Popular Health

The military's 'magic plan' to make enemies hallucinate

2012-02-22T05:24:00.002-08:00

The military's 'magic plan' to make enemies hallucinate - Believe it or not, the armed forces have a long-standing relationship with illusionists. Now, $4 million is being used to look into sensory manipulation tactics

As the military's technology arm, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is charged with ushering in the future of field combat, developing everything from hypersonic planes to robotic allies. But a new project hinted at in the Pentagon's defense budget is piquing outsider interest thanks to some seemingly bewitching connotations: The agency is being granted $4 million for a project known simply as "Battlefield Illusion." Here's what we know about the military's "magic plan":

What does the project call for?

The goal is to develop a way to confuse the enemy with "auditory and visual" hallucinations to lend our troops a "tactical advantage," says Noah Shachtman at Wired. The project aims to use new technologies similar to the misdirection techniques utilized by magicians.

And this is a real way to spend money?

"Magicians and generals have had a long-standing relationship," says Shachtman. "Harry Houdini snooped on the German and Russian militaries for Scotland Yard. English illusionist Jasper Maskelyne is reported to have created dummy submarines and fake tanks to distract Rommel's army during World War II." And during the Cold War, the CIA paid magician John Mulholland $3,000 to write a manual on "misdirection, concealment, and stagecraft."

Alright. But how will "Battlefield Illusion" trick enemies?

It would likely use "optical technology" mounted onto vehicles to create on-field hallucinations, says Rob Waugh at Britain's Daily Mail. The technology is said to be similar to "current measures designed to confuse radar systems" — such as electromagnetic manipulation — "but applied to human beings."

What other types of technologies have they looked into?

Other military contractors have been developing "invisibility cloaks" to hide the infrared signatures of military vehicles. In the past, both the UK and US governments have looked into weaponizing hallucinogens like LSD for combat use. And early in the war on terror, defense technology experts "floated the idea of a 'Voice of God' weapon," says Shachtman, which would have used "directed sound waves to convince would-be jihadis that Allah was speaking in their ears — and ordering them to put down their suicide belts." Sounds like magic, doesn't it? ( TheWeek.com )

Army To Fight Soldier Obesity With Fat Injections

2012-02-03T07:41:00.000-08:00

Army To Fight Soldier Obesity With Fat Injections - Officials for the US Army are worried that its soldiers are getting to fat and to combat that issue they plan on injecting soldiers with fat.

While it might seem odd to think that fat injections can help soldiers lose weight there are actually two types of fat, the first is white adipose tissue which causes weight gain while the second is brown adipose tissue which actually helps lose weight.

A recent study has found that brown adipose tissue can burn up to 250 calories in a three hour period and even more special is the fact that it uses conventional fat cells to fuel it’s work, burning energy from those cells. The study also found that exercise can help create additional brown fat cells.

Researchers are now attempting to create the brown adipose cells in a laboratory at which point they will be injected into overweight soldiers.

If you aren’t in the Army and you want weight loss injections you might be in luck, a Boston-based company is already working on a commercial treatment.

In the Army’s researcher note in which they granted money to examine the use of brown adipose tissue they wrote:

“Obesity and its associated metabolic complications…are becoming increasingly prevalent in military personnel. Increasing [brown fat] by about 50 grams in obese patients could induce strong weight loss and improve metabolic status.”

If all goes as planned researchers will isolate brown adipose progenitor cells which they will then use to generate new adipose cellsin the lab. If all goes as planned soldiers will receive “transplantation therapy” to shed their extra pounds.

Would you be willing to undergo this type of treatment to shed some extra weight. ( inquisitr.com )

Bird Flu Censorship Defended by Panel

2012-02-03T07:35:00.000-08:00

Bird Flu Censorship Defended by Panel - One of the scariest stories to emerge late last year was the attempted suppression of two studies done on bird flu, which basically amounted to research done by two teams in the US and the Netherlands that essentially could have led to very dangerous, weaponized strains of the worrying pathogen.

Another interesting bit of this story is that this time, the censorship wasn’t the scary part. In late November, news emerged that government agencies including the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) were urging two scientific journals, Science and Nature, not to publish research that detailed how bird flu strains could be more efficiently spread- basically a scenario that totally ends in a disaster movie. The journals complied, and noted that the pressure was not “strong arming” to prevent the research from being published and that reasonable concern existed to keep the information under wraps.

It’s interesting that all parties involved are in agreement about how to handle the bird flu studies, and all refer to the results of the research as presenting unprecedented risk. After the requests from federal security and science agencies that the studies be handled differently, Science released a statement explaining the decision, as did Nature.

In Nature’s statement, the journal explains:

At the same time, these scientific results also represent a grave concern for global biosecurity, biosafety and public health. Could this knowledge, in the hands of malevolent individuals, organizations or governments, allow construction of a genetically altered influenza virus capable of causing a pandemic with mortality exceeding that of the ‘Spanish flu’ epidemic of 1918?

The statement continues:

The research teams that performed this work did so in a well-intended effort to discover evolutionary routes by which avian influenza A/H5N1 viruses might adapt to humans. Such knowledge may be valuable for improving the public-health response to a looming natural threat. And, to their credit and that of the peer reviewers selected by the journals Science and Nature, the journals themselves, as well as the US government, it was recognized before their publication that these experiments had dual use of concern potential.

Do you worry about the weaponization of viruses like bird flu? ( inquisitr.com )

Man with two hearts survives double heart attack

2012-01-20T08:49:00.000-08:00

Man with two hearts survives double heart attack - Doctors managed to save the life of a 71-year-old man with two hearts who suffered dueling heart attacks. "We haven't ever seen anything similar to this case before," Dr. Giacomo Mugnai said in an interview with MSNBC.

At first, doctors thought they had a typical case of cardiac arrest until they examined the patient more closely and noticed his unusual medical condition. It turns out that the man actually wasn't born with two hearts. His second heart arrived after an earlier medical procedure on his original heart.

The procedure, a heterotopic transplant, is done to pair a new, healthy organ with a diseased one.

X-ray from an Italian man with two functioning hearts

"We see this in cardiac patients or kidney patients, sometimes," Dr. Rade Vukmir, professor of emergency medicine at Temple University and a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians, told MSNBC. "Surgeons might leave a kidney in place if it's too much trouble to take out, or if there is hope for recovery of a kidney, or a heart, after a period of time" of being helped by the new organ.

The report first appeared in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, describing how the transplant team managed to merge the patient's new heart with his original, diseased organ. Of course, there's an inherent risk that if the transplant goes too well.

"You can develop two independent heart rhythms, especially in a scenario where one heart gets a little better," Vukmir said. Which is apparently exactly what happened to the Italian patient. After being admitted to the hospital, doctors administered drug therapy in an attempt to correct his dysrhythmia, only to have the medicine shut down both of his hearts.

Doctors then were able to successfully use a defibrillator to revive both hearts simultaneously. He's now reportedly doing well with his two functioning hearts. ( The Sideshow )

Is the Housing Crisis Making People Sick?

2011-10-24T06:55:00.000-07:00

Is the Housing Crisis Making People Sick? - The foreclosure crisis may be making Americans sick.

A study published online yesterday in the American Journal of Public Health surveyed nearly 2,500 homeowners over the age of 50 who were asked if they had fallen more than two months behind on their mortgage payments since 2006.

Of those who had, 22% developed depressive symptoms over the next two years, compared to only 3% of those who weren’t delinquent. Twenty-eight percent reported food insecurity — meaning they were hungry or did not have adequate access to food in their households — compared to 4% for those who weren’t behind on their payments.

And about a third said they were not taking medications properly due to cost, compared to 5% of those who weren’t delinquent.

