Health & Lifestyle

The Pinal County Public Health Services District will hold the second of their series of four classes for diabetics on Thursday, February 26, beginning at 3:00 PM.

Federal health regulators have approved an attention deficit disorder drug for a new use: A first-of-its kind treatment for binge-eating disorder. About 2 percent of U.S. adults, or about 5 million people, have binge eating disorder, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Banner Alzheimer’s Institute is addressing the latest in Alzheimer’s prevention, research and caregiving in a free community lecture series in a program called “Giving People Strategies (GPS) for Memory.”

A case of Infectious Mononucleosis ( Mono ) has been reported in San Tan Valley. It is a viral infection caused by the Epstein Barr virus and most often seen in teens and young adults between 15-25 years old. Here is some information that you might find useful.

Millions of Americans are affected by depression, including many children and teens. The consequences of untreated depression can be devastating. However, many parents and family members are unaware of how to recognize the signs and symptoms or what to do when confronted with a child who is struggling. Likewise, children and teens often don't know how to ask for help when dealing with a crisis.

A respiratory virus is sending hundreds of children to hospitals in Missouri and possibly throughout the Midwest and beyond, officials say.

A rare tick-borne disease detected in five Flagstaff Unified School District students has forced the cancellation of a summer camp, Coconino County Public Health Services District officials said. The students tested positive for tick-borne relapsing fever after attending Camp Colton Aug. 1-3, CCPHSD officials said.

The Pinal County Public Health Services District announced on Friday that the county has seen its first locally acquired human West Nile virus (WNV) case of the 2014. It is also the first case in Arizona. A male from Casa Grande has been confirmed with the infection and is currently receiving medical care while recovering.

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a speech disorder that seriously interferes with a child’s ability to develop clear speech. CAS makes it difficult or impossible for an affected child to plan the movements of the lips, tongue, jaw, etc. that are needed for speech. Children with CAS generally have a good understanding of language - they know what they want to say - but have difficulty learning or carrying out the complex movements that underlie speech. Apraxia is one of the most severe of childhood speech and communication disorders.

Scientists at Phoenix-based TGen have identified the gene which causes a rare and fatal type of ovarian cancer that strikes young women and girls. The results of their study has just been published in the medical journal Nature Genetics. A significant portion of the study was done because of the help of 22-year old Taryn Ritchey, who lived with her mother in Cave Creek.

Thursday, Feb 27th, the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) published in the Federal Register a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to move hydrocodone combination products (HCPs) from Schedule III to Schedule II, as recommended by the Assistant Secretary for Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and as supported by the DEA’s own evaluation of relevant data.  This NPRM proposes to impose the regulatory controls and sanctions applicable to Schedule II substances on those who handle or propose to handle HCPs.  The public is invited to review the proposed rule, which is posted on the DEA’s website at http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fed_regs/rules/2014/fr0227.htm

In 2013, the LA Times estimated 1.6 million people participated in an obstacle course race. You know, those events where people crawl under barbed wire, jump over 6-foot walls and leave caked in mud. The number of participants is projected to grow in 2014; good stats to hear as we sit almost two weeks into the New Year and resolutions have begun to go the other direction. 

Like any parent, Pamela DePalma has made sacrifices to help her son, Daniel, who has Aspergers Syndrome. She moved from Illinois to Phoenix, Arizona, seeking better services. It was there that she met Rhonda Whitaker, a child development specialist who worked with Daniel. She created a game, using Monopoly pieces, designed to teach social skills to older children with autism.

If you haven't already, now's the time to get your flu shot. The flu season is officially upon us. Although it is just beginning, the CDC is already reporting widespread infection rates in several states including Alabama, Louisiana and New York. But Texas has been the hardest hit, reporting at least five deaths from the H1N1 strain, also known as swine flu.

The New Year is bringing changes to doctor offices across the state. Now many are becoming a one-stop shop. Dr. Don Bucklin is the Regional Medical Director at U.S. Healthworks in Scottsdale. He told CBS 5 News that Arizona is playing catch-up so that state guidelines coincide with Obamacare. "You're bringing behavioral health and physical health together in the hope of getting better care for more people for less money," said Dr. Bucklin.