Health: News, features, tips and alerts to keep you healthy - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

Pregnant women may want to skip all soft drinks while they're expecting if they want their child's learning and memory skills to be sharper, new research suggests.

Construction workers, farmers and others who work in the sun are at greater risk for skin cancer, according to researchers. And a new study reveals these job-related cancers cost nations millions in medical expenses.

Hearing aids may mean fewer visits to the hospital for seniors, a new study suggests.

Autism rates continue to climb in the United States.

A single session of meditation can lower your anxiety levels, a small new study finds.

Your cellphone puts the world at your fingertips, but it can wreak havoc with your neck

Sigmoidoscopy, an alternative to colonoscopy, may help one gender more than the other, new research shows.

Fitness buffs who push themselves to the limit during workouts might slightly increase their risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a new study suggests.

In the wake of an E. coli outbreak that has made more than 50 people in 16 states sick, Americans are now being warned to toss out any romaine lettuce they might have bought in a grocery store.

Older adults, drink up. You need plenty of water during exercise so your brain gets the full benefits of working out, researchers say.

There are differences in the brains of athletes who play contact sports and those who play noncontact sports, according to researchers.

For most, playing online video games is largely a harmless hobby. But a new review finds that some fall prey to what experts call "internet gaming disorder."

The makeup of bacteria in your dog's digestive tract may be more like your own than you think, researchers say.

New research sheds light on why some people's blood pressure is especially sensitive to salt.

Women are more likely than men to suffer a knee injury called an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. But -- surprisingly -- the injury occurs the same way in both genders, a new study reveals.

Americans may be trying to eat healthy, but they're throwing away mountains of produce in the process, a new study suggests.

Wanda Sihanath didn't like the fact that her inherited blood disorder would not allow her to travel far from Chicago to attend college, but what could she do?

Girls whose moms were overweight or had high blood sugar during pregnancy may be more likely to enter puberty early, a large new study suggests.

Drugs designed to trigger a patient's immune system may help boost survival for those battling lung cancer, two new studies found.

Women who survive a heart attack are less likely than men to receive cholesterol-lowering statin drugs that can reduce the risk of another heart attack or stroke, a new study finds.

People with chronic back pain often try painkillers and other treatments without success. Now, a new study suggests a program of education and exercise may provide relief.

While only 5 percent to 10 percent of cancers are caused by an inherited gene mutation, genetic testing may benefit people with a strong history of family cancer, an expert in genetics suggests.

Yoga at school might work wonders for the younger set, new research suggests.

It's no secret that weight gain results from consuming too many calories. But at its core is an imbalance of healthy and unhealthy habits.

The overall rate of heart disease in the United States has declined 38 percent since 1990, a new report shows.

You might be a drowsy driver without knowing it, and new research finds that can make you more dangerous on the road.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI), even a mild one such as a concussion, may raise your risk for dementia, a new study suggests.

Highly expressive eyebrows likely played a big role in humans' evolutionary success, researchers report.

The way that Alzheimer's disease is defined for research should be based on brain changes rather than symptoms.

People struggling with COPD might find some relief in an ancient art.

Trauma or intense stress may up your odds of developing an autoimmune disease, a new study suggests.

New research suggests that a single blood test could confirm type 2 diabetes, saving patients time and health care costs.

Most U.S. pediatricians say spanking is a bad way to discipline children.

Many aging Americans are both overweight and burdened by arthritis of the knees.

More than a half million people are treated for swimming-related accidents in the United States in a given year.

If you could protect yourself from cancer, you'd do it, right?

Doctors can't yet predict if someone exposed to the flu will become sick. But such predictions may be getting closer to reality, new research hints.

Men and women with type 2 diabetes may face a significantly higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease later in life, new British research suggests.

Eating a Mediterranean diet rich in healthy fats from olive oil and nuts provides better protection against heart attack and stroke than a low-fat diet, a new Spanish trial has shown.

Federal, state and local health officials are investigating a salmonella outbreak linked to fruit salad mixes that has sickened 60 people in five U.S. states.

A new genetic test can identify men most likely to develop prostate cancer, a new report contends.

Drugs taken by more than one-third of U.S. adults have depression as a possible side effect, a new study reveals.

Many teens and young adults in the United States -- particularly women and girls -- are physically inactive, a new study reveals.

More good news for coffee lovers: Having three or more cups of "joe" each day may help ward off serious liver ailments, new research suggests.

Having health insurance is essential, especially for catastrophic situations. But it's important to choose a plan carefully because your costs can go well beyond the monthly premium

Children with autism are more likely to also have a food, respiratory or skin allergy, new research suggests.

Parents should choose to have their children get the flu shot in the fall instead of the nasal spray flu vaccine, pediatricians say.

It's important to recognize signs of depression in yourself or a loved one, including a child, and to get help from a doctor

Vegan diets are hard for many people to stick with long-term, but studies show that this way of eating can translate to weight loss.

An experimental HIV vaccine protected animals from dozens of strains of HIV. And a human trial of the vaccine is expected to begin in the second half of 2019, according to U.S. researchers.

Millions of Americans may be getting the wrong treatment to prevent a heart attack or stroke, a new study suggests.