“For an older person with chronic conditions like diabetes or hypertension, the types of health problems we saw are short-term consequences of falling behind on a mortgage that could have long-run implications for that person’s health,” said the study’s principal investigator, Dawn E. Alley, assistant professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

The WSJ covered a previous study showing a link between communities with high foreclosure rates and increases in emergency-room visits.

But the latest study follows individuals over time — 2006 to 2008—and its findings portend poorly for Americans’ health if the housing crisis continues. In fact, researchers paint an even bleaker picture now because rising mortgage defaults have been accompanied by high unemployment. Still, the study can’t definitively show that delinquency led to health problems; underlying conditions might have produced a difficulty in making payments as well as depression. ( wsj.com )

Teenage obesity increases later cancer risk

2011-06-16T03:44:00.000-07:00

Teenage obesity increases later cancer risk - Men who were overweight at 18 are a third more likely to die from cancer in middle age, a new study suggests.

Researchers claim that the risk remains even among those who lose weight later in life.

The findings come in a study of the medical records of 20,000 men who attended the prestigious Harvard School of Public Health between 1916 and 1950.

Lead researcher Dr Linsay Gray, of the Medical Research Council, said: “This is the first time the impact of obesity in early adulthood on later risk of cancer has been so closely examined.

Teenage obesity increases later cancer risk

“The message here is really clear: keeping your weight healthy as a young adult can significantly reduce your chance of developing cancer. These findings point worryingly to a greater future burden of cancer.”

In a paper to be published in the Annals of Oncology, the researchers describe how the students with the highest Body Mass Index - a figure based on an individual's height and weight - at age 18 were 35 per cent more likely to die from cancer later in life than those who were thinner.

Those who were overweight or obese as teenagers were 50 per cent more likely to die of lung cancer than those who were a healthy weight, regardless of whether or not they smoked.

Weight loss between early adulthood and middle age did not affect the risk. ( telegraph.co.uk )

Five Solutions to Thrive Under Stress

2011-06-10T07:28:00.000-07:00

Five Solutions to Thrive Under Stress — New research on soldiers shows how damaging stress can be — and reveals 5 powerful tools that can help us all build resilience

I’m married to to a full-time soldier, so few things get my attention like a headline about post-traumatic stress disorder. I’ve been riveted by the recent surge in PTSD research spurred not just by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but also by terrorism and natural disasters. Government institutions, military hospitals, and universities have all stepped up efforts to understand this anxiety disorder, teasing out what makes some people vulnerable and others resilient, as well as how the brain can heal. What they’re discovering about PTSD is yielding important insights into how the rest of us can manage the moderate stress we deal with every day.

Key to the recent breakthroughs is a much clearer picture of how destructive stress can be. Persistent anxiety can kill neurons in brain structures concerned with memory and decision-making, and such damage is even visible on brain scans.

Although women are less likely to experience traumatic events than men are (about half of women in the United States will encounter a trauma in their lifetime, most commonly sexual assault, followed by car crash), we’re twice as likely to develop PTSD when we do, says the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Women are also more vulnerable to everyday stress—mothers, for example, are 5 times as likely as fathers to rate their stress at the highest level, says the American Psychological Association.

Fortunately, experts are learning that all along the continuum—from severe anxiety disorders to garden-variety worry—coping and even prevention tactics are highly effective. Here’s what new PTSD science can teach all of us about outsmarting stress. If these solutions work for soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, they can certainly help the rest of us on the home front.

1. Build mental armor with meditation

Mindfulness meditation works wonders to boost stress resilience, say experts from the University of Pennsylvania who are using the practice with military personnel. "We teach them to focus on the present moment instead of catastrophizing about the future," says Amishi Jha, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. After 8 weeks of meditation training, Marines became less reactive to stressors—plus they were more alert and exhibited better memory.

For the rest of us: Take short mindfulness breaks

"Even I get too busy to meditate," says Jha. "Then I remember the Marines in the study calling my colleague while they were deployed to ask for mindfulness pointers, and I think, If they can do it in a war zone, I can do it in my office!" Try this technique Marines use anywhere: Sit upright, focus on your breath, and pay attention to a physical sensation, such as the feel of air in your nostrils. When your mind wanders, notice the disruption, then return your attention to that simple sensation. Jha herself now meditates 5 to 10 minutes at a time, several times a day.

2. Remember the tough stuff

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)—which helps you recognize and change knee-jerk reactions to stress triggers—is one of the most effective methods of managing PTSD. In the military, such training can include a technique called "exposure therapy," in which soldiers relive disturbing past experiences in small doses with a therapist until the memories become less overwhelming. Along the same lines, doctors have achieved promising results by asking patients who developed PTSD following an illness to imagine a relapse.

Such intense visualizations should be undertaken only with a licensed professional, but "practicing" feeling stressed can help anyone cope day to day, says Elizabeth Carll, PhD, a trauma specialist on Long Island, NY. "If you learn to recognize how your body feels when anxiety starts, it’s easier to intervene and calm yourself."

For the rest of us: Imagine a moment of tension

Fortify yourself against anxiety by trying an at-home exercise, says Susan Fletcher, PhD, a psychologist in private practice in Plano, TX. Picture yourself in a stressful place, such as your commute, and imagine the tension you feel. Write out the realities of the situation: If I don’t leave by 7:30, I’ll be late. On the other hand, I’ll be in traffic about 60 minutes, so I can listen to a book on disc. This lets you feel the stress and know it’s not debilitating, and helps you devise solutions. If you want to try formal CBT, which encompasses a range of methods, you can find a certified practitioner through the National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists (nacbt.org).

3. Bike for long-term resilience

Researchers are learning that exercise doesn’t just soothe stress, it also fortifies brain cells so they’re less vulnerable to anxiety in the future. Neuroscientists at Princeton University recently discovered that neurons created in the brains of rats that run regularly are less stress-sensitive than those in rats that don’t exercise.

While all exercise adds to your resilience, PTSD experts find that outdoor activities are particularly beneficial—especially cycling, says Melissa Puckett, a recreation therapist at the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System in California. "It’s so effective because of the fresh air and the fact that it can be a group activity," she says. "We’ve seen people who were once afraid to leave the house make tremendous strides."

For the rest of us: Sweat outside for 5 minutes

Break from the gym and try something outdoorsy, like hiking or a simple walk. Even 5 minutes outside—especially if spent near water, like a fountain or stream—is enough for a mental boost, found a 2010 study from the University of Essex in England.

4. Let a pet boost your health

New research shows that owning an animal is an even more powerful way to cultivate calm than previously thought. An astonishing 82% of PTSD patients paired with a service dog reported a significant reduction in symptoms, and 40% were able to decrease their medications, in an ongoing study at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The specially trained pooches can sense before their owners do when a panic attack is coming, and then give them a nudge to start some preemptive deep breathing. "While we don’t yet understand why, we know the dogs’ presence affects serotonin levels and the immune system," says lead study researcher Craig Love, PhD. "The animals are so helpful, one soldier named her dog Paxil."

For the rest of us: Bond with Fido

Pet owners can reduce stress by building extra playtime into the day, says Carll. If you don’t own a pet, offer to take a neighbor’s dog for an after-dinner walk or cat-sit for a friend—even short outings provide enough "pet exposure" to lessen anxiety.

5. Sleep to rebalance stress hormones

Sleep suppresses stress hormones, such as cortisol, and spurs the release of others, like DHEA, which plays a key role in resilience and protecting the body from stress. Yale University researchers tracked the hormone levels of a group of elite Special Forces soldiers who operate in treacherous underwater conditions and confirmed that higher DHEA levels predicted which divers were most stress hardy. Among women with PTSD, those with higher levels of DHEA have fewer negative moods, other Yale researchers found.

