Health-oriented smartphone apps draw caution

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More and more these days, the same smartphone technology that allows tourists to find the best latte nearby and bystanders to become instant video journalists at a natural disaster is making its way into medicine and health.

Nursing home abuse case makes an ugly story

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By Al Norman There was a very disturbing story in The Salem News out of Topsfield at the end of April. According to news accounts,...

Stopping Medicare waste, fraud, and abuse

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By Ron Pollack Did you hear about the case last year of the Houston doctor and medical equipment provider who billed Medicare more than $1...

Listening to ourselves speak: We have volume settings

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By Dr. Robert Mario Like the mute button on the TV remote control, our brains filter out unwanted noise so we can focus on what...

‘Saving Congressman Ryan,’ the sequel gets nasty

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By Al Norman You remember trickle-down economics? Well, it’s still trickling — with an emphasis on the “trick.” In early April, U.S. Congressman Paul Ryan, R-Wis.,...

Let’s work to keep Social Security strong for now and the future

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By Deborah E. Banda There’s a lot of talk about Social Security these days. Politicians and political pundits talk about solving the nation’s budget crisis...

Tinnitus may be a result of the brain trying to repair itself

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By Dr. Robert Mario Tinnitus appears to be produced by an unfortunate confluence of structural and functional changes in the brain, say neuroscientists at Georgetown...

Better think positive: Pessimism can block therapy

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You’ve heard of the placebo effect, the healing power of positive belief. This is the “nocebo” effect, the flip side, almost its evil twin. And while the self-fulfilling prophecy of negative thinking isn’t nearly as well studied, some scientists say it’s time for doctors to start paying a lot more attention to their patients’ outlook.

150 years of dieting fads and still no quick fix

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Before there was Dr. Atkins, there was William Banting. He invented the low-carb diet of 1863.

Hearing health box Questions about hearing aids answered, part II

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Hearing aids take time and patience to use successfully. Know your hearing aid’s features. With your hearing specialist, practice putting in and taking out the aid, cleaning it, identifying right and left aids, and replacing the batteries. Ask how to test it in listening environments where you have problems. Adjust the aid’s volume and program it for sounds that are too loud or too soft.