Health
More places ditching gluten
It's getting easier to "go gluten-free" when dining out because more restaurants are offering dishes designed for customers with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity.Whether it's a menu listing for alternatives such as gluten-free bread and gluten-free beer, or a notation...
Date: 05/22/2013 | Life
Portland rejecting water fluoridation
PORTLAND, Ore. — Early returns showed Portland residents voting to keep their city the largest in the U.S. without fluoride in the water.With more than half the expected ballots counted Tuesday night, the Multnomah County election website...
Date: 05/21/2013 | Northwest
UW Medicine, PeaceHealth announce affiliation
SEATTLE -- UW Medicine and PeaceHealth announced plans Monday for a strategic affiliation to coordinate medical services.The Seattle Times reported that the two organizations say they will remain legally separate and independent.
Date: 05/21/2013 | Northwest
Pierce County judge outlaws 'parking' mentally ill
TACOMA -- The practice of temporarily "parking" the mentally ill in hospital emergency rooms without treatment violates state and federal law, Pierce County Superior Court Judge Kathryn Nelson ruled in a decision that could affect how mental patients are treated across the state.
Date: 05/21/2013 | Northwest
Study links ADHD to adult obesity
Having childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder could lead to a life of obesity, even if ADHD symptoms disappear in adulthood, a new study shows.
Date: 05/21/2013 | Life
Get some advice on caring for caregiver
Who takes care of the caregiver? Probably no one. So it's up to you to give yourself a break.The Stillaguamish Senior Center is hosting a free film presentation, "A Prescription for Caregivers," by Wendy Lustbader, a mental health counselor, teacher and lecturer, from 1 to...
Date: 05/21/2013 | Life
Everett Clinic CEO preaches continual improvement
EVERETT -- Bottles of hot sauce sit on shelves inside Rick Cooper's office at The Everett Clinic.The glass bottles with his likeness on the label don't hold a condiment for this chief executive officer's lunch hour. Instead they're...
Date: 05/20/2013 | Business
Local hospital billing compared
Recently, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released an enormous spreadsheet of billing data...
Date: 05/19/2013 | Need to Know
The doctor is always in
Darrington's physician is a beloved part of the community
Date: 05/19/2013 | Local News
Feces contaminates 58 percent of public swimming pools, CDC says
WASHINGTON -- Human feces taints more than half of public swimming pools, a finding U.S. health officials are using to urge better personal hygiene as the summer months approach.
Date: 05/17/2013 | Nation & World
State scales back start of health insurance exchange
SEATTLE -- A new health insurance marketplace being set up in Washington state to help small businesses find insurance for their employees will not be fully operational this fall, as planned.
Date: 05/16/2013 | Northwest
Shrinks, critics face off on psych manual
CHICAGO -- In the new psychiatric manual of mental disorders, grief soon after a loved one's death can be considered major depression. Extreme childhood temper tantrums get a fancy name. And certain "senior moments" are called "mild neurocognitive disorder." Those changes...
Date: 05/16/2013 | Nation & World
Some may see lower rates under Obama health law
OLYMPIA -- Some Washington state residents may see lower insurance premiums under President Barack Obama's health care law, with proposed plans released May 14 countering concerns expressed by the insurance industry a year ago.
Date: 05/14/2013 | Northwest
Justices review $100M award for home care workers
SEATTLE -- Justices on the Washington Supreme Court are considering whether the state should have to pay a $100 million verdict awarded to some 22,000 home care workers who were shortchanged by a rule that was in effect from 2003 to 2007.
Date: 05/14/2013 | Northwest
Sultan devotes week to safety, health
SULTAN -- Firefighters in Sultan plan a series of safety-themed events next week as part of national Emergency Medical Services Week.All of the events are free and scheduled as follows:
Date: 05/14/2013 | Local News
Doodle while you work
It can help you learn, remember, and even get a bright idea
Date: 05/14/2013 | Life
Everyone is invited to Hannah Mae's 1st birthday
Today we celebrate mothers, but Jennifer Campbell looks forward to another joyous day. Hannah Mae, her beautiful blue-eyed baby, turns 1 on Saturday.A first birthday is a happy time for all parents. For this Everett family, one candle on a cake is miraculous.Last...
