Health News

In a new report, only two chains, Shake Shack (left) and Burger Fi, received As for serving burgers free of antibiotics. But 21 other chains, including McDonald's (top right), Burger King (bottom right), In-N-Out, and Whataburger, received an F 'for lacking any announced policy to source beef raised without the routine use of antibiotics.' Wendy's scraped by with a D minus The World Health Organization says antibiotic resistance has 'accelerated' due to the misuse of antibiotics, in both humans and animals. Antibiotics are not just used to treat sick animals, but also to help them grow faster and to prevent disease before it even strikes.

Hillary Duff has joined the legions of pregnant women turning to a salad in LA in a desperate bid to induce labor. The Salad, made by Caioti Pizza Cafe in Studio City, is a simple mix of romaine, watercress, walnuts, and gorgonzola, with a herb-balsamic dressing.  But scores of women insist the dish was the one thing that drove their waters to break, and now the cafe hosts at least 15 heavily pregnant women a week, wolfing down their plate with a car on standby to take them to the hospital. 

Victoria Taylor, 29, from Southampton, was hospitalised after she suffered an asthma attack triggered by the influenza virus. She said it felt like her lungs were 'filled with cement' (pictured left in hospital, and right after her ordeal). All 5.4 million Britons with the condition are allowed to get the vaccine (inset, stock) for free each winter. But 23 per cent of these are not going to get their annual jab, according to a new survey commissioned by Asthma UK.

William Hewlett, from Winchester in Hampshire, (pictured right) has been diagnosed with a syndrome in which an infection causes swelling in the brain and causes obsessive, out-of-character behaviour. His mother Johanne (pictured left with William and his sister, Charlotte, ten) says her son is like a demon because of the condition – she made the family move out of their home because she believed mould on the walls had triggered his illness. In the past year since his symptoms began the family estimate they have spent £10,000 on tests (inset, William in hospital) and replacing things he has broken.

Researchers from University College London and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health dated samples of the most common strain of tuberculosis from around the world through history. They found the earliest examples of the strain, called Lineage 4, were found in Europe, and it later progressed to Asia, Africa and the Americas thanks to European explorers carrying it with them. The timings of the disease travelling match up with the expeditions of Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus.

Andrew Wakefield, who is believed to be in a relationship with the model Elle Macpherson (both pictured), was ridiculed with the 'Rusty Razor' award for pseudoscience by The Skeptic magazine for his widely discredited work claiming vaccinations cause autism. The Skeptic Magazine announced Wakefield had won the award on Saturday October 13 via Twitter (inset). Wakefield's so-called research fuelled the 'anti-vaxx' movement, by suggesting jabs could make children autistic, but his studies were fabricated. Experts have called the paper, published in medical journal The Lancet in 1998, but retracted in 2010, 'the most damaging medical hoax of the past 100 years'.

Stephanie Lynn (right), 28, had a skull and roses inked on her left arm but wanted to get the 'embarrassing' art removed before her wedding next year. Now Miss Lynn (pictured left, her swollen arm) said she may be forced to postpone her wedding as the permanent scars she has been left with have ruined her confidence. She booked an appointment with the cosmetic company Fresh Faced in Glasgow to have the tattoo removed. But after just two visits to the clinic, based at Royston Dental Practice, Miss Lynn claims her arm was 'fried' and became severely infected. (pictured inset, her tattoo now)

Gemma Nuttall, 29, from Rossendale, Lancashire, has left behind her four-year-old daughter Penelope (pictured left, mother and daughter together). Ms Nuttall (right) initially turned down potentially life-saving cancer treatment because she was pregnant with Penelope and the drugs would have killed her unborn daughter. Two weeks after Penelope was born, Ms Nuttall began chemotherapy and Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio (inset) helped her raise money for treatment. But Ms Nuttall’s cancer returned and she died two days ago.

Researchers from Washington University have predicted the average lifespans of countries around the world and predict more people will die of non-contagious diseases like cancer. Spain is expected to have a life expectancy of 85.8 years, whereas the UK's will be 83.3 and the US's just 79.8. Lesotho, a country within South Africa, is expected to have the lowest life expectancy on 57.3 years – African countries dominate the lower lifespans while Europe makes up most of the healthiest countries.

Sheron Williamson's daughter watched her 'die' in hospital when her heart stopped and her monitor flatlined. But medics brought her back. Doctors warned she would die within two weeks without a new heart. Four days later, she received one, believed to have been from a soldier who died from injuries sustained in the Iraq War. But when Ms Williamson, who now lives in Solihull, awoke from the operation, she started to experience strange, unexplained symptoms. The 50-year-old believes the bizarre side-effects, which haunted her for around a year, were down to 'wearing somebody else's heart'.

