Doctors' Orders: Biggest Health Headlines of 2014

The big stories that changed our lives this year.

The Stories That Rocked the Media - Oh, what a year in the world of health news! Read about the most pressing wellness, research and medical stories that made headlines in 2014. — Kellee Terrell(Photos from Left: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, Michael Duff, File/AP Photo, Jourdan Dunn via Instagram)

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The Stories That Rocked the Media - Oh, what a year in the world of health news! Read about the most pressing wellness, research and medical stories that made headlines in 2014. — Kellee Terrell(Photos from Left: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, Michael Duff, File/AP Photo, Jourdan Dunn via Instagram)

The Ebola Epidemic - The most talked about media story this year was the harrowing Ebola epidemic that ravaged West Africa killing more than 6,800 people. Not to mention the numerous Ebola scares that we received in the U.S. Hopefully the millions donated to research will bring about a cure and vaccine. (Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)

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The Ebola Epidemic - The most talked about media story this year was the harrowing Ebola epidemic that ravaged West Africa killing more than 6,800 people. Not to mention the numerous Ebola scares that we received in the U.S. Hopefully the millions donated to research will bring about a cure and vaccine. (Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)

Domestic Violence in the U.S. - This fall all eyes were on NFL player Ray Rice for his attack of his then-fiancée and now-wife Janay Rice in an Atlantic City hotel. The clip seen around the world sparked a much needed conversation about domestic violence in America, victim blaming and what a healthy relationship looks like.(Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

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Domestic Violence in the U.S. - This fall all eyes were on NFL player Ray Rice for his attack of his then-fiancée and now-wife Janay Rice in an Atlantic City hotel. The clip seen around the world sparked a much needed conversation about domestic violence in America, victim blaming and what a healthy relationship looks like.(Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

Re-Enrolling? Do It Now! - "You have until Feb 15, 2015 to enroll if you don’t have coverage, but if you enrolled last year and want to look and compare for a better deal, do it fast. You only have until Dec. 15 before the system automatically re-enrolls you in your same plan."(Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

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Anniversary of Obamacare - In spite of its shaky start and some serious GOP opposition, Obamacare has had a pretty successful year. A whopping 7 million Americans enrolled into the Marketplace before it shut down in the spring. Even better: It’s not too late to find a plan for yourself.(Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

Black Youth More Likely to Die By Hands of the Police - 2014 was definitely the year where we the intersections of racism, police violence and Black lives collided. From Michael Brown to Eric Garner, we are caught in the crosshairs of our justice system. Not to mention, a recent study found that Black men were 21 times more likely to be killed by the police.(Photo: Jason DeCrow/AP Photo)

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Black Youth More Likely to Die By Hands of the Police - 2014 was definitely the year where we the intersections of racism, police violence and Black lives collided. From Michael Brown to Eric Garner, we are caught in the crosshairs of our justice system. Not to mention, a recent study found that Black men were 21 times more likely to be killed by the police.(Photo: Jason DeCrow/AP Photo)

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The Year of Rape Culture - Whether it’s CeeLo’s bizarre comments about rape, the two-dozen plus accusations against legendary comedian Bill Cosby or the news of Jada, a Texas teen who was drugged and assaulted, the dialogue surounding rape and sexual assault in this country — and among our community — has been an important conversation that we must continue to have.(Photos from Left: Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Department, KHOU 11 News, Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

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The Year of Rape Culture - Whether it’s CeeLo’s bizarre comments about rape, the two-dozen plus accusations against legendary comedian Bill Cosby or the news of Jada, a Texas teen who was drugged and assaulted, the dialogue surounding rape and sexual assault in this country — and among our community — has been an important conversation that we must continue to have.(Photos from Left: Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Department, KHOU 11 News, Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

CVS Stops Selling Cigarettes - On October 1, all CVS/Caremark stores stopped selling and carrying tobacco products. The company will lose 2 billion in sales, but Larry J. Merlo, chief exec of CVS, told the New York Times earlier this year, “We came to the decision that cigarettes and providing health care just don’t go together in the same setting.”(Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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CVS Stops Selling Cigarettes - On October 1, all CVS/Caremark stores stopped selling and carrying tobacco products. The company will lose 2 billion in sales, but Larry J. Merlo, chief exec of CVS, told the New York Times earlier this year, “We came to the decision that cigarettes and providing health care just don’t go together in the same setting.”(Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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Social Media Is Making Us Sick - While social media is supposed to be for fun, studies have found that Facebook and Twitter can have a negative impact on our lives. Whether it can increase our risk for depression, anxiety and even binge drinking, social media is also a place where bullying and intimate partner abuse is happening as well.(Photo: MotoEd/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: MotoEd/GettyImages

