Walking and Alzheimers

Nothing feels better to me than taking a nice walk especially after a stressful day, so it is no wonder that the article about exercise/walking caught my attention.  According the National Institutes of Health, just regular walking can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.  Research also supports that even those already diagnosed with this dreadful brain disease that causes the loss of memory, show slower decline of the disease with regular exercise, especially walking.  It is because exercise increases blood flow to areas in the body and brain.  The best part about this type of exercise is that most people can do it, and it doesn't cost anything.  

Facebook and Asthma????

I found this article interesting especially in light of this week's Facebook focus.  Apparently, according to Medline Plus, a man whose girlfriend recently broke off the relationship continued to view her Facebook page under a new name.  As he continued to see her "friend" new men, this apparently triggered and exacerbated his asthmatic condition.  The article opens up new thoughts on social networking as a potential health issue trigger, hmm. 

Exercise and common cold

Based on information from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, people who exercise at least 5 days a week have 43% less respiratory infections than those who only exercise 1 day a week.  I think this is a good reminder to all of us to get out there and exercise, especially during those winter months.  Grab some warm clothing and non-skid boots and go for a walk, enjoy the beautiful glistening trees and the fresh air.  It also makes us feel better mentally when we can get out of the house during those long winter months, I think.  

Antibiotics

Working in a college health clinic, we see lots of people coming in with respiratory illness.  Most of these illnesses are caused by viruses, making antibiotics useless in these cases.  Many times these patients want to be prescribed antibiotics.  It is important for people to realize that an antibiotic is not always the best thing to take, because if they are prescribed too often or when not necessary, a body can develop a drug resistance.  Also, when you are prescribed an antibiotic, make sure you finish the entire prescription because even though a person is feeling better, it doesn't necessarily mean that the pathogen is gone. This is reiterated in the recent article I read from the CDC. 

Cholera outbreak in Haiti

When I read stories such as this, it makes me think twice about what we take for granted.  In Haiti, there is a cholera outbreak according to the CDC.  Cholera is an infectious disease that is caused by a bacteria and is basically transmitted through unclean water and food.  I remember as a kid my grandpa used to talk about cholera and how many people he saw get sick and die from it as his family was migrating from Germany to the United States.  I think that is why this story piqued my interest, because of my grandpa's experience. I would recommend anyone traveling outside of the United States to consult with a travel health clinic or physician to reduce risks of acquiring diseases that are prevalent in other countries.  Sometimes vaccinations are recommended before traveling to certain countries, other suggestions might be to bring own water or boiling the water before drinking. 

CDC - Making us Aware

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is expanding awareness efforts relating to homelessness.  Homelessness continues to be a problem, especially in light of this economic climate.  Because homelessness is associated with larger rates of disease, they feel that there is a need to provide more services or make them available to those who are in need.

Twittter

Just read an article from the Read Write Web regarding twitter and the potential for individuals who tweet in different languages.  This global tool enables translation for a variety of languages.  What will they think of next??