Purchasing contact lenses online is risky

Research indicates that Internet lens purchasers typically don’t follow their eye doctor?s recommendations, placing them at greater risk for harmful eye care practices and eye health complications. – Purchasing contact lenses online may save consumers time, but the process could cause more problems in the long run, according to a new study reported in the January issue of Optometry: Journal of the American Optometric Association.

New test to detect and identify 12 respiratory viruses

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared for marketing a test – xTAG Respiratory Viral Panel, manufactured by Luminex Molecular Diagnostics, that simultaneously detects and identifies 12 specific respiratory viruses. – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new diagnostic test that detects 12 respiratory viruses, including strains of flu that have triggered epidemics.

Gene protects newborns from respiratory distress syndrome

A gene helps protect newborns from the most common respiratory cause of infant death in the United States ? respiratory distress syndrome. – Yale School of Medicine researchers have isolated a gene that helps protect newborns from the most common respiratory cause of infant death in the United States – respiratory distress syndrome.

American physicians prescribe placebos on occasion

American physicians’ use of placebos in clinical practice in the 21st Century, 45 percent of Chicago internists report they have used a placebo at some time during their clinical practice. – In the first study examining American physicians’ use of placebos in clinical practice in the 21st Century, 45 percent of Chicago internists report they have used a placebo at some time during their clinical practice researchers report in the January issue of Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Quick Test For Drug-Resistant Staph Infections MRSA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first rapid blood test for the drug-resistant staph bacterium known as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it has cleared for marketing the first rapid blood test for the drug-resistant staph bacterium known as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), which can cause potentially deadly infections.

Exercise reduces menopausal anxiety, stress and depression

Brisk walking routine can reduce a variety of psychological symptoms such as anxiety, stress and depression in menopause women. – With more menopausal women seeking natural therapies to ease symptoms, a new study has found that simply adding a brisk walking routine can reduce a variety of psychological symptoms such as anxiety, stress and depression.

Bright light therapy eases bipolar depression

Bright light therapy can ease bipolar depression in some patients, according to a study published in the journal Bipolar Disorders. – Bright light therapy can ease bipolar depression in some patients, according to a study published in the journal Bipolar Disorders. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic studied nine women with bipolar disorder to examine the effects of light therapy in the morning or at midday on mood symptoms.

Depressed girls can’t smell the roses

New Tel Aviv University (TAU) research links depression to loss of the sense of smell, suggesting that the blues may have biological roots. – Can’t smell the roses? Maybe you’re depressed. Smell too much like a rose yourself? Maybe you’ve got the same problem. Scientists from Tel Aviv University recently linked depression to a biological mechanism that affects the olfactory glands. It might explain why some women, without realizing it, wear too much perfume.

Thyroid treatment no quick fix for weight loss in children

Most experts agree thyroid function tests are generally unnecessary in an overweight child if he/she has normal linear growth and no other symptoms of hypothyroidism. The results of this study support this. – Children treated for hypothyroidism aren’t likely to drop pounds with treatment for the condition says a new study in the Journal of Pediatrics. The study is the first to examine the link between hypothyroidism treatment and weight loss in pediatric patients.

Healing Value of Magnets established

University of Virginia study shows magnets can reduce swelling when applied after an inflammatory injury. – Magnets have been touted for their healing properties since ancient Greece. Magnetic therapy is still widely used today as an alternative method for treating a number of conditions, from arthritis to depression, but there hasn’t been scientific proof that magnets can heal.