Being constantly nagged by health apps is no fun at all
Personal stats gathering can be helpful, a latter day Jiminy Cricket-style conscience promoting better health, but recent innovations suggest these devices risk becoming, at worst, busybodies, and at best, purveyors of the absolutely blinking obvious. Witness the upgraded smart watch which can now tell its wearer they need to dose up on beta carotene, found in brightly coloured vegetables, to improve their antioxidant score. So, essentially, this clever new function on a clever watch tells its clever owner to eat more carrots.
Such redundant advice is in tune with those endlessly repeated announcements at transport hubs ordering passengers to carry water in hot weather, avoid falling over in wet weather, hold the handrail, apply the brakes on the buggy, collect their belongings and please don't smoke, skateboard or attack members of staff.
Worse, some trackers will tell you, without so much as a by your leave, when to start drinking coffee, when to stop drinking coffee, when to go outside to soak up some sun, when to go to bed, when to have a glass of water, when to stand up, when to sit down, etc. Paradoxically, these gadgets are most favoured by alpha-male types who hold a dim view of the nanny state yet submit to being bossed about all day by a cheeky gizmo on their wrist. Go figure.
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Daily Mail
16 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Child dies from brain-eating amoeba after doing favorite summertime activity
A child from South Carolina died of an infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba after visiting a popular local lake to go swimming. No name or age has been released for the young patient, but the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) stated that exposure likely occurred at Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina. The child was treated at Prisma Health Children's Hospital but he later died from complications related to a Naegleria fowleri infection. Officials announced that the case was confirmed on July 7. Naegleria fowleri is commonly called a brain-eating amoeba because it causes a brain infection that is typically fatal. Official records show 164 people in the US were infected with the disease between 1962 and 2023, of which only four survived. The child had gone swimming at Lake Murray and he was diagnosed on July 7. The lake was originally constructed to provide hydroelectric power to all of South Carolina and it was once the world's largest man-made reservoir. Today, it draws tens of thousands of visitors with dozens of picturesque beaches and swimming spots, along with fishing and sailing activities. There had been no prior warnings about the lake being contaminated with bacteria or other harmful organisms and health experts say that despite the recent incident, there is not an elevated risk associated with the body of water. The US only suffers a handful of deaths from brain-eating amoebas each year, usually among people swimming in warm water lakes and rivers. Texas is among the states that have suffered the largest burden of brain-eating amoeba cases, with 39 of the 164 cases recorded in the US occurring in the Lone Star state. While Naegleria fowleri infections remain rare, there is concern that they may become more common due to climate change. The single-cell organism, which thrives in warm waters, kills 97 percent of the people it infects as it causes a disease called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, also known as PAM or amebic meningitis. Initial symptoms include a headache, vomiting and nausea. A person can then suffer cognitive issues and a stiff neck as things progress. It causes severe swelling, and eventually rotting, of the brain and spinal cord. This will almost always eventually lead to death. There are no known effective treatments for PAM. Only several Americans have ever survived after being infected with Naegleria fowleri. This includes Caleb Ziegelbauer from Florida, who was 13 years old at the time he was stricken by the microscopic species. Caleb is now walking somewhat but the damage done to his brain means he needs to communicate with facial expressions and has to use a wheelchair. Officials believe the South Carolina child was infected while swimming in their local lake. The incident is not the first case of a Naegleria fowleri infection in South Carolina and there have also been other deaths linked to to the organism over recent years. In June, a 71-year-old woman from Texas contracted an infection and died from Naegleria fowleri after she rinsed her sinuses with tap water from an RV's water system at a campground. And in 2023, a 16-month-old toddler from Arkansas died after coming into contact with the same one-celled organism at a water playground with fountains and jets. The amoeba, which is 1,200 times smaller than a dime, enters the body through the olfactory nerve which connects the upper nose to the brain. This gives it a short and direct route into the brain. If water containing the amoeba enters the nose, it will likely lead to infection. Ingesting water through the mouth is ok because stomach acid is strong enough to kill the amoeba. The nose is its only route. Once a person's olfactory nerve is exposed, it can take around one to nine days to start experiencing symptoms. They will usually die within five days of symptoms first appearing. 'It's quite rapid, it's very progressive. It literally eats the brain tissue,' Dr Anjan Debnath, a parasitologist at the University of California San Diego, explained. Because of the rare infection, doctors also often misdiagnose symptoms as meningitis - wasting valuable time that could be used to treat the parasite. He describes the infection as taking part in two stages. The first is relatively minor, with the person experiencing a headache and other flu-like symptoms. This means that unless a doctor knows that a person has been swimming in untreated water they may not even suspect the amoeba. Once symptoms reach the second stage, a person will start experiencing severe neurological issues like seizures. A doctor will then likely find out about the infection through a spinal fluid test. America suffers around three cases of the amoeba each year. They will almost always occur over summer, when many families flock to local lakes and ponds for a daytime outing. Dr Debnath still advises against swimming in untreated water over summer, especially in places like Florida and Texas where temperatures get exceptionally high. Because the amoeba only resides in fresh water, swimming in the ocean is generally safe. If families do choose to visit a freshwater beach, anyone entering the water should wear a nose clip to prevent water from entering their nose. Dr Debnath also recommends against kicking up dirt or sand from the bottom of the lake as warmer areas deep down are where the microscopic beings usually lie. What is Naegleria fowleri? Naegleria fowleri is an amoeba that 'literally eats the brain tissue,' according to Dr Anjan Debnath, a parasitic disease expert at the University of California, San Diego. It thrives in warm climates in freshwater including hot springs and lakes. Improper water treatment in pools, private ponds and even tap water can lead to deadly exposure to the amoeba as well. The amoeba travels up the nose where it has a direct route to the brain. Once a person's olfactory nerve in the nose is exposed, symptoms typically come on within one to nine days. Those who are infected will usually die within five days of symptoms first appearing. Early stage symptoms resemble those of the flu.
