Health News
4/25/2025

Toilet paper, Tom Hanks and Tiger King: Here's what we were Googling at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic



How COVID changed America, in 12 charts



'Love on the Spectrum' stars respond to RFK Jr.'s 'ignorant' autism comments: 'We don't need to be fixed'



Most Americans aren’t worried about measles, despite the ongoing outbreak, according to a new poll



Measles outbreak FAQ: Do I need a vaccine booster? What do I do if I've been exposed? And what are the symptoms?



If you think you can't focus for long, you're right


Your attention span has shrunk by nearly two minutes in the past 20 years, driven in part by technology's hold over your work and home life, experts say. Here's how to stay focused so you can get things done.

What you should know if there's no sexual attraction for your partner, according to a therapist


Why would a person pick a potential life partner without feeling the spark of sexual attraction? And can these relationships survive and thrive? Can sexual attraction be cultivated later? Therapist Ian Kerner shares what he's learned in his practice.

What a medication abortion is like, according to a doctor


An expert in medication abortion describes how mifepristone and misoprostol work and what to expect after using these medications known as the "abortion pill."

How to cool down without AC


No air conditioning? Here are 14 methods for cooling your body and buffering your house from the outside heat.

The benefits of 'body doubling' when you have ADHD, according to experts


'Body doubling' is a strategy people with ADHD can use to accomplish more than they would alone. Here's how to do it.

8 activewear brands you should add to your workout wardrobe


The increasing popularity of stylish, trendy athletic wear has made über-comfortable clothing something that's not just for the gym. It's infiltrated all corners of culture, from high fashion runways to the offices of Silicon Valley executives — and really, it's appropriate for any occasion when you just want to be comfortable.

The best coupons at CVS Pharmacy



The planet is getting hotter fast. This is what happens to your body in extreme heat


Human-caused climate change has already made heat waves around the world more frequent and intense.

How long you can use vintage Tupperware


Since Tupperware, the iconic kitchen brand that's been a household name for decades, signaled recently that it might be going out of business, you might be wondering how long your stash of its food storage containers is safe to use — especially if it's vintage.

Why we have nightmares and how to stop them


We leave behind our fears of monsters under the bed as we say goodbye to our childhoods, but one can follow us into adulthood and loom over our heads.

Your guide to finding the right Theragun massage gun for you



Paper airplane breaks a world distance record


It's a bird... It's a plane... It's a paper airplane!

This bat fossil could fill in a piece of the evolutionary puzzle


Two 52 million-year-old bat skeletons discovered in an ancient lake bed in Wyoming are the oldest bat fossils ever found — and they reveal a new species.

Experimental therapy gantenerumab fails to slow or improve Alzheimer's memory loss in clinical trials


An experimental treatment, gantenerumab, failed to help people at high risk of memory loss from Alzheimer's or those who were in the early phases of the disease, the manufacturer said Monday.

US gets D+ grade for rising preterm birth rates, new report finds


The rate of premature birth in the United States is climbing, according to the infant and maternal health nonprofit March of Dimes.

Desperate for heart surgery for their baby, a family feels the effects of pediatric hospital shortages


Even before their daughter was born in June, Aaron and Helen Chavez knew she would need heart surgery. Doctors expected her to have an operation around 6 months of age.

Fuzzy first photo of a black hole gets a sharp makeover


The first photo ever taken of a black hole looks a little sharper now.

RSV hospitalization rate for seniors is 10 times higher than usual for this point in the season


The respiratory virus season has started early in kids this year and flooded children's hospitals in many parts of the country -- especially with respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV.

Covid-19 boosters could keep thousands of kids out of hospitals, but uptake remains low


Higher Covid-19 vaccination rates among US children could prevent thousands of pediatric hospitalizations and millions of missed school days, according to an analysis published Tuesday by the Commonwealth Fund and the Yale School of Public Health.

Why RFK Jr wants American cereal to be more Canadian


The US health secretary on Tuesday announced the country would ban eight commonly used artificial food dyes, many found in breakfast cereals.

Loud


Is noise an invisible killer? James Gallagher investigates.

What's the point of the menopause?


Why do women go through the menopause - are there any evolutionary benefits?

Inside Health


James Gallagher and the panel consider if an assisted death can guarantee a peaceful end.

Inside Health


James Gallagher and the panel discuss the safeguarding implications of the proposed bill

Inside Health


In the first of our mini-series we discuss who could get an assisted death under the rules

Taxi driver gives free ride for mental health chat


A taxi driver from Farnborough has undertaken mental health training with the Samaritans.

Free sauna has become a 'real community hub'


The free-to-use sauna in Margate is built in the style of a 19th Century bathing machine.