For the rest of us: Do a nightly stress scan

To boost DHEA naturally, get more sleep. Before you set your alarm, take stock of your stress status, says Fletcher. The more demanding your days, the more sleep you need to handle them. If the recommended 7 to 8 hours isn’t possible, at least plan for an early night or two during a rough week or, if nothing else, a weekend nap. "And get anything that reminds you of work—laundry, your laptop—out of your bedroom," Fletcher adds. "It’s psychologically noisy."

Are you more stressed than you think?

The occasional manic Monday is a fact of modern life.

But if you’re under chronic stress—suffering a daily assault of stress hormones from a demanding job or a personal life in turmoil—symptoms may be subtler, says Stevan E. Hobfoll, PhD, chair of the department of behavioral sciences at Rush University Medical Center. If you experience any of the signs that follow, take some time out every day, he says, whether it’s to go for a walk or simply turn off your phone. ( prevention.com )

Climate Chaos Is Hammering Your Health

2011-06-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

Climate Chaos Is Hammering Your Health — As unusually wicked tornadoes tear through the United States this spring, many people are wondering if Earth's destabilized climate is behind such strong storms. The science community has known for years that the spike in man-made greenhouse gases would lead to more severe weather — more flooding, droughts, and stronger storms — but it's not clear if this season's tornadoes are caused by a drastically changing climate. "There's not a clear picture on tornadoes. But the series several weeks ago were part of a very large storm system, and the numbers and strength are outside norms," explains Paul Epstein, MD, MPH, associate director of the Center for Health and Global Environment at Harvard University. "We have some ideas about why, but this is speculative at this point. Changing land temperatures and pressure gradients, and the pattern of the jet stream — affected by shrinking Arctic ice — may all be playing a role."

While Dr. Epstein notes it's too early to say this spring's tornado activity is part of a long-term trend—that question will take monitoring and analysis for a definitive answer—he is very clear about the effects climate change is already having on human health. In his new book, Changing Planet, Changing Health: How the Climate Crisis Threatens Our Health and What We Can Do about It (University of California Press, 2011), Dr. Epstein connects the dots, explaining how climate change is, and will continue to be, a threat to the general public and our health care system. Ignoring the problem is no longer an option, which is why the author is bringing climate destabilization to a personal level. "We're really sticking our heads in the sand about the impacts of climate change," says Dr. Epstein, who notes that the fossil-fuel-industry–funded doubt campaign has been working over the last several decades. "We need to bring it home so people understand that it's affecting their health, and how it's in their backyard. In the next 10 to 20 years, expect to see a lot of very wild, severe, punishing, disease-promoting, and costly extreme weather events."

Scientists have ascertained that a sharp spike in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is causing stronger storms, including more powerful hurricanes. So how exactly does this work? "Global warming is causing climate change through the ocean," explains Dr. Epstein. Warmer seas mean faster water-evaporation rates, which fuels hurricanes, storms, and severe flooding. The warming leads to increased water vapor in the atmosphere. That, coupled with melting arctic, antarctic, and mountain glaciers, is transforming the water cycle, leading to much more intense precipitation events in the United States and elsewhere, Dr. Epstein says.

Deserts are also drying out faster, due to a shift in winds. And when it does rain, it pours. Since 1970, Dr. Epstein says there's a 7 percent increase in instances of events producing two inches of rain in a day; four-inches-in-a-day occurrences are up 20 percent, and events dumping half a foot have risen nearly 30 percent. All of these changes are leading to pest infestations in our forests and yards, higher rates of waterborne diseases, and other ailments outlined below.

Climate change and health are connected—here's how the changes may be affecting you.

• Allergies.

Researchers at Harvard and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have discovered that excess CO2 levels—mainly from burning coal and oil—are creating super-charged ragweed plants brimming with much higher rates of hayfever-inducing pollen. Lewis Ziska, PhD, a veteran research plant physiologist with the USDA, found that jumping from preindustrial atmospheric carbon dioxide levels (280 ppm) to 1999 levels (370 ppm) doubled the amount of pollen ragweed produces. Interestingly, the high CO2 levels also create more potent pollen, which explains why lately it seems every allergy season is the worst ever. (Ziska also discovered that allergy season now lasts two to four weeks longer in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere.)

• Asthma.

Allergies account for about half of asthma attack triggers, meaning skyrocketing pollen counts of fast-growing trees in the spring, and ragweed in the fall, are landing more people in the hospital for asthma symptoms. As climate change causes more heat waves, ground-level ozone also increases, priming allergic response.

• Heat-related deaths.

Perhaps one of the most blatant occurrences signaling out-of-the-ordinary periods of high temperatures occurred in 2003, when a heat wave of unprecedented proportions killed more than 52,000 people in Europe. That summer, temperatures were a whopping 20 to 30 percent higher than the seasonal average across much of Europe. "The odds of such a heat wave happening by chance, based on climate trends from 1864 to 2002, were about one in 10 million," writes Dr. Epstein.

• Poison ivy outbreaks.

Like ragweed, pesky poison ivy also thrives on higher carbon dioxide levels. A 2006 study found that increased carbon dioxide levels stimulate poison ivy to grow stronger and produce more urushiol, the oil that causes skin irritation.

• Dengue fever.

A viral infection spread by mosquitoes,dengue fever is making a comeback in the U.S., in part due to more mosquito-friendly conditions brought on by climate-change–charged flooding. While generally not life-threatening the first time a person is infected, life-threatening brain swelling can occur after a person is bitten again by a infectious mosquito. Cases of West Nile virus, also a mosquito-borne disease, are also expected to increase.

• Infections from dirty water.

Strong storms often bring major flooding, and create the perfect storm for infections from waterborne E. coli and other pathogens. After Hurricane Katrina, excess water and humidity also created ideal breeding conditions for mold and fungi, which can cause respiratory and even mental problems.

• Blown-out knees and heart attacks.

Climate change isn't just about warming trends. Researchers suspect that stronger winter storms are a result of climate destabilization, too, and Dr. Epstein believes doctors are seeing more car accidents and orthopedic injury victims due to more inclement weather. Stronger winter storms could also mean a rise in people suffering cardiac arrest after cleaning up snow and ice.

• Lyme disease.

Climate change is expanding the range where Lyme-infected ticks transmit the disease to people. Lyme disease is virtually all over the country now, and by 2080, researchers expect the Lyme disease zone in Canada to double.

• Meningitis.

According to Dr. Epstein, shifts in ocean temperature and salinity are accelerating the sweeping of massive dust clouds from Africa to the Caribbean. These dust clouds can harbor bacteria, fungi, viruses, industrial chemicals, heavy metals, and even the bacteria that carries lethal meningitis. ( rodale.com )

Allergy - Proof Your Yard

2011-06-10T07:05:00.000-07:00

Allergy - Proof Your Yard - The source of your sneezes may be right outside your window - A pair of towering male junipers once flanked the door to historian Dan Krieger's home office in San Luis Obispo, CA. The blue-green boughs extended 20 feet in the air -- and, unbeknownst to Krieger, silently released clouds of sneeze - provoking pollen. "I felt terrible," he says. "I took lots of antihistamines while working in my office. But I never suspected those trees."

Krieger's brother-in-law, the well-known horticulturalist Thomas Ogren, did. He persuaded Krieger to replace the male junipers with yew and other low-allergy alternatives--with dramatic effect.

"I feel great now," says Krieger, a professor at California Polytechnic State University. "I don't sneeze or need antihistamines, and I'm more productive."

Ogren, who has a master's degree in agricultural science and is the author of Allergy-Free Gardening and a related book, Safe Sex in the Garden, isn't surprised. Drawing on 2 decades of research into the allergenic potential of plants, he developed an allergy ranking system--the Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS)--for more than 3,000 common trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses.

The junipers he advised Krieger to remove ranked a scale-topping 10; the replacement yew, a sneeze-free 1. Ogren also prevailed upon Krieger to remove coyote brush (another 10) from around the house. For the first time ever, Krieger's wife, who has both allergies and asthma, was able to enjoy the yard.

First Steps toward Sneeze Reduction

A recent report by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology estimates that as many as 36 million Americans have seasonal allergies. If you're among this tissue-clutching set, you, too, can enjoy your yard. Replacing an exceptionally allergenic shrub or tree with a non-sneeze-provoking variety, as Krieger did, can work wonders. But there are far simpler tactics to try first. Start with these:

Mow low. Trim the lawn more often to keep it short--about 2 inches--and you'll lop off the tops of those leaves of grass before they produce flowers and pollen. Note: If you have particularly bad allergies, ask someone else to mow.

Crowd out the worst offenders. Fertilize your lawn to grow thick grass that chokes out highly allergenic weeds such as nettle, annual bluegrass, and dandelion.

Pick the right time for yard work. Pollen levels are highest on warm, dry, windy days. Good times to get down and dirty among the flora: after a long, soaking rain or when the pollen index for your area is low. But wait an hour or so after a dramatic storm. "Hard rain fractures pollen grains, exposing more of the proteins that prompt allergic reactions," cautions Richard Weber, MD, a professor of medicine at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver and a leading expert on pollen allergy.

Protect your skin. When possible, wear long sleeves and pants while gardening, cutting grass, etc. If you're allergic to the pollen that touches your skin, it can cause swelling, redness, and rashes.

Wear big shades and carry saline eyewash. If pollen comes in contact with your eyes, it can make them itch and tear.

Clean yourself up. After finishing with the flower beds and lawn, change your clothes at the door, and then shower and wash your hair to rinse away any pollen.

Experiment with meds. Try an over-the-counter antihistamine if the above measures don't do the trick. Still no relief? Ask an allergist about allergy shots. "They work for 90% of people," Weber says. The downside: Shots can be costly and time-consuming (one or two per week for up to 6 months, followed by regular maintenance injections).

Stopping Pollen at the Source

If nothing works and you don't want to try shots, consider Ogren's approach--replacing egregiously allergenic plants with less or nonallergenic ones. The theory behind his strategy: The pollen that's making you miserable is probably coming from your very own flora.

Sure, pollen can waft from your neighbor's towering birch tree into your yard. But most doesn't fall or float far from the tree (or shrub or flower). In one Dutch study, levels of birch and oak pollen were consistently highest closest to the trees.

To determine whether to axe an offending plant, follow these steps:

See an allergist. If you haven't already, get tested to find out if that elm or rose bush really is at the root of your misery. Ask the allergist about cross-reactions, Weber suggests. If you're allergic to birch pollen, for example, you may also react to alder, beech, hazel, and oak pollen.

Check your yard for allergy triggers. Now that you know what you're looking for, see if the culprit is in your yard. If you can't identify a tree, shrub, or flower, take a cutting to a local nursery or to your county's Cooperative Extension Service (find your local agent at www.csrees.usda.gov). "Or call a local college with a horticulture program, and pay a student to ID what's growing on your property," Ogren suggests.

Replace with care... If you've decided to remove a plant, choose a female replacement of a variety that doesn't trigger your sneezing. Male plants are the ones that produce pollen. (Staff at your local nursery should be able to distinguish one sex from the other.) Also, opt for a variety that ranks low on the OPALS scale (find it at www.allegra.com) because these plants are least likely to cause allergic reactions in others, including your partner, kids, guests, and neighbors.

...Or pay for a sex change. Got a stately male tree that's just too allergenic to keep? You don't have to settle for a spindly new replacement. A skilled nurseryman or arborist should be able to graft branches from a female tree onto the existing tree. In one season, the tree will change from a highly allergenic male to a pollen-free female. Expect to pay $50 an hour; a typical tree can be grafted in an hour or two.

Change Your Landscape

Making adjustments to the layout of your garden may be unavoidable. Here are some tips for how you can create a new allergy-free environment:

Load up on low-allergy plants. If you've got pollen allergies, your best bets are:

Flowers: Begonia, crocus, daffodil, iris, poppy, tulip, camellia, clematis, hollyhock, impatiens, nasturtium, pansy, peony, fully double sunflowers, zinnia
Trees and shrubs: Azalea; dogwood; fir; fruit trees such as peach, plum, pear, persimmon; female versions of ash, Chinese pistache tree, female juniper, yew, yew pine, poplar, box elder, some maples, sour gum, willow

Keep mold at bay. Because mold can cause allergic reactions, keep compost bins--a prime mold habitat--away from the house and garden. ( prevention.com )

Are Your Allergies Making You Fat?

2011-06-10T06:58:00.000-07:00

Are Your Allergies Making You Fat? — Allergy medications may interfere with your appetite and your energy levels. Here's how to keep allergy season from derailing your diet — Allergy season is upon us, and the record pollen levels we're experiencing this year may have you heading to the allergy relief aisle at your local drugstore. But what you take to alleviate your symptoms could have unpleasant side effects on your waistline. Researchers have suggested that allergies and weight gain go hand in hand, and that could have to do with the drugs you take or more subtle underlying problems.

THE DETAILS:

In August 2010, researchers from Yale University published a study in the journal Obesity finding that people who took antihistamines regularly were heavier than people who didn't take them at all. The study's authors used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2006 to compare the body weight of 867 adults and their prescription antihistamine use. The two drugs most common in the study were cetirizine, now sold over-the-counter as Zyrtec, and fexofenadine, also now sold over-the-counter as Allegra, and the effect was more pronounced in men. The researchers warned that this was an observational study, and couldn't demonstrate whether antihistamines actually caused the weight gain or if obesity predisposes people to allergies.

The latter was suggested in a separate study, published in 2009 in the Journal of Clinical Allergy and Immunology. Using data from the same CDC survey, researchers found that obese children were more likely to suffer from allergies, specifically food allergies, than normal-weight children. "It wasn't clear to us if that really meant that the obesity was the cause of that allergic propensity or not," says Cynthia Visness, PhD, the study's lead author and a research scientist at Rho Inc., the research firm that conducted the study.

WHAT IT MEANS:

There isn't much literature available on the link between obesity and allergies, so possible explanations for the associations seen in these two studies are simply theories at this point, Visness says. In her study, she suggested that inflammation could play a role. Fat cells release cytokines, chemicals that promote inflammation, and an allergic reaction triggers inflammation as well. So people with high levels of inflammation in their bodies are likely to suffer from both conditions.

Another theory suggested in the Yale study was that histamine, which is the neurotransmitter that overreacts when you come into contact with an allergen, has a secondary role in regulating your appetite. Animal studies have shown that dosing mice with histamine reduces their food intake, while dosing them with antihistamines increases their appetites. Therefore, it stands to reason, the authors noted, that if you take a lot of antihistamines, that might cause you to eat more. (Some older antihistamines are even used as appetite stimulants in young children.)

Then there are even more basic explanations. "Some older medications are so sedating that they cause you to be a couch potato," says Jackie Eghrari-Sabet, MD, a fellow of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and an allergist with a private practice in Gaithersburg, MD. Drugs that make you that tired are more than likely to interfere with your getting regular exercise. Secondly, she says, antihistamines can dry you out and make you thirsty. "In some people, the signal for thirst can be confused with the signal for hunger," she adds, making you more likely to eat when you really should be reaching for a glass of water.

To keep bad spring allergies from ruining your summer beach body, here are a few tips:

Nothing to sneeze at: Treating your allergies could have heavy side effects.

