Health Headlines - May 31

Experts Question Necessity of Flu Shot for Some This Season

The influenza vaccine for the coming season is a duplicate of that issued to millions of Americans in the 2010-2011 season, so some experts are questioning the need for many young, healthy Americans to get a "repeat" shot, the Associated Press reported.

"For healthy people, it can't be said to be necessary," Dr. Robert Couch, a flu vaccine expert at the Baylor College of Medicine, told the news agency.

Nevertheless, that isn't stopping national health experts from urging that all Americans get the flu shot. Their reasoning: Any vaccine's protective powers can wane over a few months, especially for elderly recipients.

Certainly, there will be no flu vaccine shortage this year: According to the AP, five makers are manufacturing a total of between 166 million and 173 million doses, 6 million more than has ever been produced.

Currently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone older than 6 months of age get an annual flu shot, with the exception of people with egg allergies or certain rare conditions.

Still, the fact that this season's vaccine is identical in makeup to last year's is giving some experts pause. Some studies suggest that the flu shot can provide protection for more than a year in adults, and perhaps up to three years in children. But other studies have suggested that immunity may drop more quickly and steeply than that.

"Nobody really, really knows," Dr. John Treanor, a flu vaccine researcher at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, told the AP. He and other experts support the CDC's stance.

"The bottom line is, with our current knowledge, we believe it is better to be re-vaccinated. And getting another shot is certainly not going to harm you," Dr. Arnold Monto, an influenza expert at the University of Michigan, told the AP.

----

Lack of Prenatal Vitamins Tied to Higher Risk of Autism in Offspring

Mothers who did not take vitamins during their pregnancy appear to have a higher risk of having a child with autism, a new study finds.

As reported by UPI, the study involved about 700 California families with children between the ages of 2 and 5 with or without autism. Women were asked in a phone interview if they took prenatal vitamins, multivitamins or other supplements in the three months prior to pregnancy, during their pregnancy and during breast-feeding.

"Mothers of children with autism were significantly less likely than those of typically developing children to report having taken prenatal vitamins during the three months before and the first month of pregnancy," lead author Rebecca J. Schmidt, assistant professor at the University of California, Davis, said in a statement, UPI reported.

Women with a particular set of genes placing them at high risk, and who also did not take prenatal vitamins, had an estimated seven times higher risk of having a child with autism compared to women without these genes who did take the vitamins, the study found.

The findings will be published in the July issue of the journal Epidemiology.

-----

Groups Sue FDA to Ban Certain Antibiotics in Animal Feed

A number of environmental and health-advocacy organizations have launched a lawsuit to try and force the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of two types of antibiotics in livestock feed, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

The groups charge that the widespread use of penicillin and tetracycline antibiotics in animal feed is contributing to bacterial resistance to antibiotics that people use to fight dangerous infections. They say the government has failed to stop the practice.

"Approximately 80 percent of all antibiotics used in the United States today are used in livestock," the groups said in the suit, the Journal reported. "Most of these drugs are not used to treat disease. Instead, they are given to healthy animals in their feed or water, both to promote faster growth and to prevent infections."

According to the newspaper, the FDA said that livestock raised in the United States consumed almost 29 million pounds of antibiotics, with about 74 percent given through the animal's feed.

Groups involved in the suit include the Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Food Animal Concerns Trust, Public Citizen, and Union of Concerned Scientists. They filed the suit Wednesday with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Doug Wolf, president of the National Pork Producers Council, called the suit "spurious," the Journal said.

FDA spokeswoman Siobhan Delancey said the agency does not comment on pending litigation.

-----

Most ER Visits for Sports-Related Concussions Involve Kids

More than 80 percent of all emergency room visits for sports-related concussions involve children under the age of 18, a new U.S. government study shows.

In a report released Wednesday, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) found that almost 40,000 youths wound up in the ER and were diagnosed with the condition in 2008 alone.

Those between the ages of 14 and 18 accounted for the lion's share of these head injuries, at 58 percent, while 17 percent were between the ages of 11 and 13 and another 7 percent were aged 6 to 10. The AHRQ researchers also found that 21 percent lost consciousness briefly, while another 12 percent blacked out for a longer period of time.

The good news was that 52 percent of these patients did not lose consciousness, and 95 percent did not have to be admitted to the hospital. Boys represented almost 80 percent of the injuries.

These young patients often wound up receiving care for other injuries, for everything from pulled muscles and sprains to skull fractures.

Health Tips for May 31

Health Tip: Suggestions to Prevent Heat Rash

Heat rash occurs when an infant's pores become blocked, usually during hot, humid weather.

The University of Maryland Medical Center offers these suggestions to help prevent heat rash:

• Dress baby in clothes that are lightweight and made of cotton.
• Keep baby in an air-conditioned room during hot weather. Turn on a fan in baby's room when air conditioning isn't available.
• Skip ointments, creams or powders on baby's skin.
• Do your best to make sure that baby doesn't get too warm, and that the skin stays dry.

Health Tip: Take Care to Avoid Burns

Nothing can spoil the fun of preparing your favorite recipe like burning yourself or a child in the process.

The U.S. Home Safety Council suggests these kitchen safety precautions while cooking:

• Roll up shirtsleeves or wear a short-sleeved shirt.
• Wear long oven mitts that extend up the arm.
• Cook on back burners, with pot handles turned to the rear of the stove.
• Teach children to stay away from the stove, and use a mark (such as a piece of tape on the floor) that they can't cross.
• Don't let young children use the stove or microwave without supervision; make sure older children know how to use these appliances safely.
• Keep matches, lighters and candles where young children can't reach them.

Health Headlines - May 30

Experts Question Necessity of Flu Shot for Some This Season

The influenza vaccine for the coming season is a duplicate of that issued to millions of Americans in the 2010-2011 season, so some experts are questioning the need for many young, healthy Americans to get a "repeat" shot, the Associated Press reported.

