrangements, according to a new research letter. “We expected to see that older adults in worse health more frequently discussed of end-of-life plans and preferences,” said Krista Lyn Harrison, a geriatrics researcher, Division of Geriatrics, School of Medicine, University of

WASHINGTON An appeals court sided on Monday with U.S. antitrust enforcers trying to stop a merger of two Chicago hospital systems, handing the government a victory in its effort to block deals that it believes will lead to higher prices. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission had filed a lawsuit in December 2015 to stop the proposed merger of Advocate Health Care and NorthShore University HealthSystem. But a district court in Chicago disagreed with the FTC’s

Monday October 31 2016 Regular cycling brings a range of health benefits “High-speed cyclists ‘breathe in dangerous levels of air pollution’,” The Sun reports. Alexander Bigazzi, a Canadian engineer, put together a mathematical model, and his figures suggest cycling faster than 20km (12.4 miles) an hour increases exposure to pollutants. He used a series of complex equations to calculate the speed that walkers, joggers or cyclists need to travel at to minimise the level of

She has trouble speaking, has suffered through over 20 surgeries and was tormented for years by her classmates in school. More on this… Anti-bullying app matches teens with someone to sit with at lunch Students rally to replace deaf student’s supplies found in toilet Woman sits down to breakfast, discovers she can’t swallow But Courtney Blackmore, 20, doesn’t let her cystic hygroma — a rare condition that causes growths in her chin and neck— get in

Fit mom and Instagram guru Chontel Duncan has revealed that her rock-hard abs actually made giving birth harder. The Australia-based personal trainer first made headlines for rocking a full set of abs during her pregnancy— but the 27-year-old has now confessed that her well-honed tum did cause complications. [Part 2] I CRIED I felt like I failed… but then @sam_hiitaustralia reminded me of my mantra which was “to go through all means necessary so baby

The number of children and teens hospitalized for prescription opioid poisonings has more than doubled in recent years, with both accidental overdoses and suicide attempts on the rise, a U.S. study suggests. Annually, the rate of these opioid poisonings among youth up to 19 years old surged from 1.4 per 100,000 children in 1997 to 3.71 per 100,000 kids by 2012, the study found. “I believe that the two-fold increase in hospitalization rates over time

Electron micrographs of hepatitis C virus purified from cell culture. Scale bar is 50 nanometers. Credit: Center for the Study of Hepatitis C, The Rockefeller University. Alternative forms of two genes are associated with a boost in immunity to hepatitis C after childbirth, a study led by a Nationwide Children’s Hospital physician-researcher shows. At three months postpartum, the number of viruses circulating in the blood declined sharply in most women who carried particular versions of

UA doctoral students Colin Zestcott (left) and Uri Lifshin (right) conducted two studies showing that athletes are subconsciously motivated by reminders of death. The skull shirt worn by Lifshin served as one of those reminders. Credit: University of Arizona It’s not the locker room pep talk you’d expect, but new research from the University of Arizona suggests that athletes might perform better when reminded of something a bit grim: their impending death. In two studies,

White coat hypertension, where patients have high blood pressure readings in a medical setting but normal blood pressure outside the doctor’s office, is most likely an innocuous condition that is not a predictor of heart disease or stroke—except in a small group of older patients, according to a study published online today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. White coat hypertension, identified more than 30 years ago, is a common condition that

Pregnant women in England will soon be offered a safer, more accurate new test for Down’s syndrome, government ministers have confirmed. The non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) will be rolled out by the NHS from 2018. It should cut the number of women who need riskier diagnostic tests in pregnancy that can cause a miscarriage. But critics fear the new test, although optional, will have an unwanted effect – more women aborting Down’s babies. A world

The number of young people in the UK seeking help for anxiety has increased sharply, a children’s charity has said. The NSPCC’s Childline counselled 11,706 young people for anxiety in 2015-16 – a 35% rise from the 8,642 in 2014-15. Children as young as eight have contacted the charity, with girls seven times more likely to make contact for help about anxiety than boys, it said. Issues raised ranged from personal and family problems to

Media captionVaughan Gething defended the delay in order to get the “right decision” Plans for a new £350m hospital in south Wales have been given the go-ahead, 12 years after it was first proposed. Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said the Specialist and Critical Care Centre near Cwmbran should open in 2022. First proposed in 2004, the plans were put on hold in 2009 before being put back on the agenda a year later. The new

