Latest news with #Brita
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Texas Woman Dies from Brain-Eating Amoeba After Rinsing Sinuses with Tap Water
A healthy Texas woman, 71, developed primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) due to Naegleria fowleri, or brain-eating amoeba She contracted the infection after using a nasal irrigation device with tap water from an RV and died 8 days after symptoms began Health officials warn that rinsing your sinuses or nasal passages should only be done using sterile waterA Texas woman has died from Naegleria fowleri, or brain-eating amoeba, after rinsing her sinuses with tap water, according to a new report. The report — published May 29 in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report — revealed that a 71-year-old previously healthy woman developed severe symptoms four days after using a nasal irrigation device filled with tap water from an RV's water system at a campground in Texas. The woman experienced severe neurologic symptoms, including fever, headache, and an altered mental state. Despite medical treatment, she later developed seizures and died 8 days after symptoms began. The CDC stated that investigators with the Texas Department of State Health Services found the presence of Naegleria fowleri in her cerebrospinal fluid following lab testing. Naegleria fowleri, commonly referred to as brain-eating amoeba, is a single-celled living organism that can cause a rare and almost always fatal infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). According to a CDC report, only four people in the U.S. out of 164 from 1962 until 2023 have survived the infection. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Brain-eating amoeba is most commonly found in warm fresh waters such as lakes, rivers and hot springs. It also resides in poorly maintained or minimally chlorinated swimming pools, staying in these habitats to feed on bacteria. Symptoms of brain-eating amoeba generally start one to nine days after nasal exposure and many people die within 18 days of showing symptoms, according to the CDC. These include severe headaches, fever, nausea and vomiting in the first stage and stiff neck, seizures, altered mental status, hallucinations and a coma in the second stage. Health officials note that 'nasal irrigation using tap water remains the suspected route of exposure' in this case. 'This case reinforces the potential for serious health risks associated with improper use of nasal irrigation devices, as well as the importance of maintaining RV water quality and ensuring that municipal water systems adhere to regulatory standards,' the report states. The CDC assured that infections of brain-eating amoeba only arise when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. The agency notes that when rinsing your sinuses or nasal passages, store-brought water that is labeled 'distilled' or 'sterile' should be used. Tap water can be used only if it has been boiled for at least 1 minute and cooled beforehand. Using water that has gone through a Brita water filter is also not sufficient — it's still tap water, and is not sterile. "It has to be sterile water," Dr. Travis Stork, an ER physician, host of The Doctors and a member of PEOPLE's Health Squad, previously explained. "These amoeba infections are rare but not unheard of, which is why the water must be sterile. Always follow directions!" Read the original article on People
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Texas Woman Dies from Brain-Eating Amoeba After Rinsing Sinuses with Tap Water
A healthy Texas woman, 71, developed primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) due to Naegleria fowleri, or brain-eating amoeba She contracted the infection after using a nasal irrigation device with tap water from an RV and died 8 days after symptoms began Health officials warn that rinsing your sinuses or nasal passages should only be done using sterile waterA Texas woman has died from Naegleria fowleri, or brain-eating amoeba, after rinsing her sinuses with tap water, according to a new report. The report — published May 29 in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report — revealed that a 71-year-old previously healthy woman developed severe symptoms four days after using a nasal irrigation device filled with tap water from an RV's water system at a campground in Texas. The woman experienced severe neurologic symptoms, including fever, headache, and an altered mental state. Despite medical treatment, she later developed seizures and died 8 days after symptoms began. The CDC stated that investigators with the Texas Department of State Health Services found the presence of Naegleria fowleri in her cerebrospinal fluid following lab testing. Naegleria fowleri, commonly referred to as brain-eating amoeba, is a single-celled living organism that can cause a rare and almost always fatal infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). According to a CDC report, only four people in the U.S. out of 164 from 1962 until 2023 have survived the infection. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Brain-eating amoeba is most commonly found in warm fresh waters such as lakes, rivers and hot springs. It also resides in poorly maintained or minimally chlorinated swimming pools, staying in these habitats to feed on bacteria. Symptoms of brain-eating amoeba generally start one to nine days after nasal exposure and many people die within 18 days of showing symptoms, according to the CDC. These include severe headaches, fever, nausea and vomiting in the first stage and stiff neck, seizures, altered mental status, hallucinations and a coma in the second stage. Health officials note that 'nasal irrigation using tap water remains the suspected route of exposure' in this case. 