Cold & Flu

Zinc May Slightly Help Adults With Colds, Not Kids

Study Shows Zinc Supplements Do Little to Lessen the Severity of Cold Symptoms By Denise Mann Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD May 7, 2012 -- Adults who take zinc supplements at the first sig...

Flu Risk Higher for Workers in Certain Industries

Reasons for Increased Workplace Risk Not Entirely Clear By Matt McMillen Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD March 22, 2012 -- Although having a job offers some protection against the flu, a new ...

Certain Beliefs Motivate Health Care Workers to Get Flu Shots

THURSDAY, March 8 -- The belief that a seasonal flu shot is effective is far more likely to convince health care workers to get vaccinated than reminding them it will help safeguard patients, a new study suggests.In many developed co...

Antibiotic Resistance (Drug Resistance, Antimicrobial Resistance)

Quick facts about drug resistance Drug resistance definitions Antimicrobial Antibiotic Antibacterial MRSA and VRE What is drug resistance? History of antimicrobial drug resistance Causes of antimicrobial drug resistance Diagnosis o...

New Flu Discovered in Guatemalan Fruit Bats

TUESDAY, Feb. 28 -- A new influenza A virus has been discovered in Guatemalan fruit bats, according to scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although the bat flu does not currently pose a threat to humans...

Family Tree May Aid Treatment of Inherited Heart Disorders

TUESDAY, Feb. 28 -- Researchers who used family trees dating back to 1811 to estimate the death risk for people with inherited heart rhythm disorders say their findings can help doctors determine when to screen and treat today's pati...

It's Flu Season, CDC Says

Latest Flu Season Start in 24 Years By Daniel J. DeNoon Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD Feb. 24, 2012 -- Flu season is officially under way, the CDC says. It's the latest start in 24 yea...

Flu Season Off to a Very Late Start: CDC

THURSDAY, Feb. 23 -- It took a long time to get started, but this winter's flu season is finally here, say experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.They report that flu activity picked up in the past couple of w...

'Bird' Flu May Be More Common in Humans, But Less Deadly

THURSDAY, Feb. 23 -- The avian flu, which killed almost 60 percent of those known to be infected, actually struck many more people worldwide but didn't make them very sick, a new analysis finds.The actual fatality rate of the H5N1 fl...

Flu Shots for Pregnant Moms May Protect Babies

TUESDAY, Feb. 21 -- Giving flu shots to pregnant women seems to reduce their risk of having a baby that is small for its gestational age, a new study has found.Babies who are small for their gestational age have an increased risk of ...

Combo Vaccine May Raise Babies' Risk for Fever-Caused Seizures

Study Finds Overall Risk Associated With Vaccination Is Still Low By Brenda Goodman, MAWebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD Feb. 21, 2012 -- Babies and toddlers can sometimes spike fevers that lead to seizures, which can be terrifying fo...

H1N1 'Swine' Flu Makes a Comeback in Mexico

FRIDAY, Feb. 10 -- It was just about three years ago that a strange new strain of flu first appeared in Mexico, then spread across the border to the United States and eventually much of the globe.The H1N1 "swine" flu strain didn't be...

Health Highlights: Jan. 23, 2012

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:Rep. Giffords to Resign From CongressRepresentaive Gabrielle Giffords announced Sunday that she will resign from Congress to focus on her recovery ...

Type 1 Diabetes Treatment Disappoints in Trial

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1 -- The latest trial of a drug called GAD-alum to treat type 1 diabetes failed to show any significant improvement in the common markers of the blood sugar disease.The researchers, however, said they felt there wer...

U.S. Advisers Explain Request to Censor Bird Flu Research

TUESDAY, Jan. 31 -- Concerns that research into a genetically mutated form of bird flu could escape from labs or fall into the hands of bioterrorists led U.S. scientific advisers to ask two prominent journals to withhold key details ...

Many U.S. Adults Not Vaccinated for Hepatitis B

FRIDAY, Jan. 20 -- More than half (51.4 percent) of American adults at risk for hepatitis B infection have not been vaccinated, a new study says.People at risk for hepatitis B infection, which can lead to liver disease, include those...

Health Tip: Help Calm a Cough

-- If you're plagued with a cold or another respiratory illness that's causing a cough, there are things you can do to help tame the beast.The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute offers these suggestions to help calm a cough: Q...

Outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease Traced to Hospital Fountain

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 11 -- A decorative fountain in a hospital lobby was the cause of a 2010 Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Wisconsin, a new study says.Legionnaires' disease is a severe and potentially deadly form of pneumonia caused b...

Climate Tied to Inflammatory Bowel Disease Risk

Study: Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis Less Likely in Women Living in Sunnier Regions By Brenda Goodman, MAWebMD Health News Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD Jan. 11, 2012 -- Living in a sunny climate appears to reduce women's risk of developin...

Flu Prevention Critical for Those With Neurologic Conditions, CDC Says

THURSDAY, Jan. 5 -- Children and young adults with neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions are at high risk for complications from the flu and should receive flu vaccinations, say health officials who investigated a flu outbre...

Parenting Smarts: What's Your Cold and Flu IQ?

Pediatric health experts answer parents' top 10 questions about sneezy, sniffly cold-weather maladies. By Christina Boufis the Magazine - Feature Reviewed by Hansa D. Bhargava, MD, FAAP Chances are your child...

Cough Medicine: Should You or Shouldn’t You?

Get the facts on cough medicine. By R. Morgan Griffin Feature Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD Coughs send more people to the doctor's office than any other specific symptom, according to experts. And Americans ...

Where's the Flu? Get Ready

CDC Data Show Little U.S. Flu, but Google Flu Trends Shows Hot Spots By Daniel J. DeNoon Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD Dec. 29, 2011 -- Where is this flu season we keep hearing about? Brace yourself. Alth...

Cases of Tamiflu-Resistant Flu Concern Experts

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 28 -- World Health Organization researchers are reporting an apparent spike in Australia in the number of seasonal influenza cases resistant to Tamiflu, the most commonly used antiviral drug.The jump in such cases inv...

Severe Sepsis Can Harm the Immune System

TUESDAY, Dec. 20 -- Severe sepsis can impair the immune system, a new study says.Sepsis causes more than 225,000 deaths annually in the United States, the researchers said. "Developing new therapies for sepsis has been particularly c...

Endometriosis Tied to Higher Risk of Crohn's, Colitis

MONDAY, Dec. 19 -- Women with endometriosis may be up to 80 percent more likely to develop inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis compared to women without the uterine disorder, according to a new lo...

Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Tied to Flu Survival

Study: People Taking Statins Are Less Likely to Die From Influenza By Brenda Goodman, MA Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD Dec. 14, 2011 -- Each year, thousands of Americans die from the flu...

Flu Season Mild So Far, Says CDC

Flu Vaccine Matches Well With Circulating Viral Strains By Kathleen Doheny Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD Dec. 8, 2011 -- The U.S. flu season is mild so far, according to the CDC. That is t...

Norovirus Infection: A Cause for Travelers' Concern?

Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR Reported outbreaks of norovirus infection on a cruise ships has left many would-be travelers worried about contracting the illness and wondering...

Common Hospital Infection Lengthens Patient Stays

MONDAY, Dec. 5 --Hospitalized patients who are infected with Clostridium difficile -- the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitals -- will lengthen their stay by about six days on average, a new study indicates.Experts s...