American health officials say people age 50 and older should get vaccinated against bacteria that cause pneumonia and other dangerous diseases. Pneumonia is an infection that affects the lungs. It makes breathing difficult and can cause a rise in body temperature. Pneumonia can also lead to a cough that produces yellow, green or bloody substances….
“No pain, no gain” is an old saying in English. It means that one has to suffer or work hard in order to succeed or make progress. The expression is now often used to push people to train harder or exercise more to get good effects. But just how much pain do you have to…
In Pakistan, polio cases are rising ahead of a new vaccination campaign. Violence targeting health workers has also hurt years of efforts toward making the country polio-free. The World Health Organization says polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. The disease largely affects children under age five. The virus is transmitted from…
From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. A rare look inside the human brain might help to explain how it clears away waste. Scientists say the failure to clear away such waste can lead to Alzheimer’s disease and other brain disorders. Brain cells use a lot of nutrients. This means they…
A new study says humanity is hitting the upper limit of life expectancy. Developments in medical technology and genetic research are not leading to major increases in lifespan overall, the researchers said. The study was published recently in Nature Aging. “We have to recognize there’s a limit” and possibly change ideas about when people should…
From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. When a brain scientist at the University of California, Irvine got pregnant at the age of 38, she saw a rare chance. Neuroscientist Liz Chrastil wanted to see how her brain changed while she was pregnant. Chrastil was among a group of researchers who…
From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. A woman in Portland, Oregon started her daily exercise habit with one activity – walking her dog. Lindsay Kee then added movements to this daily activity. Before leaving on the walk, she did some standing stretches. On her return, she did other exercises such…
In South Africa, a former passenger train now serves as a traveling medical center to provide health services to people in need. The train is known as Phelophepa. In the Sesotho language, this means “good, clean, health.” It travels across South Africa to provide medical care to a mix of patients for whom usual heath…
From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle Report. Actor Alicia Silverstone worried fans on social media recently. While on a trip to England, she posted a TikTok video of herself tasting a poisonous berry she found along a sidewalk. Silverstone, who appeared in the 1995 movie Clueless, said she thought the fruit…