As the weather warms up, many of us crave being outside. However, it is good to use caution to protect against tick-bite illnesses. Ticks seem invisible most of the time, but they can transmit sicknesses like Lyme disease, which affects about 476,000 Americans each year. Ticks are also responsible for the rare but sometimes deadly Powassan disease.  How Ticks Can Pose a Threat  The spread of ticks has increased in recent years, and so have tick-borne sicknesses. Most people contract tick-bite infections after engaging in outdoor activities like walking in the woods, hiking, camping, or gardening....

Since October 2021, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has reported mysterious increased cases of acute hepatitis in children. Hepatitis rarely occurs in children, making the initial cluster of cases even more unusual. Each of the nine children presented with severe liver illness, including liver failure.  Experts are still searching for answers about the cause of these cases. However, they have found that overall childhood hepatitis cases have not risen in the United States, even as they have in other countries from these outbreaks. For now, parents and caregivers need to know what to look...

Tobacco products kill over 8 million people each year. Its production also adversely impacts the environment. The cultivation, production, and shipping of tobacco products contribute to consumer waste, water depletion, and increased greenhouse gases.  May 31 is World No Tobacco Day 2022, an annual campaign by the World Health Organization (WHO) that draws attention to the negative impacts of tobacco use and the benefits of smoking cessation. This year’s theme, “Tobacco: Threat to our environment,” raises awareness of how tobacco contributes to climate change.  World No Tobacco Day 2022  About...

By this point in the COVID-19 pandemic, you may have developed an aversion to Q-tip swabs and spit vials. Fortunately, a new and even less invasive method for COVID-19 testing has just been given Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This testing device, known as an InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer, is capable of diagnosing COVID-19 using a breath sample that analyzes exhaled chemical compounds. The device’s manufacturer reports that it yields results in fewer than three minutes.  Here’s what you need to know about the FDA’s approval of the COVID-19...

Due to a federal court strike-down of current COVID-related masking orders in public transportation, many states have eased or suspended their mask mandates indefinitely. You might have questions about current restrictions in your area or what these changes mean for you and your family, especially in light of recent upticks in coronavirus variants. Regardless of your health or vaccination status, masking is still an effective way to protect against the spread of COVID and other infections in high-risk areas.  The Reversal of Mask Mandates  Initially, the federal mask mandate for public transit...