'This case reinforces the potential for serious health risks associated with improper use of nasal irrigation devices, as well as the importance of maintaining RV water quality and ensuring that municipal water systems adhere to regulatory standards,' the report states. The CDC assured that infections of brain-eating amoeba only arise when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. The agency notes that when rinsing your sinuses or nasal passages, store-brought water that is labeled 'distilled' or 'sterile' should be used. Tap water can be used only if it has been boiled for at least 1 minute and cooled beforehand. Using water that has gone through a Brita water filter is also not sufficient — it's still tap water, and is not sterile. "It has to be sterile water," Dr. Travis Stork, an ER physician, host of The Doctors and a member of PEOPLE's Health Squad, previously explained. "These amoeba infections are rare but not unheard of, which is why the water must be sterile. Always follow directions!" Read the original article on People
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The Best $75 (or Less) You Can Spend That Will Pay for Itself in a Month
Spending money to save money might sound like a contradiction, but when done strategically, it can actually work in your favor. Whether you're trying to lower your bills, save time on daily tasks or cut back on wasteful spending, a small upfront investment can deliver quick returns. Read Next: Check Out: So if you have $75 (or even a little less) to put to good use, here are some of the smartest ways to spend it. Each one could likely pay for itself in about a month (sometimes even less), making it a savvy move for your wallet. Also see seven purchases that may change your life, according to Rachel Cruze. Buying in bulk at warehouse clubs like Costco or Sam's Club can significantly reduce the cost of essentials from toilet paper and laundry detergent to pantry staples and meat. On top of groceries, you can also score deals on prescription medications, travel packages, car rentals and even insurance. According to CNET, a Costco membership can save $1,000 a year in groceries. Add in discounted gas, and your membership could pay off quickly. Costco's Gold Star Membership costs $65 a year, while Sam's Club's base-level membership costs just $50 a year. Explore More: Meal kits like HelloFresh, EveryPlate, Blue Apron and Dinnerly offer heavily discounted intro rates for new users, often up to 50% off your first few boxes. Subscribers receive pre-portioned ingredients and recipes that make weeknight dinners easier, reduce food waste and limit the need for expensive last-minute takeout. If your family has been ordering takeout for two to three nights per week, you can likely save money on your food costs by considering one of these meal kit dinners services. Plus, you can save time planning meals and shopping. Most of these plans allow you to skip weeks or make adjustments to your order anytime, so you can also manage how much you spend overall. According to Bon Appétit, HelloFresh costs an average of $9.99 per serving, plus shipping fees, while Dinnerly comes in slightly lower at an average of $7.99. Investing in durable, reusable household items can save money in the long run. Think water filter pitchers (like Brita or ZeroWater), silicone food bags, beeswax wraps or a quality reusable coffee cup. These products replace single-use items you'd otherwise need to buy every month. If you stop buying bottled water and use a filter instead, you could save on buying pricey plastic water bottles. Replacing plastic bags and foil for lunches or leftovers? That's more savings. Good Housekeeping ranked the Brita water filter pitcher as the best overall. It costs $55 on Amazon. Cooking at home can save hundreds per month, but the key is convenience. A good set of meal prep containers, a slow cooker or even an air fryer can help you plan ahead, reduce food waste and avoid costly takeout when you're busy. Slow cookers are great for batch-cooking soups, stews and proteins, and they work while you're busy living life. Even replacing just two takeout meals per week with home-cooked options can save $40 to $80 month — or more. That's not even counting the leftover meals you can freeze or refrigerate. Kohl's is selling a Gourmia air fryer on sale right now for just $75.99. Or if you want to go the slow cooker route, Target has a 6-quart Crock-Pot for $74.99. A simple tool kit with a hammer, pliers, a screwdriver set, measuring tape and a level can empower you to handle basic repairs and upgrades yourself. You can watch free tutorials on YouTube or TikTok to learn simple DIY techniques for home maintenance. Hiring a handyperson for a one-hour fix can cost an average of $50 to $150, per Angi. If you tackle even one small job yourself, whether it's hanging curtains, fixing cabinet doors or patching holes in drywall, you'll already have saved more than what you likely spent on the tools. A Husky homeowners tool set at Home Depot costs just $74.97, which would likely pay for itself after just one repair. Saving money doesn't always mean cutting things out. Sometimes, it means spending smart. Choose one or two of these ideas to try, and watch how fast that small investment pays off. Editor's note: Pricing and availability may vary depending on location. More From GOBankingRates 10 Unreliable SUVs To Stay Away From Buying 7 Tax Loopholes the Rich Use To Pay Less and Build More Wealth This article originally appeared on The Best $75 (or Less) You Can Spend That Will Pay for Itself in a Month
