Health, features and articles | Educational Science

Aug 31, 2016

America's Opioid-Use Epidemic: 5 Startling Facts

Introduction (Image credit: Pills photo via Shutterstock)America is in the midst of an opioid-abuse epidemic, which has caused a startling rise in overdoses and deaths from these highly addictive drugs. Here’s a look at the epidemic by the numbers. The increase in overdose deaths The number of people who have...

Aug 31, 2016

Rate of Opioid-Dependent Babies Doubles in US

There continues to be a rise in the number of U.S. babies born who are dependent on opioid drugs, according to a new study. Researchers looked at the rate of babies diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome, a condition in which newborns experience withdrawal symptoms as a result of being exposed...

Aug 31, 2016

New Therapy Helps You Lose Weight Despite Feeling Tired & Hungry

A new weight loss therapy that involves, in part, teaching people how to accept feelings of discomfort may help patients shed more pounds than standard therapies, a new study finds. The therapy, called Acceptance-Based Behavioral Treatment (ABT), teaches people skills to help them better adhere to their diet and exercise...

Aug 31, 2016

Donald Trump's Sniffling: What Causes Sniffles When You Don't Have a Cold?

Many watchers of Monday night's presidential debate noted that Donald Trump kept sniffling. The presidential candidate later said that he didn't have a cold, so what else might have caused the sniffling? During the debate, Trump's frequent sniffling was a widely discussed topic on social media, giving rise to the...

Aug 31, 2016

'The Terrorist Inside My Husband's Brain': Robin Williams' Widow Details His Disease

It was only after actor Robin Williams' death in August 2014 that doctors found the true cause of the symptoms that had plagued him for years, according to Williams' widow, Susan Schneider Williams. Writing in an editorial published Sept. 27 in the journal Neurology, Schneider Williams detailed the intense difficulty...

Jul 31, 2016

Why Amish Kids Get Less Asthma: It's the Cows

One way to reduce children's rates of asthma may come from dairy farms, a new study finds. And not just any dairy farms — Amish dairy farms, to be exact. Kids who grow up in Amish communities have much lower rates of asthma than the general population, potentially thanks to...

Jul 31, 2016

3 Human Chimeras That Already Exist

The news that researchers want to create human-animal chimeras has generated controversy recently and may conjure up ideas about Frankenstein-ish experiments. But chimeras aren't always man-made — and there are a number of examples of human chimeras that already exist. A chimera is essentially a single organism that's made up...

Jul 31, 2016

Here's What Olympians Eat for Each Sport

Just what does it take to power Simone Biles' signature half-twisting double backflip or Allyson Felix's lightning-fast sprint? It turns out, the amount Olympians eat can vary tremendously depending not only on the events they're competing in, but also their body type and lifestyle outside the Olympic arena. The average...

Jul 31, 2016

Deadly Case of 'Bagpipe Lung' Highlights Danger of Fungal Infections

One man's fatal lung infection highlights a rare danger that musicians may face: getting sick from fungi growing within their instruments, according to a recent report of the case. The 61-year-old man developed what his doctors in England described as bagpipe lung, and died just a month after he was...

Jul 31, 2016

EpiPen Alternatives Exist, and They May be Cheaper

The soaring price of the EpiPen has garnered controversy recently, but there are alternatives to this well-known allergy treatment device. The EpiPen belongs to a class of medical devices known as epinephrine auto-injectors, which allow people to quickly inject a precise dose of the drug epinephrine. The devices are used...

Jul 31, 2016

What Are Sweetbreads?

Sweetbreads are neither sweet, nor are they breads. Buyer beware — sweetbreads are NOT a sweet-bread like a cinnamon roll, said Rebecca Shenkman, director at the Villanova College of Nursing's MacDonald Center for Obesity Prevention and Education (COPE). In fact, they are the total opposite of what one might expect...

Jul 31, 2016

World's 1st Plague Pandemic Bacteria Gets New Genetic Analysis

With a single tooth from an ancient human skeleton found in Germany, scientists have now created the most complete genetic picture yet of the bacteria that caused the world's first plague pandemic. The Justinianic Plague killed 50 million people from the sixth to eighth centuries, and was caused by the...

Jul 31, 2016

Lasting Childbirth Pain Tied to Postpartum Depression

Women who continue to experience pain from childbirth one month after having a baby may be more likely to develop postpartum depression, a new study suggests. Specifically, researchers found that women in Singapore who had pain that lasted longer than four weeks after they gave birth had higher scores on...

Jun 30, 2016

Man Paralyzed After Mosquito Bite: How Often Does West Nile Strike the Nerves?

A man in Arizona who recently became infected with the West Nile virus is now paralyzed from the waist down, CBS Los Angeles reported. Infections with the mosquito-borne West Nile virus have been known to lead to neurological problems, including paralysis, though these results are rare. According to the Centers...

Jun 30, 2016

Seeing Green: Pot Changes Brain's Response to Money

Smoking marijuana may change the way people's brains respond to certain rewards, such as the prospect of winning some money, according to a new study. In the study, participants played a game in which they could win a small amount of money. The researchers found that the brains of people...