Entrovirus Kills Kids Across the U.S. - This year alone, more than 1,000 kids were affected by human enterovirus 68 in Colorado, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa. But other states, including Alabama, Colorado, Michigan, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Utah, have reached out to the CDC for help with concerns that this virus is affecting kids in their state. Also, there has been a 12-15 percent increase in ER visits. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

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Entrovirus Kills Kids Across the U.S. - This year alone, more than 1,000 kids were affected by human enterovirus 68 in Colorado, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa. But other states, including Alabama, Colorado, Michigan, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Utah, have reached out to the CDC for help with concerns that this virus is affecting kids in their state. Also, there has been a 12-15 percent increase in ER visits. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

#ALSIceBucketChallenge - In just a few short days, the Ice Bucket Challenge has gone viral on social media, with common folks and even celebrities volunteering to dump buckets of frigid ice water onto their bodies to raise awareness and donations supporting research for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. To learn more about ALS or to support the cause, visit alsa.org.   Keep reading for a look back at our favorite celebrity ice bucket moments. Let's start with Ride Along star Kevin Hart. His post-ice face was absolutely priceless. (Photo: Kevin Hart via Instagram)

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The Ice Bucket Challenge Takes the Country by Storm - This summer, thanks to celebs like Kerry Washington, Nick Cannon and Kevin Hart, the Ice Bucket Challenge went viral for a good cause: The campaign raised millions for research for Lou Gehrig’s Disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an incurable disease that rapidly affects the nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.(Photo: Kevin Hart via Instagram)

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Social Media Makes You Feel Bad About Yourself - Studies have shown that watching other people’s lives — celebrities and everyday people — can make you feel bad about your looks, weight, accomplishments and overall life. If this is happening to you, put the phone down and focus on you building yourself up.(Photo: JGI/Jamie Grill/Blend Images)

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How Racism Impacts Our Mental Health - The impact that blatant racism has on our mental health and self-esteem was clear. One study found that racism is “toxic” to the mental health of Black youth and that it increases the levels of depression, anxiety and social phobias in kids of color. (Photo: JGI/Jamie Grill/Blend Images)

Measles Outbreak Out of Control - Once believe to be an issue of the past,  measles came back with a vengeance due to a decline in children and adults being vaccinated. According the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, as of November 29, 610 cases have been reported across the country, making these numbers the worst we've seen in 20 years.  (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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Measles Outbreak Out of Control - Once believe to be an issue of the past,  measles came back with a vengeance due to a decline in children and adults being vaccinated. According the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, as of November 29, 610 cases have been reported across the country, making these numbers the worst we've seen in 20 years.  (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

25. Ice Eyes, Baby - When Tiny flew to Africa to get special surgery to permanently change her big brown eyes to ice-gray, it was a definite intervention moment for the Internet. Trolls and the genuinely concerned hounded her for trying to look white, not caring for her ocular health and just overall self-hate. But Mrs. Harris says that she and her man are happy, so... "Blessed to say my vision is #perfect," she wrote after the procedure.(Photo: Fortunata/Splash News)

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Tiny Changes Eye Color With Surgery - Given the amount of media attention Tiny received for changing her eye color, one would think she may have cured cancer. No such luck. But thanks to her and her “ice grey” eyes, BrightOcular is a now a household name.(Photo: Fortunata / Splash News)

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Suicide in the Black Community - With the recent suicides of natural hair blogger Karyn Washington, Miss Jessie's co-founder Titi Branch and Earl Hayes, it’s apparent that taking one’s life isn’t just a white person’s issue. Suicide rates have steadily increased among young Black women and it’s the number three cause of death of young Blacks ages 10-19 after homicide and accidents. (Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

Where Did HIV Come From? - While several conspiracy theories persist about the origins of HIV/ADS, most scholars believe the most accurate theory is that a type of chimpanzee in West Africa passed it on to human hunters. When the chimps were killed and eaten, or the animal blood got into open cuts and wounds, the virus was passed onto humans.The earliest case of HIV recorded was in 1959 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The earliest case in the the United States is in the 1980s.(Photo credit: YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images)

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First Baby 'Cured' of HIV Relapses - Last year, when it was announced that a baby born with HIV had been cured from the virus with the help of AIDS meds, it seemed as if this could be a huge step forward. Unfortunately, this year researchers found out that the baby tested positive this summer. (Photo: Yausyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images)