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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
November 30, 2025
Nov. 30, 2025 Researchers at UC Riverside have uncovered why soybean oil, one of America's most widely consumed ingredients, drives significant weight gain—at least in mice. The findings point not to the oil itself but to the fat-derived molecules it produces ...
Nov. 30, 2025 Scientists have uncovered how too much sunlight can flip a hidden switch inside skin cells that makes inflammation spiral out of control and increases the risk of cancer. Their research reveals that UV radiation breaks down a protective protein ...
Nov. 30, 2025 Scientists found that RSV infection early in life can set the stage for childhood asthma, particularly in kids already genetically prone to allergies. The virus appears to skew the developing immune system toward exaggerated responses to everyday ...
Nov. 29, 2025 Researchers have found that ongoing thyroid hormone imbalance in pregnancy may be linked to higher autism risk in children. Treated thyroid disorders did not show the same effect. The longer the imbalance lasted across trimesters, the more the risk ...
Nov. 29, 2025 Millions face Medicare decisions each year, but many don’t take advantage of tools that can save them money and stress. Insurance marketing often overshadows unbiased options like SHIP, leaving people unaware of better choices. Comparing real ...
Nov. 29, 2025 Scientists have identified new anti-aging compounds produced by a little-studied blood bacterium. These indole metabolites were able to reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, and collagen-damaging activity in skin cell cultures. Three of the ...
Nov. 28, 2025 Researchers analyzed data from over six million people to see how close residents lived to cannabis retailers. Neighborhoods near these shops experienced higher cannabis-related emergency visits compared with those farther away. The effect was ...
Nov. 28, 2025 Researchers found that repeated head impacts can disrupt a key system that helps the brain wash away waste. In professional fighters, this system initially seems to work harder after trauma, then declines over time. MRI scans revealed that these ...
Nov. 28, 2025 A large-scale Brazilian study found dangerous levels of toxic metals in popular children’s toys, with barium and lead topping the list. Researchers used sophisticated lab methods to identify 21 hazardous elements and test how easily they could be ...
Nov. 28, 2025 A major review across 73 countries finds that access to antiseizure medications is rising, but safe prescribing isn’t keeping pace. Valproate—linked to serious birth defects—remains widely used in many regions despite WHO warnings. Limited ...
Nov. 28, 2025 Data from over 47,000 dogs reveal that CBD is most often used in older pets with chronic health issues. Long-term CBD use was linked to reduced aggression, though other anxious behaviors didn’t improve. The trend was strongest among dogs whose ...
Nov. 28, 2025 Researchers discovered why bird flu can survive temperatures that stop human flu in its tracks. A key gene, PB1, gives avian viruses the ability to replicate even at fever-level heat. Mice experiments confirmed that fever cripples human-origin flu ...
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Nov. 29, 2025 Researchers studying thousands of canine genomes discovered that wolf DNA is still present in most dog breeds. This ancient genetic influence shows up in traits like body size, behavior, and ...
Nov. 28, 2025 Long-term inhalation of toxic air appears to dull the protective power of regular workouts, according to a massive global study spanning more than a decade and over a million adults. While exercise ...
Nov. 28, 2025 Researchers identified a new, sticky form of mitochondrial DNA damage that builds up at dramatically higher levels than in nuclear DNA. These lesions disrupt energy production and activate ...
Nov. 27, 2025 Warming up significantly improves muscle performance, particularly speed and power, by increasing muscle temperature. Both passive heat methods and light exercise warm-ups work, but mimicking the ...
Nov. 27, 2025 Chronic cannabis use is increasingly linked to recurring bouts of vomiting, now officially classified as cannabis hyperemesis syndrome. The new ICD code helps doctors identify cases more consistently ...
Nov. 27, 2025 University of Queensland researchers visualized yellow fever virus particles at near-atomic detail, uncovering major structural differences between vaccine and virulent strains. The insights could ...
Nov. 27, 2025 The study reveals that widely used heart-attack risk calculators fail to flag nearly half of those who will soon experience a cardiac event. Even the newer PREVENT model misclassifies many patients ...
Nov. 27, 2025 Spermine, a small but powerful molecule in the body, helps neutralize harmful protein accumulations linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It encourages these misfolded proteins to gather into ...
Nov. 27, 2025 Texas A&M researchers found a way to make stem cells produce double the normal number of mitochondria using nanoflower particles. These energized stem cells then transfer their surplus “power ...
Nov. 27, 2025 A 20-year project in Bangladesh reveals that lowering arsenic levels in drinking water can slash death rates from major chronic diseases. ...