Local Efforts Are Essential For Tackling Growing Health Threat from Extreme Heat

Tornadoes can tear down a home and hurricanes can flood entire towns. But when it comes to weather dangers, extreme heat is the great deceiver. It isn’t acute; it’s literally a matter of degrees. A 100-degree day looks pretty much like one that’s 85. The skies don’t darken in warning and the danger isn’t instantaneous, like a gunshot. It’s slow-moving and cumulative, like a poison.

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Defending against extreme heat is a growing problem, as I learned when researching the frontiers of weather forecasting and how to protect people from nature’s hazards. In some cases, climate change is driving extreme events in regions where people have little experience with or preparation for the health and other effects of high heat. We saw this with the 2021 heat wave that left hundreds dead across the Pacific Northwest.

As it turns out, the science of meteorology has gotten quite good at forecasting high temperatures—but society has far to go when it comes to using th..

Woman dies of brain-eating amoeba after using tap water in nasal rinse device

A woman in Texas has died after contracting a fatal brain amoeba from contaminated water.
The patient, 71, had used a nasal irrigation device filled with unboiled tap water from an RV’s water faucet, according to an alert from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The «previously healthy» woman was staying at a local campground at the time, the agency stated.
DANGEROUS FUNGUS COULD SPREAD TO PARTS OF US, RESEARCHERS CLAIM
Within four days of using the nasal rinse, the woman developed «severe neurologic symptoms,» including fever, headache and altered mental status.
The patient was treated for a potential infection of primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare, deadly brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, also known as the brain-eating amoeba.
Despite treatment, the woman began having seizures and died eight days after symptoms began.
Testing of the patient’s cerebrospinal fluid confirmed she had contracted N. fowleri, according to the CDC.
«This case ..

Ozempic users report surprising cravings for certain smells: Here’s what to know

While Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs have been shown to have myriad benefits, they can also present some unwelcome effects, primarily nausea, vomiting and other gastrointestinal symptoms.
Some are also reporting changes in their sense of smell — sometimes referred to as «Ozempic smell» — as one of the lesser-known side effects of GLP-1 medications.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that people taking these drugs could be suddenly drawn to sugary perfumes and scents, possibly even craving them.
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Some users on Reddit have reported unexpected cravings and appreciations for perfumes.
«I started semaglutide in April last year and have lost 80lbs and gained a newfound appreciation for fragrances,» wrote one user.
Another user replied, «My scent obsession started when I started my shots…»
GLP-1 receptor agonists work by imitating the natural hormone GLP-1, which helps to regulate blood sugar and maintains a feeling of ful..

Should You Take a Fiber Supplement? 

Getting enough fiber is crucial for optimal health, yet more than 90% of Americans don’t. Federal dietary guidelines recommend 25–34 grams of fiber per day for adults, depending on age and gender—but the average American adult eats only about 8 grams a day, “which is far below recommended intake regardless of age or sex,” says Dr. Michelle Hughes, medical chief of quality and safety for digestive health at Yale New Haven Health and Smilow Cancer Hospital.

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Should people seek to fill that gap with fiber supplements? Here’s what experts say you should know about supplementing this essential nutrient.

What is fiber, anyway?

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that your body can’t digest. It’s found in plant foods, and “instead of being broken down and absorbed like other carbs, fiber moves through the digestive system, adding bulk to stool, feeding beneficial gut bacteria, and slowing the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream,” says Bree Phillips, a re..

Are Pesticides in Your Food Harmful?

Various chemicals, from those in plastics to food additives, have made headlines lately for their potential roles in triggering diseases. Pesticides are unique among chemicals, though, says Melissa Perry, an environmental epidemiologist and dean of George Mason’s College of Public Health. “They’re deliberately manufactured to kill things.”

By poisoning weeds, pesticides clear the way for farmers’ crops to thrive. But their deadly design may undermine human health, too. A recent report by a new federal advisory board, the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission chaired by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., calls for further investigation of pesticides’ effects to determine if their use should be limited.

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Some evidence does suggest that long-term exposure could lead to cancer and several other serious health problems. More research is needed to better understand these risks, but in the meantime, experts recommend simple, practical steps to re..