• Opt for newer antihistamines.

"In the old days, there were sedating antihistamines that some would claim would make you hungry," adds Dr. Eghrari-Sabet. Those antihistamines, most common in older over-the-counter medicines like Benadryl and Chlor-Trimeton, are being replaced by newer drugs like Zyrtec, Allegra, and Claritin. Though Zyrtec and Allergra were the most common drugs in the Yale study linking antihistamine use to weight gain, Dr. Eghrari-Sabet says that increased appetite is not a common side effect she's seen in her patients.

However, Zyrtec may make you more tired than the others. It's considered a minimally sedating antihistamine, unlike Allegra and Claritin, which are non-sedating. So if you want a medication that won't make you prone to skipping workouts, choose one of the non-sedating medications.

• Get diagnosed.

If over-the-counter medications are making you hungry, tired, or just generally miserable, see an allergist. Knowing what you're allergic to makes it easy to find prescription medications without all the side effects, says Dr. Eghrari-Sabet. And, she adds, "the most important thing an allergist has access to is an allergy shot. Allergy shots don't have side effects like antihistamines do."

• Grab the water.

Make sure you keep yourself well hydrated whenever you're taking allergy medications, to prevent your mind from confusing thirst with hunger. Add fruit, cucumbers, or herbs to your water to make it a more interesting drink.

• Fight allergies with food.

If you do find that allergies or allergy medications are causing you to overeat, try to indulge in healthy food. In fact, there are a number of healthy foods that provide allergy relief and fight back hunger pangs at the same time. ( rodale.com )

The New Allergy Zones

2011-06-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

The New Allergy Zones - The spring allergy season has sprung--and wrought plenty of discomfort for the approximately 35 million Americans with seasonal allergies. Pollen may not be all that's making your eyes water and nose run, though. Surprising allergens lurk in unexpected places in your home and make you feel even worse. In fact, the list of sneeze-inducing culprits is long: animal dander, mold, dust, and dust mites (tiny insects that thrive on organic matter, primarily flakes of skin), as well as pollen carried into the house from outside. But these irritants are manageable--and getting a handle on them will help reduce your symptoms. We went to four top experts for the unexpected sources of your sneezes and some room-by-room tips for eliminating them.

Living Room

Pet-owning visitors

Friends with pets usually have animal dander on their clothes. When they visit, they can deposit this irritant on upholstered furniture--even if they don't bring Fido or Felix with them.

Vacuum your couches and padded chairs after pet-owning pals sit on them. Prevent the allergens from spewing right back out of the machine by using one with a HEPA filter (which traps tiny particles so they can't escape the dust bag).

Couch pillows, throws, and stuffed toys

These items come into contact with skin, and that means tiny flakes that slough off and encourage dust mites. If your pet sits on, fetches, or plays with any of these, they're also covered with animal dander.

Tumble the items in the dryer on high for 10 to 15 minutes each week. (If this will damage the material, clean instead according to the manufacturer's instructions.)

Bedroom

Shelves

It's not just your novel's plot twists that are causing your eyes to tear up and your nose to run. You can also blame the dust that collects on books and other shelf-dwellers, including framed photographs and mementos. Books can also contribute to indoor mold problems, especially in humid conditions.

Keep shelves of all kinds, including bookshelves, away from the bed, or banish them from the bedroom entirely. Place trinkets behind glass doors so they don't collect dust. Clean surfaces and vacuum bedroom floors at least once a week.

Bed pillows

The warmth and humidity of your body encourage dust mites to grow in bed pillows, no matter what type of stuffing they have.

Either trade old pillows for new ones annually, or encase pillows in allergy-proof covers that you wash once or twice a month in hot water (follow the manufacturer's instructions). The most allergy-resistant, comfortable cases are made of tightly woven fabric that's impermeable to dust mites--and feels good to the touch. Check out the options at allergybuyersclub.com and nationalallergy.com.

Bathroom

The floor mat

Trapped moisture in the bath mat causes dust mites and mold to thrive.

Choose a washable mat and clean it weekly. After a shower or steamy bath, hang it up and open a window or run the fan.

Kitchen

The refrigerator door seal

As you transfer food in and out of the refrigerator, moisture, crumbs, and spills can build up in the crevices of the door seal and encourage mold to flourish there.

Wipe the seal with a mixture of mold-zapping bleach and water weekly; use a cotton swab to get into the grooves and clean them thoroughly.

Cooking steam

Steam wafts from pots and pans as you cook and settles in places you may not clean daily, causing mold to build up. Spots where dampness may land include walls, ceilings, cupboard doors, upper shelves, and areas hidden behind large appliances.

Run the stove's exhaust fan to vent cooking moisture--not just smells--out of the house. If mold does appear, eliminate it with a solution of bleach and water.

Laundry Room

Damp clothes

Mold and bacteria can develop on damp, unwashed clothing that sits around for days before it's laundered, as well as on clean items left in the washer tub for more than a few hours.

Don't let moist, dirty laundry build up, and dry freshly washed items ASAP. Here's a bonus idea: Use liquid detergent instead of powder, which can produce irritating dust, worsening your allergy symptoms.

All Around the House

Your hair and clothes

When you arrive home after spending time outdoors, you carry in dust and pollen on your shoes and clothes and in your hair (long hair and loose hairstyles tend to trap more irritants than short or tightly bound strands).

When outside, cover your hair with a hat or scarf. When you get home, remove your head covering and shoes inside the door, change into clothes that you wear only indoors, and shampoo and dry your hair. Wash your comb and brush weekly to keep them free of any irritants they've picked up.

Plants

Damp soil can support the development of mold, and if you spill occasionally as you water, you can encourage growths in any carpet or curtains you happen to hit.

Give away or toss out plants if mold and dust cause you to have severe symptoms. If you choose to keep the plants instead, place the pots on tile and well away from curtains. Bonus tip: A layer of pebbles or small stones placed on top of the soil will prevent the release of mold spores that may be growing in the soil.

The fish tank

Mold grows on parts of the tank or bowl that are out of the water but nevertheless remain damp. Carelessly strewn fish food also helps mold develop and can nourish a dust mite colony.

Use a rag to dry off above-water tank parts daily. When you feed the fish, make sure the food lands in the water, not on the tabletop or floor. ( abcnews.go.com )

The First Step in Managing Allergies

2011-06-09T07:42:00.000-07:00

The First Step in Managing Allergies -- Create an allergen-free home and learn what triggers to avoid prevent and ease attacks -- All allergy practitioners -- from the most conservative to the most alternative--agree that environmental control should be your first "treatment." After all, it's natural, safe, and extremely effective.

"The very best preventive measures are those that get the patient away from the cause of the problem," says Betty Wray, M.D., interim dean of the School of Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta and a past president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. "All the medications we give help blunt the response, but they don't do away with the problem."

Environmental control isn't the same as "running away" from your current environment. In most cases, moving to a new climate such as the mountains or beach is an exercise in futility. "Some people even move to different parts of the world to "get away' from allergens," says Dr. Andrew Weil, Prevention columnist and director of the Integrative Medicine Program at the University of Arizona. "For most, such moves are simply impractical, and often people find that in a short period of time they have developed new allergies to go with their new home."

Fortunately, you can practice environmental control without packing your bags. If possible, avoid living near freeways, major roadways, and industrial parks. Environmental urban chemicals, such as ozone, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide, can worsen asthma and allergies.

Next, focus on cleaning up your indoor environment. Because of improved home and office building insulation, indoor air can contain even more dust, lint, hair, smoke, and pollen than outdoor air.