Date: 05/12/2013 | Local News
Woman shot in mouth with harpoon, survives
RIO DE JANEIRO — A 28-year-old woman miraculously survived after her husband accidentally shot her in the mouth with a harpoon, Brazilian officials said Wednesday.The Rio de Janeiro State Health Department said in a statement that the...
Date: 05/08/2013 | Nation & World
New moms, moms-to-be invited to tea
Moms, how about some tea and empathy?The Snohomish Health District is inviting pregnant women and mothers of small children to a tea from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the district office,
Date: 05/07/2013 | Life
Learn how to lose weight, and keep it off
Here's the skinny on how to get in shape.It takes time.The Weight Loss for Life class is a seven-week series that covers eating habits, stress reduction techniques, healthy lifestyle choices, portion control, healthy recipes, fitness myths and a baseline exercise program.
Date: 05/07/2013 | Life
Clinic offers free screens for skin cancer
Providence Regional Cancer Partnership in Everett is offering a free skin cancer screening for 50 people, but you must call for an appointment. The screening is for people who have not seen a dermatologist within the past year and have no insurance or cannot afford to see a dermatologist.
Date: 05/07/2013 | Life
FDA warns pregnant women of migraine drug risk
WASHINGTON -- U.S. health regulators are warning doctors and women of child-bearing age that half-a-dozen medications used to treat migraine headaches can decrease children's intelligence if taken while their mothers are pregnant.
Date: 05/06/2013 | Nation & World
FDA wants cancer warnings on tanning beds
WASHINGTON -- Indoor tanning beds would carry new warnings about the risk of cancer and be subject to more stringent federal oversight, under a proposal unveiled Monday by the Food and Drug Administration.
Date: 05/06/2013 | Nation & World
Bashful? Buy the little blue pill online
TRENTON, N.J. -- Men who are bashful about needing help in the bedroom no longer have to go to the drugstore to buy that little blue pill.
Date: 05/06/2013 | Business
More on what you order
Health officials would like to see more nutrition data on menus
Date: 05/06/2013 | Local News
Pesticide-free is no easy goal
Cities and schools like the idea, but it takes labor -- a lot of it
Date: 05/05/2013 | Local News
His mind remains strong
Three years after ALS diagnosis, there's no stopping Mike Kelly
Date: 05/04/2013 | Local News
Cost overruns threaten pre-existing health coverage plan
WASHINGTON -- Thousands of people with serious medical problems are in danger of losing coverage under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul because of cost overruns, state officials say.
Date: 05/03/2013 | Nation & World
Study: Exercise cuts kidney stone risk in women
Women have another reason to exercise: It may help prevent kidney stones. You don't have to break a sweat or be a super athlete, either. Even walking for a couple hours a week can cut the risk of developing this painful and common problem by about one-third, a large study found.
Date: 05/03/2013 | Nation & World
Obama OK with morning-after pill sales at age 15
MEXICO CITY -- President Barack Obama said Thursday he was comfortable with his administration's decision to allow over-the-counter purchases of a morning-after pill for anyone 15 and older.
Date: 05/03/2013 | Nation & World
Allergies increasing in kids, study finds
NEW YORK -- Parents are reporting more skin and food allergies in their children, a big government survey found.
Date: 05/02/2013 | Nation & World
U.S. suicide rate rose sharply among middle-aged over decade
NEW YORK -- The suicide rate among middle-aged Americans climbed a startling 28 percent in a decade, a period that included the recession and the mortgage crisis, the government reported Thursday.
Date: 05/02/2013 | Nation & World
'Master Joe' lived a life of many talents
EVERETT -- Chuxiong Zhou's life journey took him from China to Everett. It took him from flying as a commercial pilot to laboring in the countryside during China's Cultural Revolution. It took him to...