"For healthy people, it can't be said to be necessary," Dr. Robert Couch, a flu vaccine expert at the Baylor College of Medicine, told the news agency.

Nevertheless, that isn't stopping national health experts from urging that all Americans get the flu shot. Their reasoning: Any vaccine's protective powers can wane over a few months, especially for elderly recipients.

Certainly, there will be no flu vaccine shortage this year: According to the AP, five makers are manufacturing a total of between 166 million and 173 million doses, 6 million more than has ever been produced.

Currently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone older than 6 months of age get an annual flu shot, with the exception of people with egg allergies or certain rare conditions.

Still, the fact that this season's vaccine is identical in makeup to last year's is giving some experts pause. Some studies suggest that the flu shot can provide protection for more than a year in adults, and perhaps up to three years in children. But other studies have suggested that immunity may drop more quickly and steeply than that.

"Nobody really, really knows," Dr. John Treanor, a flu vaccine researcher at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, told the AP. He and other experts support the CDC's stance.

"The bottom line is, with our current knowledge, we believe it is better to be re-vaccinated. And getting another shot is certainly not going to harm you," Dr. Arnold Monto, an influenza expert at the University of Michigan, told the AP.

----

Lack of Prenatal Vitamins Tied to Higher Risk of Autism in Offspring

Mothers who did not take vitamins during their pregnancy appear to have a higher risk of having a child with autism, a new study finds.

As reported by UPI, the study involved about 700 California families with children between the ages of 2 and 5 with or without autism. Women were asked in a phone interview if they took prenatal vitamins, multivitamins or other supplements in the three months prior to pregnancy, during their pregnancy and during breast-feeding.

"Mothers of children with autism were significantly less likely than those of typically developing children to report having taken prenatal vitamins during the three months before and the first month of pregnancy," lead author Rebecca J. Schmidt, assistant professor at the University of California, Davis, said in a statement, UPI reported.

Women with a particular set of genes placing them at high risk, and who also did not take prenatal vitamins, had an estimated seven times higher risk of having a child with autism compared to women without these genes who did take the vitamins, the study found.

The findings will be published in the July issue of the journal Epidemiology.

-----

Groups Sue FDA to Ban Certain Antibiotics in Animal Feed

A number of environmental and health-advocacy organizations have launched a lawsuit to try and force the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of two types of antibiotics in livestock feed, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

The groups charge that the widespread use of penicillin and tetracycline antibiotics in animal feed is contributing to bacterial resistance to antibiotics that people use to fight dangerous infections. They say the government has failed to stop the practice.

"Approximately 80 percent of all antibiotics used in the United States today are used in livestock," the groups said in the suit, the Journal reported. "Most of these drugs are not used to treat disease. Instead, they are given to healthy animals in their feed or water, both to promote faster growth and to prevent infections."

According to the newspaper, the FDA said that livestock raised in the United States consumed almost 29 million pounds of antibiotics, with about 74 percent given through the animal's feed.

Groups involved in the suit include the Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Food Animal Concerns Trust, Public Citizen, and Union of Concerned Scientists. They filed the suit Wednesday with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Doug Wolf, president of the National Pork Producers Council, called the suit "spurious," the Journal said.

FDA spokeswoman Siobhan Delancey said the agency does not comment on pending litigation.

-----

Most ER Visits for Sports-Related Concussions Involve Kids

More than 80 percent of all emergency room visits for sports-related concussions involve children under the age of 18, a new U.S. government study shows.

In a report released Wednesday, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) found that almost 40,000 youths wound up in the ER and were diagnosed with the condition in 2008 alone.

Those between the ages of 14 and 18 accounted for the lion's share of these head injuries, at 58 percent, while 17 percent were between the ages of 11 and 13 and another 7 percent were aged 6 to 10. The AHRQ researchers also found that 21 percent lost consciousness briefly, while another 12 percent blacked out for a longer period of time.

The good news was that 52 percent of these patients did not lose consciousness, and 95 percent did not have to be admitted to the hospital. Boys represented almost 80 percent of the injuries.

These young patients often wound up receiving care for other injuries, for everything from pulled muscles and sprains to skull fractures.

Health Tips for May 30

Health Tip: Traveling Despite Asthma and Allergies

Traveling can expose you to new triggers for allergies and asthma, but planning ahead can help you breathe a bit easier while you're away.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology offers these travel suggestions:

• Pack your asthma and allergy meds in carry-on bags, and keep them in their original containers.
• Continue to take your medications on schedule as directed by your doctor.
• Prepare for potential problems, such as food allergies.
• Keep contact information for your allergist and an emergency contact handy.
• If possible, find an allergist at your travel destination.

Health Tip: Keep Track of Asthma Symptoms

Keeping track of asthma symptoms each day can help your doctor devise a more effective treatment plan.

The American Lung Association offers these suggestions:

• Pay attention to daytime symptoms including feeling short of breath, wheezing, coughing and having a tight feeling in the chest.
• Document how often asthma symptoms wake you at night and what those symptoms are.
• Keep track of how often you have to use your rescue inhaler.
• Keep a list of activities that prove difficult, including examples such as walking, climbing stairs, doing daily tasks or playing with the children.

Have a Safe Barbeque This Memorial Day

As grills around the country are fired up for Memorial Day, one food safety expert has advice on how to ensure your barbeque or picnic is not only fun but safe.

