The recent overdose death of pop star Michael Jackson has drawn new attention to the abuse of prescription drugs in the United States. And with that attention has come acknowledgment that it's become a widespread phenomenon.

•	Drug Abuse Moves From the Street to the Medicine Cabinet

 

Benefits shown in studies can be gained in other, safer ways, experts say.

•	Drinking for Health May Not Be a Wise Choice

 

Benefits shown in studies can be gained in other, safer ways, experts say.

•	Drinking for Health May Not Be a Wise Choice

 

People regularly turn to the Internet for games and gossip, news and entertainment, essential information and high weirdness. And now, apparently, for their health as well.

•	For Health Help, the Web Beckons

 

Medics and doctors are used to participating in a flurry of activity when trying to save a person who's had a cardiac arrest -- inserting IVs, placing a breathing tube, performing defibrillation to restart the heart.

•	Simple May Be Best in Lifesaving Methods

 

Doctors have long used allergy shots to desensitize children and adults to environmental allergens such as bee stings, pollen, mold and dust mites. Now researchers are trying to apply that theory to food allergies, through processes called oral immunotherapy and sublingual immunotherapy.

•	Fighting Food Allergy One Dose at a Time

 

Most people are cutting back in these tough economic times, trying to save more and make do with less. But can you cut back when it comes to your health?

•	Budget Cuts That Won't Harm Your Health

 

Whether cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins should be given to children apparently depends on who you ask.

•	Pros and Cons of Statins for Kids

 

A very private health problem, it turns out, is associated with potentially significant and costly complications.

•	Constipation May Be Just a Prelude

 

Though good vision is what allows the perception of the colors, shapes and sights of the world, Americans appear to be fairly lackadaisical when it comes to protecting their eye health, according to surveys done by U.S. eye groups.

•	In a Busy World, Eye Care May Be Lagging

 

It's natural that a woman might be skeptical about exercising while she's pregnant. So many changes are occurring in her body, it makes sense to have second thoughts about whether exercise might harm her or her unborn child.

•	Don't Let Pregnancy Inhibit Exercise

 

Teen drivers are more likely than adults to crash their car, due to their youth and inexperience -- but don't try telling them that.

•	As Drivers, Teens Have Some Risky Ideas

 

People's teeth are wearing away at a faster rate than ever, dissolving under a blistering acid attack that they've brought on themselves, dental experts say.

•	Favorite Drinks May Be Harming the Teeth

 

You don't need to be a member of the high-IQ organization Mensa to figure out that good vision can contribute to your being a better driver.

•	Cataract surgery can help older people keep driving safely

 

If you're nose is stuffy and your head aches at the same time the robins, tulips and crocuses appear, chances are pretty good you don't have a head cold.

•	Sinus pressure especially painful in the springtime

 

It just takes one bout of binge drinking to damage the brain, and that damage can last a lifetime.

•	As if there was any doubt, binge drinking destroys the brain… very fast

 

No matter the season, the possibility of a strep infection from a sore throat is always present. And just how fast this dangerous bacterial infection can be diagnosed plays an important role to reduce harmful effects that can -- if left untreated -- play havoc with a person's health.

•	'Fast Strep Test' Yields Accurate Results

 

No one knows how many Americans with lower back pain become afraid of making any sort of movement that might make their pain worse. However, psychologists have given the condition a name: kinesiophobia.

•	'The Only Thing We Have to Fear' is a Good Axiom for Back Pain

 

For older people and women especially, the damage smoking does to the bones may need to be emphasized.

•	Add bone damage to reasons for quitting smoking

 

For many burns, ordinary tap water is all you'll ever need, a leading expert says.

•	Temporary relief for many burns is at your fingertips

 

Research has shown that even thinking about negative events and relationships can cause your blood pressure to rise.

•	Link between your emotions and blood pressure is not just in your mind

 

Sometimes, it takes more than a standardized test to determine a person's health.

•	CT scan can detect heart problems in 'healthy' people

 

Research says there could be a link between how parents approach weight issues and the feeding of their children -- and the young generation's waistline.

•	Good intentions may get not-so-good results in childhood eating habits

 

If you're middle-aged, watch what you eat, and exercise regularly, there's still a very good chance your blood pressure may be too high.

•	The Hypertensive Will Have Lots of Company

 

New Year's resolutions about dieting aside, the obsession so many teenage girls have about weight gain is also picking up momentum with the pre-teen set.

•	Many youngsters see too much weight loss as not enough

 

Okay, you've made it through Christmas and somehow had enough willpower to avoid seconds of ham, mashed potatoes, creamed corn, buttered biscuits, and whatever else was on the table that packs on the pounds.

•	How to make it through the holidays without overeating and drinking

 

Here's an oxymoron -- a contradiction in terms -- for you: The spiciest of foods may dull your taste buds, making it more difficult for you to discern subtle flavor differences. Fortunately, the condition is temporary, researchers say, but the aftertaste -- pardon the pun -- can linger for a while.

•	Some hot and spicy foods can actually deaden your sense of taste

 

Migraines are almost always painful, often so much so that the victim is incapacitated.

•	MRI measures intensity, duration of migraines