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A sudden pain, starting in your chest and radiating down your left arm. Pressure, as if an elephant suddenly sat upon your upper torso. Shortness of breath. Cold sweats. These are the classic signs of a heart attack for men. But what about women? Are the symptoms the same? Join us as we talk to a heart health expert at Norton Heart & Vascular Institute, to find out common heart attack signs and how men and women differ. Well also hear the stories of two women who survived unexpected heart problems and lead healthier, more active lives today.

First, a little background information: The term heart disease refers to several different heart conditions. In the United States, it usually means coronary artery disease, which affects the flow of blood to the heart. A heart attack happens when a part of the heart muscle doesnt get enough blood. Heart disease, left untreated, can cause a heart attack.

One in every five deaths in women is caused by a heart attack.

Current statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association show:

Although heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, heart attacks and heart disease have traditionally been perceived as a mens health issue. In fact, says cardiologist Dr. Janet Smith, that is why the so-called classic symptoms are typically symptoms men experience. For years, all the studies focused on men, so the symptoms they listed were what everyone came to recognize as symptoms of all heart attacks, explains Dr. Smith, who specializes in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease at Norton Healthcare.

Women can present the classic signs of a heart attack, she continues. Chest pressure or pain is the most common symptom for both men and women. But women are more likely than men to feel some of the other symptoms like shortness of breath, nausea, and fatigue. Many describe to me a feeling that something is very wrong, almost a feeling of impending doom.

Women should seek medical attention immediately if they notice*:

Some women may have no symptoms, or may not recognize them until too late. Brenda Burney was 63, healthy, active, and working when a stress test sent her reeling. Formerly in the military, Brenda has always known the importance of exercise, though she switched from running her miles to walking. A single mother of two grown sons, she relishes her role as Grammy to four granddaughters. And as a hospital chaplain, she is always busy. The job was (and is) stressful, however, and her doctor had become concerned about her blood pressure. I took a routine stress test on August 19, 2018, says Brenda. The doctors realized that something was wrong and sent me immediately to Norton Audubon Hospital where I was diagnosed with heart disease. Three days later, I had triple bypass surgery.

Looking back, Brenda says the warning signs were there. She has a family history of heart disease; her father had triple bypass surgery, her mother underwent a quadruple bypass. High blood pressure is another indicator. Brenda recalls experiencing a burning feeling in her chest when she exercised, a strange grabbing pain across her back, and fatigue. What does she want women to know? You are in control of your bodies. Listen to your body and allow it to tell the story of how you are.

Brenda was not aware she had heart disease until she took a stress test. She later underwent triple bypass surgery to improve her heart health.

Brenda attributes her survival to the quick intervention of her health providers and the support of her family. They were just as shocked as I was, but my extended family became my primary caregivers. They met to figure out a schedule and took off work to be with me.

Today Brenda is back at work as a palliative care chaplain. She eats well and continues to exercise, even introducing a Lets Move line dance group for seniors at her church. Most importantly to her, shes become a champion of womens heart health, sharing her story with others, promoting healthy diet and exercise, and actively participating in a support group at Norton.

After an event, its all about lifestyle, Dr. Smith explains. Making necessary changes is critical. Eating a heart-healthy diet, getting regular exercise, maintaining an optimal weight, not smoking, and taking prescribed medication are all important factors to recovery a lesson it took Chloe McClure two heart attacks to learn.

One of five daughters, Chloe has lost two sisters to colon cancer. One sibling had to have a colon resection, one sister is a breast cancer survivor, and her father died of a stroke in 1956. Her only brother died of a heart attack, but with so much cancer in her familys health history, Chloe says heart health was not really on her radar.

Single with two grown daughters, Chloe was a year from retirement as an administrative assistant when she had her first heart attack in January 2011. Like Brenda, Chloe also experienced intense fatigue, sometimes falling asleep in her work clothes right when she got home and sleeping until morning, but she chalked it up to her job. When her heart attack happened, it was sudden and surprising.

I leaned over to put paper in the copier and felt a huge, heavy weight in my chest, she says. It passed long enough for me to get help. I had an angioplasty with a stent at Norton and then I went right back to my same lifestyle. I didnt pay attention to diet or start exercising. My attitude was, Im fixed, so Ill just get on with my job.

Chloe has survived two heart attacks, and now appreciates the importance of leading a healthy, active life.

Two weeks after her April 2012 retirement, Chloe had her second heart attack.

I was having my morning coffee and noticed my shoulder bothering me. At first, I thought Id slept on it wrong, but then my jaw began hurting, almost like I had a toothache. I began to feel faint, then had chills and nausea. I realized what was happening so I called my daughter and she got me to the hospital quickly. The EKG showed I was having another heart attack. I had a second angioplasty with a stent.

She paid more attention to what her cardiologist told her this time. I started walking, she says. I participated in a mini-marathon this spring, I do Pilates, yoga, and water aerobics.

An ovarian cancer survivor, Chloe knows the importance of support groups. She also participates in the monthly group offered by Norton Healthcare and is on the Norton Patient and Family Advisory Council. She is an active volunteer in her community and with cancer support groups. Her best advice? Do not ignore what the doctor tells you!

Both Brenda and Chloe found help within Norton Healthcare, which provides some amazing preventative and after-care programs to help women get healthy and stay that way:

And lastly, what do cardiologists want women to know? Dr. Smiths parting advice echoes both Brendas and Chloes:

*Source: Norton Healthcare

To learn more about Nortons heart health programs and to find a physician, visit nortonhealthcare.com.

This article is sponsored by Norton Healthcare.

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The Most Important Things Women Should Know About Heart Health - StyleBlueprint

Long, gruelling workouts may do more harm than good, especially after 45

Its increasingly common for midlifers to be the most ferocious exercisers at the gym. We relish brutal bootcamp-style classes, spin ourselves silly and push ourselves to ever more extreme challenges marathons, triathlons and week-long cycling races. We all want to live longer, healthier lives.

However, some experts believe that for the over-45s in particular, exercising at high intensity for more than 45 minutes at a time is detrimental, putting chronic stress on the body and accelerating ageing. So are you training too hard for too long? And could doing less give you a better body and health?

A study published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that one brisk jog weekly no faster than 6mph (about 9.5km/h) and no longer

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Are you exercising too much? | Weekend - The Times

NATICK, Massachusetts Researchers at an Army institute are more than halfway through a major study of what causes injuries in new recruits and what can be done about it.

Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, or USARIEM, Research Physiologists Julie Hughes and Stephen Foulis recently spoke with Army Times about the effort, which has so far studied 2,291 recruits with a goal of tracking 4,000 recruits for two years from basic training forward.

Some early findings show that, on average, the overall body weight of recruits didnt change dramatically during basic training. But both body fat and muscle mass did.

Early data shows that Army recruits through basic training increase their lean muscle mass by about 4 percent and decrease their body fat by about 15 percent.

While women make up less than 20 percent of enlisted recruits, according to a 2018 study on demographics of the U.S. military released by the Council on Foreign Relations, the study is trying to overrepresent the female population in order to answer questions on female soldier injury rates, Hughes said.

But, there are already promising data being analyzed that shows that recruit training benefits female recruits, resulting in lower body fat and higher lean muscle mass than their civilian counterparts in a just a few weeks of training.

The body composition and bone/muscle measurements will continue. But the next step will be a sleep study starting early next year, researchers said.

Hughes and Foulis are in the institutes Military Performance Division and worked with a team of about 20 researchers have traveled to both Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Fort Sill, Oklahoma to take bone scans and other tests to see what effects basic training is having, both positive and negative, on recruits.

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The aim is to determine, based on a host of characteristics, which recruits are more susceptible to injury and what interventions Army leaders might be able to take to prevent those injuries.

Ultimately, the goal is to put their data together and create algorithms that can better predict what part of the recruit population my have injury risks or problems in training.

Both researchers emphasized that the work is not to exclude anyone from training due to risks, but instead to identify factors they can adjust to prevent injuries, whether thats better nutrition, different types of events at different times of the training cycle or other ways to better prepare recruits for periods in which injuries might occur, such as progressive loading for ruck marches.

How do you alter the training environment for that person or for everyone to do better? Hughes said.

An added bonus is to push further with the research and find ways to optimize training to increase performance through better preventative steps.

The most recently released data from January showed that the study had conducted 2,000 tibia scans and collected more than 37,172 results from blood tests.

Subjects of the study had to do balance testing and vertical jumps so that researchers could also measure their strength and flexibility.

While there have been many theories behind some of the prevalence of basic training injuries, it wasnt until recent years that technological advances allowed for detailed measurements to take place.

Scientists can now measure intricate levels of bone density and see how it changes under stress through the nine-week basic training cycle.

The study began in 2017 at Fort Jackson and has expanded to Fort Sill since then, researcher said. Testing throughout the study measures bone density measures and body composition.

In early 2018, the Army introduced the Performance Readiness Bar to add more calcium and other nutrition supplements. Recruits are given the bar as an option to eat but researchers in this study will track if theyre actually consuming it and if there are effects of the extra calcium on injuries.

But what contributes to injury is far more complex than the density of bone or the composition of muscle and fat. Thats why researchers are looking at nutrition, fitness, sex, genetics, menstrual history, neurobehavioral social factors and sleep.

Neurobehavioral factors can be boiled down to somewhat subjective terms such as grit or resiliency, which are hard to measure but could play large roles in success.

Maybe somebody whos really getting after it has more of a risk injury, Foulis said. Or maybe because of that theyre at a lower risk of injury.

The sleep portion of the study will begin early next year, researchers said.

Another question researchers are trying to answer is why female recruits currently suffer higher injury rates than their male colleagues.

The study came from a partnership with the Armys Training and Doctrine Command and the Center for Initial Military Training.

Both of which had been involved with USARIEM in past work such as the Physical Demands Study. That study and another, the Occupational Physical Assessment Test Validation Study helped inform the OPAT in use today.

An estimated 1,200 trainees took part in the two studies, Mallory Roussel, USARIEM, spokeswoman told Army Times.

