The Covid-19 pandemic made issues with access to medical care apparent. At the Time100 Summit on Wednesday, three healthcare officials discussed how the concept of meeting people where they are could help improve the whole industry. Dr. Toyin Ajayi, the CEO and co-founder of Cityblock Health, Dr. Raj Panjabi, a former White House senior director and special assistant to President Joe Biden, and Dr. Luther T. Clark, the deputy chief patient officer at Merck, each pointed to their own versions of bringing health care to people in a conversation moderated by TIME Senior Health Correspondent Alice Park. (Merck is a 2024 Time100 Summit partner). [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]Panjabi finished his tenure in the White House in 2023, after working on the government’s action plan in response to Covid-19, which included coordinating a vast vaccination effort. During the emergency, he said their “high-tech, high-touch approach” to community health care—such as holding clinics in community spaces, mailing at-home tests to people, and expanding telehealth capabilities—can be applied to help with maternal birth outcomes and opioid addiction. “This mantra that really emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic, ‘meet people where they are,’ was responsible for helping ensure that hundreds of millions of shots went into Americans’ arms, three million deaths were averted, a trillion dollars of economic losses were prevented,” Panjabi said. Ajayi built Cityblock Health on those principles as well. She noted that a traditional model of patients going to a doctor’s office during the workday does not work for many people with inflexible work schedules, transit restrictions or parenting responsibilities. At Cityblock, physicians make multiple home visits to patients, establishing trust and being available for early interventions in any health conditions. “Imagine the feeling as a clinician if you completely flip the paradigm,” Ajayi said. “The respect that you infuse in that relationship is really powerful.” The business model works, she explained, by reducing healthcare costs related to these patients down the line—costly visits to the emergency room, which often become the only option for people who couldn’t see a doctor sooner. Panjabi pointed to Cityblock Health as the kind of organization the industry and government needs to prioritize scaling up. Clark pointed to the benefit of community involvement during the research and development of new drug therapies as well. “One of the areas of focus is bringing the voice of patients into the work we do,” said Clark. “Patients are the beneficiaries of any new medical interventions, so that involving them in those decisions—bringing their insights, their perspectives, what’s important to them—to our work is critically important. It helps us in developing therapies that are more patient-centered, patient-friendly.” In that way, pharmaceutical companies can not only make treatments more representative of different communities, but also can overcome barriers they face in reaching those communities, such as a lack of trust. “When you bring patients into this process they not only contribute to advancing the science, but also to developing health care solutions that improve health care that ultimately may advance equity,” Clark said. The TIME100 Summit convenes leaders from the global TIME100 community to spotlight solutions and encourage action toward a better world. This year’s summit features a variety of speakers across a diverse range of sectors, including politics, business, health and science, culture, and more. Speakers for the 2024 TIME100 Summit include actor Elliot Page, designer Tory Burch, Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad, WNBA champion A’ja Wilson, author Margaret Atwood, NYSE president Lynn Martin, comedian Alex Edelman, professor Yoshua Bengio, 68th Secretary of State John Kerry, actor Jane Fonda, and many more. The TIME100 Summit was presented by Booking.com, Citi, Merck, Northern Data Group, Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky, and Verizon. from https://ift.tt/0v1PLYD Check out https://takiaisfobia.blogspot.com/
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(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Arizona doctors could give their patients abortions in California under a proposal announced Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom to circumvent a ban on nearly all abortions in that state. It would apply only to doctors licensed in good standing in Arizona and their patients, and last only through the end of November. Arizona’s 1864 law banning nearly all abortions except if the mother’s life is in jeopardy takes effect June 8. Newsom said protecting access to abortions is “just about basic decency” and “respect for women and girls.