Category: VOA Health Report

Rob Summers of Portland, Oregon, is twenty-five years old and a former college athlete. In July of two thousand six he was hit by a car. A doctor told him he would never walk again, but that is his goal. Mr. Summers learned about experimental research at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Doctors placed …

Today we answer a question. Vu Quang Hien from Vietnam wants to know more about hepatitis B. Hepatitis is the name for a group of viral infections that attack the liver. These are called A, B, C and so on. An estimated two billion people are infected with hepatitis B. The rates are highest in …

For people with HIV, the earlier they start treatment, the better — and better not just for them. A study has shown that early treatment greatly reduces the risk that the partner of an infected person will also get infected. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.Dr. Anthony Fauci is with the United States National …

When we think of threats to public health, we often think of communicable diseases. But experts say non-communicable diseases — those that do not spread from person to person — are the leading killer today. These are often the result of poor diet, environmental influences including tobacco and alcohol use, or genetics. Now, the World …

Loud snoring can be a problem, and not just for other people trying to sleep with the noise. It can also be a sign of sleep apnea. People with this condition repeatedly stop breathing while they sleep — and may not even know it. Dr. David Gross at the National Rehabilitation Hospital of Washington says: …

Scientists say they have found dangerous forms of bacteria in drinking water in New Delhi. These bacteria contain a gene that scientists call New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase, or NDM-1. The gene is dangerous because it can make bacteria resistant to treatment with antibiotics.Researchers from the University of Cardiff in Britain led the study. They say they …

Do you think getting cold can give you a cold? Is it bad to drink milk when you have a cold? Can chicken soup cure a cold? Ranit Mishori is a family medicine doctor at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington. She says colds are more common in winter, but not because of low temperatures. …

Deaf people may have no trouble communicating words through American Sign Language, or ASL. But studies of ASL users show that the average deaf high school student reads at the level of a nine-year-old.The explanation has always been that this is because they never learned to connect letters with sounds. But a recent study shows …

Automatic faucets use an electronic sensor to start and stop the flow of water when people wash their hands. These faucets save a lot of water, which is one reason they are found in busy public bathrooms. Another reason is because of concerns about the spread of infection by people touching the handles on traditional …

Countries across Asia and beyond reported small amounts of radiation after the nuclear accident in Japan in March. But officials said these levels were not a threat to public health.On March twenty-ninth, Chinese officials reported low levels of radioactive iodine-131 in areas of southeastern China. These included Guangxi, Guangdong and Shanghai. Earlier tests found the …

The crisis at the damaged Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Station in northern Japan has raised worries about radiation risks. We spoke with Jonathan Links, an expert in radiation health sciences. He is a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland. Professor Links says workers within the nuclear plant are …

Have you ever felt lumps under the skin on the sides of your neck when you were sick? Those might be lymph nodes. They can get swollen and painful but their job is to fight infection. Lymph nodes are part of the body’s defenses known as the lymphatic system. This complex system throughout the body …

In the early nineteen fifties, researchers found that people scored lower on intelligence tests if they spoke more than one language. Research in the nineteen sixties found the opposite. So which is it? Researchers presented their newest studies in February at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The latest evidence …

How important is your mobile phone, better known to Americans as a cellphone? Many people say they use the device all the time. So far, no studies have proven beyond question that the radio signals from cellphones cause brain cancer or other health problems. But a new study by government scientists in the United States …

Israeli researchers say they have developed a substance that attracts and kills mosquitoes infected with the malaria parasite. However, the sweet smelling substance is said to be harmless to people and animals.Scientists at Hebrew University in Jerusalem developed the sugary bait by combining fruit juice oils and boric acid. The fruit juice gets the attention …

A new study of one hundred ninety-nine countries and territories confirmed what many people may have already noticed. People around the world are getting fatter. The study found that obesity has almost doubled since nineteen eighty. Majid Ezzati at Imperial College London led the research team. He says the results show that obesity, high blood …

The World Health Organization says alcohol abuse is the third leading cause of death and disability in the world. A new WHO report says the harmful use of alcohol kills two and one-half million people a year. And officials say action is needed to reduce the problem.The WHO released the “Global Status Report on Alcohol …

We started talking last week about how to decide if a common injury — a bleeding cut on a finger — requires medical attention. If the bleeding stops when you press on it for a few minutes, then you probably do not need a doctor. But if the injury is more serious, then you could …

Hospital emergency rooms treat injured fingers all the time. Without treatment, a bad cut can lead to permanent damage. But how should a person know when a bleeding cut is serious enough to require medical attention? We asked Dr. Martin Brown, chairman of the department of emergency medicine at Inova Alexandria Hospital in Virginia. First, …

The World Health Organization says it has reached a limit in its fight against diseases and disasters. Director-General Margaret Chan says the agency is “overextended” and faces “serious funding shortfalls.” Dr. Chan says the WHO is no longer operating “at the level of top performance that is increasingly needed, and expected.” She told the agency’s …