Date: 05/02/2013 | Local News
How much to gain?
After a big weight loss, pregnancy poses a dilemma
Date: 04/30/2013 | Light for Life
Women's expo on Camano
Get ready for some girl power at Camano Center's 2013 Women's Expo. More than 70 vendors will be on hand at the free event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the center, 606 Arrowhead Road. The event includes a live fashion show by Lane Bryant.
Date: 04/30/2013 | Life
Vitality: Your exercise should change as you age
Workout programs are like 401(k)s: They need to be re-balanced over the decades, fitness expert Tom Holland says. "As we age, we need to gradually take out the risk and put in more 'blue chip' elements," he said. These four basic yet effective exercises -- a squat, pushup,...
Date: 04/28/2013 | Life
Providence hospital lays off 34 employees
Thirty-four employees at Providence Regional Everett Medical Center, working in billing, medical records and registration, have been notified that their jobs will be eliminated on June 28.The employees were given formal 60-day notices on Friday that their jobs were ending,...
Date: 04/27/2013 | Local News
Placentas provide clues about autism risk
LOS ANGELES -- Researchers believe they have come up with a way to tell whether a newborn infant has a higher-than-normal risk of developing autism -- by looking for abnormalities in the placenta shortly after birth.
Date: 04/26/2013 | Nation & World
Newfound hormone holds hope for diabetes
NEW YORK -- Scientists have identified a hormone that can sharply boost the number of cells that make insulin in mice, a discovery that may someday lead to a treatment for the most common type of diabetes.
Date: 04/26/2013 | Nation & World
Boston victims face huge medical bills
Cost of amputating a leg? At least $20,000. Cost of an artificial leg? More than $50,000 for the most high-tech models. Cost of an amputee's rehab? Often tens of thousands of dollars more.These are just a fraction of the medical expenses victims of the Boston Marathon...
Date: 04/26/2013 | Nation & World
After cancer, a 'canvas' for art
Donated tattoo conceals woman's mastectomy scars
Date: 04/24/2013 | Local News
Lynnwood woman, 86, on March of Dimes from start
Alice Wikene remembers polio. She lived through an era of fear caused by the paralyzing disease."It was a very frightening situation," said Wikene, 86, of Lynnwood. "One man on the block next to us, he was bedridden. As a kid I would run down and visit him."When...
Date: 04/24/2013 | Local News
Juicers can help you go beyond the can of V8
A tall glass of kale?It might sound strange, but more and more people are drinking their daily quota of vegetables and fruits -- and say their health is better for it.
Date: 04/24/2013 | Life
Monroe hospital levy passing; Terrace city hall bond failing
Voters in east Snohomish County appeared on Tuesday night to be strongly backing a proposal to double their annual financial support of Valley General Hospital in Monroe.
Date: 04/23/2013 | Local News
State Senate OKs bill shifting some to health exchanges
OLYMPIA -- The Senate has approved a measure that could shift thousands of part-time state employees and education workers into the state exchange that will be part of the federal health care overhaul.
Date: 04/22/2013 | Northwest
Kent firefighter's cancer death deemed in line of duty
KENT -- The Kent Fire Department says firefighter Robert W. "Bob" Schmidt died Sunday night after a 10-month battle with brain cancer.The department said because his cancer was determined to have been caused by his profession, his death is considered to be in the line of duty.
Date: 04/22/2013 | Northwest
Wheelchair van on family's wish list
SNOHOMISH -- Jonah Erickson loves being outside. At 4, he pretends to mow the lawn -- riding his power chair.The Snohomish area boy was born with spinal muscular atrophy type 2. A genetic disorder, it causes...
Date: 04/22/2013 | Local News
Sen. Carrell to receive stem cell transplant soon
OLYMPIA -- Republican state Sen. Mike Carrell, who has a blood condition and has been hospitalized since last month, will receive a stem cell transplant from his brother next week.