The Guardian
16 hours ago
- The Guardian
Wait … can you get a hernia from wearing tight pants?
On 14 July, actor and singer Suki Waterhouse shared a tweet explaining her recent absence from X: ''suki you never tweet anymore' have you ever considered I wore pants so tight 6 months ago it caused a hernia & I've been too scared to tell you.' She followed up with two pictures: one shows her wearing what are presumably the offending pants, and the other shows her in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV. (There is also a vape resting on her hospital gown. That's not relevant to this story, just a fun detail.) Like many rich texts, the post raises a lot of questions. Like: could I pull off leather pants? They let celebrities vape in the hospital? And most importantly: can tight pants really cause a hernia? We asked experts. A hernia is a hole in the abdominal wall, explains Dr Yewande Alimi, a bariatric and minimally invasive surgeon at MedStar Georgetown University hospital. The hole results in 'protrusion of tissue from the abdomen', she says. 'Commonly fat, or sometimes intestine.' These look like small bulges, and often appear in areas where the abdominal wall tends to be weaker: around the groin, the front midline of the abdomen, through the diaphragm, in the belly button or through a previous surgical incision. Hernias are 'very, very common', says Dr Marcoandrea Giorgi, an associate professor of surgery at Brown University and bariatric surgeon at Brown Surgical Associates. Symptoms vary. Some hernias are visible – bulges around your trunk 'where you shouldn't have one', as the Cleveland Clinic puts it. They can appear during certain strenuous activities, like exercising or sneezing, and then retract at other times. They may be painful – a sharp pain or a dull ache – or they may not feel like anything at all. Other hernias are too deep to see from the outside, but you may feel an ache or pressure. Inguinal hernias, those that appear around the groin, are the most common – about 25% of men and 2% of women will develop these at some point in their lives, according to the US National Library of Medicine. Giorgi estimates that he personally treats about 100 inguinal hernias a year. Hernias that only contain fat are often not very dangerous, says Alimi. But 'when hernias contain intestines and are associated with pain, there is an increased chance that those intestines can get stuck, resulting in the need for an emergency operation', she says. Hernias can be present from birth – umbilical or belly button hernias, for example – or they can develop over time as the result of wear and tear on the abdominal wall. Incisional hernias, those that appear through a former surgical incision, occur in about 15% of patients following surgery. Weight gain, pregnancy, strenuous exercise and a chronic cough or constipation can all weaken the abdominal wall and lead to potential hernias, says Alimi. Children who are born prematurely or who have connective tissue disorders, cystic fibrosis, hip dysplasia or problems in their urinary or reproductive systems are more likely to be born with congenital hernias, according to the Cleveland Clinic. 'Absolutely not,' says Dr Charlotte Horne, a metabolic and abdominal wall reconstructive surgeon at the Mayo Clinic. Tight clothing 'might put pressure on something that was already there, but the outside layer is not going to result in breaking down layers of your abdominal wall'. Giorgi says he has never heard of a hernia related to tight pants. The only way this might be possible, he says, is if the pants were so tight that they put significant pressure on the upper abdomen. 'It's like you have a balloon with some water in it – if you squeeze one part of the balloon, the other part will be under more pressure,' he says. But even then, the balloon will only pop if the plastic is already stretched too thin, he says. In other words, wearing tight pants would only exacerbate an existing hernia, putting pressure on it and possibly resulting in a bulge, but it would not create a new one. Sign up to Well Actually Practical advice, expert insights and answers to your questions about how to live a good life after newsletter promotion 'Oftentimes, people have hernia disease for years before they seek any intervention,' says Horne. If a hernia is neither painful nor particularly bothersome, it is something one can potentially live with. But most hernias never go away, and experts recommend consulting with a doctor to figure out the best course of action. 'Some patients I counsel to wear a binder to prevent the hernia popping out all the time,' says Giorgi. For hernias that are painful or risk causing intestinal blockages, surgery is the usual course of action. 'The goal of a hernia surgery is to restore the integrity of the abdominal wall, which means to close the hole,' says Horne. This is done by stitching the hole up or patching it closed with the help of mesh prosthetics. The complexity of the procedure depends on the severity of the hernia. 'Some of them can be done as an outpatient procedure, but some require an inpatient stay,' says Horne. Although you can't prevent congenital defects or surgical incision complications that may make you more susceptible to developing a hernia, you can reduce the strain on your abdominal wall by maintaining a healthy weight, eating high-fiber foods and being careful when lifting heavy objects. Horne says she also recommends that people who do a lot of heavy lifting wear supportive and compressive clothes to 'hold things in'. So don't throw out all your tight pants yet – unless you want to look like you're gen Z.
