Category: Science and Health

Israelis can’t seem to stop smoking. According to the Health Ministry, the percentage of smokers in Israel has remained at a static 20% for years, despite the steady growth of the population. That means that the number of smokers in Israel is rising hand-in-hand with the number of people living in the country. Israel’s reliance […]

Seasonal illnesses like the flu, the cold, and coronavirus bring with them annoying symptoms, including a blocked nose and sinuses that make breathing difficult. There are many common ways to help unblock your nose, including purchasing nasal decongestants in spray or tablet form. However, there are simple ways to unblock the nose that do not […]

With holidays like Hanukkah, Christmas and more coming up later this month, many will go out drinking on holiday outings. However, be careful not to drink too much. A phenomenon known as “Holiday Heart Syndrome,” occurs when binge drinking causes irregular heartbeats (Atrial fibrillation or A-fib), and there’s an even higher risk if the person […]

Even when a desperate person attempts suicide and is likely to try again, it is possible to prevent it, according to researchers at the Rambam Healthcare Campus in Haifa who managed to avert suicide in all but one of 571 patients they treated.  It is common to assume that those who try to commit suicide […]

Problems with our eyesight are troubling, but most of the time they are neither dangerous nor urgent. Not so for problems with the retina, however, because they can do real damage and even lead to blindness. Dr. Avi Ohayon, senior retina and cataract surgeon in the eye department at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov […]

Why does some poop float and roll around in the toilet, while other poop sinks easily? Here’s an answer, albeit incomplete. IFLScience, a UK-based science website, states that for years, scientists didn’t know why some pieces of stool float while others immediately sink to the bottom of the toilet.  Theories have suggested that increased fat […]

The lead-up to Hanukkah may be my favorite time of year. Mostly because my number one way of celebrating is to spot the awkward decorative efforts to include Hanukkah in Christmas displays.  You know the type: it’s a tiny Star of David decal in shop windows or the special dreidel page in your kid’s coloring […]

Swedish start-up Acorai won the ICI conference for innovation in cardiology in Tel Aviv with its new innovation: A smart stethoscope that can help diagnose heart problems. The firm was one of 64 start-ups to take part in the competition featuring medical innovation start-ups from around the world, though around 40% of them were Israeli. […]

Human sex has long been decided by the X and Y chromosomes – females are born with two X chromosomes, whereas males are born with one X and one Y chromosome. That future might be at risk as Y chromosomes continue to gradually disappear across different mammal species, a new study found. The study, which […]

With a week of upcoming family gatherings for Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s the combination of a cold and rainy winter, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and the flu, the Health Ministry urges the public to take measures to protect themselves and those around them. Prof. Salman Zarka, the coronavirus project manager, said in an […]