Date: 04/18/2013 | Northwest
Repurpose leftovers
Make the most of your ingredients with these recipes
Date: 04/18/2013 | Light for Life
Abuse-resistant OxyContin will be only version available
LOS ANGELES—Three years after it approved a version of the opioid analgesic OxyContin designed to discourage the painkiller’s abuse, the Food and Drug Administration has effectively barred the original form of the drug from ever reaching the legal U.S. market. The agency...
Date: 04/17/2013 | Nation & World
Beefy Mushroom Stroganoff
A couple months back I told you how much I have been appreciating the talent and creativity of my fellow food bloggers (Rainyday Gal's Chicken Noodle Soup). At the time, I...
Date: 04/16/2013 | Light for Life
Everett woman’s gift of life to be honored by governor
Sharon Ballenger was a registered nurse, loving mom, animal lover and avid hockey player. But above all, her family says, she gave selflessly to others.Ballenger was 55 when she died in Everett on March 30, 2011 from cardiac arrest.
Date: 04/15/2013 | Local News
First H7N9 bird flu case found in Beijing
BEIJING — A World Health Organization official said Sunday that it wasn't surprising that a new strain of bird flu has spread to China's capital after sickening dozens in the eastern part of the country.Up until Saturday when Beijing...
Date: 04/14/2013 | Nation & World
Better-off retirees face new Medicare costs
WASHINGTON -- Retired as a city worker, Sheila Pugach lives in a modest home on a quiet street in Albuquerque, N.M., and drives an 18-year-old Subaru.Pugach doesn't see herself as upper-income by any stretch, but President Barack Obama's budget would raise her Medicare...
Date: 04/14/2013 | Nation & World
Judge backs state law on releasing mentally ill
TACOMA -- A Pierce County Superior Court judge is backing the current state law on when the mentally ill should be released from Western State Hospital in Lakewood.
Date: 04/13/2013 | Northwest
FDA finds safety woes at drug compounders
Federal inspectors have found dozens of potentially dangerous safety problems at 30 specialized pharmacies, months after tainted steroid shots made by a Massachusetts pharmacy triggered the worst drug disaster in decades.
Date: 04/12/2013 | Nation & World
New brain scan can 'see' and measure pain
In a provocative new study, scientists reported Wednesday that they were able to "see" pain on brain scans and, for the first time, measure its intensity and tell whether a drug was relieving it. Though the research is in its early stages, it opens the door to a host of...
Date: 04/10/2013 | Nation & World
Everyone deserves to eat
"48.8 million Americans—including 16.2 million children— live in households that lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis. As a result, they struggle with hunger at some time during the year." -
Date: 04/10/2013 | Light for Life
FDA approves return of drug for morning sickness
WASHINGTON -- Talk about a comeback: A treatment pulled off the market 30 years ago has won Food and Drug Administration approval again as the only drug specifically designated to treat morning sickness.
Date: 04/09/2013 | Nation & World
Health Resources
The Everett Clinic: Monte Cristo Conference Room, 3830 Hoyt Ave., Everett. Call 425-258-3900 to sign up for classes or see everettclinic.com/classes for information about specific classes.
Date: 04/09/2013 | Life
Western Washington Medical Group on a growth path
EVERETT -- These are interesting times to be in health care if you talk to Jerry Tillinger for a couple of hours.
Date: 04/08/2013 | Business
Hospital in Monroe to seek voter OK of tax increase
MONROE -- Voters in east Snohomish County are being asked to approve a tax increase that would more than double their annual financial support of Valley General Hospital.
Date: 04/08/2013 | Local News
Here’s what caused the enormous claims backlog at VA
With the backlog of compensation claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs having ballooned in recent years, one would expect major veterans service organizations to be among the VA's harshest critics.
Date: 04/08/2013 | Business
Eating well on a budget is one tough recipe
Get dinner on the table. If that's your job at home, then you understand the enormity of the task. It's relentless; it's messy; and it starts at the grocery store.Last month, my family conducted an experiment, "MyPlate on My Budget," and I
Date: 04/07/2013 | I Brake for Moms
Judge making morning-after pill available to all
WASHINGTON — The morning-after pill might become as easy to buy as aspirin.In a scathing rebuke accusing the Obama administration of letting election-year politics trump science, a federal judge ruled Friday that there should be no age...
