MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'exposed!'. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:12:36 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828160&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fvirtual-surgery-for-new-surgeons%2F Here’s something you might not want to know. Most surgeons learn how to perform surgery on real live patients. Sure, they start off as students practicing on cadavers but mostly, they learn by performing actual surgical procedures under the guidance of senior surgeons. However, researchers are looking to technology to change this learning pattern and have created virtual patient simulators for residents to practice on before using a scalpel on real patients. Clinical trials are currently being held at the Stanford University School of Medicine to test the effectiveness of this virtual reality training. They are integrating data from patient’s pre-op CT scans into a virtual patient simulator. The simulator consists of a endoscopic camera and mannequin head that is attached to a touch-fe... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828160 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:48:02 +0100 2828160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2785884&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fan-online-tool-to-rate-cellphone-radiation%2F Thinking about buying a new cell phone? Before you do, you might want to check out the free, user friendly online tool that illustrates the radio frequency emission of more than 1000 phones in the marketplace. The online tool, created by the Environmental Working Group, offers easy to read graphics which enables consumers to make quick comparision of the radiation levels of cellphones and smart phones. Radiation is emitted from cell phones each time you talk on or send text message from it. Some phones emit less than others. As to whether or not it is a health risk remains in debate with the phone industry saying ‘no risk’ and researchers around the world still seeking answers. Given that no one knows for sure, it makes sense to go for a phone with the least amount of radiation emissio... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2785884 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:03:35 +0100 2785884 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2744064&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fgo-ahead-%25e2%2580%25a6swear-the-pain-away%2F Here’s a study you can use. Swearing apparently plays an important role in relieving pain. The study, published last month in the NeuroReport journal, tested this theory on college students. Students are required to immerse their hands in cold water for as long as they could. While the hands were in the cold water, they were encouraged to either repeat a swear word of their choice or chant a neutral non-swear word. The students who used sweat words reported less pain during the exercise and were also able to keep their hands in the cold water for at least 40 seconds longer. While the study’s researchers are unsure how this works, they are now advocating that if you hurt yourself, then go ahead and swear. So next time you stub your toe or hit your finger with a hammer, go ahead and swea... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2744064 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:52:29 +0100 2744064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2734038&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fleaving-hospital-against-medical-advice%2F Would you leave the hospital before your doctor says you are ready? It’s not something that I’d do. But according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, it’s becoming a common occurence as more and more people check out against medical advice. In fact, in 2007 368,000 patients walked out on their doctor. So why did they leave? Turns out that the majority of those who left were uninsured or on Medicaid.   They were also more likely to be… Male: Men left hospital against advice at a rate of 1.5 per 1,000 population, compared with 0.9 for 1,000 women. In contrast, women were more likely to be inpatients, at a rate of 102.8 per 1,000, compared with 91.5 for men. Younger than other patients: The average age those who left against advice was 46 years, compared with 58 year... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2734038 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:51:35 +0100 2734038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2730063&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fva-computer-error-causes-health-scare%2F There was a  health care SNAFU at the Veterans Administration early this month. A computer coding error by the Veterans Administration led to more than 1,800 Gulf War veterans being sent letters informing them that they had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a fatal neurological disease more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Can you imagine opening up your mail and being told that as a veteran with ALS, they were entitled to disability compensation of up to $2,700 a month with additional money for their children and spouses. Most would have been left scratching their head and wondering how in the world they suddenly had Lou Gehrig’s disease and why the heck no one had told them before. According to a VA spokesperson, the letter no way inferred a medical diagnosis of ALS. The VA has... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2730063 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:04:07 +0100 2730063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2724833&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2F10-things-dead-bodies-have-done%2F Death – it happens to all of us…eventually. And when it does, the usual chain of events is a funeral and/or where you are either buried or cremated, followed by a period of mourning for those you left behind. But, according to this fascinating article from mental floss, it doesn’t have to be that way. Might sound somewhat morbid and gross, but it turns out there are plenty things your body can do and places for your body to end up rather than six feet under or in an urn. According to this mental floss article  ‘10 Things Your Body Can Do After You Die’, throughout history, the dead have been busy doing everything from getting married (ghost marriage) and unwinding with a few friends (mummy based panaceas) to powering up crematoriums, being a Soviet tourist attraction (Le... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2724833 Sat, 22 Aug 2009 23:16:04 +0100 2724833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2724834&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fbabies-in-3-d%2F What do you think of 3-D ultrasounds of babies in the womb? Is it, as some supporters claim, early bonding or is it in fact simply entertainment for a ‘can’t wait’ generation of parents? It’s a controversial procedure that is experiencing a surge in popularity despite the fact that many health professionals are recommending that parents don’t expose their unborn babies to ultrasounds unless there is a good medical reason. In fact, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine is actively discouraging parents from getting 3-D ultrasounds done. See video here Post from: Healthbolt (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2724834 Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:51:40 +0100 2724834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2719691&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fworld-mosquito-day%2F August 20th is World Mosquito Day. It was on this day back in 1897 the link between mosquitos and malaria was first established. Army doctor Ronald Ross, based in India, discovered this tremendous fact while dissecting the stomach tissue of a anopheline mosquito. The mosquito, which had fed on a malarious patient four days previously, had the malaria parasite. It was the evidence needed to prove mosquitos were responsible for transmitting the malaria parasite to humans. Ross, who went on the win the Nobel Price for Medicine in 1902 and found the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, declared August 20th as World Mosquito Day. But discovering the cause unfortunately has not lead to the eradication of the disease. Malaria still kills over a million people a year. So World Mosquito Day is no... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2719691 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:56:36 +0100 2719691 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2715942&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fpeta%25e2%2580%2599s-latest-target-fat-women%2F PETA’s at it again. In an attempt to encourage people to go vegetarian, they have introduced a new billboard campaign featuring an obese bikini clad woman alongside this slogan “Save the Whales, Lose the Blubber: Go Vegetarian”. Yet again, PETA has crossed the line and managed to create another tasteless, tacky, ignorant, and insulting campaign. Do they really think that this sort of publicity stunt will encourage people to go vegetarian? According to this Press Release, it seems they do… A new PETA billboard campaign that was just launched in Jacksonville reminds people who are struggling to lose weight — and who want to have enough energy to chase a beach ball — that going vegetarian can be an effective way to shed those extra pounds that keep them from looking good i... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2715942 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:55:19 +0100 2715942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2705122&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fwarning-yawning-could-get-you-jail-time%2F It’s a strange world where a person can end up with jail time for the simple and often involuntary act of yawning. But what’s even stranger is that while the yawner was being given jail time, the actual defendant, who plead guilty to a felony drug charge, was only given two years probation. Interesting way of ensuring that justice is done. (image source)   Apparently the judge decided that the yawn was a disrespectful interruption of the court and the yawner was in contempt. Seriously, you have to wonder what the judge was thinking. Yawning is as natural as breathing and just as involuntary. No one really knows why we do it. But we do. Animals do it. Even babies in the womb do it. And as everyone knows, it’s pretty contagious. You see, or even hear, someone else yawning and nine tim... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2705122 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:59:06 +0100 2705122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2702306&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fbrits-too-tired-for-sex%2F Feeling too tired for sex? Well, if you’re living in Britain you are not alone. A recent study by Nuffield Health, a non-profit organization, has found that on the whole, Britain has turned into a ‘couch potato nation’, too lazy to get up and change the television channel if the remote was broken and simply too tired for sex. The results, which come from a poll conducted of more than 2000 adults throughout Britain, showed that… 36  percent would not run to catch a bus 52 percent of dog owners can’t be bothered walking the dog 73 percent have no energy for sex 64 percent are too tired to play with their children 59 percent took the lift instead of walking up even two flights of stairs It’s almost as if all the Brits want to do is sit and vegetate. With results like tha... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2702306 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:58:48 +0100 2702306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2695361&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fsaudi-man-orders-golden-penis-stretcher%2F What’s a medical devices company, that promotes itself as selling  the world’s number one penis extender,  to do when presented with an order for a 18 carat gold penis extender worth nearly 50,000 dollars? They could ignore it or they could find a custom jeweler to work on the project with them.  X4 Labs, the company faced with this dilemma,  choose to find a jeweler and start working on this somewhat unique request. Apparently the client, a Saudi businessman living in Jeddah,  had a legitimate practical reason for requesting a sold gold version - he claimed to have severe skin allergy to stainless steel. But by also rrequesting 40 diamonds and several rubies be encrusted in the design, he  obviously also wanted his penis stretcher to sparkle, According to the X4 Labs spokesper... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2695361 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:46:05 +0100 2695361 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2691473&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fflip-flops-can-turn-deadly%2F Any flip flop wearers out there? If so, here’s a study you  might want to consider. Two reporters living in New York City recently walked around the city for four days wearing flip-flops. They took numerous train trips, walked through Prospect Park, headed out to the bars in West Village, took in a baseball game at Coney Island, waded through the public restrooms at the Coney Island subway station, and even rode the Cyclone, twice. They then turned the flip-flops over to a microbiology lab at EMSL Analytical for testing. The results -  the flip-flops had collected approximately 18,100 bacteria of the five most prevalent varieties, including the deadly Staphylococcus aureus. Now flopping around in Flip Flops might stop your feet from touching the ground but they don’t stop the grim fr... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2691473 Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:47:49 +0100 2691473 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2688647&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fcreating-artifical-bone-from-wood%2F Italian scientists have created a new procedure to turn blocks of wood into artificial bones. It starts with taking a block of wood  and heat it up until it turns to pure carbon (in other words charcoal).  They then spray calcium over the carbon thereby creating calcium carbide. Further chemical and physical steps will convert the calcium carbide into carbonated hydroxyapatite which is then able to be implanted and used as the artificial bone. According to the scientists, the wood-derived bone substitute will let live bones to heal faster and more securely after a break than currently available titanium and ceramic implants. But using wood to create artifical bone is still a work in progress. Scientists are currently limited to trialing the process on sheep. Implantation in hum... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2688647 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:51:29 +0100 2688647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2683829&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fsugar-coated-pills-not-such-a-sweet-deal%2F According to this study, sponsored by the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority and published in Toxicology Letters,  just one ‘sugar coated’ tablet of an easy to obtain over-the-counter medication ‘can raise the levels of phthalates in the body by 100 fold before being quickly eliminated.’  Apparently, it’s quickly eliminated, but the fact that it even gets into the body at all is concerning. And you have to wonder, does it really go away all together in someone who is taking the medication for long term use? Or will the phthalates level remain elevated and cause the patient to be at increased risk of endocrine related health illnesses? The simple solution - take the phthalates out of medicines. But what seems obvious to us will probably require many more studies to be det... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2683829 Sat, 08 Aug 2009 19:18:24 +0100 2683829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2681887&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fa-smile-scan-that-rates-your-smile%2F I don’t know about you but I always respond better to someone who is smiling, be it family, friend, or stranger. But can we expect everyone to smile all the time. Is that even possible? And would we really want to be constantly surrounded by smiling faces? One Japanese company, Omron, thinks so and has created the Smile Scan to help people rate their smiles. Consisting of a video camera and sensor unit that connected to computer software, the Smile Scan scans a person’s face, rendering a 3D image and evaluates critical spots such as mouth and eyes to see if the person is smiling hard enough. The smile is then rated from 0 to 100. . Currently available only in Japan, the Smile Scan is being used by companies such as Japan’s Keihin Electric Express Railway Co. This Tokyo-based company... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2681887 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:54:10 +0100 2681887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2674252&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fthe-air-that-we-breathe%2F Think that the air inside your house is safer to breathe than the air outside ? Better think again. According to this fascinating, yet scary report by WebMD, the air in our houses probably isn’t any better for us than the air out in the community. In particular, they point out that a typical American home has over 500 chemicals floating around in the air. The number is based on a recent study done on indoor airborne contaminants in homes in Arizona.  That’s a huge number of chemicals. But what’s worse, as the WebMD articles points out, is that the scientists were unable to even identify 120 of these chemicals. I don’t know about you, but I find that very concerning. But wait. It get’s worse.  The article goes on to state that babies are at more risk of contamination than adul... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2674252 Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:10:50 +0100 2674252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2662484&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Ftripadvisor%25e2%2580%2599s-top-5-germiest-world-attract%2F With swine H1N1 flu constantly making front page news, travellers have got germs on the brain. According to a recent TripAdvisor site poll of nearly 5,000 travellers, a third of them are being more ‘germ aware’ and are washing and disinfecting their hands much more often. In keeping with this theme, TripAdvisor has ‘coughed up’ a list what they think might be the world’s top ‘germiest’ attractions… photo by ge'shmally (flickr) 1. The Blarney Stone in Ireland where ‘up to 400,000 mouths from all over the world touch the stone each year‘. 