Surge in Syphilis Cases Leads Some Providers to Ration Penicillin

Surge in Syphilis Cases Leads Some Providers to Ration Penicillin

Vials of injectable penicillin in cold storage at the Metro Public Health Department in Nashville, Tennessee. Injectable penicillin is the go-to treatment for syphilis and the only treatment considered safe for pregnant people with the disease. In mid-2023, the health department began rationing the injectable to just pregnant women because of a nationwide antibiotic shortage. Patients who test positive for syphilis and are not pregnant are given an oral antibiotic […]

February 2, 2024 11

Health / Medical

How dieting, weight suppression and even misuse of drugs like Ozempic can contribute to eating disorders

Although semaglutide drugs like Ozempic are indicated to treat Type 2 diabetes, they are increasingly prescribed off-label because of their observed effectiveness at inducing weight loss. (Shutterstock) Samantha Withnell, Western University and Lindsay Bodell, Western University Up to 72 per cent of women and 61 per cent of men are dissatisfied with their weight or body image, according to a U.S. study. Globally, millions of people attempt to lose weight […]

February 2, 2024 40

Health / Medical

Climate change behind Africa’s cholera increase

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has tied the worst outbreak of cholera in three years to climate change, saying adverse weather is raising the risk of this disease faster than in the rest of the world. That’s as floods in the Democratic Republic of Congo — and across southern Africa — stretch already fragile health systems. The increase in cases comes even as Africa is the region […]

February 1, 2024 22

Health / Medical

Eating disorders are the most lethal mental health conditions – reconnecting with internal body sensations can help reduce self-harm

An increased disconnect from your body can make it easier to harm yourself, whether by disordered eating or suicide. Maskot/Maskot via Getty Images April Smith, Auburn University Did you know that anorexia is the most lethal mental health condition? One person dies from an eating disorder every hour in the U.S. Many of these deaths are not from health consequences related to starvation, but from suicide. Up to 1 in […]

February 1, 2024 22

Health / Medical

How does cancer spread to other parts of the body?

Pexels/Michelle Leman Sarah Diepstraten, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and John (Eddie) La Marca, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute All cancers begin in a single organ or tissue, such as the lungs or skin. When these cancers are confined in their original organ or tissue, they are generally more treatable. But a cancer that spreads is much more dangerous, as the organs it spreads to may be vital organs. A […]

February 1, 2024 23

Health / Medical

Your skin is a mirror of your health – here’s what yours might be saying

Acanthosis nigricans can cause skin to become thickened and velveteen to the touch. TuktaBaby/ Shutterstock Dan Baumgardt, University of Bristol Skin accounts for around 15% of our body mass. It is the largest and most visible organ in the human body. Yet many of the skin’s functions are often overlooked. It’s a sunscreen, a shield from germs, a reservoir of vitamin D and a means of tightly regulating our body […]

January 31, 2024 26

Health / Medical

Eating leafy greens could be better for oral health than using mouthwash

Eating nitrate rich vegetables like lettuce and spinach could hold the key to better oral health. BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Mia Cousins Burleigh, University of the West of Scotland and Siobhan Paula Moran, University of the West of Scotland Over half the adult population in the UK and US have gum disease. Typical treatments include mouthwash and in severe cases, antibiotics. These treatments have side effects, such as […]

January 31, 2024 18

Health / Medical

Measles is on the rise around the world – we can’t let vaccination rates falter

fotohay/Shutterstock Jaya Dantas, Curtin University In recent weeks a series of measles alerts have been issued around Australia, including in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, after the identification of a small number of cases in travellers returning from overseas. Meanwhile, places such as the United States and the United Kingdom have been contending with larger measles outbreaks. In fact, the World Health Organization reported a 45-fold increase in measles […]

January 31, 2024 17

Health / Medical

Cancer Association of Namibia Expands Treatment Services to Weekends

In a move to accommodate the growing number of cancer patients, the Cancer Association of Namibia has announced the extension of its cancer treatment services to include weekends at House Acacia, the interim home for cancer patients. Starting from February 1, 2024, this initiative aims to provide continuous care for cancer patients residing outside Windhoek who undergo treatment in the capital. CAN CEO Rolf Hansen highlighted the significant increase in […]

January 30, 2024 35