There’s probably a fungus living in your brain right now. And it could be contributing to the development of Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia, according to new medical research. The fungus is Candida albicans, an ordinary yeast that lives on every human body, especially on your skin, in your mouth and your intestines. … Read more
As the world faces the possibility of another seasonal spike in cases of the coronavirus, medical experts are still pondering the cause of long COVID. The mysterious ailment causes a range of symptoms long after the COVID-19 infection has cleared, such as fatigue, loss of sexual desire, loss of smell and taste, chest pain and … Read more
A 12-year-old was put in an induced coma after vaping caused damage to her lungs. Mary Griffin from Belfast, Ireland, shared that her daughter Sarah had a cough and didn’t feel well before bed on a recent Sunday night, but the family wasn’t initially alarmed, as they thought the symptoms were caused by Sarah’s asthma. … Read more
Years of budget cuts and staffing shortages have left the New York City Department of Health too hobbled to contain a sharp rise in local cases of tuberculosis (TB), according to a bombshell new report. TB is the world’s deadliest infectious disease, and there have been about 500 NYC cases of active TB so far … Read more
A blemish isn’t worth potentially losing your life over. Hope, a TikTok user known as @imlesbianflavored on the app, revealed to her followers that she contracted a staph [staphylococcus] infection after popping a zit on her face. The mom from Louisiana shared the story in a video on TikTok, which has since amassed 2.1 million … Read more
Fans of Bruce Springsteen were crushed to learn that he had to cancel his remaining 2023 tour dates. “Over here on E Street, we’re heartbroken to have to postpone these shows,” read a post on the Boss’ Instagram earlier this month. “We’ve been having a blast at our US shows and we’re looking forward to more … Read more
Perhaps they should be called STeyes. Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) impact one in five people in the United States — but while sometimes painful symptoms in the nether regions are widely known, the eyes also provide a window to sexual health. “Eye pain and redness is usually one of the initial first signs,” Abbas Kanani … Read more
A Texas man has died after consuming raw oysters in a restaurant over Labor Day weekend, FOX 26 reported. Officials said the cause was Vibrio Vulnificus, a seaborne bacteria that can infect humans who consume raw or undercooked shellfish, or those who swim in warmer, coastal waters with an open wound. Although comparably rare — … Read more
People who value their flesh are being warned to steer clear of Hurricane Idalia floodwaters in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Officials are warning residents that hurricane flooding has spread the flesh-eating bacteria known as Vibrio vulnificus to inland regions where it isn’t usually a threat. A Vibrio infection can cause necrosis — the death … Read more
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise nationwide, a new variant dubbed “Pirola” has experts worried. Also referred to as BA.2.86, Pirola is a highly mutated variant of the Omicron strain of the coronavirus, which emerged in 2021 and led to a frightful spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths. “When Omicron hit in the winter of … Read more
Your nightmare this evening comes to you from Australia, where a woman kept returning to the hospital for a range of symptoms — until doctors found a worm living in her brain. Since 2021, doctors had been treating the 64-year-old woman with steroids and other drugs for pneumonia, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dry cough, fever and … Read more
California health officials have issued an advisory after several people who participated in a Tough Mudder race last weekend got sick. Nearly two dozen people who ran in the Tough Mudder challenge at Sonoma Raceway on August 19 and 20 developed rashes with fever and reported muscle pain or nausea and vomiting, according to the Sonoma County Department … Read more
Take a deep breath — while you can — and get ready for another seasonal “tripledemic.” In addition to the flu virus and a newly circulating COVID-19 variant (EG.5 or Eris), doctors are warning people about the deadly spread of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. “RSV results in around 14,000 deaths among older adults annually,” … Read more
A new study has found that COVID-19 infections and vaccinations temporarily lengthen menstrual cycles. The research, published last week in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, is one of the first such studies to use real-time tracked data versus relying on a person’s memory of their cycle changes. “Menstrual health is significantly understudied and underrepresented in … Read more
Two residents of Connecticut died in July after being infected with a bacteria found in shellfish and seawater, state health officials announced. A third resident was hospitalized with the same infection, caused by Vibrio vulnificus bacteria. All three cases occurred in people between 60 and 80 years old. Two of the cases were caused by … Read more
Cooling off in lakes, rivers and streams is a hallmark of the summer — but for an unlucky few, it can lead to an infection caused by Nagleria fowleri, a bacteria more commonly known as the brain-eating amoeba. In the U.S., there have been at least three reported deaths this year from the infection, which occurs when … Read more
In May, the COVID-19 emergency was officially declared over — but the coronavirus is still a significant concern, according to a some in the medical community. The latest data from the New York state Department of Health, released Aug. 2, shows that COVID cases spiked by 55% since the prior week, with an average of … Read more
Health experts are alarmed at a spike in typhus cases in Los Angeles County, where three recent deaths have been blamed on the disease. The disease is spread by fleas that have come into contact with animals — cats, possums, dogs and rodents — that are carrying the illness. In the 1930s and 1940s, typhus … Read more
Star student Megan Ebenroth, 17, tragically died last month after contracting a rare, brain-eating amoeba while swimming in Georgia. The death was reported last month, but the victim’s identity wasn’t confirmed until now. “I’m still in shock,” the teen’s mother Chrissy Ebenroth told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution while discussing the “extraordinary” pupil’s passing. “But I can’t … Read more
A Georgia resident has died from a rare “brain-eating amoeba,” the state’s health department confirmed last Wednesday. The resident likely became infected while swimming in a freshwater lake or pond in Georgia, the health department said. “Naegleria fowleri” is a rare infection that destroys brain tissue, causing brain swelling and usually death. The amoeba lives in soil and warm, … Read more