2. Seattle’s Wall of Gum where, since the 1990s people have been deposit their masticated gum while waiting in line for Theatresports 3. Oscar Wilde’s Tomb in Paris which is has a ‘rainbow of hundreds of visible kiss marks ador... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2662484 Sun, 02 Aug 2009 10:06:37 +0100 2662484 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2699585&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fwhat%25e2%2580%2599s-on-my-food%25e2%2580%2599-a-searchable-database%2F You might not see them, but pesticides are everywhere – on our food, washed or not; in our bodies, even years after exposure: and in our environment, having travelled miles by wind, water and dust. But finding out what pesticides might be on your food hasn’t been that easy. That is, until now. Thanks to the Pesticide Action Network (PAN), you now have at your fingertips a searchable database, What’s on my food,  which links “…pesticide food residue data with the toxicology for each chemical, making this information easily searchable for the first time.” Post from: Healthbolt (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2699585 Sat, 01 Aug 2009 10:00:41 +0100 2699585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2660721&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fwhat%25e2%2580%2599s-on-my-food%25e2%2580%2599-a-searchable-database%2F You might not see them, but pesticides are everywhere - on our food, washed or not; in our bodies, even years after exposure: and in our environment, having travelled miles by wind, water and dust. But finding out what pesticides might be on your food hasn’t been that easy. That is, until now. Thanks to the Pesticide Action Network (PAN), you now have at your fingertips a searchable database, What’s on my food,  which links “…pesticide food residue data with the toxicology for each chemical, making this information easily searchable for the first time.” Post from: Healthbolt (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2660721 Sat, 01 Aug 2009 10:00:41 +0100 2660721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2657599&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fchocolate-for-the-brain%2F Last month, over 350 medical professionals, computer experts and entrepreneurs gathered for the fifth annual Games for Health Conference in Boston and discussed out topics such as how computer games could boost patients’ health. There were even sessions that specifically focused on the relationship between gaming and cognitive health and whether games can help change behavior and/or improve balance for people with neurodegenerative diseases. Me - I’m all for the idea that games can help maintain cognitive health as well as possibly improve memory. And with that in mind, I’d like to introduce you to my latest find - Chocolatier: Decadence by Design. Seriously, what could be more fun than spending an hour or two pretending that you are a chocolatier building up a chocolate empire f... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2657599 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:00:13 +0100 2657599 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2645288&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fsurgerys-robotic-future%2F Robots might be the future of surgery, but it wasn’t always this way. Surgery was once very primitive and extensive.  Anyone interested in the not only the history of surgery but also it’s future should watch this fascinating TED talk by surgeon and inventor Catherine Mohr. Warning: Not for the squemish. Catherine takes us on a tour of the history of surgery in all it’s pre-painkiller, pre-antiseptic glory and then head to the present and future with demos of some of the newest tools for surgery, nimble robot hands able to work through the smallest of surgical incisions. Post from: Healthbolt (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2645288 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:00:52 +0100 2645288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2634379&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fthe-keeler-migrane-method-qa%2F Most of us have suffered from them at one time or another - a mind-numbing pain, or a sharp one right between the eyes, or the throbbing of your occipital lobe - the dreaded migrane. Some of us are lucky enough only to have had one or two. Others have them with extreme regularity. Either way,  a migraine can turn any good day sour very quickly. Dr Robert Cowan, who with team of specialists  at the Keeler Center for the Study of Headaches, has conducted some of the most cutting-edge research in the field.  From the research as come a  book The Keeler Migrane Method, a step-by-step guide to individualized migrane management. Find out what he has to say about migranes and migrane management with this informative Q&A: It seems like migraine treatments are like diets. What works fo... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2634379 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:00:55 +0100 2634379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2625998&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fhealthbolt-funtimes-the-joy-of-music%2F These days, you never know what’s around the corner. But the last thing that most of these commuters was expecting was the railway speaker’s blasting out ‘Do-Re-Mi’ from the Sound of Music and seeing, one by one, people joining in and singing and dancing to the music. But that’s what happened earlier this year at Antwep’s Grand Central Station. Yes, it was a promotional stunt for a reality show. But that doesn’t matter - just think of how many lives it must have brightened up for a minute or two. (found via Seeing Good) (image source) Post from: Healthbolt (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2625998 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 10:00:03 +0100 2625998 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2610912&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fblame-nitrites-for-rising-disease-rates%2F A new study out is suggesting that the rising rate of diabetes, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease is linked to nitrites and similar compounds that are found in so many of our everyday products. Sodium nitrite is commonly used to preserve and color food such as hot dogs and bacon. It is also a common ingredient in fertilizers that are used to grow vegetables. Granted, the scientists involved in the study have not found a concrete link yet but it’s enough of a link to get Suzanne de la Monte, the lead author of the study, to avoid nitrites herself. Avoiding nitrites isn‘t such a bad idea. After all, they are already known to cause cancer. But this latest study is also suggesting that even low doses of exposure to these chemicals can have serious effects on the brain. So if you wer... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2610912 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:00:38 +0100 2610912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2605968&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fchildbirth-via-youtube%2F Childbirth videos are nothing new. They’ve been screened at pre-natal birthing classes since the 1970s. But they are mostly dated and often highly edited so as not to offend or upset expectant parents. Now there’s a category of childbirth videos around - real life, unedited, and made friends and families of those in labour.  And they can be found in thousands over at  You Tube. A quick google search of ‘YouTube childbirth videos’ turned up 195,000 results. Seems that more and more women are making these videos in the belief that they will help “demystify” childbirth. They are watched by expectant parents who want to get ‘all the facts.’ Some even get more than they bargained on. Back in May, one British father actually ended up delivering his own baby soon after w... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2605968 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:00:49 +0100 2605968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2601984&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fnurses-work-for-free-plastic-surgery%2F A recent New York Times article highlights to the growing nursing shortages around the world. Seems an understaffed Prague clinic has been offering liposuction, breast augmentation, and tummy tucks as incentives to get nurses to work there. All they have to do is sign up for three years and they can have the plastic surgery of their choice - for free. Interesting incentive plan. And apparently it’s working. According to the clinic manager, they are now fully staffed.  In fact, they had to reject dozens of applicants. But it sounds more like providing a bandaid rather than a cure to the continuing nursing shortages. (via Kevin MD.com) (image source) Post from: Healthbolt (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2601984 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:00:34 +0100 2601984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2591442&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fhospital-care-varies-across-nation%2F In this study, researchers reviewed three years of experience (July 2005 to June 2008) of Medicare fee-for-service patients with heart failure and heart attack at almost 5,000 hospitals across the nation. Examining the records of nearly 600,000 heart attack admissions and more than 1 million heart failure admissions, they calculated the 30-day death and readmission rates and found: The average 30-day death rate for heart attack was 16.6 percent and the average rate of heart attack readmission was 19.9 percent. The average 30-day death rate for heart failure was 11.1 percent and 24.4 percent for readmission.   Heart failure death rate ranged from 6.6 percent to 19.8 percent. Readmission for heart attack ranged from 15.3 percent to 29.4 percent. Readmission for heart failure ranged from 1... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2591442 Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:14:02 +0100 2591442 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2584152&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fare-you-living-in-a-%25e2%2580%259cfat%25e2%2580%2599-state%2F Have you seen the new CDC report on the nation’s waistline? Apparently, it show that when it comes to weight, there is no shrinkage. Some state may be holding steady but the major seem to be growing. For the report,  400,000 American adults provided information about their height and weight which was used to calculate their body mass index (BMI). Weighing up all the information, the CDC has determined that ‘the proportion of U.S. adults who are obese increased to 26.1 percent in 2008 compared to 25.6 percent in 2007.’ According to the CDC press release  “In six states – Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia – adult obesity prevalence was 30 percent or more. Thirty-two states, including those six, had obesity prevalence of 25 percent or m... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2584152 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:49:41 +0100 2584152 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2859125&cid=t_166170_136_f&fid=39027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lrdlc.dreamhosters.com%2F2009%2F07%2Fthe-value-of-privacy%2F You know what’s annoying as f.? Trying to sleep and being woken up with a needle stick at 12am, then 2am, then 4am, then 6am. You know what else is annoying? Wearing those skimpy, flimsy gowns, with my ass hanging out the back. And then there’s the fact that I’ve had catheters up my dick, fingers up my ass, tubes down my nose and mouth, IV’s galore… not to mention the constant beeps and buzzes and hisses and wheezes from all the damn machinery surrounding the bed. And why is every damn X-ray table a freezing slab of metal? Point being, I was violated. Exposed. Stripped. So I created an area where I knew NO ONE could touch me.  My own head. In there I lived and in there I guarded every thought and emotion.  Because those were mine.  My BODY was mine, but cer... Cancer, life, and me blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2859125 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:02:36 +0100 2859125 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2572917&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fmedical-marijuanas-warning-label%2F Based on numerous research studies that illustrated the unique benefits of marijuana in counteracting the pain, nausea and  the “wasting-effect” that often often occurs in the late stages of AIDS and cancers, Californian’s voted in 1996 to legalize medical marijuana. The state even went as far as providing marijuana vending machines to supply those who were in need and medical qualified to have it. Now the state lawmakers have decided that, while it’s of medical benefit to treat side effects of serious illnesses, it possibly can cause cancer. That doesn’t mean that medical marijuana will now be banned. Instead, the plan is to have a warning label (just like on cigarettes) informing people of it’s potential cancer-causing risks. Interesting idea, but somehow I don’t think th... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2572917 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 02:53:12 +0100 2572917 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570429&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fa-toilet-made-out-of-poop%2F Check out this innovative low-cost, low-tech concept waterless toilet system created by industrial designer Virginia Gardiner. This waterless toilet, aptly named LooWatt, is a closed-loop management system that will recycle human waste and eventually turn it into energy. Here’s how it works. After defecating, you turn the crank on the toilet which, instead of flushing, magically pushes the waste down into a receptacle that is lined with a carbon-rish biodegradable film. Once this prototype sealed container is full, it is removed and the compressed waste is taken to an anaerobic digester which, in turn, will produce cooking gas from the methane. It sounds a little gross but makes a whole lot of sense… Post from: Healthbolt (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570429 Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:48:48 +0100 2570429 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570430&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fcasino-workers-and-second-hand-smoke%2F Despite all the smoking bans in place, there are still some places, such as casinos, where workers are still consistently exposed to second hand smoke. A new study, funded by the Flight Attendent Medical Institute, finds that casino workers face higher risks of heart disease and lung disease because a smoke filled work environment. In the study, the air quality in three Pennsylvania casinos was tested for levels of two indicators of tobacco smoke - cancer-causing chemicals and particles small enough to inhale.  At the same time, eight volunteers, each of whom spent four hours in the casinos, provided urine samples which were measured for levels of a tobacco smoke byproduct. Measuring the air quality revealed that the tobacco smoke indicators inside the casino was four to six times higher ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570430 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:15:53 +0100 2570430 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2561234&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fcan-wine-tasting-led-to-tooth-erosion%2F Pity the poor wine makers, tasters, and judges. Researchers in Australia are finding that they are at a higher risk of tooth erosion. Of course, tooth erosion can happen to anyone, but those who are constantly tasting wine are much more susceptible due wines acidic nature. Acid dissolves the calcium and phosphate from teeth’s enamel surfaces, a process that is irreversible. Researchers aren’t advocating that professional wine assessors give up their job but they are suggesting that they look at ways of protecting their teeth. Ways they can do this include drinking plenty of water to increase saliva production which helps flush way and dilute the acids. Another, more extreme idea, is for them not to brush their teeth on the mornings of a wine tasting session. Sounds gross, but the i... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2561234 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:12:15 +0100 2561234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2553021&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fnyc-subways-hazardous-to-your-hearing%2F New York City and subways go together like bacon and eggs or coffee and donuts. But subways, like bacon and donuts,  aren’t necessarily good for you. Seems a new study that compared the numerous mass transits modes available in NYC has found that subways, with noise levels ranging between 80 and 102 decibels, were the loudest means of transport around. That’s not good. The EPA and WHO both recommend that in order to protect your hearing your daily average level of noise exposure should be no more than 70 decibels. To give you an idea of the level that is, normal conversation is between 60 and 70 decibels. The study’s results indicates that the estimated 33 million Americans who use the subways daily are consistently over exposing themselves to potentially deafening levels of noise. ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2553021 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:24:22 +0100 2553021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2550213&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fa-%25e2%2580%2598coffee%25e2%2580%2599-breath-mint%2F Sounds a little strange given that coffee, which has a dehydrating effect in the mouth, can make someone’s breath smell, to honest, not so good. But new research from Israel has turned up a coffee extract that can inhibit the bacteria that lead to bad breath. This surprised even the researchers. Expecting to find that coffee did indeed cause bad breath, they found instead some components in coffee that actually inhibit bad breath. Prof. Mel Rosenberg, the lead researcher, now aims to isolate the bacterial-inhibiting molecule in coffee. If he’s successful, it could result in a whole new class of mouthwashes, breath mints, and chewing gum.  