Health and Fitness
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Study suggests the threat of mold-associated illnesses may be underappreciated
Aug 02, 2026 8:52 am - A first-of-its-kind U.S. study suggests invasive mold infections may be an underappreciated — and potentially deadly — threat. The researchers detected about 450 cases in Atlanta-area hospitals over five years. About a third of the patients died in the hospital.
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Tanning is getting hot again. Here’s what it really does to your skin
Aug 02, 2026 8:46 am - Nichole Sims started using a tanning bed at 15 because she said everyone around her was doing it, especially before events like homecoming dances and prom. Eight years later, she was diagnosed with melanoma — a potentially life-threatening skin cancer.
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Children’s health: How to keep young athletes and active kids safe in hot weatherJul 31, 2026 5:45 am - Whether your child plays organized sports or just loves being active outdoors, hot weather can pose serious health concerns. As temperatures in all parts of the U.S. trend upward, kids face a rising risk of weather-related illness, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
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Patient advocate: What to consider when driving while agingJul 31, 2026 5:45 am - Many of the articles I see about older drivers focus on how families can have The Talk: “Mom/Dad, it’s time for you to stop driving.” Instead, I think senior drivers themselves (and I am one!) should be assessing their own fitness to drive and take that onus away from their kids.
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Between prices and a diarrhea-causing parasite, lettuce is causing hard times at some restaurants
Jul 30, 2026 3:44 pm - Lettuce prices rose sharply in the first half of 2026 due to hot weather in Arizona, where about one-third of America’s lettuce is grown. Now, restaurants are dealing with the fallout from a cyclospora outbreak linked to shredded lettuce that has sickened thousands of Americans.
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For cutting boards, is wood or plastic healthier? We asked experts.
Jul 30, 2026 3:03 pm - Wood and plastic cutting boards differ in how they need to be cleaned and their longevity, which can affect how practical they are and, ultimately, which one is healthiest in your house. Experts break down the key considerations.
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‘I was unable to speak’: Autism advocates laud statewide Blue Envelope Program for traffic stopsJul 27, 2026 6:28 pm - Popular with drivers with autism and police, a Blue Envelope Program designed to de-stress encounters goes live across Illinois in 2027.
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Largest known US cyclospora outbreak has now spread to nine states, including Illinois
Jul 25, 2026 2:01 pm - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked four additional states to a multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak traced to shredded iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico.
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There’s a new way to treat sprains. Hint: Ice is out.
Jul 24, 2026 8:25 am - For decades, at-home treatments for common, non-traumatic sports or similar injuries, such as sprains, centered on rest, ice, compression and elevation. But there’s growing evidence that the full RICE approach may, in fact, impede recovery, not speed it.
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What a podiatrist really thinks about flip-flops
Jul 24, 2026 8:19 am - A podiatrist says that having a variety of comfortable footwear options is a good strategy to maintain foot health — and for many people, that strategy can include flip-flops.