Across the US, 62 children that have fallen ill with a rare-polio like illness, the Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) revealed on Tuesday. Previously, the agency had reported that there were 38 of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) cases in 16 states, which is now up to 22 states. Meanwhile, another 65 are under investigation of the condition, whose symptoms start off resembling those of a common cold and affecting children at an average of four years old.

Brooke Evans, from Redditch in Worcestershire, has started work as a haematology nurse (pictured left) at Queen's Hospital in Birmingham, where she had chemotherapy in 2013 (pictured right, in hospital). Miss Evans says she thought she would die when she developed the blood cancer as a 17-year-old, and missed out when her friends all started university but she was too ill (inset, during her chemotherapy). But now in remission, Miss Evans hopes her experience with the same disease as the patients she will be treating will help give them help of recovering.

Callie and Carter Torres (right), of Blackfoot, Idaho, were born in January 2017 (pictured as newborns in inset) attached at the pelvis and sharing the same legs. Although as few as 40 percent of conjoined twins survive past birth, the girls are already learning to walk and have come off all medication. And while separation surgery is an option, their parents Chelsea, 25, and Nick Torres, 24, (pictured left with their five-year-old son Jaysin) insist the sisters are stronger together.

Adult scoliosis is different from the type children like Princess Eugenie develop - as Roger Neuberg, 77, from Leicester - a retired obstetrics and gynaecology consultant - experienced first-hand. He underwent a new, less invasive procedure to treat it. This is his story.

Large: The former Suits actress, who is currently in Sydney ahead of a three-week tour, is one of thousands of women to have delayed their pregnancy. She is in good company among women in the royal family who have given birth in their 30s – Sarah, Duchess of York was 30 when she had Princess Eugenie; the Duchess of Cambridge (top middle) was 36 when she had Prince Louis; Zara Tindall (bottom left) was 37 when she had her daughter, Lena; the Queen (bottom middle) was 37 when she gave birth to Prince Edward; and Sophie, Countess of Wessex (bottom right) was 42 when her son, James, was born.

Jacalyn Broze (left and right), of Plymouth, Minnesota, said she experienced severe shoulder pain after receiving the flu shot at her local grocery pharmacy last year. After visiting several doctors and undergoing an MRI, Broze was diagnosed with SIRVA (Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration). It is a rare condition that occurs when a vaccine is injected improperly, such as too high or too deep into the shoulder muscle. Sufferers experience in an inflammatory reaction that could affect tendons, ligaments, or nerves. Broze had a complete rotator cuff tear (inset), meaning all of the tendon had separated from the bone, and had to undergo surgery and physical therapy for her injury. Health officials stress that SIRVA is rare and that it is vital to get vaccinated, especially because the 2017-18 season was one of the most severe on record.

Sarah Bradshaw, from Manchester, long suffered with depression and anxiety. But the mother-of-three undertook repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy - and it changed her life. The non-invasive treatment for depression was approved by NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) in 2015, for use when other treatments such as medication and talking therapy have failed. This is her story.

Dean Walter, 41, (inset) a rectal cancer sufferer, had a full pelvic extraction in which his bladder, prostate, rectum and lower colon were removed through a cut in his abdomen only 2in wide. The operation usually requires a surgeon and three assistants to cut the patient open from their chest to their groin. Mr Walter, a former fitness model, would have needed three weeks in hospital to recover from traditional surgery – but he was ready to go home eight days after the robotic procedure for rectal cancer.

More than 100 people in DRC have died from the contagious fever since the most recent outbreak began at the start of August. Now Zambia, which borders the stricken country, is preparing in case it has to fight its own deadly epidemic. Staff are learning how to recognise signs of Ebola, how to treat patients and how to stop the infection spreading in case it is transmitted by travellers.

Across the US, dozens of children have been falling ill with a rare polio-like illness. So far, 38 children in 16 states have been diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), whose symptoms start off resembling those of a common cold. Health officials have determined it is caused by a viral infection but they have been unable to determine the specific virus it is linked to - or how to treat symptoms aside from waiting it out. We explain what the condition is, how it affects children and what the implications are in the fight against the polio virus. Pictured, left to right: Elizabeth Storrie, five, of Texas; Orville Young, four, of Minnesota; and Julia Payne, two, of Illinois; have all been stricken down with by AFM.