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]“This Arizona law is the first border-state law that will directly impact the state of California,” the Democratic governor said. “Rather than just acknowledging that fate and future, we’re trying to get ahead of this law.” Newsom joined the California Legislative Women’s Caucus and advocates to announce the proposal. Lawmakers called the Arizona law “draconian” and said California had an obligation to get involved. The bill would need to pass by a two-thirds vote in each house of the Legislature before reaching Newsom’s desk. After he signs it, it would go into effect immediately. Dr. Tanya Spirtos, a gynecologist and president of the California Medical Association, said it is unfortunate that Arizona abortion patients will have to travel out-of-state, but she’s proud to see California step in to assist them. “All personal medical decisions, including those around abortion, should be made by patients in consultation with their health care providers,” Spirtos said. “By banning virtually all abortions in the state, the ruling will put physicians in harm’s way for simply providing often lifesaving medical care to their patients.” The Arizona Supreme Court cleared the way earlier this month for the near-total ban to move forward. Besides Arizona, 14 other states have banned abortion at all stages of pregnancy. While abortion access in California has never been under serious threat, Newsom — widely seen as a potential presidential candidate beyond 2024 — has made defending that access a priority of his administration. Newsom pushed for abortion access to be enshrined into the California Constitution. He approved $20 million of taxpayer money to help pay for women in other states to come to California for abortions. He signed dozens of laws aimed at making it harder for other states to investigate women for coming to California for abortions, including banning social media companies from complying with subpoenas or warrants. His actions have endeared him to the Democratic Party’s core constituencies despite some of the state’s other problems — including homelessness, wildfire insurance and a pair of multibillion-dollar budget deficits. In 2022, months after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, California launched a publicly-funded website to promote the state’s abortion services, including information about financial help for travel expenses and letting teenagers in other states know that California does not require them to have their parents’ permission to get an abortion in the state. It’s also become a chief talking point in Newsom’s role as a top surrogate of President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign. Using money left over from his 2022 reelection campaign, Newsom started a political action committee he calls the “ Campaign for Democracy ” that has paid for billboards and TV ads in Republican-led states to criticize their leaders’ attempts to outlaw or restrict access to abortions. In February, he launched ads in multiple states to criticize proposals there that aimed to prohibit out-of-state travel for abortions. When an Alabama lawmaker introduced a bill to make it a crime to help someone under 18 get an abortion without telling their parents or guardians, Newsom paid for an ad depicting a young woman trying to leave the state only to be stopped by a police officer who demands that she take a pregnancy test. ___ Associated Press writer Adam Beam contributed to this report. from https://ift.tt/Bp0tdIo Check out https://takiaisfobia.blogspot.com/ If you’ve been exercising your vocal cords to Taylor Swift’s album The Tortured Poets Department, it might be time to move on to other body parts—like your arms, legs, and core. We asked three fitness trainers how to turn a handful of Swift’s new tunes into a fun and effective workout. FortnightUse the opening track on The Tortured Poets Department as a warm-up for the rest of your workout, advises Kelly Borowiec, a certified personal trainer in San Francisco. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]Perform 14 reps (to mimic a fortnight) of each exercise.
Repeat for the duration of the song—and each time you hear the word “fortnight,” turn your head to the side and give one of Swift’s iconic dramatic looks, Borowiec suggests. The Tortured Poets DepartmentBorowiec calls this routine The Tortured Legs Department, because it contains “slow, torturous squats.”
Read More: Your Brain Doesn’t Want You to Exercise Repeat for the duration of the song. Beginners can perform every other rep and/or only go part of the way down in the squat, Borowiec says; those who are more advanced can hold weights to feel an extra burn. During the rest periods, do some “mom-crooning,” as Swift calls it: Sway, dance, and sing along, making whatever face and hand gestures speak to you as you get lost in the music. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite ToysThis workout is focused on core exercises, which can be performed at a slower tempo. The key is to focus on deliberate and controlled movements without compromising form, Borowiec says. That way, unlike Swift’s boy, you won’t be breaking anything important. Perform each of these abdominal exercises for 30 seconds. Take 13 seconds of rest (a nod to Swift, who was born on December 13 and often references the number) between each set, Borowiec advises.
Down BadThis song has a fast “ticking/drumming” beat in the background, Borowiec points out, which allows for synchronization of faster cardio movements. She recommends singing aloud as you perform these cardiovascular moves--just as Swift did when getting in shape for the Eras Tour. Perform each exercise for 45 seconds. Drop down and do a burpee every time you hear the word “down.”