Foulis was a part of that project. In the study, researchers took three groups of an estimated 50 soldiers. Those groups completed eight simulated tasks four times over a two-week period.

Some of the tasks included a sandbag carry, casualty evacuation from a vehicle turret, casualty drag, movement under direct fire, stowing ammunition on a tank, loading the tanks main gun, transferring ammo from field artillery supply vehicles and finishing a 4-mile foot march.

The hands-on collection of initial entry information from recruits should wrap up by late 2020 and the two-year tracking will then end by late 2022. Researchers expect to release the full five-year study results by 2023.

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This study seeks to find out why recruits get injured and what can the Army do about it - ArmyTimes.com

If youre needing to start kick your day with a can of soda or two, and then find that you need that kick all over again to keep on going, you are addicted to soda.

So, what makes soda so addictive?Both regular and diet?

A few factors come to mind. Sugar, caffeine, the sound of that snap opening when opening that can and the fizz factor.

According to Gary Wenk, who is the director of the Neuroscience Undergraduate Programs at Ohio State University and who also wrote the bookYour Brain on Food,becoming addicted to soda is all in the design of the beverage. Soft drinks are designed with just the right amount of sweetness, caffeine and carbonation to make you crave a continuous gulp of it.

The sugar kick. A 12 oz. can of Coca-Cola has 39 grams of sugar which is equal to 10 teaspoons or over 3 tablespoons of sugar. The rush one gets from all that sweetness activates the rewards center in our brain in the same way that drugs do. All that sugar releases the brain chemical dopamine and gives us a sense of euphoria.

But what happens is that the feeling of euphoria is gone almost as fast as it happens, leaving the brain craving more.

And if you are drinking diet sodas, it leaves the brain thinking its getting the real thing but doesnt and increases the craving for more hoping for thereal thing.

Cordialis Msora-Kasago, who is a registered dietitian nutritionist and the spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, says that the more soda you drink, the bigger the reward and as with most things that are rewarding you develop a liking to it and then crave even more of it.

Then there is the caffeine kick.

Caffeine is a stimulant. It stimulates our brain and our brain likes anything that stimulates it, Wenk says.

Dr. Marilyn Cornelis, who is an assistant professor of PreventativeMedicine at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, says one of the most widely consumed

psycho-stimulant in the world is caffeine. When you couple sugar with caffeine you get a double high which contributes to the desire to have it more often.

Now the fizz factor. Carbonation makes any drink more addictive, according to Wenk.

The fizz adds a small amount of acidity and when combined with sugar it intensifies the euphoric feeing of reward. This acidity also does something else. It somewhat blunts the sweetness of the sugar just enough to make you want more of it.

Kicking the soda addiction is important to your health especially if you are having more than one can a day. It can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, increased risk of stroke and dementia.

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Kick the can of soda addiction for better health. - Bedford Bulletin

After experiencing two months of anal itching and bleeding, a 32-year-old mother visited a medical clinic for a workup. A colonoscopy revealed that she had a 1-centimeter pinworm living and laying eggs in her butt, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The woman's 5-year-old daughter had the condition too, which was eventually traced to the child's school, where a number of the girls' classmates got the same diagnosis.

Pinworms, or Enterobius vermicularis, are actually pretty common especially among children. While even just reading about the condition may lead you to feel queasy, the infection typically comes with few symptoms, and rarely leads to serious health issues.

Once diagnosed, it's fairly easy to treat, and families can protect against it with some basic hygiene practices.

As many as 50% of children pick up pinworms, the most common worm infection in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Infections from pinworms is most prevalent among children between the ages of 5 and 10 who may not wash their hands properly. Getty

While anyone can develop the infection, it's most prevalent among children between the ages of 5 and 10 who have a tendency to touch everything and may not wash their hands properly. Since it's such a contagious condition, family members and caregivers are prone to developing it as well.

So, what exactly are pinworms and how are they contracted?

As the name suggests. pinworms are small, thin, pin-shaped worms about the size of a staple, which can live in a person's colon and anus.

When an infected person scratches their anus due to an inflammatory response, the eggs cling to their fingers and easily spread from there. Someone can accidentally swallow or breathe in the eggs through contaminated food or beverages. They can also ingest the eggs by putting their fingers in their mouths after touching infected surfaces. Children are known to pick up the infection from playing in sandboxes, too.

After taking up residence in a person's body, female worms exit through the butt while the infected person is asleep, and deposit their eggs on the surrounding skin.

Common symptoms include itching around the vagina and anus, irritability and nausea.

How can parents take preventative measures to protect themselves and their children? Basic hygiene is key.

"Prevention of pinworms includes good hand hygiene, like washing hands with soap and water before eating and after using the bathroom," Nadia Sabri, a pediatrician at Austin Regional Clinic, told Insider. "No nail-biting, and keep fingernails short and clean."

Sabri recommends families wash linens, towels, and clothes in hot water and be vigilant about vacuuming play areas especially if there is an outbreak in a child's class.

Pinworms are highly contagious and can be transferred a number of ways, even from playing in a sandbox. Getty

She also advises parents to instruct their children to avoid scratching around the anus.

But parents shouldn't feel stigmatized if pinworms befall their family, as it can happen to anyone even A-list celebrities.

During an interview on the "The Joel McHale Show" last year, actress Kristen Bell opened up about how she caught pinworms from her 3-year-old daughter.

When Bell noticed her daughter scratching her bottom, she immediately knew there was a problem.

"You have to monitor it and you have to look in their poop," Bell told McHale. "Sure enough, I wiped and saw a little white worm."

Pinworm infections are easily detectable and treatable. Eggs will become visible by pressing pieces of tape to the skin around the anus, a process aptly called, the tape test. Shining a flashlight on the butt at night, when the parasite is more likely to show up, is another way concerned parents can check.

The condition is typically treated with oral medication, and medical experts recommend that an entire household seek treatment, even if just one person gets a diagnosis.

As they say, the early bird catches the worm.

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A woman had a tiny pinworm laying eggs in her butt for 2 months, and it's more common than you might think - INSIDER

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If the impeachment inquiry against President Trump moves to a trial in the Senate, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) told reporters this week, his role there must take precedence over his presidential campaign. "We are doing something that is with the gravity of removing the sitting president from office," Booker said. "I will be there. I will be focused. And I will do my work."

Insofar as any member of Congress deserves plaudits for promising to prioritize duly representing his constituents over seeking greater personal power, that's dandy. But Booker's framing of his work as remedying a crisis of presidential misconduct evinces a too-common misconstruction and one which helped us into this mess in the first place. It makes the legislature's restraint on executive power entirely ex post facto, letting lawmakers skip the more necessary work of trimming the imperial presidency back to its basic administrative roots.

Impeachment is necessary and sometimes unavoidable, but it is not prophylactic. Partisanship keeps it from functioning as a reliable protection against future wrongdoing, because even the worst presidents can expect near-lockstep support from their own party in Congress, and almost every president in the last half century has had at least a few years of a friendly majority in one house or both.

Divided government likewise offers no guarantee of accountability, as House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi's foot-dragging on this very impeachment inquiry has revealed. Political considerations, chiefly alienating independent and swing voters, will often outweigh ethical concerns. "High crimes and misdemeanors" are significantly in the eye of the beholder, and the beholder is looking at the next election cycle.

That reality makes impeaching the president rather like a trip to the emergency room. Yes, it might save your life. It's also mostly unconnected to the day-to-day of responsible, healthy living except if it's your own fault that you're in the emergency room, in which case the visit should prompt some changes to whatever part of your lifestyle is the culprit.

The congressional Democrats spearheading this impeachment have no apparent intention of making such a change. They'll bandage a broken skull and send the patient right back to biking without a helmet. They'll try to oust this president and leave the very same tools of corruption and abuse for the next one. They'll let him claim, in deed if not in word, that he has the "right to do whatever he wants as president," armed with pen and phone.

This state of affairs can only be acceptable to the selfish or naive. It appeals to politicians and partisans because the power they persistently leave unchecked will sometimes fall to them. Why melt the crown if it may yet rest upon your head? And it appeals to those who retain a civics class credulity about American politics, clutching against all evidence to the belief that we may yet develop markedly better and broader electoral tastes. Unless Mr. Rogers rises from the grave with a hankering for the campaign trail, I wouldn't count on it.

The safer and more certain option is massive structural reform. Congress must put meaningful restrictions on the power of the presidency. The executive branch has for decades crept beyond its proper administrative function to usurp congressional authority, dictating the priorities of state well beyond the vague leeway of executive discretion.

Incidentally, it is this very pseudo-lawmaking which made Trump's alleged quid pro quo possible. Reform could indicate to foreign leaders that the president is an administrator with no power to refrain from disbursing funds Congress told him to disburse. It could place stricter limits on national emergency declarations, ensuring the president cannot unilaterally move money around in direct contravention of Congress. It could significantly curtail presidential immunity, making the president subject to indictment. Perhaps most importantly, it could limit the scope of executive orders, the favored method for presidents of both parties to exercise unconstitutional policy-setting authority.

This is a difficult and unlikely ask in that it requires sacrificing short-term partisan advantage for a long-term shot at more functional and congenial governance. I get the implausibility here.

Still I recommend it, and will continue to recommend it forever, because impeachment is confusing, uncertain, retroactive, narrowly targeted, and politically fraught. It may censure or remove a bad president, but it does so only in connection to a small selection of provable misdeeds and via a process that will always be subject to accusations of injustice. The best impeachment remains a contributor to political rancor and fails to stop further executive overreach. It's an ounce of cure when we need a pound of prevention.

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Impeachment is the ER. We need to practice preventative medicine. - The Week

You may have seen DO at the end of a physicians name but not known the meaning behind this degree. It stands for doctor of osteopathic medicine, and these doctors are trained in modern medicine as well as holistic medicine based on the philosophy that the body is an integrated whole. They receive special instruction in the musculoskeletal system and osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT), a hands-on approach to diagnosing and treating patients. Bayhealth Primary Care PhysicianVincent Lobo, DO, DACFP, who has been performing OMT in his practice for over 40 years, discusses its uses and benefits.

