Courtenay Harris Bond
Courtenay Harris Bond is the staff writer covering health for PhillyVoice. She enjoys writing about behavioral health, maternal health and inequities in the healthcare system, as well as human rights and criminal justice. A veteran daily newspaper reporter, Courtenay has also written for national outlets, including KFF Health News, Undark Magazine and Filter. She was a 2018 Rosalynn Carter Fellow for Mental Health Journalism and has master's degrees from Columbia Journalism School and the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education.
February 28, 2024
Addiction
Fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl and meth are putting drug users at greater risk of overdose, DEA says
Fake prescription pills are being laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine and sold online and on the streets, putting people at higher risk of fatal drug overdoses, according to DEA officials. Criminal enterprises are using pill presses to make counterfeit versions of oxycodone, Adderall and Xanax that actually contain fentanyl and meth.February 28, 2024
Depression
Pregnant women who receive mental health support are less likely to develop postpartum depression, study shows
Pregnant women who receive mental health support are significantly less likely to develop postpartum depression and anxiety, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health. As part of the study, some pregnant women received a unique intervention taught them how to replace anxious thoughts with more helpful ideas.February 28, 2024
Adult Health
Daily marijuana use greatly increases risk of heart attack and stroke, study finds
Daily marijuana use is associated with a 42% increased likelihood of stroke and a 25% increased risk of heart attack when compared with people who did not use the drug, a new study published by the American Heart Association found. Even less frequent use of cannabis was associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events.February 27, 2024
Mental Health
Nonbinary people have higher rates of eating disorders, underscoring need for inclusive treatment environments
LGBTQ+ people are more likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder than their cisgender counterparts, research shows. And LGBTQ+ youth who have had eating disorders are nearly four times more likely to attempt suicide than those who have never had an eating disorder. Mental health professionals say safe and inclusive treatment environments are key to helping people recover.February 23, 2024
Adult Health
The physical therapist shortage hurts underserved communities and may worsen the addiction crisis
The nationwide shortages of physical therapists is causing longer wait times for appointments and may be depriving people of a non-pharmaceutical way to manage pain – especially critical as the addiction crisis deepens across the United States. A bill reintroduced to Congress aims to attract more people to the field by reimbursing student loans in return for work in approved underserved and/or rural areas.February 23, 2024
Prevention
Regular lung cancer screenings can help catch other diseases early, too
Temple's Healthy Chest Initiative offers a way for people to get simultaneously screened for various chest conditions during their annual lung cancer screening – to potentially catch multiple diseases early when treatment may still be viable. These conditions include COPD, heart disease, osteoporosis and emphysema.February 21, 2024
Mental Health
Does the sound of your partner chewing irritate you? You may have misophonia
Does the sound of someone slurping up cereal or chomping on popcorn send you into a rage or make you want to hide under your bed? Then you may have a condition called misophonia – which literally means hatred of sound.February 21, 2024
Health News
Parents at Port Richmond school receive letter warning of mpox infection
Students at Richmond Elementary School in Philadelphia may have had a low-level exposure to mpox, also known as monkeypox, the city's public health department said. A letter was sent to parents and guardians this week, alerting them of the situation.February 20, 2024
Prevention
Why you should clean your cell phone regularly – and how to do it
Cleaning your phone can help keep you free of respiratory illnesses like the flu and the common cold, health experts say. But what's the best way to clean your phone without damaging it? The FCC offers some tips.February 16, 2024
Health News
Caught a cold or the flu? Don't take too much Tylenol, FDA warns
Acetaminophen, commonly branded as Tylenol, can cause liver damage or fatal overdose if people take too much of it, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned earlier this month. Adults should limit themselves to 4,000 milligrams each day. Parents should consult the drug's label for dosing information on children.Just In
- Emergency crews rescue man trapped under manhole cover in Northeast Philly
- For Tattooed Mom to resume live music performances, L&I says it must obtain permits and a license
- Starting this weekend, $5 shuttle bus rides to the shore are available
- FDA approves pill that lowers cholesterol as effectively as more expensive, injectable forms
- Phillies RP Brad Keller will miss the rest of the season with torn UCL
- Phillies announce 2027 schedule
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