Nancy Donely, founder of STOP Foodborne Illness and a leading national advocate for food safety, urges people to take the following safety precautions when cooking and eating outdoors this summer:

• Keep a small cooler in the trunk of your car to transport food. Bags of ice can be purchased and added to the cooler over time.
• Always store raw meats in a separate cooler than fully cooked items and beverages.
• A marinade that was used on raw meat, poultry or seafood should not be re-used for basting.
• When temperatures hit 90 degrees or higher, perishable foods that are served outside should be eaten first. After one hour, throw them out.
• If you do not have access to a sink, use hand sanitizer when preparing food.
• Use separate platters and utensils for raw and cooked food. Also, don't serve cooked food on platters that were used to transport raw food to the grill unless they have been washed thoroughly with soap and water.
• Use a thermometer when cooking meat. Ground meat should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees before it can be served safely.
• Immediately after eating, cool and refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers. Anything left out for more than two hours should be discarded.

Don't Let Food Poisoning Spoil Your Picnic

It's start of the summer season as Americans get ready for a slew of picnics and barbecues.

But, even though many people are savvy about keeping foods that spoil easily out of the sun, they may still be making mistakes that can serve up a hefty dose of food poisoning.

To help prevent these calamities, the American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods' Home Food Safety program has some tips about how to avoid food poisoning:

1. Wash your hands often -- for at least 20 seconds in warm soapy water -- before, during and after handling food outside. A bottle of hand sanitizer by the grill will help you if you can't get to a sink.

2. Separate raw meats from ready-to-eat foods and keep them in separate containers to avoid cross-contamination.

3. Make sure you cook your food to the recommended temperatures -- use a food thermometer to make sure -- and refrigerate food promptly.

4. Scrub the grill and the utensils you use to cook food with, and don't forget to clean coolers and other containers. Use hot soapy water.

5. Don't use the same dish towel over and over because it can spread germs. Use paper towels -- don't reuse them -- and only use dish towels to dry dishes and hands.

6. Don't use the same brush to baste raw and cooked meats and boil leftover marinade before using it to season cooked meats.

7. Keep food cool with plenty of ice or ice packs and use a refrigerator thermometer to make sure your cooler is below 40 degrees F.

8. Don't allow food to be outside too long: in hot weather, 90 degrees F or above, an hour is the limit without refrigeration.

Health Headlines - May 29

Experts Question Necessity of Flu Shot for Some This Season

The influenza vaccine for the coming season is a duplicate of that issued to millions of Americans in the 2010-2011 season, so some experts are questioning the need for many young, healthy Americans to get a "repeat" shot, the Associated Press reported.

"For healthy people, it can't be said to be necessary," Dr. Robert Couch, a flu vaccine expert at the Baylor College of Medicine, told the news agency.

Nevertheless, that isn't stopping national health experts from urging that all Americans get the flu shot. Their reasoning: Any vaccine's protective powers can wane over a few months, especially for elderly recipients.

Certainly, there will be no flu vaccine shortage this year: According to the AP, five makers are manufacturing a total of between 166 million and 173 million doses, 6 million more than has ever been produced.

Currently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone older than 6 months of age get an annual flu shot, with the exception of people with egg allergies or certain rare conditions.

Still, the fact that this season's vaccine is identical in makeup to last year's is giving some experts pause. Some studies suggest that the flu shot can provide protection for more than a year in adults, and perhaps up to three years in children. But other studies have suggested that immunity may drop more quickly and steeply than that.

"Nobody really, really knows," Dr. John Treanor, a flu vaccine researcher at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, told the AP. He and other experts support the CDC's stance.

"The bottom line is, with our current knowledge, we believe it is better to be re-vaccinated. And getting another shot is certainly not going to harm you," Dr. Arnold Monto, an influenza expert at the University of Michigan, told the AP.

----

Lack of Prenatal Vitamins Tied to Higher Risk of Autism in Offspring

Mothers who did not take vitamins during their pregnancy appear to have a higher risk of having a child with autism, a new study finds.

As reported by UPI, the study involved about 700 California families with children between the ages of 2 and 5 with or without autism. Women were asked in a phone interview if they took prenatal vitamins, multivitamins or other supplements in the three months prior to pregnancy, during their pregnancy and during breast-feeding.

"Mothers of children with autism were significantly less likely than those of typically developing children to report having taken prenatal vitamins during the three months before and the first month of pregnancy," lead author Rebecca J. Schmidt, assistant professor at the University of California, Davis, said in a statement, UPI reported.

Women with a particular set of genes placing them at high risk, and who also did not take prenatal vitamins, had an estimated seven times higher risk of having a child with autism compared to women without these genes who did take the vitamins, the study found.

The findings will be published in the July issue of the journal Epidemiology.

-----

Groups Sue FDA to Ban Certain Antibiotics in Animal Feed

A number of environmental and health-advocacy organizations have launched a lawsuit to try and force the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of two types of antibiotics in livestock feed, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

The groups charge that the widespread use of penicillin and tetracycline antibiotics in animal feed is contributing to bacterial resistance to antibiotics that people use to fight dangerous infections. They say the government has failed to stop the practice.

"Approximately 80 percent of all antibiotics used in the United States today are used in livestock," the groups said in the suit, the Journal reported. "Most of these drugs are not used to treat disease. Instead, they are given to healthy animals in their feed or water, both to promote faster growth and to prevent infections."

According to the newspaper, the FDA said that livestock raised in the United States consumed almost 29 million pounds of antibiotics, with about 74 percent given through the animal's feed.

Groups involved in the suit include the Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Food Animal Concerns Trust, Public Citizen, and Union of Concerned Scientists. They filed the suit Wednesday with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Doug Wolf, president of the National Pork Producers Council, called the suit "spurious," the Journal said.

FDA spokeswoman Siobhan Delancey said the agency does not comment on pending litigation.

-----

Most ER Visits for Sports-Related Concussions Involve Kids

More than 80 percent of all emergency room visits for sports-related concussions involve children under the age of 18, a new U.S. government study shows.