Can you hold a plank longer than others your age? Fox hosts test their core strength

How long can you hold a plank — and how does it stack up to others in your age group?
That’s the question that was posed on «Fox & Friends» Thursday morning, when co-hosts Brian Kilmeade and Lawrence Jones competed in a plank challenge.
A plank is an isometric move where the person holds a push-up position for a set period of time.
ARMY UNVEILS NEW FITNESS TEST WITH TOUGHER STANDARDS — COULD YOU PASS IT?
Both held a low plank for well over a minute, exceeding the thresholds for their ages, although Kilmeade held his for a few seconds longer.
A fitness expert at Lifetime in New York City provided the below targets for how long you should be able to hold a plank by age.
Planks are often touted as an abdominal exercise, serving as an alternative to traditional sit-ups and crunches, which can strain the back and neck.
However, the isometric move benefits the body in many other ways beyond just sculpting a six-pack.
In addition to working the abdominals, planks also strengthen the muscles i..

How to choose the best sleeping position for you, according to the experts

A key part of the nightly bedtime routine is getting comfortable in a certain sleeping position — but how do you know which one is best?
A majority of American adults (69%) sleep on their side, according to a recent poll. That is followed by those who sleep on their backs (19%) and their stomachs (12%).
Sleep expert Wendy Troxel, PhD – a RAND Corporation senior behavioral specialist and licensed clinical psychologist in Utah – said that sleeping positions are «highly subjective» to each individual.
MOST SLEEP-DEPRIVED CITIES IN US REVEALED IN REPORT: WHERE DOES YOURS RANK?
«The primary consideration should always be individual comfort, [which] can depend on factors like body type and any underlying medical conditions,» she said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Troxel mentioned that side sleeping, particularly on the left, is «frequently recommended» for people facing complications such as sleep apnea or acid reflux.
«These conditions can worsen when lying on the back,» she noted…

Supplement health risks to know about, plus a celebrity’s ‘brutal’ infection

SKIPPING SODA – Experts say quitting Diet Coke can improve heart health and gut balance. Continue reading…
RARE CASE — A 6-year-old boy suffers a paralyzing stroke that requires a life-saving procedure. Continue reading…
SPLITTING HAIRS — A common daily beauty routine could cause damage, experts warn. Continue reading…
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What the Trump Administration Rescinding Emergency Abortion Guidance Means for Care

The Trump Administration has added to the confusion surrounding the U.S.’s shifting patchwork of abortion laws by rescinding Biden-era guidance that directed hospitals to provide abortions in emergency situations, even in states where abortion is restricted.

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The decision, announced on Tuesday, does not change the federal law that was at the heart of the Biden Administration’s guidance: the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires hospitals that receive Medicare funding—which is most of them—to provide stabilizing treatment to patients experiencing medical emergencies or transfer them to a hospital that can.

The Trump Administration’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said in a press release that it “will continue to enforce EMTALA, which protects all individuals who present to a hospital emergency department seeking examination or treatment, including for identified emergency medical conditions that place the ..

TV host discovers he has skin cancer during live on-air broadcast

A Fox TV news anchor discovered this week that he had skin cancer during a live TV segment.
Mike Jerrick, co-host of «Good Day Philadelphia» on FOX29, was broadcasting a skin care segment with Dr. Joanna Walker, a dermatologist with the Tara Miller Melanoma Center at the University of Pennsylvania. (See the video at the top of the article.)
As they discussed the importance of checking the skin for signs of cancer, Walker inspected a spot on Jerrick's right elbow, pronouncing that it was basal cell carcinoma, a common type of skin cancer.
REALITY STAR SHARES DEADLY MELANOMA UPDATE AS DOCTORS DISCUSS PROGNOSIS
«It has all the features of the most common type of skin cancer, which is also very treatable when it's caught early,» Walker said in the segment.
Jerrick expressed surprise, asking, «What are you going to do to it, burn it off?»
The dermatologist replied that the cancerous spot most likely needs to be «cut and stitched.»
The good news, she said, is that basal cell is a «..