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Mayo Clinic Q&A: Work with your hands? Watch out for carpal tunnel syndrome

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:36 GMT

Cynthia Weiss | Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’m a homebuilder and have begun experiencing numbness and tingling in my hands. Sometimes I drop things because I can’t get a good grip. A friend suggested I might have carpal tunnel syndrome. But doesn’t that mostly affect people who use computers all day? Can you explain more about the condition?ANSWER: Working with your hands day after day can take a toll on them, causing pain, numbness and weakness. Carpal tunnel syndrome is one condition that can affect many types of occupations, including farmers, truck drivers, factory and construction workers, and others.Carpal tunnel is a condition caused by compression of the median nerve located in the wrist. This nerve provides feeling to the thumb and the index, middle and part of the ring fingers, and also sends signals to the muscles around the base of the thumb.Some causes of carpal tunnel syndrome include medical conditions such as arthritis, gout, diabetes, amyloidosi...

State reports spike in learner’s permits in first days of law allowing licenses for undocumented immigrants

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:36 GMT

The state has issued 2,800 learner’s permits since a new law allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses took effect on July 1, Gov. Maura Healey announced Tuesday, more than doubling the number issued in the same period last year.“I think we’ve gotten off to a strong start, wouldn’t you say?” Healey said at the RMV’s Haymarket location in Boston. “It’s been really, I think, great out of the gate.”The law, which survived then-Governor Charlie Baker’s veto and an attempt to overturn it on the November 2023 ballot, allows immigrants who are in the U.S. without legal status to apply for a five-year Massachusetts driver’s license using at least two documents proving their identity and date of birth. It went into effect July 1.The 2,800 issued permits are just the start, with 42,000 requests for learner’s permits appointments received just days after the start of the month, according to the RMV.In...

Mayo Clinic News: Let’s talk low libido

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:36 GMT

Mayo Clinic Staff | (TNS) Mayo Clinic News NetworkIt may feel uncomfortable to talk about low libido with your partner and your health care team. Unfortunately, it’s a common problem that affects adults everywhere, yet many people have never been asked about their sexual health by their health care teams.Although it may be difficult to discuss, sexual health is important and factors that are causing low libido should be addressed. Many primary care, psychology and OB-GYN professionals are trained to care for and treat hypoactive sexual desire disorder, or HSDD. This is the persistent or recurrent deficiency or absence of sexual fantasies and desire for sexual activity. It’s often referred to as having a low libido and can cause significant distress and relationship problems.There’s no magic pill for low libido. The desire for sex is based on a complex interaction of many things that affect intimacy, including physical and emotional well-being, experiences, beliefs,...

A grand jury sworn in Tuesday could decide whether Trump is charged over Georgia’s 2020 election

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:36 GMT

By KATE BRUMBACK (Associated Press)ATLANTA (AP) — A grand jury that was sworn in Tuesday in Atlanta will likely consider whether criminal charges are appropriate for former President Donald Trump or his Republican allies for their efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia.Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been investigating since shortly after Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in early 2021 and suggested the state’s top elections official could help him “find 11,780 votes,” just enough needed to beat Democrat Joe Biden.The 2 1/2-year investigation expanded to include an examination of a slate of Republican fake electors, phone calls by Trump and others to Georgia officials in the weeks after the 2020 election and unfounded allegations of widespread election fraud made to state lawmakers.Willis, a Democrat, is expected to present her case before one of two new grand juries being seated Tuesday. She has previou...

Need to get Plan B or an HIV test online? Facebook may know about it

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:36 GMT

Darius Tahir, Simon Fondrie-Teitler, The Markup | (TNS) KFF Health NewsLooking for an at-home HIV test on CVS’ website is not as private an experience as one might think. An investigation by The Markup and KFF Health News found trackers on CVS.com telling some of the biggest social media and advertising platforms the products customers viewed.And CVS is not the only pharmacy sharing this kind of sensitive data.We found trackers collecting browsing- and purchase-related data on websites of 12 of the U.S.’ biggest drugstores, including grocery store chains with pharmacies, and sharing the sensitive information with companies like Meta (formerly Facebook); Google, through its advertising and analytics products; and Microsoft, through its search engine, Bing.The tracking tools, popularly called “pixels,” collect information while a website runs. That information is often sent to social media firms and used to target ads, either to you personally or to groups of people that resemble you ...

