Four Loko continues to wreak havoc among young drinkers - "New studies from George Mason University show that young drinkers still dangerously underestimate alcohol content"

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Four Loko continues to wreak havoc among young drinkers - "New studies from George Mason University show that young drinkers still dangerously underestimate alcohol content"

Four Loko continues to wreak havoc among young drinkers - "New studies from George Mason University show that young drinkers still dangerously underestimate alcohol content" submitted by /u/Lightfiend
[link] [comments] https://ift.tt/eA8V8J October 08, 2019 at 09:50PM https://ift.tt/1R552o9

These STDs Are the Most Common Infectious Diseases Reported to the CDC

Sexually transmitted disease diagnoses in 2018 broke a record for the fifth consecutive year, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Chlamydia was the most common STD in 2018, with more than 1.7 million cases reported, followed by more than 580,000 cases of gonorrhea—3% and 5% increases over 2017, respectively. Though less common, syphilis diagnoses also rose, topping 115,000 cases in total, according to the CDC.

“These are just infections that were diagnosed and reported,” says Elizabeth Torrone, an epidemiologist at the CDC. Since lots of STDs are asymptomatic, “many people have infections that never get diagnosed and reported. This really just gives us the minimum burden of the STD epidemic.”

The report says chlamydia and gonorrhea also topped the CDC’s most recent list of “nationally notifiable” illnesses, a collection of about 120 infectious diseases and other conditions that local health departments report to the CDC. (Full 2018 data is not yet available; 2017 is the latest year on record.) Other common STDs, like HPV, are not considered nationally notifiable.

Torrone says she’s particularly worried about the rise in syphilis, both among adults and babies who contract the infection from their mothers during pregnancy or delivery. About 1,300 cases of congenital syphilis were reported in 2018, a 40% increase over the year before, and the disease contributed to 94 infant deaths.

“All of those cases of congenital syphilis, including those deaths, could have been prevented,” Torrone says, if the mothers had been treated during pregnancy. The CDC advises all pregnant women to undergo screening for syphilis and other STDs to prevent transmission to their children.

There are a few possible reasons for persistent increases in STD diagnoses, Torrone says. One could simply be that more people are getting screened, thus leading to more case reports to the CDC. But Torrone says research also suggests fewer people are using condoms, particularly in high-risk populations such as young adults and men who have sex with men. And certain diseases that previously impacted subsets of the national population seem to have spread to new groups, which makes it harder to prevent and contain infections. For example, syphilis historically affected primarily men who have sex with men, but is now also on the rise among women.

The CDC is working on these issues at the public-health level, but Torrone emphasizes that individuals should also do their part by using condoms properly, getting tested regularly and talking about sexual health with their partners and health care providers. “We need to take action to break the cycle of increases,” Torrone says.

GSK recalls popular heartburn medicine Zantac : U.K. medicines watchdog

GSK recalls popular heartburn medicine Zantac : U.K. medicines watchdog
Reuters: Health
GlaxoSmithKline Plc is recalling its heartburn medicine Zantac as a "precautionary measure" due to a probable cancer-causing impurity in the drug, Britain's medicines watchdog said on Tuesday.

RHR: Why We Need Sleep, with Dr. Matthew Walker

We need adequate sleep, but it hasn’t always been clear why—and there’s still a lot we don’t understand about how our bodies rest. Dr. Matthew Walker has devoted his career to studying the subject of sleep and is now one of the foremost sleep experts in the world. In this episode of Revolution Health Radio, Dr. Walker talks about why we need sleep, what it does for our health, what happens if we miss our shuteye, and more.

The post RHR: Why We Need Sleep, with Dr. Matthew Walker appeared first on Chris Kresser.

Simple Tomato Soup Recipe (Stovetop or Instant Pot)

Simple Tomato Soup Recipe (Stovetop or Instant Pot)

Reading Time: 3 minutes I love the approach of soup weather at our house, when the Instant Pot starts to live on the counter and all of the favorite cold-weather comfort foods start their rotation. In fact, tomato soup was one of my favorite soups before switching to a real-food diet. Now, I don’t think I could eat the canned …

Continue reading Simple Tomato Soup Recipe (Stovetop or Instant Pot)...

