Antibacterial Soaps Aren't Just Ineffective, They're Potentially Dangerous

With a new ban on antibacterial soap, the US government is finally acknowledging that it’s not just ineffective, it’s also dangerous

Fear is a potent marketing tool. Consider how a Listerine advertising campaign in the 1920s literally turned bad breath into a disease (and sold a ton of mouthwash along the way) or the run on potassium iodide in North America after the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster in 2011.

Then there are antibacterial soaps and body washes, which have targeted—and arguably created—a widespread fear of disease-causing bacteria lurking on every surface of our homes and bodies. Sales of antibacterial soap skyrocketed during the 2009 H1N1 flu sale and have stayed strong since, as brands marketed their antibacterials as scientifically proven to clean better than the stuff you used to keep by your sink.

Read more: Antibacterial Soaps Aren't Just Ineffective, They're Potentially Dangerous

Lather up, but just use regular soap. (Mariana Bazo/Reuters)

Source: quartz

Cure The Strep Throat in One Day Without Taking Antibiotics

Strep throat is a very common problem, driving countless individuals to see a doctor for antibiotic treatment. But as with virtually all other problems, no drugs are required for strep throat treatment. In fact, there are rather simple and natural solutions for staving off and treating a case of strep. 

Unfortunately, the medical establishment can’t have you recognizing these ridiculously simple solutions for the problem, however, as drug sales and subsequent profit would take a nosedive. To avoid pharmaceutical treatment, you must learn how to treat strep throat naturally yourself.

Read more: Cure The Strep Throat in One Day Without Taking Antibiotics

Source: healthylivingstyle

What is the Function of the Hypothalamus?

The hypothalamus is a small area in the center of the brain that has many jobs. It plays an important role in hormone production and helps to stimulate many important processes in the body.

When the hypothalamus is not working properly, it can cause problems in the body leading to many disorders. Though diseases of the hypothalamus are uncommon, it is important to keep it healthy to keep the risk low.

Contents of this article:

1. What is the hypothalamus?
2. Hypothalamus disorders
3. Diet tips for hypothalamus health

Read more: What is the Function of the Hypothalamus?

The hypothalamus plays a huge role in both the endocrine and nervous systems. Head injuries impacting
the hypothalamus are the most common cause of hypothalamic disease. Diets high in saturated fats can
influence and alter the function of the hypothalamus.

Source: medicalnewstoday

This Is Why You Have Bloated Stomach And How To Get Rid Of Bloating And Lose Weight Overnight!

What would you think if anyone told you that there’s a bacterium infecting 2/3 of the world population? You will probably just laugh it off. But there is a bacterium in the intestines which has caused issues for quite a while.

Symptoms

Helicobacter Pylori is indicated by the following symptoms: burping, bloating, diarrhea, flatulence, esophageal reflux, heartburn, constipation and upper and mid-stomach torment. For some, these symptoms are hard to relate to this bacterium. Numerous people basically regard these signs as common, so they are rarely related to the occurrence of this bacterium.

H Pylori causes gastritis, which is an irritation of the stomach lining. It is the reason for 90% of duodenal ulcers and around 80% of gastric ulcers. Also, H Pylori can cause different non-digestive conditions, such as cardiovascular issues, headaches and Raynaud’s sickness, which is the impaired circulation in the hands and feet.

This bacterium can also cause sadness and anxiety. This is in light of the fact that H Pylori can cause an absence of serotonin in the brain.

Read more: This Is Why You Have Bloated Stomach And How To Get Rid Of Bloating And Lose Weight Overnight!

Source: healthylivingstyle

Migraines 101: Causes, Symptoms, And Treatment

What is a migraine headache? Brush up on the causes, symptoms, and treatments.

Migraine is the third most common disease in the world. It costs American employers $20 billion each year, and considering how widespread and the suffering it causes are, it’s safe to say research funding is meager at best. The National Institutes of Health provides the mainstay of medical funding in the United States, about $20 million annually — but funding should be 12-fold higher if it will be comparable to research dollars allotted for other brain diseases such as schizophrenia.

