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Telemedicine has been viewed as a potential equalizer to health care access, but as the policies from the COVID-19 pandemic wind down, people who need it most continue to have the least access to the service. Pandemic-era policies rapidly expanded access to telehealth—also known as telemedicine—which allowed patients to consult remotely with health care providers using video or phone calls. This applied to those with or without private health insurance, according to an ana...
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a disorder that affects the large intestine and can cause a variety of uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms. While multiple things can trigger flare-ups, diet is a major component. Alcoholic beverages can worsen IBS symptoms, reports SaveHealth, a prescription discount website. The way in which alcohol might affect a person with IBS varies. If you decide to drink, pay attention to how it affects you and to the contents of the drink....
I've been in the health and wellness space for almost 18 years now (I know, I'm getting old), but I've been a male for much longer than that! I say that, because once I started approaching 35, I noticed things starting to slow down gradually. Gone were the days where I could crush a workout Friday morning and then head to Vegas for a sleepless weekend to simply crush Monday's workout. Nowadays, I just plain don't recover as easily as I used to, often feeling lethargic if I...
Rats are, in many ways, better adapted to cities than the humans that built them. While urbanites struggle with crowds, sparse parking spaces, and their upstairs neighbors stomping around at 4 a.m., rats are living their best lives. Huddled safely underground, they pop up at night to chew through heaps of food waste in dumpsters and hot dogs left on stoops. Now, scientists have found yet another gnawing advantage for rats, Grist reports. A study published in January in the...
Everyone's guilty of procrastinating sometimes—even the ancient Greeks and Romans did it. That said, it's one thing to put off a task for a little while. It's another to chronically avoid doing things until the absolute last minute. Wysa researched the psychology behind procrastination, what makes people do it, and how they can work to overcome it. According to the Association for Psychological Science, procrastination comes in two forms: habitual and situational. The l...
"Aging is inevitable; growing old is a choice," wrote the author Joseph Rain, and many people tend to agree. Whether you envision your golden years filled with travel, gardening, tasting wine at Sunday fairs, or learning how to surf with your grandkids, the key to a happy, thriving "future you" lies in the daily choices "present you" makes every day. That doesn't mean your DNA doesn't matter; good genes help. But don't assume long-living relatives in your family tree are a...
Inflation has started to cool but prices remain high, and that's taking a toll on Americans' budgets. According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, food costs have been particularly impacted (up 2.2% from the year before in July), causing people to rethink their grocery lists and shopping habits. Companies say customers are searching for savings anywhere they can, which has spurred big names like Amazon, Best Buy, and Nordstrom to offer more generous...
When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit American cities, many people wanted rapid access to information on a crisis that was constantly changing. Cooped up in their homes, the public wanted a real-time look at how coronavirus spread, how cases were stacking up from week to week, and where COVID hotspots were forming. The demand for online information on its impact on people's lives skyrocketed. Public health agencies and other research organizations took note. Alongside spikes...
The average American woman weighs about 170 pounds and stands about 5 feet, 4 inches tall. But it's important to remember that these averages are mathematical calculations. They don't represent what's typical or healthy for everybody There are so many factors that make all bodies unique—size, shape, proportions—that comparing one body to others is rarely helpful. In fact, it often leads to negative self-talk and other harmful behaviors (thanks, Instagram). That said, it may...
While poor health can eat into your finances with higher medical costs and reduced wages, good health is generally correlated with higher productivity, increased earnings, and lower health care expenses. Healthier habits and outcomes can also reduce long-term costs on aggregate populations, and improve quality of life for local residents in a multitude of ways. With this in mind, SmartAsset ranked 100 of the largest U.S. cities based on 10 health factors, including...
The majority of states, 26, saw declines in high school graduation rates following the pandemic, new research shows. In 2020, for example, 10 states had graduation rates of 90% or higher, but only five did in 2022, according to Tuesday's analysis from the Grad Partnership, a network of nonprofits working to improve student outcomes, The 74 reports. However, the report suggests that the full impact of COVID-19 school closures on graduation rates has yet to be realized. This...
When Elliott Blackmore discovered Mental Health Swims, it felt like home. Swimming and paddleboarding alone had felt lonely; other groups seemed a little unwelcoming. This community felt "totally, 100% nonjudgmental," he says. At Mental Health Swims, volunteer hosts around the U.K. organize meetups at the beach, lakes, rivers, or outdoor pools, so that anyone can benefit from, as the organization puts it, the "healing power of cold water and community." For Blackmore, a...
Americans are increasingly breathing toxic air as ozone smog rises and wildfires become more common and intense due to climate change. Poor air quality impacts more than your lungs. Despite decades of progress, a 2024 American Lung Association report found that 11.7 million more people are breathing unhealthy air compared to last year. Northwell Health partnered with Stacker to look at the most polluted cities in the United States using data from the Environmental Protection...