Imagine the possibilities… (image source) Post from: Healthbolt (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2550213 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:13:57 +0100 2550213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2517217&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fthe-truth-its-written-all-over-your-face%2F Would I lie to you? Maybe, but the truth, according to David Matsumoto, Ph.D., a psychologist at San Francisco State University in San Francisco, Calif., will be written all over my face. It might not be easy to see, but it’s there. Dr. Matsumoto, who has made a career out of focusing not on what people say but what the face itself says, works with police and experts around the world to find the truth by reading faces.  It’s a fascinating topic that’s become even more interesting since the arrival of the television show Lie to Me, based on the work of Paul Ekman, which is turning all of us into amateur face readers. And let’s face it, there’s plenty of scope of practice, especially with all the television interviews featuring politicians and celebrities. Af... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2517217 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:18:02 +0100 2517217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510379&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Femergency-room-waiting-times-increasing%2F Emergency Rooms account for nearly half of all hospital admissions so it’s not surprising that it turns into a waiting game for most patients. A new report released today by Press Ganey Associates has found that there has been a 27 minute increase in waiting time in ER nationwide since 2002. The report, ”2009 Emergency Department Pulse Report: Patient Perspectives on American Health Care”, which analysed the experiences of almost 1.4 million patients who were treated in 1,725 Emergency Departments during 2008. Interesting facts from the report include… South Dakota has the lowest total time spent in the emergency department (3 hours, 52 minutes) while Utah had the highest total time (6 hours, 48 minutes). Virginia patients spent 23 fewer minutes in the emergency department... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510379 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:44:40 +0100 2510379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510385&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Freusable-shopping-bags-and-bugs%2F Warnnig: Reusable Shopping Bags Could Be Making You Sick That’s the word from a recent study commissioned and funded by the Environment and Plastics Industry Council(EPIC)  in Canada. Randomly testing of reusable bags used by consumers in Toronto turned up an interesting result. It appears that the bags were not only carrying groceries. They are also carrying around high levels of mold, bacteria, and yeast. Full results indicated that… * Sixty four percent of the tested reusable bags were contaminated with some level of bacteria * Nearly 30 percent had bacterial counts higher than what is considered safe for drinking water. * Forty percent of the bags contained the presence of yeast or mold. * Some of the sampled bags contained unsafe levels of coliforms and fecal intestinal bacteria.... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510385 Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:17:04 +0100 2510385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2477582&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fthe-sunday-sidebar-18%2F Interesting reading around cyberspace… Health officials in Los Angeles are targeting young woman with a program that offers STD Results Via Text. The progam that started earlier this week provides home delivery of STD testing kits and a text message to alert them when the results are ready online. A man is suing a Chicago restaurant that he claims provided an undercooked salmon salad that resulted in him having a  9-foot-tapeworm growing inside him.  The Scientific American article that highlights this case asks Are Urban Tapeworms on the rise? Chastity Bono (daughter of Sonny and Cher) is transitioning from woman to man. An anti-abortion blogger, who wrote in detail about being pregnant with a sick baby, is outed as a hoax. Post from: Healthbolt (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2477582 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 02:00:57 +0100 2477582 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2477583&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fa-hairy-test-to-trace-recent-travel%2F According to this study  recently published in the Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry journal, a team of  Spanish and British scientists  have found a way to trace your travels by testing your hair by using a laser-ablation technique. This technique is able to detect variations in the sulphur isotopes of a single hair strand over time. During the study, researchers collected hair samples from three volunteers, two of whom were permanent United Kingdom residents while the third had spent the previous 6 months travelling through Croatia, Austria, and Australia.  Results of testing  showed that the traveller’s hair strand had considerable variations in the sulfur isotopes while hair strands from the two home-bound U.K. residents had minimal to no changes. Interesting results that c... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2477583 Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:14:08 +0100 2477583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473246&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Ffrom-humidity-in-the-air-to-drinking-water%2F Deserts are associated with high temperatures, cracked and parched soil, and little water. If any plants exist, they are usually few in number. Mirages are more likely than oasis and drinking water is a scarce commodity. But some German scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart think they might have the answer. Working in collaboration with Logos Innovationen, the scientists have discovered a process that will convert air humidity into drinking water. And best of all, the process is energy-autonomous via thermal solar collectors, photovoltaic cells, and vacuum tanks.  Here’s how it works: A brine (salt) solution runs down the tower-shaped unit absorbing water from the air. The water soaked brine solution is then sucked by vac... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473246 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:57:15 +0100 2473246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2469477&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Ftop-ten-reasons-not-to-call-911%2F You have to check out this fascinating, funny, and downright bizarre list that Time has put together of Top Ten Non-Emergency 911 Calls. Here’s a sampling… A police officer who steals marijuana and gives himself a drug-induced fit of panic  His conversation with the dispatcher: “I think we’re dying. We made brownies, and I think we’re dead. Time is going by really really really really slowly.”  They survived and the  police officer was lucky not to have to do time. An Ohio man called 911 in May 2009 after his live-in adult son refused to clean his messy bedroom. An Oregon man called 911 because a  box of orange juice had been omitted from his younger brother’s order at a McDonald’s drive-thru. And that’s just the start of a list of... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2469477 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:17:32 +0100 2469477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2464116&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Frunpeecom-for-when-timing-is-everything%2F RunPee.com’s tag line says it all - ‘helping your bladder enjoy going to the movies as much as you do.’ Yes, that’s right. A website that will tell you the perfect time to leave the movie theater and visit the bathroom.  After all, you haven’t paid out the price of a ticket just to miss the important scenes. Now those of you with weak or over full bladders don’t have to. RunPee.com,  based on  user generated content, highlights the optimum times for bathroom stops. For example, if you’re watching ‘Night in the Museum’, you’ll have to wait 45 minutes until it’s safe.  ‘Star Trek’ on the other hand seems to have so many optimum toilet run times that it makes you wonder whether the movie has any good bits in i... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2464116 Tue, 09 Jun 2009 07:12:27 +0100 2464116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452443&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fis-google-killing-the-medical-riddle%2F Medical students learn not only by textbook and labs, but also by being challenged by medical riddle offered up by their professors and lecturers. Once, medical students would have to “formulate hypotheses, go to the book, research and eliminate possibilities . . . and come to the answer” making the medical riddle a valuable learning tool. But these days, with google, this process is almost defunct. Students can simple keyword the riddle into google search and come up with the answer in a matter of seconds.   Stanford’s Abraham Verghese now adds to a caveat to all his medical riddles - Don’t google it. Here’s his latest… A man walks into a bar, offers to keep his head completely submerged in a bucket of water for twenty minutes and if he doesnt he will buy drinks all around an... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452443 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:28:10 +0100 2452443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452444&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Ftriage-like-a-trekkie%2F Star Trek fans will remember Dr McCoy’s cool medical tricorder that could name medical ailments without even laying a hand on the patient. But that was television and in reality, we all knew that the tricorder didn’t exist. But now it’s starting to look as though it does. Meet the Standoff Patient Triage Tool (SPTT), a 15-by-8-by-6-inch (or about 38-by-20-by-15-centimeter) machine that according to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate can gauge a person’s pulse, body temperature and muscle movement from up to 40 feet away. Using the same type of laser technology already in use on airplanes and in acoustic speakers and landmine detectors, the SPTT quickly measures vibrations in the human head and chest and use the data to calculate vit... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452444 Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:08:59 +0100 2452444 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452445&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fassisted-suicide-issues-debated-in-britain%2F Swiss clinic Dignitis and the issue of assisted suicide have been in the British media spotlight lately, mainly due to a debate that is taking placing before the  House of Lords. This debate revolves around an old law and a new case. The old law, the 1961 Suicide Act bans assisted suicide in Britain and criminalises anyone who aids, abets, counsels or procures someone else’s suicide. The new case -  a 46-year-old woman with progressive multiple sclerosis who wants to travel abroad to die and wants to ensure her husband Omar Puente won’t be  prosecuted if he helps her travel. The law as it stands can allow for the prosecution of  relatives and friends who travel with someone planning to undertake assisted dying overseas. Granted, government law officers readily admit that thos... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452445 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:08:47 +0100 2452445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441255&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fmilitary-war-dead-help-the-living%2F It’s a little know fact but since 2001 all military personnel killed in Afghanistan or Iraq have had autopsies done and since 2004 have also been given a CT scan within an hour of their arrival at Dover Air Force Base. Arlington Cemetary It’s something that never happened in previous wars. But this is now a routine way of not only determining accurately the cause of death but to also obtain full details about injuries from bullets, blasts, shrapnel, and burns. The end result of these autopsies is yielding a wealth of information that highlights any deficiencies in equipment (ie body armor, vehicle shielding, etc) and has resulted in changes and improvements in military and medical field equipment. Have a read of this New York Times article to find out more about this new world of milit... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441255 Tue, 26 May 2009 07:14:05 +0100 2441255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441256&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fwhy-hospitals-have-to-go-green%2F Hospitals and their emergency vehicles are contributing to the increasing number of asthma cases and respiratory illnesses. Not because of poor health services but because they are extremely high energy users who are creating large amounts of toxic emissions. Given these facts, the WHO is asking hospitals to look for alternative forms of energy, such as solar panels and wind turbines, to power their facilities. Other actions that suggested include using energy-efficient light bulbs, buying organic foods, and more efficient and alternative-fuel vehicles. Of course, some hospitals are already doing this and more in their efforts to go green and reduce costs. In fact, last year the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom did a public sector analysis of it’s carbon dioxide use. ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441256 Mon, 25 May 2009 10:54:43 +0100 2441256 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441258&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fsuper-recognizers-never-forget-a-face%2F How good are you at recognizing faces? Would you be able to recognize, say for example, a waitress that served you once five years ago? Or  someone at the checkout counter at the grocery store you visited while on holiday in, say, California a decade ago? If the answer is no, then you are like most of the population that sits in the middle of the face recognition spectrum. But if the answer is yes, then you are probably a ’super-recognizer’. It’s a term coined  by Harvard researchers  following a recent study they conducted on face recognition. They administered  standardized face recognition tests to a group of participants and discovered  that some people scored way above average on these tests. Of course, there are also, around 2% of the population,  tho... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441258 Sat, 23 May 2009 01:38:17 +0100 2441258 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416831&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fusing-twitter-to-help-get-a-heart%2F What do you do when someone you love is in need of a heart and healthcare red tape is getting in the way? Well, if you are former CNN reporter Veronica De La Cruz,  you use Twitter and other social media networks to get the word out. Veronica’s brother Eric is suffering from severe cardiomyopathy (a disease that enlarges the heart and makes it incapable of pumping blood effectively) and  desperately needs a heart transplant. But because he registered for Medicaid in a state (Nevada) that has no transplant center, authorities will not put him on a list for a heart transplant in another state. It’s bureaucratic red tape at it’s worst and highlights America’s flawed healthcare system. The irony of it all is if Eric was living in another state -one that had a transplant center - he w... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416831 Tue, 19 May 2009 07:42:15 +0100 2416831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416832&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fa-premature-end-to-chinas-sex-theme-park%2F There’s many different ways of learning more about the birds and bees, but a theme park?  That’s just way too bizarre for me. And it looks like I’m not the only one who thinks so. Loveland, China’s first sex theme park, was scheduled to open in October but has instead come to a premature end. It appears that while the developers thought it was a great way of opening up a topic that is seldom discussed in China, the idea of a park that featured naked human sculptures and giant replicas of genitals was just too much to cope with. Based on the Jeju Loveland theme park in South Korea, China’s Loveland’s main entrance was to feature a signboard bearing the park’s name being straddled by a giant pair of women’s legs topped by a red thong. Definitely not a... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416832 Mon, 18 May 2009 06:28:38 +0100 2416832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414769&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fsurvey-finds-piddling-in-pool-common%2F “We don’t swim in your toilet. Please don’t pee in our pool” - sign posted next to a private swimming pool It’s sad, sad world when people have to put signs like this up. One might be inclined to take the message as a joke except that according to  survey conducted by the Water Quality and Health Council, “four fifths of those questioned believe that their fellow swimmers are guilty of relieving themselves without bothering to get out and find a bathroom. And one in six people polled admitted that they have indeed peed in the pool.” This isn’t good. Swimming in unclean water can lead to recreational water illnesses (RWIs) such as  diarrhea, respiratory illness, and ear and skin infections. Those most at risk are Children, pregnant women, and  any ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414769 Sat, 16 May 2009 23:21:28 +0100 2414769 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414770&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fallergic-to-work%2F It’s a funny thing. Soon as I get to work, my nose seems to go into overdrive. The running and sneezing seem to increase. I’ve always jokingly said I must be allergic to work. But it turns out it might not be a joke - I, like thousands of others, could easily be allergic to work, or at least all the allergens that are floating around the workplace. What’s in your physical surroundings can easily act as an irritant that causes an allergic reaction.  Dust, of course, is probably one of the main suspects. And it’s not just in the office. There’s dust everywhere - in warehouses, at construction sites, in restaurant kitchens. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, exposure to dust, gases, or fumes in the workplace environment are responsible for 11 p... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414770 Fri, 15 May 2009 22:08:52 +0100 2414770 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405096&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Ftalking-bacteria%2F Did you know that you have ten times more bacteria cells than human cells on you at any one time? Makes it sound like everyone is a human time bomb, just waiting to get sick. But in actual fact, these bacteria are our protectors, covering us like a suit of armour. That’s just one of the interesting pieces of information you can pick up by listening to this fascinating TED Talk by bacteriologist Bonnie Bassler. Post from: Healthbolt (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405096 Thu, 14 May 2009 10:51:07 +0100 2405096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2386851&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Ffrom-brain-waves-to-music%2F A few days ago I posted about the brain on twitter. Well, it appears scientists everywhere are determined to prove that you don’t need your hands to do things like, for example, make make music. Meet the The Multimodal Brain Orchestra. They performed their very first live concert a couple of days ago at the Science Beyond Fiction conference in Prague.  Using their brains, the performers controlled variations of visuals, sounds, frequencies, and volumes in the a piece of music called Xmotion. Their goal - to see what the brain can do without the body. It was brilliant performance without musical instruments, although the music itself is probably an acquired taste. Check out their performance here. (source) Post from: Healthbolt (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2386851 Mon, 04 May 2009 03:00:19 +0100 2386851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2386852&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fsurgical-operations-on-youtube%2F Wired Science has a fascinating post featuring 10 Gory Surgical Triumphs on YouTube. Full of blood and gore, it’s definitely not for anyone who has a weak stomach. But if you ever dreamed of being a surgeon, love all the reality medical shows, then this might just be the list for you. The list covers everything from open-heart surgery to amputations, sex-change operations to autopsies. They even remove a fish hook from an eye. Nothing, it seems, is safe from the internet. Brain surgery anyone? Post from: Healthbolt (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2386852 Sun, 03 May 2009 14:23:18 +0100 2386852 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2382295&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fresearching-male-anatomy%2F Need some light reading for the weekend? Well, ScientificAmerican.com has a couple of articles that might just do the trick. Focusing on a specific part of the human anatomy, they will either entertain, inform, or possibly simply irritate you. The first, The Secret of the Phallus, starts out with a great hook  “…If you’ve ever had a good, long look at the human phallus, whether yours or someone else’s, you’ve probably scratched your head over such a peculiarly shaped device.”  and then continues on to discuss the research of evolutionary psychologists such as Gordon Gallup who studies the design and evolution of the human penis. The second article, The Misunderstood Penis, was written in response to some of the comments the author received to his first article. Apparently som... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2382295 Sat, 02 May 2009 15:13:30 +0100 2382295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380773&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fthe-twelve-days-of-stds%2F Remember Healthbolt’s review ‘Seductive Delusions’, a book by Dr Jill Grimes about how ordinary people can easily and unknowingly get STD’s. With April being the CDC’s  (Center for Disease Control) STD Awareness Month, Jill was looking for a way to promote risks of STDs to teenagers in particular. She came up with the idea of a video that could be posted on YouTube. After all, what better way of reaching teenagers these days than YouTube and social media networks. The result - a quirky video about the ‘12 Days of STD’s’ in which Jill and a few teenagers sing about STD’s to a famous Christmas tune. Check it out… Here’s the facts behind the lyrics (reprinted with permission from Jill Grimes) Day 1- “Anyone can catch an STD” Fact: People of all races,... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380773 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:34:41 +0100 2380773 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375935&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnitrolab.engr.wisc.edu%2Fmedia%2FP3Twitter.mov A University of Wisconsin biomedical engineering doctoral student posted a message on Twitter, a popular social media network, simply by thinking about it. His  message “using EEG to send tweet” was the result of using a brain-computer interface system that consisted of a electrode-studded cap which was wired to the computer. The student, Adam Wilson, wore the cap and then focused on the computer screen where the keyboard as displayed. (watch video) Justin Williams, a UW-Madison assistant professor of biomedical engineering and Wilson’s adviser, describes how it works… “The way this works is that all the letters come up, and each one of them flashes individually, And what your brain does is, if you’re looking at the ‘R’ on the screen and all the other l... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375935 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:50:41 +0100 2375935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2364975&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fgreys-anatomy-blurring-fact-and-fiction%2F The hospital - Seattle Grace - doesn’t exist and neither does its staff but that’s not stopping them from using the pending nuptials of Dr Derek ‘McDreamy’ Shepard and Dr. Meredith Grey as a fundraiser for a worthy cause. Actually, it’s a pretty clever idea - creating online wedding registry - that taps the Grey’s Anatomy’s fans into feeling that they are part of the wedding festivities, which allows them to donate in lieu of gifts to one of these three well deserving charities… - American Academy of Neurology Foundation (ANN) - Alzheimer’s Association - American Skin Foundation When contacted by the producers of Grey’s Anatomy as one of the chosen charities, the AAN foundation jumped on the offer. As foundation’s Executive Director, Catherine M Rydell, says ‘…Thi... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2364975 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:41:25 +0100 2364975 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347885&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fless-depression-but-more-wrinkles%2F Antidepressants might ease the blues but a recent study indicates that they might also cause more wrinkles. Apparently a study on identical twins, conducted by researchers at the University Hospitals Case Medical Center, found that the use of antidepressants can contribute to faster aging. Of course, the reasons that people are on the antidepressants in the first place are also probably contributing to the faster aging as well. But because antidepressants function as muscle relaxants, their continued use might well lead to decreased facial muscle tone, resulting in a face that sags. Read the full study here… (image from sxc.hu) (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347885 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:03:02 +0100 2347885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347886&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fwith-cancer-%25e2%2580%2598everything-changes%2F Looking at the cover of Everything Changes: The Insider’s Guide to Cancer in Your 20’s and 30’s,  I made an assumption that it was just another straight forward how-to guide on dealing with cancer. But was I ever wrong. Everything Changes is not just a how-to guide (although there is heaps of resources and information that anyone dealing with governmental and medical red tape will find tremendously useful). It is,  instead, a highly personal journey through the maze of having cancer and receiving treatment in a society that seems to think that cancer is reserved only for the old. Seems that the mostly common phrase that Kairol and others interviewed in Everything Changes heard after being diagnosed with cancer was “But you’re too young for this!” In reality, there is no such ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347886 Sat, 18 Apr 2009 02:23:14 +0100 2347886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347888&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fsusan-boyle-proves-its-never-too-late%2F Today, I was inspired and moved beyond words. Flicking on the television this morning, I was captivated by this news piece… Embedded video from CNN Video Watch Susan’s full performance on Britain’s Got Talent here. (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347888 Thu, 16 Apr 2009 04:26:15 +0100 2347888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347889&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fthe-museum-of-human-disease-a-grisly-find%2F Most people head to Sydney, Australia for the sun, the food, and the opera house. Now you can also take in a visit to the Museum of Human Diseases, a Pandora’s box of plague, pestilence and disease in graphic detail. Used for years as a  resource for medical students, this museum at the University of New South Wales has more than 2,000 cadaver parts on display. It’s not for the weak of stomach. There’s a blackened smoker’s lung on one side and a  nectrotic ulcer the size of a cricket ball n the other. The two disembodied white thumbs, macabrely sit in a ’thumbs up’ gesture against a dark background (possibly a little med school humor). There’s a gangrenous foot, a nodular goitre, and an egg-shaped breast cancer. It might sound pretty grisly but sights like this can ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347889 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:52:57 +0100 2347889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347892&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fnew-smoking-ads-too-far-or-not-far-enough%2F Image from flickr Ads about smoking have changed dramatically over the years. Once upon a time, when none knew any better, cigarettes were advertised as something that would make you feel good, strong, happy, even healthy. But as more and more evidence pointed to the dangers of smoking on your health, the ads changed. They were no longer put out by tobacco companies trying to entice people to buy their product. Instead, they were produced by government departments and non-profit health organizations trying to encourage people to quit (or not to start). And along the way, they’ve become increasing gruesome and graphic. For example, cigarette cartons with pictures of blackened lungs and rotting gums. But many of the television ads, such as this one recently released by the New York Ci... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347892 Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:28:49 +0100 2347892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306914&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fmonth-of-conception-linked-to-birth-defects%2F Spring and summer might not be the best time for women in the United States to conceive according to a new study published in the April edition of the Acta Pædiatrica journal. Seems that the study, which analysed the 30.1 million births in the U.S. between 1996 and 2002, found that there was an increased number of birth defects in the children born of women who last menstruated in April, May, June, or July. This is the time of the year when there are increased levels of pesticides, such as atrazine (which is banned in Europe but still permitted in the US) and nitrates, in surface water across the United States. Based on the evidence this study has uncovered, the researchers suspect there is a strong correlation between the seasonal increase in pesticides in the surface water and numbers ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306914 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:56:12 +0100 2306914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306915&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fbeware-the-four-legged-tripwire%2F image from sxc.hu If you’ve have the misfortune of tripping over the cat or dog lately, you are not alone. Seems that these ‘four-legged tripwires’ are the cause of over 86,000 visits to the emergency room each year.  That’s 240 people a day being treated for pet-related injuries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found that while cats are involved in some of the fall, the main culprit is man’s best friend, the dog. Seems that nearly 88% of all injuries were dog-related and females sustained injuries twice as often as males. No mention, though, of how the pets fared in each of these accidents… (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306915 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:44:52 +0100 2306915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306916&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fskin-cancer-myths-exposed%2F After a long, hard winter, everyone just wants to get out and catch some sun rays, feel the warm, and get a bit of color back in the skin. But while the sun makes us feel good, it’s not always the best thing for us. With the incidence of skin cancer on the rise, it’s important to remember to stop and protect ourselves before we head out into the sun. It’s also important to know fact from fiction when it comes to what’s good and bad about the sun. Myth #1:   Dark-skinned people are safe from sun damage and skin cancer risks. Even though those with brown skin have lots of melanin which offers more protection against UV rays, they are more prone to moles. And abnormal moles are a major risk factor for melanoma. Myth #2: Lip Gloss can protect the skin. Not accord... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306916 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:53:49 +0100 2306916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306919&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fthe-big-snog-log%2F If you’re interested in the kissing habits of others, check out the recent  Big Snog Log , a survey of  4,000 people across the United Kingdom about their lip-locking habits. Commissioned by The Body Shop and MTV, it reveals that… Nearly a third perfect our kissing techniques using our hands, which is the highest in the country, while 10% admit they have kissed photographs and posters of sexy celebrities in a bid to up their game. A fifth of people have read up on techniques or used the web to improve their puckering up prowess Nearly a third of people (31%) admit that they are more likely to have a one night stand with a stranger if they’re a good kisser More than quarter of people say they kiss members of the same sex for fun - with a third of men admitting to snog... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306919 Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:01:28 +0100 2306919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2284424&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fthe-monday-sidebarreligion-and-health%2F Some sad but true actions by religious leaders that, in my opinion, really does nothing to help improve the world’s health. Back in 2003,  imams in northern Nigeria  claimed that polio vaccinations were part of a western plot aimed to make Muslims infertile or infect them with AIDS.  This resulted in large scale boycotting of the vaccines and an almost doubling of children crippled with polio the following year. (the good news - a big new anti-polio push is currently under way in Nigeria and this time, many of the Muslim imams are advocating for people to have the vaccination.) Meanwhile, the Pope, during his recent visit to Africa stated that ‘condoms are not the answer’ to fighting AIDS.  Not only that, he went on to add that it (condoms) only increases the probl... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2284424 Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:37:04 +0100 2284424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2284425&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Flasers-weapons-of-mosquito-destruction%2F Remember how back in the 1980s, a group of scientists proposed a  ’star wars’ type defense system plan which would use laser beams to knock Soviet missiles out the skies. Well, turns out that some of the scientists who worked on that are now aiming their lasers at a new target - the mosquito. This new arms race, which astrophysicist Jordin Kare calls an attempt to ‘destabilize the human-mosquito balance of power’,  is the latest in the battle against malaria. With approx 350 million to 500 million people infected with malaria each year  - 1 million of which die - malaria is a major global public health threat, This Wall Street Journal article has all the details … (image from sxc.hu) (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2284425 Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:23:03 +0100 2284425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2284426&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fsickcity-gives-real-time-disease-detection%2F Last year Google unveiled the Google Flu Trend Tool which follows any increased flu-related search terms to determine where in the U.S. flu outbreaks may be occurring. Well, now a creative computer programmer has put together an application that allows you to track  the latest epidemic trends in your city via twitter (and soon facebook). Called SickCity, it monitors twitter status messages in realtime, looking for keywords like  “flu”, “chicken pox”, “fever”, etc. The information is then plotted on charts that show 30 day trends in each individual city. So far, only 10 cities are being followed: New York, London, San Francisco, Los Angeles,  Austin, Chicago, Sydney, Toronto, Boston, and Seattle. Interesting idea… (image from stock.xchng) (Sou... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2284426 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:26:35 +0100 2284426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2284427&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2F4-reasons-smoking-is-not-eco-friendly%2F Everyone knows that smoking really is bad for your health. Turns out it’s not so good for the health of the planet either. Here’s why… Tobacco growing requires the use of more pesticides per acre than any other crop. Flue curing, the process of drying out tobacco leaves requires an external heat source and this contributes to deforestation. While the US mostly uses oil, coal, or liquid petroleum gas, developing countries account for 85% of all tobacco grown and use wood-burning fire for flue curing. Each cigarette emits around 14 milligrams of fine particulate matter which doesn’t seem like much. But if you multiple it by the estimated 5.5 trillion cigarettes smoked annual, it becomes more than 80,000 tons of fine particular matter emitted each year. Cigarettes might go up in sm... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2284427 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 05:27:19 +0100 2284427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2270315&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fscientists-as-guinea-pigs%2F How far would you go to find the answers to a medical mystery? Would you go as far as Stubbins Ffirth, a 19th century doctor who smeared himself with vomit and other bodily fluids from yellow-fever suffers to prove it wasn’t a contagious disease? Or tape a sample of radium salts to your arm for 10 hours as Pierre Cuire did in his desire to find out how radiation might help in the treatment of cancer? Probably not. Read more about these and other extraordinary scientists who put their lives on the line for the sake of knowledge at New Scientist’s fascinating (and somewhat gross) article Eight scientists who became their own guinea pigs. (image by Gaetan Lee) (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2270315 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:11:30 +0100 2270315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2270316&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Faimee-mullins-legs-have-super-powers%2F Ever wonder what it’s like to have prosthetic legs? Aimee Mullins - athlete, model, and actress - lets us into her world with this interesting talk at TED. Image: Newscom Born without fibular bones, Aimee had both legs amputated below the knee when she was an infant and learned to walk and then run on prosthetics. The running led to competing as a sprinter and resulted in her becoming a world record breaking runner at the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta. (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2270316 Sun, 15 Mar 2009 15:50:47 +0100 2270316 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2256055&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Ftoday-is-national-women-and-girls-hivaids-awareness-day%2F Today is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDs Awareness Day, so why not join Healthbolt and The Red Pump Project and spread the word.  HIV/AIDS remains one of those subjects that not talked about so much over the dinner table or when out for coffee with the girls. But prehaps it should be because the numbers tell us it’s a disease that does not seem to be going away. In fact, according this Snapshot of the U.S. Epidemic provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation, it seems to be growing… • Number of new HIV infections, 2006: 56,300 • Number of people living with HIV/AIDS: 1.1 million, including more than 468,000 with AIDS • Number of AIDS deaths since beginning of epidemic: 583,298, including 14,561 in 2007 • Percent of people infected with HIV who don’t know it: 21% So ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2256055 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:29:45 +0100 2256055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2256058&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fsexbolt-saturday-sex-and-rotten-eggs%2F Great news for guys with erectile dysfunction, especially those who get little to no benefit from Viagra. There is new hope on the horizon  -  rotten eggs. Seems a new study by Italian researchers have determined that hydrogen sulphide, the gas arising from rotten eggs, encourages arousal in men. Apparently minute amounts of this gas released by key nerve cells during arousal helps control and sustain an erection. According to researcher Professor Cirino, of the University of Naples Federico II in Italy, this discovery should make it possible “…in future to develop drugs that either deliver hydrogen sulphide or that control the hydrogen sulphide production.” In other words, create a new Viagra. Given that this gas is emitted by hot springs and spas around the world, will this mean... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2256058 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:37:31 +0100 2256058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232534&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F03%2F01%2Fis-there-a-creative-genius-in-all-of-us%2F Is there a ‘creative genius’ in all of us? Elizabeth Gilbert, author of bestselling book Eat, Pray, Love (One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia), thinks so. In this TED talk, she considers the possibility that everyone has a ‘genuis’ inside them and they just need to find it and let it out. Watch it. It will inspire you to keep working on finding your genius. Tags: creative genius, creativity, elizabeth gilbert, genius, positive thinking, SuccessShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232534 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 01:27:59 +0100 2232534 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2210417&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F02%2F23%2Fhealthbolt-quiz-time-are-they-identical%2F Got a few minutes to spare? Then check out this National Geographic Channel quiz which challenges you to compare twinned photos to find 10 differences in each, and learn facts about identical twins, particularly how they may not actually be fully identical. Sure hope you do better than me… The National Geographic Channel created this quiz as part of their In the Womb series. By the way, the next episode of In the Womb screens this Saturday 28th February on National Geographic Channel. Tags: beginning of life, being pregnant, embyros, growth, health documentary, in the womb, national geographic channel, national geographic videos, pregnancy, wombShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2210417 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 05:47:42 +0100 2210417 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2210419&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F02%2F22%2Fbook-review-seductive-delusions-everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-stds-and-were-afraid-to-ask%2F Did you know that in the United States alone, there are 19 million new sexually transmitted disease (STD) cases diagnosed each year? Scary numbers. But most people will look at those numbers and say, ‘yeah, but that won’t happen to me. I’m safe. My behavior is not risky.” Unfortunately, it could easily happen to you. All it really takes to get a sexually transmitted disease is one instance of unprotected sex. Which is why I suggest that anyone who is sexually active or intending to become sexually active read Seductive Delusions: How Everyday People Catch STD’s by Jill Grimes MD. It’s an easy to read book that focuses on real life stories of young adults as a way of educating and instructing everyone on how to recognize, treat, and prevent STD’s ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2210419 Sun, 22 Feb 2009 06:45:04 +0100 2210419 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2205000&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F02%2F21%2Fthe-hackademy-awards-trump-the-oscars%2F The Academy Awards might be just a couple of days away but they’ve already been trumped by the Hackademy Awards. Created by the anti-smoking group Breathe California of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails, the ‘Hackademy Awards’ outs movies that make smoking look glamorous with a ‘Thumbs Down’ award and movies that portray smoking as uncool with a ‘Thumbs Up’ award. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which had more than 100 incidents of cigarette smoking throughout the movie, won the Thumbs Down award, as did actor Robert Downey, Jr. (Tropic Thunder) and Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) for their smoking characters. Thumbs Up awards went to the movie What Happens in Vegas which was apparently smoke free, as well as Will Smith (Hancock) and Nicole... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2205000 Sat, 21 Feb 2009 07:28:00 +0100 2205000 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2194860&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F02%2F17%2Fworms-n-us-a-seriously-gross-slideshow%2F I warn you now. This slideshow by Scientific American is not for the faint hearted, weak of stomach, or for that matter, anyone who would rather stay happily ignorant about ‘the charming, slinky creatures that turn your innards into their home sweet home’ for about half the world’s population (over 3 billion people) who are infected with at least one of the three worms - roundworm, hookworm and whipworm. Human nature as it is, despite my warnings, you’ll probably click here just to find out how bad it is. Don’t say I didn’t warn you… Tags: hookworm, parasites, parasitic worms, roundworm, scientific american, whipworm, worms, worms 'n usShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2194860 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:19:39 +0100 2194860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2190545&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F02%2F15%2Fthe-monday-sidebar-having-babies-too-old-too-young-too-many%2F Today’s Sunday Sidebar focuses on three different cases that intrigue and mystify me. First up, the 60 year old woman from Western Canadian who recently gave birth to twins. Seems she had her heart set on having children and when it didn’t happen naturally, resorted to IVF treatment in India (Canada apparently has a cutoff age of 50). I’m sorry but having twins at 60 sounds more like a nightmare than a blessing. Keeping up with one infant would be hard enough but two? Even a thirty year old might have problems doing that. Second up, the baby faced 13 year old father in England. These kids (the mother is just 15) might have the energy to raise a child but as we all know, it takes so much more than just energy. It takes money. It takes maturity. And third, there is Octo Mo... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2190545 Mon, 16 Feb 2009 05:34:23 +0100 2190545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2187700&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F02%2F13%2Fword-of-the-day-paraskevidekatriaphobia%2F Coined by Dr Donald Dossey, the word “paraskevidekatriaphobia” describes those who have a paralysing fear of Friday the 13th. According to Dr Dossey, those suffering from paraskevidekatriaphobia have symptoms ranging from a mild  anxiety to a sense of doom. Seems that some people won’t even get out of bed on friday the 13th. I guess they think it’s safer to pull the covers over their head and make the day go away. Listen to what Dr Dossey has to say about this phobia at this Bryant Park Project podcast recorded last year. Tags: "paraskevidekatriaphobics, abnormal fears, fear of friday the 13th, friday the 13th, friday the 13th fears, paraskevidekatriaphobia, paraskevidekatriaphobic, superstitionShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2187700 Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:41:53 +0100 2187700 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2167552&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F02%2F07%2Fsexbolt-saturday-mary-roach-talks-about-science-and-sex%2F Do you have an inquiring mind? Want to know whether a ‘person can think herself to orgasm? Can a dead man get an erection? Is vaginal orgasm a myth? Why doesn’t Viagra help women–or, for that matter, pandas?’ Then meet Mary Roach. Considered one of the most entertaining science writers around, she might just have the answers to all your questions. Mary is the author of last year’s best seller Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex. Tags: bonk by mary roach, mary roach, science and sex, Sex, sexual myths, sexual physiology, study of sex, understanding sexShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2167552 Sat, 07 Feb 2009 23:38:36 +0100 2167552 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2156424&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F02%2F04%2Fhealthbolt-op-ed-is-a-glass-of-urine-your-cup-of-tea%2F Sometimes I think that there is too much of what I think here at Healthbolt and so, occasionally, I’m more than happy to open up the floor to someone else’s opinion. Hence the Healthbolt Op-Ed - a place where readers can express their thoughts and opinions on interesting and entertaining health related topics. Today, we’ve got Holly McCarthy ruminating on an interesting and, to most westerners, a somewhat bizarre form of treatment - urine therapy. Since early times, healers have believed that urine has many curative and preventative properties. The Romans thought it helped whiten teeth, the Chinese thought that wiping babies faces with it helped protect the skin, and the French believed it help add in curing Strep throat. And of course, let’s not forget the bene... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2156424 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 07:51:48 +0100 2156424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2152908&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthepathseries.com%2Fassets%2FTrailer%2FTrailer%2520Enhanced%2520HD%2520480p.mov Death and Taxes - they are the two real guarantees in life. And of the two, taxes are probably the one that we understand the most about. Death, on the other hand, remains a mystery.  For ever, people have been asking the question ‘what is your purpose and why on earth do we live only to die?’ Many have tried to answer this question but in the end, death and the possibility of an afterlife, remains a mystery. The directors of a new documentary The Path are hoping to remove some of this mystery surrounding death, dying, and, in particular,  the afterlife. It features interviews with 13 individuals - well renowned authors, practitioners and well respected local practitioners in Upstate New York - who offer their their expertise on their own souls path, what they have learne... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2152908 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 02:24:37 +0100 2152908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2137540&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F01%2F27%2Fa-cautionary-tale-blood-clots-and-the-pill%2F It’s something that we all know is possible. It’s also something that we all think won’t happen to us. So here’s a cautionary tale from a University of Alabama student to remind us that although developing a blood clot is a rare side effect of taking birth control, it is one that can occur. Birth Control Has Side Effects: I Should Know by Caitlin from the University of Alabama As college students, we pretty much think of ourselves as invincible, I know I certainly have. Until recently that is. I’ve been in car accidents, including one where my car hydroplaned off a cliff. I’ve drank myself to the point where I should have gone to the hospital. I’ve had my life threatened. But those things never quite hit me to the point where I realized I could have died. On ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2137540 Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:37:45 +0100 2137540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2137541&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F01%2F27%2Fcraigslist-for-kidneys%2F Craigslist is used by thousands of people to search for cars, jobs, furniture, electronics, etc. Some, according to this ABC article, are even using Craigslist to look for a kidney. There are people looking for a kidney… Are you A or O blood type? Nun -Sister Theresa in need of a kidney! And people wanting to give their kidney away… I want to donate my kidney. Blood: A+ And as usual, there are those who just don’t know when to stop. best of craigslist : I will give you a KIDNEY for 2 OBAMA Tickets for tonights speech! via kwout I wonder what this person would have done if someone really had fronted up with the tickets and said ‘okay, the tickets for a kidney’. Tags: craigslist and kidneys, kidney donation, kidney donors, looking for kidney donor... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2137541 Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:31:44 +0100 2137541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2131304&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F01%2F24%2Fsexbolt-saturday-so-what-goes-on-behind-the-bedroom-door-book-review-and-giveaway%2F ‘no one knows what goes on behind closed doors’. - Behind Closed Doors, Charlie Rich, 1973 Okay, so it’s not something that we freely admit but let’s face it, we all have a little bit of curiosity as to what goes on in other people’s bedrooms. After all, we live in a world that seems to be obsessed with sex. But when it comes to talking about the intimate details of one’s sex life, it’s something that seldom happens, especially among women. Writer and editor Paula Derrow thinks this is because of fear… ‘fear of being exposed as inadequate, or worse, of being boring. Living in an all-sex-all-the-time culture may be liberating in many ways, but it can also breed shame - shame for not keeping up, for not being invited to the party.’ ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2131304 Sun, 25 Jan 2009 00:35:36 +0100 2131304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2128888&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F01%2F23%2Fhealthbolt-bizarre-london-gym-using-midgets-as-human-weights%2F Gymbox owner Richard Hilton doesn’t see this as a gimmick. Instead, he calls it ‘ultimate embodiment of visualisation theory’. Motivating or just plan bizarre? Tags: bizarre, dwarfs as human weights, midgets as dumbells, midgets as human weights, midgets as weights, odd, strange fitnessShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2128888 Sat, 24 Jan 2009 02:17:47 +0100 2128888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2128889&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F01%2F23%2Flefties-in-the-white-house-part-two%2F So, did you figure out who the other five left handed Presidents (since WWII) were ? Lethological Gourmet thought it might be Kennedy, Clinton, Carter, Nixon, and Reagan. Great guesses but not quite on the money. The five other lefties in the White House were… Gerald Ford Ronald Reagan George H.W. Bush Harry Truman Bill Clinton To find out more about ‘lefties in the White House’  head over to The Body Odd. Tags: famous left handers, left handed, left handed presidents, lefthandedness, lefties, lefties in the white house, politics and the leftShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2128889 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 23:17:43 +0100 2128889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2125286&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F01%2F22%2Flefties-in-the-white-house%2F No, I’m not talking politics. I’m talking hands. Seems the newest US president is a left handed. Somehow I missed that until I watched him sign his first executive orders yesterday. As a full blown leftie (again NOT talking politics), I find this somehow reassuring. After all, look at how lefties think…they focus on the whole picture, not just a piece here and there. (chart from Left Handers Club) Here’s some trivia for you - Obama is the sixth southpaw-in-chief in office since the end of World War II. Can you guess who the other five were? (answers tomorrow) Tags: barrak obama, left handed, left handed presidents, lefthhanders in white house, lefties, obama, Politics, southpaws, white houseShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2125286 Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:36:05 +0100 2125286 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2121619&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F01%2F21%2Fthe-kickabee-lets-baby-twitter-from-the-womb%2F I’m not sure whether this contraption is bizarre, silly, or cute. Developed by a father to be who was feeling a little left out of the pregnancy because he was missing the baby’s movements in the womb. Here’s what he says… “As an expectant father, I am once-removed from the physical knowledge my wife has of our baby and its development. With the Kickbee, I wanted to create a device that would give me a chance to be aware of our baby’s movements.” So he created a way for all movements to be monitor via, believe it or not, twitter and the cellphone. I’m not making this up. Everytime that the baby kicks, the vibrations travel wirelessly to twitter which then sends an SMS message to his cell phone… The message -’I kicked mommy at&#82... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2121619 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:10:44 +0100 2121619 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2112185&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F01%2F17%2Fsexbolt-saturday-asexual-you-are-not-alone%2F Remember Claire, the 105 year old who said ‘no sex was the secret to longevity’. Well, it turns out that she’s not alone in being disinterested in sex. Seems that that are a whole lot of people (research has the number at 1% of the population) out there who classify themselves as asexual - as having no interest in sex and feeling no sexual attraction. It’s a concept that most of us have difficulty understanding. We ask: How could someone be totally disinterested in sex? Don’t they want to make connections and have relationships with others? Don’t they want someone to love? And what about children and a family? David Jay has been wrestling with these questions most of his life. Early on, he realized that unlike all his friends, he really had no interest i... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2112185 Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:40:57 +0100 2112185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2100904&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F01%2F13%2Fparadise-island-caretaker-wanted-no-experience-needed%2F I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’ve just found my dream job - getting paid to live on an beautiful island in a luxurious villa for six months. The money’s really good, the climate is perfect, and all I’ll have to do is wander around the local area, exploring all it has to offer and report back weekly via blogs, photo diaries, video updates and media interviews. I’d all have to collect the mail, feed the fish, and clean the pool. No, I’m not making this up. It’s ‘fair dinkum’ as the Aussies would say, aimed to promote Queensland, and in particular the Great Barrier Reef and Hamilton Island to the world. I could do that. I want to do that. But there’s a small problem. It’s no secret and everyone, and I mean everyone, ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2100904 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:02:37 +0100 2100904 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2095844&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F01%2F11%2Ftop-10-healthiest-american-airports%2F Can airports be healthy places? I’m sure that the thousands of stranded travelers during the recent holiday season would say no. But Health Magazine, having done some research into the safety measures, food options, cleanliness, delays, and overall traveler satisfaction of all the nations airports, says yes airports can be healthy and have come up with a list of America’s 10 Healthiest Airports. They are: 1. Phoenix Sky Harbor International 2. Baltimore-Washington International Airport 3. Chicago’s O’Hare International 4. Detroit Metropolitan 5. Denver International 6. Washington National 7. Dallas/Fort Worth International 8. Boston’s Logan International 9. Portland International 10. Philadelphia International I see that LAX and JFK didn’t make the gr... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2095844 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:32:51 +0100 2095844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2095845&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F01%2F11%2Fthe-vasectomy-chronicles-coming-to-you-live-via-blog-or-twitter%2F First there was Live Blogging the Vascetomy Chronicles… nurse: have you shaved your scrotum? uh, nope, no one told me to Now there is kevsnip, a live twitter account of having a Vasectomy… the very first pre-op stage of Operation Chop is complete at 18 hours before Snip time. Hair today, gone tomorrow. Let’s just hope that no one plans on video blogging their vasectomy experience. (hat tip to KevinMD.com)       Tags: having a vasectomy, live blogging, the snip, twitter, vasectomy, vasectomy how-to, vasectomy procedure, vasectomy step by stepShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2095845 Sun, 11 Jan 2009 08:20:31 +0100 2095845 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2094800&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F01%2F10%2Fny-surgeon-to-ex-you-owe-me-for-my-kidney%2F So how much do you think your kidney’s worth? This NY surgeon, who donated his kidney back in 2001 to his now estranged wife, has decided that his is worth at least $1.5 million. That’s how much he now demanding in compensation from her. Sounds like he’d rather have the kidney back but of course, that’s not going to happen… Only in New York!!! Tags: compensation for kidney, divorce, ethics of kidney donation, kidney donation, NY surgeon demands kidneyShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2094800 Sat, 10 Jan 2009 08:25:31 +0100 2094800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2086918&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F01%2F07%2Fdoctors-without-bordersmedecins-sans-frontieres-2008-list-of-top-ten-humanitarian-crisis%2F Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the international medical humanitarian organization, has been providing an annual list of the “Top Ten” humanitarian crises since 1998 in an effort to generate greater awareness of the magnitude and severity of crises that may or may not be reflected in media accounts.   In a year where most of the media has been focusing on the American elections, these are the ten Most unreported humantiarian stories of 2008…   Somalia’s Humanitarian Catastrophe Worsens Beyond the International Spotlight, Critical Health Needs in Myanmar Remain Unmet Health Crisis Sweeps Zimbabwe as Violence and Economic Collapse Spread Civilians Trapped as War Rages in Eastern Congo Millions of Malnourished Children Left Untreated Despi... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2086918 Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:46:25 +0100 2086918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2081061&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F01%2F05%2Fhealthbolt-bizarre-bread-body-parts%2F Looking for a little more body in your bread? Then head over to this bakery in Bangkok, Thailand where artist Kittiwat Unarrom creates grotesque and gruesome bread sculptures - hands, feet, heads, torsos, and many other body parts - that appear almost real in his family’s bakery. Something to file away for the next time you are in Bangkok - there are even tours of this Human Bakery Tags: bakery, bangkok, body parts bakery, healthbolt bizarre, human bakery tour, Kittiwat Unarrom, thailandShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2081061 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:29:53 +0100 2081061 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2073982&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F01%2F02%2Fnew-years-resolutions-more-trouble-than-they-are-worth%2F So, have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet? You know, the ‘I’m going to lose weight, stop smoking, go to the gym, eat healthier, be nicer, get richer, etc, etc, etc’ type of resolutions. If you have, good luck. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. And if you haven’t, my advice is ‘don’t bother’. Did you know that most people who make New Year’s resolutions fail dismally within the first month or two of the new year? A UK study of 3,000 people found that in the end, only about 400 managed to stay on track and achieve their resolutions. That’s pretty grim statistics. Why so bad? Well, according to all the ‘experts’, it’s mostly because we… - have too many resolutions - the resolutions are too va... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2073982 Fri, 02 Jan 2009 07:15:42 +0100 2073982 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035581&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F12%2F13%2Fand-the-winners-of-the-pedi-relax-sets-are%2F Wow, it seems that people really are suffering with sore, dry feet. I’d love to give you all a pedi-relax set to help make it better. But unfortunately, there are only three to giveaway. And the random number selector says that the lucky recipients will be… Angie Julie Donahue Kathy Conley Congratulations to the winners. You should be getting an email shortly with directions on how and where to provide your mailing address. As for the rest of us, there is always a chance to win again tomorrow. Tags: cracked feet, cream for feet, dry feet, giveaways, healthbolt giveaways, pampering feet, pedi-relax, pedi-relax sets, sore feetShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035581 Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:00:00 +0100 2035581 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2026945&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F12%2F10%2Ftodays-my-one-year-anniversary-at-healthbolt%2F Looking at the calendar this morning, I suddenly realized that it was one year ago today that I started blogging at Healthbolt. Wow, how time flies when you’re having fun. I know it’s a cliche, but it only seems like yesterday. So in celebration of the day, I thought I’d share some of my favorite posts with you… Nine Christmas Gifts for the Hypochondriac in Your Life was the second post I wrote for Healthbolt and it was probably the most fun. Exploring all the interesting and fun gifts you could buy for the ‘hypochondriac’ was a blast. After all, how could a person resist fluffy giant microbes and internal organs. And then there was Doing the Hasselhoff and Pumpkin Positive, an examination of entertaining and information medical slang. On a more serious note, I wrote about how ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2026945 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:00:00 +0100 2026945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021403&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F12%2F08%2Fthe-monday-sidebar-6%2F The cell phone saves the day… …in the Congo when volunteering British surgeon uses text message instructions to perform a life-saving arm amputation on a young boy who was bitten by a hippopotamus. Seems while general and vascular surgeon David Nott knew that a forequarter amputation was required to save the 16-year-old boy, he’d never actually done one before. Aware that such an operation before was a huge risk, he decided to call in the ‘cavalry’ – that is, he text messaged Professor Meirion Thomas, one of the few British surgeons  experienced in such procedures and asked for help. Luckily, his phone was on and he txted  back ‘step-by-step instructions on how to do it.’ Meanwhile, in the United States, the cell phone again saves the day…. …when a stray .45-caliber b... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021403 Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:07:00 +0100 2021403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2005718&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F12%2F02%2Fthe-30-sugar-free-days-challenge%2F Think you could give up sugar? Want to try? Then maybe you should sign up for the 30 Days Without Sugar Challenge that Scott Olson is putting together to celebrate next month’s inaugural National Sugar Free Month. As Scott says “The New Year is a time for looking ahead, a time for renewal and reflection, a time to set new goals, and (typically) a time for weight loss. Why not make this year’s commitment to lose weight a more permanent healthy step by making a pledge to do without sugar for 30 days.” The author of the book Sugarettes, Scott is making it his mission to increase awareness of the addictive qualities of sugar and the health hazards of that addiction. Here’s what he has to say about ‘What Makes Sugar Harmful?’ Sugar is both addictive and harmful; this makes for a p... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2005718 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:00:00 +0100 2005718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2005719&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F12%2F01%2Fhealthbolt-giveaways-win-one-of-three-copies-of-sugarettes-by-dr-scott-olson%2F Sugar. It’s everywhere. In fact, it’s almost impossible to avoid and according to Dr Scott Olson, in his book Sugarettes, it’s as addictive as cigarettes. I’ve just finished reading Sugarettes and I got to say, it was a real eye opener. Who knew that sugar was so prevalent in society today? Seems that everything we eat and drink has sugar in it and the more processed the food, the more the sugar content.  In Sugarettes, Scott Olson looks at how sugar affects the body and why we should look at it as an addiction and a leading cause of not only obesity but also other medical illnesses of our times. This is a must read for anyone interested in improving their diet and their health.          Healthbolt has three copies of this fascinating book to giveaway to anyone anywher... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2005719 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:14:35 +0100 2005719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1998913&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F11%2F30%2Fhealthbolts-31-days-of-giveaways%2F I mentioned in the Healthbolt Holiday Gift Guide that it looked like the silly season was upon us - a time when everyone gets carried away buying presents for the nearest and dearest. Well, Healthbolt is going to go one better and start giving away a present everyday for the month of December. “Why?” you say. “Why Not?” I reply. Thanks to some very generous and kind people out in there in cyberspace, I have put together a collection of mainly fitness goodies – DVDs and books, sneakers and socks, gadgets and toys- to giveaway. Here’s the plan… - Every evening for the next 31 days, there will be a new giveaway announced. - enter by leaving a comment and your email address. Entry will be disqualified without email. - each giveaway will run for 7 days. - winner will be contacted ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1998913 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:36:14 +0100 1998913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1998915&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F11%2F29%2Fwant-to-know-the-secret-to-longevity%2F Everyone seems to have their own ideas on ‘what’s the secret to a long life’. For example, 105 year old Clare says ‘No Sex is secret to longevity’. That might have worked for her, but most people would be thinking ‘what’s the fun in that’. Long life, no sex – no thanks. Meanwhile, a 113 Japanese man suggests that the ‘the key to long life is abstaining from alcohol’. But for those of us who aren’t so keen on these ways of ensuring a long, long life, meet Li Ching-Yun. Not only did he believe in sex (he had 23 wives) but also lived on rice and wine. All this, and he lived, according to various reports, to the ripe old age of 256! Now that’s what I call longevity. Li Ching-Yun’s secret to longevity… “Keep a quiet heart, sit like a tortoise, walk sprightly l... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1998915 Sat, 29 Nov 2008 22:57:20 +0100 1998915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996268&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F11%2F28%2Fhealthbolt-makes-shopping-fun-with-its-holiday-gift-guide%2F It’s soon to be the season when we all go silly and spend lots of money. But not to worry, Healthbolt’s here to help with it’s nifty little ‘Holiday Gift Guide’ of everything that you never knew you needed to buy for family, friends, or even yourself. For the Hypochondriac      Flu Suit Kit              Dying Wheel of Wisdom         OCD Action Figure   Stupid.com                  Knock Knock                The Psychology Shop   For the Greenie From soap to trees     Water Powered Clock          DIY Organic Chocolate Kit Pangea Organics           BedolWhat’s Next                  Glee Gum   For the Foodie                                   ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996268 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 19:54:12 +0100 1996268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1980619&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F11%2F21%2Falamosa-colorado-water-water-everywhere-but-not-a-drop-worth-drinking%2F Did you know that this year marks the 100th year of America’s reliance on chlorine to disinfect drinking water? Jersey City, NJ was the first US city to routinely chlorinate it’s municipal drinking water, followed by Chicago’s union stockyards and many, many more cities around the country. Today, pretty much all U.S. public water systems rely on chlorine in some form for safe drinking water As a result, waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid are virtually eliminated. But as this guest post by the Chairman of Water Quality & Health Council highlights, there are always cracks in the system… The Waterborne Outbreak in Alamosa, Colorado by Chris Wiant, M.P.H, Ph.D. This year is the 100th anniversary of the first use of chlorination to help ensure safe drinking water suppli... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1980619 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:01:00 +0100 1980619 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1975017&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F11%2F20%2Fwant-to-know-what-will-happen-to-your-body-if-you-stopped-smoking-right-now%2F Today is the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout, an annual event that has been held for the last three decades. with the aim of encouraging smokers to quit by providing information, support, and resources. An ex-smoker myself, I know how very, very difficult it is to give it up. But I also know the up side of giving up the smokes and I’d encourage anyone who has been thinking about giving up cigarrettes to stop thinking and act.  You’ll thank yourself in the end. Healthbolt already has a fairly active support system going on at the comment section of a post - What Happens to Your body if you stop smoking Right now? - that was written by the Wade Meredith, the original Healthbolter.  Here’s the highlights of that post… In 20 minutes your blood pressure w... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1975017 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:32:00 +0100 1975017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1968769&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F11%2F17%2Fthe-monday-sidebar-5%2F There’s a truly eclectic selection of topics in this week’s Monday Sidebar. To start of with, what do you think about this - a ‘chastity belt’ lingerie fitted with GPS tracking system’. Lingerie maker Lucia Lorio of Brazil says it’s designed for ‘modern, techno-savvy woman’. But feminist are calling it a modern-day slaver and are urging women to boycott the GPS underwear Meanwhile, Swedish health authorities are causing controversy with their decision to supply free prosthetic penises that are not fully functional to transsexual men. Seems these free prosthetic penises [are] strictly flaccid a situation that some call ridiculous. But the Swedish health authorities have no choice - government regulations prohibit them from using taxpayers mone... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1968769 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:58:17 +0100 1968769 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1955213&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F11%2F12%2Fhealthbolt-bizarre-the-testicle-cookbook%2F I mentioned this e-cookbook briefly in one of last month’s The Monday Sidebar. Since then, I’ve discovered that there is a ‘free teaser version’ of  The Testicle Cookbook available, complete with the history of testicle cooking, five recipes and how-to videos. So if anyone’s interested in ‘cooking with balls’, this one’s for you…              Click here to read the sample version of The Testicle Cookbook. And here if you want to purchase the full version… Tags: cookbooks, cooking, cooking with balls, e-cookbooks, Healthbolt, healthbolt bizarre, testicles, The Testicle CookbookShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1955213 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:19:50 +0100 1955213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1927796&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F11%2F01%2Fthirst-an-educational-presentation%2F Have a look at this thought provoking slideshow that explores ‘humanity’s water use and the emerging worldwide water shortage.’ THIRST View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: design crisis) (source) Tags: thirst, water, water shortageShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1927796 Sat, 01 Nov 2008 23:53:58 +0100 1927796 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1924462&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F10%2F30%2Fmedical-illustrator-explores-truth-and-beauty-inside-a-cell%2F Think that beauty is only skin deep? Then you really need to check out this amazing talk by leading medical illustrator David Bolinsky and watch his stunning animations that show the bustling life inside a cell. Tags: cell life, david bolinsky, Healthbolt, medical animation, TED talks, VideoShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1924462 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:04:03 +0100 1924462 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1905845&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F10%2F24%2Fstinky-farts-shrinking-breasts-and-cancer-fighting-beer%2F Medical research boring? Not with headlines like these… MSNBC led with a new study reporting how Stinky farts may help regulate blood pressure. Seems that a smelly rotten-egg gas (scientific name - hydrogen sulfide) in farts controls blood pressure, at least in mice. This gas, made natural in cells lining the mice’s blood vessels, apparently relaxes the blood vessels which, in turn, helps prevent hypertension (high blood pressure). Wow, wonder if this will open up a whole new avenue of treatments for hypertension based on ’stinky farts”? Meanwhile, the Telegraph wrote about how Drinking too much coffee ‘could shrink women’s breasts’,  based on a recent Swedish study which focused on the caffeine consumption and breast size of 300 women. After rec... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1905845 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:24:08 +0100 1905845 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1876008&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F10%2F13%2Fthe-monday-sidebar-2%2F Today’s Monday Sidebar’s might be sparse but it’s not dull… Bluegrass and Brain Surgery - Mostly, surgeons prefer patients to be unconscious during surgery, but in this case, they not only wanted to keep their patient awake but they also wanted him to play the banjo. Why? Because they were trying to determine what region of the brain was causing the patient to suffer tremors. See for yourself here. Dead Man Walking Bathing - He’s been dead since 1924, but every year, he has a bath. Can you guess who? No. Then head over to Morbid Anatomy for the answer. And if you’re curious to see how a dead man baths, then check out this photo essay. Tags: bluegrass, brain surgery, Healthbolt, lenin, monday sidebarShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1876008 Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:16:20 +0100 1876008 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1870656&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F10%2F11%2Fstrange-news-shrinking-heads-phantom-penises-and-eye-wiggling%2F You’ve got to love the Mind Hacks blog. They just keep on coming up with interesting, fascinating, and macabre articles. Case in point - The science of shrinking human heads - is all about the Jivaro-Shuar, an indigenous people from the upper Amazon basin, and how they shrink human heads after killing their enemies in battle. But wait, there’s more. Mind Hacks has a weekly Spike Activity post that highlights links to all the interesting mind and brain news that they have come across during the week. This week’s spike activity directed me to phantom erectile penises and eye wiggling to help people recover from trauma.  Check it out. It’s a great adventure and it sure beats being depressed by newspaper headlines screaming about economic downturn and political post... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1870656 Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:26:05 +0100 1870656 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1865451&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F10%2F09%2Fglobal-warming-an-incubator-for-deadly-diseases%2F Here’s a little light weekend reading for you!! The Wildlife Conservation Society released a report a couple of days ago saying that a dozen deadly diseases, all with the potential to have major impact on not only human and animal health but also on global economies (as if the global economy needs any more help in falling apart), could easily spread into new regions as a result of climate change, The report, The Deadly Dozen: Wildlife Diseases in the Age of Climate Change, highlights 12 deadly diseases that appear likely to spread around the world due to climate-induced temperature and precipitation level changes. Avian influenza Babesiosis Cholera Ebola Intestinal and external parasites Lyme disease Plague “Red tides” Rift Valley Fever Sleeping sickness Tuberculosis Yell... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1865451 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 02:53:57 +0100 1865451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1862710&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F10%2F08%2Fscare-up-some-laughs-this-halloween-with-baron-bobs-grossest-candy-giveaway%2F Halloween is just around the corner. Time for some good clean funtime, complete with ghosts and goblins, pumpkins and costumes, and of course, the door-to-door trick or treating. Now, you could go the traditional route and hand out the usual candy corn, snickers, and cadbury chocolates. Or you could put a little ‘gross’ into Halloween with Baron Bob’s grossest Halloween Candy. How gross? Well, I’m going let decide for yourself. Here’s Baron Bob, owner of OffBeatTreats.com, with his ’show and tell’ taste test demo. (Warning: beware prepared to be grossed out) Now, for any of you that managed to sit through the Baron Bob’s video, we have a special treat in store for you. It’s the Harry Potter’s Candy Cauldron that Baron Bob&#821... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1862710 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:14:39 +0100 1862710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1862711&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F10%2F07%2Fyoure-allergic-to-what-strange-but-true-allergic-reactions%2F If you think that allergic reactions are only to common place allergens such as peanuts, pollens, and latex, think again. You can be allergic to pretty much anything. Sometimes it’s easy to figure out the allergen. Other times, not so easy. For example, check out these 10 strange but true allergic reactions… Cell Phones - there has been increasing number of patients presenting with contact dermatitis because they are allergic to the nickel in their cell phones. Chairs, Flutes and Other Items With Nickel - children developing rashes on the back of their legs, a result of sitting on classroom chairs with nickel-plated studs. And for one child, playing a flute containing nickel resulted in severe dermatitis of the lips. Black Henna Tattoos - can result in severe swelling and skin ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1862711 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:26:46 +0100 1862711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1862712&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F10%2F07%2Fhealthbolt-funtimes-another-optical-illusion%2F Yet another optical illusion to show us that things aren’t always what they seem…. Pornography or art? Disgusting or entertaining? You choose…. Tags: Exposed!, Extreme, Healthbolt, Oddities, optical illusions, pencil drawingShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1862712 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:44:53 +0100 1862712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1856008&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F10%2F06%2Fthe-monday-sidebar%2F Ready for some more interesting, fascinating, unusual, strange, and even bizarre news… Pay patients to go to the doctor? - in England, Health Service Managers are looking at ways to get people in unhealthy people in the lower social economic rankings to visit the doctor. The thinking is that if you can get people to the doctor earlier, before chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease set in, the government health system would save money. It makes sort of makes sense. But the idea is getting flack from politicans and medical experts alike who say that the government shouldn’t be bribing people to stay healthy. ‘World’s Fattest Man’ to Marry After Massive Diet - after two years of dieting, Manuel Uribe, the world’s heaviest man and his girlfrien... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1856008 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:42:03 +0100 1856008 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1852530&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F10%2F03%2F2008-ig-nobel-prize-awarded-to-coke-as-a-spermicide-discovery%2F How could I have missed the Ig Nobel Prizes for the past 18 years ? Not sure what the Ig stands for, these ‘nobel prizes’, which parody the more serious and respected Nobel Peace Prizes, are handed out every October for the ten achievements that ‘first make people laugh, and then make them think’. So without further ado, here are this year’s recepients… Chemistry: Sheree Umpierre, Joseph Hill, and Deborah Anderson for finding that Coca-Cola is an effective spermicide. On the other hand, C.Y. Hong, C.C. Shieh, P. Wu and B.N. Chiang proved that it was not. Nutrition: Massimiliano Zampini and Charles Spence for proving that food tastes better when it sounds good. Focusing on potato chips, they discoverd that crunchier sounding chips tasted better. Their res... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1852530 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:20:12 +0100 1852530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1850971&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F10%2F02%2Fwarning-voting-could-be-hazardous-to-your-health%2F Voting, or to be more exact, the act of getting to the polling booth, could be hazardous to your health according to a new study published in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association. The study, looking at election day traffic deaths since 1976 (winner: Jimmy Carter), found that ‘…on average, 24 more people died in car crashes during voting hours on presidential election days than on other October and November Tuesdays.’ Although the data used in this study doesn’t indicate where drivers were going when crashes occurred, the fact that there was such an increase (18%) suggests that most of the deaths were voting-related. Does this mean we shouldn’t be getting out and voting? Absolutely not. Just use common sense and be careful. (source) Tags: Healt... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1850971 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:08:00 +0100 1850971 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1844645&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F09%2F30%2Fairport-xray-machines-designed-to-expose-your-anxiety%2F Once upon a time, the Xray machines at airports simply looked into your luggage and the only thing you had to worry about was whether it would mess up the film in your camera. But with the new digital technology over the past couple of years, we no longer have to worry about putting exposed film into lead carry bags. Instead we have now have to worry about how much airport Xrays are exposing of us. Last year Backscatter Xray Screening was tested by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). This technology allows the machine to pretty much ’strip search’ passengers, of course only in a virtual way, to look for any sigs of contraband or weapons. This year, Homeland Security Department unveiled an anxiety detecting Xray machine known as “Future AttributeScreening Tec... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1844645 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:32:44 +0100 1844645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1837140&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F09%2F29%2Fthe-sunday-monday-sidebar-2%2F The Sunday Sidebar is back. But from now on it will be running as a regular post each Monday morning with the all the interesting, intriguing, and often weird medical news that’s out there. Here’s this week’s strange but true news… Ping Pong Ball Keeps Girl Alive - a quick thinking surgeon came up with a unique way to keep a young liver transplant patient alive. The two year old was the recipent of an adult liver. The liver, obviously too large for the child’s body, needed to have some sort of barrier placed between it and the child’s main arteries. The answer - an ordinary ping pong ball that is expected to remain in her body for the rest of her life. Went in for a snip. Ended up with a slice - A Kentucky man, who checked into hospital for a circumcisio... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1837140 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:50:46 +0100 1837140 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833162&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F09%2F26%2Fyoure-71-youre-male-youre-pregnant-congratulations%2F Move over, Thomas Beatie, there’s a new pregnant man in town. At least that’s what he’s been told. When 71-year-old John Grady Pippen got his discharge papers after visiting Curry General Hospital in Gold Beach, Oregon, they read: “Based on your visit today, we know you are pregnant.” Sure, Pippen was seen for abdominal pain, but who knew? Of course, it was human error by way of a wayward keystroke that delivered the shocking news to Pippen, but what a surprise, eh? Forget about abdominal pain - the poor guy probably ended up with heart troubles after that news! Source Tags: Health, Health Blog, Healthbolt, John Grady Pippen, pregnant manShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833162 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 02:11:42 +0100 1833162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833163&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F09%2F26%2Fpeta-asks-ben-jerry-to-make-ice-cream-with-breast-milk%2F Letter from PETA to Ben & Jerry Ice Cream… “Won’t you give cows and their babies a break and our health a boost by switching from cow’s milk to breast milk in Ben and Jerry’s ice cream?”   Ben & Jerry’s response… “We applaud PETA’s novel approach to bringing attention to an issue, but we believe a mother’s milk is best used for her child.” (source) Tags: ben & jerry ice cream, breast milk, Healthbolt, healthy options, PETAShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833163 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:52:50 +0100 1833163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1829116&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F09%2F25%2Fhow-many-chemicals-are-in-your-body%2F How many chemicals do you think are in your body and do you really want to know? I’m not sure I’d want to know. Sometimes I feel that ignorance is bliss. Nena Baker obviously doesn’t live by this philosophy. She got her blood tested and found out she’s positive for more than three dozen substances—including DDT which was supposedly banned over 35 years ago. Nena wrote about why she got herself tested and what she did with this information in her book “The Body Toxic: How the Hazardous Chemistry of Everyday Things Threatens Our Health and Well-Being.” I haven’t had a chance to read her book, but apparently it’s an eye opening account of why we need to question the safety of everything we use to store food in, drink from, walk on, wear, drive... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1829116 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:21:44 +0100 1829116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1825567&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F09%2F24%2Fdavid-blaines-hanging-around-upside-down%2F Illusionist David Blaine has been hanging around, upside down for the past couple of days. You can find him at the swinging in the breeze above the Wollmann ice rink in Central Park, New York. Its a stunt that requires a great deal of endurance, focus, and might I add, stupidity. Medical, hanging up side down for long periods of time is simply not a good idea. It can mess with the heart and cause the blood pressure to rise. There’s increased risk of brain haemorrhage, seizures, and blindness because of all the blood pooling in the brain and skull. It can also cause breathing problems - with the diaphragm upside down, the intestines will be exerting pressure on the lungs, making breathing more difficult. And of course, there’s less blood, and therefore oxygen, going to the le... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1825567 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:16:27 +0100 1825567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1815280&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F09%2F22%2Fgreys-anatomy-not-just-a-pretty-face%2F This study shows the enormous potential for entertainment television to serve as a health educator… for better or worse, viewers do absorb the health information they see on TV, so it’s important for these shows to get it right.” So we get pretty faces and knowledge too. What more could we ask for? (source) Share This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1815280 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:13:39 +0100 1815280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1812693&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F09%2F19%2Fsexbolt-saturday-allergic-to-semen-yes-its-possible%2F Did you know that it’s possible to be allergic to the white stuff (and I’m not talking milk here, people). Yep, that very tangible sign of a guy’s pleasure can leave his partner red, itchy, blotchy and more. What causes this is a sensitivity to the proteins in a guy’s semen, a condition which actually has a name: human seminal plasma protein hypersensitivity (SPH). A person can be sensitive to the proteins in the semen of most men, or to a specific guy’s proteins in particular. Symptoms of an allergy may include localized pain, itching, redness, swelling, hives or even trouble breathing! Most symptoms usually show up within 20 -30 minutes of contact and can last for hours or days. The severity really depends on body chemistry. How to treat this very unpleasan... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1812693 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:12:23 +0100 1812693 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1809724&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F09%2F18%2Fsuffering-from-discomgoogolation-you-are-not-alone%2F Okay, I can see some of you scratching your head, saying ’suffering from…what???’ So let me explain. Discomgoogolation is the ‘feeling stressed or anxious at an inability to access the internet.’ The term is the result of combining “discombobulate,” which means to confuse or frustrate, and “Google”. Apparently, there are an awful lot of discomgoogolation sufferers out there. A recent survey done in Britain almost half of those surveyed feel somewhat discomgoogolated when deprived of internet access and just over a quarter actually suffer from increased stress levels when not able to get online. Psychologist Dr David Lewis, who dentified discomgoogolation by measuring heart rates and brainwave activity, says “It was surprising to s... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1809724 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:17:38 +0100 1809724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1806238&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F09%2F17%2Fputting-men-in-the-hot-seat-may-be-bad-for-our-future%2F var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(234,155,108480,"http://pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}() With cold weather fast-approaching in the bulk of the U.S., methinks there are going to be plenty of seats heating up in cars across the nation. After all, that’s one of those luxuries we doled out big money for when we all purchased our gas-guzzling SUVs, right? Exactly. However… If you’re looking to add to your brood, have the man in your family rethink firing up their seat. Why? Preliminary studies have found that 90 minutes of warming his buns on a heated car seat created a significant increase in a guy’s scrotal temperature (makes sense). And because stress on the testicles (remember all those hot tub and tightie whitie warni... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1806238 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:33:25 +0100 1806238 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1782616&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F09%2F10%2Fits-a-load-of-crap%2F We’ve written about all about poo and all about farts, so it only seems right to also write about the ‘fall fecal fest’ What the…??? Yes, it’s true, there is such as thing as a ‘fecal fest’ but trust me, it’s not as bad as it sounds. In fact, it’s actually a good thing. Here’s the scoop… Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo thinks it’s animals have the best crap. In fact, they call their Zoo Doo the most ‘exotic compost available in the Pacific Northwest’. And garden enthusiasts and Zoo Doo loyalists around Seattle seem to agree, so much so that the highly coverted Zoo Doo is only available by lottery draw. Hence the Fall Fecal Fest. Enthusiastic Zoo Doo shoppers have from September 5th to September 20th to se... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1782616 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 22:51:53 +0100 1782616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1750078&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F09%2F01%2Fsohow-many-calories-did-you-eat-this-weekend%2F Since this Labor Day, THE last “unofficial” day of summer, I’d love to take you down the memory lane that was your eating habits throughout the weekend. How did you do? Did you eat yourself silly like me? Or did you stick to your regular diet (c’mon now, no fibbing!) If, by the off chance, I was not the only other American eating like there would never be another summer barbecue throughout the rest of time, here is what your calorie consumption might have looked like after just one meal (albeit, it was a large, large meal!) Take a look: Cheddar Bratwurst - Calories: 270, Fat Grams: 22 Regular Potato Chips - Calories: 150, Fat Grams: 10 Lite French Onion Dip - Calories: 35, Fat Grams: 1.5 Doritos - Calories: 150, Fat Grams: 8 Bacon Ranch Boxed Pasta Salad - Calories... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1750078 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:09:32 +0100 1750078 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739062&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F08%2F27%2Fwashing-the-dishes-in-your-toilet-is-cleaner-than-in-the-kitchen-sink%2F Here’s something to chew on as you sit down to dinner tonight: Your post-flush toilet is cleaner than your kitchen sink. Okay, who else just shuddered? Here’s why: A recent study sponsored by Lysol (but not designed by them) found: Three-quarters of American kitchen cloths and sponges are contaminated by harmful bacteria. Internationally (seven regions were studied including the U.K., U.S., Germany, Africa, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and India) 90 percent of kitchen cloths, 46% of kitchen sinks, 38% of bathroom sinks and 14% of children’s toys all failed, meaning they had a bacteria count of more than 100,000 per square centimeter. Bacteria found included salmonella and E. coli, which can cause problems like diarrhea or infections in anybody, but are even more dangerous in s... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739062 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:04:42 +0100 1739062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1733865&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F08%2F26%2Fhealthbolt-giveaway-win-a-dvd-of-the-food-matters-documentary%2F Have you heard of the Food Matters documentary? It’s been called the ‘food equivalent’ of The Inconvenient Truth. This independently funded film looks at the trillion dollar worldwide ’sickness industry’ and ask why ‘despite the billions of dollars of funding and research into new so-called cures we continue to suffer from a raft of chronic ills and every day maladies.’ Food Matters wants us to think about what we are putting into our bodies and why. Interviews with well known leaders in nutrition and natural healing address the idea that not only are we harming our bodies with improper nutrition, but that the right kind of nutrition - foods, supplements and detoxification - should be considered in the treatment of chronic illnesses. So far, I&#821... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1733865 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:23:41 +0100 1733865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1726339&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F08%2F22%2Fface-off-face-on%2F Face Transplants - science fiction or medical reality? French surgeon Laurent Lantieri, one of the doctors involved in operating on a Chinese man severely disfigured by a genetic disease, believes they are becoming a medical reality. He’s quoted in a recent article in The Lancet as saying “There is no reason to think these face transplants would not be as common as kidney or liver transplants one day”. Just three years after the successful partial face transplant for a French woman viciously attacked by a dog, two more people have benefited from partial face transplants using tissue from deceased or comatose donors. One case involved a Chinese man who had been attacked by a bear in 2004, losing his left eye, nose, and a large portion of his upper lip and left check. After... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1726339 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:10:26 +0100 1726339 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1723424&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F08%2F21%2Fso-whats-bugging-biting-you%2F Some news reports tell us that ‘bed bugs are back’ and they are invading our hotels and our homes. Others warn us about outbreaks of Lyme and West Nile disease. But could you recognize what is actually biting you? Could you tell a bed bug from a black-legged or deer tick, a black widow from a brown recluse, or a head lice from a flea? And would you recognize the bite? WebMD has put together a very graphic and creepy slideshow that features all the bugs and bug bites that you could run across. And alongside all the slides is information on the bug, the bite, and what to do about it all… By the way, did you know that there is actually a poisonous caterpillar lurking in the Southern states, feeding off shade trees such as the elm, the oak, and the sycamore. It’s called... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1723424 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:47:49 +0100 1723424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1720311&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F08%2F20%2Fdo-you-suffer-from-one-of-the-top-10-most-embarrassing-ailments-youre-not-alone%2F We all have health concerns from time to time that are a little bit, um, shall we say personal? Well, guess what? You’re not alone. In fact AOL has been good enough to put together a list of the Top Searched Embarrassing Health Concerns on AOL Search. And the winners (or losers) are: 1. Herpes 2. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) 3. Yeast Infection 4. Psoriasis 5. Urinary Tract Infection 6. Genital Warts 7. Hemorrhoids 8. Impotence 9. Hyperhidrosis 10. Incontinence For the scoop on each and the full article, read here. Tags: embarrassing health concerns, Health Blog, HealthboltShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1720311 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:58:12 +0100 1720311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1717135&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F08%2F19%2Fhealthbolt-funtime-meet-the-laryngospasms%2F Meet The Laryngospasms, a group of nurse anesthetists who obviously have way too much time on their hands… And for those who want to know more about The Laryngospasms, here’s an recent interview… Tags: anesthesists, health professionals, Healthbolt, medical humor, Medicine, The LaryngospasmsShare This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1717135 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:03:07 +0100 1717135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1713906&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F08%2F18%2Fmyth-busters-old-wives-tales-exposed%2F You’ve debated them around the water cooler for years. Your mother has warned you about a good many of them. Seinfeld even had a whole show built around one of them (#5). What are they? Old Wives Tales, of course. But are they tales, or do some of them hold some truth a grain or two of truth? Take the quiz below to test your own knowledge on some of the most commonly accepted thoughts out there. Then check your answers and get the explanations you seek at MSNBC.com. 1. Cell phones are dangerous to use in hospitals because they can interfere with medical equipment. True / False / Maybe So 2. It’s safe to follow “the 5 second rule” for food dropped on the floor. True / False / Maybe So 3. Cracking your knuckles can cause arthritis. True / False / Maybe So 4. Cola ty... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1713906 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:43:26 +0100 1713906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709027&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F08%2F17%2Fthe-sunday-sidebar-16%2F The Next Big Thing Wondering what’s on the medical horizon? Here’s some thoughts on what’s in store. From male birth control to HIV vaccine, this list of future medical breakthroughs look promising. Holiday help for the CrackBerry crowd Addicted to electronics? Can’t seem to leave your blackberry, laptop, PDA, etc at home? You’re not the only one. A recent survey done by Tripharbour.ca, a cruise planning site, found that 21% of working Canadians are connected 24/7, even on vacation. But for those who want to break free, there are now some resorts that not only offer unplugged rooms but also force guests to ditch their devices at the door. A bit like rehab for the electronic addict… The World’s Weirdest Health Mascots Have you seen this new breed o... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709027 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:01:58 +0100 1709027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709030&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F08%2F14%2Fme-and-my-shadow%2F Ever feel that you are being followed, that someone is ’shadowing’ every move you make? Well, instead of being a real person, it could, believe it or not, be your ’shadow person’, the result of unusual activity in a specific region of your brain known as the left temporoparietal junction. According to a study, published in Nature in 2006 (a British science journal), ‘…stimulation of a site on the brain’s left hemisphere prompts the creepy feeling that somebody is close by.’ Focusing on the case of a 22 year old woman with no psychiatric history who was being evaluated for epilepsy treatment, the study revealed that whenever the left temporoparietal junction region of her brain was electrically stimulated, the woman would describe feeling a &#... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709030 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:38:46 +0100 1709030 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696136&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F08%2F11%2Fparty-down-in-americas-hardest-drinking-cities%2F Hey, Austin, Texas! You guys are topping yet another list. In addition to having some of the ickiest restaurants in the nation, you are also some of the hardest partiers (maybe that’s why you don’t notice if a restaurant is filthy, eh? Um, sorry, bad joke.) Anyway, Texans may be the toppers, but Midwesterners aren’t far behind. In fact, Midwest towns capture close to half of the top 15 slots. Who else made the list? Check them out here, adapted from a Forbes.com slideshow (complete with awesome photos): 1. Austin, TX 2. Milwaukee, WI 3. San Francisco, CA 4. Providence, RI 5. Chicago, IL 8. Seattle, WA (tie) 8. Cleveland, OH (tie) 8. St. Louis, MO (tie) 9. Boston, MA 10. Cincinnati, OH 11. Pittsburgh, PA 12. Virginia Beach, VA 13. Portland, OR 14. Jacksonville, FL 15. Detr... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696136 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:00:48 +0100 1696136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1692136&cid=t_166170_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F08%2F08%2Fdirty-dancing-dining-in-a-city-near-you%2F Okay, here’s a report that you might want to read (or not). It’s an analysis of 539 restaurant inspection reports from 20 cities around the USA. And trust me, it’s not for the faint of heart…unless you like reading about live roaches, mouse droppings, and inadequate hand washing in a restaurant near you. The cities involved in this report, listed from worst to best, are… Austin, Texas Boston Milwaukee Colorado Springs, Colorado Kansas City, Missouri Pittsburgh Denver Las Vegas Washington, D.C New York Atlanta Portland Baltimore Minneapolis, Minn Chicago St. Louis Seattle Philadelphia San Francisco Tucson, Ariz Many will argue that the results are only a snapshot of what’s going at a restaurant at a specific point of time, and that with each city have dif... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1692136 Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:37:47 +0100 1692136