CNA938 Rewind - The Wellness Hour - Neurodiversity at work: A team effort for inclusion
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a day ago
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Commentary: Can air-conditioning really make you sick?
LEICESTER, England: Air-conditioning can feel heaven-sent on hot summer days. It keeps temperatures comfortable and controls humidity, making indoor environments tolerable even on the most brutally warm days. But some people avoid using air-conditioning (AC) no matter how hot it gets outside, out of fear that it will make them sick. While this may sound far-fetched to some, as a microbiologist I can say this fear isn't altogether unfounded. If an air-conditioning system malfunctions or isn't properly maintained, it can become contaminated with infectious microbes. This can turn your AC unit into a potential source of numerous airborne infections – ranging from the common cold to pneumonia. SICK BUILDINGS 'Sick building syndrome' is the general name for symptoms that can develop after spending extended periods of time in air-conditioned environments. Symptoms can include headaches, dizziness, congested or runny nose, persistent cough or wheeze, skin irritation or rashes, trouble focusing on work and tiredness. The condition tends to occur in people who work in office settings, but can happen to anyone who spends extended periods of time in air-conditioned buildings such as hospitals. The symptoms of sick building syndrome tend to get worse the longer you're in a particular building, and are alleviated after you leave. A 2023 study from India compared 200 healthy adults who worked at least six to eight hours per day in an air-conditioned office with 200 healthy adults who didn't work in AC. The AC group experienced more symptoms consistent with sick building syndrome over the two-year study period – particularly a higher prevalence of allergies. Importantly, clinical tests showed those who were exposed to AC had poorer lung function and were absent from work more often, compared with the non-AC group. Other studies have confirmed that AC office workers have a higher prevalence of sick building syndrome than those who do not work in an air-conditioned environment. It's suspected that one cause of sick building syndrome is malfunctioning air-conditioners. When an AC unit isn't working properly, it can release allergens, chemicals and airborne microorganisms into the air that it would normally have trapped. Malfunctioning air-conditioners can also release chemical vapours from AC cleaning products or refrigerants into the building's air. Chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde and toluene are toxic and can irritate the respiratory system. Poorly maintained air-conditioning systems can also harbour bacterial pathogens which can cause serious infections. Legionella pneumophila is the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease – a lung infection contracted from inhaling droplets of water containing these bacteria. They tend to grow in water-rich environments such as hot tubs or air-conditioning systems. A Legionella infection is most often caught in communal places such as hotels, hospitals or offices, where the bacteria have contaminated the water supply. Symptoms of Legionnaires' disease are similar to pneumonia, causing coughing, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, fever and general flu-like symptoms. Symptoms usually begin to show between two and 14 days after being exposed to Legionella. Legionella infections can be life-threatening and often require hospitalisation. Recovery can take several weeks. FUNGAL AND VIRAL INFECTIONS The accumulation of dust and moisture inside air-conditioning systems can also create the right conditions for other infectious microbes to grow. For instance, research on hospital AC systems has found that fungi such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium and Rhizopusspecies commonly accumulate within the water-rich areas of hospital ventilation systems. These fungal infections can be serious in vulnerable patients such as those who are immunocompromised, have had an organ transplant or are on dialysis – as well as babies who were born premature. For example, Aspergillus causes pneumonia, abscesses of the lungs, brain, liver, spleen, kidneys and skin, and can also infect burns and wounds. Symptoms of fungal infections are mostly respiratory and include persistent wheeze or cough, fever, shortness of breath, tiredness and unexplained loss of weight. Viral infections can also be caught from air-conditioning. One case study revealed that children in a Chinese kindergarten class were infected with the norovirus pathogen from their AC system. This caused 20 students to experience the stomach flu. While norovirus is usually transmitted through close contact with an infected person or after touching a contaminated surface, in this instance it was confirmed, unusually, that the virus was spread through the air – originating from the air-conditioning unit in a class restroom. Several other cases of norovirus being spread this way have been reported. However, air-conditioners can also help stop the spread of airborne viruses. Research shows AC units that are regularly maintained and sanitised can reduce circulating levels of common viruses, including COVID. Another reason AC may increase your risk of catching an infection is due to the way air-conditioners control humidity levels. This makes inside air drier than outside air. Spending extended periods of time in low-humidity environments can dry out the mucus membranes in your nose and throat. This can affect how well they prevent bacteria and fungi from getting in your body – and can leave you more vulnerable to developing a deep-tissue infection of the sinuses. Air-conditioners are designed to filter air contaminants, fungal spores, bacteria and viruses, preventing them from entering the air we breathe indoors. But this protective shield can be compromised if a system's filter is old or dirty, or if the system isn't cleaned. Ensuring good AC maintenance is essential in preventing air-conditioner-acquired infections.
