Health
Finding good health news amidst a pandemic can be quite daunting. That’s not the case with The Optimist Daily, where positive news is in high supply. Our Health section covers the latest good news from the health sector, featuring solutions ranging from mental and physical health to immunity, nutrition, and cutting edge medical research.
Printers and guns used to cure blindness and burns
Lose your sight, print an eye. Get burned, spray on new skin. What seems like strange scenarios from a sci-fi movie are closer to reality then you might think. Researchers from John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair at the University of Cambridge have recently printed cells that are used to Read More...
Deadly cost of pollution prompts new regulation
The cost of air pollution in Europe is deadly. In 2010, 400,000 Europeans died prematurely as a result of poor air quality, according to a recent report by the European Environmental agency. The cost of such pollution to member countries of the EU is around 23 billion Euros per year. And though Read More...
Acupuncture relieves pain in children after tonsillectomy
Tonsillectomy—surgical removal of the two tonsils—is typically associated with severe throat pain for up to 10 days after the procedure. For many years, codeine was the drug of choice to treat this pain, but in February 2013 the Food and Drug Administration banned the use of codeine in children Read More...
Better relationships mean a better night’s sleep
Sleep patterns often change when kids hit puberty. Traditionally, the explanation for this drop to less than 9 hours of sleep per night was biological. Doctors attributed sleep loss to puberty and hormonal changes. Dr. David J. Maume, sociology professor at the University of Cincinnati, directed a Read More...
Use your stress for good
For years we’ve come to believe that if we’re stressed, we’re unhealthy. We spend money on vacations and are constantly searching for ways to avoid stress. But new information is showing us that, when used correctly, stress can be beneficial to health. In a recent TED talk, “How to make Read More...
Knock on wood, study corroborates superstitious
Athletes are known for employing superstitious rituals to help them maintain productivity, or get out of a spell of poor performance. Michael Jordan wore the same University of North Carolina shorts under his uniform at every game, NBA player Jason Terry wears the shorts of the next team he is Read More...
Fecal transplant could come in a pill
Earlier this year, when the news hit that fecal transplants could effectively treat gut diseases, millions of people couldn’t help but click on the headlines, despite the gross-out factor. Persistent bacterial infections in the intestine could be treated via an enema using healthy gut bacteria. Read More...
Mind-controlled prosthetic leg displays mobility, functionality
Zac Vawter had his right leg amputated above the knee following a motorcycle accident in 2009. Vawter, a software engineer and native of the Pacific Northwest, was interested in mind-controlled prosthetics even before it was certain he would lose his leg. At the time of the accident, mind-control Read More...
Do the seasons really change our moods?
Photo: Matt Brittaine Rain and snow prevent us from participating in certain outdoor activities, but even though poor weather is attributed to an increase in depression, a new study suggests otherwise. Clinically diagnosed seasonal affective disorder, commonly known as SAD, is weather-related Read More...
Entwined in the Internet
Photo: flickr.com/photos/jacobfg/ An inability to control behavior, dishonesty, changes in sleeping patterns, and withdrawing from pleasurable activities. These may seem like symptoms of depression, but they’re actually also characteristics of Internet addiction. Once not believed to be a Read More...