Stacker-Health

The prevalence of plastics isn’t new. Since World War II, mass-produced plastics have increasingly littered sidewalks, oceans, and more across the globe. However, in more recent years, scientists have also started researching the effects these plastics have on human bodies, not just the planet. We now know many plastics persist in the environment, where they break down into

“The emotions involved are not for the faint of heart,” says just one of 1,144 family caregivers from the 2026 Caregivers in Crisis survey conducted by Aeroflow Urology. Today, nearly one in four adults in the U.S. is a family caregiver. For them, supporting a loved one means providing daily assistance, often unpaid, while trying

When people take a medication, they trust that it contains the right amount of active ingredient and is free of harmful contamination. Manufacturing and test records help verify that trust. When those records are missing or incomplete, it’s harder to establish whether a drug meets quality standards. In 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

The drive is the worst. For Kandis Daroski, a mom of three in the rural Midwest, it’s a minimum 30-minute slog each way for every well visit, dental check-up, and sudden toddler sickness. And she finds herself dealing with this (multiplied by five people) several times a month. Welcome to healthkeeping: the invisible project management

Most people experience common foot issues like bunions, stiffness, or a sore heel. These problems are often more inconvenient than painful, but if they persist, they can impact daily movement. When a foot problem seems benign, people often choose to work around it instead of treating it. Going to the doctor may not feel necessary,

Eye doctors and parents have more options than ever to treat and slow the progression of myopia in children. However, many parents either aren’t aware of available resources or don’t take advantage of the recommended strategies to reduce myopia’s onset and progression. “​The Myopia Awareness Gap,” an All About Vision (AAV) survey conducted by The Harris Poll in

Driving down the street in most major U.S. cities, you might have noticed a new fixture popping up in the local strip malls. More and more med spas are opening. According to AmSpa’s 2024 industry report, 1,589 medical spas opened in 2023, taking the national total from 8,899 to 10,488. This marked a 17.86% increase,

As Pennsylvania’s growing measles outbreak gets closer to her community on the west side of the state, Amanda Clear is taking actions to assess the risks to her son Dylan. One of her first stops: A new state website that lets anyone look up the student vaccination rates at individual Pennsylvania schools. That’s how she

Health events rarely come with warning and often bring medical bills, income disruption, and time‑sensitive financial decisions. Wells Fargo professionals share strategies for how to prepare for and respond to a medical emergency financially.   Health emergencies often create both medical costs and income disruption, making liquidity just as important as insurance coverage. Using insurance

The world has become hotter and, in many places, drier than ever before in recorded history. Just this summer, as some U.S. states battled over rights to the Colorado River, major reservoirs were at historically-low levels. In Puerto Rico, extended drought exacerbated an infrastructure crisis, leaving residents to suffer weeks-long stretches without water. In Europe,

As administrative demands grow, medical practices often face staff overload, delays, higher costs, and less time for patient care. A medical virtual assistant can help manage many of these tasks remotely, but choosing the right fit requires careful evaluation. In this guide, My Mountain Mover answers critical questions about choosing a medical virtual assistant, including

While reporting a recent story on the surge in older adults seeking measles immunity tests, Healthbeat found something unexpected. Colleges and universities were encouraging faculty and staff to gather proof of their immunity to measles before an exposure ever occurred on campus. There was another story unfolding. It wasn’t just that individuals were taking a

The confusion between ADD and ADHD affects millions of families trying to understand attention-related challenges. Parents often wonder if their child has ADD or ADHD, while adults question whether their childhood diagnosis still applies under current medical terminology. This distinction matters more than you might think. Using outdated terms can create confusion during medical appointments,

You wear your new glasses for the first time, but something feels off. The edges of the room curve slightly, straight lines look tilted, and a dull headache begins to develop. It’s natural to think that something isn’t right with your prescription, but in most cases, what you’re experiencing is completely normal. Mild visual changes

Sleep apnea is remarkably common, yet many people living with it may have no idea anything is wrong. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine estimates that nearly 30 million U.S. adults have obstructive sleep apnea, while about 23.5 million cases are undiagnosed. For some people, the first clues are persistent fatigue, headaches, or complaints about

Some of the latest studies around cognitive health have shown growing concern among the adult U.S. population regarding their own brain health and reducing risks of dementia. Indeed, a 2026 nationally representative survey of more than 3,800 U.S. adults aged 40 and older revealed that 99% considered brain health at least as important as physical

Millions of people take medication regularly, but getting the next refill isn’t always guaranteed. In a new survey from TelyRx of more than 1,200 U.S. adults who manage an ongoing prescription, 58% said they had run out of, or rationed, doses to make their supply last longer. For some, the consequences of these delays can

  People are tired, and the feeling has become so common that some may barely think to question it anymore. The National Institutes of Health notes that fatigue is one of the symptoms people report most often, while burnout continues to affect workers across nearly every profession. Longer workdays and constant screen time usually take

  Up to 40% of U.S. adults experience insomnia, and sleeplessness affects more than how you feel or function from day to day. It can increase your risk of long-term health conditions, like heart disease and dementia. If you’ve tried insomnia treatments like lifestyle changes and cognitive behavioral therapy without much improvement, you might be

  Many people experience heartburn, chest pain, and indigestion, but fewer think that their medications might be the cause. Even so, many common prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications can directly harm the lining of the esophagus and stomach. This can lead to pill esophagitis — an irritation of the lining of the esophagus, caused by

  Melinda Baron has a story for New Yorkers worried about the Upper East Side Legionnaires’ outbreak: She survived after contracting the disease seven years ago and is grateful for the outcome, but spent many months on the mend. New York City health officials say 89 people have tested positive for the Legionella bacterium. Seventy-one

  For eight states, about 10% of their allotment from the Rural Health Transformation Fund will go not to rural hospitals, but to tech companies seeking innovative solutions to challenges rural healthcare providers face. The Rural Tech Catalyst Fund takes a tenth of the states’ allocation from the Rural Health Transformation Fund and diverts it

  Car sickness is more common than most people realize. According to the Cleveland Clinic, motion sickness affects a significant portion of the population at some point in their lives, and for many people, it’s a persistent barrier to comfortable road travel. It strikes passengers of all ages—and it doesn’t spare the family dog either.​

  Gen Z adults are at the stage when lifelong habits start to take shape. They’re launching careers, reflecting on their values, and building relationships and routines. They’re also navigating messages about beauty standards that sometimes oppose the needs of their long-term health. Case in point: the “tanmaxxing” trend found on social media. “Ain’t no

  For years, concerns about social media were largely framed as a matter of personal responsibility: Parents could limit screen time, teenagers could put down their phones, and users could simply log off. That framing is changing as research, litigation and government action increasingly examine whether platform design itself can contribute to harm. That shift

  Not all hours of sunlight carry equal risk. The angle of the sun relative to Earth’s surface determines how much atmosphere UV rays must travel through before reaching the skin. Early morning and late afternoon sun travel a longer path through the atmosphere, with more atmospheric particles absorbing and scattering radiation. Midday sun travels

  The weather warms up, and the sun comes out. What scene do you picture? Maybe you imagine yourself relaxing on the beach, soaking up the rays, or frolicking in the water. Or maybe you picture the consequences of forgetting to apply sunscreen — a painful sunburn. But wait. You put on plenty of sunscreen

  A father is worried about his toddler, who has been running a fever for two days and pulling at one ear. A 65-year-old woman has been getting winded on her morning walks and feeling more fatigued than usual. Both reach for their phones and type their symptoms into an AI chatbot. “Your child likely