The premise behind osteopathic or holistic medicine is that the mind, spirit, and structure and function of the body are interdependent. Essentially, if your body is structurally healthy, it heals itself. Pain or other problemsoccur when there are somatic dysfunctions of different levels of the spine, said Dr. Lobo. Somatic dysfunction is defined as a restriction in the bodys framework. This may originate in the skeletal system or fascia, the bodys connective tissue, and may alter the circulatory, lymphatic or nervous system.

If theres a lesion in the back or the spine is out of alignment, for example, the nerves that connect from that area to the internal organs send abnormal nerve impulses that will, in turn, affect those organs, he said. The opposite can also occur when a disorder of an internal organ manifests as a spine problem, such as an inflamed gall bladder causing back pain.

Osteopathic physicians aim to restore the normal mechanics in the body. In an osteopathic structural exam, I typically examine for posture, spinal motion, joint restriction, tissue spasms, spinal curvature, leg lengths, and conditions of the feet, said Dr. Lobo. With OMT, gentle pressure is applied or manual manipulations are done on the muscles, joints or nerves that are the source of the dysfunction. This can improve posture, relieve pressure and reduce pain.

Dr. Lobo said that some of the more common ailments for which he performs OMT are chest wall pain, tension headaches, thoracic pain, sinus problems, neck and low back pain, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), and some abdominal pain. There are a variety of OMT techniques, and these are dependent upon the specific problem and a patients age. Two types are muscle energy techniques, involving muscle stretching and contractions, and myofascial release which is like a soft tissue massage.

A critical element of osteopathic medicine is preventative medicine and education, said Dr. Lobo. This includes encouraging patients to maintain healthy diet and physical activity, and teaching them what they can do on their own to help with their medical issues, such as using correct form when lifting, wearing orthotics in shoes, or doing certain exercises.

All DOs have the knowledge, but not all DOs perform OMT, Dr. Lobo said. Its another modality of treatment but like anything else, including physical therapy or acupuncture, nothing is 100%. I think its good for people to know that Bayhealth has this resource through some of its doctors.

To learn more about osteopathic physicians and those who use OMT in their practice, visitBayhealth.org/Find-A-Doctoror call 1-866-BAY-DOCS (229-3627).

Excerpt from:
What is Osteopathic Medicine and OMT? - CapeGazette.com

The local grocery store sells capsules. Sephora carries lotions. And that effortlessly put-together mom at drop-off swears by a $78 oil to help her sleep. Yup, were talking about CBD, which many (including your yoga teacher) tout as the ultimate salve for anxiety, pain and insomnia, among other woes. But put-together momand yoga instructor aside,what about our children (who are bouncing off the walls as we speak)? Is CBD oil for kids safe? Or even a good idea?

Hang tight there, mama. Before you start dropping cannabinoid oil under your childs tongue or packing gummies in her lunchbox, you need to get the scoop on whether or not its safe and effective. Read on for a deep dive into how CBD works and the risks and benefits associated with giving it to children. (Spoiler: CBD oil is not recommended for kids, but theres also still a lot of research to be done in order to prove the efficacy either way.)

CBD, short for cannabidiol, is an organic compound found in both the hemp plant and its under-the-counter cousin, marijuana. In fact, CBD is the second-most active component in marijuana, but unlike THC (aka tetrahydrocannabinol), it has no psychoactive properties. So dont worry; its not a gateway drugits not even going to get you (or your kid) high. That said, pure CBD has been touted as a therapeutic treatment for an astonishing array of ailments: insomnia, anxiety, schizophrenia, epilepsy, menstrual cramps, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammation and chronic pain, to name a few.

Curious about its potential as an organic cure-all? Take note: Not all modes of delivery are created equal. In order of speed and efficiency, CBD can be smoked (or more commonly, vaped), absorbed as a tincture, ingested orally or applied topically.

In fact, Consumer Reports published a helpful guide to these methods of CBD use, as summarized here:

So yeah, CBD can be found pretty much everywhere and in every form, from bath bombs to seltzers to face masks to mascaras (yep). But ubiquity doesnt mean safety. For starters

We went to WebMD(best friend to moms and hypochondriacs the world over) to learn a little bit about CBDs current legal status. And suffice it to say, its complicated. See, as of 2018, hemp and hemp-derived products became legal in all 50 states. But there are some exceptions when it comes to CBD. For example, [CBD] can't be legally included in foods or dietary supplements. Also, cannabidiol can't be included in products marketed with therapeutic claims... And these restrictions apply to all CBD products, including those derived from hemp, even though the hemp plant itself contains only trace amounts of THC. And just to add to the confusion (though it is news to nobody): there are still products labeled as dietary supplements on the market that contain cannabidiol...

TLDR: Businesses arent being busted for selling CBD, and parents who buy it arent being charged with misdemeanors. Still, the restrictions are in place for a reason, so that's something to consider before you administer it to yourself or, of course, your children.

Anecdotal evidence of CBDs healing capacity abounds: Internet blogs say you should have it in your parenting toolbox, your real-life social circle buzzes about its efficacy and even PureWow writers kind of dig it, too.

Same goes for the medical and scientific communities, where practitioners and researchers alike are excited about its potential, and for good reasonthe early evidence is promising and the findings suggest more than just a fad.

For example, a 2019 study in The Permanente Journal, "Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series," published just this year concluded that cannabidiol may hold benefit for anxiety-related disorders. While the results of this study showed no evidence of a [limiting] safety issue, researchers echoed the resounding sentiment of the medical community: all results must be interpreted very cautiously. Randomized and controlled trials are needed to provide definitive clinical guidance.

In a 2018 study in the publication Neuropsychopharmacology, which focused on impulse control and addictive behaviors, researchers found in rat subjects (so take this study with a grain of salt) proof of principle supporting potential of CBD for relapse prevention.

Theres also a ton more research out there on CBDs potential as a therapeutic treatment, and it looks pretty goodbut the science still remains too scarce and too young to validate the many glowing claims made about its use. Fortunately, the explosion of consumer interest in the compound has encouraged Congress to support further research and many more studies are currently under way. For now, though, few doctors are willing to give you (or your kiddo) the go-ahead.

TLDR: Theres still a lot more research to be done for a definitive answer.

If youre intrigued by the anecdotal evidence and wondering what the harm is in trying this trendy stuff out on your sleep-deprived or anxious child, we dont blame you. And theres at least one case study that suggests the therapeutic benefit of CBD in children; this one from 2016, which details a 10-year-old girl who suffered from PTSD-related anxiety and insomnia and found her symptoms improved by CBD treatment. Whats more, theres a pretty strong consensus among reputable sources that pure CBD does not pose serious, acute health risks. The World Health Organizations critical review concludes that CBD is generally well tolerated with a good safety profile. But dont go rushing to the health food store yet. The WHO report is helpful in furthering research efforts, but you should probably leave the clinical trials to the scientists, most doctors agree.

We checked in with clinical psychologist Dr. Bethany Cook (author of For What It's Worth: A Perspective on How to Thrive and Survive Parenting Ages 0-2) as to what she thought about the use of CBD for pediatric patients with anxiety. Bottom line: She encourages parents to consult a pediatrician before exploring alternative therapies like CBD, acknowledging that CBD could be a useful part of a pediatric anxiety treatment plan because of its ability to produce decreased physiological responses but agrees that much research still needs to be done to understand all the potential pros and cons.

We confirmed this with Dr. Dyan Hes (medical director and founder of Gramercy Pediatrics), who agrees that its best not to start experimenting with relatively unknown remedies. Dr. Hes reminds parents that, aside from the one FDA approved THC based drug, Epidiolex, for use in specific types of seizures in children over age2 yearsno other CBD oils on the market have been tested in a rigorous scientific manner in children. Plus, because the promising early evidence is too new to provide insight on long-term effects, we do not know how CBD would interact with other medications or affect the growing brain.

She also notes that because CBD is technically classified as a supplement, the regulations are pretty loosey-goosey and products may be unreliable. In fact, there is not one quality control agency verifying the labeling and concentration of CBD in the oil, [and] CBD itself has varying strengths depending on the source and manufacturing process. In other words, pure CBD used at a known dose could very well be the best thing since sliced bread, but the point is moot because thats not what youre buying at the bodega. For this reason, Dr. Hes says, pediatricians have concluded that at this point it is not safe to give a child any CBD product. This goes across the board whether to be used topically on the skin or ingested.

TLDR: Would Dr. Hes recommend CBD for children? For now, the answer is no, she tells us.

Dr. Cook says that teaching cognitive coping skillsis a powerful way to restructure neural pathways to treat and prevent anxiety. In short, there are tons of ways to help your child stay calm without going the CBD route. Here are a few tried-and-true methods, recommended by moms and health professionals alike.

1. Limit screen time

TV is fast-paced these days (take a stroll down memory lane and watch Mr. Rogers for comparison) and has been linked to aggression, attention and sleep issues in children. Its not just televisioneven just one hour of general screen time per day has been linked to lowered curiosity, self-control, emotional stability and a greater inability to complete tasks, according to a San Diego State University study published in 2018 in the journalPreventative Medicine Reports. Add to that a National Institutes of Health estimate that todays youth spend an average of five to seven hours staring at a screen each dayand Houston, weve got a problem.

Butlets be real, technology isnt going anywhere, and kids are drawn to it like moths to a flame, so you might want to take advantage of that. Which brings us to...

2. Download a meditation app

There are dozenssome better than othersthat can cater to your childs specific needs whether its helping your little one fall asleep with a soothing sleep story or providing centering visual cues or calming breathing exercises. Smiling Mind offers a super zen full body scan to help kids become more aware of how their bodies react when theyre under duress. Headspace and StopBreatheThink also have guided meditations specifically designed for kids.

3. Invest in noise-cancelling headphones

Maybe you live in a small space and have a light sleeper, or perhaps your child struggles with sensory overload. Good noise-cancelling headphones or earmuffs can help her find quiet and calm no matter the situationand theyre doctor-recommended. A study published in theHong Kong Journal of Occupational Therapyfound that children with autism spectrum disorder who often experience anxiety benefitted greatly from having those unpleasant sounds and stimuli blocked. Find a pair with a cool print or pattern on them in your kids favorite color and youre golden.