In a report released Wednesday, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) found that almost 40,000 youths wound up in the ER and were diagnosed with the condition in 2008 alone.

Those between the ages of 14 and 18 accounted for the lion's share of these head injuries, at 58 percent, while 17 percent were between the ages of 11 and 13 and another 7 percent were aged 6 to 10. The AHRQ researchers also found that 21 percent lost consciousness briefly, while another 12 percent blacked out for a longer period of time.

The good news was that 52 percent of these patients did not lose consciousness, and 95 percent did not have to be admitted to the hospital. Boys represented almost 80 percent of the injuries.

These young patients often wound up receiving care for other injuries, for everything from pulled muscles and sprains to skull fractures.

Health Tips for May 29

Health Tip: Stay Healthy at College

College is an exciting time. For many students, it's their first extended stint living away from mom and dad.

But the stress of maintaining good grades, living on a limited income, and getting along with roommates can take its toll, mentally and physically.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these suggestions for staying healthy at college:

• Get regular medical checkups and vaccinations.
• Get plenty of sleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to bad grades, depressed mood, and difficulty maintaining relationships. It also raises your risk of chronic problems including diabetes and heart disease.
• Make time for regular exercise.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Don't ignore symptoms of depression.
• Don't abuse drugs or alcohol.
• Take precautions to prevent sexually transmitted disease.

Health Tip: Evaluate Your Eating Habits

If you've tried various diets and can't seem to lose weight, maybe it's time to re-evaluate your eating habits.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these suggestions:

• Keep a diary of all foods you eat, when you ate them, how you were feeling, and what you were doing when you ate. Review the diary after a few days and look for patterns in your habits.
• Take note of factors such as how quickly you ate, how much you ate, any meals you skipped, when you ate dessert, and when you ate despite not being hungry.
• Think about why you have those eating habits, and choose those that you'd like to change.
• Use your diary to figure out what causes you to eat when you aren't hungry (factors such as stress, while watching TV or being bored). Figure out of how to avoid eating in response to those triggers.
• Be consistent with your new eating habits, and realize that it may take time for them to stick.

Health Headlines - May 28

Experts Question Necessity of Flu Shot for Some This Season

The influenza vaccine for the coming season is a duplicate of that issued to millions of Americans in the 2010-2011 season, so some experts are questioning the need for many young, healthy Americans to get a "repeat" shot, the Associated Press reported.

"For healthy people, it can't be said to be necessary," Dr. Robert Couch, a flu vaccine expert at the Baylor College of Medicine, told the news agency.

Nevertheless, that isn't stopping national health experts from urging that all Americans get the flu shot. Their reasoning: Any vaccine's protective powers can wane over a few months, especially for elderly recipients.

Certainly, there will be no flu vaccine shortage this year: According to the AP, five makers are manufacturing a total of between 166 million and 173 million doses, 6 million more than has ever been produced.

Currently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone older than 6 months of age get an annual flu shot, with the exception of people with egg allergies or certain rare conditions.

Still, the fact that this season's vaccine is identical in makeup to last year's is giving some experts pause. Some studies suggest that the flu shot can provide protection for more than a year in adults, and perhaps up to three years in children. But other studies have suggested that immunity may drop more quickly and steeply than that.

"Nobody really, really knows," Dr. John Treanor, a flu vaccine researcher at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, told the AP. He and other experts support the CDC's stance.

"The bottom line is, with our current knowledge, we believe it is better to be re-vaccinated. And getting another shot is certainly not going to harm you," Dr. Arnold Monto, an influenza expert at the University of Michigan, told the AP.

----

Lack of Prenatal Vitamins Tied to Higher Risk of Autism in Offspring

Mothers who did not take vitamins during their pregnancy appear to have a higher risk of having a child with autism, a new study finds.

As reported by UPI, the study involved about 700 California families with children between the ages of 2 and 5 with or without autism. Women were asked in a phone interview if they took prenatal vitamins, multivitamins or other supplements in the three months prior to pregnancy, during their pregnancy and during breast-feeding.

"Mothers of children with autism were significantly less likely than those of typically developing children to report having taken prenatal vitamins during the three months before and the first month of pregnancy," lead author Rebecca J. Schmidt, assistant professor at the University of California, Davis, said in a statement, UPI reported.

Women with a particular set of genes placing them at high risk, and who also did not take prenatal vitamins, had an estimated seven times higher risk of having a child with autism compared to women without these genes who did take the vitamins, the study found.

The findings will be published in the July issue of the journal Epidemiology.

-----

Groups Sue FDA to Ban Certain Antibiotics in Animal Feed

A number of environmental and health-advocacy organizations have launched a lawsuit to try and force the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of two types of antibiotics in livestock feed, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

The groups charge that the widespread use of penicillin and tetracycline antibiotics in animal feed is contributing to bacterial resistance to antibiotics that people use to fight dangerous infections. They say the government has failed to stop the practice.

"Approximately 80 percent of all antibiotics used in the United States today are used in livestock," the groups said in the suit, the Journal reported. "Most of these drugs are not used to treat disease. Instead, they are given to healthy animals in their feed or water, both to promote faster growth and to prevent infections."

According to the newspaper, the FDA said that livestock raised in the United States consumed almost 29 million pounds of antibiotics, with about 74 percent given through the animal's feed.

Groups involved in the suit include the Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Food Animal Concerns Trust, Public Citizen, and Union of Concerned Scientists. They filed the suit Wednesday with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Doug Wolf, president of the National Pork Producers Council, called the suit "spurious," the Journal said.

FDA spokeswoman Siobhan Delancey said the agency does not comment on pending litigation.

-----

Most ER Visits for Sports-Related Concussions Involve Kids

More than 80 percent of all emergency room visits for sports-related concussions involve children under the age of 18, a new U.S. government study shows.