Here are strategies to minimize exposure to common indoor allergens:

Cockroaches

Limit the spread of food around the house, and especially keep food out of bedrooms.
Keep food and garbage in closed containers. Never leave food out in the kitchen.
Mop the kitchen floor and wash countertops at least once a week.
Eliminate water sources that attract cockroaches, such as leaky faucets and drainpipes.
Plug crevices around the house through which cockroaches can enter.
Use bait stations and other environmentally safe pesticides to reduce cockroach infestation.

Dust Mites

Encase your mattress and pillows in dustproof or allergen-impermeable covers.
Wash all bedding and blankets once a week in hot water (at least 130° to 140°F) to kill dust mites.
Replace wool or feathered bedding with synthetic materials and traditional stuffed animals with washable ones.
If possible, replace wall-to-wall carpets in bedrooms with bare floors (linoleum, tile, or wood).
Use a damp mop or rag to remove dust. Never use a dry cloth, since it stirs up mite allergens.
Use a vacuum cleaner with either a double-layered microfilter bag or a HEPA (high-efficiency particle arrestor) filter.

Food

Designate a group ofpots, pans, and utensils specifically for the preparation of allergy-free meals. Even a trace of a food allergen, such as peanuts or milk, can cause a reaction.Emphasize to family and friends that food allergy is serious and that a reaction can be fatal.
Prepare several allergy-free meals at a time and freeze them until they're ready to be consumed. This method will reduce the risk of cross-contamination that can happen when allergy-free and allergenic meals are prepared at the same time.
Thoroughly clean your hands, utensils, and kitchen surface areas prior to cooking allergy-free meals. Most reactions occur when people eat food that they thought was safe. So it's equally important to master a few detective skills.
Learn the scientific and technical terms of allergens (for example, casein is a milk product, and albumin usually comes from egg).
Read every label on each product purchased, even if you buy the same product all the time. Manufacturers often change ingredients without warning.
Avoid purchasing products without an ingredient listing.
When dining out, inform the waitstaff about your food allergy, and clarify the ingredients used to prepare the selected meal.

Grass Pollen

Get a nonallergic person to mow your lawn. If you must mow it yourself, wear a mask.
Keep grass cut short.
Be aware that pollen can also be transported indoors on people and pets.

House Dust

Dust rooms thoroughly with a damp cloth at least once a week.
Wear protective gloves and a dust mask while cleaning to reduce exposure to dust and cleaning irritants.
Use electric and hot water radiant heaters to provide a cleaner source of heat than blown air systems.
Reduce the number of stuffed animals, wicker baskets, dried flowers, and other dust collectors in your home.
Replace carpets with washable scatter rugs or bare floors.
Instead of using fabric curtains, cover windows with shades made of plastic or another material that you can wipe clean or remove and wash.

Mold

Use a dehumidifier or air conditioner to maintain relative humidity below 50%. In particular, you may need a dehumidifier in the basement. Remember to empty the container regularly and clean it often to prevent mildew formation.
Air out closed spaces such as closets and bathrooms.
Vent bathrooms and clothes dryers to the outside.
Check faucets, pipes, and ductwork for leaks.
When first turning on the air conditioner in your home or car, leave the room or drive with the windows open for several minutes to allow mold spores to disperse.
Remove decaying debris from the yard, roof, and gutters.
Avoid raking leaves, mowing the lawn, and working with peat, mulch, hay, and dead wood. If you must do yard work, wear a mask and avoid working on hot, humid days.

Odors & Fumes

Avoid perfumes, room deodorizers, cleaning chemicals, paint, and talcum powder.

Pets

Keep pets out of your home if possible.Remember that pet allergens linger in house dust for months after the pet is gone. As a result, allergy and asthma symptoms may take some time to subside.
If keeping pets out of your home isn't possible, keep them out of bedrooms and confined to areas without carpets or upholstered furniture.
If you keep a cat, wash it once a week with soap and warm water to reduce airborne dander. Keep it outside as much as possible.
Wear a dust mask when you're near rodents such as mice and hamsters.
After playing with your pet, wash your hands and clean your clothes to remove pet allergens.
Avoid contact with soiled litter cages.
Dust your home often with a damp cloth.

Ragweed Pollen

Save outside activities for late afternoon or after a heavy rain, when pollen levels are lower.

Tobacco Smoke

Smoking should not be allowed in the homes or cars of people with asthma or allergies. Ask family members and friends to smoke outdoors.
Seek smoke-free environments in restaurants, theaters, and hotel rooms.
If you smoke, find support to quit.

Tree Pollen

If you buy trees for your yard, plant species that are less likely to aggravate allergies, such as catalpa, crape myrtle, dogwood, fig, fir, palm, pear, plum, redbud, and redwood.

Wood Smoke

Avoid woodstoves and fireplaces. ( prevention.com )

Nine surprising things that make allergies worse

2011-06-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

Nine surprising things that make allergies worse - Wine, chlorine and stressful work deadlines can make you sneeze and wheeze

If you’re a seasonal allergy sufferer (60 million of Americans are), you probably already have a few tricks to avoid triggers, like not running outside when pollen counts are sky-high or keeping the windows closed and blasting the AC. But you may not know about these less obvious factors that can make symptoms worse.

Bacteria and the yeast in alcohol combine to produce histamines, which can cause allergy symptoms such as itchy eyes.

1. Stressful work deadlines.

In a 2008 experiment, researchers at Ohio State University College of Medicine found that allergy sufferers had more symptoms. after they took an anxiety-inducing test, compared with when they performed a task that did not make them tense. Stress hormones may stimulate the production of IgE, blood proteins that cause allergic reactions, says study author Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD. If you’re under stress, get enough sleep. A sleep deficit can worsen both allergy symptoms and stress, she says.

2. An extra glass of wine with dinner.

Alcohol can raise the risk of perennial allergic rhinitis by 3 percent for every additional alcoholic beverage consumed each week, Danish researchers found. One potential reason: Bacteria and yeast in the alcohol produce histamines, chemicals that cause telltale allergy symptoms like stuffy nose and itchy eyes. Avoid alcohol when your symptoms are acting up, says Richard F. Lockey, MD, director of the division of allergy and immunology at the University of South Florida College of Medicine.

3. Waiting too long to take meds.

Medications that block histamines work best before you’re even exposed to allergens, says allergist James Sublett, MD, a spokesperson for the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Start medication a couple of weeks before the season commences or before you’ll be around allergens (if you react to grass, before a golf game, for example).

4. A not-hot-enough washing machine.

If you find yourself sniffling in bed, crank your washing machine to the hottest setting. In a South Korean study, laundering cotton sheets at 140 degrees killed 100 percent of dust mites, while a warm 104 degree-wash destroyed just 6.5 percent. A machine's "sanitize" setting is likely hot enough; check the manual if your model lacks this option. Some units heat water internally, but others use what flows through the pipes, so you may need to boost your water heater. (Caution: This temp can scald in 5 seconds.)

5. Houseplants that make you sneeze.

Your innocent orchid could bring tears to your eyes. More than 75 percent of hay fever sufferers are allergic to at least one common houseplant, found a Belgian study. Allergens in plant sap can diffuse into the air and set off your sniffling. Though any potted greens can be trouble, researchers found that ficus, yucca, ivy, palm, orchid, and fern varieties are most irritating to allergy-prone people.

6. Skipping medication in the evening.

One time not to forget your allergy med? Before bed—so the medication will be circulating in your bloodstream early the next day. Symptoms such as sneezing, weepy eyes, and runny nose peak in the morning, says Richard J. Martin, MD, chair of the department of medicine at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver. Choose regular (instead of nondrowsy formulas) for extra help falling asleep promptly.

