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Texting and driving can be deadly. Holding your phone in your hand to talk and surfing the internet while behind the wheel is dangerous, too. This is widely known, but a new survey finds that about half of all respondents still use an electronic device most or every time they drive. “I’d say it’s not as much surprising as it is frustrating,” said Adam Snider, a spokesman for the nonprofit Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), which wasn’t involved in the study but issued a news release after it was released. “Distracted driving is something that is incredibly pervasive.” In the survey, conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), more than 2,000 licensed drivers were asked how much they agreed with dozens of statements designed with the Health Belief Model in mind. That model is described as a behavioral change theory developed to understand why some people don’t adopt a certain health behavior. It’s usually applied to illness or disease prevention, according to the study. “I think the results from this study really help shed some light on the reasons why” people are still using their phones in their cars, said lead author Aimee Cox, a research associate with the IIHS. Cox said that appears to include “the need or the perceived need to respond to family or friends, the need for information, all… read on > read on >

Telehealth appointments — meetings with a doctor through a phone or video call — are valuable tools in the fight against opioid use disorder in the United States, researchers say. The use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with medications for addiction, reduced the risk for fatal overdose among Medicare recipients, a new study finds. The study findings support continuing these services. “The results of this study add to the growing research documenting the benefits of expanding the use of telehealth services for people with opioid use disorder, as well as the need to improve retention and access to medication treatment for opioid use disorder,” said lead author Christopher Jones. He is director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The findings from this collaborative study also highlight the importance of working across agencies to identify successful strategies to address and get ahead of the constantly evolving overdose crisis,” Jones added in a CDC news release. For the study, the researchers analyzed data among two groups of Medicare beneficiaries with opioid disorder. Data for the first group — the pre-pandemic cohort — stretched from September 2018 to February 2020. It included more than 105,000 participants. For the pandemic group, data ranged from September 2019 to February 2021 and encompassed more than 70,000 people.… read on > read on >

Marijuana legalization in the United States appears to be driving an increase in car crash deaths due to a jump in “intoxicated driving,” researchers say. In 4 out of 7 states that legalized recreational cannabis, deaths from car crashes rose 10%, according to the University of Illinois Chicago study. On a brighter note, suicide and opioid overdose deaths declined in the states that legalized recreational marijuana. “Overall, this study provides evidence of the potential harms and benefits of legalizing recreational markets,” said lead author Samantha Marinello, a postdoctoral research associate in the university’s School of Public Health. “A potential unintended consequence of legalizing recreational cannabis is an increase in intoxicated driving and crash deaths,” she added. “Therefore, there is a need for policies and public health initiatives to reduce driving under the influence.” As of December, 21 states and Washington, D.C., allowed the sale of recreational marijuana to adults age 21 and older. Where folks can legally toke, it’s likely people are driving under the influence of cannabis or cannabis in combination with another drug such as alcohol, Marinello said. However, this study cannot prove cause and effect, she added. Some people may believe driving high is safe. “Studies of cannabis users have found safety perception is a strong predictor for cannabis-intoxicated driving,” Marinello said. There is evidence that many cannabis users do not believe… read on > read on >

Children’s screen use could be altering their developing brains as they enter adolescence and increasing their risk for mood disorders, a major new study finds. Children ages 9 and 10 who spend more time on smartphones, tablets, video games and TV exhibited higher levels of depression and anxiety by the time they were 11 and 12, researchers found. Further, the investigators linked some of these mood disorders to actual structural changes occurring in the kids’ developing brains, according to the report published online recently in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions. “There were specific brain mechanisms that in part contributed to this relationship, meaning from a statistical perspective there were brain-based changes occurring over the two-year period that mediated the relationship between screen media activity in the younger children and internalizing concerns relating to depression and anxiety two years later,” said senior researcher Dr. Marc Potenza. He is a professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine’s Child Study Center, in New Haven, Conn. The proportion of mood disorders associated with structural changes in the brain is relatively small, “on the order of 2% to 3%,” Potenza noted. But child development experts hailed the study as an important step toward fully understanding how excessive screen time affects children. For the study, Potenza and his colleagues analyzed data on more than 5,100 children participating in the… read on > read on >

Curated images of perfect bodies — often highly filtered and unrealistic — are common on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. And a broad new review of 50 recent studies across 17 countries finds that relentless online exposure to largely unattainable physical ideals may be driving up the risk for eating disorders, particularly among young girls. This study, said co-author Komal Bhatia, is “significant because it tells us how social media can lead to body image concerns, through constant social comparison, internalization of thinness and self-objectification.” Girls and others with weight challenges and/or concerns about body image are among those most vulnerable to the “self-perpetuating cycle of risk” highlighted by the research review, she added. Bhatia, a research fellow in adolescent health at University College London, pointed out that even though roughly of half of the world’s population — about 4 billion people — has access to social media, social media platforms “are largely unregulated.” And many users are young; researchers noted that more than 90% of American and British teens regularly engage with such platforms. Fully half are believed to jump online at least once an hour. The studies covered in this review were conducted between 2016 and 2021. Most took place in wealthy countries, with the United States and Australia accounting for nearly half. Studies from Canada, Italy, Singapore, United Kingdom, Spain, Ireland, Belgium,… read on > read on >