A ‘typical’ migraine headache is severe: One-sided, pulsing or throbbing, accompanied by severe pain and discomfort to normal lights, sounds, or smells, not to mention nausea and vomiting. It typically lasts four to 72 hours, during which the scalp can be extremely sensitive to the touch. So it’s not unusual for migraine sufferers — also known as migraineurs — to withdraw from the outside world to lie down without moving in a dark, quiet room. But the truth is, the realities of life often prevent this form of relief.

Read more: Migraines 101: Causes, Symptoms, And Treatment

Source: msn.com/en-us/health/medical

Watch: What is a migraine?

Here's How Often Your Body Parts Get Replaced in Your Lifetime

Chances are good you think you're more or less the same person you were last week. But the lining of your gut is totally different, and the hairs on your head are 2.5 millimeters longer.

The human body's ability to replace worn out cells with shiny new ones is key to the long lifespans we're so used to. There are a couple things we keep all our lives, like the visual cortex, but almost everything wears out and gets replaced, at least for part of our lives. And some things, like our hair and nails, just grow and grow and grow.

We've gathered together scientists' estimates scientists of how quickly we go through different types of cells. Many of these ages have been established using a technique called bomb-pulse dating, which uses the traces of atomic radiation we each carry to determine how old cells are.

Read more: Here's How Often Your Body Parts Get Replaced in Your Lifetime

TI_GRAPHICS_Cellular Ages

Source: msn.com/en-us/health/medical

Video: When People Say They Want To Lose Weight

Gallstones Raise the Risk of Heart Disease by a Fifth

A new meta-analysis, using data from hundreds of thousands of individuals, finds that gallbladder disease and heart disease are more intertwined than previously thought. The reasons behind this connection are, as yet, unclear.

Gallstones are small, hard deposits that form in the gallbladder - an organ that sits below the liver.

In wealthier countries, they are a common occurrence, affecting 10-15 percent of all adults.

Gallstones are thought to be produced due to an imbalance in the makeup of bile - a digestive aid produced by the liver and concentrated in the gallbladder.

Although generally small and often symptomless, over the years, gallstones can grow to the size of pebbles.

Read more: Gallstones Raise the Risk of Heart Disease by a Fifth

Gallstones' links to heart disease run deeper than previously thought.

Source: medicalnewstoday

What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Smoking

The process your body goes through after stopping smoking - in the 20 minutes to 15 years after your last cigarette - has been revealed by CVS health.

Around 10 million people in the UK smoke, and about two thirds of them want to stop, according to research from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).

About half of all regular smokers will die from their addiction, which amounts to about 100,000 people a year.

The infographic from CVS Health (click to enlarge) revealed that 20-30 minutes after smoking cessation blood pressure and pulse have already started to drop, and the carbon monoxide in the blood will begin to drop after just eight hours.

Read more: What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Smoking

A year after you stop smoking, your risk of heart disease will be half that of a smoker

Source: msn.com/en-ca/health/medical

Video: Biomedical Video: The Best Method to Quit Smoking

Sleep Problems Could Mean Higher Stroke Risk

That said, researchers stopped short of recommending drug treatment for sleep-wake disorders.

If you're having trouble sleeping at night, your problems could be worse than just being tired: Both insomnia and oversleeping could increase your risk of having a stroke.

New findings, published Wednesday in Neurology, indicate that sleep disorders, like insomnia and sleep apnea, are associated with stroke risk and could hamper stroke recovery. Researchers combined data from multiple studies that focused on the sleep-stroke connection.

"Although sleep disorders are common after a stroke, very few stroke patients are tested for them," said study author Dr. Dirk M. Hermann in a statement. "The results of our review show that should change, as people with sleep disorders may be more likely to have another stroke or other negative outcomes than people without sleep problems, such as having to go to a nursing home after leaving the hospital."

Read more: Sleep Problems Could Mean Higher Stroke Risk

 Both insomnia and oversleeping could increase your risk of having a stroke.

