10/20/16

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Mass. woman who didn’t know she was pregnant gives birth

“When I went there for stomach aches, I didn’t expect to come home with a baby”

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/massachusetts-woman-who-didnt-know-she-was-pregnant-gives-birth/

Multivessel Revascularization: Still the Surgeons' Domain?

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGfQPyh8rcU

Remote Monitoring for the Management of Heart Failure

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCn6baMaEnc

Outpacing Pacemaker and ICD Infections

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PKcJrzElwc

CDC Sets Florida Testing Zone for Pregnant Women

Latest recommendation covers more than the two areas in Miami-Dade where local transmission is occurring

From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20161020/zika-testing-for-all-pregnant-women-who-have-been-in-florida-county-cdc?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Some Mexican ceramics linked to lead poisoning

Ceramic dishes brought home from a vacation caused a Canadian woman's mysterious symptoms

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/some-mexican-ceramics-linked-to-lead-poisoning/

Drugmaker blasted for nearly $200K leukemia treatment

Lawmakers say Ariad Pharmaceuticals's sales tactics are "outrageous," demand information on its drug pricing

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/drugmaker-blasted-for-charging-nearly-200k-for-leukemia-treatment/

Snakebites are on the rise, and these states are the riskiest

More than 1,300 U.S. kids suffer snakebites each year, and a quarter of cases happen in just two states

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/snakebites-kids-riskiest-states-florida-texas/

Dr. Gregory Poland discusses HPV vaccine

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmwyRboWNlw

Endovascular Therapy for Acute Stroke: A Multidisciplinary Team Discussion

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eypCntIstkY

OMS: Choléra - Questions & réponses

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTxl1vmHi5k

Monitoring, Not Treatment, May Be Better for Some Prostate Cancer Patients

In Sweden, 90 percent with very low risk disease choose this option instead of immediate treatment, researchers report

From: http://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/news/20161020/monitoring-not-treatment-may-be-better-for-some-prostate-cancer-patients?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Some Mexican Ceramics Can Serve Up Lead Poisoning

Canadian woman's illness highlights danger from glazes with high lead levels, doctors say

From: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/news/20161020/some-mexican-ceramics-can-serve-up-lead-poisoning?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Head-to-toe tips for a safer Halloween

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD7waN6FjnY

Good hearing essential to physical and emotional well-being

For many years, it was clear that my father was becoming hard of hearing. Normally gregarious and the life of the party, he became increasingly withdrawn because he couldn’t hear well enough to partake in conversations around the table. He began to walk with a shuffling gait. He was declining in front of my eyes. And yet, when we communicated by email, his intellectual curiosity and warm storytelling skills were intact. But in person, he seemed to be fading away.

After considerable prodding, I convinced him to get a pair of custom hearing aids. The transformation was amazing. At a family reunion a month later, there was my father sitting at the breakfast table, regaling everybody with stories of his mischievous childhood. He was, once again, the center of attention. Gone was the shuffling walk, replaced by a strong, confident stride. From the withdrawn, quiet man who would sit by himself emerged my funny, animated father who told stories, laughed, and played jokes. He could hear his children and grandchildren. The dad I remembered as a child came back to us.

This story, and so many just like it, are about changing the public conversation on hearing to show how people who experience hearing loss can move from fear and denial to aging gracefully, with resilience, joy, and health.

The health benefits of hearing well

We should be talking about what I saw: the profound impact that hearing well can have on the living. We should be talking about what is gained by hearing well — social interaction, family connection, and workplace productivity — not about what is lost. Hearing loss is not a stand-alone disability. It is linked to everything we do every single day.

Surprisingly, many of us wait seven to 10 years before even acknowledging we are having trouble hearing and get a hearing aid. Why? For some of us it’s denial, or fear of looking old; for others the hearing loss is so gradual we might not be aware of the insidious progression of it. In fact, more Americans report getting a colonoscopy than a hearing test!

