| 'Tis The Season For Allergic Reactions
With the holiday season just around the corner, millions of Americans are preparing to decorate their homes, gather for feasts and travel to visit relatives. However, for allergy and asthma sufferers, the holiday season presents several potential triggers, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).
"Whether it's feasting on holiday meals, setting up your Christmas tree, or visiting your pet-owning relatives, allergy triggers may be lurking inside of our warm, cozy homes this time of year," said Alisa M. Smith, PhD, FAAAAI, vice-chair of the AAAAI's Indoor Allergen Committee. "Unfortunately, with busy schedules, travel time and the stress of the holidays, it is easy to forget to take the proper care when dealing with allergies and asthma. However, avoiding potential triggers and taking the proper precautions is necessary to keep symptoms under control," Smith added.
Asthma Foundation Offers National Flu Shot Finder
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced the week after Thanksgiving, November 27 to December 2, as National Influenza Vaccination Week. Despite annual CDC recommendations, influenza vaccination (flu shot) rates in young children remain disturbingly low. Only 20 percent of children age 6 to 23 months were fully immunized for the flu during the 2005-2006 season. So the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is making it easier for asthma patients to find flu shot clinics with a free "Flu Shot Finder" at http://www.aafa.org.
The flu is a serious and potentially deadly viral infection that causes respiratory problems, spreads easily, and is a major concern for 20 million Americans with asthma. Each year, it causes approximately 20,000 hospitalizations and nearly 100 deaths in American children under age 5.
A Belt for Your Aching Back
A battery-powered belt that fires tiny electric currents through the skin could help to beat back pain. The belt uses a technique called microcurrent therapy to stimulate the body's natural healing process. Although similar devices are already in use in sports medicine, the equipment tends to be bulky and suitable only for use in clinics. Now the same technology has been converted into an easy-to-wear belt that allows patients to get pain relief while they are at work, out shopping or relaxing at home. It's reason people visit their doctor -- the thought the device could help improve the quality of life for thousands of sufferers. Up to 80 percent of adults in Britain suffer back pain at some point in their lives. It's the largest single reason for taking time off sick from work and at least half of those affected have long-term recurrences.
This Thanksgiving Give the Gift of Good Health - Remind Family and Friends to Get a Flu Shot.
With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, Maxim Health Systems is reminding people to get their annual flu vaccination if they have not done so already. Maxim encourages people to visit its Web site http://www.FindaFluShot.com to find a convenient location for vaccination clinics. .
Luncheon marks 45 years of honoring women
When Sharon Rab learned she had been named one of this year's Ten Top Women, she immediately thought of her friend Betty Dietz Krebs. "She was a lovely woman and, in her own right, a feminist for her time," says Rab, who traveled with Krebs to New York while working as education director for the Muse Machine. .
Gators Just Trying To Put It All Together
Land O' Lakes has cruised to two victories in as many games this season, and the Gators have noticed some bright spots as well as some areas in to improve. "In spurts, we had some great things, and other spurts we didn't look so good," Land O" Lakes coach Laurie Pacholke said. "There's still a lot of things to work on, but overall I think our ball movement is really strong right now. We were missing a lot of open shots, but again, in spurts we looked really, really good and in others you can tell it's early in the season." The Gators were without Brittany Knipp on Wednesday against Pasco because she had a softball commitment. Knipp signed a scholarship earlier that day to play softball at Stetson University. "Defensively, we were missing Brittany in the backcourt, so that hurt us a little bit on defense," Pacholke said.
CT Scans To Determine Heart Disease In The Emergency Room
In the future, patients who arrive at a hospital Emergency Department complaining of chest pain may be diagnosed with a sophisticated CT scan. If the diagnosis is negative, the patient can go home�"and the total time at the hospital will be much shorter than it is today.
That is the theory behind a study being presented at the RSNA (Abstract ID: 5009389; Monday, November 26, 3:10 p.m.) by Rajan Agarwal, M.D., a resident in Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
"The cost of chest pain triage (where patients in the Emergency Department are prioritized based on their symptoms) and management has been estimated to be as high as $8 billion annually, with most patients ultimately not having to remain in the hospital. Therefore," Dr. Agarwal states, "there is a tremendous opportunity to reduce health care costs if we can demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of this procedure with low-risk patients who go to the Emergency Department."
Further, this reduced length of stay improves resource utilization by decreasing costs, improving inpatient bed shortages and reducing crowding in the Emergency Department.
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