What works for treating the common cold? Many doctors say ‘not much’
Doctors and researchers question the efficacy of many common over-the-counter treatments for colds and flus. Jeff Greenberg/Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images When you stroll down the cold and flu aisle in a drugstore, it’s easy to get lost in the dizzying array of products promising to clear sinus pressure, dry up sniffles and stop plaguing coughs. Some […]
Free COVID tests headed to nation’s schools
School districts across the country will be able to order free COVID-19 tests from the federal government starting in early December. Patrick Sison | AP Schools across the U.S. will soon be able to order free rapid COVID-19 tests from the federal government. The administration’s initiative will make available millions of tests for school districts […]
Suicide rates rose in 2022 overall but declined for teens and young adults
Participants walk in support and in memory of those lost, during American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Out of the Darkness Chicagoland Walk at Montrose Harbor on October 21, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. Barry Brecheisen | Getty Images for American Foundation for Suicide Prevention If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the […]
Children’s Minnesota served 660 kids in inpatient mental health unit’s first year
CATHY WURZER: One year ago today, Children’s Minnesota opened its first inpatient mental health unit. It serves kids as young as six and is one of the few in the state to admit kids with more complex medical conditions and also one of the few in the country to allow parents or guardians to stay […]
How can we break the cycle of childhood trauma? Help a baby’s parents
Teresa Cox-Bates and her husband John Bates, along with their kids Eli, Ava and Issac. Teresa says HealthySteps has helped her face her own childhood trauma and be a better parent. Kholood Eid for NPR Teresa Cox-Bates was only 11 years old when her father died, an event that dramatically altered her family’s circumstances and […]
U.S. life expectancy starts to recover after sharp pandemic decline
Life expectancy in the U.S. is up in 2022, but it’s still lower than before the pandemic. emholk/Getty Images The average life expectancy in the U.S. is now 77.5 years old, according to provisional 2022 data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That represents an increase of 1.1 years over 2021 numbers. […]
Research shows a connection with chronic pain and cold weather
CATHY WURZER: I’m thinking there are probably a number of you listening right now who are in some kind of physical pain. It could be a headache, it could be arthritis, back pain, maybe it’s a stomach ulcer. Whether the pain is caused by inflammation or dysfunctional nerves, the pain could be short lived or […]
Mayo Clinic unveils plans for a new $5 billion campus in downtown Rochester
A $5 billion plan to redesign Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus will attempt to upend the traditional health care model where patients ping-pong between buildings and appointments and replace it with health care neighborhoods that bring services to patients based on their clinical needs. In a plan unveiled Tuesday, Mayo leaders said they envision these “health […]
East Phillips residents press regulators to close foundry
Residents of a south Minneapolis neighborhood gathered in an overflowing meeting room Monday to demand the immediate closure of an iron foundry after federal regulators found that it was emitting excessive amounts of pollution. They also pressed for answers from state regulators about why they didn’t take action sooner. Resident Nicole Mason said the problems […]
Texas abortion case goes before state’s highest court, as more women join lawsuit
When the Center for Reproductive Rights first announced the lawsuit against Texas in March, there were five patient plaintiffs. Now there are 20. Sarah McCammon/NPR On Tuesday, the Texas Supreme Court will consider this question: Are the state’s abortion laws harming women when they face pregnancy complications? The case, brought by the Center for Reproductive […]