Also On Wellness

Tagged as Infection

Could Your Earbuds Be Making You Sick?
Earbuds are abundant in most spaces anymore. From walking down the street to the coffee shop to the airport, everyone seems to have a pair and they're putting them to use. They’re lightweight, versatile and highly portable. But few realize that they also could be a source of infection. Here’s what all users should know. A Looming Threat of Infection - Earbuds often look harmless enough. We might not...
September 1, 2022
Treating MRSA and Drug-Resistant Superbugs With a Bacterial Toxin
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other drug-resistant “superbugs” are an increasing problem. Treatment can be tricky, with an increasing number of antibiotics becoming useless against them. Now, researchers are going old-school, taking a closer look at a toxin discovered over 50 years ago as a means of knocking out these persistent, potentially deadly infections. MRSA and other...
March 11, 2022
How ‘Nanodiamonds’ Could Improve Diagnostics
A blood test’s overall accuracy can be vital to early, life-saving treatment in various conditions. Diagnostics have come a long way, but current limitations can still delay detection in cases where low levels of infection are present. New tests using nanodiamonds in place of other materials appear to dramatically improve the results, making it possible to detect numerous infections far earlier than...
May 20, 2021
Antibiotic Resistance Explained
Antibiotics have changed the face of infection treatment, making many diseases that were once death sentences — the -bubonic plague-, for example — frequently treatable. But now, antibiotic resistance threatens to turn the tables once again, with superbugs rising to wreak havoc on unsuspecting populations. Antibiotics are important in the treatment of numerous infections, but overuse has led to strains...
January 31, 2020
Is That Washing Machine Really Clean?
We wash our clothes with the expectation of getting them clean. Why else would we put ourselves through such a tedious ritual week after week? It turns out that “clean” may be a relative term, at least when it comes to the state of the washer. Washing machines can be a reservoir for bacteria. The good news is this probably isn’t an issue—unless someone in the household is fighting an infection. If...
January 8, 2020
5 Simple Ways to Lower Cold and Flu Risk
Are you being bombarded with reminders to get a flu shot? Welcome to fall and winter. Whether you decide to get a flu shot or not is a personal decision that depends on your risk of complications from influenza, but regardless of that decision, there are other strategies to employ that will offer protection against illness. Achoo! - Whether it is at your doctor’s office, visiting your grandkids, or...
October 30, 2017