Long-term effects of tattoos may be cancer and organ toxicity.
It’s a long-standing practice and, yet, 5,000 years later, tattoos’ effects are still unknown on human health by the majority of the population. The short-term occurrences are widely varied and described by many who have decided to decorate their bodies with ink, but the long-term effects are not as easily observed.
Recently, a few choice brands of tattoo ink have been pulled from the market, due to the risk of contamination, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is concerned that the products may still be used by various tattoo artists around the world. Both customers and artists are urged to look carefully at what kind of ink they use, because the problems might be lurking inside.
Just one bad batch of tattoo ink can cause an outbreak of skin infections, and it has several times along the years. The short-term effects of rashes and itchiness are known, along with the possibility of infections ranging from mild to severe.
In fact, the FDA have uncovered unopened bottles of tattoo ink that contained Mycobacterium chelonae, that might’ve caused bacterial infection if it had been indeed used, with symptoms such as red, purple or pink blemishes scattered around the body art, along with itching and swelling. So, people who choose that particular form of self-expression should pay a visit to the doctor if symptoms occur.
However, while around 120 million people today have tattoos, there is still a worldwide ignorance when it comes to the possible long-term effects. It has become a trend, but not one with all the information laid out for viewing. Some of the possibilities, besides skin infections, can be cancer or organ toxicity due to lingering ink in the body.
Dr. Andreas Luch, senior author of the study at German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment states that “nobody is talking about the side effects of ink deposits.”. While modern tattoo inks are mostly made of organic chemicals, it is injected into living tissue, with blood vessels, nerves and cells that allow for it to be carried through the rest of the body.
Few people question that when using laser tattoo removal, where the ink even goes. It is absorbed and travels to the body, possibly leading to dangerous long-term side effects as some inks might even contain dangerous substances, such as arsenic, nickel and lead.
The general population is left in the dark where it concerned these possibly consequences of ink-based body art and, with the trend rising, all should pay attention to what they inject onto their skin, because it may not affect just the surface.
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Cancer patients in England are not getting the care they desperately need.
A new study has uncovered that England has the lowest cancer survival rates compared to other western countries that were reported in the study. These results are worrying and raise important questions over the efficiency of the NHS in combating and preventing cancer.
Recent studies show that one in two people is affected by a type of cancer in his or her life. To this extent the NHS has upped the efforts to battle the scariest disease of them all. But, it seems, effects will take some time to be seen.
The newest study conducted by Cancer Research UK shows that, out of a total of six countries, England is the worst off when it comes to the survival rates of cancer patients, and in some cases the difference in percentage with the highest rates is 12%.
The study looked at six different types of cancer – stomach cancer, colon cancer, rectum cancer, lung cancer, as well as ovarian cancer. For all but one of these types of cancer, England had by far the lowest rates of survival. The five other countries involved in the research were Australia, Canada, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
The reason for these results, the experts say, is the poor care that the patients the UK receive. Still, there are signs of improvement over the last surveys of this kind.
This particular one looked at four million patients who had been diagnosed with cancer in the six countries, and monitored their conditions over fifteen years. This comes to rule out the possibility that the results only reflect the reality over a short period of time. They do not. It’s been so for 15 long years, between 1995 and 2009.
It is indeed possible that this is why the NHS has decided to take a more stalwart stance against this deadly disease.
The survival rate encompasses those who have been diagnosed with one form of the affection or the other, and manage to survive it for at least five years. In England, patients diagnosed between 2005 and 2009 had between 5 and 12 percent chance of survival over five years.
Another finding of the study is that not only is cancer treated poorly in the whole country, it’s treated better in London than in provincial areas. The research center warns that this should not be the case and raises the question of healthcare equality.
The best results overall were shown in Australia and Sweden, while Canada and Norway both fared well in Lung and Rectum cancer respectively. Surprisingly, Denmark was second last after England, and in the Stomach Cancer results it took the last place. Unfortunately, this study did not analyze any cases from the US.
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Sam and Nia have two children and a third one on the way.
Shortly after it was first published on early Thursday morning, first video of husband announcing his wife’s pregnancy becomes Internet sensation. The online video has been viewed by Internet users all over the world praising Sam for being the first man to make a pregnancy announcement to his wife in the history of all marriages.
In a normal scenario, the wife drops the good news on her husband letting him know that he was going to be a father. Sam Paul, the father of two, wanted to do things differently. His wife notified him that she was 14 days late, but she was, nonetheless, not sure about the final outcome because she did not take a pregnancy test.