Yet, failing to get hearing tested and corrected early may actually contribute to aging faster. Hearing loss is associated with earlier onset of dementia, earlier mortality, and six times the rate of falls compared to those with normal hearing. Contributing to these negative health consequences is the isolation, the loss of interactive communication with others due to inability to hear clearly. This results in loneliness, which is known to have a negative health impact equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Moreover, when the input is diminished, the brain loses the ability to distinguish sounds, which means having to “re-learn” to hear when she or he finally gets a hearing aid.

Having a conversation about hearing loss

Instead of hearing loss, think about what you gain when you hear, allowing you to live life to the fullest. Life is about keeping the critical ability to stay connected to family and friends. A recent study found that for Americans 65 and older, hearing loss had a greater impact on life than cardiac disease, stroke, osteoporosis, sciatica, cancer, and many other common conditions.

My dad’s transformation was an “aha” moment for me — as a daughter and a doctor. I’ve since learned that hearing loss, which can be alleviated fairly easily, is a largely hidden problem, even as it affects many. One in three people 60-plus and two-thirds of people 70-plus have hearing loss. Among baby boomers, 15% are already affected. And a few years ago it was reported that 12% to 15% of school-age children have some degree of hearing loss, with the highest incidence among teens.

These numbers are hardly surprising given our routine exposure to rock concerts, sports stadiums, car stereos, earbuds, traffic jams, jet engines, and the like. Hearing loss is no longer a marker of age. It’s here now and it’s something many of us will experience sooner than we expect. As a result, we can’t stress enough the importance of protecting our hearing and preventing hearing loss from the loud noises in our environment — and getting one’s hearing tested early.

What matters to people when they talk about hearing loss?

Sixty-one percent of AARP members indicated that hearing loss made it hard to follow conversations in noisy settings, while 44% noted the impact hearing difficulties can have on relationships with friends and family. Roughly two-thirds said they would get a hearing test if hearing loss hurt their relationships with family, and 59% said they would be tested if it became a burden on the family.

Think about my dad’s story. What’s more powerful and positive — talking about what hearing loss sounds like or talking about how better hearing helps people regain that edge and enjoy life?

Your own hearing loss story may still be down the road. But remember that early screening, early testing, and early intervention mean you won’t lose your all-important relationships with friends and family. And you’ll never miss the birds chirping outside your window.

For the latest information on hearing loss and what you can do, visit the AARP Hearing Resource Center.

The post Good hearing essential to physical and emotional well-being appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Charlotte S. Yeh, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/good-hearing-essential-to-physical-and-emotional-well-being-2016102010480

App helps save man having a heart attack

The free PulsePoint app connects CPR-trained citizens with patients who urgently need their help

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/app-helps-save-seattle-cardiac-patient/

How a man's sleep habits may affect his fertility

Sleeping 7 to 9 hours a night may have an unexpected benefit, new research suggests

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-mans-sleep-habits-can-affect-his-fertility-pregnancy/

Clinton, Trump Differ on Medicare at Debate

hillary clinton and donald trump back to back

At their final presidential debate, Hillary Clinton says she'd keep Medicare and Social Security solvent with "smarter decisions," and Donald Trump says a booming economy would preserve the programs.

From: http://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/20161020/clinton-trump-tangle-on-preserving-medicare?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Be a Better Educator: A “How to” Faculty Improvement Course 2017

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87VbEeAgNfw

USDA Seeks Applications for Next Round of Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Program Grants

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2016 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the availability of up to $16.7 million in competitive grant funding to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by families and households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The funding will be awarded to eligible nonprofits and governmental organizations through the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) Grant Program, administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/10/0228.xml&contentidonly=true

USDA Announces Streamlined Guaranteed Loans and Additional Lender Category for Small-Scale Operators

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2016 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the availability of a streamlined version of USDA guaranteed loans, which are tailored for smaller scale farms and urban producers. The program, called EZ Guarantee Loans, uses a simplified application process to help beginning, small, underserved and family farmers and ranchers apply for loans of up to $100,000 from USDA-approved lenders to purchase farmland or finance agricultural operations.

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/10/0227.xml&contentidonly=true

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