Health

A campus that banned smartphones made its students happier. Why? Because the phones are like any other addictive substance, says Anna Lembke, author of "Dopamine Nation": "Over time, our brains will adapt" and put us "in a dopamine deficit state...akin to a clinical depression or to an anxiety disorder. Now, we're using this substance not to feel good or get high but just to bring ourselves back up to baseline."

When grieving, you may need 3 things only your dog can likely provide

Grief is an experience individual to each person, but generally it can help to have someone there for you. A dog may be perfect. Experts share how to know if a dog could help you and how to bring one into your life.

Just 2 Omicron subvariants make up 44% of all US COVID cases

Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and BQ1.1 were responsible for roughly 44.2% of COVID-19 cases in the United States during the week of Nov. 6–12, 2022, according to public health officials.

Many patients with weak immune systems don't realize their Covid-19 medicine isn't as effective as it used to be

Judy Salins considers herself a smart, empowered patient, but until this week, she had no idea that the medicine she takes to defend herself against Covid-19 isn't protecting her as well as it used to.

An early surge of respiratory syncytial virus is putting young children across the country at risk. Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez explains what symptoms require medical attention.

What parents should watch for with respiratory illness

Respiratory viruses including flu and RSV are circulating across the United States at high levels, overwhelming children's hospitals and prompting concern among parents of young children. Most kids who get sick this season will recover quickly with home care, but some will need medical attention. What should parents watch for, and how might they know it's time to call their pediatrician or go to the ER?

At the brain bank in Denmark's Bispebjerg Hospital, CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the chance to examine a full healthy brain and a brain that received a lobotomy. Warning: Images of the brains might be disturbing for some viewers.

Flu season already hitting hard across half of the US

About half of the US -- 22 states, along with Washington, DC, New York City and Puerto Rico -- is reporting high or very high respiratory illness activity, as flu season sweeps through the country weeks earlier than usual.

Catch sight of a fireball in the night sky this weekend

The Taurid "swarm" is still going strong this month, with bright meteors known as fireballs visible across the world in the night sky.

NASA inspects Artemis I rocket after Hurricane Nicole

The Artemis I moon rocket is still standing after battling Hurricane Nicole, which made landfall as a Category 1 storm roughly 70 miles south from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida overnight. The $4.1 billion rocket rode out the storm while sitting exposed on its launchpad.

RSV responsible for 1 in 50 child deaths under age 5, study estimates

A new study estimates that 1 in 50 deaths of otherwise healthy children under age 5 around the world is due to a common virus that's currently surging in the US: respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. And in high-income countries, 1 in 56 babies who are born on time and are healthy will be hospitalized with RSV in the first year of life, according to the researchers' estimates.

One of nature's great mysteries may now have an answer, according to new 'fairy circle' study

For over 50 years, ecologists have studied and debated the mystery of the Namib Desert's "fairy circles," circular patches, mostly barren of grass, that have spread across 1,100 miles in the arid grasslands of Southern Africa.

Ukraine’s power outages caused by Russian air strikes pose new challenge for critically ill

Air strikes on Ukraine’s infrastructure from Russia have caused long-lasting power cuts. The outages are threatening hospital treatments and running water.

Tobacco usage among teenagers down from 6 to 3 million since 2019

Tobacco usage has decreased among middle and high school students over the last three years. However, health officials say the current rates are still concerning.

Nigerians are getting health insurance by trading waste material

Many Nigerians often find it difficult to see a doctor because they don’t have enough money. Therefore, some are finding creative ways to get health insurance.

Listeria outbreak: How to protect yourself from the deadly foodborne bacteria

Food poisoning from deadly listeria bacteria sickens and kills every year. Here's how to keep you and your family safe.

Army base to be investigated after stationed soldiers develop terminal blood cancer

The CDC is conducting a health study on a California army base after toxic chemicals were found in drinking water. Veterans who were once stationed there developed cancer years later.

COVID-19 reinfection could be more deadly than first case, regardless of vaccination status, study says

The COVID-19 reinfection could be more deadly than the first case regardless of vaccination status. Reinfected patients could have more than double the risk of death, a new study says.

CDC warns dental patients of rare bacterial infections via waterlines

Dental patients can be at risk of contracting nontuberculous mycobacteria or other infections from dental waterlines that have a high amount of bacteria in their water supple, the CDC warns.

More than 3 million middle and high school students reported using tobacco in 2022

More than 3 million US middle and high schoolers -- about 11% of those students -- reported current tobacco use in 2022, according to a new study from researchers at the US Food and Drug Administration and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.