Source: msn.com/en-us/health/medical

Video: Sleep and Stroke Risk

Genetic Testing Before Pregnancy Should Be as Common as Taking Folic Acid

Very few pre-pregnancy checklists include carrier screening as an important health item.

The very first time I had to tell a patient that she was at 25 percent risk of having a baby with cystic fibrosis, she was already 16 weeks pregnant. Only a few months prior, I had graduated and passed my board exam for genetic counseling. This was a "textbook case," as the saying goes. I reviewed the numbers with her and her husband: Odds were in their favor that this pregnancy would not be affected with cystic fibrosis. This couple wanted to know – they needed to know – with more certainty about what to expect. They were older first-time parents, and they agreed that they did not have the financial or emotional means to raise a child with a chronic health issue.

Read more: Genetic Testing Before Pregnancy Should Be as Common as Taking Folic Acid

Carrier screening should be universally offered in the preconception period, one expert argues.

Source: msn.com/en-us/health/medical

Science Finds a Super Easy Way to Lose Weight

Even if you order seemingly healthy dishes, your restaurant habit is likely derailing your weight loss efforts.

It’s been a long day, you’re tired, and the last thing you want to do is trudge to the grocery store and slave over the stove to make dinner. But hold up; don’t tell your hubby to meet you at your favorite restaurant just yet—especially if you’re trying to shed weight. According to a new study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, nearly all restaurant entrées carry more calories than you should eat in a single meal. Even worse, a fair number of restaurants manage to load their meals with an entire day's worth of calories!

To come to this stomach-churning discovery, researchers from Tufts University visited both independent and chain restaurants across the country and purchased dozens of popular entrees from gyros and spaghetti to meatballs to burritos.

Read more: Science Finds a Super Easy Way to Lose Weight

Eat This, Not That!

Source: msn.com/en-ca/health/wellness

How to Perform CPR

Forget mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths. This expert-backed technique is the correct way to perform this lifesaver

Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops beating, which cuts off blood flow to the brain and other organs. If not treated, it can cause death within minutes. 

In fact, only about 10 percent of people overall who experience it outside a hospital survive with their brain functions intact, a new study in JAMA found.

But early action can stave off the Grim Reaper: When sudden cardiac arrest victims first received CPR from bystanders, they were more likely to survive with favorable prognoses, the researchers discovered.

But the way you perform CPR has changed in recent years. You no longer have to put your mouth on the victim’s.

Read more: How to Perform CPR

Source: snagfilms

Pre-Dementia Memory Loss Improved With Acupuncture

Acupuncture appears to be effective for the mild cognitive impairment that is a precursor for dementia, when used as an alternative or in combination with other treatment, a new study finds.

The review of available published evidence and presented in Acupuncture in Medicine shows promise for clinical effectiveness and safety of acupuncture use for the pre-dementia state. However, the authors caution that further, more rigorously designed studies are needed.

Min Deng, from the Department of Neurology at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in China, and Xu-Feng Wang, from the Department of General Surgery at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, conducted the study.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate stage between the expected cognitive decline of normal aging and the most severe decline of dementia.

Read more: Pre-Dementia Memory Loss Improved With Acupuncture

Acupuncture may assist with improving the subtle memory loss that precedes the development of
dementia.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Does Going to the Hospital Make You Sicker?

During a hospital stay, people usually hope to have a medical condition treated effectively so they can recover fully, go home and stay home. But it's not uncommon for a hospitalization to lead to a new health problem that's serious enough to require hospital readmission within 30 days.

The phenomenon, dubbed "post-hospital syndrome" by Dr. Harlan Krumholz, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the Yale School of Medicine, is roughly defined as an acquired, transient period of increased risk for illness after a hospital stay, one that leads to re-hospitalization.

Read more: Does Going to the Hospital Make You Sicker?

You could find yourself back in the hospital – because of the hospital (Getty Images).

