Health & WellnessS


Eye 1

Man turns blue after using silver extract to treat a skin condition

Owen Williams
Showbiz Spy
Mon, 24 Dec 2007 13:59 UTC
Paul Karason is feeling blue - literally.

The US man used a silver extract to treat a skin condition. But it ended up changing the colour of his face, leaving him with a deep blue tinge.

The 57-year-old was fair-skinned and freckled 14 years ago, until he developed a bad case of dermatitis caused by stress. When it got so bad that the skin on his face began to peel and crack he began to use a substance called colloidal silver, he told US television.

©Unknown

The product is said to be made by extracting silver from metal into water with an electrical current before it is drunk.
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Butterfly

What Science And History May Owe To Homeopathic Medicine


Medical News today
Sun, 23 Dec 2007 23:36 UTC
A new scholarly written book describes hundreds of well-known and respected physicians, scientists, politicians, corporate leaders, and literary greats who used or advocated for homeopathic medicine.
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Health

Camel 'plague' puzzles scientists

Robin McKie
The Guardian
Sun, 23 Dec 2007 23:06 UTC
An unprecedented number of camels across North Africa and the Middle East died last year, researchers have discovered. The several thousand deaths have baffled scientists who are probing toxins, antibiotic pollution, viruses and even climate change as possible causes.
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Bandaid

The British Are Guzzling 30% More Alcohol Than Previously Thought


Medical News Today
Sun, 23 Dec 2007 22:06 UTC
British people are consuming about one third more alcohol than previous estimates had calculated, mainly because there are more stronger beers, ciders and wines on the market than there used to be. While people's drinking habits/frequencies are not really changing, adjustments have to be made regarding the amount of total alcohol content that consumers are drinking.

©British Pub Crawling
The Olde Ship bar
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Question

Short legs signal increased risk of liver disease - But long enough to reach the ground


Reuters Health
Sun, 23 Dec 2007 21:57 UTC
Women with short legs may have a higher risk of liver disease, with both probably caused by diet or other factors early in life, British researchers reported.
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Heart

New guidelines boost folic acid recommendations

Andre Picard
Globe and Mail
Sun, 23 Dec 2007 21:29 UTC
Women of childbearing age should increase their intake of folic acid to five milligrams a day to protect against common birth defects, according to new Canadian guidelines.

©Adam, Inc.
Women who are thinking of becoming pregnant or who are pregnant often require additional supplementation of folic acid. Adequate folic acid is important for pregnant women because it has been shown to prevent some kinds of birth defects, including neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Many foods are now fortified with folic acid to help prevent these kinds of serious birth defects.
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Heart - Black

Flashback Inconclusive conclusions: Folic Acid in bread is dangerous

Lucy Cockcroft
Telegraph UK
Wed, 31 Oct 2007 02:07 UTC
Adding folic acid to bread in an attempt to cut birth defects may lead to serious health problems, scientists have warned.

©Adam, Inc.
Folate (folic acid) is necessary for the production of red blood cells and for the synthesis of DNA (which controls heredity and is used to guide the cell in its daily activities). Folic acid also helps with tissue growth and cell function. In addition, it helps to increase appetite when needed and stimulates the formation of digestive acids.
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Health

'Bubble boy' develops leukaemia


BBC News
Sun, 23 Dec 2007 19:48 UTC
One of the boys with no immune system being treated with pioneering gene therapy at Great Ormond Street has developed leukaemia, his doctors say.

©BBC
Without treatment, affected children have to be kept in sterile conditions.

Comment: In this situation, as in so many others, there is no black or white, clear cut choice. Does one bow to authority or exercise their moral choice? The philosphical scenario, Heinz's Dilemma, is becoming a daily occurrence. Learn the difference between paramoralisms and moral reasoning.

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Arrow Down

Study suggests some brain injuries reduce the likelihood of post-traumatic stress disorder


NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Sun, 23 Dec 2007 13:32 UTC
A new study of combat-exposed Vietnam War veterans shows that those with injuries to certain parts of the brain were less likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The findings, from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Naval Medical Center, suggest that drugs or pacemaker-like devices aimed at dampening activity in these brain regions might be effective treatments for PTSD.

PTSD involves the persistent reliving of a traumatic experience through nightmares and flashbacks that may seem real. Twenty percent to 30 percent of Vietnam vets (more than 1 million) have been diagnosed with PTSD, and a similar rate has been reported among Hurricane Katrina survivors in New Orleans. Public health officials are currently tracking the disorder among soldiers returning from Iraq. Yet, while war and natural disasters tend to call the greatest attention to PTSD, it's estimated that millions of Americans suffer from it as a result of assault, rape, child abuse, car accidents, and other traumatic events.

Previous studies have shown that PTSD is associated with changes in brain activity, but those studies couldn't determine whether the changes were contributing to the disorder or merely occurring because of it.
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Health

New bird flu outbreak reported in Poland


RIA Novosti
Sun, 23 Dec 2007 13:07 UTC
A fresh, eighth, outbreak of H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed in the north of the country, where the deadly virus was discovered earlier this month, the chief sanitary official said on Saturday.

Ewa Lech said the virus was confirmed at poultry farms in the village of Sadlowo Parcele, where 190,000 egg-laying hens are found.
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