~ Healthy Living Atlanta ~

Health, Nutrition & Fitness News & Information

How often should you wash your sheets? Experts settle the debate once and for all

If you were to ask a random group of people, "How often do you wash your sheets?" you'd likely get drastically different answers. From "Every single Sunday" to "Who washes their sheets weekly?" According to a survey of 1,000 Americans, the average time between sheet changings or washings in the U.S. is 24 days—or every 3 1/2 weeks. The same survey revealed that 35 days is the average interval at which unwashed sheets are "gross."

The Germiest Things You Touch Every Day

Cellphone: It goes with you everywhere -- even into the bathroom. As a result, it could be up to 10 times dirtier than a toilet seat. In fact, it could have E. coli on it... a bacteria that can give you diarrhea and stomach cramps. It can live for hours on a warm surface like your phone. The solution: Wash your hands with soap after you go. Remote Control: Everyone touches it -- even the neighbor’s kid who picks their nose nonstop. When it isn’t in your germy hands, it’s either on the floor or stuck between the sofa cushions.

Ozempic, Wegovy and other drugs are among 15 selected for Medicare's price negotiations

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced the selection of 15 additional drugs covered under Medicare Part D for price negotiations. The negotiations with participating drug companies for these 15 drugs will occur in 2025 and any negotiated prices become effective in 2027. The aim is to lower prices for some more of the costliest prescription drugs.

Physical therapy is ‘the best-kept secret in health care’

If you think physical therapy is only about rehab after surgery or recovering from an accident, think again. For the majority, seeing a physical therapist should be about prevention, routine assessment and staying well. “We’re the best-kept secret in health care,” Sharon Dunn, past president of the APTA, said. The image of the profession tends to be one-dimensional. You’ve had knee surgery, your back keeps acting up or you’re injured and you’ve been referred by a physician to a physical therapist.

Cold, Flu, or Something Else?
Know the Symptoms of
Common Winter Bugs

January is a time of New Year’s resolutions, snow days, and something far less optimistic: a rise in seasonal viruses. Infection rates for flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are high and climbing, while COVID-19 is seeing a slight uptick. The other trending illness this year? Norovirus, which is an intestinal virus that causes violent vomiting and diarrhea. Outbreaks this year are about 36% higher than last year. Deciphering which virus you have can be tricky.

Keeping blood pressure under control is critical. There's a new option for tough cases

About half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, a major risk for heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, even dementia. Many people don’t even realize they have hypertension until it’s done serious damage. “Know your blood pressure, know the numbers,” stressed Dr. Randy Zusman of Massachusetts General Hospital, who specializes in the hardest-to-treat cases and advises people who think they’re fine to at least get a yearly check.

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