A schoolgirl has been forced to lead a severely restricted lifestyle because she is effectively allergic to the 21st Century.
Molly Harrad, from Herne Bay, Kent, cannot wear normal shoes, socks or clothing or even come into contact with carpet.
She has to eat a specially selected packed lunch under supervision at school in case she encounters foods which trigger a reaction.
Health & Wellness
Antibiotics, antimicrobials and antifungals are seeping into the waterways of North America, Europe and East Asia, according to an investigation published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). Authored by Université de Montréal and Environment Canada researchers, the review found that consumption of anti-infectives for human and agriculture use contributes to their release into the environment and even into drinking water.
"Anti-infectives are constantly discharged, at trace levels, in natural waters near urban centres and agricultural areas," says senior author Sébastien Sauvé, a Université de Montréal professor of environmental analytical chemistry. "Their potential contribution to the spread of anti-infective resistance in bacteria and other effects on aquatic biota is a cause for concern."
"Anti-infectives are constantly discharged, at trace levels, in natural waters near urban centres and agricultural areas," says senior author Sébastien Sauvé, a Université de Montréal professor of environmental analytical chemistry. "Their potential contribution to the spread of anti-infective resistance in bacteria and other effects on aquatic biota is a cause for concern."
A U.S. psychiatrist has been arrested in the Philippines and charged with defrauding a sick man out of $70,000 by promising him a liver transplant that never materialized, leading to his death.
In 2001, Florida psychiatrist Jerome Howard Feldman was indicted on charges related to stolen property, money laundering, state and federal fraud, and racketeering. Feldman evaded arrest and remained a fugitive until his Feb. 2 arrest in Manila. He has since then been indicted on further charges of federal wire fraud for the liver transplant case. Also pending against him are federal healthcare fraud charges, filed in 1999.
In 2001, Florida psychiatrist Jerome Howard Feldman was indicted on charges related to stolen property, money laundering, state and federal fraud, and racketeering. Feldman evaded arrest and remained a fugitive until his Feb. 2 arrest in Manila. He has since then been indicted on further charges of federal wire fraud for the liver transplant case. Also pending against him are federal healthcare fraud charges, filed in 1999.
In observing the outrageous acts of doctors who have turned 13-year-old Daniel Hauser and his mom into "fugitives from the law" over their refusal to submit to toxic chemotherapy treatments, I began to wonder whether existing U.S. law covers the crimes being committed against the Hauser family. It turns out the U.S. PATRIOT ACT already defines these cancer doctors and Child Protective Services zealots as "terrorists."
What is a terrorist? A domestic terrorist is a person who engages in illegal acts that are "dangerous to human life" and which are intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population (among other things).
So let's examine how this might apply to the forced chemotherapy of Daniel Hauser:
What is a terrorist? A domestic terrorist is a person who engages in illegal acts that are "dangerous to human life" and which are intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population (among other things).
So let's examine how this might apply to the forced chemotherapy of Daniel Hauser:
© CNN
After 22 years in the dark, Mandy Young is grateful to finally have a name for her condition.
After 22 years in the dark, Mandy Young is grateful to finally have a name for her condition.
"Your daughter is a walking time bomb." We have been told this more times than I like to remember. We have lived every day not knowing if the next breath she takes will be her last.
Her illnesses come so quickly. It's a daily battle of fear, worry, misery, faith and hope. She has been in the hospital more than 100 times. She has suffered one life-threatening infection after another.
We share her story, our story, in hopes of helping others.
Meditation could prove to be the ideal behavioural intervention to treat insomnia, according to a study.
The new findings suggest that while practicing meditation, patients experienced improvements in subjective sleep quality and sleep diary parameters.
Meditation even improved sleep latency, total sleep time, total wake time, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, sleep quality, and depression in patients.
Principal investigator Dr. Ramadevi Gourineni, director of the insomnia program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Evanston, Ill., said that insomnia is believed to be a 24-hour problem of hyperarousal, and elevated measures of arousals are seen throughout the day.
"Results of the study show that teaching deep relaxation techniques during the daytime can help improve sleep at night," said Gourineni.
The new findings suggest that while practicing meditation, patients experienced improvements in subjective sleep quality and sleep diary parameters.
Meditation even improved sleep latency, total sleep time, total wake time, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, sleep quality, and depression in patients.
Principal investigator Dr. Ramadevi Gourineni, director of the insomnia program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Evanston, Ill., said that insomnia is believed to be a 24-hour problem of hyperarousal, and elevated measures of arousals are seen throughout the day.
"Results of the study show that teaching deep relaxation techniques during the daytime can help improve sleep at night," said Gourineni.
© Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY
Fourth graders at Toluca Lake Elementary School in North Hollywood, Calif., learn meditation using exercises that include singing, breathing and well wishes toward others.
Fourth graders at Toluca Lake Elementary School in North Hollywood, Calif., learn meditation using exercises that include singing, breathing and well wishes toward others.
Ryan, 35, sits on a floor cushion, closes his eyes, focuses on his breath and tries to detach from any thoughts, just observing them like clouds moving across the sky - a practice he learned at a retreat. "I find it makes me a better listener, and my concentration is sharper. I get less distracted when I'm reading," he says. "It's like you see through the clutter of life and can penetrate to what's really going on."
Once thought of as an esoteric, mystical pursuit, meditation is going mainstream. A government survey in 2007 found that about 1 out of 11 Americans, more than 20 million, meditated in the past year. And a growing number of medical centers are teaching meditation to patients for relief of pain and stress.
More than 240 programs in clinics and hospitals teach the same type of meditation that Ryan learned, says Jon Kabat-Zinn, who developed mindfulness-based stress reduction 30 years ago at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Other types, such as transcendental meditation, use a mantra or repeated phrase.
First came the stomachaches and low fevers. Then Lance Cpl. Cory Belken broke out in a rash. His temperature shot up to 104.6 degrees.
The young man became delirious, telling his mother, Barbara Skaggs, that he wanted to go to the smoking section even though he had never smoked. His blood pressure dropped.
Belken, a 20-year-old Marine, had been dealing with two potentially life-threatening conditions - a recent onset of acute leukemia and a spreading infection from a smallpox vaccination. He was that unlucky one-in-a-million case, his doctors said, but one they hoped would end well.
Unfortunately, his immune system wasn't regenerating well after two rounds of chemotherapy.
Belken was crashing.
The young man became delirious, telling his mother, Barbara Skaggs, that he wanted to go to the smoking section even though he had never smoked. His blood pressure dropped.
Belken, a 20-year-old Marine, had been dealing with two potentially life-threatening conditions - a recent onset of acute leukemia and a spreading infection from a smallpox vaccination. He was that unlucky one-in-a-million case, his doctors said, but one they hoped would end well.
Unfortunately, his immune system wasn't regenerating well after two rounds of chemotherapy.
Belken was crashing.
© Action Press/Rex Features
A common parasite could be to blame for slowing reaction times in certain people a new study suggests.
A common parasite could be to blame for slowing reaction times in certain people a new study suggests.
Toxoplasma, or toxo for short, starts its life cycle in rodents. To spread, it manipulates rodents' brains, making them reckless and more likely to be eaten by cats, which then pass on the parasite through their faeces. People can catch it from eating undercooked meat from animals that had contact with cat faeces. The infection lasts for life.
It can harm fetuses, but was otherwise thought to be harmless. Recently, however, evidence has emerged that the parasite can affect our brain. People with toxo seem to have slower reactions, while those who have had traffic accidents are more likely to have toxo.
The modern day lifestyle can be very fast and furious leaving many people feeling depressed tired and basically unable to cope. While these symptoms are not good they are simply our body's way of telling us to slow down and to take a few deep breaths.
Most of us think that breathing is an involuntary act and that there is no right or wrong way to do it. But there is, and most of us do it wrong. Pranayama is a yoga breathing exercise that is used to prepare participants for meditation and to help them on their spiritual journey. It teaches us that we should take note of our breathing, and that we should use the full extent of our lungs. Basically it teaches us how to breathe properly.
The Pranayama exercise that yoga beginners tend to learn first is called the Three Part Breath or Dirga Pranayama. In ancient traditions it was thought best to perform the exercise lying down. This way the participants can really feel their breath flowing through their body, but it is not essential to feel the full effects of the exercise. It is called the three part breath because it is performed in three stages, first using the bottom of the lungs, then the middle and lastly the top. This means that the full capacity of the lungs is being used instead of the 20% that most of us scrape by on.
Most of us think that breathing is an involuntary act and that there is no right or wrong way to do it. But there is, and most of us do it wrong. Pranayama is a yoga breathing exercise that is used to prepare participants for meditation and to help them on their spiritual journey. It teaches us that we should take note of our breathing, and that we should use the full extent of our lungs. Basically it teaches us how to breathe properly.
The Pranayama exercise that yoga beginners tend to learn first is called the Three Part Breath or Dirga Pranayama. In ancient traditions it was thought best to perform the exercise lying down. This way the participants can really feel their breath flowing through their body, but it is not essential to feel the full effects of the exercise. It is called the three part breath because it is performed in three stages, first using the bottom of the lungs, then the middle and lastly the top. This means that the full capacity of the lungs is being used instead of the 20% that most of us scrape by on.
Comment: One of the most effective breathing techniques to aid in these results can be found here.