Health Tip: What Causes Hearing Loss?

(HealthDay News) -- You may develop hearing loss if your inner ear or auditory nerve is damaged, or something builds up in your ears and prevents the passage of sound waves.

Health Tip: Pack a Healthy, Easy Lunch

(HealthDay News) -- A quick, healthy lunch can be easy to make, delicious, and satisfying -- and it can keep you out of the fast-food drive through.

Your Neighborhood Can Affect Your Heart Health

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Living in a neighborhood with parks, safe areas to walk, grocery stores and produce markets is good for your heart, a new study says.

Doctors Likely to Preach What They Practice

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors with good health habits are more likely to advise patients to make healthy changes to their lifestyle, a new study finds.

Inflammation Might Play Role in Heart Disease: Study

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- A protein involved in inflammation appears to play a role in the development of coronary heart disease, new research indicates.

Lack of Sleep May Give You the Munchies

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- People who don't get enough sleep consume more calories and may be more likely to become obese, according to a new study.

Fatty Foods Might Harm Men's Sperm, Research Suggests

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Could the fatty foods a man eats harm his fertility? So says a new study that finds chowing down on high-fat meals reduces a man's sperm levels.

Type of Bacteria May Be Linked to Diabetes

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- There may be a link between H. pylori bacteria and type 2 diabetes in adults, according to a new study.

Watching Movie Stars Light Up May Spur Kids to Smoke

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- The more smoking they see in movies, the more likely young adolescents are to start smoking, according to a new study.

Low-Carb, Low-Fat Diets May Each Help the Heart

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Using either a low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet to shed belly fat can improve blood vessel function, researchers say.

Experimental Pill May Ease Multiple Sclerosis Disability

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Yet another orally taken medication shows some promise in preventing relapse and disability for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, a new report suggests.

Brisk Daily Walk Could Counter 'Obesity Genes'

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- People who walk briskly an hour a day could beat back a genetic predisposition to be overweight, compared to those who plant themselves in front of the TV, new research suggests.

Study Finds PSA Testing Cuts Prostate Cancer Death Risk

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Adding another perspective to one of the most controversial and confounding issues in medicine, a new European study reports that men who received routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests to check for signs of prostate cancer were 30 percent less likely to die from the disease.

Health Highlights: March 14, 2012

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

Recent Rise Seen in Foodborne Diseases From Imports: CDC

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- The number of foodborne disease outbreaks in the United States caused by imported food rose in recent years, according to a new federal government study.

Anti-Smoking Efforts Saved 795,000 Lives Over 25 Years: Study

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Bans on smoking in public places, hikes in cigarette taxes and other efforts to get people to quit smoking prevented close to 800,000 deaths from lung cancer between 1975 and 2000 in the United States, a new study shows.

Detailed Gene Scan Might Help Guide Leukemia Treatment

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- By analyzing gene mutations in patients with acute myeloid leukemia, researchers were able to more accurately predict which ones had the best chances of going into remission, and which ones would respond well to standard treatments or needed more aggressive treatment.

New Gel Treats Precancerous Skin Condition in Days: Study

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- A newly approved gel appears effective in treating a condition called actinic keratosis, which is a common precursor to squamous cell skin cancer, a new study finds.

Most Women Need Pap Test Only Every 3 Years: U.S. Panel

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- The annual Pap smear may soon be a thing of the past, since new guidelines issued Wednesday say that most women need the cervical-cancer screening only once every three years.

U.S. Deaths From Gastro Infections Doubled Over 8 Years: CDC

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- In recent years, deaths resulting from the common stomach and intestinal illness known as gastroenteritis have more than doubled in the United States, a new report reveals.

First Generic Lexapro Approved

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- The Israeli drug maker Teva Pharmaceuticals has gained the first U.S. approval to market generic Lexapro (escitalopram) to treat depression and general anxiety disorder, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday.