June 2009

  • FDA Takes Steps Against Acetaminophen

    By erika on 6/30/09 5:10pm
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    TylenolTylenolAcetaminophen - best known as the over the counter medication Tylenol - took a big hit today.  An FDA advisory panel advised that acetaminophen be removed from popular pain control drugs like Vicodin and Percocet, where it appears along with an opiate.  They also advised that the FDA issue a "black box warning," which is the last step the FDA takes before outright banning the sales of a drug.

    This story has so many things which surprise me.  First of all, I didn't realize that Vicodin and Percocet include acetaminophen.  Is the hydrocodone not enough?  I looked around, but I couldn't find an answer as to why these prescription pain medications also include some Tylenol.


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  • Health Benefits of Blueberries

    By sarajean on 6/30/09 5:17am
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    National Blueberry Month is coming up, but we don’t need that as a reason to enjoy these delicious beads of juicy tartness straight from nature. They’re in season right now (May through October), so they’re sure to be fresh and delicious if you pick some up from the farmer’s market. And like Colin Firth says in Bridget Jones Diary, there just aren’t enough blue foods!

    Though you may love blueberry pie, pancakes, muffins and a slew of other blue-speckled foods (my daughter likes them in her oatmeal), did you know that you’re not only giving your mouth a treat but your body one as well?

    Blueberries are considered a “superfood,” and in fact, one of nature’s perfect foods. Since they’re very low in calories (a cup has about 81) but packed with nutrients and benefits, they’re great as a meal addition, a snack, or a dieter’s food.

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  • Physical Education Overhaul

    By msarko on 6/30/09 2:15am
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    Childhood obesity is at an all-time high in the United States. The Institute of Medicine estimates that over 9 million Americans over the age of 2 and below the age of 18 can be clinically defined as being overweight. Among the reasons they cite are dietary imbalances and an increase in sedentary behavior both in and out of school. In the plainest language possible, kids today are consuming more energy than they expend. The problem basically boils down to a lack of exercise.

    These unpleasant figures got me thinking about what we can do as a society to promote healthier living, especially in our children. I can think of two things that have needed massive restructuring for decades. One is school lunches, the other is physical education.

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  • Do You Take Premarin?

    By NanoGirl on 6/29/09 4:17pm
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     Premarin (pre-pregnant, mare – horse) is a mixture of “natural” estrogens used to treat menopausal symptoms, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, and certain cancers.  Did you know that Premarin comes from the urine of pregnant mares (female horse)?  Did you know that there are such things as “Pee Farms” where they lock up these pregnant horses practically starving them, giving them no where to move and only allowing them water a few times a day, making sure that their urine remains strong?  If you knew all of this, would you stop taking Premarin?  I am curious as to why PETA is not all over this.

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  • 10 Reasons to Give Blood

    By sarajean on 6/24/09 11:53pm
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    As an activist, you may have done a lot of things that could have been detrimental to your health. You may have cleaned a highway, during which you could have been hit by a car—or you may have cleaned a river, during which you could have drowned. You may have attended a potentially dangerous protest, or even been arrested for civil disobedience and thrown in jail with some people who are probably a lot less nicer than you are—and did not hesitate to let you know. But have you taken the ultimate act in saving a life—have you given blood?

    I know, it’s scary, it’s faint-inducing sometimes, and it’s even a little creepy (with or without the Twilight hysteria going on). But it really is one of the biggest ways you can make a difference in someone’s life. And besides, what if you had gotten hurt during one of your heartfelt but hair-brained activist stunts? You may have needed blood!

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  • Lay Off the Sauce

    By sarajean on 6/23/09 7:15pm
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    June is Pharmacists Declare War on Alcoholism Month, and while I think that declaration is a bit dramatic, alcoholism is a pretty serious disease. I’ve known people who’ve had their lives destroyed by it, died from it, and hurt their loved ones because of their addiction.

    The thing about alcoholics is that they won’t change unless they want to, so unless an intervention goes well, others affected are pretty much helpless until that happens (unless a judge orders them to rehab). But once you or your loved one is ready to get clean, here are some tips to combat alcoholism:

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  • Are Food Corporations Manipulating our Food?

    By becksta on 6/23/09 6:10pm
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    The Evils of Chocolate Chip CookiesThe Evils of Chocolate Chip CookiesIn New and Creepy Food Information you Probably Didn't Want to Know....

    Dr. Kessler (you may recognize his name as the former FDA chief who had the cajones necessary to take on big tobacco) was inspired enough by his failure to NOT eat chocolate chip cookies on impulse enough to write a book about it: "The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite".  In his book, Dr. Kessler examines the reasons for our own impulse eating.

    According to the NYT review of the book, Dr. Kessler believes: 

    "by combining fats, sugar and salt in innumerable ways, food makers have essentially tapped into the brain’s reward system, creating a feedback loop that stimulates our desire to eat and leaves us wanting more and more even when we’re full."


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  • Toxoplasmosis and Why Pregnant Women Should Avoid the Litter Box

    By hellenwyeth on 6/23/09 11:57am
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    A big thing that pregnant women are told to stay away from and warned about is the cat's litter box. Isn't the sound of that great!? Doctor's orders to have someone else do the the dirty job for once! Once that is said not many people ask why it's not good for pregnant women to be exposed.

