The fall season marks the beginning of cold weather for many in the United States. With the drop in temperature comes a variety of autumn ailments — some that are deadly. But preparation and awareness can keep your health intact. (Thinkstock/Altrendo Images) Autumn supplies more than just falling leaves and dropping temperatures. The change of seasons from summer to fall also brings changes to your health. “Fall and winter are the peak times for many viral illnesses, particularly influenza,” Brett...

((Thinkstock/Jupiterimages)) Alien invasions, zombie apocalypses and shark-filled tornados appear to be science fiction’s answers to one horrifying question: What will kill humans next? In real life, shark-filled tornados aren’t too likely, though weather might still play a serious role in humankind’s fate. But that’s not all. In 1950, the leading causes of death included influenza and tuberculosis, alongside current leaders such as heart disease and cancer. Today, those last two conditions cause more than one million deaths every year —...

When you live in New York City, you learn to deal with the relentless honking, the sirens, the screeching of the subway train as it lurches around the corner — not to mention the sound of nine million voices. But learning to cope with the cacophony isn’t best thing for your health, according to Arline Bronzaft, an environmental psychologist and leader in the field of noise pollution. Instead, noise levels should be monitored, she told the New York Times. Bronzaft...

Update: After initial publication Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called back 30 employees inresponse to the salmonella outbreak,reports MedPage Today. As of Wednesday morning, the CDC has not reported any new cases, but believes that antibiotic-resistant salmonella strains are responsible for the high number of hospitalizations, according to theLos Angeles Times. A salmonella outbreak has infected 278 people across 18 states — mainly California, Oregon and Washington, according to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)....

Even though foodborne illnesses peak in the summer, the recent salmonella outbreak — and the farm that produced it — shows that they can occur year-round. The subject of a food safety investigation since July, Foster Farms caused two other outbreaks in March and July of this year, and could be forced to shutdown three of their plants, according to a letter sent from the U.S. Department of Agriculture obtained by the Los Angeles Times. The letter, sent on Monday,...

Vitamins Fruits and vegetables are nature’s vitamins, so adding additional supplements can be toxic — several studies have linked multivitamins to heart attacks and even shorter lifespans. Other risks include irregular heartbeat, pain and seizures, according to the NIH. (Thinkstock/Ablestock.com) Taking vitamin D supplements will not improve bone mineral density or reduce fracture risk, a large meta-analysis involving more than 4,000 adults that's published inThe Lancetfound. Instead, your best bet for bone health? Time spent outdoors in sunlight and a...

The three Foster Farms factories linked to a salmonella outbreak will not be closed, according to a statement from the United States Department of Agriculture. The outbreak peaked during the summer — when foodborne illness outbreaks are most common — but has continued through the fall. The subject of a food safety investigation since July, Foster Farms has been linked to the outbreak that first occurred in March of this year.Three of their plants potentially faced shutdown earlier this week,...

Vitamins Fruits and vegetables are nature’s vitamins, so adding additional supplements can be toxic — several studies have linked multivitamins to heart attacks and even shorter lifespans. Other risks include irregular heartbeat, pain and seizures, according to the NIH. (Thinkstock/Ablestock.com) People can underestimate the health risks of drinking water because they think of it as natural and pure. While the risks of drinking tons of water are limited, there is some risk associated with bottled water, because of chemicals found...

((Getds.com)) People hoping to get in shape quicker and easier often turn to dietary supplements, rather than more natural sources of vitamins, minerals and energy. Instead of trying organic energy boosters — like Siberian ginseng or royal jelly — many bodybuilders have turned to a popular “performance fuel” called Craze. The pre-workout powder might actually fuel the user’s performance, but likely because the supplement includes a chemical substance very similar to the illegal designer drug speed, according to research published...

((Thinkstock/Jeffrey Hamilton)) Your baby’s risk of catching measles is greatly reduced by the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, but you shouldn’t wait until the upcoming “measles season” — which runs from late winter to early spring — to get your child vaccinated. Early vaccination is safer for measles immunization than waiting, according to a study from the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research published in JAMA Pediatrics. In the United States, officials recommend that children receive their first dose of the two-dose vaccination...

Tim Friede, 45, with a Cobra, which he lets bite his bare arm. (HotSpot /Landov) Tim Friede probably isn’t afraid of snakes on a plane, and he definitely isn’t afraid of snakes on a vein. Friede routinely allows deadly snakes to bite him because he believes that they have provided him with immunity to snake venom after receiving approximately 100 bites and venom injections, according to theMirror Online. Friede put this theory to the test dozens of times, including once...

Kristin McGee, 40, a celebrity trainer in New York City, maintains her shape through constant movement and a healthy diet — and she just had a baby. Here, she shares her top tips. Swimsuit weather might have left the hemisphere for the year, but that doesn't mean your fitness goals should take a back seat. Take Kristin McGee, 40, for example. She's a new mom — a role that doesn't take the winter off — and she's also one fit...