Category: Health

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Some People Are Accidentally Poisoning Themselves with Essential Oils

You’d have to be living under a rock to have missed the resurgence of alternative medicines and essential oils. People everywhere are touting the ability to cure everything from nausea and headaches to the common cold (and, in some cases, more extreme illnesses) using nothing but plant, root, and herb extracts.

Essential oils are volatile chemical compounds extracted from plant materials via a distillation process that typically involves steaming. They’re used in perfumes, soaps, incense, and aromatherapy aids, along with traditional medicine therapies.

And they are known to have some health benefits when inhaled.

Some.

But it turns out that even natural medicines require some research and training (whaaaaat), lest you poison yourself and those you love – and that goes double if you’re going to engage in the dubious practice of applying the oils to your skin, or ingesting them orally.

People are clearly ignoring that fact, though, because a recent study has shown that essential oil poisonings are becoming more frequent in Europe, the U.S., and in Australia.

The study appeared in the Medical Journal of Australia, and it analyzed data from the New South Wales Poisons Information Centre. They received a total of 4412 calls about essential oil poisoning between July 2014 and June 2018, with 2/3 of the cases involving children under 15.

There was a 16% increase between 2015 and 2018, showing a disturbing trend.

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Essential oils are labeled with a warning that they can “cause severe toxicity when ingested,” and the risks increase as the frequency with which the oils are being used goes, the authors explain.

“Clinical effects include vomiting, central nervous system depression or excitation, and aspiration pneumonitis.”

And it’s even worse for kids: Essential oils can also upset a person’s hormonal balance, a more concerning hazard when dealing with children who haven’t yet entered puberty, or who might be in the midst of it.

There has been at least a few cases of prepubescent boys developing enlarged breasts after applying tea tree and lavender oil to their skin.

It’s important to note that a number of the poisoning cases were due to someone mistaking the bottle for something like cough syrup, but others were due to people ingesting them on purpose.

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“Flow restrictors and child-resistant closures would be desirable, but containers are only required to have such closures when the essential oil volume exceeds 15 milliliters.”

Since 5 milliliters is enough to generate a severe toxicity in the product, these cases and others should serve as a warning for you to make sure properly secure any essential oils in your home.

I don’t know about you, but I would feel pretty bad if something I brought into my house to help my kids feel better ended up hurting them instead.

Just sayin’.

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A Hallucinogenic Party Drug Seems to Help Curb Alcohol Addiction. Who Knew?

Alcohol abuse is a problem that untold amounts of people deal with on a daily basis. But there may be a surprising new tool on its way to help treat this addictive disorder: a hallucinogenic drug.

According to a report in Nature Communications, researchers suggest a single dose of ketamine can help weaken the desire to drink beer. While the drug’s effect was modest, there is still plenty of room for optimism, according to addiction researcher David Epstein.

“If a seemingly small one-time experience in a lab produces any effects that are detectable later in real life, the data are probably pointing toward something important,” explained Epstein, who works for the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Baltimore.

Addiction is considered a memory disorder, so finding a way to stop the memories that trigger cravings for beer was a key component of the ketamine study.

“We’re trying to break down those memories to stop that process from happening, and to stop people from relapsing,” said Ravi Das, a co-author of the study and a psychopharmacologist at University College London.

To conduct the study, Das and the research group recruited 90 people who admitted to drinking too much beer. Participants were exposed to pictures of beer, drank one in the lab and rated their cravings, enjoyment of drinking and their desire to drink another one.

The participants returned a few days later and were divided into three groups for further examination. The researchers utilized different methods to test the effect of ketamine and the different triggers and memories associated with drinking beer. Interestingly, the results showed that the people who had their beer memories jogged before receiving ketamine reported both a lower desire and less enjoyment for beer.

Nine months after the study concluded, all 90 participants had cut their beer consumption in half. Surprisingly, that even included those who did not receive a dose of ketamine. Epstein explained that the full-scale reduction could be due to the self-awareness that comes from enrolling in a study.

“Behavior can change for all sorts of reasons that aren’t specific to the experimental treatment,” he said.

While the research on ketamine’s short-term effects on drinking is far from over, the early results are promising. The research group plans on conducting clinical trials on people with drinking problems. In addition, they also want to test other problematic memories, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

Of course, with any drug, there are concerns about abusing ketamine. But the upside of its ability to weaken the lure for alcohol makes it a worthwhile option to explore.