A hospital trust has cancelled all planned operations and outpatient appointments after its computer network was attacked. Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust said its systems were infected with a virus on Sunday. It said the matter was being treated as a “major incident”. The trust, which runs hospitals in Goole, Grimsby and Scunthorpe, said the measures would remain in place for Monday and Tuesday. Dr Karen Dunderdale, deputy chief executive, said: “A virus

Controversial plans to allow drug users to inject safely under supervision in Glasgow have been approved. Members of the health board, city council and police agreed the proposals in principle but called for more details on the cost, where the clinic would be, and how it would operate. The plan would see a facility made available for addicts to consume their own drugs. In some cases users would be provided with medical-grade heroin. The move

A controversial plan to set up the UK’s first so-called “fix rooms” to allow drug addicts to inject safely is likely to get the go-ahead. Niamh Eastwood, Executive Director of drugs charity Release and Dr Neil McKeganey, Centre for Drug Misuse Research spoke to the Victoria Derbyshire programme.

Analysis of new federal data reveals water violations nationwide Nitrates, arsenic and disinfectant byproducts affected 10% of US in 2015 Maryland had the most violations – almost a third (32%) of people affected Washington had the fewest violations, with 0.26% of people affected By Mia De Graaf For Dailymail.com Published: 12:38 EDT, 31 October 2016 | Updated: 15:35 EDT, 31 October 2016 e-mail 29 View comments Most Americans drink water from the tap. However, since

Plans to create a unit in Glasgow for drug addicts have been approved It hopes to tackle drug-related deaths and the spread of infections There have been three trials across Britain that provided free heroin But this will be the first state-sanctioned injecting facility in the country By Victoria Allen Science Correspondent For The Daily Mail Published: 14:33 EDT, 31 October 2016 | Updated: 15:09 EDT, 31 October 2016 e-mail 18 View comments Drug addicts

Mandy and Alyssa, young professionals from New York City, tested the technique in a video experiment for DailyMail.com The women were instructed to follow a YouTube tutorial and were given a bag of make-up to test it out After using dark contour stick, light cream highlighter and plenty of blending the difference is clearly visible in their before and after pictures YouTube star Natalie Boucher, whose tutorial they followed, said it only takes a ‘few

The bacteria that causes cystitis can ‘reprogram’ the lining of the bladder These change to the cells means the bug can come back and strike again Experts say the findings could lead to the development of a vaccine to protect people who repeatedly suffer from the disease By Colin Fernandez Science Correspondent For The Daily Mail Published: 14:13 EDT, 31 October 2016 | Updated: 14:26 EDT, 31 October 2016 e-mail 20 View comments Women who

Soaring numbers are starting to spend more money on oral care products Experts say shows like The Only Way Is Essex are to blame for the surge Sales of toothbrushes and mouthwash have increased, a report found By Mail Online Reporter Published: 13:38 EDT, 31 October 2016 | Updated: 14:01 EDT, 31 October 2016 e-mail 2 View comments The gleaming white smiles of stars from The Only Way Is Essex are inspiring people to splash

Diana Birch suffered permanent nerve damage after her operation in 2013 Her ureter was also damaged and one of her kidneys had to be removed  The hospital has since admitted liability for the routine procedure She has now received payment to help her to try and live independently By Stephen Matthews For Mailonline Published: 13:17 EDT, 31 October 2016 | Updated: 13:52 EDT, 31 October 2016 e-mail 1 View comments A woman left permanently disabled

A household mouthwash may be creating superbugs by helping bacteria found in the body fight off antibiotics. Swilling with Corsodyl, a brand containing a powerful antiseptic, stops bleeding gums by destroying plaque bacteria in the mouth.  But it has an alarming knock-on effect on another type of bacteria, a lethal hospital superbug which is on the rise in Britain. When this bacteria, Klebsiella pneumoniae, is faced with the active ingredient of Corsodyl, it builds up

ZIKA infection could cause lasting infertility and lead to men’s testicles shrinking, medical researchers warn. Doctors warn that if the ‘dramatic’ findings, in mice, apply to humans it could lead to an epidemic of infertility caused by the disease. It is not yet known whether the 90 per cent shrinkage in mice would apply to humans – but doctors believe at the very least the virus is likely to reduce sperm counts and testosterone levels