Many migraine sufferers skip recommended behavioral treatments, such as stress management and talk therapy, a new study finds.

Genetic blood testing is showing potential as a means of catching some early stage cancers, researchers are reporting.

An annual flu shot is key for children with asthma, a new study shows.

With this year's terrible flu season a fresh memory, a new study finds that more U.S. hospitals are requiring staffers to get flu shots, but VA hospitals lag behind.

What a difference a border makes, when it comes to the cost of cancer care.

Most people should now begin colorectal cancer screening at age 45, say new guidelines that were spurred by the rising rate of the disease among younger Americans.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday put his signature on a bill allowing terminally ill patients to try unproven treatments to fight their disease.

When it comes to kids and medical procedures like needles, expectation is everything.

Urgent care centers are popping up across the country as an option for medical treatment. But it's important to know the differences between these facilities and your local hospital emergency department.

Swimming is a great way to stay in shape while having fun and without stressing your joints.

People with diabetes are the ones who end up harmed by high list prices, high out-of-pocket costs and formulary restrictions

Lots of things grow in the spring, including your risk of severe allergic reactions and asthma attacks. So people need to take preventive measures and know when to seek medical care, an emergency physician says.

Outdoor enthusiasts: Here's a bit of good tick-fighting news just in time for Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer.

Someday doctors may be able to diagnose gastrointestinal (GI) problems without invasive tests by asking patients to swallow a capsule containing a small, bacteria-laced sensor.

For older people, breathing in dirty air puts them at risk of being hospitalized with a dangerous respiratory disease, a new study suggests.

In a reversal of historical patterns, lung cancer is now more common among young U.S. women than men, a new study finds.

Yoga can help older women who fight frequent bouts of urinary incontinence, new research suggests.

When you fire up the grill for your Memorial Day cookout, beware: Those tantalizing aromas hold an underestimated health risk.

Nine out of 10 ER doctors say their hospitals aren't fully prepared for major disasters or mass tragedies.

If you think popping a pill will somehow keep your skin safe while you tan, think again.

An important checklist used to screen for autism can miss subtle clues in some children, delaying their eventual diagnosis.

Exercising may keep you young at heart.

Sandwiches make convenient lunches, but those two slices of bread can really eat into your day's calorie allotment. What's more, typical white bread doesn't provide much in the way of nutrients.

The millions of Americans who suffer from migraine may have a new source of hope -- the first drug aimed at preventing the headaches gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval on Thursday.

A new study suggests that moderate or even rigorous exercise won't slow mental decline in older people with dementia.

Generic prescription drugs should be cheap, but prices for some have soared in the United States in recent years. Now a group of U.S. hospitals thinks it has a solution: a nonprofit drug maker.

For years, the drug Herceptin has helped women with an aggressive form of breast cancer beat the disease.

Millions of U.S. seniors can now take part in a Medicare program designed to prevent prediabetes from progressing to type 2 diabetes.

British researchers have developed a molecule they claim could make colds a thing of the past.

Many people are clueless about what can actually cause cancer, a new study finds.

The number of seniors dying from falls has increased dramatically over the past decade, U.S. health officials reported Friday.

Outdoor exercise can be invigorating and a great morale booster. But always take a few simple steps to stay safe, no matter the season.

It's not just your skin that needs protection from ultraviolet rays, health experts warn.

Americans are fast becoming a very depressed lot.

Since 2016, every blood donation in the United States has been individually tested for the Zika virus. A new study suggests it's not worth it.

Obese people are at increased risk for the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation, which can cause complications such as heart failure and stroke.

For reasons that aren't yet clear, people who battle PTSD may also be at heightened risk for the common heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation, researchers report.

Curious children do better in school, and this is especially true of youngsters from poorer families, a new study suggests.

Generic drugs tend to trigger big drops in the cost of their expensive, brand-name counterparts, but that has not been the case with the cancer drug commonly known as Gleevec (imatinib).

More men could receive PSA blood tests for prostate cancer under revised guidelines released Tuesday by the nation's leading panel on preventive medicine.

Teens who were once hooked on sugary sodas may now be now turning to sugary sports drinks, a new study reveals.

Two anti-cancer drugs administered together have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat an inherited form of thyroid cancer.

Motorcycles are still deadlier than cars, but there's some good news: Nearly 6 percent fewer bikers died on U.S. roads last year than in 2016, a new report says.

How does premature graying happen? Scientists say new animal research may help clear up the mystery.

Much of the debate over when to start having mammograms has focused on lives saved, but new research suggests that early screening might also translate into smaller tumors and less aggressive breast cancer treatments.

A treatment that harnesses the power of helpful bacteria living naturally on the skin might be a breakthrough treatment for eczema, early research suggests.

Many millennials and young people continue to tan, despite warnings about the link between excess sun exposure and skin cancer, new research warns.

After decades of progress, the United States has seen a slowdown in reductions of two major air pollutants, a new study finds.

Anxiety during middle age might signal impending dementia, a new analysis suggests.

A truly dismal flu vaccine could still save thousands of lives, as long as roughly 40 percent of Americans got their shots, new research suggests.

Giving very ill and dying patients palliative care shortens hospital stays and lowers costs, researchers report.

Obesity may accelerate and amplify the crippling symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, new research suggests.