In a report released Wednesday, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) found that almost 40,000 youths wound up in the ER and were diagnosed with the condition in 2008 alone.

Those between the ages of 14 and 18 accounted for the lion's share of these head injuries, at 58 percent, while 17 percent were between the ages of 11 and 13 and another 7 percent were aged 6 to 10. The AHRQ researchers also found that 21 percent lost consciousness briefly, while another 12 percent blacked out for a longer period of time.

The good news was that 52 percent of these patients did not lose consciousness, and 95 percent did not have to be admitted to the hospital. Boys represented almost 80 percent of the injuries.

These young patients often wound up receiving care for other injuries, for everything from pulled muscles and sprains to skull fractures.

Health Tips for May 28

Health Tip: Prevent Motion Sickness

Motion sickness can quickly spoil that long-awaited vacation or business trip. The inner-ear disorder affects balance and equilibrium, possibly leading to queasiness, nausea and vomiting.

The Cleveland Clinic suggests these tips for preventing motion sickness:

• If you're prone to motion sickness, don't read in a moving vehicle.
• Be sure to get plenty of sleep before traveling.
• Skip foods that are acidic or greasy.
• Drink lots of water throughout the day, but restrict drinking alcohol.
• Avoid smoking and inhaling second-hand smoke, and close contact with other people who have motion sickness.
• Lean your head back against the head rest of your seat.
• If you're a car passenger, look at the scenery in the distance. If you're the driver, always focus on the road, but shift your eyes a bit so that you're not always focused on the same spot.

Health Tip: Taking a Cruise?

Each year, millions of passengers embark from North American ports on cruise vacations.

Traveling on cruise ships exposes passengers to contained quarters and lots of other people. This means conditions may be ripe for transmission of germs, either from contaminated food or water, or more commonly through person-to- person contact.

The National Center for Environmental Health suggests these tips to help prevent the spread of illness:

• Wash your hands -- before and after eating or smoking; after touching your face or going to the bathroom, and when your hands are simply dirty.
• Leave the area if you see someone get sick (vomiting or diarrhea). Report the problem to cruise staff, if they haven't already been notified.
• Take care of yourself. Get plenty of rest and drink lots of water. Resting helps rebuild your immune system. Drinking water helps prevents dehydration.
• Be considerate of other people's health. If you're ill before taking a cruise, call the cruise line to determine if you can reschedule, and if there are alternatives to losing your deposit or fare.

Health Headlines - May 27

As Jobs Got More Sedentary, Americans' Waistlines Grew: Study

A new study suggests that a move to more sedentary jobs may be another big factor behind the U.S. obesity epidemic.

Research published Wednesday in the journal PLoS One reviewed changes in the American labor force since 1960. The study found that jobs requiring some sort of moderate physical activity have dropped from 50 percent of the labor market in 1960 to just 20 percent today.

"If we're going to try to get to the root of what's causing the obesity epidemic, work-related physical activity needs to be in the discussion," lead author Dr. Timothy S. Church, an exercise researcher at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., told The New York Times. "There are a lot of people who say it's all about food. But the work environment has changed so much we have to rethink how we're going to attack this problem," he added.

According to the authors, a shift from a job requiring moderate physical activity to one that is wholly sedentary, or requiring only light activity, means a drop in daily energy expenditure of 120 to 140 calories per day.

While a decline in the percentage of Americans involved in farming-related jobs has contributed to the trend, Church said that losses in the manufacturing sector have mattered, too.

"You see the manufacturing jobs plummet and realize that's a lot of physical activity," he told the Times. "It's very obvious that the jobs that required a lot of physical activity have gone away."

While it's not likely that society will shift back to more active jobs, some employers are trying innovative approaches to help workers get more active on the job. According to theTimes, offices can be redesigned to encourage walking, including placing printers far from desks or encouraging face-to-face talks versus e-mail correspondence.

-----

Groups Sue FDA to Ban Certain Antibiotics in Animal Feed

A number of environmental and health-advocacy organizations have launched a lawsuit to try and force the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of two types of antibiotics in livestock feed, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

The groups charge that the widespread use of penicillin and tetracycline antibiotics in animal feed is contributing to bacterial resistance to antibiotics that people use to fight dangerous infections. They say the government has failed to stop the practice.

"Approximately 80 percent of all antibiotics used in the United States today are used in livestock," the groups said in the suit, the Journal reported. "Most of these drugs are not used to treat disease. Instead, they are given to healthy animals in their feed or water, both to promote faster growth and to prevent infections."

According to the newspaper, the FDA said that livestock raised in the United States consumed almost 29 million pounds of antibiotics, with about 74 percent given through the animal's feed.

Groups involved in the suit include the Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Food Animal Concerns Trust, Public Citizen, and Union of Concerned Scientists. They filed the suit Wednesday with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Doug Wolf, president of the National Pork Producers Council, called the suit "spurious," the Journal said.

FDA spokeswoman Siobhan Delancey said the agency does not comment on pending litigation.

-----

Most ER Visits for Sports-Related Concussions Involve Kids

More than 80 percent of all emergency room visits for sports-related concussions involve children under the age of 18, a new U.S. government study shows.

In a report released Wednesday, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) found that almost 40,000 youths wound up in the ER and were diagnosed with the condition in 2008 alone.

Those between the ages of 14 and 18 accounted for the lion's share of these head injuries, at 58 percent, while 17 percent were between the ages of 11 and 13 and another 7 percent were aged 6 to 10. The AHRQ researchers also found that 21 percent lost consciousness briefly, while another 12 percent blacked out for a longer period of time.

The good news was that 52 percent of these patients did not lose consciousness, and 95 percent did not have to be admitted to the hospital. Boys represented almost 80 percent of the injuries.

