Health

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first over-the-counter HIV test, allowing Americans to test themselves for the virus that causes AIDS in the privacy of their homes. The OraQuick test detects the presence of HIV in saliva collected using a mouth swab. The test is designed to return a result within 20 to 40 minutes.

Health officials say methadone is involved in nearly one-third of deaths from prescription painkillers. But overdose deaths from methadone appear to have peaked.

Q. My siblings have had varicose veins. I don’t yet, but my legs used to ache from being on my feet too long at work. In addition, I work in areas with tall weeds and need a way to keep ticks from attaching to my legs. My lady friend suggested pantyhose. Wearing them solved both problems.

The morning after Fourth of July in Deer Park – one of few spots in Spokane County that still allows personal fireworks – is a “pretty impressive sight,” said Michael Moran, who drives in for work from his home out of town. After an explosive night, crews are at work early cleaning up fireworks debris from empty lots.

DEAR DOCTOR K: I sweat a lot, mostly my underarms and palms. Is it possible to sweat too much? What can I do about it? Dear Reader: Excessive sweating is called hyperhidrosis. This condition isn’t usually dangerous, but it can be embarrassing and inconvenient.

Have you ever had a sprain or a bee sting that swells up like a balloon? The swelling is called edema, a normal response to injury and inflammation. In the case of a sprain, it helps to rest, apply ice, use compression and elevate the injury. For a bee sting, remove the stinger, wash with soap and water and apply cold compresses or ice (unless you are allergic to bee stings, in which case, use your EpiPen and seek medical treatment). What about edema that appears without known injury?

The Supreme Court’s endorsement of the federal health care law last week could spur more employers across the nation to relinquish their long-standing role as chief health care buyer for their workers.

The Justice Department says GlaxoSmithKline will pay $3 billion and plead guilty to promoting two popular drugs for unapproved uses and to failing to report important safety data about a diabetes drug to the Food and Drug Administration.

WASHINGTON – Legal challenges will continue even after the Supreme Court’s landmark decision Thursday upholding the Obama administration’s signature health care law. Roman Catholics are challenging a birth control mandate. Mining companies already have filed multiple suits over black-lung benefits made easier under the law. Conservatives are in court fighting an advisory committee once denounced as a “death panel.”

A calorie is a calorie is a calorie – or is it? Maybe not, a small study has found. Once the pounds are shed, the proportions of carbohydrates, proteins and fats you chow down on may determine whether you keep the weight off – or slowly but surely pack on pounds again.

WASHINGTON – Turned away at the Supreme Court, congressional Republicans sketched a strategy Friday to repeal the nation’s health care law in 2013 that requires a sweeping election victory carrying Mitt Romney to the presidency and the party at least to narrow control of the Senate. Romney sought to turn the court’s decision upholding the 2-year-old law into a campaign battle cry, saying the 5-4 ruling had injected “greater urgency” into his challenge to President Barack Obama. “I think many people assumed that the Supreme Court would do the work that was necessary in repealing Obamacare,” he said, adding that the justices “did not get that job done.”

DEAR DOCTOR K: I’m under a lot of stress at work. My doctor warned me that if I don’t get my stress under control, it could affect my cardiovascular health. Is this true? DEAR READER: Yes, it’s true. Long-term, constant stress can harm many aspects of your health, including your cardiovascular health.