Too eager to wait any longer, Sam conceived an unbeatable plan to be the first to find out if his wife is pregnant or not. Long before his wife did, too. According to the video he posted on his official YouTube channel wife Nia has a habit of going to the toilet late at night and not flushing so she would not wake her two children up.
Sam used this opportunity to collect a specimen and take the pregnancy test for his wife. He filmed the whole process explaining the whole story behind the video and what his future plans were. Sam filmed all the moments as the pregnancy test displayed the two lines indicating a new pregnancy.
As expected, the husband’s enthusiasm skyrocketed, but he, nevertheless, managed to refrain himself and to wait until the next day to let his wife know the great news. The video introduces Nia next, while she is having breakfast with her two young girls. Husband Sam makes ironic jokes inviting Nia to a glass of wine and then letting her know that she is not allowed to drink wine.
Nia does not pay attention to him and repeatedly tells him that she is not sure she is pregnant. Sam takes the pregnancy test out of the pocket and explains Nia how he found out that she was expecting another baby. Nia was incredibly happy to hear the great news and to be the first woman to hear such an announcement, we might add.
Don’t forget to click on the video below to see Nia’s reaction when her husband lets her know she is expecting a baby.
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Women should opt for a fiber-based diet, especially if in their postmenopausal years.
Based on the findings of a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, refined carbs could be linked to women’s postmenopausal depression. Researchers concluded that the carbohydrates that women consume determine significant changes in the glycemic index of women causing them to feel depressed during menopause.
Nutrition experts at the Columbia University Medical Center have conducted a long analysis of the medical records that were registered in the past for many female patients. The research included the data collected in the period between 1994 and 1998 for Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study.
The medical records that have been subjected to a new examination amounted to 70,000. The corresponding female respondents have been chosen for this particular research because they have all reached their postmenopausal age and scientists wanted to establish whether certain activities could influence their behavior or not.
Based on the results they have registered, nutrition experts have reached the conclusion that carbohydrates consumption plays a significant role in the moods that postmenopausal women experience. The more refined carbs the respondents consumed, the bigger the chances were for them to feel tired, depressed and sad.
Women have to adopt a balanced diet once they have reached their post menopause, was researchers’ conclusion. In their opinion, a healthy diet has to take into consideration the glycemic index (GI) of the patient and the types of carbs she consumes. In addition, possible mental affections that the woman may be suffering from enable researchers to determine whether the patient will suffer from depression or not.
Refined carbohydrates have always been associated with many health and weight problems. It appears that it also influences a woman’s psychic by triggering fluctuations in the blood glucose levels. Depression has usually been noticed in women with very low blood glucose levels, who also consume refined carbohydrates, according to the new discovery that scientists have made.
Researchers recommend women to avoid products that are rich in carbs, such as, grain-based aliments. Instead, women should opt for a fiber-rich diet from vegetables, non-juice fruits and whole grains.
Although the study has been already acknowledged by most nutrition experts, experts think additional researches must be conducted to prove the validity of the experiment.
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Teenagers did not develop health problems as a result of their past marijuana consumption.
A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh shows that marijuana consumption among teenagers is not linked to health problems. Until recently it was believed that chronic smokers of marijuana may develop respiratory problems or psychotic affections, but new findings prove the opposite.
The research has been conducted with the participation of 408 teenage boys, whose evolution has been closely followed within a time interval of 20 years. At the end of the research, participants were 30 years old, so scientists could estimate their evolution by comparing their physical and mental state at the beginning of the research with the results registered at the end of the experiment.
Participants were divided into four large groups, based on their use of marijuana. Thus, researchers identified non-smokers or rare smokers of marijuana, early chronic consumers and regular smokers, who have started consuming the plant in their teenage years and continued until adulthood.
The study was first started in the 1980s, when investigators began interviewing 14-year-old males about their marijuana consumption habits. The same participants were interviewed again in 2009-2010, when respondents were 36 years old; thus, enabling scientists to make the comparison between the two periods.
The experiment has proven scientists that there is no connection between marijuana consumption and the health problems that these individuals developed at an older age. On the contrary, investigators confessed that very few participants had developed respiratory and mental affections during this time interval, their percentage being too small to constitute a pattern.
Studies have further revealed that the more mature a person gets, the less inclined is to smoke marijuana. According to the answers that respondents have provided, participants have lowered the consumption of marijuana with the passing of the years. Chronic smokers consumed marijuana only 200 times per year by the time they reached 22 years old.
Researchers at the Pittsburgh University have explained that the recent study has been conducted with the intention to find out whether marijuana should be legalized or not. Although findings indicate that there is no actual risk in consuming marijuana, scientists have agreed that additional tests may be required to confirm the results of the current experiment.