These young patients often wound up receiving care for other injuries, for everything from pulled muscles and sprains to skull fractures.

-----

Study Links Spinal Fusion Product to Male Sterility

A study from a Stanford University surgeon released Wednesday suggests that a widely used growth protein used in spinal fusion procedures may heighten men's risk of sterility,The New York Times reported.

The product in question is Infuse, a bioengineered bone growth protein from Medtronic that has been used in spinal anterior lumbar fusion procedures since 2002, the Timesexplained. While the Infuse label does list sterility-linked complications as a possible side effect, studies sponsored by Medtronic have attributed the complications to the surgery, not Infuse.

But Dr. Eugene J. Carragee, a Stanford surgeon, reported in the online edition of The Spine Journal Wednesday that men who received Infuse developed temporary or permanent sterility much more often than men who received a bone graft, an alternative treatment used to fuse vertebrae. That study was based on 240 men he treated several years ago.

"It is important that men who are considering having children have the opportunity to weigh the risks of the various available procedures," Carragee told the Times.

Over 80,000 people undergo anterior lumbar fusion procedures each year, the newspaper said, and about half of these procedures use Infuse. According to Carragee's study, five of 69 men who received Infuse developed a complication linked to sterility, compared to one of 174 men who got a bone graft.

The two authors of the prior, Medtronic-funded trials defended their findings, saying the number of men in their clinical trials who had developed sterility did not reach statistical significance. Surgeons Dr. J. Kenneth Burkus and Dr. Thomas A. Zdeblick also noted that Carragee's study was retrospective in nature. Zdeblick told the Times that such studies "are notorious for being misleading."

Health Tips for May 27

Health Tip: Prevent Back Pain in the Car

Traveling long distances in the car can take a toll on your back.

The American Chiropractic Association suggests how to keep back pain at bay during a car trip:

• Adjust your seat so you're sitting comfortably close to the wheel, with your knees just higher than your hips.
• Use a back support.
• Take regular breaks to rest.
• Stretch your toes, leg muscles and shoulders as you drive.
• Keep hands on the steering wheel at the 3:00 and 7:00 positions, alternating occasionally with the 10:00 and 2:00 positions.
• Keep a relaxed grip on the wheel, occasionally tightening, then loosening, your hold.

Health Tip: Signs That You May Have a Herniated Disc

A spinal disk becomes herniated when the inside contents bulge out from a weakened portion of the disk and put pressure on surrounding nerves.

The resulting pain may affect the leg, foot or hip if the slipped disk is in the lower back. A herniated disk in the neck can cause pain in the upper back and shoulders.

The ADAM Encyclopedia says painful symptoms of a herniated disk tend to worsen:

• After you have been sitting down or standing for a long period.
• During the night.
• When you laugh, cough or sneeze.
• When you walk, even a short distance.
• When you bend over backward.

Health Headlines - May 26

Study Links Spinal Fusion Product to Male Sterility

A study from a Stanford University surgeon released Wednesday suggests that a widely used growth protein used in spinal fusion procedures may heighten men's risk of sterility,The New York Times reported.

The product in question is Infuse, a bioengineered bone growth protein from Medtronic that has been used in spinal anterior lumbar fusion procedures since 2002, the Timesexplained. While the Infuse label does list sterility-linked complications as a possible side effect, studies sponsored by Medtronic have attributed the complications to the surgery, not Infuse.

But Dr. Eugene J. Carragee, a Stanford surgeon, reported in the online edition of The Spine Journal Wednesday that men who received Infuse developed temporary or permanent sterility much more often than men who received a bone graft, an alternative treatment used to fuse vertebrae. That study was based on 240 men he treated several years ago.

"It is important that men who are considering having children have the opportunity to weigh the risks of the various available procedures," Carragee told the Times.

Over 80,000 people undergo anterior lumbar fusion procedures each year, the newspaper said, and about half of these procedures use Infuse. According to Carragee's study, five of 69 men who received Infuse developed a complication linked to sterility, compared to one of 174 men who got a bone graft.

The two authors of the prior, Medtronic-funded trials defended their findings, saying the number of men in their clinical trials who had developed sterility did not reach statistical significance. Surgeons Dr. J. Kenneth Burkus and Dr. Thomas A. Zdeblick also noted that Carragee's study was retrospective in nature. Zdeblick told the Times that such studies "are notorious for being misleading."

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USDA Says Pork Can Cook Safely at Lower Temp

Experts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service have tweaked longstanding guidelines and now say that pork can be safely cooked at the same temperature that's safe for beef, veal and lamb: 145 degrees.

Cooked pork should also be put aside and allowed to rest for 3 minutes after removal from the grill and before serving, giving high temperatures a little more time to kill pathogens, the USDA said Tuesday.

"With a single temperature for all whole cuts of meat and uniform 3-minute stand time, we feel it will be much easier for consumers to remember and result in safer food preparation," USDA Under Secretary Elisabeth Hagen said in a news release, the APreported.

Ceci Snyder, vice president of marketing for the National Pork Board, based in Des Moines, Iowa, said pork producers first proposed the change back in 2008, citing improvements in feed and housing that had cut the risk for pathogens in pigs.

Snyder told the AP that it's important that consumers use a digital thermometer placed in the thickest section of the meat to make certain it is being properly cooked, however.

The drop in the USDA safe cooking temperature guideline does not extend to ground meats or poultry products, which should still be cooked at 160 and 165 degrees, respectively, the AP reported.

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U.S. Abortion Numbers Fall, Except Among Poor Women

The number of American women having an abortion fell by 8 percent between 2000 and 2008, but among women in the lowest income bracket it rose by almost 18 percent, a new study finds.

Experts attribute the seemingly contradictory findings to the nation's struggling economy.