Source: msn/health&fitness

Why is My Skin Itchy? Examining the Causes of Itchy Skin

For some people, itchy skin is a constant battle. It can be difficult to understand exactly what is causing the skin to itch.

Itchy skin can be the result of a rash or another skin condition. It can also be a symptom of a more serious condition such as liver disease or kidney failure. To get relief, it is important to identify the problem and treat the underlying cause.

Skin, rashes, and itches

Skin serves a vital purpose as a barrier, protecting the inside of the body.

Read more: Why is My Skin Itchy? Examining the Causes of Itchy Skin

Itching is one of the most common symptoms of all skin problems.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Identifying and Treating Inflammation

There are three types of inflammation: acute, chronic and life-threatening.

When basketball star Steph Curry slipped and injured his knee in late April, he reacted by tearing up on the sideline, while fans and media reacted by wondering how many games he would miss. His body? It reacted by inflaming around the outside of the knee, protecting the area as it recovered from a medial collateral ligament sprain.

The word inflammation can conjure up visuals of a swollen, red and throbbing knee or, thanks to some TV ads, a lit match doused by a medicated pad. Conventional public wisdom frames inflammation as being adverse, painful and harmful – something most people want to resolve quickly with medication.

Read more: Identifying and Treating Inflammation

Treat acute inflammation by managing it, not trying to cure it.

Source: Getty Images

How Red Meat Can Affect Cancer Risk

You may have heard the news recently that researchers have found links between eating red meat and increased risk of certain cancers. But what does this mean for you? Should you say good-bye forever to burgers, steaks and bacon?

These latest concerns are based on an October 2015 report from the World Health Organization (WHO), which had 22 experts in 10 countries review about 800 epidemiological studies to look for a connection between red meat and processed meats and cancer. It found heightened risk between these meats—especially processed meats—and some cancers, particularly colorectal cancer.

WHO didn’t say you should ban red meat or processed meats from your diet completely, but it did advise limiting the amount you eat. Here are some of the key findings from the WHO study.

Read more: How Red Meat Can Affect Cancer Risk

Source: healthgrades

New Method Developed for Detecting Mycobacteria in the Lungs

A research team from the Institute of Medical Microbiology at the University of Zurich and the National Center for Mycobacteria has carried out a large-scale study with more than 6800 patient samples to examine molecular-based methods for the detection of mycobacterial pathogens. Because many mycobacteria only grow at a slow pace, routine detection using bacteria cultures in highly specialized and expensive high-safety labs takes several weeks to complete. The subsequent susceptibility test to determine the appropriate medicine also takes 1 to 2 weeks.

"For patients and doctors, this long waiting period is an unnecessary test of their patience", says Peter Keller, M.D., from the Institute of Medical Microbiology at the UZH. "By comparison, with molecular detection methods, most patients know after 1 or 2 days whether they have an infection with tuberculosis pathogens or with nontuberculous mycobacteria."

Mycobacteria cause various illnesses. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the main representative of this genus, is the causative agent of tuberculosis, which killed around 1.5 million people worldwide in 2014.

Read more: New Method Developed for Detecting Mycobacteria in the Lungs

Mycobacterium tuberculosis in patient samples.

Source: genengnews

Fat vs Carbs: What’s Really Worse for Your Health?

The traditional balanced diet may be way out of whack. To fight obesity and diabetes, doctors and nutritionists are embracing diets that were once called fads.

“PEOPLE have told me what I do is dangerous. They have walked away from me at meetings,” says David Unwin, a doctor practising in Southport, UK. Unwin suggests to his patients with type 2 diabetes or who want to lose weight that they do the opposite of what official health advice recommends. He advises them to stop counting calories, eat high-fat foods – including saturated fats – and avoid carbohydrates, namely sugar and starch. Telling people to avoid sugar is uncontroversial; the rest is medical heresy.

Read more: Fat vs Carbs: What’s Really Worse for Your Health?

Source: NewScientist

Cholesterol: Types, Treatments, and Lifestyle Changes

Source: Healthline Networks