Inside Health


James explores the science of a sweet tooth and then gets tips on how to brush like a pro.

GPs and sports centre join forces


A group of GP practices join up with a sports centre operator to open a new healthcare service.

Charity's wellness sessions take to the road


The iCan organisation's van is offering support to "hard-to-reach" people in parts of Cumbria.

Doctors back total ban on smacking children in England


Smacking is legal in some cases in England and Northern Ireland, but is banned in Scotland and Wales.

New device gives female patients more dignity


A urinary bottle initially designed for men has been adapted to work for women in hospital.

Morning-after pill to be made free at pharmacies in England


The government hopes the move will end the "unfair postcode lottery" some women face.

Wellbeing strategy aims to increase life expectancy


A public consultation on the project by Epsom and Ewell Borough Council will run until 16 May.

Woman 'keeled over in agony' from endometriosis


Bekki Thomas is calling for more research into the condition.

Premenstrual disorder hits relationships - study


PMDD sufferers expressed a lower sense of intimacy, researchers at Durham University say.

'I didn't know I was pregnant until I gave birth'


Bryony had no pregnancy symptoms when she went into labour at the beauty salon she worked at.

Why we might never know the truth about ultra-processed foods


Experts can’t agree how exactly they affect us and it’s not clear that science will give us an answer.

Are weight-loss injections the answer to obesity?


The appeal is clear - but should we be turning to appetite-suppressing injections?

What is assisted dying and how could the law change?


MPs backed a proposal to let terminally ill people in England and Wales choose to end their life.

NHS needs better plan around weight loss jabs, warn experts


Experts call for an urgent review of obesity treatment services amid booming demand for weight loss jabs.

How many of us will end up being diagnosed with ADHD?


Experts suggest that the number of people with ADHD is actually going to remain steady.

The junior doctors' strikes may be over. But is trouble ahead?


The end of the pay dispute sounded too good to be true. And now some are wondering if it might be.

How are the vaping rules changing?


Marketing rules will be stricter, nicotine vapes will be taxed and disposable vapes will be banned.

Is the system letting down people who were harmed by Covid vaccines?


People affected by rare blood clots say they feel they have been airbrushed out of the pandemic.

How will weight-loss drugs change our relationship with food?


The rise of these treatments has major implications for how we think about obesity, says James Gallagher.

Generation K: The disturbing rise of ketamine abuse among young people


Increasing numbers of young people are using the drug, experts say. The health impacts can be catastrophic.

Assisted dying bill: What is in proposed law?


The proposed law would allow some terminally ill adults to end their own lives. But there are requirements.

'My first cervical screening was over before I knew it'


The BBC speaks to six people about their first cervical screening, and what they wish they'd known beforehand.

Nurses bore the brunt of Covid, ex-chief nurse says


Dame Ruth May tells the Covid inquiry nurses struggled with low staffing levels and difficulties accessing protective equipment.

Labour's plan for benefits throws up a bigger dilemma


The debate has sparked a wider dilemma about the broader purpose of welfare

First place in British Isles set to approve right to die


Laws in the Isle of Man to let terminally ill adults end their own lives are in the last stages of debate.

Covid inquiry rejects clinicians’ anonymity plea


The UK Health Security Agency argued naming the junior officials could put them at risk of abuse.

Warning tax rises could force care homes to close


Social care providers say the sector is in "unprecedented danger" without more funding.

High-grade masks evidence weak, Covid inquiry told


UKHSA's Prof Susan Hopkins said respirator masks may have worked no better than thin surgical masks.

We were not treated as parents, Covid inquiry told


Mum of premature twins says rigid restrictions on birthing wards during Covid were traumatic.

Covid ambulance crews faced 'crucial PPE delays'


Crews say they faced crucial delays trying to save dying patients because of the time it took to put on equipment.

Covid was like a daily terror attack, doctor tells inquiry


Covid inquiry hears harrowing testimony from ex-adviser in emergency preparedness at NHS England.

Covid inquiry told top NHS doctor was terrified


Sir Stephen Powis says points-based tool was drawn up should need to prioritise patients have arisen.

How close were hospitals to collapse in Covid?


The Covid inquiry restarts its live hearings this week, after senior staff in the NHS revealed just how close some hospitals were to collapse

Covid inquiry told of trust do-not-resuscitate rule


Patients' families were “horrified but not surprised” when told the blanket policy had been in place.

Families failed by Covid jabs tell inquiry of pain


They said there was no support after the death and harm suffered by their loved ones.

NHS hours from PPE running out in Covid - Hancock


Former health secretary tells inquiry some healthcare settings did run out - "and it was awful".

Covid inquiry told Treasury blocked NHS bed request


NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard says the decision, in July 2020, was very disappointing.

