Competition among young athletes can be fierce—so fierce, in fact, that some athletes may play their sport more than they can handle. And that intense focus on one sport may put these growing athletes at risk of serious injury.

The reports of the H7N9 bird flu strain in China have had health officials on alert. The latest development could cause further concern and potentially mean easier transmission of infection.

Rates of cancers that develop in the head and neck are growing in the United States and around the world. In part, this increase can be blamed on the human papillomavirus.

Many people have been told by physicians to improve their lifestyle choices – quit smoking, eat better, exercise – especially if there has been a history of health problems. The question is, how many people actually follow through and make these changes?

Surgery to shrink the stomach has typically been reserved for extremely overweight patients having trouble losing the pounds. But new bariatric surgery guidelines suggest that the procedure might not be just for the obese.

Exercise is important for health, but over-exercise may be a symptom of a deeper problem. Those with eating disorders that also over-exercise may be battling deeper troubles.

In the US, the odds of newborn babies seeing their first birthday are looking better. The drop in deaths may be a good sign for overall health of the nation.

For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), breathing can become a difficult task. Once diagnosed, many COPD patients are treated with medications. And now these patients soon may have another treatment option.

Difficulty sleeping is a common problem during pregnancy. Women often report being unable to sleep comfortably. However, how pregnant women sleep might affect their babies.

It's icing on the cake when a vaccine is offered for little to no cost. Free human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine programs can protect many individuals from genital warts without draining their bank accounts.