Health & Medicine
-
Health & MedicineNews Brief: U.S. gets its first Ebola case
Although U.S. hospitals have treated a handful of American health-care workers who had become exposed to Ebola in Africa, the first case of a sick traveller has emerged. His Ebola infection showed no symptoms until several days after he reached Texas. (Update: On October 8, the man died.)
By Nathan Seppa -
Health & MedicineEbola epidemic could top 1 million, CDC warns
The deadly Ebola epidemic ravaging West Africa has now infected more people than in all previous outbreaks put together. And still the numbers of the sick and dying continue to grow, not shrink.
By Janet Raloff -
BrainEating disorders: The brain’s foul trickery
Experts on eating disorders are probing why sometimes deadly chemical changes can distort how much the brain says we need to eat.
-
Health & MedicineRecovery help from the blogosphere
And some who have been there now are sharing tips on what it takes to become a successful survivor.
-
Health & MedicineYou can be too thin
Eating disorders aren’t about vanity. They are mental illnesses that can prove deadly.
-
Health & MedicineThe media’s dangerous influence on body image
A study found how powerful TV and ad messages can be in distorting the attitudes about body image among young girls in Fiji.
-
Health & MedicineWatch out: Cell phones can be addictive
Smartphones and Facebook are convenient. New research shows that for some people they also can become dangerously addictive.
-
Health & MedicineEbola update: Signs of hope
The deadly outbreak of Ebola in West Africa is the worst the world has ever seen. Scientists are studying the virus that causes it and testing experimental vaccines and treatments to try to save lives.
-
Health & MedicineEarly school starts can turn teens into ‘zombies’
Teens face serious consequences when they don’t get enough sleep. Yet most school start times don’t allow a full night’s rest, doctors say. The result: Too many students become ‘walking zombies’.
-
AnimalsChef puts eco-bullies on the menu
Some immigrant species can become a nuisance, eating up or displacing the natives. Often people find little incentive to catch and remove the newcomers — unless they find them too yummy to pass up.
By Janet Raloff -
BrainLearning rewires the brain
Brain cells actually change shape as we learn. It’s one way we cement new knowledge. And much of the action happens as we sleep.
-
Health & MedicineStarchy foods may cut meaty risks
Eating red meat can increase the risk of certain types of cancer. But scientists have discovered that eating potatoes and other foods containing 'resistant' starch can help limit those risks.