Health and Fitness
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Cold weather forces cancellation of bike camping outing at Deer GroveDec 17, 2025 1:52 pm - Arguing with Mother Nature can be a losing proposition, and, minimally, a high risk. So concluded Out Our Front Door, a Chicago-based bike camping organization that canceled its Dec. 13-14 biking/camping plans in Cook County’s Deer Grove Forest Preserve due to single-digit temperatures.
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Ask the doctors: Temporary use of night-lights doesn’t harm childrenDec 17, 2025 9:38 am - Night-lights have long been a fixture of childhood bedrooms. But as we understand more about sleep physiology, it’s reasonable to wonder how they help or hurt. This is particularly true because of what we’re learning from research on circadian development.
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‘Out of sight, out of mind’: Lighting candles, fireplaces can be bad for your lungs
Dec 17, 2025 9:36 am - Burning scented products may create a cozy ambiance, and in the case of fireplaces, provide light and heat, but some experts want people to consider how doing so contributes to the quality of the air indoors.
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Big retailers didn’t pull ByHeart baby formula fast enough after botulism recall, FDA says
Dec 16, 2025 3:05 pm - Four of the nation’s top retail stores failed to promptly pull contaminated infant formula tied to a dangerous botulism outbreak from their shelves, federal health officials said in warning letters posted Monday.
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‘Medical care is a human right’: St. Charles clinics meet the needs of Kane County’s uninsuredDec 15, 2025 6:55 pm - For nearly 25 years, the Tri City Health Partnership in St. Charles has provided free medical and dental services for Kane County residents living at or below the poverty level.
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‘Freedom and choice at the end of life:’ Pritzker signs controversial Medical Aid in Dying billDec 12, 2025 11:16 am - The governor took weeks deciding whether to sign “Deb’s Law,” named after a Lombard woman with terminal cancer. Opponents including the Diocese of Joliet said it “contradicts moral teaching.”
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Research shows how the brain changes as we age
Dec 12, 2025 8:29 am - The human brain has four distinct turning points where its structure changes, according to a study published in the journal Nature Communications, demonstrating that brain development is not as linear as you might think.
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Children’s health: Don’t let holiday stress get to your kids this seasonDec 12, 2025 8:14 am - The holidays are often a time of celebration, family and fun, but they also can be a period of extreme stress for you and your youngsters. Getting your kids to unwind during their holiday break can be tough, but there are ways to make it happen.
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Patient advocate: Give yourself the gift of self-compassionDec 12, 2025 8:13 am - Remember “tough love”? It legitimized unkind or even cruel behaviors in pursuit of persuading a loved one to change their behavior. There is no evidence it really worked. And tough love doesn’t work on ourselves either.
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Ask the doctors: Morton’s neuroma causes sensation of pressure in the footDec 12, 2025 8:12 am - The sensation of a lump or mass beneath the ball of the foot could be a condition known as Morton’s neuroma. It's caused by a pinched nerve in the foot, typically between the third and fourth toes.