Health News: Hearing Loss In Teens On the Rise

Posted by JessicaG · Leave a Comment 

If your teenager has their iPod headphones glued to their ears most hours of the day, you may want to tell them to give it a rest. In a new study by The Journal of the American Medical Association, analyzed data on about 1,771 youngsters ages 12 to 19 had a 30 percent increase in hearing loss, from previous studies. To put that into perspective, one in five teenagers suffer from at least slight hearing loss. A decade ago the rate was only one in seven. For most the hearing loss is slight enough that it could not even be noticed. However, the number of teens with the mild hearing loss has increased from 1 in 30 a decade ago, to 1 and 20 now. Those with mild hearing loss may not be able to hearing someone whispering in their ear.

What’s even more interesting, is that researchers still can’t explain why the increase is occurring, and couldn’t find a significant correlation to exposure to loud noise. This could be because the teenagers surveyed don’t feel their level of music is “loud” while actually, their listening at dangerously high-levels.

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Social Medical Schools

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Social Medical SchoolsU.S. News and World Report’s traditional rankings for medical schools have failed to address social mission as a factor in their rubric, according  to a new survey in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The study shows that the traditional top medical schools poorly neglect important considerations like producing a sufficient number of minority physicians and adequately distributing doctors in underserved areas.

The analysis was based on responses from 60,043 physicians in active practice who bhad graduated from medical school between the years 1999 and 2001.

Top-ranked private medical schools like Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Northwestern, and Stanford all were in the survey’s bottom twenty. However, schools with the highest “social mission” scores include three historically black colleges (Morehouse College, Meharry Medical College, and Howard University) as well as public schools like University of Kansas, Michigan State University, and the University of Mississippi.

The Obama Health Care Plan will induct nearly 32 million newly-insured patients into the American health care system, with new, highly-trained physicians needed more than ever in traditionally underserved areas. The new health care plan will also create a much higher demand for primary care physicians and general practitioners rather than specialists alone. Let’s hope that medical schools heed the report to ensure care for all in the U.S.!

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First Do No Harm

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Hospital food is a popular butt of jokes, right alongside airplane food and other institutionally-prepared meals. The food is usually stale and stinky, and anything that actually tastes good on the tray is usually pre-packaged and pre-prepared off-site. But why shouldn’t hospitals—a place of healing—be a location for delicious, healthful food that will speed recovery?

An NGO called Health Care Without Harm, based in the U.S. in Arlington, Virginia, is working on doing exactly that.

Health Care Without Harm has sponsored meals in Baltimore hospitals. The advocacy group also continues to work with hospitals to remove  meat from antibiotic-treated livestock from their menus, as well as eliminate deep-friend foods and foods with trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup.

At Health Care Without Harm’s urging, St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth, Minnesota and Good Shepherd Hospital in Hermiston, Oregon now offer grass-fed beef (which contains less overall fat than grain-fed beef). And more than 250 hospitals in the U.S. have signed Health Care Without Harm’s pledge to serve more fresh fruits and vegetables (organic and local when possible), reduce processed foods and foods containing trans fats, and offer hormone-free milk.

Health Care Without Harm also works on reducing emissions from incinerated medical waste, keeping mercury out of hospital building supplies, and lowering use of polluting hospital practices.

So fear not: soon enough, hospitals may be where you go to get tasty, quality meals that are good for your body and your tastebuds.

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Internet Counseling

Posted by Sarah · Leave a Comment 

The internet has it all! Even licensed therapists to engage in counseling sessions with you if need be.

Asktheinternettherapist.com has audiovisual and text chats available for anyone looking for someone to talk to about mental health issues. Although there is a disclaimer at the bottom that the information on the site is meant to complement information from your physician, not replace it, it can still be helpful for many.

Also on the site are free discussion boards where people can connect and network with other individuals who share similar experiences. As far as mediums of communication via the world-wide-web we offer video, telephone, chat, e-mail, and face-to-face in-office therapy. According to their site, “As far as mediums of communication via the world-wide-web we offer video, telephone, chat, e-mail, and face-to-face in-office therapy.The different issues covered by our online counselors and medical staff can range from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Substance Abuse, Alcoholism, Family Issues, Relationship Problems, Marriage Problems, Career Coaching, Grief Help , Life Transition, Spiritual Guidance, Chiropractor Questions, Family Medicine, Massage Therapy, Nutrition Advice, Natural Medicine, Alternative Medicine, among many others.”

Costs range for $40-$120.

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Cyberchondria–It’s real and on the rise

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John Markoff of the New York Times, wrote a really great article in November of ‘08 profiling Microsoft’s study of Cyberchondria. Cyberchondria is a term that was coined around 2000 that refers to the jumping to conclusions of one’s health conditions after reading health info on the web. If you’ve ever know someone who had a headache, looked it up on WebMD and then promptly determined they had a brain tumor, you’ve met a Cyberchondriac.

Microsoft ended up taking on a study that to survey popular health related web searches on popular search engines. The goal of the the study was to use the results to help shape the features of Microsoft’s search service, so it could be thought of as more of an adviser than a blind information retrieval tool.

From the article:

“They found that Web searches for things like headache and chest pain were just as likely or more likely to lead people to pages describing serious conditions as benign ones, even though the serious illnesses are much more rare.

For example, there were just as many results that linked headaches with brain tumors as with caffeine withdrawal, although the chance of having a brain tumor is infinitesimally small.

The researchers said they had not intended their work to send the message that people should ignore symptoms. But their examination of search records indicated that researching particular symptoms often led quickly to anxiousness.

They found that roughly 2 percent of all Web queries were health-related, and about 250,000 users, or about a quarter of the sample, engaged in a least one medical search during the study.

About a third of the subjects “escalated” their follow-up searches to explore serious illnesses, the researchers said.”

Pretty interesting stuff!

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STD Check – The Right Thing To Do

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I’m a student and I don’t have health insurance. I don’t even know how to go about getting it. But when my girlfriend told me that she didn’t want to have sex until I got tested for STD’s, I knew I had to quickly take some kind of step to getting checked, without paying exorbitant sums.

So I checked online and found amidst the multitudes of health plan sites a place where I could go to get checked for HIV and all the other infections that result from promiscuity.  So I went to this clinic, and quickly they found a place for me. I produced a urine sample, and let them prick my finger, and then it was over!

A couple of weeks later, I got the results back. I’m clean! As if I wouldn’t be…and now my girlfriend is happy that I’m safe, and we’re safe, and we can be together safely. But seriously, being healthy and STD free is no joke. I’m glad that I took all the proper precautions, and I will continue to, because it’s better to be safe than sorry.

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Online Diagnosis is Convenient, But Not Always Credible

Posted by Sarah · 1 Comment 

I had a friend of mine recently joke with me about how after she lost her health insurance; she had to resort to Googling her symptoms when she had a problem. But apparently she isn’t the only patient seeking the internet’s “expertise”.
A recent study done by Scarborough Research found that over half of teens use the internet as the primary way of diagnosing their illnesses. And only 75 percent of people are verifying the credibility of the information they find.
Online, you can find a range of diagnosis services, that allow you type in your symptoms and find possible causes. But with this convenience, comes the need for caution and careful evaluation of the information being given.
Sites like Yahoo and Wiki offer users a platform to post threads, a place where many divulge their health questions, and get answers from other users. Although sometimes it’s beneficial to hear from someone who has experienced the same symptoms as you, only a doctor can accurately assess your ailments. Things like your medical history need to be taken into consideration when diagnosing, something a computer program may overlook.
A big problem with online diagnosing is that a range of symptoms can be caused by a range of health problems. A search for “abdominal pain” or “stomach discomfort” could lead to a range of illnesses such as indigestion to colon cancer.
All in all, neither you nor the internet is a trained and licensed physician. So take the information you find with a grain of salt. Verify its credibility and if the problems are really serious, you should go see a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.

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Sleep better with quality sleep apnea machines from CPAPmart.com

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It’s crazy how many different kinds of sleep apnea machines you have to choose from—from brands to models to features to prices, the selection is completely overwhelming for new patients. And of course, so many of the sleep apnea masks and machines out there are junk.

To solve my breathing problems, I wanted a brand I could trust, so I picked up a Respironics CPAP mask and machine at www.CPAPmart.com. Once you find a website with only the best in sleep apnea products, the selection won’t seem so overwhelming!

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Get body shapewear without the bulging at Memoi.com

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Body shapewear used to really confuse me. I mean, I know it compresses you, but where does all that extra volume go? I used to imagine it bulging out around your arms and thighs, but I learned that if you choose the right seamless shapewear products, you can get the figure you’ve always wanted without any bulging at all.

I buy all of my shapewear at www.Memoi.com, a site I already loved for their support tights, which really helped me through my first pregnancy. And for those lighter days, their fashion tights are lovely!

