Teenagers who smoke, or whose mother smoked in pregnancy, are at higher risk of hearing problems and understanding what is being said, a US study says. In tests on 67 teenagers, Yale University found those exposed to smoke had trouble focusing and interpreting sounds when there was a distraction.
The "postcode lottery" in social care for the elderly must be addressed to stop some people using up their life savings to pay for it, a charity says. Everyone over 65 who needs assistance is being funded £25,000 by means of informal and private care to plug a shortfall, Counsel and Care calculates.
Energy-saving light bulbs could trigger migraines, say campaigners. The Migraine Action Association says members have told them how fluorescent bulbs have led to attacks. The government is set to prevent the sale of conventional light bulbs within the next four years in a bid to cut carbon dioxide emissions.
An elderly disabled woman was dropped off by a bus driver on a dark country Devon road against her wishes.
A disturbed night's sleep may increase the risk of developing diabetes, US research has suggested. The US team discovered that volunteers who were roused whenever they were about to fall into the deepest sleep developed insulin resistance.
Some people in England are facing waits of nearly two-and-a-half years for an NHS hearing aid, the RNID charity says. Among 99 primary care trusts, it found 10 were not treating people within a year, with the longest wait of 125 weeks in Kingston-upon-Thames, London.