Kaiser Khan, now 24, from Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, was eventually forced to drop out of Liverpool John Moores University when his itching (rash pictured in inset) became unbearable. After insisting on a second opinion, the student was diagnosed with aggressive blood cancer. He is pictured left in hospital while undergoing 12 rounds of chemotherapy with the Arabic caption 'alhamdulillah', which roughly translates as 'all praise is due to God alone'. Mr Khan (pictured right after the ordeal) was told the tumour on his chest had shrunk and become non cancerous in August 2016. However, doctors have warned him it could become malignant again at any time.

Amanda di Silva (pictured right after the ordeal with her son Victor), 28, had an epileptic seizure while 37 weeks pregnant, which she claims was triggered by a heated argument with her husband. Concerned the seizure could kill both the mother-of-three and her unborn baby, doctors sedated Mrs di Silva and delivered Victor via an emergency C-section last February. Complications set in immediately, forcing medics to place Mrs di Silva in a medically-induced coma to stabilise her, while 4.6lbs (2.1kg) Victor was taken to intensive care. Mrs di Silva, from Fortaleza, North East Brazil, slowly started to improve after a nurse suggested placing Victor on his mother's chest (seen left). Twenty days later, the pair were finally able to go home.

Anita Hyams, from Southend, Essex, gave birth to her third child, William (inset), after just 23 weeks and five days. Doctors devastatingly told her that he would not be resuscitated unless he had a heartbeat because he was born so prematurely. But William defied all of the odds. Now 16 months (right), he is healthy and thriving, after spending four months in hospital. Mrs Hyams, 38, and her police detention officer husband Dan, 36, are now calling for the 24 week abortion limit to be lowered. (pictured left, Mrs Hyams' first cuddle with William, when he was 27 days old)

Ben Coussens, 31, and Emily, 28, (pictured on their wedding day in 2009, left) stayed celibate throughout their two-year courtship - and promised to finally make love on their wedding night. But Mrs Coussens (pictured more recently, right, with her husband) was left in agony from the attempt. She recalled her ordeal feeling like a knife being 'shoved inside' her and 'hitting a brick wall'. Doctors diagnosed her with vaginismus - where the vaginal muscles tighten when penetration is attempted - five years and nine months later. The couple, from Austin in Texas, finally had sex after Mrs Coussens underwent two weeks of intense physical and mental therapy. And now the Christians - who met at church and eventually married in September 2009 - are proud parents to Holden (inset), one.

Cheyanne Perry, from South Carolina, (pictured left with the feeding tube she has relied on since she was 16) has mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) which sends the immune system haywire and causes her to have reactions to everyday smells like perfumes. As a result she often has to wear a face mask when she goes outside so she doesn't suffer the reactions (pictured inset). Miss Perry also has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which damages connective tissue and causes her joints to dislocate, and gastroparesis, which stops her digestive system working properly, preventing her from eating solid food and needing regular medical attention (pictured right, after an operation earlier this month).

Natalie Lennard, 32, from Worthing in Sussex (pictured left, working on the photographs), created the photo series Aquadural using models and dolls because she said there needs to be 'more positive and inspiring birth images' (pictured right, images from the series). The photographer was motivated by her own experience of becoming a mother, which includes the death of her first son in 2013 when he was born with a rare condition, and the birth of her healthy daughter in 2015. Water births have a 'deeper philosophy' than people might think, Ms Lennard said, and have been done by humans throughout history.

Pizzas will have to shrink or lose their toppings under Government plans to cap calories in our favourite treats in an obesity crackdown. Drastic proposals from Public Health England state pizzas should contain no more than 928 calories and pies should be at most 695. The guidelines will also apply to ready meals, sandwiches, cooking sauces, soups, burgers and processed meats - but those calorie counts have yet to be revealed. Here, MailOnline reveals the most and least calorific pizzas sold at six of the most popular high street chains and take-aways.

Researchers from University College London believe the model could help doctors identify the best medication and drug dose to help a patient beat the disease, while minimising side effects and the risk of treatment resistance. The main and bottom right images show how drugs tagged with fluorescent molecules move through the bloodstream and cells of a human bowel cancer tumour. In the top right image, the red areas show the regions of a tumour where the greatest amount of blood was delivered, which contained anti-cancer drugs. The green and yellows areas had medium amounts of blood, and the blue had the lowest.

Five New York doctors have been charged for prescribing millions of highly-addictive oxycodone pills to patients without examining them. On Thursday (clockwise from top left) Drs Carl Anderson, Dante Cubangbang, Anthony Pietropinto, Nadem Sayegh and Nkanga Nkanga were arrested and accused of running an illegal prescription drug mill that resulted in multiple deaths and several overdoses. According to Manhattan federal prosecutors, the physicians often dished out pills under other people's names and without physically examining them or seeing them. In return, many of them received cash payments or luxury gifts such as alcohol, dinners and all-expenses paid vacations. Prosecutors say that all the men charged, if convicted, have maximum sentences of 20 years in prison.

