HEALTH INFORMATION

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547

Summary:
Alcohol is a depressant that can act as a sedative drug and may slow down the nervous system. In small doses, alcohol can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Alcohol however may do more harm than good if overused. Extremely high doses of alcohol at one time can cause alcohol poisoning which can lead to coma or death.

Keywords:
diet, stress and anxiety, car accident

Article Body:
Alcohol is an important component of many element of several societies for many years. Many believe that alcoholic drinks have flourished gatherings, parties, and other social celebrations. A number of individuals believe that alcoholic drinks should be served in social gatherings to give enthusiasm to certain events. Alcohol is produced when vegetables, fruits, or grains are fermented. Fermentation is a process which uses yeast or bacteria to change sugars in these items into alcohol. This substance is also used as cleaners and antiseptics.
Alcohol is a depressant that can act as a sedative drug and may slow down the nervous system. In small doses, alcohol can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Alcohol however may do more harm than good if overused. People who overuse alcohol may feel confused and disoriented. Too much alcohol in body may affect the brain and lead to poor coordination, faulty judgment, slowed reflexes, distorted vision, memory lapses, blackouts. Alcohol can damage many organs in the body, it is absorbed directly in the bloodstream and raises the risk of acquiring life-threatening ailments like cancer. Extremely high doses of alcohol at one time can cause alcohol poisoning which can lead to coma or death.

Despite the adverse effects of alcohol, many individuals still engage in drinking this beverage for many reasons. Many teens and young people use alcohol because of curiosity, relax, fit in a crowd, and feel older. One of the reasons why many people are engaged in alcohol is the fact that from a very young age, children are exposed to advertising messages of alcohol. A number of advertisements of alcohol show people drinking alcohol enjoying life. While in reality, it is the exact opposite. Because alcohol damages the nervous system, drinking alcohol can may people do embarrassing things and look stupid acts like peeing on themselves or throwing up. Drinking alcohol may lead also develop bad breath and hangovers.

In addition to the health hazards of alcohol, studies show that almost many deaths among teens are alcohol-related. The use of greatly alcohol increases the possibility of teens and many individuals of being involved in car accidents, suicide or homicide.
Studies show that in every thirty minutes, someone dies from an alcohol related car accident. Driving while under the influence of alcohol can cause many health problems and affect body reactions while driving. People who are drunk may experience decreased amount of performance and judgment while driving. Drunk drivers are not the only ones who are in danger, these drivers may distribute danger to passengers, pedestrians, and other road users.

Alcohol disorders amplify suicide and risk, at least one-third if individuals who have committed suicide are alcohol dependent. In addition, suicide among alcoholics also seem to increase with age. A study released by Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research conclude that middle-aged and older alcoholics have higher risk to commit suicide than young adults who are alcoholics.
Consuming inappropriate amounts of alcohol puts individuals at risk for several health issues like cancer like cancer and diabetes. Alcohol may reduce the body’s absorption of necessary nutrients. Many alcoholics do not partake in healthy diets, therefore further harming the body. The health effects of alcohol should not be taken for granted but should act as a reminder to drink alcoholic drinks in moderation.

Authors: Theodorou DJ, Theodorou SJ, Tsoumani A, Gossios K, Akritidis N PMID: 20206868 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: European Journal of Internal Medicine) MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

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Radiographic and CT findings in pandemic swine-origin influenza A (H1N1).

Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX) announced that the enrollment of over 3,500 subjects in Mexico has been completed in Stage B of its pivotal 2009 H1N1 virus-like-particle (VLP) pandemic influenza vaccine study. With the 1,000 subjects already enrolled in Stage A of the trial, the enrollment in this pivotal trial is now complete with over 4,500 subjects.

Originally posted here:
NOVAVAX Completes Enrollment Of Pivotal H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Clinical Trial In Mexico

Conclusions These findings indicate that in experimental animals recently induced immunity to 1918-derived H1N1 seasonal influenza viruses, and to a 1976 swine influenza virus, afford a degree of protection against the 2009 pandemic virus. Implications of these findings are discussed in the context of accumulating data suggesting partial protection of older persons during the 2009 pandemic. (Source: Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses)

Excerpt from:
Prior infection with classical swine H1N1 influenza viruses is associated with protective immunity to the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus

This is a letter developed jointly by the American College Health Association (ACHA) and CDC intended for distribution to colleges and universities across the country prior to Spring Break.

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NEW: American College Health Association (ACHA) Influenza Vaccination Letter

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498

Summary:
One of the more common forms of asthma is allergy induced asthma

Keywords:
asthma. allergy, allergies

Article Body:
When someone is exposed to an allergen a substance to which their body is sensitive they may produce histamines, which cause inflammation and irritation as they work to rid the body of the allergen. In the case of allergy induced asthma, the histamines go to work on the bronchial passages and lungs, making it difficult for the allergic person to breathe.

The incidence of allergy induced asthma has grown almost geometrically in recent years, and scientists arent quite sure why. They suspect that part of the reason may be the increased exposure of children to some common allergens. This seems to be borne out by population based studies African-American and Hispanic children living in the inner city are far more likely to develop allergy induced asthma than Caucasian children in the same cities, and even those children are more likely to develop allergy induced asthma than suburban and rural children of the same socioeconomic level.

A number of reasons have been advanced for the disparity, but the most likely is simply that Black and Hispanic children are far more likely to live in the most crowded old neighborhoods of the city. Crowding is the biggest risk factor for the presence of common household pests like cockroaches and rodents, and cockroach parts and rodent droppings are two of the most common allergens in children with allergy induced asthma.

Diagnosing Allergy Induced Asthma

Doctors will diagnose asthma differently depending on the age of the patient. Children under five, for instance, may find it difficult to follow instructions for breathing capacity tests. Doctors will often use history, both the childs and the family medical history, to help determine the possibility of asthma. Often, if asthma is suspected, the doctor will prescribe a bronchodilator. If it helps, the diagnosis is confirmed.

In older children and adults, doctors may perform a series of breathing capacity tests with a peak flow meter and a spirometer to help determine the extent of an asthma problem.

Generally, doctors dont use allergy tests to diagnose asthma, but if theres a reason to believe that a specific allergen is a problem, allergic dermatitis tests may be used to confirm or rule out possible allergens. Knowing that a specific substance or food is a problem can help you avoid it and reduce your risk of asthma attacks.

Treating Allergy Induced Asthma

The good news is that interventions to reduce exposure to allergens seems to be as effective a treatment for allergy induced asthma as corticosteroid inhalers. If your child has been diagnosed with allergy induced asthma, there are ways that you can help control your childs symptoms. Besides using inhalers and nebulizers as directed by your doctor, you can also keep your home and especially your childs bedroom as close to allergen free as possible. Mattress covers, pillow cases, air filters and pest control measures can reduce your childs exposure to allergens that cause allergy induced asthma to worsen into acute stages.

The novel H1N1 virus behind the swine flu pandemic has in many ways proved less… [Read more] (Source: ScienceNOW)

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Hog in the Limelight: Swine Flu’s Got New Genes On

The decision by the Department of Health to simply abandon the under-fives swine flu vaccination programme begs more questions than it answers (‘Government scraps swine flu vaccination campaign for under-fives’).

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Letter of the Week: Why not stop swine flu vaccine in children now?

The biggest problem we on the front line have had is that swine flu has only ever been a mild illness. (Source: Pulse Today Clinical Updates)

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The lessons to be learned from the pandemic

The latest news on the swine flu campaign really does make one wonder.

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Is the swine flu threat real or not?