7. Water workouts in an indoor pool.

Chlorine-filled lap lanes can wreak havoc on your system. Used to disinfect, chlorine is highly irritating to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract, says Prevention advisor Andrew Weil, MD. And a recent study in the journal Pediatrics found that teens who log more than 100 hours in a chlorinated pool have a 3 to 7 times higher risk of developing hay fever, compared with swimmers who dunk in chlorine-free pools.

To reap the benefits of your water workout without wheezing and sneezing, consider wearing a mask or goggles when swimming to protect your eyes from chlorine's temporarily irritating effects. Try to swim in outdoor pools, where the gas is more readily dispersed, instead of indoor ones, and avoid swimming in chlorinated pools daily.

8. Friends who smoke.

Cigarettes—with their numerous toxic chemicals and irritants—are nasty for everyone, but allergy sufferers may be especially sensitive, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. In fact, one Japanese study of teenage students found that more than 80 percent of those who came from homes where family members smoked heavily showed signs of nasal allergies.

Even if you don’t hang around smoky bars or other areas, particles on the clothing of smoking friends or coworkers can pollute the air in your home or office.

9. Showering in the AM only.

Hay fever sufferers would benefit from a quick rinse as soon as they get home from work or after being outside for a while, says allergist Stanley Fineman, MD, a physician at the Atlanta Allergy and Asthma Clinic. That’s because hidden pollen particles can get trapped on your body, hair, clothes, and shoes—continuing to trigger symptoms after you’ve returned indoors.

If you’re prone to pollen allergies, slip off your shoes, throw your clothes in the hamper, and shower as soon as you get home to avoid dragging particles all over your home. ( prevention.com )

Now it's beet sprouts -- different E. coli strain found

2011-06-09T07:29:00.000-07:00

Now it's beet sprouts -- different E. coli strain found - Contaminated Dutch vegetables found in Germany not the same strain that has killed 27, sickened thousands — Authorities say they have halted sales of beet sprouts from a Dutch grower after some were found to be contaminated with a strain of E. coli bacteria that is different from the one causing Europe's deadly E. coli crisis.

The Dutch Food Safety Authority said the European Union informed it late Wednesday that illness-causing Dutch vegetables had been found in Germany. It said beet sprout samples inspected in the Netherlands also confirmed instances of E. coli contamination.

But the agency said it was not the same E. coli strain that has killed 27 people, sickened 2,900 others and left hundreds with serious complications, most of them in Germany.

The name of the producer was not released.

German ministers on Wednesday defended their response to the E.coli outbreak and signaled possible changes in the way the country handles health crises in the future.

Consumers have been warned not to eat certain raw vegetables, including cucumbers, sprouts and tomatoes, as authorities scramble to identify the source of the E. coli outbreak.

The German government has been criticized at home and around Europe for failing so far to pin down the cause of the outbreak that has stricken more than 2,700 people in 12 countries. All cases have been traced back to near Hamburg in northern Germany.

About a quarter of E.coli patients in the latest outbreak have developed a severe complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome affecting the blood, kidneys and nervous system.

"The E.coli and HUS outbreak in Germany is so severe that we have to react very quickly to announce these recommendations and we still can't give the all-clear," said Health Minister Daniel Bahr, referring to warnings not to eat certain raw vegetables, such as bean sprouts but also cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce.

The European Union on Wednesday upped compensation to 210 million euros from 150 million for farmers hit by plummeting sales, after Germany first blamed cucumbers from Spain and other salad vegetables, and then German bean sprouts.

The economic damage to Europe's farming industry -- with organic producers singled out for suspicion because they use manure rather than chemical fertilizer, putting crops more at risk of contamination -- could reach half a billion euros.

A German organic producers' association said it was not enough to compensate farmers for under a third of their losses.

Although the hunt for the source of infection now focuses on bean sprouts grown in Germany, cucumbers were back in the spotlight after traces of the E.coli strain were found in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt on cucumbers in a family's rubbish.

"There's no definitive proof the cucumber is the source of the E.coli outbreak," a state official said, adding that it was unclear when or how the cucumber became contaminated.

Germany has been criticized for hastily blaming Spanish cucumbers for the outbreak -- which it later withdrew -- and the lack of conclusive evidence that German sprouts are indeed the source. Excessive bureaucracy at federal and state level has also been blamed for slow crisis response.

Bahr said federal and regional health and food safety bodies would undertake an "immediate evaluation" of how they cooperate in what looks like the deadliest ever outbreak of E.coli.

The Robert Koch Institute, Germany's disease control body, reported an additional 318 E.coli-related cases on Wednesday.

"There will be new cases and unfortunately we have to expect more deaths, but the number of new infections is dropping significantly," Bahr said.

Tests on farm workers, seeds

Speaking at a news conference with EU health chief John Dalli and German health officials, Bahr said that a slowdown in the number of new infections was cause for "cautious optimism."

But he conceded that the source of the outbreak may never be positively identified, as scientists have warned.

Analysis of samples from restaurants, canteens and kitchens which prepared food where patients ate has failed to yield conclusive evidence for the theory that organic sprouts from a farm in the state of Lower Saxony were to blame.

Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner said officials were still tracking more cases linked to the bean sprout farm, where at least one worker is known to have contracted the bacteria and had to have part of her intestine removed in surgery.

Two other workers at the farm had E.coli symptoms but both have since recovered, making it unlikely that tests could prove they had the new strain, a Lower Saxony agriculture ministry spokesman Gert Hahne said.

Investigators were also testing the seeds used at the farm after analysis of bean sprouts were so far inconclusive, Hahne said. Seeds from southern Europe and Asia were used at the farm and were likely shipped via Hamburg and Rotterdam, he said.

Dalli said the European Commission was convinced that the German investigation into the cause of the outbreak was heading in the right direction and defended the decision to issue health warnings on some vegetables, despite the impact on farmers.

"The advice and information reported to the public domain can stand up to rigorous scrutiny," he said, adding that only once the outbreak is over should Germany start looking at reforms to its crisis management.

"It's very different in the eye of the crisis," he said.

'Epidemic police'?

With the critical spotlight on the German federal system which divides responsibility for crisis response between state and central authorities, Bahr rejected calls for a national "epidemic police" and called this a "typical German" response.

"This is not the right time, at the height of the outbreak, to talk about structural (reforms)," Bahr said, adding that authorities needed to see through their current mandates.

Dalli advised Berlin to use the experience of countries which have dealt with E.coli outbreaks before.

The United States and Japan have had similar deadly outbreaks linked to sprouts while it was a Chinese laboratory that used DNA sequencing technology to identify this E.coli outbreak as a new and "highly infectious and toxic" strain. ( Associated Press and Reuters )

Older Mothers At Risk of Having Autistic Children

2011-06-09T07:23:00.000-07:00

Older Mothers At Risk of Having Autistic Children - Women over the age of 40 who give birth have a 51 percent chance of having an autistic child compared with those who bear children between the ages of 25 and 29, according to a recent news report.

The father's age also is a factor, but only if he is older and the mother is under 30, according to an article published by CNN. The piece cites findings by researchers at the University of California, Davis, which first appeared in the February issue of the journal Autism Research and examined 10 years of data from births in California. It is unknown why the mother's age is more influential than the father's on a child's chances of developing autism.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges, occur in all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups and are four times more likely to occur in boys than in girls, according to the Web site for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the CDC, more people are being diagnosed with ASD than ever before. It estimates that one in 110 children in the United States have an ASD.

"It is unclear exactly how much of this increase is due to a broader definition of ASDs and better efforts in diagnosis,'' the CDC site reports. "However, a true increase in the number of people with an ASD cannot be ruled out. We believe the increase in ASD diagnosis is likely due to a combination of these factors.''

