As heroin and opioid abuse has surged in recent years, conversations about addiction have moved out of the shadows. In the lead up to our recent documentary, Chasing Heroin, we asked the FRONTLINE audience to share their experiences with addiction. Some were users themselves. Others helped people with recovery. Many lost loved ones to the […]
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NewsPregnancyWomen’s Health
In Babies With Microcephaly, Unique Damage Wreaked By Zika
by PBS June 8, 2016From the outside, babies born with microcephaly all have the telltale features: Doll-sized heads on human-sized bodies, their foreheads sloped precipitously away from their faces. But on the inside, the babies’ brains can differ dramatically depending on what specifically has caused their damage. And the injury caused by Zika is unique enough that doctors believe […]
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AllergiesAsthmaConditionsNews
30% Of Prescribed Antibiotics Aren’t Necessary, Study Finds
by explainingmedicine June 8, 2016(Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images) A little more than a year ago, the White House set an ambitious new goal for the country: Cut the unnecessary use of antibiotics in outpatient settings in half by 2020. There was one problem. Even though health officials have warned for decades about how the overuse of antibiotics […]
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HeartNews
A Transplanted Uterus Offers Hope, But Procedure Stirs Debate
by explainingmedicine June 8, 2016Cleveland Clinic surgeons in February transplanted a uterus from a deceased donor into 26-year-old Lindsey McFarland, who was born without one. Though the experimental surgery was initially thought successful, a raging infection forced removal of the organ within weeks. Cleveland Clinic hide caption toggle caption Cleveland Clinic Cleveland Clinic surgeons in February transplanted a uterus […]
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NewsSleep
Details On Death Certificates Offer Layers Of Clues To Opioid Epidemic
by explainingmedicine June 8, 2016A death certificate needs to say more than something vague like “opioid intoxication” to help law enforcement and public health officials curb the distribution of opioids, epidemiologists say. How many drugs did the person take, and which ones? Such details can help families heal, too. Alan Crawford/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Alan Crawford/Getty Images […]
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DepressionMental HealthNewsSleep
A Med Student Decides To Be Upfront About Her Mental Issues
by explainingmedicine June 8, 2016Â i Giselle is pursuing a career in family medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. For her, hiding her problems with anxiety and depression was not an option. Amanda Aronczyk/WNYC hide caption toggle caption Amanda Aronczyk/WNYC Giselle is pursuing a career in family medicine at the University of Wisconsin School […]
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MedicationsNewsSleep
Bright Lights, Big Hassles For Children In The Hospital
by explainingmedicine June 8, 2016At home, parents try to keep their children on a regular sleep schedule, with the evening bedtime transition marked by rituals like reading stories, flipping on night lights and getting tucked in with favorite stuffed animals. But the difference between night and day blurs in hospitals, making it more difficult for young patients to rest […]
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Bats In The Bedroom Can Spread Rabies Without An Obvious Bite
by explainingmedicine June 8, 2016An elderly woman died and more than two dozen people were treated for possible rabies exposure after her family failed to realize that a nighttime encounter with a bat put her at risk of rabies. Last August, the woman awoke in her Wyoming home and felt a bat on her neck. She swatted it away […]