Travel « Weekly Gravy

The risks of using voice-based technology in your car may be greater than you think. Many consider this technology safer than using their hands to operate devices while driving, but it’s not risk-free, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety warns. Mental distractions can last as long as 27 seconds after drivers use voice-assisted technology to dial, change music or send a text message. At 25 mph, a car travels the length of nearly three football fields during this short time. “Just because your eyes are on the road and hands are on the wheel, does not mean you are focused on driving,” David Yang, the foundation’s executive director, said in a AAA news release. “Research from the AAA Foundation shows that mental distractions resulting from talking, texting, or programming navigation can last longer than you think and lead to crashes,” he cautioned. The risk of a crash is up to four times higher for drivers who talk on a cellphone, and up to eight times higher for those who text behind the wheel, the researchers said. Even so, nearly half of drivers report talking on a handheld phone while driving recently, and about one-third have sent a text or email, according to the foundation. The risky behavior persists even though nearly 58% of drivers say talking on a cellphone behind the wheel is a very… read on >

Spring break may mean sun and fun for lots of college kids, but it doesn’t mean they can forget about contact lens care, experts say. Your risk of eye infections increases if you wear contacts and do things such as sleep in them, shower or swim with them in, and not wash your hands before handling them — all of which are more likely to happen when you’re busy enjoying your spring break. The American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Academy of Optometry and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer the following contact lens safety tips for travelers: Pack a spare pair of glasses. Take out your contact lenses before jumping into the water at a beach or pool. Take your contact lenses out before bed, even if you’re up late. Bring enough contact lens supplies with you on your trip. Don’t top off by adding new solution to old. Never wear contact lenses that were not prescribed to you, especially decorative lenses sold at souvenir shops. Always wash your hands with soap and water before touching your contact lenses. Remove your contact lenses and call an eye doctor immediately if you experience redness, pain, tearing, discharge or swelling of your eyes, as well as increased light sensitivity or blurred vision. “Most people don’t think of contact lenses as a medical device, but… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Foodborne illness is often preventable, yet millions of people become sick from this, says the World Health Organization. The organization’s “Five Keys to Safer Food” are: Wash your hands before handling/consuming food. Separate raw and cooked food. Cook food thoroughly. Keep food below 5 degrees C or above 60 degrees C. Avoid tap water and unpeeled fruits/vegetables while outside the United States. Before leaving home, WHO also recommends speaking with your doctor about diseases at your destination. He or she may recommend preventative measures, such as vaccinations.

A healthy democracy means better health for its citizens, a new study claims. Researchers analyzed political, economic and population health data from 170 countries over 46 years — 1970 to 2016. They concluded that as levels of democracy increased, governments spent more on health, irrespective of their country’s economic situation. “The results of this study suggest that elections and the health of the people are increasingly inseparable,” said study leader Thomas Bollyky, of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations. “Without the same pressure or validation from voters or foreign aid agencies, autocratic leaders have less incentive than their democratic counterparts to finance the more expensive prevention and treatment of heart diseases, cancers and other chronic illnesses,” he added. The researchers concluded that democracy supported by regular free and fair elections not only increases health but potentially reduces deaths from several noncommunicable diseases and traffic injuries. Specifically, they found that average adult life expectancy (after controlling for HIV/AIDS) improved faster — an average of 3 percent over 10 years — in countries that switched to democracy between 1970 and 2015, compared to those that did not adopt democracy. The causes of death most affected by a switch to democracy — heart disease, tuberculosis, traffic injuries and several other noncommunicable diseases — cause more than one-quarter of all the death and disability in people 70 and younger… read on >

The switch to Daylight Saving Time can increase the risk of driver fatigue and crashes, but there are a number of ways to reduce the danger, an expert says. “Any time change can exacerbate drowsiness because your internal clock has not adjusted to the time change. This can lead to disruptions in sleep until your body adjusts, which can take a few days to a week,” said Jeff Hickman, a research scientist at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute in Blacksburg. After clocks spring ahead one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, try to avoid driving during rush hours and in early morning, when crash risk increases, he suggested. Driving between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. is particularly dangerous, because your circadian rhythm is at its lowest during this two-hour period. Drivers should try to sleep at least seven to eight hours, Hickman said. But one night of good rest may not be enough if you have had several sleepless nights. If that’s the case, you’ll need several nights of restful sleep to compensate. Watch for signs of drowsy driving, including slow eyelid closures, yawning, gentle swaying of the head, fidgeting in the seat, trouble staying in your lane, difficulty maintaining speed and slow reactions, Hickman said in a Virginia Tech news release. Be extra careful in situations that increase drowsiness, including driving alone, monotonous road… read on >

Headed out on vacation? Beware of heart attack: It’s the leading cause of natural death among travelers. If you have heart attack symptoms on the road, getting immediate medical care can improve your odds of long-term survival, according to a study presented Saturday at a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, in Malaga, Spain. “If you are traveling and experience heart attack symptoms — such as pain in the chest, throat, neck, back, stomach or shoulders — that lasts for more than 15 minutes, call an ambulance without delay,” study author Dr. Ryota Nishio said in a society news release. “Our study shows that long-term outcomes after a heart attack while traveling can be good if you get prompt treatment,” added Nishio, who works in the cardiology department at Juntendo University Shizuoka Hospital in Izunokuni, Japan. For the study, the researchers examined data on more than 2,500 patients who had a heart attack and rapid treatment with a stent (percutaneous coronary intervention, PCI) between 1999 and 2015 at the hospital. It’s located on the Izu Peninsula, a popular tourist destination near Mount Fuji, and a regional center for PCI. Patients who were traveling tended to be younger than other patients, and had a higher prevalence of heart attacks due to a blockage in a major artery to the heart, the investigators found. The researchers… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Don’t forget to think of your eyes while you’re traveling, the American Academy of Ophthalmology says. Here are the academy’s suggestions while you’re on the road, either for business or pleasure: Bring an extra pair of glasses and contact lenses. If you have an emergency, do not put off seeing an eye specialist until you get home. Untreated issues such as infection can cause long-term damage. Prepare for dry eyes on a plane with over-the-counter eye drops. Never use water to clean contact lenses. If you use prescription eye drops, travel with an extra, unopened bottle. If you notice significant changes in your vision, see a doctor. Changes in vision can signal issues such as a retinal detachment, a hypertensive crisis, a stroke or out-of-control diabetes.

In states where marijuana is legal, teens smoking pot and then getting behind the wheel of a car is common, a new study finds. “There’s a general public zeitgeist that marijuana is a pretty safe drug,” said study co-author Darin Erickson, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. “In actuality, there hasn’t been a lot of research regarding how marijuana is used, its safety or its harms,” he added in a university news release. For the study, Erickson and his team surveyed 50 local enforcement agencies in Colorado and Washington state in 2016 and 2017 to find out if underage marijuana use (under 21) and marijuana-impaired driving are problems in their cities. In addition, the researchers asked about the types of enforcement used to tackle those problems, and the resources available to do so. All of the agencies said that underage use is somewhat or very common, and most said that marijuana-impaired driving is somewhat or very common. Thirty percent said they conducted enforcement targeting underage use or possession or marijuana, and 20 percent said they conducted underage compliance checks at licensed stores, with a higher rate in Colorado (32 percent) than Washington (8 percent), the findings showed. One local enforcement agency in each state specifically targeted marijuana-impaired driving, according to the study published recently in the International Journal of… read on >