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  • A Novel Sickness of the Wired Generation: Cell Phone Elbow

    By Anonymous on 6/17/09 11:19am
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    Cubital tunnel syndrome stems from flexing of the elbow over an extended period, experts say

    Nintendo thumb arrived first; followed by the Guitar Hero wrist. And now, the most recent illness afflicting the wired generation, is known as the cell phone elbow.

    Known in the medical field as cubital tunnel syndrome, cell phone elbow is a condition characterized by numbness, tingling and pain felt in the forearm and hand. This condition occurs as a result of compression of the ulnar nerve, which stretches along the bony prominence of the elbow.

    And according to experts, one of the culprits that apply pressure on the ulnar nerve is excessive chatting over the cell phone, which is made possible by those cell phone plans offering unlimited talk time.

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  • Zicam Finally Pulled From Shelves

    By erika on 6/17/09 9:59am
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    Zicam users have been complaining to the FDA and to Zicam's manufacturer since 1999, but their complaints were only validated yesterday, when the Federal Drug Administration issued a consumer alert regarding Zicam use and the possibility of anosmia.

    I read about the link between Zicam and anosmia several years ago, and have been avoiding the product ever since.  Years ago I had a friend who suffered from anosmia, and believe me, that is nothing that you want.  When you were a kid, did you ever do that science experiment where you plug your nose and take a bite of a potato and a bite of an apple?  With your nose plugged, you can't tell the difference between them.  That's what life is like, for anosmia sufferers.  Losing your sense of smell has a subtle but profound impact on your quality of life.  Frankly, risking anosmia in order to lessen cold symptoms failed the cost benefit analysis for me.


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  • Fireworks Safety Month

    By sarajean on 6/15/09 4:41pm
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    My mom always used to freak out over fireworks, not letting me near them—and making me want them all the more. Now that I’m a mom I get it, but I don’t want to completely ban them from my daughter’s life. We’ll take her to see professionally-done shows until she’s a teenager, and then… well, we’ll have to talk!

    But fireworks safety isn’t limited to children. Adults need to play safe, too. Here are a few fireworks safety tips to keep your summer fun—and safe.

    Keep water available. A bucket of water is good; a hose is even better. You never know when a fire could strike. Even if you feel competent and safe, some fireworks are simply faulty and can create a fire even when you think they are put out.

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  • Child Vision Awareness Month

    By sarajean on 6/15/09 4:24pm
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    I have a vested interest in children’s vision. Not only was I a very nearsighted child, depending on the Lion’s Club for my first pair of glasses at the age of eleven (and, until then, walking around in a constant squint); I also have a very nearsighted preschooler myself, who had to have eye surgery when she was just two months old. Keeping glasses on her at ten months was quite a feat!

    And I know we’re not alone; vision problems affect 1 in 20 preschoolers and 1 in 4 school-aged children. It’s very important to get eye problems diagnosed at an early age to prevent regression and help children learn to read, write and generally learn better. It’s pretty hard to do these things when you can’t see. Here are some tips in taking charge of your child’s vision this month:

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  • New Risk Factor Found for Diabetes

    By sarajean on 6/13/09 8:36pm
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    As if headaches, irritation, memory loss, exhaustion, hallucinations, concentration problems, heart disease, depression, and tremors weren’t enough, there’s a new side affect that can possibly come with insomnia and sleep deprivation: diabetes.

    According to a new study, “Individuals with insomnia and objective short sleep duration are at increased risk for developing diabetes.”

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  • Dairy Alternative Month, Part II: Cheese

    By sarajean on 6/13/09 7:04am
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    We’ve already talked about the health risks of regular dairy milk; now, let’s talk about cheese.

    We all know that many cheeses are full of fat and calories. It’s also high in sodium, and can contribute to allergies and other health problems.

    And if you are a vegetarian, you could still be eating animal products just by eating cheese. Many cheeses contain rennet, or rennin, which is a part of a calf’s stomach and is often used to coagulate cheese.

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  • Dairy Alternative Month, Part I: Milk

    By sarajean on 6/9/09 12:36am
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    Just for June, just this once, why don’t you try a little experiment—just for kicks!—and go alterna-dairy for the month. There’s no extra piercings, no spiked jewelry to don, and no black eyeliner to smudge on. There are just the health benefits you get from saying no to milk—and the chance to simply say you did it.

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  • Free the Condoms!

    By sarajean on 6/8/09 4:26pm
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    Personally, I think condoms should be free—or at least dirt cheap, and definitely covered as a type of health cost. I know that some gynecologists and clinics give them out for free, but with so many doctor’s offices distributing free samples of Claritin and other drugs, why don’t they all give out condoms? After all, not everyone needs allergy medication—but most people could use a condom sometime in their lives.  

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  • National Men’s Health Week

    By sarajean on 6/5/09 10:52pm
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    If your dad, husband, brother or son is like most men, he doesn’t take care of his health so well. Sure, he may jog or work out a few times a month, and maybe, just maybe he eats well—but for some reason, men especially don’t visit their doctors on a regular basis.

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