Health Tip: When Muscle Cramps Become Worrisome

(HealthDay News) -- While a muscle in spasm can be extremely painful, it usually doesn't indicate a serious condition.

Health Tip: Don't Ignore Ingrown Toenail

(HealthDay News) -- If you have a toenail that's expanded beneath the skin, no doubt it's become sore and painful and needs attention.

Nearly 25% of Women With Early Ovarian Cancer Not Given Recommended Biopsies

THURSDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- More than one-quarter of women with apparent early-stage ovarian cancer don't receive recommended lymph node biopsies to check for cancer spread, which nearly doubles these patients' risk of death, say U.S. researchers.

Dermatitis May Be More Cause Than Effect of Food Allergies

THURSDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- One of the most common forms of eczema, the chronic inflammatory skin disease, may actually precede the onset of food allergies, rather than be the product of existing allergies, new research suggests.

Garden Encounters Often Lead to Rashes, Hives, Itching

THURSDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- For some people, a simple day of gardening is not without its perils.

Fossil Suggests Humans Walked Upright 3 Million Years Ago

THURSDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they have found a fossilized foot bone that proves human ancestors were walking on two feet 3.2 million years ago.

Obesity Tied to Education, Income, but Not Suburbia: Study

THURSDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Low levels of education and income, but not suburban sprawl, are associated with higher rates of obesity, researchers report.

Bad Times May Seem Worse If You Expect to Repeat Them

THURSDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- People are more likely to recall an unpleasant experience as being less painful or annoying if they believe it is over than if they expect it to occur again, say researchers.

To Dump Bad Investments, First Focus On Your Goals

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- People who focus on their hopes and aspirations may be less likely to cling to bad investments, a new study suggests.

Wireless Device Can Cut Heart Failure-Related Hospitalizations

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers report that a wireless implanted device monitors fluid build-up in the lungs of heart failure patients and alerts doctors when intervention is needed.

Folate May Not Protect Against Premature Birth

THURSDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- In a study that included data on nearly 73,000 Norwegian women, researchers found that taking folate during pregnancy didn't appear to reduce the rate of premature births.

When Given Control, Women Use Less Epidural Anesthesia During Delivery

THURSDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- If women are given control of the amount of epidural anesthesia they get during labor and delivery, they use about 30 percent less medication than when given a standard dose from a doctor, a new study shows.

Few Stroke Patients Given Clot-Buster Quickly Enough: Study

THURSDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) Few eligible stroke patients get an injectable clot-busting drug within the recommended 60-minute window after their hospital arrival, new research finds.

Stars Strut on the Runway for Women's Heart Health

THURSDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Actress Denise Richards wowed the crowd in scarlet, while Today show host Ann Curry hit the catwalk in fire-engine red. Oprah Winfrey's best-friend-forever, talk show host Gayle King, sashayed in a cherry Donna Karan number, while hip-hop star Eve rocked out in crimson.

Health Highlights: Feb. 10, 2011

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Recession Strengthens Some Marriages: Survey

THURSDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- While money problems sometimes strain a marriage, the opposite may also hold true: More than one-quarter of married Americans polled in a recent survey said the current recession has strengthened their union.

Minnesota's Anti-Tobacco Policies Reap Benefits: CDC

THURSDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Sustained tobacco-control efforts in Minnesota have led to a 27.1 percent decrease in adult smoking rates, from 22.1 percent in 1999 to 16.1 percent in 2010, says a new study.

New Drug May Help Patients With Irregular Heartbeat Avoid Stroke

THURSDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- A new anti-clotting drug works better than aspirin for stroke prevention in some patients with the common, sometimes lethal, heart rhythm problem known as atrial fibrillation, according to research presented Thursday.