4. Tuck under a weighted blanket

Real clinical studies into weighted blankets and how effective they actually are dont exist (yet). But experts seem to be sold on at least giving them a chance when it comes to anxiety and sleeplessness. The idea here is that the blankets act in the same way that tightly swaddling a newborn creates a feeling of snug security that encourages calmness and sleep, aHarvard Medical School paperpraising the pricey blankets explained. The university recommends trying one thats about 10 percent of your childs overall body weight, meaning a 60-pound kid should use a blanket no heavier than six pounds.

5. Be a team

While many of these products can work wonders, dealing with your issues piecemeal might not be as effective as thinking holistically. You are in this battle with your child. So join the team. Meditate with them and get comfy under the weighted blanket. Learn alongside your child whats working and whats not and developa lifestyle that works for you both. A great resourceon actively dealing with your kids anxiety in real time is thislist from The Child Mind Institute. It recommends techniques like modeling healthy anxiety management in yourself, expressing positive but realistic expectations and tackling scary things together.

Yeah, we cant condone giving your kiddo a whole bunch of CBD gummies. But there are plenty of resources for helping your little guy stay calm under pressure. (And if youre still concerned that his anxiety isnt improving, definitely consult your pediatrician.)

RELATED: Is CBD Oil Just One Big Marketing Gimmick? (Dont @ Me)

Originally posted here:
CBD Oil for Kids: Is It Safe and Does It Work? - Yahoo Lifestyle

The go.TOP was named the Best New Radiological Devise in 2017 by Aunt Minnie for a good reason; this scanner has more artificial intelligence on board than any other CT on the market today.

PRINCETON, N.J. (PRWEB) November 07, 2019

Princeton Longevity Center, the premier preventive medicine center in the Northeast and leading international health advisory company, is pleased to announce their installation of the new SOMATOM go.TOP computed tomography (CT) system. Princeton Longevity is the first healthcare facility in the Northeast to acquire this advanced imaging technology, continuing their long tradition of providing the highest levels of expertise and care to their patients.

Exceptional TechnologyThe go.TOP was named the Best New Radiological Devise in 2017 by Aunt Minnie for a good reason; this scanner has more artificial intelligence on board than any other CT on the market today. The go.TOP includes many second reader capabilities such as lung CAD, anatomy coverage, and contrast enhancement features and has the ability to lay out anatomy in multiple planes for an easier, more accurate diagnosis. Additional features include a 0.33-second rotation time, Stellar detector technology, and the ability to deliver personalized, precise radiation doses. These features, along with the systems advanced mobile, tablet-based workflow, give Princeton Longevity technologists the ability to optimally adapt to each patient and offer a full spectrum of clinical care.

Exceptional Patient CareThe SOMATOM go.TOP CT is a 128-slice scanner with a patient-centered mobile workflow; with the go.TOP, technologists spend 50% more time in direct contact with patients. Patients can be scanned in seconds with minimized doses of radiation. Safer, faster scans serve more patients and the innovative design of the go.TOP offers the ability to scan a wider array of patients; factors such as patient size, claustrophobia, or the presence of implants or pacemakers are no longer limitations to care. Flexibility and mobility options give technologists at Princeton Longevity the freedom to provide greater comfort to patients.

Princeton Longevity Center is a premiere preventative medicine center and executive health center with locations throughout the Northeast.

If you would like more information about this topic, please call Andrea Lanza or to locate a center at our website.

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Princeton Longevity Center Announces First Northeast US Installation of Siemens' State-of-the-Art SOMATOM go.Top CT Scanner - PR Web

Will we one day combine tardigrade DNA with our cells to go to Mars?

Chris Mason, a geneticist and associate professor of physiology and biophysics at Weill Cornell University in New York, has investigated the genetic effects of spaceflight and how humans might overcome these challenges to expand our species farther into the solar system. One of the (strangest) ways that we might protect future astronauts on missions to places like Mars, Mason said, might involve the DNA of tardigrades, tiny micro-animals that can survive the most extreme conditions, even the vacuum of space!

Mason led one of the 10 teams of researchers NASA chose to study twin astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly. After launching in 2015, Scott Kelly spent almost a year aboard the International Space Station while his twin brother, Mark Kelly, stayed back on Earth.

Related:By the Numbers: Astronaut Scott Kelly's Year-in-Space Mission

Geneticist Chris Mason discusses the genetic effects of spaceflight at the 8th Human Genetics in NYC Conference on Oct. 29, 2019.

(Image credit: Chelsea Gohd/Space.com)

By comparing how they biologically reacted to their vastly different environments during that time, scientists aimed to learn more about how long-duration missions affects the human body. Mason and the dozens of other researchers who worked to assess the genetic effects of spaceflight uncovered a wealth of data that has so far revealed many new findings about how space affects the human body.

Researchers hope that this work, which continues today, might inform strategies to support astronaut health on future missions. Mason discussed some of the results of this research at a talk at the 8th Human Genetics in NYC Conference on Oct. 29.

In addition to the research Mason discussed at the conference, these researchers are working on seven more papers incorporating the data from the twins study. However, they also hope to use new data from a larger sample.

"We want to do some of the same studies, longitudinal studies, with people on Earth, people in space," Mason told Space.com at the conference.

By studying, specifically, how certain genes are expressed during the different stages of spaceflight (including the intense return to Earth), these research efforts could support future efforts to mitigate the dangers of spaceflight, Mason said.

For instance, if further studies were to confirm that landing back on Earth were harmful to the human body, scientists could develop ways to prevent those detrimental effects. But with such a small body of data (the twins study was just two people), scientists aren't ready to prescribe any specific treatment or preventative medicine to alter how humans genetically react to spaceflight.

"I think we do what is normally done in science We see something interesting; let's try it in mice first," Mason said.

He noted that they might not even find it necessary to prescribe anything to alter the effects they've seen in astronauts like Scott Kelly. "Some of those changes, even though they're dramatic, maybe that's how the body needed to respond," Mason said.

Related: Space Radiation Threat to Astronauts Explained (Infographic)

While, Mason noted, future astronauts might be prescribed medicine or other tools to help to mitigate the effects which they've uncovered with this research. However, new studies are investigating how tools such as gene editing could make humans more capable of traveling farther into space and even to planets such as Mars.

One of the main health concerns with space travel is radiation exposure. If, for example, scientists could figure out a way to make human cells more resilient to the effects of radiation, astronauts could remain healthier for longer durations in space. Theoretically, this type of technology could also be used to combat the effects of radiation on healthy cells during cancer treatments on Earth, Mason noted.

However, the idea of tinkering with human genes is controversial. But Mason emphasized that there will likely be decades of research completed before this kind of science is applied to humans.

"I don't have any plans of having engineered astronauts in the next one to two decades," Mason said. "If we have another 20 years of pure discovery and mapping and functional validation of what we think we know, maybe by 20 years from now, I'm hoping we could be at the stage where we would be able to say we can make a human that could be better surviving on Mars."

But what does it mean to genetically engineer a person to better survive in space or on another planet? There are multiple possible approaches.

One way that scientists could alter future astronauts is through epigenetic engineering, which essentially means that they would "turn on or off" the expression of specific genes, Mason explained

Alternatively, and even more strangely, these researchers are exploring how to combine the DNA of other species, namely tardigrades, with human cells to make them more resistant to the harmful effects of spaceflight, like radiation.

This wild concept was explored in a 2016 paper, and Mason and his team aim to build upon that research to see if, by using the DNA of ultra-resilient tardigrades, they could protect astronauts from the harmful effects of spaceflight.

Genetically editing humans for space travel would likely be a part of natural changes to the human physiology that could occur after living on Mars for a number of years, Mason said. "It's not if we evolve; it's when we evolve," he added.

While changes to the human body are to be expected as our species expands off-Earth, there is a way to do this science responsibly, Mason said. "In terms of a question of liberty, you're engineering it [a future human] to have lots more opportunities, again assuming we haven't taken away opportunities," he said. "If we learned that, in some way, when we decided to try and prove the ability of humans to live beyond Earth, and we take away their ability to live on Earth, I think that would be unjust."

Genetically engineering humans could be ethical if it makes people more capable of inhabiting Mars safely without interfering with their ability to live on Earth, Mason said.

Follow Chelsea Gohd on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Need more space? Subscribe to our sister title "All About Space" Magazine for the latest amazing news from the final frontier!

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Can We Genetically Engineer Humans to Survive Missions to Mars? - Space.com

Health care spending represents nearly a fifth of the United States gross domestic product.

The U.S. spends more per capita on health care than any other country about 25% more than the second-biggest spender, Switzerland, according to recent data from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Yet the countrys health outcomes compare unfavorably to most other industrialized nations. Americans pay more for their health care, driven by a sprawling, opaque web of providers, insurers and little-understood middlemen.

Health care is also an industry seemingly in a state of flux, with new technologies, shifting regulatory frameworks and consumer demand pushing the industry into new, often controversial, territory.

Dr. Paul Matherne, a pediatric cardiologist and acting chief medical officer of the University of Virginia Health System, has led UVA Darden School of Business MBA students through the industry for years, teaching Challenges in Health Care and Solutions and Innovations in Health Care. He is also a 2010 graduate of Dardens Executive MBA program.

Matherne recently offered his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities in the field.

Q. Why do Americans spend so much more than other countries while our outcomes tend to be somewhere in the middle of the pack?

A. Because we are paying for what we can think of as sick care, and we are expecting health care. We have a great sick care system. If you are sick in this country, we can generally, without a lot of waiting, get you in to be seen and diagnosed and treated, but it will be expensive.

One problem is that how hospitals get paid and how doctors get paid is not aligned. There are times when a hospital gets paid more if a doctor moves somebody through the hospital faster, but the doctor gets paid less because theyre paid on a per-day basis. Thats just one of the many examples.