New York Times
27-05-2025
- Health
- New York Times
The Unparalleled Daily Miracle of Tap Water
I used to have no problem with tap water. I grew up in Cincinnati with parents who, at dinner, filled a pitcher straight from our kitchen sink. In St. Louis during college, I subsisted on campus water fountains. I later moved to New York, which boasts 'the Champagne of tap water' and claims it to be the secret ingredient in its bagels. During a two-year stint in Montana, I went on long hikes and sipped stream water, shockingly cold and straight from the glaciers, but other than that, I drank from the tap. And then I landed in Los Angeles, where everyone I met used a filter. My office had water delivered in five-gallon jugs. I was told this was because of sediment in the tap water. A few months in, I called a plumber because the gush from my kitchen sink had dwindled to a drip, and he said there was a buildup blocking the water's path. I asked him directly: Was the water safe to drink? He shrugged. He'd be cautious, he said: No one really knew what was in those pipes. I freaked out. What if I'd been poisoning myself? What irrevocable damage had I done to my body or mind? Everyone in L.A. — at friends' homes, at the grocery store, in public parks — seemed to fear the tap water. So I bought my first Brita filter. This was not the only anxiety I developed. Thanks to warnings from seemingly everyone around me in the city, I began to worry about things I never before considered threatening, like dust (could cause cancer), anything with seeds (could cause cancer) or certain planetary configurations (responsible for all other misfortunes). If I put my purse on the floor, or oriented my bed the wrong way, it was endangering my energy! Maybe I'd been lulled into a false sense of security about everyday life. One Tuesday this January, I awoke to a terrible headache and ash outside my door. The wind grew so strong that doors slammed open and branches broke off trees. Fires were decimating the Pacific Palisades to the west and Altadena to the east. No one knew how toxic all the smoke was or when the fires would stop. And then, the Department of Water and Power accidentally sent out a bulletin telling residents in my area not to drink the tap water without boiling it first. Officials retracted the message, which was supposed to be for other neighborhoods, but I became more paranoid than ever. I bought bottled water. Then I started worrying about microplastics. But I didn't like this version of myself — a person who distrusts her own environment. In those weeks that the fires ravaged L.A., while I watched powerlessly as tens of thousands of homes were wrecked by untamable forces, I started to rethink my received notions around tap water. Part of the local concern over water does feel justified: Lead was found in the water in the city's Watts neighborhood a year ago, and there have been severe cases of unclean water causing public-health crises elsewhere, as in Flint, Mich., in the 2010s. But these cases are rare. And, I realized, fixating on the risks of anything too much can put you in an isolationist mentality. As I huddled in my hermetically sealed apartment while fires wreaked desolation outside, I suddenly worried less about what was coming out of my faucet and more about my tenuous connections to the outside world. I used to be a person who dove right into their physical surroundings with enthusiasm and curiosity; why had I been so quick to give that up? So after the fires were contained, I returned to drinking tap water. It became an act of rebellion against a city that had scared and confused me, a city in which I never quite fit in, anyway. Understanding my own cultural discomfort this whole time made me feel more relaxed. Tap water is great. It's incredible that we've worked out a system in which anyone with a faucet can get it. It is cheap and plentiful, and it connects you to the ecosystem around you — the shared resource pulling you into contact with all the other plant and animal life around. It might taste better in some places than in others, but whenever you drink it, you are reckoning with some sense of home. Having spent two years in a mild hysteria over tap water, I no longer have my old, unthinking faith in it. Sometimes I miss that naïveté. But in its place, I have something better. The whole ordeal encouraged me to ask questions and engage others in dialogue instead of trafficking in superstition — to make up my own mind. Instead of simply relying on the warnings of others, I did my own research, learning that tap water is subject to more regulation than bottled water; the most recent survey of L.A. tap water showed it to be compliant with the Environmental Protection Agency's measures. (Although this study was conducted before the fires, so it doesn't account for the weakened quality of water in burn zones.) Drinking tap water feels to me like a kind of civic duty too, because it means consuming the public resource that an ostensibly well-intentioned government system — and not a for-profit bottled-water company's marketing firm — has worked hard to offer its citizens. I don't judge anyone who wants to use a filter or get their water from other sources, but I maintain that tap water is unrivaled in its price, abundance and evocation of community. Recently, I moved out of Los Angeles and landed in New Mexico. Upon my arrival, I filled up a glass straight from the sink and relished my first big sip.
