Medical Treatments

Health & Safety

Is There A Doctor Aboard? Medical Emergencies In The Clouds

2:35pm April 11, 2013

Since 2006, Dr. Celine Gounder has responded to on-board medical emergencies five times. Three of them were true emergencies for which the available resources aboard the airplane were inadequate. Gounder explains the unique challenges of providing medical care in the air.

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If you know some mice that took This Is Spinal Tap too literally, they might want to know about an experiment to restore hearing with a failed Alzheimer's drug.

Alzheimer's Drug Dials Back Deafness In Mice

8:34am April 08, 2013

by Jon Hamilton

An experimental drug developed to fight Alzheimer's disease partially reversed hearing loss caused by exposure to extremely loud sounds, researchers say. The results apply only to mice, but scientists are encouraged by the fact that the medicine caused new hair cells to grow in the animals' inner ears.

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Health & Safety

A Focus On Adults: Living With Chronic ADHD

2:57pm April 02, 2013

With rates of childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at alarming highs, a study confirms that, for many, the condition persists into adulthood. A study by the Boston Children's Hospital and the Mayo Clinic finds that the chronic form of ADHD can lead to depression and substance abuse.

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A worker stands on top of a storage bin on July 27, 2011, at a drilling operation in Claysville, Pa. The dust is from powder mixed with water for hydraulic fracturing.

Sand From Fracking Could Pose Lung Disease Risk To Workers

1:50pm April 01, 2013

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The sand is pumped underground along with water and other chemicals to extract oil and natural gas trapped deep in rock. But researchers found that air samples taken at some drilling sites contained high enough levels of very fine silica particles to be dangerous to workers.

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Samantha Grimaldo was born with a rare disorder, Perisylvian syndrome, and has never been able to speak.

New Voices For The Voiceless: Synthetic Speech Gets An Upgrade

1:23pm March 13, 2013

by Alix Spiegel

For those who rely on technology to speak, there are a limited number of voices. "Perfect Paul" sounds robotic, and "Heather" can seem too old for some. Now, a researcher is using sound samples from people who have never been able to speak to create new, personalized voices for them.

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Health & Safety

A Clinical Dilemma: Recommending Pot To Patients

4:29pm March 12, 2013

Eighteen states have legalized the medical use of marijuana. As state laws change, physicians face new decisions about whether or not to recommend pot. Doctors have varying views on its therapeutic effects, as well as the ethical and legal ramifications.

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These drawings by Santiago Ramon y Cajal, published in 1899, show cortex neurons.

To Make Mice Smarter, Add A Few Human Brain Cells

6:13pm March 07, 2013

by Adam Cole

For more than a century, neurons have been the superstars of the brain. Now researchers say that when they placed human versions of another type of brain cell into mice brains, the mice grew up to be faster learners. This supports the hypothesis that these glial cells — and not just better-known neurons — play an important role in learning.

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Health & Safety

How To Track And Attack A Superbug

2:30pm March 07, 2013

Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, held a press conference Tuesday to announce the need to "sound an alarm" on the advance of CRE, a highly drug-resistant bacteria. CRE and other superbugs are found mostly in hospitals and long-term care facilities.

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With a proper balance of medication and therapy, some people diagnosed with mental illness can succeed in the workplace.

Health & Safety

Balancing Work, Medication And Mental Illness

6:04pm February 28, 2013

by NPR Staff

After Elyn Saks was diagnosed with schizophrenia, she thought she'd never be able to hold a job. Saks explains how she went on to become a law professor at the University of Southern California. Dr. Richard Friedman, of Weill Cornell Medical College, discusses balancing work and mental illness.

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Pediatricians Urged To Treat Ear Infections More Cautiously

6:40pm February 25, 2013

by Rob Stein

The new guidelines for treating childhood ear infections are intended to reduce unnecessary antibiotics use. They say doctors should look at the eardrum to make sure a child really has an ear infection, instead of relying on symptoms. And if the child doesn't have severe symptoms, see if the ear gets better on its own.

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