Accessibility links
Health Health

Health

Saturday

As Doctors Leave Syria, Public Health Crisis Looms

Refugees fill cans with water inside a camp in Baalbek, Lebanon, for Syrians who have fled the fighting in their country. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Middle East

As Doctors Leave Syria, Public Health Crisis Looms

As the civil war continues, a new study says Syria's health care system is near collapse. Outbreaks of disease are on the rise in the country, and refugees sheltered beyond the border are also at great risk.

As Doctors Leave Syria, Public Health Crisis Looms

Listen · 4:54
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/196911708/196919359" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Despite Alzheimer's, Couple Holds Tight To Old Memories

The Greenes say they take it a day at a time and relish the many long-term memories they've shared for nearly 60 years. David Gilkey/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
David Gilkey/NPR

Despite Alzheimer's, Couple Holds Tight To Old Memories

Pansy Greene, 73, is still in the early stages of Alzheimer's. She and her husband, Winston, describe their "journey," a term they use to refer to much more than Pansy's struggle with the disease.

Despite Alzheimer's, Couple Holds Tight To Old Memories

Listen · 5:41
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/196250975/196911691" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Administration Clarifies Insurance Rules For Contraceptives

The federal rules for coverage of birth control by religiously affiliated groups are becoming clear. iStockphoto.com hide caption

toggle caption
iStockphoto.com

Shots - Health News

Administration Clarifies Insurance Rules For Contraceptives

Under final regulations issued Friday, most employers will have to provide contraception — at no charge to their employees — as part of their health insurance plans. There are exceptions for religious groups and alternatives for their affiliated organizations.

Coming To An Airport Near You: Fluffy Stress Relief

Therapy dogs Barney (rear) and Hazel are on the job comforting weary travelers at LAX. Gloria Hillard/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Gloria Hillard/NPR

National

Coming To An Airport Near You: Fluffy Stress Relief

Los Angeles International Airport has 30 comfort dogs assigned to assist weary and stressed-out travelers. The airports in San Jose and Miami are using dogs, too. Many passengers say it's helpful to see a smiling dog at the end of the security check-in.

Coming To An Airport Near You: Fluffy Stress Relief

Listen · 4:00
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/195564688/196697593" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Polio Outbreak In Somalia Jeopardizes Global Eradication

Health workers vaccinate a boy against polio at a May immunization drive in Mogadishu, Somalia. Farah Abdi Warsameh/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Farah Abdi Warsameh/AP

Shots - Health News

Polio Outbreak In Somalia Jeopardizes Global Eradication

The world is closer than ever to wiping out polio. But a growing outbreak in the Horn of Africa has health workers worried that the virus could spread to surrounding regions. Thirty-one kids have been paralyzed by the poliovirus in the past two months, and the number is expected to rise.

Polio Outbreak In Somalia Jeopardizes Global Eradication

Listen · 2:41
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/196615790/196691606" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Mental Health

'Brainwashed' Examines the Value of Brain Scans

In the new book Brainwashed: The Seductive Appeal of Mindless Neuroscience, co-authors Sally Satel and Scott Lilienfeld examine the science behind some recent brain imaging research. Satel joins host Ira Flatow and other guests for a look at what brain scans can — "and cannot — "tell us about human behavior and how the mind works.

'Brainwashed' Examines the Value of Brain Scans

Listen · 30:19
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/196594978/196594969" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Joshua Prager: Can Everything Change In An Instant?

"These thing that were a part of me before the crash, are still present in me" - Joshua Prager James Duncan Davidson/TED hide caption

toggle caption
James Duncan Davidson/TED

TED Radio Hour

Joshua Prager: Can Everything Change In An Instant?

When Joshua Prager was 19, a devastating bus accident left him paralyzed on his left side. He returned to Israel twenty years later to find the driver who turned his world upside down. Prager tells his story and probes deep questions of identity, self-deception and destiny.

Joshua Prager: Can Everything Change In An Instant?

Listen · 18:22
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/195260559/195261600" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Sherwin Nuland: What Does Electroshock Therapy Feel Like?

Sherwin Nuland speaking at TED. TED hide caption

toggle caption
TED

TED Radio Hour

Sherwin Nuland: What Does Electroshock Therapy Feel Like?

Sherwin Nuland is a successful surgeon and author known for his bestselling books on the nature of life and death. But 40 years ago, he faced spending the rest of his life in a mental institution. Nuland describes how electroshock therapy gave him a second lease on life.

Sherwin Nuland: What Does Electroshock Therapy Feel Like?

Listen · 12:29
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/195196691/195223642" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

Maine Once Again Allows Mail-Order Canadian Drugs To Cut Costs

They're back: Cheaper mail-order medications from Canada and other foreign lands. iStockphoto.com hide caption

toggle caption
iStockphoto.com

Shots - Health News

Maine Once Again Allows Mail-Order Canadian Drugs To Cut Costs

Mail-order foreign pharmacies became less popular after a 2006 law helped seniors get Medicare coverage for medications. But many seniors still have trouble paying for drugs. The Maine legislature just approved a new law so its citizens can once again order drugs from Canada and Europe.

How Head Injuries Seem To Affect The Risk For Stroke

The cause of strokes in younger people remains largely a mystery. iStockphoto.com hide caption

toggle caption
iStockphoto.com

Shots - Health News

How Head Injuries Seem To Affect The Risk For Stroke

Scientists were surprised to find that people who have had a concussion or other traumatic brain injury are more likely to have a stroke in the next few years. That's particularly true for people under age 50. But scientists don't know for sure if the brain injuries are the cause of the strokes.

Wednesday