Environmental Health
Latest articles on Environmental Health
It's hard to believe that something so easy could have such an enormous impact on health, but it's true. No matter how many times it's repeated, "Wash your hands!!" remains a significant health care strategy.
The ability to ignore global warming is very human, says H. Steven Moffic, MD. "We are hardwired to respond to immediate danger - we call this the fight or flight response - but there's no similar mechanism that alerts us to long-term dangers."
Flu viruses cause a more severe illness than other infections such as the common cold. Symptoms typically include a sudden headache with a dry cough, muscle aches, fatigue, chills and a fever.
"It is common for disasters to cross multiple jurisdictional lines and/or require responders to be deployed from across the country," says E. Brooke Lerner, PhD. "A national standard will allow responders to use the same language and processes."
Interest in the noroviruses is growing as researchers learn how often they make people sick - they have recently been implicated in outbreaks on military and cruise ships and in hotels, restaurants, daycare centers, nursing homes, and hospitals.
Migraines are fairly infrequent for some people, occurring perhaps once or twice a year. For others, however, migraines are more frequent and severe, and can cause serious interruptions in their daily lives, including missing work.
There are hundreds of harmless E. coli strains, but some can cause illness or even death. Outbreaks have been traced to ground beef, leafy vegetables, unpasteurized fruit juices, bean sprouts, and contaminated drinking water.
We usually cool down by sweating, but when it's too hot or humid, or in situations that put us at risk for overheating, our internal temperature control system can become overloaded. Knowing the signs can prevent emergencies.
Health experts urge people to stay away from dead birds or animals when possible, wear rubber gloves if you need to handle them, or dispose of the bodies without touching them.
About 20,000 cases of tick-borne Lyme disease are reported every year, making it the most common illness transmitted by bugs or animals in the United States.
This has already been a deadly weather season - and it's just getting started. You can't stay safe from all storms, but you can stay smart about what to do if and when they strike.
An outbreak of illness caused by Salmonella Saintpaul is linked to certain types of raw red tomatoes and the products containing them. The infection, which is preventable with good hygiene, causes fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.
"Health care surge is an important issue," says Ralph Schapira, MD. A natural disaster or a terrorism event could bring hundreds or even thousands of patients to a few hospitals, quickly overwhelming the healthcare system.
Even if you are one of the "lucky" ones who always get the perfect tan, years from now, the wrinkles, age spots or skin cancer from chronic sun exposure won't seem so glamorous.
Because their symptoms are common to a wide range of conditions, autoimmune disorders can be difficult to diagnose and treat. New combination therapies, however, can many times offer relief.
"We take great pride in partnering with community organizations to address many of the major health problems facing Wisconsin citizens through the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program," says T. Michael Bolger, JD, MCW President and CEO.
Dr. Deidre Faust notes that even within small countries, diseases such as malaria might be a risk in one city, but not in another, so it makes a difference to know exactly where you will be going and what you will be doing.
First identified in the early 1960s, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus began infecting hospital and nursing-home patients in the mid-1970s. More recently, it's become a public health problem. Dr. Peter Sohnle explains why.
Fire-safe cigarettes are designed to self-extinguish when left unattended. At this time, 14 states have passed fire-safe cigarette laws, and 20 others have introduced such legislation.
It takes courage to put down that last cigarette and quit smoking - most people feel a combination of fear and excitement leading up to their quit date. If you want to quit, don't let that fear paralyze you.
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