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A Dentist Was Prosecuted for Extracting a Patient’s Tooth While Riding a Hoverboard

Going to the dentist can be an ordeal, but it helps if you truly trust your dentist to take care of you while you’re in that chair.

One dentist is being prosecuted for betraying that trust – by riding a frickin’ hoverboard during an operation. I mean, what??

Seth Lookhart, a dentist in Alaska, extracted a patient’s tooth while standing on a hoverboard – but don’t just take our word for it. He captured the whole thing on video.

After successfully finishing the extraction, Seth pulled off his gloves, hoverboarded down the hall, and threw his hands in the air victoriously.

Seth sent the video to his friends and family. Three years later, it’s being used as evidence in a criminal case against him.

Seth is facing 43 charges. Aside from the hoverboard operation (which I just cannot get over), he is also being charged with various financial crimes, including a scheme to defraud Alaska Medicaid of $10,000 and diverting over $25,000 from Alaska Dental Arts.

Seth pleaded not guilty to all counts. His defense attorney says that, while he definitely did something wrong, he didn’t commit a crime.

But…this seems illegal. And if it’s not, it should be:

“Should he lose his dental license for a period of time, for forever? Is it a crime?” attorney Paul Stockler told CNN. “He’s not the first person to do something idiotic. I’ve seen things a lot worse and nobody’s ever had criminal charges filed against them. As the law is written, I don’t believe that’s a crime.”

Seth’s patient is not the one who pressed charges. Because she was sedated, she wasn’t even aware of the hoverboard until charges were already pressed and the state of Alaska asked her to confirm that it was her in the video.

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Running Once a Week Is Linked to a Decrease in the Risk of Early Death

This is excellent news for all you runners out there. And for those who don’t incorporate running as part of your regular routine, this might make you dig out your jogging shoes and hit the gym or the track pretty soon.

A study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine compiled data from 232,149 people whose habits were tracked for between 5.5 and 35 years. The researchers found that those who ran had a 27% lower risk of death than people who didn’t run.

Tp be clear, the study doesn’t guarantee that being a regular runner will lower your risk of early death, but it shows that there is definitely a link between the two.

Running with Sue

The results of the study also suggest that you don’t need to be an extremely dedicated runner to get some of the health benefits, either. Researchers found that people who run less than 50 minutes per week, only once a week, or at speeds below 6 mph had similar results as intense runners re: early death rates. Non-runners did not.

Željko Pedišić, a co-author of the study, said, “This finding may be motivating for those who cannot invest a lot of time in exercise, but it should definitely not discourage those who already engage in higher amounts of running.”

Jogging 2010

So if you’re not a serious runner, or your schedule of work, family, kids, etc. doesn’t allow for you to run every day, at least consider getting out for one long jog a week or a few shorter jaunts.

Pedišić says that this also might help with your blood pressure, cholesterol, and keeping cancer and cardiovascular disease at bay.

Get out there and start running!

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Donor Blood Was Found to Contain Xanax, Caffeine, and Cough Medicine

A quick note: receiving any of these things through a blood transfusion wouldn’t be problematic for most people, so it shouldn’t put you off receiving or giving blood.

That said, the results of this Oregon State University study does offer some pretty interesting insights into what’s keeping many people in our country on their feet.

Researchers sifted through 18 batches of scanned human blood and, using a mass spectrometer, learned the samples were laced with all kinds of drugs.

In fact, every single one of the samples contained caffeine.

Many of the others contained Xanax, over-the-counter cough medicine, or a medication for type 2 diabetes – and though the sample size is small, the director of the Oregon State study speculates it could be indicative of a widespread trend.

“We can only speculate on how widespread the problem is. Another thing to consider if that we found drugs that we just happened to be looking for in doing the drug interaction assay validation – how many others are in there too that we weren’t looking for?”

Still, they stress that the contamination wouldn’t be an issue for the majority of people in need of donor blood.

“From a ‘contamination’ standpoint, caffeine is not a big worry for patients, though it may be a commentary on current society,” explains Luying Chen, a PhD student who was part of the group. “But the other drugs being in there could be an issue for patients, as well as posing a problem for those of us doing this type of research because it’s hard to get clean blood samples.”

So coffee drinkers: you should continue to give blood when and where you can – even if you’ve just chugged a venti coffee on your way there.

It’s a good deed, and no one wants you to fall asleep at the wheel on the way there.