In health care, we also have a very complicated relationship between all the stakeholders. You have the person getting the service, the patient, whos paying part of it, but not all of it. Then you have someone else, the insurance company, telling patients where they can get the service. Actually, the insurance company telling you where you can get the service usually isnt paying for it either, because most companies are self-insured; theyve just hired an insurance company to administer the plan a very confusing system.

Also, as a society, were not really into preventative medicine and healthy lifestyles. We dont design neighborhoods for easy walkability. We cant access healthy foods everywhere. There are whole parts of the country, particularly in some cities and in rural areas, where you really cant find any healthy food, and fast food or processed foods are cheaper, so thats what people eat.

Equally as detrimental to our health is that we dont spend much time teaching people how to be healthy. If you look at other countries that have economies like ours, they spend far more on non-sick care health-related initiatives in prevention and education. As a result, they have better outcomes when measured by obesity and diabetes rates, infant mortality and lifespan, among others.

Q. You have a course on innovation in the health care system at Darden. What does innovation look like and where does it come from?

A. Innovation in health care can be anything from an amazing new idea or technology to adopting a tried-and-true method from the non-health care sector.

In the course, we try and look at what health systems are doing to try and improve care and bring down costs. How are they using big data, for instance? How is technology helping?

How are home health and telemedicine technologies going to help us bridge some of the gaps? What is the impact of a company like 23 and Me on health care?

We also try to get students to think about solutions in non-health care businesses that might be applied to health care. How can we improve health care by focusing on the patient experience? Whats the line between what is a hotel and what is a hospital? They seem to bump up against each other at times.

Q. The Affordable Care Act brought significant change to U.S. health care. What has been one of its major impacts?

A. One of the single most important things the Affordable Care Act did was to get rid of preexisting conditions as a reason to deny insurance. Im a pediatric cardiologist, so I take care of children with very serious heart disease. In the past, it could be difficult to find coverage, especially if you changed insurance carriers.

I once had a family who made the mistake of changing insurance carriers and not reading the fine print. So their 10-year-old daughter couldnt get insurance, and they were above the poverty line and she wasnt disabled, so she couldnt get Medicaid. This was a child who had significant medical needs, and the dad was told, Here are the choices: Let your business run into the ground and go bankrupt, or divorce your wife and leave your family destitute then your child can get Medicaid. In addition, when this child and those like her were to become adults, they could not get insurance because of the preexisting heart disease.

That doesnt happen anymore. Thats a big, big deal.

Q. How is technology going to affect health care in the near future?

A. Technology, including telemedicine, is amazing. The same thing is true for artificial intelligence. These things have changed the face of medicine and will continue to make advances in care, but fundamentally thats not why we have poor outcomes.

If I could get people to quit smoking and lose 50 pounds, that would do far more for their health than some fancy new algorithm or machine predicting that theyre going to have diabetes or heart attacks. I already know theyre going to have diabetes and heart attacks when theyre smoking, overweight and have a poor family history.

If we truly want to change the health of the nation, its got to go beyond technology.

Q. What does a path forward for sustainable health care and health spending in the United States look like?

A. The solution is going to be to begin to tie all the incentives together. Incentives for a company, incentives for hospital, for the government, for the patient and for providers.

Currently, they are not aligned. The better we can align all the stakeholders and focus on health rather than sick care, the better the health of our nation will be.

Link:
Health Care in the U.S.: 5 Big Questions on Its Pricey Present and Uncertain Future - UVA Today

The number of women attending regular smear tests steadily declines after the age of 45, according to a new study, despite half of cervical cancer diagnoses occurring in women over 49.

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer butthe findings from the University of Michigan cancer centre highlight the need for women to continue attending appointments post-menopause for early detection to be possible.

The new study, which appeared in the journal Preventative Medicine and analysed data from around 80,000 participants in the USA, found screening rates drop in certain subpopulations of women, particularly those between the ages of 49 and 65.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

Women in rural communities and those with lower levels of education were also less likely to regularly attend their screening.

In the UK,the NHS says all people with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 64 should go for regular cervical screening they will get a letter in the post inviting them to do so.

Unless your doctor requires you to be tested more regularly, you will have a smear test every three years between the ages of 25-49 then every five years between 50-64. After the age of 65 you will only be invited if one of your last tests presentsabnormal results.

Cervical screening checks for abnormal cell changes in the cervix or the presence of HPV (the human papillomavirus).

A routine programme of vaccination against HPV has been offered to girls in UK secondary schools since 2008 and boys since September 2019. But older age groups have not had this, which scientists say places even greater emphasis on screening.

Professor Diane Harper, senior study author, said: Early detection is key to preventing invasive, devastating and potentially fatal cases of cervical cancer.

From a public health standpoint, screening of women under 30 is considered to be the least effective investment of resources, because cancer tends to develop in middle age.

Meanwhile, if a woman is screened after age 42, there is an 8 in 10 likelihood no cancer will be detected at her next screening a few years later -- meaning theyre a vital way of catching problems early.

This study supports previous research from Cancer Research UK which foundwomen who failed to attend screenings after their 50th birthday were six times more likely to end up with cervical cancer.

The number of eligible women aged 50-64 who attended cervical screening appointments dropped from 81% in 2003 to 77.5% in 2013.

Link:
Women over 45 less likely to attend smear test despite 50% of cervical cancers being diagnosed later in life - The Independent

While kids are getting excited about hitting the slopes, local families are bracing for a brutal cold and flu season. Although parents can't control everything, when it comes to their kids' health, there are preventative measures that may help limit the impact.

Havilah Brodhead is a family nurse practitioner and the owner of Hearthside Medicine Family Care in Bend. She works with local families and warns that influenza, strep, norovirus, RSV, pertussis, pneumonia and rhinovirus are coming. Brodhead explains that more illnesses are born in colder months because people spend more time inside where microscopic droplets from cough or sneeze are invisibly suspended mid-air, just waiting to be inhaled.

The good news, according to Brodhead, is that our immune systems are primed for what she calls a systemic, underground warfare, ready to protect us with layers of defense. "One of our most under-appreciated defense systems works as a physical barrier: our skin," she explains. "Beneath our skin circulates our under-armor powerhouse: antibodies."

The human body is undeniably incredible, but there are ways to help it out during the cold and flu season. Brodhead suggests taking some of the following steps to help fortify your family members' immune systems for the months to come.

Encourage sleep: Lack of sleep sends bodies into a stress response, which lowers immunity. As a rule, preschoolers (ages 3-5), should get between 10-13 hours of sleep each night. Children ages 6 to 13 need 9-11 hours, and adolescents ages 14-17 require between 8-10 hours.

Decrease stress and pressure: You've likely heard about the toll stress takes on our immune systems. Teach your child healthy coping mechanisms and mindfulness. Anxiety, stress and depression often result in higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which lowers the immune system.

Increase the joy and cuddles: Multiple studies show that people who are positive tend to have more robust immune systems. Laughter has been documented to increase immunity! Hugging, cuddling and having skin-to-skin contact does wonders for mental and physical health.

Use warm water and soap over hand sanitizers whenever possible. Recent research revealed that even just rinsing hands in water prevents the flu more successfully than using hand sanitizers. Also, most hand sanitizers contain some ingredients that may be more harmful than good.

Protect your skin: Don't neglect that important first line of defense. Keep your skin free from cracks by using a thick moisturizer and, staying hydrated.

Food as medicine: Whenever you are able, choose organic, colorful fruits and vegetables and add them to every meal. Use organic whole grains for carbohydrates.

Proper sneezing technique: Teach your children to cough and sneeze into their elbows rather than into the air.

Choose your supplements wisely and be conservative: Exercise caution with supplements, especially pregnant or breastfeeding mothers, infants and young children. Some are safe while some are not so safe. Some can interact seriously with prescription medications or exacerbate health conditions. Supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so what is in the actual product may not be what is on the label or may be contaminated.

Our bodies are prepared to go to war during this cold and flu season. So, stock your fridge with healthy, organic foods and get ready to do a whole lot of cuddling. There are worse ways to spend your winter days.

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Are You Ready? | Health | Bend - The Source Weekly

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS With winter fast approaching, parents of young children are likely gearing up for the dreaded ear infection.

Were entering the season, said Dr. Jason Sigmon, an otolaryngologist at UCHealth Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic in Steamboat Springs. Theres a higher incidence of ear infections during fall and winter months due to the increase in upper respiratory and nasal infections.

Below, Sigmon outlines what you need to know about ear infections in children.

Children, especially those younger than 3, tend to accumulate fluid underneath their eardrums. That moist environment creates prime conditions for a virus or bacteria to take hold.

The virus or bacteria gets to the ear from the nose, which is why most children who have ear infections will have some associated nasal symptoms, Sigmon said. Adults arent as susceptible, in part, because our sinus and nasal infections usually stay in our sinuses and nose.

The biggest risk factor is age, Sigmon said. As kids get older, risk of ear infections decreases.

There are not any known, clear genetic links to increased risk of ear infections, and there arent recognized preventative measures that can stop an ear infection from taking hold.

Dont be surprised if children develop more upper respiratory and nasal illnesses when entering a day care or school setting for the first time.

Thats very normal, and is necessary for their immune systems, Sigmon said. It doesnt mean a child is going to develop chronic ear infections.

The most common symptoms of an ear infection include irritability, poor sleep, nasal congestion, nasal drainage, ear tugging and a low-grade fever.

If a child has persistent symptoms that last more than 72 hours, or symptoms that worsen, they should be seen by their pediatrician or family medicine doctor, Sigmon said. Its really important to have that regular relationship with a primary care provider. Theyre well versed in how to treat and monitor your childs ear infections.

Ear infections are typically treated with oral antibiotics, as well as ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help relieve pain.

Its important to get ear infections addressed quickly, not just to help relieve your childs discomfort.

In rare cases, chronic ear infections that arent diagnosed can result in some speech and language delays, and even some hearing loss, Sigmon said. But most hearing loss associated with chronic ear infections is reversible once infections have been treated medically or with placement of ear tubes.

If ear infections become chronic, a child may be referred to a specialist like Sigmon, who may consider putting in ear tubes.

