HEALTH & WELLBEING

Spring time will soon come and plant life will start to bloom once more. And as sure and as pleasant as that sounds, there is also the one thing that rouses every spring - ticks. Spreading everywhere, from animals, pets, to humans, ticks can be a minor nuisance. However, a good percentage of these ticks can transmit a disease that can cause major trouble.

Majority of Australians will have as their New Year's resolution to keep fit. Expected to cash in from this personal promise are gyms, fitness centres and personal trainers.

oybeans, widely grown and eaten around the world, are commonly used to make essentials like tofu, soy sauce, and soy milk. As good a reputation that they already have, new research findings suggest that the humble soybean can do more than just sate appetites - it can also help treat cancer.

Knee pains are one of the most debilitating punishment people can take on their joints. Plaguing both sexes, but more so for women, it is to be expected as one reaches middle age. With such crippling pain, a new 12-year study done may offer insights as to how much this really affects women.

Cancer has become a normal occurrence in the world nowadays. And as unfortunate as it is, cancer can occur in different parts of the body. However, one in four cancers being diagnosed around the world involves the lung, and is still one the contributors when it comes to the most common cancer-related cause of death among Americans.

Traumatic experiences can change life in an instant. Whether it's a car crash, losing a loved one, or sexual abuse, these sorts of incidents can scar a person for life, but not without coming from it with a changed perspective and a tougher skin.

New developments in the field of Alzheimer's research could lead to finding a cure for the devastating mental decline of Alzheimer's patients and even distinguish which people are in the early stages of dementia.

It's tempting to just indulge this Christmas season. After all it only happens once a year and what's the harm in taking part in the celebration? Unfortunately with all the parties and dinners taking place around the holidays it's easy to fall of your diet. With so many sumptuous feasts laid out this holiday season, how can you resist another slice of pie or a piece of roast? Here are some traditional foods you need to avoid this Christmas season.

A report released by Roy Morgan showed that 63 per cent of New Zealanders are obese. The New Zealand State of the Nation Report 3 covers a decade and 120,000 interviews.

Surgeons in Dallas, Texas on Wednesday removed the damaged left eye of fashion model Lauren Scruggs, 10 days after she also lost her left hand when she accidentally walked into the rotating propeller of a small plane.

Music legend Molly Meldrum is in critical condition at The Alfred Hospital on Friday after he fell at his home in Richmond, Victoria Thursday evening while putting up Christmas decorations,

Whenever the news delivers stories about murder, rape, or torture, a person would react by saying, "How can people do that?" People react this way partly because of disbelief, but mostly because it is inhumane. For the question no one can answer, new research may shed some light on the topic of how humans can be inhuman.

When asked why people go to school and be educated, a normal response would be is, "To get a job." Education is a normal and natural part of life, and as more and more people seek higher education, they've only got greater job opportunities in their minds. Bu who's to say people get educated just to live longer?

The dread of those with weak lungs or those with asthma is allergens. Being almost everywhere, it can be found inside homes as well as out. And true enough, according to latest research, the combined force of diesel exhaust and a dusty house can aggravate the lungs that can worsen bronchial asthma.

Chilean doctors successfully separated on Tuesday ten-month-old conjoined twins Maria Paz and Maria Jose, who were linked at the thorax, stomach and pelvis.

Experts have warned Australians of the proliferation of mosquitoes in summer and diseases carried by the insect. The mosquito population is forecast to hit their highest level in more than 10 years.

A new technique of sterilizing hospitals using gas could change the way hospitals are being cleaned.

The line when couples get married, "Till death do us part," is a famous line that most people tend to forget when they're filing for divorce. But for those who took their vows to heart, specifically men who truly did have death part them with their wife the line can be heart wrenching. But with time, moving on may not sound like a bad idea, especially when new research finds it can help prevent mental illness.

The influenza virus is widespread around the world. And even with the last influenza 2011 reports of Australia's Department of Health and Ageing suggesting that the incidence of the virus has decreased, there is still the fear of death related to it. But new research done may ease those fears as statins may be used to prevent deaths from influenza.

Whenever the holiday season approaches and the cold weather sets in, people try and find ways to take advantage of the climate. Whether it is skiing, hiking, or even knitting by the fire, people find different activities to do when the temperature drops. But some people may not enjoy the cold weather, and may in fact, prevent them from doing anything - arthritis.

Living forever has been a pipe dream for many scientists. Now some scientists are researching ways to extend the human lifespan and they think immortality is possible for people living today.

Asthma has afflicted millions of people around the world, leaving them literally breathless. In fact, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's figures show that more than 20 million Americans, which is around 1 out of 15, suffer from the disease accounting for nearly half a million hospitalizations in the United States yearly. However, these asthma attacks can be prevented, researchers found.

Modern technologies like the everyday laptop and the widely available Wi-Fi routers make life more convenient for everyone. However, what could be technologically convenient could be sexually inconvenient as laptops and Wi-Fi connection hurt what men prize the most - their fertility.

Dutch scientists have developed a mutant version of the deadly bird flu virus that could spread to humans.

A new project that looks into the connection between infant footprints and vaccination records could improve vaccination programs in the developing world has received funding from Grand Challenges Explorations initiative.

Consumers from the states of California, Arizona, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Indiana, South Carolina and Missouri who may have bought the herb cilantro produced by California-based food provider Pacific International from Nov. 16 to Dec. 10 are advised to return or dispose the product as these are suspected to be contaminated of the bacteria salmonella.

Recent health studies have determined that foods we allow to enter our system pave the way for either sickness or health yet for many Australians the options seem to have been narrowed down by economy.

As tempting as it may be to eat raw cookie dough, scientists who investigated the 2009 outbreak of E.coli in the United States recommend baking the cookie dough before eating it.

Breast cancer survivors have a lot to contend with: recovering their health, dealing with the experience, and living life with a changed perspective. However, new research findings suggest that survivors of breast cancer have another thing to deal with - cognitive problems.