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Cornell University researchers have confirmed a genetic link between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is passed on from the mother, and some forms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous research suggested a link between mitochondrial functional defects and ASD, but those studies included small sample sizes and could not verify whether the cause was genetic or environmental. The current study, published Oct. 28 in the journal PLOS Genetics, analyzed mtDNA in 903 families, where the researchers

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More than 200,000 U.S. soldiers serving in the Middle East have experienced a blast-related traumatic brain injury, making it a common health problem and concern for that population. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have various harmful long-term neurological effects, including problems with vision, coordination, memory, mood, and thinking. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TBI from a head injury is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States, and

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Moalem speaks from experience. “The first time I tried it, I was at dinner at a friend’s house, and they had made homemade doughnuts topped with Nutella for dessert,” he remembers. “I did the visualization with the salt shaker, imagined unscrewing the top, dumping it on the doughnut and taking a bite, and it immediately elicited a little bit of a gag reflex. I don’t think I could have eaten one if I were forced

In October, 2016, the American Academy of Pediatrics released new screen time recommendations for children, both toddlers and older kids. In many respects, the new policies are an improvement over the old. Gone is the nonsensical 2-hour a day screen time maximum for older kids that had been widely quoted for years. And the AAP appears to have acknowledged that screens are often integrated in our lives in ways that are productive rather than harmful.

Music relieves anxiety. Studies show listening to music can physiologically ease stress and even reduce depressive symptoms. Researchers in the United Kingdom even claim that certain songs can reduce anxiety up to 65 percent. Simply put, music can be medicine for your mind. It can put you in a good mood. No joke, a happy tune can really have you feeling like you’re “Walking on Sunshine” (sorry). Research shows that music can elevate your mood and make

This article is part of HuffPost’s “Reclaim” campaign, an ongoing project spotlighting the world’s waste crisis and how we can begin to solve it. One woman is trying to bring a spark of joy to kids facing long stays in hospitals. Gracie’s Gowns, a nonprofit founded by Jessica Kidd, makes and sends brightly patterned, personalized hospital gowns to children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses ? for free. Some of these children will be in and out

The diet myth suggests that we have to lose weight and attain a perfect body before we can live the life of our dreams. We can’t have the boyfriend, the job, or the stuff we want as the woman in the “before” image; we have to become the woman in the “after” picture before we are worthy of all that. Somehow, Facebook, you have decided that it is acceptable to suggest that women’s bodies are

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Transmission electron microscope image of negative-stained, Fortaleza-strain Zika virus (red), isolated from a microcephaly case in Brazil. The virus is associated with cellular membranes in the center. Credit: NIAID Vaccinating against dengue fever could increase outbreaks of Zika, suggests new research out of York University and Xi’an Jiaotong University in China. The research identifies a potentially serious public health concern. More than a third of the world’s population lives in areas where dengue is endemic

Imagine you’re a CEO trying to get your employees to exercise. Most health incentive programs have an array of tools—pamphlets, websites, pedometers, coaching, team activities, step challenges, money—but what actually …

People who have had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) may still have sleep problems a year and a half after being injured, according to a study published in the April 27, 2016, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal …

The overall incidence of hospitalizations for prescription opioid poisonings in children and adolescents has more than doubled from 1997 to 2012, with increasing incidence of poisonings attributed to suicide or self-inflicted injury and accidental intent, according to a new study published online by JAMA Pediatrics. The use of prescription opioid pain medication has increased dramatically over the years. However, it was unknown how many children and adolescents were hospitalized each year for opioid poisonings and

Imagine you’re a CEO trying to get your employees to exercise. Most health incentive programs have an array of tools—pamphlets, websites, pedometers, coaching, team activities, step challenges, money—but what actually …

(HealthDay)—Reducing indoor allergens and pollutants can help control children’s asthma, reducing their need for medication, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Many things in the home contribute to asthma symptoms and attacks, said report co-author Dr. Elizabeth Matsui. Dust mites and mold top the list, along with furry pets, smoke, cockroaches and airborne fragrances and chemicals. “By intervening, you can have a big impact on your child’s asthma,” said Matsui,

