Weather Disaster Cleanup: Costly & Inefficient, But Necessary
Radio Health Journal
Severe life-threatening weather, such as the rare December tornadoes that tore through Kentucky and other states in December, 2021, will likely become more frequent with climate change. Experts discuss the difficulties in cleaning up large scale disasters and how planning could improve the results cheaply.
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The Link Between Obesity And Cancer
Radio Health Journal
Studies are finding that obesity significantly increases a person’s risk for a variety of cancers. However, not all forms of fat carry equal risk. An expert discusses who is more at risk and why.
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Medical Notes: Week of January 16, 2022
Radio Health Journal
A study finds that about a quarter pregnant women have skipped taking care of their health needs due to cost… Then, a newly-developed machine learning platform can analyze a short video clip that’s created while taking selfies… and accurately predict whether the person depicted is at risk of Parkinson’s disease. Then, air pollution significantly lessens how well your brain performs. And finally, if you want to help the planet, plant trees.
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Can 911 Respond To Mental Health Crises?
Radio Health Journal
Up to 15 percent of calls to 911 involve people having a mental health breakdown, yet many call centers, especially in rural areas, have no one with any training on what to do or who to dispatch in those cases. Typically they send police, who may also have no training on how to handle mental health crises and may inflame the situation. Experts discuss why this happens and how communities can respond better.
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Children’s “Psychotic-Like Experiences”
Radio Health Journal
Children and young adolescents may experience perceptual distortions or strange thoughts, but if they become frequent and disruptive, they can be an early tipoff to serious future mental health distress. An expert discusses this new field of mental health research in adolescents.
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Medical Notes: Week of January 9, 2022
Radio Health Journal
The Omicron variant of Covid-19 may flame out as quickly as it rose. Then, a new study shows that traditional books are making a come-back. And finally, your microwave could be making your dog really anxious.
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Hoarding Disorder: More Than Just Too Much Junk
Radio Health Journal
Hoarding disorder affects at least five percent of Americans, and despite TV programs showing its effects, it is still widely misunderstood. Experts discuss the danger hoarding poses to others, including neighbors, children, and first responders; why those with the disorder are so attached to things; and the right and wrong ways to address the problem.
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Dealing With Lifelong Disease
Radio Health Journal
Life-threatening, lifelong chronic diseases from infancy are at the top of the list of medical challenges. A woman who has dealt with cystic fibrosis her entire life discusses how mindset is often the biggest factor in living a full life with such a disease, and sets out her recipe for shoring up one’s approach.
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Medical Notes: Week of January 2, 2022
Radio Health Journal
A new finds that patients showing up at rural hospital ER’s have extremely similar outcomes compared to patients in urban-area ER’s. Then, why don’t more girls go into computer science and engineering? In part because little kids think girls don’t like those subjects. And finally, if you ask Alexa or Siri for health information… you may come up short.
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Advances That May Eliminate Scarring
Radio Health Journal
Scars are a public health as well as aesthetic threat, as internal scars can compromise the function of organs and tissues. Scientists are now devising medications that promote healing without producing scars. One of the scientists on the front lines discusses how these medicines work and their possible uses.
info_outlineMajor surgery such as a heart bypass may increase the risk of dementia. Then, a study finds that gun violence is up by 30% since the start of the pandemic. Also, could the anxiety of being heard by someone else play a role in stuttering? And finally, research says about half of pregnancies in the United States are unintended.