Independence Day celebrations almost always include fireworks of some kind. The Prevent Blindness America organization recommends attending professionally organized fireworks displays rather than buying and setting off your own. This view is echoed by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which collects and reports data on fireworks-related injuries every year. They report that 7,000 emergency room visits from fireworks-related injuries occurred during 2008, including seven deaths. In 2007, there were 11 deaths and 9,800 emergency room visits from fireworks-related injury.
Disease remedies using plant products fill the market, but most have not been tested well enough to be able to assure patients that they really work or that they are safe. Here is what is known about a few products that are often of interest to patients with diabetes.
A concussion in young athletes can cause significant problems, especially if not recognized and treated properly. The risk for concussion can certainly be reduced by using the proper equipment and following the rules, but it will never be eliminated. Soccer players and lacrosse players risk collisions with opponents or striking their head on the ground after a fall. Softball and baseball catchers and umpires risk getting concussions from foul balls.
It has been 28 years since the first case reports of individuals with a newly recognized immunodeficiency disorder called AIDS were described. Soon thereafter the viral cause of AIDS, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), was discovered. This discovery led to the development of tests that could quickly and accurately diagnose HIV infection. We then began to watch as the epidemic spread not only in the United States and other developed nations, but to a much greater extent in the developing world, particularly on the African continent where the combination of a deadly infection coupled with an often non-existent health care infrastructure resulted in untold misery and hardship, says the newest edition of The Medical Minute, a service of the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders marked by impaired social interactions, restricted interests, repetitive behaviors, and communication impairment, which persist throughout a person's lifetime. The ASD prevalence rate--the number of individuals diagnosed with autism--has been steadily increasing over time. A new report from the U.S. Department of Health's Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), based on a phone survey of over 78,000 families, set the prevalence rate at nearly one in 91 children. This is an increase from the prior statistic of one in 150 children reported in 2007 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says The Medical Minute, a service of the Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
Each of five major child injury hazards -- motor vehicles, drowning, burns, falls and poison -- can be found in the back yard during the summer. Riding mowers, inflatable pools, home playground equipment and even natural vegetation and sunlight require a few simple precautions. All of the safety guidelines you apply to sports, playgrounds and swimming apply to those activities in your own back yard, says this week's edition of The Medical Minute, a service of the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
People are living longer compared to 50 years ago. In the days when women did not expect to live beyond 65, osteoporosis was not much of a concern. As a larger portion of the population lives to 80, 90 and beyond, strong bones are essential. Osteoporosis results when bones lose enough calcium to increase the risk of fracture, says this week's edition of The Medical Minute, a service of the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Deep Venous Thrombosis means you develop a clot in one of the deep veins, usually in the leg or pelvis. In the hospital you're more likely to develop a clot for two reasons. First, you do not move around as much as you do at home. This makes your blood tend to stagnate in your veins, which can lead to clots. Second, your blood is thicker when you're sick due to your body's natural immune response. Your risk of developing a DVT in the hospital without any preventative treatment ranges up to 20 percent for a general medical patient and up to 80 percent for a major trauma patient, according to this week's edition of The Medical Minute, a service of the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
February was designated as Heart Month to increase awareness of heart disease. Recently, the American Heart Association's (AHA) Go Red campaign has focused on women and heart disease -- and for good reason. More women die of heart disease than all other causes of death combined. More women than men die from cardiovascular disease which is why women need to be aware of their risk factors, says this week's edition of The Medical Minute, a service of the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
Science has sought the "cause" of cancer for decades, and in the case of cervical cancer, the cause has been found. The cervix is the opening to the womb that is situated at the upper end of the vagina. Until recently the best approach to cervical cancer was to detect it early with a Pap test performed during a gynecologic examination. While the occurrence of advanced cervical cancer has dropped through widespread use of the Pap test, there are many women in the United States and millions worldwide who do not get or have access to Pap tests. This year in the United States, about 12,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer. Almost 4,000 will die of the disease which is easily detectable and easily cured, if found early.