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Consumer Health
Surprisingly, just about every 20 seconds a child under age 5 succumbs to the disease pneumonia. In its 2nd year of existence, the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia is raising awareness about the disease. It is preventable and there are effective and affordable options that help protect children. The symptoms include but are not limited to: cough, shaking chills, fever, fatigue, and muscle pain. Its symptoms often mimic those of the flu but when it doubt, get checked out.
For more info, visit:
http://worldpneumoniaday.org/
Have you ever considered that your hair stylist might be one of your greatest advocates in the battled against skin cancer?
Probably not, but according to an article published by amednews.com (published by the American Medical Association), “Nearly 60% of 203 hair professionals surveyed at 17 salons in the Houston area said they already had recommended at least once that a customer see a health professional for an abnormal mole.”
The article goes on to suggest the benefits of training Hair professionals on how to detect the early signs and appearances of scalp, neck and face cancer. Good to know there is one more benefit to taking a little time
for pampering!
Read the full article here.
The Food and Drug Administration issued an update last week on the health hazards of eating too much black licorice.
From the update: If you’re 40 or older, eating 2 ounces of black licorice a day for at least two weeks could land you in the hospital with an irregular heart rhythm or arrhythmia.
FDA experts say black licorice contains the compound glycyrrhizin, which is the sweetening compound derived from licorice root. Glycyrrhizin can cause potassium levels in the body to fall. When that happens, some people experience abnormal heart rhythms, as well as high blood pressure, edema (swelling), lethargy, and congestive heart failure.
I wonder if this applies to black jelly beans too?
The former St. Charles General Hospital is the new location for the LSU Healthcare Network Clinics. It is located at 3700 St. Charles Ave with free parking at 3715 Prytania St. The offices officially opened on Monday, October 10th. This is also the location of the New Orleans Muscian’s Clinic. WWL-TV featured the opening on it’s nightly broadcast.
The Doctor of Physical Therapy students, Class of 2013 will host the 5th Annual LSUHSC Health and Wellness Event on October 21, 2011. They want to find out what you, the LSUHSC community, would like to get out of the event this year. They will use the responses we obtain from the survey to formulate our event. They would like the opinions of everyone in order to maximize the experience for those attending.
Please click on the survey link below and complete a short survey. Your feedback is important and will contribute to the success of the event.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/77BZXNT
Thank you in advance for your participation.
The Trust for America’s Health has released a new report, F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2011 which finds that adult obesity is increasing across the Nation. Louisiana is the 5th most obese state with 31.6% of its adult population being obese; we are one of the 16 states with an obesity rate above 30%.
Today the FDA highlighted various resources regarding Breast Implants on their website.
The information is available to encourage continuous education for those who have already undergone forms of breast augmentation, in addition to providing authoritative information for those considering Breast Implants.
Within this page readers can find a link to the Update on the Safety of Silicone Gel-Filled Breast Implants (2011) – Executive Summary that supplies interesting facts about “Preliminary data from the post-approval studies; a summary and analysis of adverse events reported to FDA since approval; and a review and analysis of recent clinical publications about the safety and effectiveness of silicone gel-filled breast implants.”
Even though this procedure has been around for quite a while it is good to know that current resources are available.
A recent article published by HealthDay details a study on the use of specially tinted glasses for those who frequently suffer from severe migraines.
The study is based on the premise that “up to 42 percent of people who have migraines accompanied by visual “aura,” such as flashes of light, may benefit.” The tints are believed to prevent certain patterns of light that stimulate migraines.
Although this form of treatment is still in the research phase, I personally think these doctors are onto something. Two years ago I was diagnosed with a neurological disorder and three months ago she recently recommended tented glasses as a form of relief.
Coincidence or not, I am happy to say that the frequency of my migraines have dropped significantly. Sure, the super cool shades took a bit of getting used to but for anyone who suffers from constant headaches or migraines- you might consider talking to your doctor about this option of treament.
Thirty years ago today, Bob Marley died from a melanoma that metastasized and spread from his toe to his brain, liver, and lungs. Despite projects like Melanoma Monday and the National Melanoma Awareness Project, mortality from Melanoma is on the increase. And judging by the number of BAD sunburns I saw out at Jazz Fest, people are still not being careful about sun exposure.
Make sure to access the CDC Traveler’s Heath site at: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx where you will find health information and useful links for travel to over 200 international destinations.
Healthy voyage!
In the world of Medical Observances, the month of March is considered National Kidney Month. But did you know that March 10th is sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) as World Kidney Day?
On this day the NKF encourages you to “love your kidneys!”
According to resources provided by http://www.kidney.org/news/wkd/index.cfm your kidneys perform the following vital functions:
1. Filter 200 liters of blood a day, removing two liters of toxins, wastes and water
2. Regulate the body’s water balance
3. Regulate blood pressure by controlling fluid levels and making the hormone that causes blood vessels to constrict
4. Support healthy bones and tissues by producing the active form of vitamin D
5. Produce the hormone that stimulates bone marrow to manufacture red blood cells
6. Keep blood minerals in balance
7. Keep electrolytes in balance
8. Regulate blood acid levels
9. Remove drugs from the blood
10. Retrieve essential nutrients so that the body can reabsorb them
Learn more about your kidneys and what you can do to take care of them by visiting http://www.kidney.org/news/wkd/index.cfm
Taking socioeconomic and personal factors into consideration seem to be the more practical approach in preventing heart disease in women, according to the updated 2011 guidelines. More women outside clinical research studies often have varying backgrounds such as: older patients, bad vision, psychiatric illness, communication and receptive barriers, and poverty.
In clinical research, volunteers are recruited but often have to meet certain criteria in order to participate. Generally, real patients with different mental, physical and social backgrounds might have adverse outcomes or experience more side effects in comparison to the participants in the studies.
In patient risk evaluation, the guidelines include illnesses linked to higher risk of heart disease such as:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Lupus
- Pregnancy complications
- Racial and ethical diversity
Bottom Line- clinical research is a good baseline but now that the new guidelines are taking “real-world” issues into consideration, hopefully heart disease will decline.
For more information, please visit:
http://newsroom.heart.org/pr/aha/1239.aspx
Last week, the US Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin released a Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding. This call to action was aimed at families, communities, employers and health care professionals to improve breastfeeding rates and increase support for breastfeeding. Download the complete report and the fact sheet.
On January 11, 2011, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) released a new design and organization for its Main Web site. Added features are navigation to popular links, social sharing functionality so users can share content to people through Facebook, Twitter, and social bookmarking services.
In honor of National Hand Washing Week, December 5-11, remember that washing your hands is one of the easiest ways to prevent the spread of disease and infection. Wash up for 20 seconds every time you sneeze, cough, blow your nose, and after you use the restroom. People notice when you don’t. And we talk. Check out the Center for Disease Control’s site for more information.
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