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Upper respiratory tract infection
Upper respiratory infections, commonly referred to the acronym URI, is the illness caused by an acute infection which involves the upper respiratory tract: nose, sinuses, pharynx, larynx, or bronchi. It is the most common cause of days missed from work or school and one of the most common reasons for a medical visit. It is estimated that the average adult has from two to three URI-type illnesses per year and the average child six to 10. In the United States, this represents approximately one billion acute upper respiratory illnesses annually. Recent studies show that up to 98% of all cases are viral in nature.
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Health & Medicine News
August 20, 2026
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Aug. 19, 2026 Researchers have developed a new way to turn ordinary antibodies into tiny disease-fighting molecules that can work inside human cells, potentially opening new paths for treating Alzheimer’s, ...
Aug. 19, 2026 Scientists have found evidence that the effects of a mother’s age on her offspring may be driven by reversible changes in gene activity rather than permanent DNA damage. The discovery raises the fascinating possibility that biological information ...
Aug. 19, 2026 Coffee drinkers may be getting more than an energy boost. A Finnish study found that people who drank more coffee tended to have less total and abdominal fat, more muscle, and healthier metabolic ...
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Aug. 19, 2026 Breast cancer is rising rapidly among Asian American women, with some of the most alarming increases occurring in younger women and in aggressive or advanced cancers. Researchers say screening alone ...
Aug. 19, 2026 Silver nanoparticles can precisely slice DNA and create longer “sticky ends,” helping genetic fragments join up to five times more efficiently than conventional methods. The breakthrough could ...
Aug. 18, 2026 A widely prescribed blood pressure drug was associated with a 33% higher risk of serious kidney problems in people with type 2 diabetes, even when they were already taking kidney-protective ...
Aug. 18, 2026 Researchers have built microscopic, light-driven robots that can rapidly navigate through liquid, collect bacteria, and deposit them in chosen locations. These tiny “cleaners” could open new possibilities for manipulating cells and microbes with ...
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Aug. 17, 2026 Scientists studying three artisan British cheeses found that the microbes responsible for their distinctive flavors may also offer surprising benefits for gut health. As the cheeses matured, helpful ...
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Aug. 16, 2026 A centuries-old heart drug costing less than ten cents a day could help keep heart-failure patients out of the hospital. New research suggests low-dose digoxin can reduce heart-failure ...
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Aug. 16, 2026 Aging gradually wears down the cartilage and fluid that protect our joints, but avoiding movement may actually make matters worse. Exercise helps nourish cartilage, strengthens the muscles that ...
Aug. 16, 2026 As we age, the body appears to sacrifice walking efficiency in exchange for stability. Older adults stiffen the ankle more with each step, which may help prevent falls but also forces the muscles to ...
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