When I grew up in back country of North San Diego County as kids we were continually out climbing the mountains. I remember mom routinely checking us for ticks when we came home. Back then if a tick was found embedded with its head in the skin we would use kerosene to remove it. I …
Drug companies are big investors in medical research and post-qualification training for doctors. A survey done by Mass General Hospital in Boston has put actual figures on the industry’s involvement. Nearly two-thirds of heads of department from 140 medical school and teaching hospitals said they had some relationship with industry. Over a quarter acted as …
In the US almost 14 million units of blood are dispensed each year to 4.8 million patients. While blood transfusions undoubtedly save many lives, over the past five years, several studies have found that patients who received transfusions were also more likely to suffer heart attack, heart failure, stroke and death. In 2004, for instance …
Those who suffer from chronic illnesses often forget what it is like to be healthy and so they will gradually become accustomed to not feeling well and accept it as being normal. Here are some questions that you can ask yourself to evaluate how your health is doing. -In the past year, how many days …
Parents often ask about the best way to check for fever. Rectal temperatures are the most reliable and accurate. This method is most reliable for infants under 3 months and toddlers when an accurate reading is crucial. Oral temperature are okay for older children who can keep a termomenter under their tongue with their mouth …
I recently came across an article in JAMA that refutes claims made by those opposing the smoking ban in the work place. In the article they state that “three common arguments are advanced against mandatory smoke-free bars, restaurants, and other hospitality businesses. Each is fallacious. First, laws to prevent smoking in bars will not be …
One of the biggest factors affecting our kids eating habits is the advertising budgets of big corporations like Kellogg’s. For example, when Kellogg’s came out with their new cocoa frosted flakes they budgeted $30 million the first year. In comparison the FDA spent only $400,000 in one year to promote the use of vegetables and …
Women have pretty much been held responsible for the health of their unborn babies. Don’t drink, smoke or eat too much fish when you are pregnant. However, new research is indicating that fathers too need to be careful about what they are exposed to lest they affect their child’s health and even those of generations …
People with onychomycosis (foot fungus) can treat their feet by soaking their feet in a bleach and water solution for 10-15 minutes twice a day for 2 weks. The proportion of bleach to water used in this treatment is 2 to 3 capfuls of bleach to at least 1 gallon of water. More bleach – …
A recent report in New Scientist showed that smoking cannabis has been linked to having a small brain at least if the dope is taken in large doses, over a long period. Researchers at the University of Melbourne, Austrailia scanned the brains of 15 heavy users, who had smoked at least 5 joints daily for …