"In the middle of a recession, it's possible women have reduced access to contraception and have more unintended pregnancies," study author Rachel Jones, senior research associate at New York City's Guttmacher Institute, told ABC News on Tuesday. "It's also possible that women confronted with unplanned pregnancies when they are out of work decide to have abortions, even though they might have carried it to term in more stable times."

The study, published in the June issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, was based on patient surveys. The Guttmacher team used the data to estimate the rate of abortion across the spectrum of race, ethnicity and income.

According to ABC News, one 2006 study published in Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health found that about half of U.S. pregnancies are unintended and about half of those are terminated by abortion.

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Destruction of Last Smallpox Stocks Delayed for 3 Years

Global health officials on Tuesday decided to defer setting any deadline for the destruction of the last reserves of smallpox for at least three years, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Experts at the World Health Assembly, the decision-making arm of the United Nation's World Health Organization (WHO), made the decision after two days of heated debate on the subject. Smallpox was eradicated over three decades ago, and a WHO panel in the early 1990s advocated destroying samples of the deadly virus kept in labs in the United States and Russia.

However, those two countries, along with more than two dozen others, have lobbied to keep the samples for at least another five years. They argue that bioterrorists could use unknown stocks to spread the scourge, or re-create the virus via synthesis, the WSJreported.

"This was a good outcome," Nils Daulaire, director of the Office of Global Health Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and head of the U.S. delegation at the World Health Assembly, told the WSJ. "It didn't go as far as we would have liked, but the result is the research program central to the reason for maintaining the virus continues and we'll be three years closer to having the countermeasures we're aiming for."

Health Tips for May 26

Health Tip: Recognize the Signs of Food Allergy

Food allergy reactions range from mild to life-threatening, depending on the person.

The Nemours Foundation says common warning signs of a milder allergic reaction to food may include:

• A tight feeling in the throat, or a hoarse voice.
• Coughing and wheezing.
• Nausea, vomiting or stomach pain.
• Diarrhea.
• Hives or skin rash.
• A tingling sensation on the lips or tongue.
• Runny nose.

In more serious cases, food allergy may cause a severe reaction called anaphylaxis, which may cause a person's breathing pathways to narrow, blood pressure to drop, and tongue to swell. This should be treated as a life-threatening medical emergency.

Health Tip: Protect Against Peanut Reactions

If your child is allergic to peanuts or nuts, strict precautions can help prevent a life-threatening reaction.

The Nemours Foundation offers these suggestions:

• Ban nuts from your home, or take precautions to avoid cross-contamination of foods.
• Avoid serving your child meals that you didn't make, or meals for which you haven't seen a complete ingredient list.
• Talk to all food service people in a restaurant about the nut allergy. Before you eat, make sure they're confident they can avoid cross-contamination.
• Prepare your child's snacks and meals for school, and for outings with friends.
• Have the child or caregiver carry an epinephrine pen. Prepare an action plan, in the event of anaphylaxis, for your child's teachers, principal or day-care workers.

Health Headlines - May 25

USDA Says Pork Can Cook Safely at Lower Temp

Experts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service have tweaked longstanding guidelines and now say that pork can be safely cooked at the same temperature that's safe for beef, veal and lamb: 145 degrees.

Cooked pork should also be put aside and allowed to rest for 3 minutes after removal from the grill and before serving, giving high temperatures a little more time to kill pathogens, the USDA said Tuesday.

"With a single temperature for all whole cuts of meat and uniform 3-minute stand time, we feel it will be much easier for consumers to remember and result in safer food preparation," USDA Under Secretary Elisabeth Hagen said in a news release, the APreported.

Ceci Snyder, vice president of marketing for the National Pork Board, based in Des Moines, Iowa, said pork producers first proposed the change back in 2008, citing improvements in feed and housing that had cut the risk for pathogens in pigs.

Snyder told the AP that it's important that consumers use a digital thermometer placed in the thickest section of the meat to make certain it is being properly cooked, however.

The drop in the USDA safe cooking temperature guideline does not extend to ground meats or poultry products, which should still be cooked at 160 and 165 degrees, respectively, the AP reported.

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U.S. Abortion Numbers Fall, Except Among Poor Women

The number of American women having an abortion fell by 8 percent between 2000 and 2008, but among women in the lowest income bracket it rose by almost 18 percent, a new study finds.

Experts attribute the seemingly contradictory findings to the nation's struggling economy.

"In the middle of a recession, it's possible women have reduced access to contraception and have more unintended pregnancies," study author Rachel Jones, senior research associate at New York City's Guttmacher Institute, told ABC News on Tuesday. "It's also possible that women confronted with unplanned pregnancies when they are out of work decide to have abortions, even though they might have carried it to term in more stable times."

The study, published in the June issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, was based on patient surveys. The Guttmacher team used the data to estimate the rate of abortion across the spectrum of race, ethnicity and income.

According to ABC News, one 2006 study published in Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health found that about half of U.S. pregnancies are unintended and about half of those are terminated by abortion.

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Destruction of Last Smallpox Stocks Delayed for 3 Years

Global health officials on Tuesday decided to defer setting any deadline for the destruction of the last reserves of smallpox for at least three years, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Experts at the World Health Assembly, the decision-making arm of the United Nation's World Health Organization (WHO), made the decision after two days of heated debate on the subject. Smallpox was eradicated over three decades ago, and a WHO panel in the early 1990s advocated destroying samples of the deadly virus kept in labs in the United States and Russia.

However, those two countries, along with more than two dozen others, have lobbied to keep the samples for at least another five years. They argue that bioterrorists could use unknown stocks to spread the scourge, or re-create the virus via synthesis, the WSJreported.