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Anxiety Therapy: A Cure for Your Anxiety Disorders

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It may be surprising to know that mild anxiety might in fact be helpful to you to keep you focused and alert during circumstances which need your high attention. But a lot of times these mild anxieties grow into troublesome anxiety disorders where the person might become panicky for longer periods of time and observe symptoms like headache, stomach disorders, hyper tension etc. usually associated with excessive stress. Fortunately, treatment is available for such disorders. If you know that you have an anxiety disorder and if you seriously want to overcome it, anxiety therapy is a good and promising option. Different therapists suggest different therapies for the successful treatment of anxiety.
Major kinds of anxiety disorders:
- Generalized anxiety disorder: People having this kind of disorder develop a pessimistic attitude towards life usually. Such people have recurring fears and are constantly anxious about the future.
- Panic disorder: People facing panic; observe sudden feelings of fear and terror, which make them act abnormally at times. These people often become introverts and avoid getting involved in any activity for the fear of facing panic suddenly.
- Phobias: These are fears related to certain objects, people of circumstances.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder: The person might get obsessed with some activity, routine, or a person. They might do some things more than often example-cleaning things obsessively to prevent germs.
- Post traumatic stress disorder: These occur in individuals who have witnessed or been a part of some terrible, traumatic incidence. As soon as they are reminded of that event or incidence they experience nausea, breathlessness, trembling and uncontrollable flood of emotions ranging from anger to sorrow.
Importance of anxiety therapy: As we can observe, most of the anxiety disorders occur as a result of fear which is the root cause of most of the problems. Anxiety therapy uses different methods to eliminate that fear and teaches the patient ways to cope with such issues later on. Anxiety disorder if left untreated may have unwanted consequences. Panic attacks may increase and might prove fatal for the sufferer. The fear which is growing inside the individual might prevent him from fulfilling his social, emotional as well as professional obligations. The life turns dull and the person either becomes totally unenthusiastic or turns into a social criminal. Appropriately trained therapists can successfully cure anxiety disorders. Two most popular kinds of therapy are: Behavioral therapy and cognitive therapy. Both are known to be highly effective in providing strength to anxious minded people. Anti anxiety medications may also form a part of therapy. The dosage and proper usage of drugs must be closely monitored by the physician who prescribes it.
One must understand that anxiety therapy is not instantaneous but is a complete process. It is very important for the patient to feel comfortable with the therapist and the overall proposed method of anxiety treatment,
All individuals are unique and so are the problems associated with them. Hence the anxiety therapy must be specifically designed for any person keeping in mind hi/her comfort level and lifestyle. Anxiety therapy is the best way to recover from any kind of fear, shock or trauma which might trouble you throughout your life.

anxiety-depressionIt may be surprising to know that mild anxiety might in fact be helpful to you to keep you focused and alert during circumstances which need your high attention. But a lot of times these mild anxieties grow into troublesome anxiety disorders where the person might become panicky for longer periods of time and observe symptoms like headache, stomach disorders, hyper tension etc. usually associated with excessive stress. Fortunately, treatment is available for such disorders. If you know that you have an anxiety disorder and if you seriously want to overcome it, anxiety therapy is a good and promising option. Different therapists suggest different therapies for the successful treatment of anxiety.

Major kinds of anxiety disorders:

- Generalized anxiety disorder: People having this kind of disorder develop a pessimistic attitude towards life usually. Such people have recurring fears and are constantly anxious about the future.

- Panic disorder: People facing panic; observe sudden feelings of fear and terror, which make them act abnormally at times. These people often become introverts and avoid getting involved in any activity for the fear of facing panic suddenly.

- Phobias: These are fears related to certain objects, people of circumstances.

- Obsessive-compulsive disorder: The person might get obsessed with some activity, routine, or a person. They might do some things more than often example-cleaning things obsessively to prevent germs.

- Post traumatic stress disorder: These occur in individuals who have witnessed or been a part of some terrible, traumatic incidence. As soon as they are reminded of that event or incidence they experience nausea, breathlessness, trembling and uncontrollable flood of emotions ranging from anger to sorrow.

Importance of anxiety therapy: As we can observe, most of the anxiety disorders occur as a result of fear which is the root cause of most of the problems. Anxiety therapy uses different methods to eliminate that fear and teaches the patient ways to cope with such issues later on. Anxiety disorder if left untreated may have unwanted consequences. Panic attacks may increase and might prove fatal for the sufferer. The fear which is growing inside the individual might prevent him from fulfilling his social, emotional as well as professional obligations. The life turns dull and the person either becomes totally unenthusiastic or turns into a social criminal. Appropriately trained therapists can successfully cure anxiety disorders. Two most popular kinds of therapy are: Behavioral therapy and cognitive therapy. Both are known to be highly effective in providing strength to anxious minded people. Anti anxiety medications may also form a part of therapy. The dosage and proper usage of drugs must be closely monitored by the physician who prescribes it.

One must understand that anxiety therapy is not instantaneous but is a complete process. It is very important for the patient to feel comfortable with the therapist and the overall proposed method of anxiety treatment,

All individuals are unique and so are the problems associated with them. Hence the anxiety therapy must be specifically designed for any person keeping in mind hi/her comfort level and lifestyle. Anxiety therapy is the best way to recover from any kind of fear, shock or trauma which might trouble you throughout your life.

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