Bankrate: How to pay off your mortgage early

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:36 GMT

Ruben Caginalp | Bankrate.com (TNS)Some homeowners are eager to get out of their mortgage early, with reasons ranging from eliminating the psychological pressure of debt to slashing interest payments. For retirees, especially, paying off a home loan early can help increase cash flow.Whatever your motivation, paying down your mortgage ahead of time reduces the amount of interest you’ll pay on the loan. Here are some early payoff strategies to help you achieve that goal.Can you pay off your mortgage early?In most cases, you can pay your mortgage off early without penalty — but there are a few things to keep in mind before you do:—Check for a prepayment penalty: Reach out to your loan servicer to find out if your mortgage has a prepayment penalty. Most mortgages don’t impose this fee, but if yours does, you’ll have to pay it. This can affect whether an early loan payoff is financially viable for you.—Look for payment restrictions, if any: While you’re in touch with your servicer, make ...

Excessive Heat Warning in effect amid heat wave: Here's what to know

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:36 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- An Excessive Heat Warning is now in effect as rising temperatures throughout the next week are expected to bring sweltering conditions to certain areas of San Diego County.The warning was issued by the National Weather Service for Tuesday, July 11 through 8 p.m. on Sunday, July 16, as an expected prolonged heat wave during this timeframe is forecasted to bring dangerously high temperatures to the county's desert and mountain areas.These areas include the communities of Campo, Mount Laguna, Julian and Borrego Springs. Junior guards, public jump from Ocean Beach Pier for fundraiser A strengthening high pressure system sitting aloft will slowly warm temperatures by several degrees per day over the next week, reaching its peak around the weekend. Highs will run about three to eight degrees above normal by Thursday, according to NWS. The heat will continue to rise through Sunday, bringing temperatures anticipated by the weather agency to be the hottest of the year thus far...

Yankees' Gerrit Cole and Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen will start the MLB All-Star Game

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:36 GMT

The 2023 MLB All-Star Game will air live on FOX 5. Coverage starts at 4 p.m. PTSEATTLE (AP) — Gerrit Cole had starting the All-Star Game on his baseball bucket list."I’ve always been like, man, I really hope I could do that one day," the New York Yankees ace said Monday.He's getting his chance. Cole will start Tuesday night for the American League and Arizona’s Zac Gallen will open on the mound for NL, the first time Yankees and Diamondbacks are both All-Star starters since Roger Clemens faced Randy Johnson in the 2001 game at Seattle.“I feel like I’ve worked hard. This is something that I dreamed of as a kid,” Gallen said. “So for it to come to fruition is everything and more, really.”AL manager Dusty Baker of Houston and NL manager Rob Thomson of Philadelphia announced their starting lineups on Monday before the annual Home Run Derby.Baker said Sunday that Cole wouldn’t pitch in the All-Star Game because he would be going on two days’ rest after throwing 103 pitches in a 9-2 win o...

Turkey’s pledge of support for Sweden’s NATO entry is tied to goals on security and EU membership

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:36 GMT

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey made a surprise pledge to drop its opposition to Sweden joining NATO, paving the way for the Nordic country to become a member of the Western military alliance.NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg heralded the agreement Monday after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Stoltenberg said Turkey had agreed to support Sweden’s NATO bid – by putting the issue to a vote in Parliament — in return for deeper cooperation with Sweden on security issues and a pledge from Sweden to revive Turkey’s quest for EU membership. The agreement also says Sweden and Turkey will step up trade and investment with each other. Hungary, the only other NATO holdout on Sweden, is also expected to drop its opposition. Hungary’s foreign minister said Tuesday that his country’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership was now just a “technical matter.” Erdogan has been uncharacteristically quiet since the agreement was publici...

Parts of GTA under severe thunderstorm watch, potential for strong winds and hail

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:36 GMT

Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for parts of the GTA, calling for heavy rain, strong winds and hail.The watch is in effect for Peel Region, Newmarket, Uxbridge, and northern York and Durham regions.“Conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms that may be capable of producing strong wind gusts, large hail and heavy rain,” the national weather agency says.2:06pm: Parts of the north #GTA added into the Severe Thunderstorm Watch. Be alert and if upgraded to a warning, head indoors immediately #onstorm pic.twitter.com/tcxWwRqlwD— Natasha Ramsahai (@CityNatasha) July 11, 20232:22pm: Forecast hail size: marble up to toonie-sized pic.twitter.com/W9uVqUL5di— Natasha Ramsahai (@CityNatasha) July 11, 2023Residents in the affected regions are being warned to watch out for potential flash floods and pooling on roads.2:18pm: Approximate timing of storms this afternoon…tapering off significantly after 7pm #onstorm pi...