October 08, 2019 at 06:30PM Wellness Mama® https://ift.tt/2hMTHxr https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Can your CPAP make you sick?

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I keep hearing radio ads about high-tech cleaners for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, which are used to treat sleep apnea. Bacteria and mold can accumulate in different parts of the device. Just the touch of a button, say the ads, and all undesirable organisms lurking in the CPAP pump, tube, and mask will be zapped into oblivion. Your CPAP system will be sanitized and ready for use while you sleep.

But can a CPAP system really lead to illness? And if so, do we need space-age technology to clean a CPAP machine?

Wait: What is a CPAP system and why is one needed?

A CPAP machine is one of the best treatments for people with obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes you to stop breathing periodically during sleep. The pauses in sleep occur when muscles in the throat relax so much that they block the airway.

CPAP keeps your airway open. The CPAP system consists of a small bedside pump that pushes a forceful stream of air through a tube and into a mask you wear while you sleep.

“People who use it feel much more alert, awake, and productive because they no longer have their sleep disrupted 30 to 100 times per hour,” says Dr. Lawrence Epstein, a sleep expert at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

CPAP is linked to many other benefits. It helps reverse the risks of sleep apnea, such as high blood pressure, an increased risk for heart disease and strokes, and weight gain.

And a study published online June 13, 2019, by The Lancet suggested that using CPAP reduces depression symptoms in patients who have sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease. “Anything that can improve sleep can improve mood, and if you treat sleep apnea, it improves mood as well. This is not the first study to demonstrate it,” Dr. Epstein says. “But this study shows that CPAP improves mood even in people with another serious health complication.”

The risks of dirty CPAP machines

Do CPAP systems really get dirty? Yes, they can harbor germs if they’re not cleaned. “The mask sits on the face, in contact with organisms on the skin. Over time, bacteria and oils on a dirty mask may give you a rash or infection on the skin,” says Dr. Epstein.

Another risk — one mentioned in some of those commercials — has to do with the bugs you may breathe in from a dirty water reservoir in the air pump. The water is needed to put moisture in the air you breathe through the mask. Otherwise, the air would be too dry.

“But if the standing water in a reservoir isn’t cleaned regularly, there is the potential for bacteria or mold to grow, which you could breathe in,” Dr. Epstein points out.

“Breathing in those organisms can make you sick or increase problems related to conditions such as asthma, reactive airway disease, or other lung conditions.” If you are frequently getting sick or your CPAP smells moldy, it could be a sign that the device is not clean.

Cleaning your CPAP machine

The good news is that it’s very unlikely you’ll get sick from a CPAP machine if you clean it regularly. Here’s how:

1. Wash the mask, water chamber, and tubing in hot, soapy water every morning. Make sure to submerge the tubing so that water runs through it. Let all of the parts air dry.
2. Once a week, wash the headgear and the filter, and soak the water chamber in a little white vinegar to prevent mold growth.
3. If your machine has a disposable filter, change it every month.

Sound like a lot of work? That may be why CPAP cleaner commercials are getting people’s attention.

High-tech cleaners

Two types of sanitizing systems on the market enable you to simply place the CPAP parts inside a machine, hit a button, and let the machine do the work. One uses activated oxygen (ozone) to clean the CPAP parts, and the other uses ultraviolet light. Dr. Epstein says they appear to work. “But I am not aware of any comparative trials to say the machines are better than hand-washing,” Dr. Epstein says.

The major advantage is convenience, which comes with a price: about $250 to $350 for a machine. Is it worth the money? Dr. Epstein leaves that answer up to you.

But whether you buy a fancy CPAP cleaning system or use good old-fashioned elbow grease, the investment in cleanliness should pay off in the long run.

The post Can your CPAP make you sick? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.