Buzz Feed
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
17 Wild Work Stories, According To Bartenders
If you've ever worked as a bartender, then you've probably dealt with a lot of wild sh*t. So when Reddit user SheZowRaisedByWolves asked: "Bartenders of Reddit, what is the most outrageous thing you've seen during your shift?" I thought it would be interesting to share some of these stories: "I was managing an upscale Italian restaurant in a fancy San Francisco neighborhood during COVID. I walk outside to our patio and notice a patron reaching over the divide, trying to hand something to the couple sitting in the next booth. I speed walk over and notice that this man's pants are down to his knees (??), and the man in the next booth is yelling that he's trying to hand them drugs (??). So I find myself telling this pantsless man, 'Let's put on our pants and keep our drugs to ourselves,' which was a sentence I never thought I'd be uttering. COVID was truly wild times." —cowgoesrowr "For context: I'm missing the majority of my fingers due to a congenital defect, and it was my first month working as a bartender when I had this convo with a very drunk lady. Me: at the bar, pouring drinks. Lady: 'Hey, I have a question I can't stop thinking about.' Me: 'Sure, go ahead.' Lady: 'Are you a lesbian?' Me: 'Nope.' Lady: 'Thank god because you don't have fingers.' Lmaooooo, I've never laughed so hard in my life, and my coworker was in tears too. It's been nearly five years, and I still think about this. Best part was is this was only at about 1 p.m. — gotta love bottomless brunch." "I found out that all the liquor was bootlegged and just dumped into bottles with brand names. Nobody restocked except for the boss." —JuicySpark"I saw the boss run a $4 bottle of vodka through a Brita water filter over and over. Then magically it became 'Top Shelf.'"—EsotericRexx "It's been a few years since I bartended, but we had to kick a guy out once, and he came back like half an hour later and punched through the WIRE REINFORCED GLASS in the front door. Tore his hand and wrist to shit; he wound up waiting on the curb for both police and ambulance to arrive. A 24-hour emergency glass repair company had the window replaced by the time we closed." "My mom was a bartender, and she told me a few stories from it. 1: She went to break up a fight between two biker groups, and she ended up getting flipped/thrown, and her leg got caught in a ceiling fan. She broke her leg, but stopped the fight." "2: She got her own drink laced with LSD one night while working by someone she knew. 3: Before Queen got super famous, they played a show at her bar and afterwards, came up and asked her if they could throw an after party, and it was just Queen, like 50 people, and her and another bartender. Someone from Queen may have fucked my mother, and I ain't even mad… she said, 'They were super nice guys who just wanted to have a fun time, not a wild party.'"—Leather-Animal-8342 "Early 2000s cattleman's convention at a resort. 6'6' easily 300lb cowboy drinking for several hours. Knocked over a table and a waitress. Staggered up to the bar wanting more pitchers of beer. Cut him off and attempted to give him anything else, like soda, juice, or coffee. Cowboy becomes irate, his buddies egging him on. Explain to him that I could lose my liquor license and the bar's as well. He grabs me by the throat and pulls me over the bar, yelling, 'I don't need some punk telling me how much I can or can't drink!', while doing his best 'Homer Simpson choking out Bart.' Security steps in, and it takes six of them to take him down. The manager comes by to ask what happened. I told him, and he yells at me because 'They're here for a convention! If they don't spend money here, they'll just go somewhere else!' I was ready to quit. I had a mark of his handprint around my throat for three days. Never saw them again." "We had a guy who was a puker. One night, at last call, he pounded a beer so he could get one more, but immediately after pounding it, he puked it back up into the pint glass. Being wasted, he wanted another one and re-pounded his puke/beer. Puker was a friend of a friend. He and my friend were in the same frat, and he told me a story of his legendary puking. One night, while playing Edward Fortyhands, he finished one of his beers and had to puke. Instead of puking on the floor, he put the empty bottle up to his mouth and puked back into it. He