Health
Today
Friday's Health Report: New COVID-19 vaccines better protection against variants
Posted 4:43 PM 9/20/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE — The FDA approved new COVID-19 vaccines for the 2024-2025 season for people aged six months and older. These updated vaccines are designed to better protect against recently circulating variants.
Yesterday
Thursday's Health Report: Hitting the snooze button may be in the way of healthier sleep habits
Posted 4:46 PM 9/19/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE — If you need to set more than one alarm to make sure you wake up in the morning, you may need to reassess your sleep habits.
"My general advice is that you set one alarm. The more alarms you have, the harder it's going to be for you to wake up in the morning,&rdquo (More)
9/18/2024
Wednesday's Health Report: How proton beam therapy can be used to treat dangerous heart conditions
Posted 4:42 PM 9/18/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE — Radiation therapy is a common treatment for cancer, but it could also help treat dangerous heart rhythms.
The first clinical trial in humans using proton beam therapy had encouraging results.
When Roger Thomsen had his first episode several years ago, the (More)
9/17/2024
Tuesday's Health Report: How Louisiana residents can prevent West Nile virus
Posted 4:46 PM 9/17/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE — As cases of West Nile virus increase in the U.S., it is increasingly important to learn how to prevent its spread.
"There's specific mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus. Not every mosquito carries it, so getting bitten by a mosquito doesn't mean you're going to (More)
9/16/2024
Monday's Health Report: It's important to monitor kid's screen time, especially during the school year
Posted 4:44 PM 9/16/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE — With phones, tablets and computers, it may seem impossible to pull your children away from their screens.
But doctors say it is important to set limits, especially during the school year.
“Two hours of recreational screen time is what we like to aim for. (More)...
9/13/2024
Friday's Health Report: Using hormones to treat metastatic prostate cancer
Posted 6:57 PM 9/13/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE — Prostate cancer that spreads beyond the prostate is known as stage 4 or metastatic prostate cancer.
There's a variety of treatments – including hormonal treatments that can help control the disease.
"Once the hormonal therapies begin to fail, then we have a (More)
9/12/2024
Thursday's Health Report: Parvovirus B-19 is making a comeback
Posted 4:37 PM 9/12/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE — CDC officials are sounding the alarm on parvovirus B-19, a respiratory virus making a comeback in the United States.
Parvovirus has been around for decades, but infections are increasing, especially among children aged 5 to 9.
The virus can cause serious (More)
9/10/2024
Tuesday's Health Report: Identifying and treating swallowing disorders
Posted 2:31 PM 9/18/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE - Treatment for swallowing disorders depends on the cause of the problem, making it essential to get the correct diagnosis.
Swallowing can become difficult for some people who suffer from trauma, certain medical conditions, and head and neck cancers.
"We have over 50 (More)
9/9/2024
Monday's Health Report: Sugar substitutes can put people at risk for cardiovascular events
Posted 4:57 PM 9/9/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE — Researchers have been studying the effects of the sugar substitute erythritol on the body.
It confirms previous findings that it could put a person at risk for cardiovascular events, like a heart attack or stroke.
“In this new study, what we did is we (More)
9/6/2024
Friday's Health Report: How to avoid added sugar
Posted 6:57 PM 9/13/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE - Minimizing added sugar intake is hard but even harder is recognizing how much added sugar is in an everyday diet.
"Anytime food is processed, there are certain things that are added. And it's often sugar … or salt,” Dr. Donald Hensrud, director of the Mayo Clinic (More)
9/4/2024
Wednesday's Health Report: Treating metastases versus primary tumors
Posted 5:53 PM 9/4/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE – Over one million people in the US are living with brain tumors, with more than 90,000 new cases each year. Alex Osiadacz reports on how brain tumors are classified and what that means for treatment.
There are dozens of types of brain tumors, but generally, they are (More)
9/3/2024
Tuesday's Health Report: Extreme heat can increase risk of stroke
Posted 4:51 PM 9/3/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE — After a summer of record-breaking temperature highs, it is more important than ever to stay aware of the dangers heat can bring.
“Extreme heat adds incredible physiological stress to the individual and that can increase the risk of both ischemic and hemorrhagic (More)
8/30/2024
Friday's Health Report: Risks of listeria for pregnant women, those with weakened immune systems
Posted 5:00 PM 8/30/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE — Planning a picnic is no walk in the park for those who are pregnant. That's because many foods associated with summertime carry an increased risk of listeria.
"Listeria is a type of bacteria that is usually transmitted through food and food products. It is especially a (More)
8/29/2024
Thursday's Health Report: An allergist's guide to fall allergies
Posted 5:05 PM 8/29/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE — Fall allergy season is coming and it is not too soon to get prepared.
Many people will be dealing with the typical symptoms if they are not ready.
"Labor Day is about the time when fall allergy starts, so when kids start going back to school – that's when (More)
8/28/2024
Wednesday's Health Report: Tips to avoiding the 'Freshman 15'
Posted 4:42 PM 8/28/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE — In this season of packing up for college, a warning about packing on the "freshman 15."
"It's usually not actually 15. It's more often seven or eight,” Denise Millstine, a women’s health specialist, said.
Still, it's extra weight that Millstine says (More)
8/27/2024
Tuesday's Health Report: Healthy waking habits can lead to a healthy sleep schedule
Posted 4:45 PM 8/27/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE — If you find yourself tossing and turning at night, not able to get a good night's sleep, what you do during the day may be the key.
Getting more exercise and being active can help.
"In the short term, exercise boosts our wake drive a little bit. But in the long (More)
8/26/2024
Monday's Health Report: Migraines can be mitigated by routine, exercise, rest
Posted 4:40 PM 8/26/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE — For some people, migraines are debilitating. The intense, throbbing head pain is often so severe that it feels like the head will explode.
"When people have migraine, they typically do have pain, typically moderate or severe pain, but they have other symptoms that go (More)
8/21/2024
Wednesday's Health Report: Ways to fight sugar cravings
Posted 6:10 PM 8/21/2024 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE - If you have a hard time giving up sugar entirely, consider buying foods that have the sweetness factor and are also nutrient dense.
Some examples include fruits like pineapple, cherries, and strawberries, yogurt, natural peanut butter, and dark chocolate.
Dark (More)