"It's hard to put a price tag, if you will, on the amount of human suffering that people are experiencing right now," Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. surgeon general, told All Things Considered in 2022, shortly after issuing an advisory that sounded the alarm on the epidemic of loneliness in the U.S. Human connection keeps us healthy, but many Americans report feeling lonely and isolated. According to an October 2023 Pew Research poll, 8% of Americans have no close friends. As...
Group exercise is very popular: Nearly 40% of regular exercisers participate in group fitness classes. In advance of the coronavirus pandemic, the American College of Sports Medicine predicted that group fitness would be one of the top three fitness industry trends in 2020—for good reason. Exercise has clear benefits for health and well-being, and the side effects—think lowered blood pressure, improved glycemic control, better sleep—are overwhelmingly positive. And exerc...
December 16, 2024 - Public Health Launches Los Angeles County Medical Debt Relief Program The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health today launched the Los Angeles County Medical Debt Relief Program, an initiative designed by the Medical Debt Coalition, which is working together to address the growing crisis of medical debt that disproportionately affects vulnerable communities across the County. The Medical Debt Relief Program will initially eliminate $500 million in...
UPDATE: After initially reporting a number of Hepatitis A cases among LA County's large homeless population, a few days later, the health department now reports a case in a non-homeless individual, a worker at a Whole Foods market in Beverly Hills. This is an expected result of allowing health conditions to foster in a certain population that are strictly regulated in other populations. May 17, 2024 Public Health Investigating a Case of Reported Hepatitis A at an LA County...
The County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC) is pleased to share advice this week in acknowledgment of Dog Bite Prevention Week. Dog Bite Prevention Week is here to raise awareness about the serious health risks posed by dog bites and to educate the public on how to prevent them. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the United States, with over 800,000 requiring medical...
Gun Safety Locks are Available Now at Six LA County Medical Facilities – No Questions Asked To address the public health crisis of gun violence, the Los Angeles County Office of Violence Prevention, housed in the Department of Public Health, has made 60,000 gun safety locks available to the public; free, no questions asked. Free gun safety locks will initially be available at six County medical facilities: Harbor-UCLA Medical Center High Desert Regional Health Center Los A...
SACRAMENTO – As Women's History Month enters its fourth week, the Listas Campaign is proud to launch the participation of the First Partner of California Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Recognizing the vital role California women play as leaders and changemakers in their own families and communities, the Listas Campaign has been empowering women with emergency resiliency knowledge this past month and will continue to do so into April. "As moms, we shoulder so much of the invisible- y...
It's National Animal Poison Prevention Month and the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC) is dedicated to raising awareness about the risks of pet poisoning and providing essential tips to keep our beloved pets safe. Pet owners are encouraged to take proactive measures to prevent accidental poisoning incidents such as: Know the Risks: Be aware of common household items and substances that are toxic to pets: Foods: Chocolate, grapes (including rais...
Heartbreak!! We’ve all been there at some point in our lives. Maybe it was with that perfect someone that got away or you got fired from your dream job and if that wasn’t enough, a long-time friend calls it quits, unannounced. Life happens! While it is the norm to vent and cry to a friend, you can give them a break because there’s a new friend in town. This friend is in the form of a stranger who’s ready and willing to help you navigate your difficult time, all without judgmen...
Our pets are suffering from an explosion of cancer, heart disease, arthritis and other chronic health challenges. The pharmaceutical industry controls veterinary industry standards and protocols just as it does in our own health care. Love for our furry family members is manipulated to further their own agenda resulting in over-medicalization and undesirable side effects, causing additional illnesses for our beloved pets. What Matters West L.A. Presents: Integrative...
UPDATE January 17: Public Health Warns Consumers About Eating Raw Oysters from Certain Areas of Mexico The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is reporting that there are more than 150 suspected local cases of gastrointestinal illness linked to the consumption of raw oysters, likely caused by norovirus. At this time, Public Health is warning consumers not to eat raw oysters from Laguna De Guerrero Negro, Baja California, Mexico; Laguna Manuela, Baja California,...
The Los Angeles County Health Officer has issued a heat advisory as high temperatures have been forecast for the following areas: Santa Clarita Valley: October 5, 2023, through October 6, 2023. Santa Susana Mountains: October 5, 2023, through October 6, 2023. West San Fernando Valley: October 5, 2023, through October 6, 2023. East San Fernando Valley: October 5, 2023, through October 6, 2023. San Gabriel Valley: October 5, 2023, through October 6, 2023. Calabasas/Agoura...