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Many home owners would use an indoor elevator, if they were pleased with their designs.
A new home decor invention could make owners bid farewell to stairlifts, say hello to Star Trek-style home elevators, which are not only good-looking, but also much more effective. The producer has further stated that the resemblance between the new in-room elevator and the Star Trek model was not at all intentional.
Home owners could soon ditch their traditional and rather annoying stairlifts for a new generation of discreet home elevators. Terry Lifts, the company behind the new models, has stated that their new collection aims to help people who live in houses with multiple floors because the latter often need assistance, especially when they get old.
The only available option so far was the stairlift, which often clashes with the rest of the elements in the room or the interior decoration. John McSweeney, the marketing director of the company claims many more people would use a home elevator, if they were pleased with their looks. The company thinks the new Star Trek-inspired model will stir customers’ interest and will definitely make their lives a lot more comfortable.
The indoor lift consists in a hexagonal box that may be easily integrated in one corner of the room. The elevator has glass walls because producers wanted its transparency to render rooms larger instead of minimizing them. The good news about the new home elevator is that it only appears when the owner needs to get from one floor to another; the rest of the time, it may be preserved in a special case in the attic.
Home owners won’t have to look at the modern, yet inappropriate home elevator all the time; they can simply send the lift back in the attic when they no longer need it. Stairlifts, on the other hand must be kept on display at all times because home owners don’t have the possibility to place them in an out-of-the-way location.
While the association of the new home elevators with the famous Star Trek lift has pleased producers, John McSweeney from the Terry Lifts company has confessed that customers have made many other comparisons, some less flattering than others. Most critics have said the home elevator looks like a shower cabin, was the humorous statement of the marketing director.
Reports show that Terry Lifts has already sold 200 Star Trek-style elevators and the sales percentage is expected to increase in the following period.
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Yoga could help alleviate many PTSD symptoms.
Veterans returning from war often experience mental affections as a result of their bad memories and recollections. Psychology experts think a new treatment could help alleviate soldiers’ problems as researches have shown that mindful post-traumatic therapy threats PTSD.
PTSD, also known as post-traumatic stress disorder, is as the name says it, a mental illness occurring as a result of a traumatic event that the subject has been exposed to. War veterans often suffer from PTSD upon their return to their homes because they cannot forget the impressive events they have witnessed on the battle fields.
Being constantly afraid for your life or your friend’s life, seeing people killed in front of your eyes are images that cannot be easily wiped away from a person’s memory. For that matter, soldiers have to undergo various psychological treatments in order to get rid of the nightmares, flashbacks and depression states that affect their social lives. Left untreated, these mental illnesses could worsen and eventually lead to suicidal behaviors, which is why it is important to correctly diagnose and treat patients suffering from PTSD.
Traditional treatments have proven themselves effective, but veterans are often reluctant because they have to openly confess that they are suffering from post-traumatic disorders. For that matter, researchers at the American Medical Association have conducted a study among two groups of American soldiers who have served in the Iraq war.
The first group was treated with the help of conventional psychological sessions, whereas the second group received mindful post-traumatic therapy sessions for an interval of two months. The second type of treatment presupposed that respondents took part in nine therapy sessions during which they performed various breathing, stretching and relaxing exercises. For a better illustration, the new post-traumatic therapy was compared to yoga meditation classes, scientists have added.
Results showed that mindful therapy is much more effective in treating PTSD. The group that took part in meditation classes saw an improvement of their mental state of up to 49%. Participants in the conventional group registered only a 28% improvement of their health condition.
Based on these figures, researchers have concluded that mindful therapy could be much more effective in treating PTSD symptoms. In addition, soldiers no longer suffer from the stigma that PTSD diagnoses usually put on people. However, the new therapy should at first complement traditional treatments, whose efficiency has been proven many times before.
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Vitamin D makes bones stronger.
The Scientific Advisory Body on Nutrition (SACN) in the UK could soon change Britons’ daily diets because individuals who are not regularly exposed to sunlight require additional doses of Vitamin D supplements. Given the recent news, we thought some readers might like to know some of the benefits of Vitamin D supplements for their bodies and minds.
According to medical experts, vitamin D is the main responsible for the correct deposit of calcium in our bone system. Lack of vitamin D may lead to frail bones and teeth, especially among children, whose skeletal systems are much more sensitive than the ones of the adults. One pill of vitamin D per day could help prevent rickets, a disease that is affecting many children at present.
Women, too, require a bigger dose of vitamin D, particularly during their menstruation period when they require additional intakes of calcium. Taking regular supplements of vitamin D could help women avoid many menopause-specific affections, such as osteoporosis and arthritis.
The benefits of vitamin D are no longer questioned as both medical experts and patients have noticed an improvement in their health condition. However, many discussions are now being made in relation to the daily intake that people need, as well as, in relation to the best methods of obtaining vitamin D.
Previous tests have shown that sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, ensuring the assimilation of the right amount of supplements from the daily products we consume. Unfortunately, recent medical tests have revealed that few people take sufficient vitamin D from their food and additional doses should be provided to avoid future health problems.
This need has become all the more obvious among populations in the northern areas where the sun rays are very mild, not to mention rare. These population have to expose themselves during special time intervals in order to assimilate the amount of vitamin D they need per day. This is almost impossible nowadays, considering that very few people stay and work in the outdoors, compared to previous generations.
As a consequence, medical experts and authorities are now working to determine how much vitamin D individuals should take. So far, they have found out that children, pregnant women, people over 65 years old and those with darker skins should complement their daily diets with vitamin D supplements.
The new findings could lead to a new system of medical recommendations, scientists have concluded.
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Honest sunscreen lotions have been labeled as fake due to the recent customers’ complaints.
Famous Hollywood star Jessica Alba responded to angry customers’ complaints about Honest company saying that the percentage of negative comments is still very small compared to the positive feedback.
Discussions started on early Monday morning after the actress tweeted her most recent campaign on her personal account. The “Sin City” star posted a message under the hashtag # GirlsWhoCode to inform her customers that her natural sunscreen products is sponsoring the equally-named non-profit organization.
Girls Who Code has been supporting women in the tech field for several years now and Jessica Alba has joined them because she considers great part of her success is due to technology.
Unfortunately, the post that the actress made did not have the desired outcome as many customers have replied to her saying that the Honest sunscreen products are in fact a fraud. Their messages were accompanied by revealing photos showing various degrees of skin burns.
The angry customers plan to sue the actress because they believe the products she is selling are fake. The majority of them have only spent one hour in the sun and yet, their skin turned red as a result of the sun burns.
Jessica Alba, on the other hand, claims her products offer large spectrum protection, particularly those with a SPF 30 sunscreen protection. In addition, she has repeatedly stated that the lotions are made out of natural ingredients; thus, ensuring a much bigger protection for the skin.
The Golden Globe nominee did not pay much attention to the recent wave of complaints that her Honest Company received. On the contrary, Alba’s spokespersons have settled themselves to simply saying that the percentage of dissatisfied customers represents only a small portion of their customers. That is to say, you’re too insignificant to be taken into consideration.
Customers have, nevertheless, managed to get the media’s attention on the matter. Jessica’s Honest company may soon be forced to provide a detailed explanation related to the ingredients and the manufacturing process of the lotions.
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Bill Gates was one of the ones taking the Ice Bucket Challenge.
It’s been a whole year, but the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is paying off – the first phase trial for an experimental but highly promising drug is said to be in the process of getting approved within the US and is due to start soon.
Last year, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was kicked off by Pat Quinn and Pete Frates. This year it kicked off this Friday in Boston and has already spurred movement on social networking sites. Last year it raised a staggering $115 million which were given to the ALS Foundation, by only 2.5 million people. This year, hopes are up that it will surpass that sum.
It is not that there is an actual need for the money, as there is for research on the motor neuron disease which has continuously baffled scientists for decades. But research cannot be motivated with the noble goal of beating the disease once and for all. Doctors need to eat too, no? This is what this fundraising effort is really about.
And in the period since last year, 47.1 million dollars have been assigned to specific research projects, while the rest up to 77 million dollars are saved to be given to a selection of other research projects.
As Matt Bellina reports for Fox News, the ailment, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease (from the famous baseball player), it has been relatively unknown prior to the dumping-ice-water-on-the-head viral movement that took Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other websites by assault. Matt Bellina is a 32 year old ex-combat pilot of the U.S. Navy. Last year he was himself diagnosed with the disease.
In the past, people did not easily understand what Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis actually was. The disease enjoyed its small 15-minutes-of-fame twice. Once when Lou Gehrig was diagnosed with it and subsequently died, and the second time when Stephen Hawking, the renowned astrophysicist was diagnosed with it. The latter is still going strong against the disease, long having passed the original bad life expectancy forecast.
The new drug that is said to begin its phase one trial for assessing safety is a cannabinoid based drug which is being developed by a combined team from the Tikun Olam, an Israeli company specializing in medical marijuana and the Hospital for Special Surgery of New York.
So, if you’re planning to put a bucket of ice water on your head, don’t forget to use #ALSIceBucketChallenge.
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