Online Features
Health & Wellness
Cleaning the right way to remove allergens
(BPT) - When you’re done with spring cleaning, you may assume you’ve eliminated any allergy triggers that were lurking in your home. But the truth is, if you don’t clean the right way, you might be making the problem worse. More than 40 million Americans suffer from allergy problems, and 25 million have asthma. If your...
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Nurses lead revolution toward improved health care delivery
(BPT) - The health care industry has evolved since a series of sweeping legislative reforms began to take effect in 2010. New policies and regulations, millions of new patients and the introduction of advanced technology have added pressure to an already complex system. As this transformation continues, health care lead...
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Scratching the right itch: Does your pet have seasonal allergies?
(BPT) - Humans may sneeze and sniffle when trees and flowers start to bud in the spring, but many pet owners wouldn’t know if their pet was suffering from treatable allergy symptoms, which are likely to occur at the same time of year. According to the Pet Allergy Worldwide Survey (PAWS) sponsored by Novartis Animal Hea...
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Salty snacks reduce stress
(BPT) - Stress affects everyone and can cause problems at work, home and with health. Researchers have found that stress is a leading cause of illness, affecting as much as 20 percent of the population. Economic factors, such as a recession, have also been shown to significantly increase population-wide stress levels. ...
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Free birth control gives women more choice
(BPT) - Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) also known as “Obama Care,” an estimated 47 million women are gaining access to all FDA-approved methods of birth control free of charge. This new law provides access to birth control methods that may have been too expensive for many women with private health insurance p...
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What is weighing us down? [Infographic]
Obesity is one of the most challenging health issues in the U.S. One of the primary contributors to obesity and being overweight is calorie imbalance, or when people consume more calories from food and beverages, than they burn through physical activity. This graphic is intended to provide information about where calories are coming from in the American diet and why physical activity has declined. It shows that managing weight is all about balancing calories in with calories out.
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The impact of rare diseases on patients and caregivers in the United States [Infographic]
The first-of-its-kind Rare Disease Impact Report, commissioned by Shire HGT, uncovers the health, psycho-social and economic impact of rare diseases in patient and medical communities. Based on survey responses from a multi-stakeholder sample of more than 1,000 patients, caregivers, physicians, payors and thought leaders, the report shows that the patient journey to diagnosis can take up to seven-plus years in the United States. While on this journey, a patient typically visits up to eight d...
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What is the 'Obamacare' Bronze Plan?
The open enrollment period begins for the new health plans created by the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare) on Oct. 1, yet most Americans couldn’t name one of the new health plans let alone describe all the services they cover. The Bronze Plan is the entry-level option of these new health plans. It is a private ...
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Baby boomers and driving vision - maintaining safety and independence
(BPT) - Baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, are aging differently than any generation in U.S. history. Today, older Americans remain more active later in life, working longer and engaging in hobbies and recreational activities. It is estimated that by 2030, nearly one in five adults will be 65 and older. In...
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A 'not-so-rare' story in the journey of a rare disease diagnosis
(BPT) - In the year 2000, Lisa Wollman, a young, vibrant woman in the prime of her life, was pregnant with her second child, and like many expectant mothers, was experiencing changes in her mood and body. However, she knew something was not quite right. Lisa started experiencing anxiety and insomnia, which had not occ...
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Listen up: For better hearing, work with an audiologist
(BPT) - When it comes to startling health statistics, here are several you may not have heard: 36 million American have a hearing loss, yet only one out of every four people who could benefit from a hearing aid actually wears one, according to the National Institutes of Health’s National Information Center on Deafness a...
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By Chris Francescani (Reuters) - A massive storm front swept north through the central United States on Sunday, hammering the region with fist-sized hail, blinding rain and tornadoes, including a half-mile wide twister that struck near Oklahoma City. News reports said at least one person had died. By 9:30 p.m. Central Standard Time, more than two dozen tornadoes had been spotted in parts of Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas and Illinois, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and local news reports. ...
PHOENIX (Reuters) - Jodi Arias, facing the possible death penalty for the murder of an ex-boyfriend in Arizona, was due back in court on Monday for the final phase of a four-month-long trial. Arias, 32, was found guilty of murdering Travis Alexander, whose body was found slumped in the shower of his Phoenix-area home five years ago. He had been stabbed multiple times, had his throat slashed and been shot in the face. The same jury that convicted Arias of murder, found last week she had acted with extreme cruelty and ruled her eligible for the death penalty. ...
By Tom Polansek and Mark Weinraub SHERIDAN, Illinois (Reuters) - With the U.S. spring planting season off to a historically slow start, an increasing number of farmers are counting on powerful tools to catch up: Monster machines that sow 36 rows of corn at once and feature high-tech innovations like computer-guided directional equipment. The technological wizardry from companies like Deere & Co and AGCO Corp is pitted in a frantic race against time, with farmers scrambling to get seeds in the ground because a slow start depresses yields and reduces the size of their harvest. ...