India Jaz White was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia as a 1 year old Doctors told her family she urgently needed a bone marrow transplant  They found a donor in the form of a 34-year-old woman from Germany But they were not allowed to contact her for 2 years after the operation The donor found the family on Twitter and they arranged to meet up And when they met for the first time,

Jonathan Cranston came into contact with a herd of wildebeest in 2013  He was checking one animal’s vital signs – who he thinks was infected 6 weeks later when he returned home, he suffered from sharp chest pains Doctors initially thought he had pneumonia and gave him some antibiotics But after 12 weeks of tests he was eventually diagnosed with tuberculosis  By Stephen Matthews For Mailonline Published: 10:21 EST, 31 October 2016 | Updated: 10:38

Michael Douglas has claimed actor Val Kilmer, 56, has throat cancer  Douglas also alleged that things ‘don’t look good’ for Kilmer who has been in and out of the hospital for the past two years with throat issues Kilmer was seen with a tracheostomy tube last year sparking health rumors He has denied in the past that he has throat cancer and said he only had procedures but denied what kind of treatment he had

Ever since 3-year-old Emma Barreda was an infant, her mother, Tasha Barreda, had noticed she breathed more loudly than other babies. In her first year of life, Emma would seem sick when doctors said she wasn’t— they chalked her symptoms up to Emma’s Down syndrome— and day care employees would refuse the baby’s entry for fear of sickening other children. But during a routine hearing exam when Emma was 5 months old, the San Antonio,

A New Jersey woman who is suing her former employer claims she was fired one day after revealing she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. NJ.com reported that Carmela Flynn, 49, filed the lawsuit against the partners at November Nunnink in Bergen County Superior Court. The lawsuit names supervising partners Celine Y. November and Laura A. Nunnink. According to court papers filed last month, Flynn also alleges that the partners denied her unemployment benefits because

Children and teens with access to tablets and smartphones at night don’t get enough sleep and are sleepier during the day, whether or not they use the devices, according to a new review. The review of 20 previous studies found kids using portable media devices around bedtime were more than twice as likely as kids who didn’t use them to have short sleep times, but so were kids who had access to such devices at

If you’re feeling uncomfortably thirsty, you may want to grab a La Croix, or so suggests a new study that looks at the “Perception of Drinking and Thirst Quenching in Thirsty Adults.” Science Daily explains the assumption that rehydration alleviates thirst isn’t really true: “In actuality thirst is relieved, and the act of drinking ceases, long before a consumed liquid is absorbed by the body.” As for what does relieve our thirst, researchers with the

Campbell’s Soup wants you to draw some blood before planning your next meal. Quartz reports the soup giant has become the sole investor—to the tune of $32 million—in meal delivery startup Habit. When Habit launches next year, it will send customers a blood-testing kit to use at home. It will then use customers’ genetic data from their blood sample—along with their weight, height, waist circumference, and more—to craft meals tailored to each customer’s specific dietary

In the decades or centuries they’ve existed, hospitals have had a long time to accrete stories — some of them the spooky kind. Haunted hospitals are often beautiful old buildings long past their useful days. And owing to long-held stigmas around mental illness, it should be no surprise that a lot of the places now deemed haunted once held people with little-understood brain disorders. Still, for many modern-day thrill-seekers, the hospitals make for enticing exploration, and

A Calgary woman is fighting to be recognized as a thalidomide survivor after struggling to provide medical records required by the federal government to qualify for a compensation package announced last year. Thalidomide was a drug prescribed for morning sickness in pregnant women in the 1960s until it was found to cause significant birth defects. Thalidomide link to birth defects covered up by drug’s maker, German report says Thalidomide: Bitter Pills, Broken Promises In March

Reducing indoor allergens and pollutants can help control children’s asthma, reducing their need for medication, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Many things in the home contribute to asthma symptoms and attacks, said report co-author Dr. Elizabeth Matsui. Dust mites and mold top the list, along with furry pets, smoke, cockroaches and airborne fragrances and chemicals. “By intervening, you can have a big impact on your child’s asthma,” said Matsui,

A shortage of dialysis machines on the Norway House Cree Nation is forcing many patients to relocate to urban centres. But once there, many suffer severe loneliness so they make the journey home putting their own lives at risk. Rebecca Henry was closely tied to her community and family in Norway House. She was a mother of six and a grandmother.  All she wanted to do was reunite with them, but instead, Henry, 67, came home in a