We typically put in ear tubes only after the pediatricians and family medicine doctors have exhausted all methods of managing those infections, Sigmon said.

The tiny plastic tubes help prevent the buildup of fluid, which staves off ear infections.

Ear tubes equalize pressure across the eardrum and prevent fluid from accumulating underneath the eardrum, as that fluid is a reservoir for recurrent infections, Sigmon said. Placing a tube helps break the cycle of recurring ear infections.

A child is typically sedated for the quick procedure. Then, a small incision is made in his or her eardrum, and the tube is inserted.

Its a very quick procedure, Sigmon said. And its very successful, without a lot of side effects.

Tubes typically come out on their own over time, and most children just need one set. Most of the time, as children get older, they outgrow their need for tubes, Sigmon said.

Susan Cunningham writes for UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center. She can be reached at cunninghamsbc@gmail.com.

Continued here:
Monday Medical: Ear infections in kids - Steamboat Pilot & Today

from the knowing-too-much dept

The cost of sequencing every DNA "letter" in a human genome has fallen faster than Moore's Law, from around $100 million in 2001, to under $1,000 today (although some say the overall cost in a clinical context is higher). This brings with it the prospect of routinely carrying out full-genome sequencing for everyone. That's precisely what Matt Hancock, the UK's Health Secretary, has said he wants to see as a part of the country's National Health Service (NHS), reported here by The Telegraph:

"My ambition is that eventually every child will be able to receive whole genome sequencing along with the heel prick test [a basic test for genetic conditions]," he told the conference.

"We will give every child the best possible start in life by ensuring they get the best possible medical care as soon as they enter the world. Predictive, preventative, personalised healthcare -- that is the future of the NHS -- and whole genome sequencing and genomics is going to play a huge part in that," he said.

Creating a massive database of near-complete genomes will probably ring alarm bells for Techdirt readers. Just recently, US police have started obtaining warrants to search entire DNA databases, even of people who opted out of allowing law enforcement to access their genomic data. That's despite the fact that "touch DNA" is mostly guesswork, and that crime lab testing is beset with problems. Moreover, a mistaken belief that DNA is infallible can lead to innocent people being charged with serious crimes like murder.

It's true that DNA can be a very powerful tool for solving crimes by finding distant matches in publicly-available genetic data, and then constructing family trees to narrow down the possible suspects. But that fact also exposes why routinely obtaining someone's DNA, as Hancock proposes for newborns in the UK, has an important impact on anyone related to the person whose whole genome is sequenced.

Even when DNA databases of a complete population are not set up for the purposes of mass surveillance, as Kuwait proposed (but then scaled back), and as China is implementing in Xinjiang as a way of controlling the local Uyghur population, there are other serious issues that need to be considered.

For example, the Telegraph article notes that full-genome sequencing of newborns means "parents could choose to be alerted to the fact their child faced heightened risks of specific diseases, and allow the NHS to offer more tailored treatment." But would parents necessarily welcome knowing that their child is more likely than the average individual to develop some serious genetic condition at some point in their lives? And what about if that condition had no treatment at present? What is gained by knowing of the risk? Might parents, and later the affected children themselves, find that knowledge almost too much to bear -- a genetic sword of Damocles hanging over them all their lives? Equally, parents might feel guilty if they don't ask for this information, which could allow for earlier treatment of diseases.

There's no doubt that full-genome sequencing will have a major impact on medicine in the decades to come, and offers the hope of more targeted and more effective medicines for many conditions. But for the benefits to be realized, doctors and genetic counselors will need to find effective ways to talk to people about what the detailed but probabilistic information revealed by their complete genomes will mean for their future health and treatments. Only then can we make informed decisions that enhance our well-being and happiness.

Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter, Diaspora, or Mastodon.

Filed Under: babies, dna, health minister, matt hancock, nhs, privacy, surveillance, uk, uk health secretary

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Health Minister Wants Full-Genome Sequencing Of Every Newborn Child In UK To Become Routine - Techdirt

Ping! It's time to get a mammogram. Now, if only your boss would give you time off.

Earlier this week, Facebook launched a new healthcare feature called Preventive Health for users in the U.S. When you search for Preventive Health in the Facebook mobile app, it will surface recommended screenings based on your age and sex, as well as other preventative health measures like flu shots.

The tool gives recommendations for nearby Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), allows you to set appointment reminders, and mark when tests and appointments are completed.

Facebook also took great pains to articulate that your activity in the Preventive Health tool won't be shared with advertisers. But is that enough for people to trust Facebook with their sensitive personal health data? And while its nearly 2 billion users are enticing to healthcare professionals, there are questions about whether Facebook can actually make a difference.

For tech companies, work in healthcare has the potential to breed public goodwill, as well as new business opportunities. But so far, the tech industry's approach to healthcare has been to suggest splashy ideas that won't necessarily do much good.

Both Google and Amazon are pouring money into health initiatives with nebulous goals. Apple branded the Apple Watch as the "ultimate guardian for your health," but the device hasn't won over doctors, and its self-lauded heart-monitoring features have yet to prove that they're making a difference.

Time for my cholesterol test! But how do I get there?

Facebook's Preventive Health tool does have a couple things going for it.

First, the actual recommendations for tests and screenings come from reputable organizations including the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society. The preventive measures they recommend are backed up by studies that prove their effectiveness. The recommendations now focus on heart health, cancer screening, and seasonal illness (like the flu), but Facebook says it plans to add more in time.

Next, experts are excited about the ability to reach people through Facebook. Estimates put Facebook's current U.S. user base at around 200 million people. Dr. Vish Viswanath, a professor of health communication at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, says that casting a wide net is a crucial component of public health campaigns. However, he still has some reservations.

"Given that we have to reach people through a variety of mechanisms, and certainly on social media, given [Facebook's] very wide usage, I think it's a good idea," Viswanath said. "Having said that, the devil is in the details."

Research has shown that there are a few principles necessary for a successful public health campaign, according to Viswanath. First, the messaging and mechanisms of campaigns have to specifically be adjusted to best suit the populations they are trying to reach

"The one size fits all approach is unlikely to be successful," Viswanath said.

Facebook tailors recommendations based on demographics, but not the way it delivers those messages. For example, wouldn't it be more effective to reach younger people on Instagram? This is consistent with another principle: that campaigns should be multi-dimensional, utilizing multiple mediums to get the message out. One notification on one platform may not cut through the noise.

Another challenge is the complementary action needed on behalf of government agencies and health providers. Viswanath said research has found that if the public is going to make an effort to address a health concern, other stakeholders (like the government, health facilities, or employers) need to make a similar effort to provide it. A huge problem with Facebook's campaign is that it is one sided, and puts all of the burden on the user.

"We cannot just pat ourselves on the back, saying we have provided you the information, now go and do it."

"We cannot just pat ourselves on the back, saying we have provided you the information, now go and do it," Viswanath said.

Facebook does provide some resources: a list of federally accredited and affordable health clinics nearby. However, Viswanath said finding places to get care is not as big of a hurdle for people as issues like how to negotiate time off work, and how to actually get to clinics.

"If I'm a single parent, working one job or two jobs or with limited transportation, I'm faced with multiple demands in my time, you can provide me all the information you want, but at the end of the day, that still doesn't solve my problem," Viswanath said.

Given these limitations, some think that the effort may sound nice, but are skeptical that it will have much of an effect.

"Theres nothing wrong with what theyre doing," said Vince Kuraitis, an independent health and technology consultant with 30 years of industry experience. "But the functions of the app as described are pretty minimal, and I dont see them moving the needle on the public health side."

Another reason health experts are keeping their expectations at a minimum is privacy concerns. In tandem with the announcement of the tool, Facebook published a blog post detailing the measures it was taking to secure user privacy. It says that user activity won't be sent to advertisers or third parties, and won't be available widely across the company to employees.

"Information you provide is securely stored and access is restricted to a group of people at Facebook who work on the product or maintain our systems," the post reads.

However, these promises can be less than reassuring for people who know Facebook's track record on data collection and privacy breaches.

"Theyve got a deep hole to dig out of in terms of winning trust," Kuraitis said. "That becomes particularly difficult with healthcare, because its such a sensitive area."

Data backs up that sentiment, too. Recently, the tech-healthcare analysis firm, Rock Health, along with Stanford Medicine, conducted a survey asking respondents with which companies they would feel comfortable sharing their health data. Only 10 percent of respondents said they felt comfortable turning to tech companies for healthcare, and of that 10 percent, only 36 percent said they would feel comfortable sharing health information with Facebook specifically.

The proof of Facebook's ability to protect user privacy, especially around health data, will be something experts plan to watch closely.

"I don't think Facebook has acquitted itself very well, in terms of protecting privacy, given their history, and their reluctance to admit their problems," Viswanath said. "Over time, to me, it is an empirical question, to see how this will work out and see if it really makes the big difference."

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Experts skeptical that Facebook Preventive Health will have an impact - Mashable

Caroline Roberts/CNET

What if I told you that kicking off your shoes and spending just a few minutes in nature could lower your stress and blood pressure? You don't need any fancy equipment, medication or confusing techniques. Forest bathing is a simple way to de-stress, find calm and improve your overall health. The best part? It actually works.

It's no secret that in today's world, stress is a growing problem. In 2017, a Gallup poll reported that the world's population is more stressed, angry, sad and in pain than ever. A lack of clean drinking water, food insecurity and widespread illness wreaks havoc on the health of populations worldwide. Furthermore, people in every pocket of the globe can find something to worry about -- personal relationships, looming deadlines at work and the health of loved ones are just a few of the many things that make us fret everyday.

Personally, I can thank my lucky stars that I don't have anything major to be stressed about, but I still often find myself anxious. In between classes, work, and trying to write the next great American novel, I've got a lot on my plate, and I know you all do, too. In today's world, we're constantly staring at screens, and it isn't helping our mental health. A lot of the de-stressing solutions that have been popping up -- meditation apps, improved sleep trackingand online workout subscriptions -- can work extremely well, but on some level they're just adding more technology to our lives.

