Alternative healing: Prayer healing still engrained in Swiss culture
by Veronica DeVore, swissinfo.ch In some Swiss regions, a patient visiting a doctor with an ailment may be told to consult a prayer healer to speed recovery or ease pain. […]
The Island Where People Forget to Die
In 1943, a Greek war veteran named Stamatis Moraitis came to the United States for treatment of a combat-mangled arm. He’d survived a gunshot wound, escaped to Turkey and eventually […]
Expert: Meningitis shot for pilgrims should be taken 10 days before Haj
IYADH: MD RASOOLDEEN ARABNEWS Wednesday 10 October 2012 An eminent medical consultant on respiratory diseases advised domestic pilgrims on Monday to take their vaccine against meningitis 10 days before they proceed for Haj. Dr. Naila Abu Jedaie, specialist on chest diseases, was answering calls through the call center of the […]
Eleven dead, thousands in danger amid spreading meningitis outbreak
Russian TV: A deadly meningitis outbreak that has left eleven dead, 119 infected and up to 13,000 at risk is taking its toll across the US. With symptoms showing up weeks after exposure, many more patients are expected to get sick. The meningitis-tainted steroid shots were dispersed to health care […]
The secret of Switzerland’s low abortion rate
by Clare O’Dea, swissinfo.ch After a decade of largely unrestricted access to abortion, the rate in Switzerland remains stable and is among the lowest in the world. How is the […]
Swiss adolescents have a healthy lifestyle
Swiss adolescents are more satisfied with life and generally healthier than their contemporaries in the rest of Europe and North America, a report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) […]
UK: Government accused of blocking new cancer drugs to save money
Source: The Guardian The government has been accused of “systematically” delaying the introduction of new cancer drugs in order to save money. A leading cancer specialist and the head of Britain’s biggest […]
Monitoring Your Health With Mobile Devices
Source: NY Times. Dr. Eric Topol is only half joking when he says the smartphone is the future of medicine — because most of his patients already seem “surgically connected” to one. A blood pressure cuff from Withings works with an iPhone or iPad to track blood pressure over time […]
A Parasite Found In Cats Could Be Manipulating Our Brains
A long-buried, oft-derided theory is gaining traction in the medical world: cats are harboring a parasite that can manipulate human behavior and personality, sometimes to fatal ends. According to The Atlantic’s Kathleen McAuliffe, the work of Jaroslav Flegr is finding support from others in his field. Flegr theorizes that a parasite called Toxoplasma […]
Sitting In The Window Seat May Be Killing You
While the view from a nice window seat on an airline might be serene and beautiful, it can also be deadly. According to a report from Carrie Gann of ABC News, sitting in one position for hours at a time can cause the passenger to develop blood clots in the leg. These can […]
Study Links Immigrating at Young Age and Higher Risk of Psychosis
Source: NY Times. A new study has found that among immigrants, younger age at the time of migration predicts a higher incidence of psychotic disorders. The study, published last month in The American Journal of Psychiatry, was conducted from 1997 to 2005 in The Hague, Netherlands, where there are […]
US Asks Journals to Censor Articles on Flu Virus: Preparations for the next war
CNBC: In the experiments, conducted in the United States and the Netherlands, scientists created a highly transmissible form of a deadly flu virus that does not normally spread from person to person. It was an ominous step, because easy transmission can lead the virus to spread all over the world. […]
Students to get “right to healthcare” in Delhi
Delhi has become the first state in India to provide “right to health care” for the school children. The new law passed to that effect will help in early diagnosis. It […]
Africa: Donors Pledge U.S. $4.3 Billion to Immunize Children
Major public and private donors have pledged more than U.S.$4.3 billion to immunize at least 250 million of the world’s poorest children against life-threatening diseases over the next five years and prevent more than four million premature deaths. “It’s absolutely brilliant value for money. For the price of a cup […]
People Dying Because of Lack of Anaesthetics
Nairobi — One person dies weekly in Kenya due to a shortage of anesthetics and the situation is worse in slums and rural areas across the country. In areas like […]
Six big kid sleep problems
Parents often think kids’ sleep problems are over once their babies slumber through the night, but at least a quarter of school-age children have nighttime troubles, says Gregory Stores, M.D., […]