CNA
2 days ago
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CNA938 Rewind - The Wellness Hour - Neurodiversity at work: A team effort for inclusion
What does it mean to build an inclusive environment in the workplace that accommodates neurodivergent employees? Hui Wong speaks with Ooi Sze Jin, Founder and Psychologist at A Kind Place to find out the mental health stresses one may face, and how employers and caregivers could work hand-in-hand to create workplaces where neurodiversity is supported.
CNA
4 days ago
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Heard of 'Japanese walking'? Here's why this fitness trend is worth trying
Going for a walk is one of the simplest workouts, but it can have powerful health impacts. Walking has been linked to improved mental and cardiovascular health, and it can be effective for managing back pain. But not all walking is equally effective. A method nicknamed 'Japanese walking' on social media – also known as interval walking training, or IWT – seems to offer greater advantages than a simple stroll, or even than walking at a moderate pace for 8,000 or more steps a day. The strategy was first introduced two decades ago in a study led by Hiroshi Nose, an exercise physiologist at Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan. The country has one of the world's oldest populations, and Dr Nose hoped that, by applying interval-training techniques used by elite athletes to its senior community, he could improve older people's health and reduce the country's medical costs, he told The New York Times in an email. After seeing promising early results, he and his collaborator, Shizue Masuki, continued to study the method in depth. While this type of exercise isn't new, it has been a trend on TikTok this summer. Here's what the science says about the benefits of interval walking and how to get started. WHAT IS "JAPANESE WALKING"? As the name suggests, interval walking is a form of interval training, which involves alternating between bursts of intense activity and more gentle movement or rest. In this case, it's basically just alternating between fast and slow walking. But compared with more classic forms of high-intensity interval training, interval walking is more approachable for many people, especially those who haven't exercised in a while or who are recovering from injuries that make high-impact activities like running difficult, said Dr Carlin Senter, the chief of primary-care sports medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. HOW DO YOU DO IT? All you need are comfortable shoes, a safe place to walk and a timer. In the studies by Drs Nose and Masuki, subjects typically walked quickly for three minutes and then slowly for three minutes. During fast periods, the idea is to feel as if you're working somewhat hard, to the point that you would have a hard time carrying on a conversation. The movement during the slow periods should be a gentle stroll. (The researchers capped the fast intervals at three minutes, they said, because that was the point at which many older volunteers started to feel tired.) They recommend taking longer strides during the fast intervals than during the slow ones, to make the activity more challenging. They also suggest engaging your arms, bending them at the elbows and swinging them vigorously with each step, which will help you maintain proper form during longer strides. In their studies, volunteers completed at least 30 minutes of interval walking four times a week. If you try it, those 30 minutes don't have to be continuous. The research suggests that breaking the sessions into roughly 10-minute segments three times a day can be just as effective. While conducting their research, they found that, by taking regular recovery breaks, many interval walkers spent more time exercising at a high intensity than they would have if they had walked continuously at that intensity, since they tired out sooner when they didn't have breaks. WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS? In their original study of older adults, which was small, Drs Nose and Masuki found that interval walkers saw significantly greater improvements in blood pressure, cardiovascular health and leg strength compared with volunteers who walked at a continuous, moderate pace. In the decade since, a growing body of evidence from Drs Nose and Masuki and other researchers has reinforced these findings and has suggested the method may have even more benefits. A 2018 study found that, over a 10-year period, interval walking was linked to fewer age-related declines in aerobic capacity and muscle power. What's the best way to add interval walking to your exercise routine? If you haven't been active in a while, 'start low, go slow,' Dr Senter said. If three minutes feels too long for the faster intervals, start with a minute and work your way up. Over time, as your fitness improves, you will probably be able to push yourself harder during the fast bouts. Finally, if interval walking is your main form of exercise, aim to complement it with at least two days a week of strength training, along with balance and mobility training, Dr Senter said.