I've been reading about a growing phenomenon called forest bathing for a while now, and I decided to try it out. I meditate for 10 minutes every day and usually fit in a good amount of exercise, but I still feel the grip of stress almost every day. I was hoping that forest bathing would give me a greater sense of calm. I'm also continually working on my ability to let stressful thoughts go without hanging on to them, and I thought that spending a few hours unplugged in nature would help with this relaxed state of mind.

Contrary to what the name might suggest, forest bathing doesn't involve taking off all of your clothes and swimming around in some pine needles. It's a Japanese practice of nature therapy, used to help people de-stress and take a break from technology. I ended up loving my time experimenting with forest bathing, and I hope you can take the lessons of the research, my personal experience, and the rich history of forest bathing to implement more nature therapy in your own life.

In the early 1980s, the Japanese government noticed some growing issues with their population. High suicide rates, social isolation and over-reliance on technology were hurting the people's well-being. Seventy percent of Japan is forested, and the government took to the trees to find a solution. A public health program called shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, was started in 1982.

Forest bathing involves simply going into nature and being present with all five senses. The use and presence of technology is discouraged (turn off your phone!) and many participants forest bathe with bare feet for the full grounding effect. It's not a strenuous hike -- though those are great for you, too -- it's a meandering stroll with frequent breaks to observe what's around you. There's no peak or end goal in sight. Many experts recommend practicing shinrin-yoku for a full two hours, but of course many people fit as much time in the forest as they can, even if that means just 15 minutes.

Any place with a bit of green is suitable for forest bathing.

Shinrin-yoku began as preventative medicine for the immune system, cardiovascular system, depression and anxiety, inflammation and other prevalent health problems. Since 1982, many researchers have published a wealth of evidence for the benefits of shinrin-yoku, and it has become imperative in the Japanese healthcare system. Today, the healing power of forest bathing is being spread all around the world.

Forest bathing has been shown to lower your heart rate and blood pressure. It has a whole host of positive mood effects, including a reduction in hostility and depression. Forest bathing also decreases fatigue, anxiety and confusion, and generally has a strong relaxing effect. In Japan, increased forest coverage has even been suggested to lower overall mortality rates. I could go on and on -- the point is, overwhelming scientific research backs up the power of forest bathing to help with numerous mental and physical health ailments.

Despite spending a lot of time outside, and going on some cool backpacking trips, I hadn't really done something quite like this. All of my hiking trips were more goal-focused, and I loved the feeling of accomplishment that came from "completing" a hike or getting to camp. But with forest bathing, the goal isn't to accomplish anything specific or do something strenuous. It's simply to exist in a green area with minimal distractions.

The first time I tried it out, I went all in. I texted a few important people that I would be offline, walked up to my campus's arboretum, turned off my phone and stayed outside in the same patch of lawn and surrounding path for two hours. The first thing I did after dumping my stuff and taking off my shoes and socks was promptly lie down in the grass and close my eyes for a while.

Life feels a lot easier when you're napping on a grass field.

After resting in the sun, I got around to strolling across the lawn a few times. I walked slower than I had ever walked before, and on my first loop I made friends with a couple of small salamanders. Later in the afternoon, I had a staring contest with a group of deer from several yards away. I think we were both surprised at how still the other was being. If I had been walking along in my usual hurried fashion, I would have definitely missed these cute creatures.

A few laps of walking the lawn and laying down in the sun later, I was ready to do some more serious thinking. I'm a very goal-oriented person, and I had recently hit some benchmarks that I now needed to reset. My mind was quiet enough for me to decide on what I wanted to focus on next for my fitness and writing pursuits, something I had been too stressed and busy to think about for a few weeks.

Mostly though, the whole time I was there I thought about nothing. And it felt amazing.

Being barefoot forced me to walk way slower than I naturally would.

The arboretum was surprisingly quiet for a Friday afternoon, but a few people passed by while I was doing my thing. I was nervous when I heard voices approaching, but with everyone I saw we simply smiled at each other and went on with our day. Luckily, no one asked why I was wandering around with my shoes off.

At the end of the first day, I was pretty excited to put my socks back on -- my feet had been getting cold -- but more reluctant to switch on my phone. I felt rested and calm, and I didn't quite want to go back into the busy electronic world.

The second time I tried it out was pretty similar to the first, though I only had time to stay for an hour. I didn't have any more breakthroughs in personal goal-setting (probably due to lack of time), but I loved just being able to take some time to let my mind go blank.

The last time I went was the only session I did on a weekday, and it definitely changed by mindset. I had a two-hour break between classes that I usually spent trying to knock out some work, but this Monday I was spending it forest bathing.

I'll be honest. I was a little stressed heading back to the arboretum on a typical weekday, and the stress didn't magically disappear as soon as I took my shoes off. As hard as I tried not to, my mind kept rehearsing everything I had to get done throughout the day, even though I wasn't that busy. I kept noticing my jaw clenching -- a classic sign of overthinking for me.

The arboretum was practically empty, and I meandered to some places I'd never been before, like a quaint bridge. I also saw a baby salamander, and it was as cute as can be. I took some time resting my eyes and opening my ears. I had just spent two hours in a classroom right next to a construction site, and the silence of the arboretum was extremely welcome.

I returned after I was done forest bathing to snap pictures.

After an hour, I turned my phone back on and continued with my day. I kept checking in with myself did I feel more calm, more productive, or less hurried?

I soon realized that the answer was a shaky "yes." Sure, my eyes felt better with a break from staring at a screen, and my chest felt a little less tight than usual. But, I only really started to feel calmer once I got back on track with the work I wanted to get done. I headed to class right after, and I did notice something pretty cool I was noticeably less inclined to secretly check my phone during the lecture. I had proved to myself that, shockingly, I could survive on my college's campus without constantly touching my phone.

Overall, my experience trying out forest bathing was great. The rest was mentally rejuvenating, and I enjoyed wandering a lot more than I thought I would. The one part I kept mulling over was what exactly was helping me feel relaxed -- was it something to do with being barefoot in nature, or was it simply that I wasn't staring at a screen like I spend so much time doing? I decided that ultimately, it doesn't really matter, and it was probably a mixture of both. The grounding aspect of standing in the dirt has been shown to physically reduce stress, but it also just feels nice to escape the constant buzz of notifications for a few hours.

I'll definitely be back to this beautiful lawn, though I might not be alone.

Would I do it again? I'm not sure I absolutely loved being alone with nothing to do, but I definitely want to incorporate spending more time outside with my phone turned off. Whether that's having a picnic with friends or bringing a book back to the arboretum, taking some time away from screens is desperately needed in my life.

While I think forest bathing is a wonderful thing, I know that it's unrealistic for most people to take several hours out of your workday to unplug. But, if you can find time to try forest bathing on a weekend, you can still reap the benefits.

I know I'm in a pretty lucky situation to be able to find a green space nearby, turn off my phone for two hours and lounge around. If you live in the middle of a city, or have children, forest bathing is a lot harder to pull off. But, you don't have to go whole hog -- even just slipping off your shoes and standing in your front lawn for a few minutes before work can be de-stressing -- or head your backyard if you worried what your neighbors will think If you raise children with a partner or a family member, ask them to watch the kids for an hour while you escape to your local park.

If you'd rather not walk around barefoot, simply spending time outside with your electronics turned off can do wonders for your mental health. Forest bathing was originally designed to benefit public health, and as such you should modify it to best fit your needs.

If you live in an urban area, you may be surprised to find that there's likely open space near you that you can use for forest bathing. Besides just Googling "green space near me," there are several crowd-sourced websites, like Map of Play, to find an open area in your city. If you're still out of luck, try finding a window and sitting with the sun on your face. It might not technically be forest bathing, but if you switch off your mind for a while, I promise you'll feel much better.

See the rest here:
Forest bathing: The free cure for stress and anxiety? - CNET

A SYRIAN refugee who arrived in Ireland just three years ago after fleeing her war-torn country has been awarded a prestigious scholarship after acing her Leaving Cert exams.

Suaad Alshleh, 17, who was granted asylum in Ireland with her parents in 2016, secured a place studying medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) this September.

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And Suaad says she wants to be an inspiration for other teens who are living in direct provision that they can escape the system and achieve their dreams.

She said: Being in direct provision was probably one of the hardest times of my life, it was definitely very tough.

"A lot of people dont understand how tough it is. But I powered through it.

There was an incredible support from the community itself.

"Even the people running the direct provision, they provided a lot of support for me. Despite it being a horrible tough process, youll find nice people everywhere.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. These first few weeks in college, when Im sitting down and just having a chance to reflect, its an incredible feeling to have made it here.

I want to be a success story for a refugee to show people what you can do, even if you are a refugee. I want to represent Syria and refugees, in general, in a good way.

"I hope to be a success story to show that you can escape direct provision and that if communities are helpful and supportive, youll get through."

Suaads parents Wisam and Isham, who are both engineers, fled Syria back in 2011 after the civil war broke out which has since displaced more than 5.6million people.

The family first moved to United Arab Emirates where they stayed for four years before moving to Ireland.

They were then placed in a direct provision centre in Monaghan where Suuad and her mother were separated from dad, Isham.

Suuad says staying in the centre was terrible and admits studying for her exams was very difficult under the circumstances.

But she says shes grateful that they were given the opportunity to stay there.

She said: It was terrible, I was only 14 and I was away from my dad too.

My mother and I were in a room that wasnt very big. There was the issue of food and I was used to my mothers home cooking, it was very difficult.

It was one of the hardest moments of my life. Those nine months, I kind of just block them out but look where I am now. Without that experience I probably wouldnt be here.

But I dont see any alternative to direct provision. The fact that Ireland is taking in refugees is incredible and it would be great if communities continue to be accepting in future.

The family moved from Monaghan to Portlaoise where Suaad attended school in nearby Mountmellick.

Suaad fit straight in, she says, and credits the community for being so welcoming.

She said: When I moved there, I sort of looked like an alien.

"Many people didnt know why I wore my scarf and I was the first person many people had interacted with who wasnt Irish even. I was just different but people were very accepting.

