Brace yourself: Flu season is around the corner. Soon, subways, schools and offices will be filled with sniffling, sneezing and wheezing as the dreaded virus makes its sickening comeback. Want to avoid becoming one of them? Dr. Bruce Hirsch, an infectious disease specialist at Northwell Health, revealed the top five mistakes Americans make when getting … Read more
What started as a simple illness spiraled into a nightmare for a Texas family when their 6-year-old son was left paralyzed just hours after being misdiagnosed with the flu. Desperate and out of options, his terrified mother turned to Google in the dead of night — and what she found ended up saving his life. … Read more
It’s ah-choo much for the body to handle. Viral infections like the flu and COVID-19 can “awaken” dormant breast cancer cells hiding in the lungs, paving the way for deadly metastatic disease, a new study finds. “Our findings indicate that individuals with a history of cancer may benefit from taking precautions against respiratory viruses,” Julio Aguirre-Ghiso, … Read more
Get a whiff of this. For the first time, Americans can now skip the doctor’s office and pharmacy line for their annual flu vaccine — and they can avoid needles, too. AstraZeneca’s FluMist Home program officially launches today, sending nasal flu vaccines straight to people’s homes. The flu can cause mild to severe illness and, … Read more
Tired all the time? It might be in your DNA. A new study has uncovered striking genetic differences in people suffering from a devastating illness that causes extreme exhaustion, chronic pain and brain fog that can last for months, years or even decades. Researchers are calling the discovery a “wakeup call” that could finally shift … Read more
Parents: You might want to check your medicine cabinet. A New York-based pharmaceutical company is voluntarily recalling several batches of a popular children’s cough syrup over fears they may be contaminated with harmful bacteria. The Food and Drug Administration is urging consumers to “stop using it immediately” if they have any of the affected lots … Read more
Rod Stewart has canceled several more upcoming concerts for health reasons. The legendary rocker, 80, announced Saturday that he’s canceling four shows and postponing two in Nevada and California on his One Last Time Tour this month after being diagnosed with the flu. “I have to cancel and reschedule my next six concerts in June … Read more
Since we take prescription drugs to feel better, it’s alarming to think that some common ones can actually make you more sick. But that’s precisely what a shocking new study out of Norway has revealed. “We have found a surprising and potentially serious side effect of a class of anti-inflammatory drugs. They can help viruses … Read more
More U.S. children have died this flu season than at any time since the swine flu pandemic 15 years ago, according to a federal report released Friday. The 216 pediatric deaths reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eclipse the 207 reported last year. It’s the most since the 2009-2010 H1N1 global flu pandemic. It’s … Read more
The campaign to curb bird flu on the nation’s farms has been slowed by the chaotic transition to a new administration that is determined to cut costs, reduce the federal work force and limit communications, according to interviews with more than a dozen scientists and federal officials. On poultry farms, more than 168 million birds … Read more
The latest TikTok beauty craze is eggs-actly what dermatologists don’t want you to try: rubbing raw egg whites on your face. Despite DIY skincare hype on the platform, experts warn raw egg white facials have more risks than rewards — plus, no clinical evidence they erase bags, creases and folds. While supporters claim that these … Read more
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s top health official, has an unorthodox idea for tackling the bird flu bedeviling U.S. poultry farms. Let the virus rip. Instead of culling birds when the infection is discovered, farmers “should consider maybe the possibility of letting it run through the flock so that we can identify the birds, … Read more
Grandma knows best. Wellness influencer and licensed lymphatic massage therapist Lo Reyez has gone viral with her abuela’s “flu bomb,” a combination of common ingredients she swears will deliver unprecedented results if you want to shorten the length of time that you’re sick. Noting that cold and flu season is in full swing — or … Read more
An ex-Amish reality TV star may have left the community behind, but that doesn’t mean he’s giving up his home remedies. Milo, who was born and raised Amish and appeared in the most reason season of Discovery Channel’s “Naked and Afraid,” shared his recipe for “Amish amoxicillin” on TikTok, where he’s racked up over 2.1 … Read more
When a virus is going to war on your body, a “flu bomb” might be the answer to blasting it out. So says Australian alternative health care advocate Barbara O’Neill, whose recipe has gone viral down under — and beyond. The easy-to-make mixture requires just seven ingredients, she promises that drinking it daily can shorten … Read more
The flu is surging in New York and across the US — and claimed the lives of five kids in the days before Christmas. Positive tests climbed a whopping 12% for the week ending Dec. 21, according to data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — meaning more than 12,000 people … Read more
The death of an Oregon house cat and a pet food recall are raising questions about the ongoing outbreak of bird flu and how people can protect their pets. Bird flu has been spreading for years in wild birds, chickens, turkeys and many other animals. It was first confirmed in U.S. dairy cattle in March. The virus has been … Read more
Forget “naughty” and “nice” — Santa should probably be checking twice for “nauseous” and “feverish.” Unfortunately, the many men donning Santa suits every December don’t have the power to know where viruses might be lurking, inspiring one doctor — and sometimes Santa Claus — to publish his warnings about “Sick Santa Syndrome” in a 1986 medical … Read more
Changes are coming to the cold and cough aisle of your local pharmacy: US officials are moving to phase out the leading decongestant found in hundreds of over-the-counter medicines, concluding that it doesn’t actually relieve nasal congestion. Phenylephrine is used in popular versions of Sudafed, DayQuil and other medications, but experts have long questioned its … Read more
It reads like a tasty chicken marinade. But TikTokers say a DIY recipe for fermented garlic honey is the perfect home remedy for colds, flu and other winter respiratory illnesses — and according to doctors, there may be some truth to that. Several TikTokers have gone viral for mixing up the two-ingredient home remedy, saying … Read more