Medical News Today
17 hours ago
- Medical News Today
Exposure to PFAS, ‘forever chemicals', linked to increased type 2 diabetes risk
Every one in nine adults around the world lives with diabetes, with more than 90% of those cases being type 2 diabetes. Previous research shows that certain environmental factors, like exposure to certain chemicals, may increase a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A new study found that exposure to a class of synthetic chemicals known as 'forever chemicals' may increase a person's type 2 diabetes estimate that every one in nine adults around the world lives with diabetes, with more than 90% of those cases being type 2 diabetes. Past studies have identified several factors that may increase a person's risk for developing type 2 diabetes, such as obesity, genetics, smoking history, diet, and living a sedentary lifestyle. Additionally, previous research shows that certain environmental factors, like air pollution and exposure to certain chemicals, may also heighten a person's risk for the disease.'Type 2 diabetes is a complex disease, and genetics by itself fails to explain it in totality,' Vishal Midya, PhD, MStat, assistant professor of environmental medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told Medical News Today. 'Environmental exposures are one of the few potential suspects that can be directly intervened upon. Therefore, studying ways in which environmental exposures can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes may potentially open new avenues for risk assessment and opportunities for interventions,' he is the corresponding author of a new study recently published in the journal eBioMedicine that found exposure to a class of synthetic chemicals called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — also known as 'forever chemicals' — may also increase a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes. PFAS chemicals in everyday productsFor this study, researchers analyzed medical data from 53,790 participants in a large electronic health record-linked research database called BioMe. From these records, scientists selected 180 who had recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes to compare with them 180 similar participants without the condition. Using blood samples, researchers measured the amount of PFAS levels in their blood. PFAS chemicals can be found in a variety of everyday products, including: Cleaning productsFirefighting foamFood packagingNon-stick cookwareStain-resistant productsWaterproof clothingPFAS chemicals are known as 'forever chemicals' because they do not naturally break down in a landfill. This means PFAs can leach into the soil and water around it, potentially contaminating drinking water and crops grown in soil with high PFAS content. 'There is enough literature (especially animal models) that illustrates the true causal biological effect of PFAS,' Midya said. 'Moreover, PFAS has been linked to type 2 diabetes before, but mostly in vulnerable populations like pregnant [people] or in children and adolescents. Very few works have investigated the detrimental effect of PFAS in a relatively healthy group of adults, and its potential effect even before any disease was clinically diagnosed. This study is one of the first to look into the effect of PFAS in a relatively healthy group of adults from NYC,' he explained. Higher blood PFAS levels linked to increased diabetes riskAt the study's conclusion, Midya and his team found that study participants with higher levels of PFAS in their blood samples were at a much higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. Specifically, researchers found that every increase in PFAS exposure correlated with a 31% increase in type 2 diabetes risk. 'Our study highlights the detrimental effects of PFAS exposure, even four to five years before any diagnosis, and provides some biological insights. It is concerning that PFAS can be detected in this relatively healthy group of adults from NYC.' — Vishal Midya, PhD, MStat'PFAS, primarily due to their chemical structure, can interfere with how the body stores and regulates fat, and consequently, how the body controls glucose,' he continued. 'Higher PFAS levels may disrupt fat and glucose regulation in the body, which in turn may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.' Reducing exposure to PFAS importantAs the study is rather based on a small sample, Midya said that it needs to be replicated in larger samples. 'That is why we are currently working on reproducing these results on a much larger and more representative population of NYC,' he said. 'Our findings provide evidence that higher exposures to PFAS could increase risk for type 2 diabetes. Findings from this study underscore the utmost importance of preventing PFAS exposures to promote public health,' he added.'The government should take steps to educate the general population more about the silent harms that PFAS exposure may cause, and eventually take strides to enact policies that target overall PFAS reduction, starting from food packaging to daily-use products. Our study discusses past PFAS exposures, which we cannot change, but we can certainly take charge of what we are being exposed to today.' — Vishal Midya, PhD, MStatNew avenue to reduce type 2 diabetes riskMNT spoke with Mir Ali, MD, a board certified general surgeon, bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, about this study. Ali commented that this was a good study showing how exposure to certain chemicals can adversely affect your health, in this case, increase diabetes risk.'Diabetes is a growing issue, particularly in more industrialized countries,' he explained. 'Though diet and exercise can reduce risk, finding other potential sources of risk, such as environmental exposure, can be another avenue to reduce risk.' 'I would like to see the extent of risk reduction in populations that reduce environmental exposure compared to those that don't decrease exposure,' he added.
