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Many Americans in the Dark About Eye Health

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Though good vision is critical, a new survey finds that most folks fall short when it comes to knowledge about eye diseases. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) commissioned the online survey of more than 3,500 U.S. adults aged 18 and older. While the survey found that 81% said they’re knowledgeable about vision health, only 19% knew the three main causes of blindness in the United States: glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease. Only 47% knew that vision loss and blindness don’t affect all people equally, and just 37% knew that people don’t always have symptoms before they lose their vision to eye diseases. In addition, less than half (47%) knew that because it adapts to vision loss, the brain can make it difficult to know if you are losing your vision. “Far too often, we witness the consequences of patients entering the ophthalmologist’s office too late to avoid severe vision loss,” AAO president Dr. Anne Coleman said in an academy news release. “In 2020, we want all Americans to have clear vision when it comes to eye health. That starts with educating yourself about eye diseases and visiting an ophthalmologist,” she said. Healthy adults should see an ophthalmologist for a baseline eye exam by age 40 and have their eyes checked every year or two at age 65 or older, the AAO…  read on >

How to Avoid a Breakout When You Work Out

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While working out might boost your health and mood, it also might cause your skin to break out. But don’t kick your New Year’s resolutions to the curb just yet, because dermatologists say that exercise-induced acne can be prevented. Experts from the American Academy of Dermatology explained that hitting the gym can cause oil, dirt and bacteria to build up on your skin and lead to acne. Practicing good hygiene before, during and after your workouts is the key to keeping your skin glowing, the doctors advised. “While exercise itself doesn’t cause acne, the skin care habits you maintain around your workouts can significantly impact your skin,” said dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Bahar Houshmand. “Since germs thrive at the gym, it’s important to maintain good hygiene while working out to prevent clogged pores and the spread of harmful bacteria.” To keep your skin acne-free after exercising, Houshmand recommends: Choose clean, loose-fitting clothes that don’t rub against your skin. Take any makeup off before working out. Apply sunscreen on exposed skin when exercising outside. Pat sweat off your body with a towel during your workout. Clean shared equipment before using it. Shower with warm water immediately after working out. Change into clean clothes after showering. “Keep in mind that acne can have many causes, including genetics, hormones, stress and medications,” Houshmand said in an academy news release.…  read on >

Many of America’s Most Critical Workers Are Short on Their Zzzs

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More than one-third of working Americans don’t get enough sleep, and the problem is greatest among the police, the military, health care workers and truckers, researchers report. Their analysis of data from more than 150,000 employed adults between 2010 and 2018 also found that the rate of inadequate sleep (7 hours or less) rose from about 31% to nearly 36% during that time. “Inadequate sleep is associated with mild to severe physical and mental health problems, injury, loss of productivity, and premature mortality,” said study author Jagdish Khubchandani, a health science professor at Ball State University in Indiana. “This is a significant finding because the U.S. is currently witnessing high rates of chronic diseases across all ages, and many of these diseases are related to sleep problems,” Khubchandani said in a university news release. In 2018, professions with the highest levels of poor sleep included the police and military (50%), health care support occupations (45%), transport and material moving (41%), and production occupations (41%). Among men, those who reported getting 7 hours or less of sleep a night rose from 30.5% in 2010 to 35.5% in 2018. Among women, that rate rose from 31.2% to 35.8%. From 2010 to 2018, the largest increases in sleep deprivation were reported by men, multiracial adults, older adults, those living in the western United States, and widowed, divorced, or…  read on >

Health Tip: Warning Signs of Drowsy Driving

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(HealthDay News) — Drowsy driving was responsible for more than 72,000 vehicle crashes in 2013, according to the most recent statistics available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drowsiness slows your reaction time, affects your ability to make good decisions and distracts from the road. The CDC mentions these possible warning signs of drowsy driving: Yawning or blinking frequently. Difficulty remembering the past few miles driven. Missing your exit. Drifting from your lane. Going over a rumble strip on the side of the road.

Health Tip: Healthy Eating for Vegetarians

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(HealthDay News) — With the right amount and variety of foods to meet your nutritional needs, a vegetarian diet can be healthy, says the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA provides healthy eating advice for vegetarians: Think about protein. Incorporate beans, nuts or soy products into your diet. Add calcium. Aside from dairy products, there are many other calcium-fortified foods. Get enough vitamin B12. If you do not eat any animal products, consider a B12 supplement. Check current dietary guidelines to ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need.

