(NAPSI)—Influenza (flu) is nothing to sneeze at. It’s a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. There are two main types of flu virus: A and B.

Millions of Americans get the flu every year and thousands are hospitalized because of it.

Some people, particularly those 65 years and older, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at higher risk of serious flu complications.

How to Protect Yourself

There are three things you can do to help keep yourself and your family from getting the flu:

1. The most important thing is to get a flu shot.

Continue reading →

Happy Old Senior Man Making Heart Shape Hand Gesture. Look at Camera, Showing Romantic. Retired Elderly Grandparent Close Up Portrait. Symbol of Love Yourself. Doing charity Work, take Care of Health.

(NAPSI)­—It often starts with a restaurant menu. The type looks smaller than it used to, and the lighting seems dimmer. You hold your phone at arm’s length, then a little farther. Eventually you give in and buy a pair of drugstore readers.

For most people, that moment is a normal part of getting older. But it’s also a good time to learn which eye changes you can shrug off and which ones you can’t. The difference matters more than many people realize. Vision affects much more than whether you can read the fine print. It shapes how safely you move through your home, whether you keep driving, how easily you recognize a friend across the room, and even your mood.

The encouraging news is that losing your sight is not an inevitable part of aging. Many of the conditions that threaten vision can be treated, especially when they’re caught early.

What’s normal

Two changes are so common that most people eventually experience at least one of them. Continue reading →

(NAPSI)­—For Alexis González, regional communications manager for the American Red Cross, her job gives her the opportunity to serve and work alongside her community every day.

“My work wouldn’t be possible without the support and trust of the people I serve, especially the Latino community,” she says.

“I am the daughter of Mexican parents and was born in Los Angeles. I grew up in a Hispanic community, speaking both Spanish and English and experiencing firsthand what it means to be Latina in the United States. That’s why it’s important to me that people know we are here for everyone,” Alexis says.

From Donor Advocate To Patient

Last year, Alexis, who spends much of her time raising awareness about the importance of blood donation and is herself a regular donor, faced a medical emergency that required an emergency blood transfusion. Continue reading →

For people diagnosed with small cell lung cancer, the clinical trial conversation belongs in the very first appointment.

A diagnosis of SCLC can trigger a whirlwind of appointments, tests, and decisions. But amid all that noise, there is one question patients should ask their doctor as early as possible:

“Is there a clinical trial that might be right for me?”

Many patients may associate that question with running out of treatment options. But according to Dr. Ashish Saxena, Chief of Thoracic Medical Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine, that’s not always the case.

Some clinical trials are available only before treatment begins, while others are studying promising therapies as a first treatment. For someone facing a fast-moving cancer like SCLC, timing is everything. Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—Generators are critical during severe weather events, when the power can go out. They can bring power to remote job sites, aid in disaster recovery and assist homeowners in emergencies. To help, the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), an international trade association representing power equipment, small engine, utility vehicle, golf car and personal transport vehicle manufacturers and suppliers, reminds home and business owners to keep safety in mind when using generators.

“Not having power when you need it is frustrating, so a generator can provide emergency backup power at a reasonable cost,” says Kris Kiser, president and CEO of OPEI. “It’s important to follow all manufacturer’s instructions and never place a generator in your garage or inside your home or building. It should be a safe distance from the structure and not near an air intake.”

Additional tips include: Continue reading →

Dr. James Anderson

Sponsored by Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.

(NAPSI)—Back-to-school is an incredibly important moment to get ADHD treatment right.

Every August, I watch the same thing happen. A family walks into my office, and someone describes a version of the same story. The mornings that spiral before 8 a.m. The homework that takes three hours every afternoon, ending in tears. The teacher who pulls a parent aside in the first week to say, “I’m a little worried.”

And the parent, exhausted and quietly heartbroken, says something I will never stop taking seriously: “I don’t know where my kid went.”

I have been practicing for 30 years, and I have seen what ADHD looks like when it is well-managed and what it looks like when it is not. And I can tell you with certainty back-to-school season is not just a scheduling challenge. The demands of structure, sustained focus, and social navigation hit all at once and whatever gap exists between a child’s needs and their treatment gets exposed fast. Continue reading →

(NewsUSA)  – Modern conflict goes beyond troops and physical weapons. Warfare tactics now include cyber attacks, disinformation campaigns, election interference, and economic coercion.

Dr. Teija Tiilikainen, director of the European Center of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE), outlined hybrid security threats in an interview on NatSec Tech, a podcast produced by the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP) covering emerging technology and national security.

Hybrid CoE defines hybrid threats as “a mixture of different tools used against democracies, against the democratic principle, against democratic practices in our societies to undermine trust in government,” Tiilikainen said — tools used by authoritarian regimes to shore up their own power. What sets them apart: “The whole logic of these threats is to surprise us unprepared.” The toolkit spans cyber and information operations, election interference, instrumentalized migration, and attacks on critical infrastructure from energy grids to data cables. Continue reading →

(Erika Braaksma )  – While World Lung Cancer Day was recognized on August 1, the urgent need to raise global awareness for those affected by the disease and to accelerate the search for a cure remains year-round. With this ongoing mission in mind, Lung Cancer Foundation of America (LCFA) and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) are observing the month by awarding $200,000 to two of the field’s most promising young scientists. This investment addresses a critical reality in oncology: too often, brilliant research ideas stall not because they lack vision, but because they lack resources. By providing this funding, LCFA and IASLC are ensuring these researchers have the momentum they need to turn today’s innovative ideas into tomorrow’s life-saving breakthroughs.

The two funded projects take aim at two of the toughest questions in the fight against the disease: how to catch lung cancer earlier, and how to stop it from outsmarting the very treatments designed to beat it. Both are essential to the same goal, helping patients live longer, better lives. Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—Summer storm season is here, but having the right outdoor power equipment on hand can help you weather storms better, says the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI).

“If you think ahead, you can mitigate damage from high winds, flooding, wildfires, and other storm surprises,” says Kris Kiser, President and CEO of OPEI, an international trade association representing manufacturers and suppliers of outdoor power equipment, small engines, battery power systems, portable generators, utility and personal transport vehicles, and golf cars.

To get ready for inclement weather, homeowners should assess their property in advance, identify what equipment is needed, and focus on limiting potential storm damage.

“Get out your equipment now and check it over,” adds Kiser. “Make sure it’s serviced and working well so you’ll be ready when the storm hits. And remember to buy extension cords for generators and fuel in advance.”

Depending on type and size of your landscape, there is equipment for every need including: Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—The American Red Cross has declared a national blood emergency and is urging all eligible individuals to give blood to help ensure patients receive the transfusions and care they need.

The emergency comes after the nation’s blood supply fell by nearly 25% during June due to a concerning drop in blood donations.

Summer Challenges to Maintaining the Blood Supply

This decline in the blood supply and in donation appointments comes at a time when maintaining a stable blood inventory is especially difficult. During the summer months, schools and colleges are on break, resulting in fewer blood drives that typically help support the blood supply.

At the same time, more people are traveling and spending time outdoors, increasing the likelihood of accidents and traumatic injuries. According to AAA, fatal crashes involving teen drivers increase by 30% during the so-called “100 Deadliest Days,” which run from Memorial Day through Labor Day. This trend disproportionately affects communities such as the Latino community, which has a larger youth population. Continue reading →