swore to God that he didn't spill a drop." —popcornpoops "Old man fights! Torn between the 75-year-old vs the 60-year-old with half a foot or the same 75-year-old choking out an 80-year-old cartoon style." "A bachelor party. One of the entertainers had a disturbing and impressive party trick involving ping pong balls. Stopped booking bachelor parties after that one." —ShutUpJane "My boss emptied all the drip trays into a jug at the end of the night and drank it." "I worked at a club/pub in London back in like 2004. This pub was famous for being the birthplace of Drum and Bass music (although that was very much disputed). Every Friday or Saturday night, there would be a team of about 10 bouncers, and they were absolutely needed. One night, about 20 coked-up lads were denied entry, and a mass brawl ensued between them and the bouncers. I was working behind the bar. After the brawl was over (the bouncers maintained their unbeaten record, of course), one of the bouncers casually sauntered over to the bar, slowly sat down, and calmly said in a thick Jamaican accent, 'Give me a brandy, I've just been stabbed.' "We called an ambulance, and he waited for the ambulance, just sipping his brandy like we were all making a fuss over was only when the paramedics came in that he deigned to open the front of his jacket to reveal a six-inch knife stuck five and a half inches deep into his chest. The paramedics, who had seemed quite calm until now, sprang into frantic action. I remember the bouncer being stretchered out, still with a completely bemused and calm expression."—Maud_Ford "A fight started between two drunks outside my bar. Smaller guy runs back into the joint while I'm collecting empties, shouting that 'he's got a gun.' Dummy me stands in front of a glass door to lock it, while the dude runs up to the door with a gun in his hand. I'm looking straight at him. A woman at the bar I was flirting with shouts at me, 'What the hell are you doing?' And I thought, 'Wait, what?' And jumped out of the way." "I worked at an outdoor bar at the beach. Local crowd, live music most nights, dance floor, it was a fun spot. One night, a woman, in her mid-thirties if I had to guess, was out with coworkers and had been pounding tequila shots. A song came on and she said, 'Oh, I love this song!' and got up to dance. While dancing, she had the liquid courage to attempt a backflip for some reason, but landed on her head and started screaming/writhing in agony. I had to call an ambulance, and as far as I know, she ended up fine. The part I remember most was one of her friends consoling her on the ground and going, 'You're okay! You always crush the backflip, you must have slipped.'" —CakieFickflip "Seen a woman who was on her 'time of the month' literally stand up, take off her pad, sit down, and bleed onto the chair, trailing it through the floor. We had to close a 24-hour bar for two days for hazmat cleaning (I work in a Vegas casino)." "Saw a guy pouring his freshly served beer into his shoe and chucking it before putting the loafer back on his foot. Still really confused about that." —ninounin "I work at a lovely cocktail bar, and we had a private hire. At the end of the night, we found a lobster in one of the urinals. Keep in mind, we don't serve food, only small snacks. So no one had any idea how it got in there." "Only did the gig for six months at a local pub, but this still sticks out in my mind, well over a decade later. Two different bachelorette parties came in around the same time to pregame a bit before heading to the clubs, and both brides-to-be traded snotty comments. I got them to separate by giving one group complimentary access to the normally paid-for pool table in one corner, and setting up the other group with a dartboard in the pub's opposite corner. Plenty of separation between the two with something to distract them. Job done, right? ...Right? Nope." "I'd convinced both groups not to grab pitchers of mixed drinks to share and steered them towards light ABV drinks, so they wouldn't get too drunk and rowdy before they left for the clubs and stopped being my problem (because I have basic brains and can recognize problems in the making).However, my fellow bartender Melissa saw two groups of women with plenty of cash to spend and tip with, and served both with several rounds of mixed shooters, which were mostly either at 40% ABV or above 30% at the tamest. I was not made aware of this until we dealt