"This was a good outcome," Nils Daulaire, director of the Office of Global Health Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and head of the U.S. delegation at the World Health Assembly, told the WSJ. "It didn't go as far as we would have liked, but the result is the research program central to the reason for maintaining the virus continues and we'll be three years closer to having the countermeasures we're aiming for."

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Infant Deaths Spur FDA Warning Against Food Thickening Gel

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning parents to avoid feeding a food-thickening agent, SimplyThick, to premature babies. The gel is typically given to babies born prematurely (before 37 weeks) to help them with problems swallowing.

The warning comes after the product was linked to 15 cases of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a potentially lethal condition involving inflammation and death of intestinal tissue. Two of the babies in these cases died, the FDA said in a statement.

The agency said it first learned of the potential problem with SimplyThick on May 13, with cases reported over the prior six months in premature infants treated at centers around the country. The babies were given SimplyThick to help with swallowing difficulties linked to prematurity. Some of the babies fell ill after using SimplyThick after discharge from the hospital, the FDA said.

NEC typically has symptoms such as bloated abdominal area, trouble with feeding, green-colored vomiting (from bile), and bloody stools. Parents and caregivers with any concerns about the use of SimplyThick should contact their health-care provider, the FDA said.

According to the agency, SimplyThick is sold at distributors and pharmacies across the United States in packets of individual servings or in 64-ounce dispenser bottles.

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Crossing Your Arms Might Ease Hand Pain: Study

The simple act of crossing your arms in front of your body might help lessen pain occurring in the hands, British researchers report.

According to the BBC, the scientists studied 20 people who were given a brief laser-delivered pin-prick of pain to their hands.

Reporting in the journal Pain, the team from University College London said that rates of self-reported pain declined when the arms were crossed over the body's "midline," an imaginary division running down the center of the body. Results from electroencephalogram (EEG) also suggested a weaker pain response after arms were crossed.

According to the authors, the act of crossing the arms seems to confuse the brain's "maps" that tell it where the pain has occurred, lessening the response. "When you cross your arms these maps are not activated together anymore, leading to less effective brain processing of sensory stimuli, including pain, being perceived as weaker," lead author Dr. Giandomenico Iannetti told the BBC.

He said that his team, along with Australian researchers, is now testing out this novel pain-reduction technique on people with chronic pain conditions.

Health Tips for May 25

Health Tip: The Dangers of Having High Cholesterol

High cholesterol usually refers to above-normal levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein), the so-called "bad cholesterol" that can build up in your arteries and lead to heart disease.

A bad heart may not be the only downside to high cholesterol, however. The Cleveland Clinic says high LDL also increases your risk of:

• Stroke.
• Peripheral vascular disease (PAD), which occurs when fatty deposits build up in arteries outside the heart and brain, most often in the legs and feet.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• High blood pressure, since the heart has to work harder to pump blood through clogged arteries.

Health Tip: Symptoms That May Indicate Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is characterized by body aches and pains, and "tender points" that are painful to the touch.

The womenshealth.gov website mentions these other typical symptoms of fibromyalgia:

• Having difficulty sleeping.
• Feeling stiff in the morning.
• Having frequent headaches.
• Feeling sensitive to temperature, bright lights or loud sounds.
• Having pain during menstruation.
• Having a tingling sensation or numbness in the feet and hands.
• Having trouble with memory and cognitive thinking.

Health Headlines - May 24

Crossing Your Arms Might Ease Hand Pain: Study

The simple act of crossing your arms in front of your body might help lessen pain occurring in the hands, British researchers report.

According to the BBC, the scientists studied 20 people who were given a brief laser-delivered pin-prick of pain to their hands.

Reporting in the journal Pain, the team from University College London said that rates of self-reported pain declined when the arms were crossed over the body's "midline," an imaginary division running down the center of the body. Results from electroencephalogram (EEG) also suggested a weaker pain response after arms were crossed.

According to the authors, the act of crossing the arms seems to confuse the brain's "maps" that tell it where the pain has occurred, lessening the response. "When you cross your arms these maps are not activated together anymore, leading to less effective brain processing of sensory stimuli, including pain, being perceived as weaker," lead author Dr. Giandomenico Iannetti told the BBC.

He said that his team, along with Australian researchers, is now testing out this novel pain-reduction technique on people with chronic pain conditions.

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U.S. Insurers Told to Justify Rate Hikes Over 10 Percent

The Obama Administration on Thursday told the health insurance industry that insurers must now justify any increases in rates that exceed 10 percent, in an effort to hold back soaring premium rates, The New York Times reported.

In a period where many Americans are putting off care due to faltering finances, insurers are reaping the benefit in higher profits, said Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of Health and Human Services.

"Health insurance companies have recently reported some of their highest profits in years and are holding record reserves," she said. "Insurers are seeing lower medical costs as people put off care and treatment in a recovering economy, but many insurance companies continue to raise their rates. Often, these increases come without any explanation or justification."

The 10 percent threshold was first proposed in December, but the insurance industry criticized it as arbitrary, the Times said. The administration rejected that notion, and on Thursday upheld the 10 percent threshold.

Workers in some states experienced health insurance premium hikes of 20 percent to 40 percent in 2011, the Times said, even as coverage shrinks and deductibles rise.

Federal officials do not have the authority to block rate increases over 10 percent that are found to be unjustified, but many states do have that capability. The administration is therefore providing $250 million in aid to states to help them fight increases deemed to be unreasonable, the Times said.

The new rule has its critics and admirers. "If we believe health care costs are crushing the economy, we ought to have a debate about how to bring costs under control," Karen M. Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade group, told the Times. "Focusing on premiums diverts attention from that debate."

But a consumer advocate supported the new move. "The days of insurance companies running roughshod over consumers and jacking up rates whenever they want are over," Ethan S. Rome, executive director of Health Care for America Now, which represents labor unions and civil rights groups, told the Times.