Aubrey Good, 26 (left and right, with her husband), was a normal teenager getting straight A's up until age 13. After her father was arrested, she turned from a straight-laced student to a misbehaving and rebellious teenage. Doctors originally diagnosed Good with depression and put her on an antidepressant, which she used for three years but didn't help. It wasn't until Good was 18 years old that a psychiatrist told her she actually had rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. Good said that it took years for her to accept her diagnosis, believing that people would view her as 'crazy'. Now 26, Good said she's in a better place than she's been in years and told Daily Mail Online that it took meeting others going through the same disorder before she finally felt comfortable to tell people she was suffering from a mental illness.

Alice Taylor (pictured right aged three in hospital), from Poole, Dorset, was diagnosed with the rare, aggressive eye cancer retinoblastoma in May last year when she was just two years old. The youngster had been going blind in her left eye for months, however, nobody had noticed. It was not until she put an eye patch over her right eye while dressing up as a pirate that her mother, Emily (pictured inset after the ordeal), 30, realised her daughter could no longer see. Despite Alice enduring eight rounds of gruelling chemo, as well as laser therapy, surgeons were eventually forced to remove her eye. The youngster is pictured left recovering in hospital after the operation.

If you struggle to spot the missing letter from the alphabet in this tricky illusion, you're not alone. Opticians have today released the challenging brainteaser that they say can keep your eyes sharp. The team at Optical Express have adapted the traditional Snellen chart millions of patients are used to seeing. Instead of simply asking you to read it from a distance to measure your sight, they want you to find the missing letter.

Ferrell Johnson (right), 65, from Marysville, California, hoped that dropping from an E cup to a D cup would give her a 'new lease of life'. But, instead of the smaller bosoms she was hoping for, Ms Johnson has also been left with fat necrosis - a lump of dead and damaged tissue (left). Speaking about her third breast for the first time since she went under the knife in March 2017, she said: 'I've been left in a mess.'

Katrina Parra (pictured left after the ordeal), 26, from Venezuela, developed abdominal pain, anxiety and near-constant vomiting in 2012. Baffled doctors were unsure how best to treat Ms Parra's mysterious illness, which caused her to decline until she was unable to move or communicate (seen right with her legs raised to keep her circulation moving). Doctors even suggested to Ms Parra's mother (pictured right in the inset) the problem may be psychological and recommended she see a psychiatrist. Since coming off the pill, she has made a full recovery and now works as a fitness instructor. (Ms Parra is pictured centre with her siblings)

Fran Geall, 25, from Falmouth in Cornwall, developed encephalitis for no apparent reason in March this year and spent a week in a coma (pictured left at hospital in Kent) before having to rebuild her life with her fiancée, Stacey Tonkins, 29, (pictured right, to the left of Miss Geall) and get to know her family members again (inset, with her niece). Miss Geall says she woke up from her coma an 'entirely different person' and has had to rebuild relationships with her niece and her partner's family.

Elizabeth Storrie, five, is one of three children in Texas and 38 across the US to develop acute flaccid myelitis, a rare disorder that mostly strikes children, causing temporary paralysis. Elizabeth was suddenly unable to walk, stand, sit up straight or move her right arm, while one side of her face drooped (right) and her neck became painful and stiff. Doctors are unsure what causes the neurological disorder or how to treat it, except by waiting out its terrifying symptoms. A virus caused a cluster of cases in Colorado in 2014, but Elizabeth is negative for the bug. She and her parents, Carl and Heather, and younger siblings, Charlie, three, and Amelia, one-and-a-half, lived at Cook Children's hospital for 28 days while Elizabeth recovered in June (left). After several weeks in a wheel chair, Elizabeth is finally up and running again - in a triathlon for kids (inset) last weekend.

Amanda Hayes (pictured right on June 27 2018, the first time she dyed her hair after chemo), 30, was turned away by her GP for months, who insisted her persistent bloating and severe abdominal pain was just IBS, and even suggested it may be an STI. After spending New Year's Eve 2016 passing blood clots, the beauty therapist, from Didcot, Oxford, was finally referred to a gynaecologist, who discovered a 10cm tumour on the inside of her vaginal wall. Days later, Ms Hayes started her first round of chemotherapy, which lasted until March 2017. A few months on, she was told the 'heartbreaking' news that the disease had spread to her lungs. Ms Hayes is pictured left on November 30 during her last chemo session of 2017.