Health Tip: Soothe a Bunion

(HealthDay News) -- A bunion occurs when the joint that connects the big toe to the foot grows larger, forcing the big toe to bend toward the other toes. This leads to a painful lump, making it difficult to wear shoes.

Health Tip: Prevent a Hamstring Strain

(HealthDay News) -- The hamstring is a group of three muscles that extends down the back of the thigh. A "pulled" hamstring is a common sports injury, especially among track, soccer or basketball athletes, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says.

Even Tiny Tots May Develop Mental Health Problems

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Countering the belief that you have to be "older" to suffer from mental illness, a new report says there's actually no lowest-age limit.

Poor People With Epilepsy More Prone to Uncontrolled Seizures

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Epilepsy patients who are poor are more likely to have uncontrolled seizures, drug-related side effects, and a lower overall quality of life compared to those with more money, finds a new study.

Teens With Congenital Heart Disease Need Help Moving to Adult Care

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Early adolescence is the time that patients with congenital heart disease should start preparing for the move from pediatric to adult medical care, says a new American Heart Association scientific statement.

Hearing Loss Seems to Affect Fewer Blacks Than Whites

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Hearing loss affects nearly two-thirds of older Americans, but blacks are much less likely than whites to have hearing problems, a new study shows.

Smoking During Early Pregnancy May Put Baby's Heart at Risk

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Babies born to women who smoke in the first trimester of pregnancy are more likely to have a congenital heart defect than are the offspring of mothers who don't smoke, a new study shows.

Study Finds Smoking Linked to Breast Cancer Risk

TUESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Both smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke appear to increase the risk for breast cancer among postmenopausal women, new research shows.

New Chemo Drug May Benefit Some Breast Cancer Patients

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- The new chemotherapy drug eribulin extends the lives of metastatic breast cancer patients who have received extensive treatment, according to a new study.

Pot Use in Youth Ups Risk of Psychotic Symptoms in Later Life

TUESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Smoking marijuana as a teenager or young adult raises your risk of having psychotic symptoms later in life, a new Dutch study shows.

In Battle of the Bulge, Canada Trumps U.S.

WEDNESDAY, March 2 -- (HealthDay News) -- When it comes to land mass, Canada may claim bragging rights. But when it comes to the average girth of its citizens, Americans are typically bigger than their neighbors to the north, a new study of adult obesity rates in both countries shows.

Ibuprofen Linked to Lower Parkinson's Disease Risk

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Regular users of ibuprofen may be reducing their risk of Parkinson's disease, according to new research that echoes previous findings.

Tight Blood Sugar Control May Put Some Diabetics at Risk

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Intensive blood sugar control doesn't benefit people with both type 2 diabetes and heart disease -- and it may harm them, researchers say.

Health Highlights: March 2, 2011

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Napping May Help Keep Blood Pressure in Check

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- A daytime nap of at least 45 minutes may help stressed-out people lower their blood pressure and protect their heart, a new study suggests.

Clinical Trials Update: March 2, 2011

(HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

FDA Bans Unapproved Prescription Cough, Cold and Allergy Meds

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that it plans to remove about 500 unapproved prescription cough, cold, and allergy medicines from pharmacy shelves.

Heart Failure Patients Don't Need Continuous Infusion of Diuretics: Study

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Answering lingering questions about the treatment of acute heart failure, investigators have determined that there are no real differences in how patients fare when they're given diuretic therapy one dose at a time or continuously.

CDC Links Prescription Painkillers in Pregnancy to Birth Defects

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Moms-to-be who take prescription opioid painkillers such as codeine, hydrocodone or oxycodone (Oxycontin) may increase the risk of birth defects in their newborns, according to a new U.S. government report.

Diabetes Ups Death Risk Overall, Study Shows

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- People with diabetes are 80 percent more likely to die prematurely than those without the disease -- and it's not just diabetes that's killing them.