Date: 04/05/2013 | Nation & World
MyPlate on My Budget: Good food costs money
Last March I fed my family on $144.80 a week as part of the MyPlate on My Budget experiment. Could I follow the USDA thrifty...
Date: 04/05/2013 | I Brake for Moms
Schtuffy nose? It's that time
Allergy season expected to be even worse than usual
Date: 04/05/2013 | Local News
Lead poisoning toll revised to 1 in 38 kids
NEW YORK -- More than half a million U.S. children are now believed to have lead poisoning, roughly twice the previous high estimate, health officials reported Thursday.
Date: 04/04/2013 | Nation & World
Baldness may signal risk of heart disease
LONDON -- Losing hair at the crown of the head may signal an increased risk of heart disease in men.
Date: 04/04/2013 | Nation & World
Latinos in U.S. support health care law, poll finds
WASHINGTON -- As Republican leaders try to woo Latino voters with a new openness to legal status for the nation's illegal immigrants, the party remains at odds with America's fastest-growing ethnic community on another key issue: health care.
Date: 04/02/2013 | Nation & World
Scientists pinpoint what's going on inside teens' brains
Listening in on the electrical currents of teenagers' brains during sleep, scientists have begun to hear the sound of growing maturity.
Date: 04/02/2013 | Life
Pedaling for relief
Bicycling class helps Parkinson's patients ease symptoms
Date: 04/02/2013 | Life
Senator: Abortion insurance bill won't pass panel
OLYMPIA — Despite a majority of Washington state senators having signed a letter in support of a measure requiring insurers to cover abortion, a key lawmaker said Monday that it will not advance from her committee.Republican Sen. Randi Becker...
Date: 04/01/2013 | Northwest
Military offering free help for smokers who want to quit
Smoking cessation drugs now are available at no charge through the Tricare mail order program for service members, military family members and retirees under age 65 who want to kick this unhealthy habit.
Date: 04/01/2013 | Business
Reports of hospital mistakes now available online
SALEM, Ore. -- At St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, employees failed to notice that a cleaning machine was accidentally reprogrammed to leave out the disinfection cycle. Eighteen patients received colonoscopies with scopes that had been only rinsed with water and alcohol.
Date: 03/31/2013 | Northwest
Surgeon's patients line up for hepatitis, HIV tests
TULSA, Okla. -- Hundreds of patients of an Oklahoma oral surgeon accused of unsanitary practices showed up at a health clinic Saturday, looking to find out whether they were exposed to hepatitis or the virus that causes AIDS.Letters began going out Friday to 7,000 patients...
Date: 03/30/2013 | Nation & World
Southern leaders firmly oppose 'Obamacare'
ATLANTA -- As more Republicans give in to President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul, an opposition bloc remains across the South, including from governors who lead some of the nation's poorest and unhealthiest states."Not in South Carolina," Gov. Nikki Haley declared at...
Date: 03/30/2013 | Nation & World
Homicide charge sought in bicyclist's death
EVERETT -- A driver who struck and killed a bicyclist in south Everett last fall had a sleeping disorder and was not supposed to be behind the wheel without...
Date: 03/30/2013 | Local News
Boeing 787 worker in South Carolina dies after fall
A Boeing employee in South Carolina died Friday after sustaining injuries in a fall at the company's North Charleston site on March 18."This is obviously a very difficult and tragic incident, and we are...
Date: 03/29/2013 | Aerospace Blog
Swedish cancer center set to open
A new $10.9 million building is opening on the Swedish/Edmonds campus next week that can provide chemotherapy to as many as 175 people a day.
Date: 03/28/2013 | Local News
FDA OKs new multiple sclerosis drug
WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it approved a new drug from Biogen Idec to control multiple sclerosis in adults with hard-to-treat forms of the disease.The twice-a-day capsules, called Tecfidera, offer a new option for multiple sclerosis, a...
