Spring is here, and what could be cuter than a little fluffy yellow chick or a duckling? Lots of things, because those birds can spread salmonella, which isn’t cute at all.
Category Archives: Health
Tiny turtles
Salmonellosis is an infection from the bacteria Salmonella, which lives in food, water, and animals. In a 13-month period spanning to September, 2011, small turtles were a frequent culprit for spreading this infection.
Being active feels good
Researchers at Penn State have found a link between physical activity and feelings. Undergraduate students kept diaries, recording physical activity and end of day feeling states, for eight straight days.
Mom’s ecstasy, Baby’s problems
Ecstasy is among the most widely used drugs by young people – so some pregnant women are users. And a study indicates the drug may affect the fetus.
Stop bullying
Bullying can be verbal, like name calling, social, to affect reputations and relationships, or even physical, which hurts someone or their possessions. It can happen anywhere, and to anyone. We can help kids understand bullying by talking to them about it and teaching them how to stand up to it safely.
Fish oil and polyps
A study indicates that women who eat at least three servings a week of fish with omega-3 fatty acids have a lower risk of polyps that could develop into colon cancer. Vanderbilt University researcher Harvey Murff saw this in data on people who reported what they ate and who had colonoscopies – exams to check for polyps.
Watching out for glaucoma
Glaucoma can sneak up on a person. The eye condition damages the optic nerve that carries information to the brain. Glaucoma can affect the outer edges of the field of vision – the side vision. At Yale School of Medicine, Dr. James Tsai says glaucoma can come on so slowly that, in its early stages, people might not be aware it’s happening.
How’s your A1C
An A1C test can help to diagnose diabetes. That’s because an A1C test measures the sugar glucose attached to a specific blood protein, hemoglobin, which stays in the blood about three months. By comparison, the standard blood test for glucose is at a single point in time.
Growing away from the roots
First generation Mexican-American kids weigh less than second- and third-generation kids, and a study indicates a reason for it can be found in what they eat.
Kicking cancer to the curb
Data from the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer tells us that cancer death rates are dropping. Between 2004 and 2008, death rates for all cancers combined decreased 1.6 percent per year. The reduction is a combination of healthier American lifestyles and understanding of different health risks.
Breathing easy
More than 12 million Americans have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. If you have COPD, you might experience constant coughing, excessive phlegm build up, and shortness of breath during normal activities.
Oranges and strokes
People generally should eat more fruits and vegetables, and one study suggests a possible reason to have citrus on that menu. In collaboration with Harvard University, Aedin Cassidy at the University of East Anglia in England examined data on the risk of stroke in almost 70,000 U.S. nurses.
Raw milk
Raw milk has its following, but experts say the followers are putting themselves at risk – and their children and families, too. Raw milk is nonpasteurized, which means it has not been treated against germs that can be found in cows – even if the cow looks healthy. Some people think raw milk is better, but researcher Adam Langer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention knows what happens to people who drink it.
Active games, less-active kids
An active video game doesn’t necessarily make a kid more active. A new study of 78 children, ages 9 to 12, shows that kids were no more or less active when playing an active video game.