The new findings could be a game changer for researchers trying to tackle an elusive medical matter. For years, it was believed that the genes of both parents were connected to the disorder. In the 1980s, an Israeli study linked paternal genes to the increased risk of autism.

Still it has long been known that giving birth at an older age poses health risks to babies, including higher risks of birth defects, low birth weight and certain chromosome problems such as Down syndrome. ( bvwellness.com )

How To Handle Stress Before It's Too Late

2011-06-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

How To Handle Stress Before It's Too Late - Sometimes we get hungry. Sometimes we have a specific craving for Girl Scout Cookies. Sometimes it's Denny's yummy maple syrup. Sometimes those cravings can get you killed... or at least slapped with a sign and popped with a pancake.

What am I talking about? Glad you asked.

In recent news, a 400-pound Florida woman attacked her roommate after discovering that this roommate demolished her Thin Mints; another slightly smaller woman in a Chicopee, Mass., Denny's walloped the heck out of someone when asked to borrow the syrup off her table. She replied with, "B*tch, your pancakes look fine to me," and all hell literally broke loose.

Look, I like Thin Mints; sign me up for a few boxes. And while I prefer IHOP, I, too, have had a couple tasty treats from random Denny's restaurants across America, but in the words of every 'Grey's Anatomy' character: "Seriously? I mean... SERIOUSLY." Are these chicks kidding? I cannot fathom for even a second why snapping like a slap bracelet seemed like a positive choice in either of these incidents.

Here's what happens when things don't go according to the regularly scheduled programming of planet earth and life - oh wait, things hardly ever go according to plan! People literally make a habit of coming up with plans B, C, D and all the way down to Z, then start back at the top with plan AA, BB, CC and so on, because that's how life goes. If we all walked around slapping each other because we wanted that last slice of pizza, could you imagine what war would be like?

Don't answer that. We sorta already know.

But women have long been the victims of suffering in silence. We take on problems, our own and others', and completely suck it in. Sure, we're emotional, but the parts you see aren't even the half of it. They aren't the frustrations that are constantly screaming in our heads; not the tears that trail from our hearts in the shower, down the drain like we sometimes feel our lives are headed. We just emote so damn much; it's bound to overflow at some point, and please, don't be that triggering force. You think it's bad when you catch us on the first day of our period? Ha. Ha. And one more for good measure, ha.

But have no fear, B to the rescue. Here are a few tips that can help you check yourself out of a sticky, snap-worthy situation before you get your butt checked into a straitjacket... or find yourself chasing your roommate with a pair of scissors as your husband looks on in horror, wondering why he married you (and why you have roommates at this stage in the game, but whatever).

1. DEEP BREATHING

Hey, I know Lamaze seems ridiculous and while it doesn't take away the pain of a giant head ripping its way through your nether regions, it takes the focus elsewhere, slightly alleviating the pain of the matter. Deep breathing really does work, and yoga does wonders for the stress levels.

Of course, I get a bit pissed when I can't hold my bow position like I did in previous classes, but hey, baby steps, right? The point is, deep breathing-based workouts can serenely separate you from issues and problems of the day. When you find yourself in sticky situations, take a few deep breaths before reacting. It really works. Give it a puff. Can't possibly hurt to breathe more.

2. COUNT TO 10... OR 100

Everyone remembers that 'Family Matters' episode when Uncle Carl has high blood pressure and is told by his doctor to calm down. Enter Steve Urkel, the Winslows' most stress-inducing family friend. Instead of raising his pressure by bugging out, Uncle Carl starts chanting, "3, 2, 1... 1, 2, 3... what the heck is bothering me?" And it works! Until the last scene, at least. If Uncle Carl had lost it and killed Steve, 'Family Matters' would have had no antagonist and would've sucked. See? Counting saves lives... and television programming.

3. LOTS OF SEX

It wouldn't be a Blackie article if I didn't figure out how to squeeze sex in there. I suppose you could find other hobbies. You could knit or sew or read, but I wouldn't want a crazy person walking around with knitting needles in their bag. Those are walking shanks! But if you have tons of stress-reducing sex, you'll probably be a much calmer person, thus not flying off the handle so quickly.

For example, in days leading up to games, football players are instructed by their coaches to abstain because it makes them antsy, stressed out and in a bad mood. Therefore, they are much more likely to kill on the field. Could you imagine if they'd all gotten some the night before? That only works in calming sports... like golf. Tiger Woods was amazing when he was binking every 18 seconds. I'm serious. I've dated enough football players to know, too.

4. THE FOUR As

To end this thing on a slightly more serious note, here's something I found that sounds way more smarter:

Avoid the stresser: Stay away from people and situations that stress you out.
Alter the stresser: Change how you react to said situations by communicating instead of lashing out.
Adapt to the stresser: You may not be able to change others, but you can change yourself. Get used to those people by continually thinking positively.
Accept the stresser: Learn the serenity prayer and accept the things you simply cannot change. Life has stress, so you might as well accept it and move on.

And when all else fails, go ahead and get on your knees and pray. Lord knows some souls have been saved when they took a little time to ask Jesus what he would do in the situation.

What do you do when you feel like you're about to snap?? Tell us! ( bvonlove.com )

Ten Surprising Headache Triggers

2011-06-09T06:19:00.000-07:00

Ten Surprising Headache Triggers - Could it be something you ate? Not enough sleep? Want to know what could be causing your headache? Our comprehensive list just might help you out.

1. Your weight

In a recent study, researchers found that women with mild obesity (a body mass index of 30) had a 35 percent greater risk of headaches than those with a lower BMI. Severe obesity (BMI of 40) upped the chances to 80 percent.

2. Your personality

Certain traits, including rigidity, reserve, and obsessivity may make you headache-prone. If that sounds like you, it could be time to sign up for relaxation training.

3. The big O

In one survey, 46 percent of headache sufferers said sex had triggered a headache. Usually, this is an overexertion headache (like joggers and weightlifters sometimes get); you may feel a dull pain that builds during foreplay or get a sudden headache around orgasm (more likely in men). In rare cases, such an intense headache could be caused by a tumor or aneurysm. For most folks, though, sex headaches are harmless.

4. That three-day vacay

Weekend or “let-down” headaches can happen when you take a break from your routine, says Alexander Mauskop, MD, founder and director of the New York Headache Center and co-author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Migraines. Ease into the change by keeping your sleep time as normal as possible—you’ll end up feeling more rested than if you stay in bed until noon.

5. Your bathroom paint job

It’s not just arguing over paint colors that can give you a headache; fumes from traditional paints can trigger pain. Many companies now make nearly odorless, low-VOC (volatile organic compound) formulas, like Benjamin Moore’s Natura line or Devoe’s Wonder Pure.

6. Dehydration

You don’t have to drink gallons of water to stay hydrated, says John La Puma, MD, author of ChefMD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine, “I’d love it if people got more water from eating fruits and vegetables because then they’d get all the other good things that come with them.”

7. Skipping meals

We know you’re busy, but hunger is a common headache trigger.

8. Too much caffeine

A little can help headaches, but too much can trigger them, New York City neurologist Audrey Halpern, MD, says. If caffeine is causing your pain, gradually cut back until you have caffeine no more than two days a week.

9. Inactivity

A recent Swedish study showed that those who were inactive were more likely to get headaches than those who worked out. Aim for 20 to 30 minutes of cardio a day, five days a week, to relieve stress, send blood to the brain, and get feel-good endorphins flowing. Exercise may be a trigger for some people, so consult your doc first.

10. Sleep deprivation

One large study says those who slept an average of six hours a night tended to have significantly more severe and more frequent headaches than those who got more zzz’s.

Don’t feed your headache

Everyone reacts differently, but some foods are known to trigger headaches for many people—and others (especially those rich in magnesium) seem to help prevent them. ( health.com )