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People Born in December Have Advantages over Others, Studies Show

We all like to to give a shout-out to the month we were born (February, what up!). But is there really any advantage to being born in one month as opposed to any of the others?

Surprisingly, studies point to YES. And I’m talking about multiple studies that suggest December is the best month in which to be born.

Let’s look at the evidence.

First, one study showed that babies born in December fall asleep faster and earlier than babies born during the summer months. Furthermore, another study suggested that December babies are more likely to be “morning people” than people born in any other month, and we all know that is a MAJOR life advantage.

Bebe durmiendo.

Second, research shows that people born in December have a better chance to live to the age of 100. The study also showed that an impressive number of December-born folks actually lived to be 105 or older.

Studies also show that those born in the twelfth month of the year have lower rates of cardiovascular disease than those born in the other eleven months of the year.

Elderly couple

What about the brains of December babies? Well, because they are usually the youngest in their classes, they often benefit academically. It can be hard being the smallest kid in the class when you’re younger, but think about how ahead of the curve you’ll be when you apply to colleges.

One more thing: if you’re worried about what kind of career your kiddo might have, consider this: people in December are the most likely to work as dentists, for some reason, which is definitely a good thing.

dentist

Now I’m kind of bummed I was born in February…thanks for nothing, Mom and Dad!

What month were you born? Share with us in the comments!

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Anti-Vaxxers Tried to Come up with a New Name for Themselves and It Didn’t Go Well…

Anti-vaxxers have a pretty bad reputation in the media. At this point, when you see the word “anti-vaxxer” in a headline, you can pretty much guarantee that you’re about to read an off-the-wall story. That’s why anti-vaxxers are sick of being called that name. They’d like to go by a new name now…

But Twitter is not having it.

The anti-vaxxer website Crazy Mothers posted a demand for media outlets to “please retire the use of the term ‘Anti-vaxxer.’” They say that the term is “derogatory, inflammatory, and marginalizes both women and their experiences.”

“It is dismissively simplistic, highly offensive and largely false,” the statement read on Instagram.

Their new name of choice? “Vaccine risk aware.”

Interesting! The post went viral, and not in a good way. People all over Twitter are mocking the statement and the new name.

Many have chimed in with their own new names for anti-vaxxers, which are decidedly less polite.

“If you don’t want Anti-vax, the only thing left is Self-Indulgent And Irresponsible Crazyperson,” one immunologist wrote on Twitter.

“Would Pro-Diptheria be better?” another person quipped.

Other suggestions included Pro-Epidemic, Pro-Death-From-Preventable-Illness, Plague Enthusiasts, Child-Death Enthusiasts, Pro-Disease, and Clown.

And that’s just the beginning! The new nicknames were endless.

We’re guessing this is the exact opposite outcome that the anti-vaxxers were aiming for. Whoops!

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15 Amusing Tweets About Going to the Dentist

When I was young, I was terrified of going to the dentist. TERRIFIED. I still don’t necessarily enjoy it, but I don’t lose sleep over it and almost have a nervous breakdown in the weeks leading up to my appointment anymore. Mostly.

The dentist really has the power to elicit some incredibly strong responses and opinions…so let’s look at the evidence.

1. Flossin’ all night.

2. Yassss, Queen!

3. Might make things a little easier.

4. You’re good to go!

5. You’re doing it right.

6. It’s a give and take relationship.

7. I want to hear this…

8. I feel this tweet in my soul.

9. Nailed it.

10. Look away!

11. I’m kind of a big deal.

12. Not gonna happen.

13. It’s HELL.

14. You do you.

15. I can’t imagine why…

How do you feel about going to the dentist? Do you dread it? Do you love it?

Let us know in the comments!

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The Right Beer Might Be Just as Good for Your Gut as Probiotic Yogurt

This is good news for all of us who can barely choke down yogurt (isn’t it just slightly spoiled dairy?) but still could benefit from the boost the probiotics give the microbiome in our guts: beer could perform the same handy trick.

Probiotics are important resources for many people who want to maintain a healthy microbiome – and a healthy microbiome is important for everyone, since our bodies contain almost as many bacteria as they do individual cells.

That said, you might be able to ditch the sauerkraut, yogurt, and kimchi in favor of a brewski, says University of Amsterdam’s Eric Claassen.

“In high concentrations, alcohol is bad for the gut, but if you drink just one of these beers every day it would be very good for you,” he said at a conference.