Health Tip: When to Stop Exercising Immediately

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(HealthDay News) — Training too hard or too fast is the culprit behind many exercise-related injuries, says BetterHealth. Before working out, consult with a doctor, gym instructor or coach on how to exercise safely. BetterHealth mentions these warning signs that you should immediately stop exercising: Discomfort or pain. Chest pain or other pain that could indicate a heart attack. Significant breathlessness. A very rapid or irregular heartbeat.

Vaping Is the Darling of Instagram

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Vaping has been deemed hazardous for your health by public officials across America, but you wouldn’t know it by scrolling through Instagram. Instead, researchers discovered that Instagram posts that promote use of the devices outnumber anti-vaping content by a shocking ratio of 10,000 to 1. Nearly one-third of U.S. teens use e-cigarettes. In 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration launched a campaign to discourage vaping among youth, according to authors of the study published Jan. 22 in the journal Frontiers in Communication. “U.S. public health officials have been calling vaping among youth an epidemic and have been putting a lot of effort into trying to stop this epidemic by introducing #TheRealCost anti-vaping campaign,” said researcher Julia Vassey, from the University of California, Berkeley. “But this stark imbalance in the volume of posts has caused the FDA message to be overwhelmed by marketing from the vaping brands,” she said in a journal news release. Vassey and her colleagues analyzed nearly 246,000 Instagram posts from before and after the #TheRealCost campaign launch, and interviewed five vaping influencers and eight college-age social media users. “We focused on Instagram because the vaping influencers we interviewed for this study identified Instagram as their most important social media marketing platform,” Vassey said. “Based on the results, the FDA anti-vaping campaign is not very popular and we saw Instagram user comments…  read on >

Super-Cooled Injections Might Ice Away ‘Deep Fat’

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The Harvard-associated lab that created the “CoolSculpting” process of reducing fat says it’s on the trail of the next advance in nonsurgical slimming. CoolSculpting freezes fat cells by applying an ice-cold gel pad to the skin, causing cells to die off and either be flushed away or absorbed by the body, said lead researcher Dr. Lilit Garibyan, an investigator at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Now her lab is trying to make that process even more effective by injecting an icy liquid slurry directly into fat deposits. In tests with pigs, the injectable slurry containing 20% to 40% ice caused fat deposits to melt away over several weeks, researchers reported recently in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. The procedure is headed to human clinical trials next, and researchers hope to have it approved and on the market in a few years, Garibyan said. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved CoolSculpting in 2008. Garibyan said it remains the only noninvasive technology the FDA has cleared to reduce and reshape fat deposits in the body. The process works using a principle that you observe every time you open your refrigerator — fats freeze at a lower temperature than water, she said. Butter turns to liquid at warmer temperatures, but solidifies in the fridge, Garibyan said. Water remains liquid at…  read on >

Health Tip: Nuts and Heart Health

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(HealthDay News) — Regular nut consumption can lower the risk of heart disease by up to 14 percent, says the American College of Cardiology. Nuts contain heart-healthy fats, protein, vitamins and minerals. The group reminds people that a complete heart-healthy diet should include fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, low-fat dairy, fish and nuts. But as one ounce of nuts can contain as many as 200 calories, be mindful of your portion size, the group says.

Health Tip: Hand Exercises to Improve Strength

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(HealthDay News) — From texting to cooking, we use our hands often. There are many exercises that can strengthen your hands and fingers, increase your range of motion and provide relief, says Keck Medicine. It mentions five exercises to improve flexibility, dexterity and strength: Squeeze a soft ball in your palm as hard as you can for a few seconds. Repeat ten times. Make a gentle fist and wrap your thumb across your fingers. Hold for one minute, release and repeat. Warm up before exercise. Use a heating pad or soak hands in warm water for five-to-10 minutes. Place your hand flat on a table. Gently lift each finger at a time off the table. Hold for a few seconds and lower the finger. Stretch your wrists for 15-to-30 seconds. Repeat two-to-four times.