Hair dyes and straighteners contain chemicals that are being studied for their health effects. Srdjanpav/Getty Images hide caption
Your Health : Shots - Health News There's never been more information about how to live a healthy life, yet the goal sometimes seems impossible to reach. We sort through the latest news on how to eat better, live longer and stay well.
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Years ago, Portia Smith (center) was afraid to seek care for her postpartum depression because she feared child welfare involvement. She and her daughters Shanell Smith (right), 19, and Najai Jones Smith (left), 15, pose for a selfie in February after makeup artist Najai made up everyone as they were getting ready at home to go to a movie together. Tom Gralish/Philadelphia Inquirer hide caption
We're tethered to our brothers and sisters as adults far longer than we are as children; our sibling relationships, in fact, are the longest-lasting family ties we have. Katherine Streeter for NPR hide caption
A food allergy, sensitivity, or intolerance can make the difference between passing the mashed potatoes — and passing on them. JGI/Jamie Grill/Getty Images hide caption
Lucy Branson, now 4, holds Polly Pocket shoes like the ones she put in her nose. Heidi de Marco/KHN hide caption
Eating fish can protect against heart disease but many people don't eat enough to be effective. In November, an FDA panel recommended broader use of a prescription-strength fish oil drug Vascepa for people at higher risk of heart disease. Enn Li Photography/Getty Images hide caption
For Your Heart, Eat Fish Or Take Pills? Now There's A Drug Equal To 8 Salmon Servings
Being overweight or obese can diminish the effectiveness of a flu shot, researchers say. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald/Getty Images hide caption
The brain analyzes changes in sound volume to detect syllables and make sense of speech. filo/Getty Images hide caption
The Loudness Of Vowels Helps The Brain Break Down Speech Into Syl-La-Bles
To deal with chronic pain, Pamela Bobb's morning routine now includes stretching and meditation at home in Fairfield Glade, Tenn. Bobb says this mind-body awareness intervention has greatly reduced the amount of painkiller she needs. Jessica Tezak for NPR hide caption
Meditation Reduced The Opioid Dose She Needs To Ease Chronic Pain By 75%
Two fourth-graders rock side to side while doing math equations at Charles Pinckney Elementary School's "Brain Room" in Charleston, S.C., in 2015. John McDonnell/The Washington Post/Getty Images hide caption
Tom and Dana Saputo sit in their backyard with their three dogs. Tom Saputo's double-lung transplant was fully covered by insurance, but he was responsible for an $11,524.79 portion of the charge for an air ambulance ride. Anna Almendrala/KHN hide caption
A large study published in late October found that weekly injections of Makena during the latter months of pregnancy "did not decrease recurrent preterm births." Jill Lehmann Photography/Getty Images hide caption
Controversy Kicks Up Over A Drug Meant To Prevent Premature Birth
To sleep better, exercise daily and limit caffeine and alcohol. Olivia Sun/NPR hide caption
Body Clock Blues? Time Change Is Tough. Here's How To Sleep Well Tonight
Psychologist Ken Carter studies why some people seek out haunted houses and other thrills — even though he's not one of them. Kay Hinton/Emory University hide caption
The Science Of Scary: Why It's So Fun To Be Freaked Out
Arline Feilen (left) and her sister, Kathy McCoy, at their mother's home in the Chicago suburbs. The biggest chunk of Feilen's bill was $16,480 for four nights in a room shared with another patient. McCoy joked that it would have been cheaper to stay at the Ritz-Carlton. Alyssa Schukar for KHN hide caption
A Woman's Grief Led To A Mental Health Crisis And A $21,634 Hospital Bill
Kaiser Health News
A Woman's Grief Led To A Mental Health Crisis And A $21,634 Hospital Bill
Scientists caution that using marijuana during pregnancy could be risky, but some women with severe nausea and lack of appetite during pregnancy are trying it. Niklas Skur/EyeEm/Getty Images hide caption
Some Pregnant Women Use Weed For Morning Sickness But FDA Cautions Against It
More Americans have been getting less than seven hours of sleep a night in the past several years, especially in professions such as health care. ER Productions Limited/Getty Images hide caption
Working Americans Are Getting Less Sleep, Especially Those Who Save Our Lives
If you get to look at dogs and hug them every day, you just might live longer than people who don't have to clean animal hair off their clothes, according to a pair of studies out this month. R A Kearton/Getty Images hide caption
Girl texting on smartphone at home martin-dm/Getty Images hide caption
A PET scan shows metabolism of sugar in the human brain. Science Source hide caption
Though complications from the flu can be deadly for people who are especially vulnerable, including pregnant women and their newborns, typically only about half of pregnant women get the needed vaccination, U.S. statistics show. BSIP/Getty Images hide caption
Get Your Flu Shot Now, Doctors Advise, Especially If You're Pregnant
Some People Get 'Brain Tingles' From These Slime Videos. What's Behind The Feeling?
The University of Iowa is working to include teens on the autism spectrum in its programs for gifted students. Jeremy Leung for NPR hide caption
Gifted Teens With Autism Connect With Like-Minded Kids At Math And Science Camp
U.S. teens' use of e-cigarettes has doubled since 2017, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Tony Dejak/AP hide caption