The first part of that is important. Many studies have confirmed that heavy drinking has a detrimental effect on gut bacteria because it upsets the composition of intestinal microbiota, so please remember that moderation is key, here.

That said, some types of stronger Belgian brews are fermented twice in order to further break down sugars into alcohol, and the extended process uses a type of yeast that produces acids that devours illness-causing bacteria in the gut.

So every time you drink one of those particular beers, the microscopic defenders in your belly are reinforced.

It’s also worth pointing out that while the anecdotal and theoretical evidence for the positive effects of probiotics are strong, the hard science is out as far as which microbes, exactly, are helpful for the body. Also, many doctors and scientists are skeptical that consuming them as food does much good at all, as many would be unable to survive digestion in stomach acid and make it into the lower digestive tract, where they’re really needed.

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Stupid Silly Sour #yardhouse #stuipdsillysour #belgiansourbeer

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None of these foods are going to hurt you, though, so if they might help – or you feel better when you eat and drink them – there’s no harm in trying!

In moderation, of course. Too much yogurt is as icky as too much beer, if you ask me.

Cheers!

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Birth Control for Men Injection Might Be Available Soon

For centuries, most of the responsibility for long-term birth control solutions has fallen on female shoulders. And even though the side effects of non-barrier contraceptives range from annoying to life threatening, women have done it because being able to have some semblance of control over what happens to our bodies and lives is important.

That said, I imagine many females around the globe will heave a sigh of relief at hearing a male birth control method is on the horizon. Finally.

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India will soon get world's first male contraceptive. Thoughts? ______ The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has successfully completed clinical trials of the world’s first injectable male contraceptive, which has been sent to the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for approval, according to researchers involved in the project. . The contraceptive is effective for 13 years, after which it loses its potency. It is designed as a replacement for surgical vasectomy, which is the only male sterilisation method available in the world. To read more on this, visit hindustantimes.com . #contraception #malecontraceptive #sexualhealth #sexeducation #InstaWithHT #birthcontrol #india #healthylifestyle

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The Indian Council of Medical Research has announced the end of clinical trials for the world’s first injectable contraceptive for men, a treatment that’s now awaiting approval by the governing body in India. If approved, it could be available within with next 6-7 months.

“The product is ready, with only regulatory approvals pending with the Drugs Controller. The trials are over, including extended, phase 3 clinical trials for which 303 candidates were recruited with 97.3 percent success rate and no reported side effects,” confirmed Dr. RS Sharma, the senior researcher who led the trials.

It lasts up to 13 years and is a non-surgical alternative to a vasectomy.

So here’s how it works: a polymer is injected directly into the vas deferens, which are little tubes outside of the testicles that transport sperm to the penis for ejaculation.

Don’t worry, guys, they totally numb the area first, and the recovery time is nothing compared to a vasectomy.

The polymer coats the inside of the vas deferens and, basically, destroys the sperm as it goes through. And it’s completely reversible. Speaking of which, the procedure/product is called reversible inhibition of sperm under guidance (RISUG), and it “can safely be called the world’s first male contraceptive.”

Indian scientists have been working on making this moment a reality since the 1970s and have persevered through a number of setbacks to make it to today.

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A male contraceptive that reportedly will last around 13 years could be available to the public in the next seven months, according to scientists in India. The Indian Council of Medical Research completed clinical trials for the contraceptive, which has been sent to the Drug Controller General of Indian for approval. The contraceptive is a replacement for surgical vasectomy and loses potency after about 13 years. “The product is ready, with only regulatory approvals pending with the Drugs Controller. The trials are over, including extended, phase 3 clinical trials for which 303 candidates were recruited with 97.3% success rate and no reported side-effects. The product can safely be called the world’s first male contraceptive,” Dr. RS Sharma, senior scientist with ICMR said. . . . . #malecontraceptive #doctors #hospital #pharmacist #scientist #medicalschool #treatment #clinic #research #university #healthy #medicos #Nigeriandoctor #Nigeria #surgery #doctor #nurse #Nigeria #mymobiledoccares

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The market for a product like this has been increasing in recent years, and more offerings are likely to be offered in the near future – one of which is a gel rubbed onto the shoulders that causes a decrease in sperm production.

Weird, right?

However it ends up happening, though, I know I’m not alone in believing it’s high time men shouldered some of the responsibility for not making babies. However they choose to do it, it’ll be nice for them to be able to take control in some situations, too.

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