with the aftermath.I was deep frying a pound of hot wings in the galley kitchen for one of my regulars, Steve, when I heard World War 3 start and ran out of the kitchen. My distraction had failed, and both groups had decided that the perfect thing to make the night better was to scream at each other about silly high school drama, even the youngest of them should have outgrown, then almost simultaneously decided that if volume wasn't going to win, then by God, violence would!Bridal Party A had the close-range advantage with their pool cues while Bridal Party B had the ranged advantage with their darts, even if they had limited ammunition. The entire seating area quickly turned into a chaotic battlefield of hair-pulling and clothes-tearing in some places, while one of the more pragmatic individuals from Group A used her pool cue like a spear to jab someone in Group B in the stomach hard enough that she puked up maybe $30 worth of the MVP on Group B's side was actually hanging back with a fistful of darts and was actively chucking them into the fight whenever she saw an opportunity. Mostly, she missed and her few hits were as equally likely to hit friend versus foe, but hey, she gave it her best shot and played things smart enough that later, when everything was put to a stop, she was the only one without visible bruises, cuts, clothing damage, or even a drink splashed in her face or on her fiercest part of the battle was the two generals themselves: both brides grappling and fighting like their lives were on the line instead of it just being a silly bar fight between two groups of friends who had some silly rivalry years ago about silly teenage bullshit. At one point, they were both choking each other like they were in a silent agreement that the first one to tap or pass out was the loser, and that part of their duel only got interrupted when Bride A tripped over a woman on the ground from Group B, and they both lost their grip on the other when they crashed to the and I crouched behind the bar like it was a foxhole and were quickly joined by Steve as his wings burned in the deep fryer and he gripped his pint of Budweiser like a lifeline. Melissa had already called 911 so we just stayed hunkered while I wondered how much of a pain in the ass it was going to be to clean up the carnage once the fierce battle was the cops came through the door, both sides pretty much froze in place within a second or two.I'll keep the conclusion short, because it was all fairly quiet and mundane. Both parties got a trip to the cop shop. I don't know what they got charged with, but I do know they all got at least two or three. I gave the cops a copy of the security footage, but the equipment was crappy and low-res enough that even watching it back a couple times there was no way to say which side started we gave our statements and the cops left, I locked the door but told Steve to grab a seat. I made him a fresh batch of wings and poured him a pint and comped his entire bill on top. Dude already had the wide-eyed look of a man who'd found God in the face of violence no normal man should face, so I let him eat his wings while Melissa and I did our best to clean up the debris from Bride War 2.I had the carpet cleaner out to clean up the puke from the Pool Cue victim and was wondering out loud how she snuck that many shots in her tiny purse when Melissa admitted she'd brought both parties a few rounds of shooters. So Melissa cleaned up the puke while I closed up the kitchen, bar, and till so we could lock up and leave and pretend the entire day was all a bad fever dream.I unlocked the front door, and Steve walked away with a belly full of wings and a thousand-yard stare, and Melissa and I just went our own way home. It was probably the biggest brawl we'd seen, but it was honestly only novel because of the sheer scale of it and the gender of the wasn't surprising to see a quick brawl between a few guys with too much testosterone and Jaegerbombs than common sense, but they were usually so quick and contained that most regulars barely glanced at it and both Melissa and I could clean up the mess and reopen the table or booth in under fifteen minutes with barely a blip in service times."—BlueMikeStu Bartenders, do you have an outrageous story you want to share? Tell us what happened during one of your shifts in the comments or anonymously in the Google Form below: Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