“Baby on Board” warning stickers apply even when there’s a mom-to-be in the vehicle, a new study argues. Pregnant women involved in traffic collisions are at heightened risk of potentially serious birth complications, even if the wreck only involves minor injuries, researchers report. These complications can include dislodgement of the placenta, very heavy bleeding, and the need for a cesarean section, according to a new Taiwanese study published March 20 in the journal Injury Prevention. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of trauma during pregnancy, with some reports suggesting they account for up to 70% of injuries to pregnant women, researchers said in background notes. To better assess the risk wrecks pose to pregnancies, the researchers analyzed births, insurance claims and deaths registered in Taiwan between 2007 and 2016. During that time, nearly 20,900 births were recorded among about 20,740 women involved in traffic collisions, researchers found. Each woman was matched with four other randomly selected women who were the same age and at the same stage of pregnancy, but hadn’t been involved in a car crash. Compared with their peers, women involved in crashes were: 31% more likely to experience prolonged contractions 51% more likely to experience dislodgement of the placenta (placental abruption) 19% more likely to bleed heavily before birth 5% more likely to require a C-section. Even women involved with minor injuries… read on > read on >

(HealthDay News) – Military pilots and the ground crews who fuel and maintain their aircraft have higher rates of certain types of cancer, a new study shows. The Pentagon researched cancer cases in nearly 900,000 military members who served between 1992 and 2017, comparing them to the general U.S. population. The study “proves that it’s well past time for leaders and policy makers to move from skepticism to belief and active assistance,” retired Air Force Col. Vince Alcazar, a member of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association, told the Associated Press. Congress required the study as part of the defense bill in 2021, the AP reported. Now, the new findings will necessitate an even bigger review. Overall, the study found that air crews had a 24% higher rate of cancer of all types and ground crews had a 3% higher rate of all types of cancer. Some specific types of cancer had even higher rates. Air crew members had an 87% higher rate of melanoma, and a 39% higher rate of thyroid cancer. Male air crew members had a 16% higher rate of prostate cancer, while women had a 16% higher rate of breast cancer. Ground crews faired more poorly in brain and nervous system cancers, with a 19% higher rate for those. They also had a 15% higher rate of thyroid cancer and… read on > read on >

U.S. Federal health officials have issued recall notices for two more brands of eyedrops. In the latest round of recalls, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration posted notices after the companies voluntarily pulled several lots of their eyedrops from the market. These recalls do not appear to be connected to other recent recalls or an outbreak in drug-resistant infections, the Associated Press reported. The companies involved in the recalls are Phoenix-based Pharmedica and Florida-based Apotex. Pharmedica is recalling its Purely Soothing 15% MSM Drops meant to treat eye irritation. The two lots were pulled because of problems “that could result in blindness,” the company said. People who have the eyedrops should immediately stop using them and return them to the store where they bought them, the company added. Meanwhile, Apotex is recalling six lots of prescription eyedrops distributed as Brimonidine Tartrate Ophthalmic Solution, 0.15%. They were sold between April 2022 and February 2023. These eyedrops are meant to treat glaucoma. Unfortunately, some of the eyedrop bottles have cracks in the caps, the company said. More information The U.S. National Eye Institute has more on eyedrops and the earlier recalls involving bacteria. SOURCES: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, recall notices, March 2, 2023 and March 3, 2023; Associated Press read on >

An outbreak of serious bacterial infections in 13 U.S. states linked to use of artificial tears has prompted experts to offer tips for keeping dry eyes safe. Five of the 58 people infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa had vision loss, and one person died, leading to the recall of EzriCare and Delsam Pharma artificial tears. Some of those sickened also reported lung and urinary tract infections. Tests of opened bottles used by those affected found a rare, highly drug-resistant strain of the bacterium — one never before reported in the United States, according to the U.S. National Eye Institute. While it’s unclear if the contamination occurred during or after manufacturing, and while testing continues, there are ways regular users of artificial tears for dry eye disease, contact lens use and refractive surgery can keep themselves safer. “Formulations with preservatives reduce the risk of bacterial growth and potential infection,” said Dr. Chantal Cousineau-Krieger, an ophthalmologist at the National Eye Institute. “However, commonly added preservatives such as benzalkonium chloride, polyquaternium, or sodium chlorite themselves can be irritating to the eye, especially if used five or more times a day,” she said in an institute news release. Repeatedly using an eyedrop bottle that contains no preservatives can lead to contamination, increasing infection risk. “People who require preservative-free artificial tears can purchase single-use, individual dose vials, which cut contamination risk… read on > read on >

Don’t put lip balm on your eyelid, even if you saw it on TikTok. It’s bad for your eyes, according to a Michigan Medicine expert. The trend first began back in the 2010s, but has seen a resurgence in 2023. Called “beezin’,” because the trend is to use Burt’s Bees lip balm in particular, some believe it gets them high, heightens the sensation of being drunk or high, or increases feelings of alertness. It doesn’t, said Dr. Olivia Killeen, a clinical lecturer in the department of ophthalmology and visual sciences at Michigan Medicine, in Ann Arbor. “The peppermint oil or menthol in the balm can cause a tingling sensation, but it is not actually getting people high or causing the same type of chemical reaction in the body that’s produced by drugs or alcohol,” Killeen said in a Michigan Medicine news release. Rather, it can irritate the eyelids, causing redness, swelling and inflammation. If it ends up getting into the eyes, it can cause tearing, redness and painful burns to the surface of the eyes. It may even scar the eyes in severe cases or cause vision loss. It may also increase the risk of infection, especially if the balm was also used on the lips, because it may introduce viruses or bacteria into the eye. Among the potential infections are conjunctivitis, or “pink eye.”… read on > read on >