When I moved to Mountmellick, I was also an alien there but I made loads of friends and they were so accepting of me as well. Im very lucky in the sense that I havent faced anything major.

Obviously being a new student in school in general is difficult but I havent faced any added difficulty because of how I look or where Im from and I think thats been wonderful.

Despite now calling Ireland home, Suaad says she would love to return to Syria someday.

She says she will be eternally grateful to her parents, however, for making the brave decision to flee their home country before it was too late.

She said: My parents were very good in the sense that they got us out before I could experience anything major in Syria. It saddens me when I think of it, because its a very big part of my identity.

They have made massive sacrifices for me, to uproot their lives at their age and to go somewhere completely different where they dont know the language. Theyve had to rely on me for a lot for that. I reallyappreciate everything they did for me, I hope Im making them proud.

Today, Suaad was awarded the Professor William C Campbell Bursary by Minister for Education and Skills, Joe McHugh TD.

Minister McHugh said he was delighted to award Suaad with the scholarship after everything shes been through.

Minister McHugh said: Our aim with the Bill Campbell bursary was first of all to recognise a Donegal man who worked to become a giant in the world of science and preventative medicine.

But I also want to see us use Bills life, legacy and works to motivate the next generation of students to follow in his footsteps, to replicate his ambitions and dedication and to work to transform the lives of others.

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I am delighted to be able to offer the scholarship to Suaad Alshleh.

"She is an inspiration and I hope she enjoys her studies at such a prestigious institution as the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland.

"Professor Campbells legacy is something that we should build on and by supporting students like Suaad and others in the coming years we can do that.

Go here to read the rest:
Syrian refugee who arrived in Ireland three years ago awarded scholarship to study medicine after acing - The Irish Sun

Wellness describes itself as complete physical mental and social well-being. It comprises all the components used to lead a healthy life. Wellness is multidirectional and constitutes social, emotional, physical, spiritual, intellectual and emotional wellbeing. According to National Wellness Institute, two more component of wellness includes cultural and environmental wellness. Mental health and well-being are an integral and essential component of health. Wellness goes further than disease or disability and highlights the maintenance and improvement of health and well-being of the person. Wellness includes activities that improve health, enhance the quality of life and increase the levels of well-being of the person. Different types of wellness include workplace wellness, wellness tourism, lifestyle wellness and others. In order to help prevent disease, reduce stress, and enhance the overall quality of life Global Wellness Institute (GWI) organizes e Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS) annually, that brings together leaders and visionaries to discuss various aspects of health and wellbeing.

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Nowadays, people are focusing on preventive, proactive aspects of wellness, wellness economy incorporates industrial sector that enables consumers to incorporate wellness into their lives. Consumers are inclining towards preventive measures to prevent diseases and maintain good health. The key sector of wellness includes wellness tourism, fitness, complementary & alternative medicine, lifestyle wellness, rejuvenation and spa industry, workplace wellness and others.

Wellness is self-responsibility and is opening new opportunities for wellness market as due to increase in geriatric population, rise in disease population due to sedentary lifestyle, new research on wellness procedures using alternative medicines, expansion of consumer base and wellness industries, tourism is growing, that will incorporate wellness into travel, shift of consumers towards personal care products are some of the factors that will drive the medical wellness market. The awareness about medical wellness will help consumers, spread wellness to homes and their workplace and help the right way to exercise, include healthy eating in their diet, focus on preventive and personalized health and others. Lack of awareness about medical wellness, rise in products and services of wellness industry, lack of workforce and others are some of the factors restraining the market growth.

The global medical wellness market is segmented on basis of wellness sector, distribution channel and geography:

Segment by Wellness Sector

Segment by Distribution Channel

The global medical wellness market is segmented into wellness sector and distribution channel. Based on the wellness sector, the medical wellness market is segmented into complementary and alternative medicine, beauty care and anti-aging (surgical and non-surgical), preventative and personalized medicine, healthy eating, nutrition and weight loss, rejuvenation and others. The beauty care and anti- aging segment will dominate the wellness market due to rise in number of aesthetics procedures and increase in number of beauty care wellness sectors. Based on the end user, the medical wellness market is segmented as franchise and company owned outlets. The global medical wellness market is going to increase significantly is near future due to shift of consumers towards proactive approaches and include wellness in day to day life

By regional presence, the global medical wellness market is segmented into five broad regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. North America market is expected to dominate in terms of revenue share, owing to the high availability of advanced products and services, wellness tourism, expenditures growth, , increasing penetration of leading companies in the region along with increase in patient population. Significant economic development has led to an increase in healthcare availability in Asia Pacific region, growing number of multi-specialty care centers, rejuvenation and fitness centers and penetration of global players in Asia is expected to fuel the medical wellness market

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Some of the major players in medical wellness market are Enrich Hair & Skin Solutions, VLCC Wellness Center, Guardian Lifecare, Healthkart, WTS International, The Body Holiday, Bon Vital, Biologique Recherch, MINDBODY Inc., Massage Envy, ClearCost Health, Golds Gym International, Inc., World Gym, Spafinder Wellness 365, Kaya Skin Clinic, Body master and others

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Medical Wellness Market to Witness a Healthy Growth during 2017 2025 - Zebvo

Dr. Jacques Sebisaho, Congolese physician and Amani Global Works founder. Photo by: Amani Global Works

NEW YORK If a patient arrives at a public health clinic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with symptoms of a serious noncommunicable disease, they are rarely presented with options for further care, according to Jacques Sebisaho, a Congolese physician and the founder of the health care nonprofit Amani Global Works.

If you go to a clinic, usually they say, in that case, We cannot treat you. For pregnant women they will refer you to a hospital, but for other issues they just tell you, There is nothing we can do, Sebisaho said.

It costs us $18 per person for primary health care. The government is spending $40. It is cheaper because of the massive community involvement.

The ongoing Ebola response hasdiverted doctors from primary health care to focus on the outbreak, weakening the countrys already fragile health care system, Mdecins Sans Frontireswarnedlast month.

Sebisaho is hoping that a model of referral systems and community health care he pioneered on the remote island of Idjwi which sits on Lake Kivu, near Congos border with Rwanda could help strengthen primary health care in the rest of Congo. His system is cheaper, and more efficient than the existing public health care across the country, according to Sebisaho.

It costs us $18 per person for primary health care. The government is spending $40. It is cheaper because of the massive community involvement. We structure the community with health workers and they see people all the time. They wind up not having to refer many people to health clinics, Sebisaho said. For lots of them, disease is getting caught early, at the community level.

Amani Global Works has an agreement with Congos health ministry and plans to begin replicating its model by 2021, Sebisaho said.

The population of Idjwi has ballooned since the late 1970s, when Sebisaho, 47, and his family left the island for the nearby city of Bukavu. Since then, the island has grown from 37,000 people to more than 300,000, according to Sebisaho a result of a birth rate of more than 8 live births per woman, coupled with a historic lack of available family planning services.

Idjwi has one of the highest infant and maternalmortality rates in the world and a life expectancy of just 25 years. One main component of Amanis work is family planning services, including offering birth control.

They have gone gangbusters with family planning provisions, which was nonexistent before. They are hiring local staff to ensure that the patients are influencing the direction of the organization, said Andy Bryant, executive director of the Segal Family Foundation, which funds Amani.

The patient numbers are skyrocketing. They saw or touched 140,000 in 2018 with their work. Between the family planning work and the vaccine programming, they are hitting sort of big preventative measure pieces that can lead to a really healthy population, Bryant said.

Malaria, intestinal parasites, and severe anemia are all common. But Idjwi has also been immune to the conflict that has played out in surrounding regions, making it an interesting case study for new models of health care, according to Sebisaho.

Our model is set on integration of community health workers and health centers. Government ones are undersupplied and understaffed, Sebisaho said in a recent sit-down interview with Devex in Harlem, a Manhattan neighborhood he calls home for half the year. He spends the other half working on Idjwi.

The health centers and clinics are there [in the rest of the country], so we want to use the same approach for health workers and make sure that we integrate and put in place a supply chain system, which is missing, Sebisaho continued.

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Idjwi village chiefs lead their communities in selecting some of the most respected people mainly women to train as community health workers. Those women go through multiple rounds of testing and a 27-day intensive training course, where they learn how to use and read portable ultrasound machines and other health skills. The workers are each tasked with visiting about 150 households each month and ensuring that women have three prenatal care visits at the hospital. There is prestige to the position, and a high level of accountability among the health workers, Sebisaho said.

WHO launches new guideline for community health workers

A new guideline from WHO looks to improve best practices and working conditions for community health workers.

In the past few years, Amani has trained nearly 200 community health care workers, who receive a monthly stipend of $30. And since its inception in 2010, it has also set up 12 satellite health clinics and one referral hospital, equipped with 50 beds.

We believe we cannot build a health care system on volunteers. It doesnt work. But our referral numbers have increased and the number of facility deliveries have been heightened, Sebisaho said. At the hospital, we now have about 70 deliveries a month. These are people who have never delivered in any facility before.

The referral hospital, health care clinics, and community health care workers all coordinate to make referrals and conduct follow-up appointments. If a patient is discharged from the hospital, a community health worker will be alerted, for example, to follow up with them at home. And if a health worker finds someone has a high fever, they will give them medicine and then return the next day to see if a referral to a health clinic is necessary.

Amani will gain a better sense of its impact on health care early next year, after a team of Princeton University researchers conduct a follow-up study to the baseline demographics study it did with Harvard University that was published in 2015. The hopeful outcome would be major improvements in child mortality rates, according to Christopher Hale, a Ph.D. population studies student and researcher at Princeton. But demonstrated change in health awareness and behaviors might come faster, Hale said.

It is a program that had a lot of resilience in that sense and is doing a lot of good without having a lot of resources. Health workers can be easily replicated and could have a lot of success in being able to do the low-cost program in low-resource areas, Hale told Devex. What will be harder is some of the thingsthey have in Idjwi. One of the big advantages is that they have a lot of cooperation from the local leaders.

Read more here:
A remote Congolese island offers a test case for improving the country's health care - Devex