How does the Covid inquiry work?


The inquiry has heard from politicians, civil servants, public health experts and bereaved families.

Michelle Mone-linked PPE firm evidence to be heard in private


Covid inquiry says hearings into the firm, led by Michelle Mone's husband, must be held in closed session.

Large UK-wide pandemic preparedness tests planned this year


The stress test will involve thousands of people to help the UK prepare for potential future threats.

Hancock criticises 'wholly naive' Covid inquiry


The former health secretary was giving evidence about medical equipment deals during the pandemic.

Mone accuses Covid inquiry of 'cover-up'


She says husband Doug Barrowman and her are targets of a "politically motivated witch hunt".

Michael Gove denies trying to circumvent Dyson ventilator checks


Former cabinet minister says it would be ludicrous to suggest he tried to shortcut safety checks in the pandemic.

Baby deaths trust claimed £2m 'good care' payments


An NHS trust criticised over a baby's death claimed money for providing good care, the BBC can reveal.

Fertility patients sold unproven add-ons, HFEA says


Despite little proof add-ons help, many IVF clinics offer them, the UK's fertility regulator warns.

UK draws up new disease-threat watch list


Some are viruses with global pandemic potential - like Covid - others infectious illnesses with no treatments.

Doctor 'betrayed' over son's death at her hospital


Deborah Burns says she is unable to return to work at the hospital after the death of her son, William Hewes.

Baby slings unsafe for hands-free feeding, charities warn


Parenting charities, including the NCT, have updated their advice saying slings and carriers are unsafe for feeding.

Fake £4m Xanax drug gang boss jailed


The gang, managed from Thailand, produced 11 million pills in the West Midlands to be sold online.

Are my braids doing more harm than good?


Research suggests the synthetic hair used for braiding could be bad for you - but will that stop women using it?

California man invites BBC to witness his death as MPs debate assisted dying


Wayne Hawkins believes terminally ill people should be able to die when they choose, but others in the state disagree.

'I fear I'll be dead before I get justice for my son'


Tony Summers' son Paul was diagnosed with HIV and Hepatitis C and died in 2008 aged 44.

'My long Covid turned out to be terminal cancer'


Olivia Knowles noticed something "wasn't quite correct" while competing in an ironman competition.

Woman contacted by stranger on DNA site - and the truth about her birth unravelled


An NHS trust has paid compensation after a woman, now in her 70s, discovered she had been swapped at birth.

'I could live 30 years but plan to die': How assisted dying law is dividing Canadians


BBC News reports on assisted dying in Canada, where some say it's now easier to choose to die than get support to live

North Scotland among highest rates of Huntington's


The statistics are five times higher than the world figure, a University of Aberdeen study says.

Why men are so unhealthy - and what can be done


Men are more likely to die prematurely than women - and worse at seeking care when they need it.

What goes on inside toddlers' brains?


A unique study is tracking the development of hundreds of babies whose parents have also been studied since birth.

Disposable vape use falling in UK ahead of ban


The number of people vaping in the UK has stalled, while disposable vape usage has fallen, a study suggests.

WHO agrees legally binding pandemic treaty


The agreement is designed to ensure more cooperation between nations in the event of another pandemic.

Doctors in two end-of-life cases can be named


Those involved in caring for Isaiah Haastrup and Zainab Abbasi can be named, the Supreme Court rules.

The Supreme Court ruling gives clarity - but now comes the difficult part


The judgement provides a clear framework for what equality laws mean, but it remains to be seen what will change.

'Why I want an IVF baby to screen out gene that made me go blind'


Blind influencer Lucy Edwards on choosing IVF which will screen out the gene that made her who she is.

Plan for GPs to keep millions out of hospital


GPs will work more closely with specialists to support patients closer to home, the government says.

'I've had 100 operations and will never stop' - inside China's cosmetic surgery boom


Face-scanning apps, social media influencers and toxic beauty standards are fuelling China's cosmetic surgery boom.

Millions of vapes seized in illegal trade crackdown


Single-use vapes are among the main driving forces of the black market, the BBC is told.

'One-of-a-kind' girl born with heart outside chest has pioneering surgery


Vanellope, now seven, undergoes more surgery to reconstruct a "cage" around her heart, using her ribs.

Supported housing in crisis, groups tell Starmer


Supported housing for vulnerable or disabled people is in crisis, a letter to the prime minister says.

'My peanut allergy nearly killed me - now I eat them every day for breakfast'


Just a few years ago, Chris Brookes-Smith could have died from eating peanuts - but taking part in a clinical trial has changed his life.

Exhausted hospital staff putting patients at risk, says watchdog


NHS safety body wants a focus on staff fatigue as it warns of mistakes and impaired decision-making.

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