Dirty air makes for wheezy kids: study

NEW YORK – Small particles from traffic and heating oil combustion may cause children younger than two to wheeze and cough, according to a new study. High air pollution levels have previously been linked to asthma symptoms in children living in urban areas with heavy traffic, but this study is one of the first to investigate the types of particles that may be the most harmful, the researchers point out in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Trouble seeing?–You're not alone

NEW YORK – Significantly more Americans are nearsighted today than in the early 1970s, a report released today indicates. Nearsightedness, also called myopia, is when the eyes focus incorrectly to make distant objects appear blurred. This common problem can be treated by corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses or refractive surgery.