FDA advisory panel’s conclusion that oral phenylephrine is ineffective means consumers need to think twice when buying cold and flu meds

The ramp-up to cold and flu season is a bad time for consumers to learn that some of their most trusted go-to products don’t actually work. An advisory committee to…

To better understand addiction, students in this course take a close look at liquor in literature

Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching. Title of course: Alcohol in American Literature What prompted the idea for the course? I…

Does chicken soup really help when you’re sick? A nutrition specialist explains what’s behind the beloved comfort food

Preparing a bowl of chicken soup for a loved one when they’re sick has been a common practice throughout the world for centuries. Today, generations from virtually every culture swear…

Health care workers gain 21% wage increase in pending agreement with Kaiser Permanente after historic strike

The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions reached a tentative agreement with its employer on a new four-year contract on Oct. 13, 2023. They agreed following the largest documented strike of…

New treatment for postpartum depression offers hope, but the stigma attached to the condition still lingers

Postpartum depression can affect anyone, and it often sneaks in quietly, like a shadow in the corners of a new mother’s life. It presents significant challenges for around 1 in…

COVID-19 vaccine mandates have come and mostly gone in the US – an ethicist explains why their messy rollout matters for trust in public health

Ending pandemics is a social decision, not scientific. Governments and organizations rely on social, cultural and political considerations to decide when to officially declare the end of a pandemic. Ideally,…

Decades of underfunding, blockade have weakened Gaza’s health system – the siege has pushed it into abject crisis

For many patients in Gaza’s besieged north, the order to evacuate from hospital beds and head south amounts to a “death sentence.” That was the stark assessment of the World…

Gun deaths among children and teens have soared – but there are ways to reverse the trend

Firearm injuries are now the leading cause of death among U.S. children and teens following a huge decadelong rise. Analyses published on Oct. 5, 2023, by a research team in…

Wildfire smoke leaves harmful gases in floors and walls − air purifiers aren’t enough, new study shows, but you can clean it up

When wildfire smoke turns the air brown and hazy, you might think about heading indoors with the windows closed, running an air purifier or even wearing a mask. These are…

Steep physical decline with age is not inevitable – here’s how strength training can change the trajectory

Raise your hand if you regularly find yourself walking up a flight of stairs. What about carrying heavy bags of groceries? How about picking up your child or grandchild? Most…