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School backpack overload: Heavy bags can strain kids’ bodies

Backpacks can be fashionable and functional, but they can also be too heavy — weighed down by digital devices, musical instruments, sports equipment and more. Some kids carry home a laptop or tablet and textbooks, too. It's good to be prepared, but kids who walk to school or participate in extracurricular activities may be lugging more than their bodies can handle. Lockers and classroom storage aren't available everywhere — and a child carrying too much weight might not be ready to learn. As families begin back-to-school shopping, here's how to know if your child's backpack is ...

Sixty-five-year old gets hospitalized due to hypercalcemia

DEAR DR. ROACH: A few years ago, at the age of 65, I was hospitalized and in critical condition with a calcium score of 14 mg/dL. After many tests, the diagnosis was hypercalcemia. After a 10-day hospital stay, I was discharged, and every test in the book was done to find the cause. All tests ...

RA patient hasn’t found a medication that alleviates joint pain

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but my rheumatologist hasn't been helpful in finding a medication that I'm not allergic to for alleviating joint pain. (I seem to be allergic to most meds that I've tried.) I'm only 68. I saw the term "biological" medication for ...

Allergy season is changing – wildfire smoke is a growing part of the problem

ESCANABA — Across the country, allergy season is undergoing a significant shift. Poor air quality, caused by the growing reach of wildfire smoke combined with rising pollen counts, is creating a compounding effect for the millions of Americans who already struggle with seasonal allergies. While poor air quality and wildfire smoke do not directly cause allergies, health professionals warn that they can make allergy symptoms incredibly difficult to manage—even for individuals whose mild symptoms are typically well-controlled. Allergy season used to be a relatively predictable window, ...

Cut the number of choices you make each day. Your brain will thank you

Jeans that fit perfectly. The ideal Netflix show for a Tuesday night. Your one and only soulmate. Modern life promises that with enough options, you will happily find the best of everything. But behavioral scientists say the increasing flood of choices — whether it comes to shopping, social ...

Explaining the significance of Z- and T-scores in DEXA scans

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a woman of 54 with somewhat limited mobility due to back pain. Perhaps for this reason, my primary care physician ordered a DEXA scan in 2023 and again in 2026. I was alarmed when the recent scan showed osteopenia in five of the six areas that were tested. I thought the ...