Date: 03/28/2013 | Nation & World
Sierra Club opposes Portland fluoridation measure
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Sierra Club and three other environmental groups announced Wednesday they are opposing a ballot measure to add fluoride to Portland’s drinking water.The groups contend that adding fluoride to water would harm people...
Date: 03/27/2013 | Northwest
State Senate plans to adopt Medicaid expansion
OLYMPIA -- A Republican-dominated coalition in the state Senate plans to adopt the Medicaid expansion that is part of President Barack Obama's health care law.
Date: 03/27/2013 | Northwest
Herald Health: What to know about blood pressure
In response to life's challenges, it's not uncommon to hear someone say, "I could feel my blood pressure rising!" Unfortunately, they may be more correct than they realize. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects an estimated 30 percent of Washington adults...
Date: 03/27/2013 | Life
Herald Health: Take the suffering out of allergies
Tis the sneezin'.Your eyes itch. Your nose runs. You're a pathetic weepy sneeze-bag.And it's all because of the hanky-panky going on among the trees, grasses and weeds in the throes of pollinating.That might be good for the planet, but not for some...
Date: 03/27/2013 | Life
Which is more effective: prune or plum juice?
Here is a question from a faithful reader:"Is plum juice as effective as prune juice as a laxative for elders? Your column is so reliable & appreciated. g.w."We might think this would be an easy question since we know that prunes are plums that have been...
Date: 03/26/2013 | Life
Health Resources
The Everett Clinic: Monte Cristo Conference Room, 3830 Hoyt Ave., Everett. Call 425-258-3900 to sign up for classes or see everettclinic.com/classes for information about specific classes. Free...
Date: 03/26/2013 | Life
Paula Deen sees the light
She cuts the fat from recipes after diabetes diagnoses
Date: 03/26/2013 | Life
Learn ways to cope with health issues
Chronic health conditions are a challenge.This free six-week class can help you cope.Living Well with Chronic Conditions is designed for people with an ongoing condition, such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease, chronic pain, arthritis or hypertension.
Date: 03/26/2013 | Life
Congress moves to resume military tuition aid
The Army, Air Force and Marine Corps will be forced to reopen their tuition assistance programs -- and Coast Guard likely will be pressured to follow -- under a late-hour Senate amendment to a stopgap budget bill.The bill, HR 933, renamed the Consolidated and Further...
Date: 03/25/2013 | Business
Norovirus hitting younger kids hard
Norovirus, the same viral bug that sickened more than 200 people attending a cheerleading competition at Comcast Arena last year, is now the leading cause of tummy and intestinal illness among children four and under.
Date: 03/25/2013 | Local News
Gun deaths in U.S. vary by race
Gun deaths are shaped by race in America. Whites are far more likely to shoot themselves, and African Americans are far more likely to be shot by someone else.
Date: 03/24/2013 | Nation & World
FDA ready to roll out cigar regulations
WASHINGTON -- Nearly four years after it began regulating cigarettes, the Food and Drug Administration is poised to extend its reach to a broader range of tobacco products. At the top of that list: cigars, which have experienced a boom in recent years even as cigarette sales have declined, in part...
Date: 03/24/2013 | Nation & World
Japan becomes a sea of surgical masks
On the sidewalks and the subways it's clear: Japan is becoming a sea of surgical masks. It's about pollen, about germs and even a little about China, its polluting rival across the sea. Simple masks. High-tech masks. Scented masks. Masks in pink and purple. Yano Research...
Date: 03/24/2013 | Nation & World
Too much salt tied to 2.3 million heart deaths
Eating too much salt contributed to 2.3 million heart-related deaths worldwide in 2010, and 40 percent of those deaths were premature, researchers said.Fifteen percent of all deaths from heart attacks, stroke and other cardiovascular disease were caused by excessive salt,...
Date: 03/24/2013 | Nation & World
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