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These five stories made headlines in health this year

9NEWS Medical Expert Comilla Sasson delves into the top five stories that shook the health world in 2018.

As 2018 comes to a close, 9NEWS Medical Expert Comilla Sasson delves into the top five stories that shook the health world in 2018. 

Food recalls

Ground turkey, lettuce, Goldfish, melons and even Honey Smacks, it felt like there was a recall one to two times per week. We are hearing much more about food recalls because we are doing a better job of tracking, looking for potential outbreaks and identifying where the source may be.

Cooking meats to the recommended temperature (no rare steaks!), not eating raw/uncooked eggs (no cookie dough!), washing all produce before you eat it and being aware of the symptoms of food poisoning are all important ways people can stay health. 

Latest updates on food safety are available online here.

Suicide deaths in 2018   

Kate Spade, DJ Avicii and Anthony Bourdain are three celebrities who took their own lives this year. These very public deaths affected suicide awareness efforts by bringing mental health and depression to the forefront of the national conversation. 

Almost 45,000 people committed suicide in 2016. Suicide rates continue to rise, with residents in rural areas almost two times more likely than people living in urban areas to commit suicide. 

There is also a stronger focus in schools and through local and national programs to reduce the stigma around mental health and depression. 

Anyone who is in crisis can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

The opioid epidemic      

The opioid epidemic continued into 2018, with more than 47,000 deaths last year nationally. There was a new focus on the naloxone, which is the antidote to an opioid overdose. 

Naloxone is a reversal agent for someone who has overdosed on opioids, which can be a prescription drug like hydrocodone or morphine, or an illicit drug like heroin or fentanyl. When someone overdoses, they get very drowsy, lose consciousness and stop breathing. Naloxone, if given in time can reverse these effects for a short time period until help can arrive. 

The FDA has asked doctors to consider co-prescribing it for anyone on an opioid. Naloxone is also widely available in pharmacies without a prescription.

To get training on how to use naloxone, you can go the American Heart Association’s website here

E-Cigarette use in youth

E-cigarette use is rapidly increasing in the last 3 years. In 2018, one in five high school students said they had used an e-cigarette in the last month. 

E-cigarettes contain nicotine, are highly addictive, especially to the adolescent brain, and have long-term effects on the heart, lungs, brain and other vital organs. The availability, ease of access, and ability to hide the vaping device has made this very attractive to youth. 

Parents need to look for devices and other vaping supplies. Most importantly, parents should talk to their kids about the harmful effects of vaping. 

More information is available on the Surgeon General’s website

Childbirth is a dangerous time for moms and babies

Serena Williams shared her near-death experience after having her child. This was a wake-up call for many people about how dangerous childbirth can be. 

The U.S. has more than 10,000 women each year who have life-threatening emergencies after childbirth, and about 700 women who die annually from childbirth. This is the highest maternal mortality rate among all developed countries. 

Black and Hispanic women have the highest rates of complications. Anyone who is having a child, or knows someone who is having a child, should be aware of how dangerous of a time this can be for moms. Moms should feel empowered to tell their doctors if anything does not feel right. And, healthcare providers need to focus on moms after delivery to make this time safer for mom and baby.

Read more about this topic here

Follow 9NEWS Medical Expert Dr. Comilla Sasson on Facebook and Twitter. Have a medical question or health topic idea? Email Dr. Comilla at c.sasson@9news.com

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