Repeat for the duration of the song. So Long, LondonThis workout, designed by Borowiec, focuses on the upper body, targeting key areas such as your arms, shoulders, and chest. Aim to perform each move smoothly, using strength rather than momentum, she says—channeling the inner fortitude Swift mustered to leave behind her beloved London. Perform each exercise for 40 seconds, with dumbbells.
Read More: Why Walking Isn’t Enough When It Comes to Exercise Tip: Have different size weights nearby to adjust difficulty as needed. If you don’t have dumbbells, you can use water bottles or soup cans. And since you’ll be moving your arms a lot, wear all the friendship bracelets you collected at the Eras Tour, Borowiec suggests. Fresh Out the SlammerImagine you’ve just been freed from some metaphorical constraint, and your first move is to exercise your deep abdominals. Here’s how, according to Lara Heimann, a certified yoga instructor based in Princeton, N.J.
I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)Try a barre workout for this stirring song, suggests Linda Magid, a fitness instructor at Denver Parks and Recreation in Colorado who also teaches online. It targets your arms and requires light weights (2 to 3 pounds); or, substitute a can of beans or a big book. “Dating someone you’re trying to fix is an incredible amount of work, and so is barre,” Magid says.
I Can Do It With a Broken HeartOne of the bounciest songs on The Tortured Poets Department calls for a cardio workout. Magid’s routine, which gets harder as the song continues, fittingly targets the heart and lungs.
Read More: 6 Compliments That Land Every Time Clara BowWith Borowiec’s instruction, turn this tune into a satisfying cool-down. Its calm rhythm makes it a good choice for stretching and relaxation, she says. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds. Switch sides halfway through the song.
Conclude the workout with three deep breaths: Reach your arms above the top of your head, make Taylor’s signature heart with your hands, and then release your arms down next to your sides. Inhale on the way up, Borowiec says, and exhale on the way down. Then enjoy the burning feel of those tortured ams, legs, and core. from https://ift.tt/PTbFJKz Check out https://takiaisfobia.blogspot.com/ The nation’s school meals will get a makeover under new nutrition standards that limit added sugars for the first time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday. The final rule also trims sodium in kids’ meals, although not by the 30% first proposed in 2023. And it continues to allow flavored milks — such as chocolate milk — with less sugar, rather than adopting an option that would have offered only unflavored milk to the youngest kids. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]The aim is to improve nutrition and align with U.S. dietary guidelines in the program that provides breakfasts to more than 15 million students and lunches to nearly 30 million students every day at a cost of about $22.6 billion per year. “All of this is designed to ensure that students have quality meals and that we meet parents’ expectations,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters. The limits on added sugars would be required in the 2025-2026 school year, starting with high-sugar foods such as cereal, yogurt and flavored milk. By the fall of 2027, added sugars in school meals would be limited to no more than 10% of the total calories per week for breakfasts and lunches, in addition to limites on sugar in specific products. Officials had proposed to reduce sodium in school meals by as much as 30% over the next several years. But after receiving mixed public comments and a directive from Congress included in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bill approved in March, the agency will reduce sodium levels allowed in breakfasts by 10% and in lunches by 15% by the 2027-2028 school year. from https://ift.tt/jUNuRPQ Check out https://takiaisfobia.blogspot.com/ April Leonard likes to blame her bunions on her husband. In 2017, she accompanied him to a podiatrist appointment for calluses—and went home scheduled for surgery to correct her misaligned toe bone. In retrospect, it was a good thing. “He said, ‘I’d really like you to have this done now, because it won’t get better,’” recalls Leonard, 56, of that unexpected first conversation with the doctor. She had painful bunions on both feet and had started to have trouble handling daily chores on her farm in Missouri. Plus, she didn’t like how they looked. “When I went to the pool or the beach and would look at my feet, it was like, ugh,” she says. So in 2017, Leonard had a Lapiplasty bunion correction procedure done on her left foot; four years later, she had it on her right foot. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]More than 25% of people worldwide have bunions—and the deformity, which is particularly prevalent among older people, is more likely to affect women than men. But you wouldn’t know how common bunions are based on the level of discourse surrounding them; they’re not exactly considered dinner-party conversation. That should change, experts say. “It’s not talked about a lot…but it is an insecurity that patients have,” says Dr. Dana Brems, a podiatric foot and ankle surgery specialist in Los Angeles. “People say they feel uncomfortable wearing open-toed shoes or sandals because of the appearance of the bunion.” More discussion about bunions, including how they affect quality of life and what to do about them, could help alleviate that stigma, she adds. A genetic predispositionIf you have a bunion, your first metatarsal bone—which is just behind the big toe—will gradually shift sideways toward the other foot. “It’s not sitting straight on the mid-foot bone. It’s being kind of lazy and leaning towards the side,” says Dr. Ebonie Vincent, a podiatrist in Irvine, Calif., and star of My Feet Are Killing Me on TLC. Visually, you’ll notice a bump at the base of your big toe—and probably feel pain there, especially while exercising or if you wear narrow shoes. You might notice swelling or redness around your big toe, develop corns or calluses, and find that you have limited toe movement. Read More: The Health Benefits of Wearing Shoes in the House Bunions are typically caused by a genetic predisposition, says Vincent, who sees them on patients at least a few times a day. Most people who have them report that their mom or grandmother or great-grandmother did, too. Some are progressive and become bigger—and more painful—over time, especially with intensive activity or as a result of shoving your feet into ill-fitting shoes. Not everyone who has them, however, will experience pain. “There are people who have lived and died with bunions very happily,” Vincent says. In those cases, they’re little more than a cosmetic nuisance. But for others, they can make life a lot more annoying. Unpleasant complicationsWhen new patients arrive in Dr. Geoffrey Phillips’ office, they’re often focused on how their foot looks—but the orthopedic surgeon at Northwell Health in Great Neck, N.Y., is more concerned with how it’s functioning. “We look at the profile, or as I like to say, the personality of the foot,” he says. “We like to make sure patients have happy feet: feet that function well and without associated pain.” That includes figuring out if a bunion is leading to nefarious side effects. Once people have a symptomatic bunion, Phillips says, there’s a “fairly high frequency” of other problems involving the foot. Some patients, for example, will develop osteoarthritis over time as the result of an untreated bunion. Others might experience swollen nerves. Many have trouble with the adjacent toes and develop a hammertoe—in which the toe has an abnormal bend in the middle joint—or a crossover toe. “The second toe starts to cross over the first,” Phillips says. “You essentially have a crisscross, and you have the first deviating to the second, and the second deviating to the first.” When that happens, surgery is typically required for the toe to resume its normal position. How to find reliefThe main reason why people go to the doctor about their bunion is because they’re experiencing pain, Phillips says. Some can make lifestyle modifications that eliminate the need for surgery, especially if they start when their bunion is still in its early stages. Phillips’ first recommendation is to make footwear changes. “If they’re accustomed to wearing high heels, we try to change that reliance to more balanced shoewear,” he says. “That can include shoes with a wide toe box, so there’s less pressure on the foot.” It can also be helpful to seek out “rocker bottom shoes,” which have a curved sole that smoothes out the transition from heel-strike to landing on the front of the foot. Read More: Put Your Shoes Back On. Here’s the Problem With Going Barefoot When you’re considering footwear, look for a comfortable pair with good cushioning that fits; you don’t want your feet to be wedged in or slipping around, Phillips says. If you need to wear leather or dress shoes, ask a cobbler to stretch them out: “They have machines that can stretch out the toe box so there’s greater space for the toes,” he says. Custom orthotics, which are inserts based on scans of your foot, can also be helpful. People with bunions are often enticed by quick-fixes on the internet, like toe slings and bunion splints. Some buy toe spacers, which are placed between the toes to reduce pressure on the joint. “They’ll relieve pain while you’re wearing it,” Vincent says. “You’re not fixing anything. You’re putting your bones in more of an aligned position so they function better while you’re walking.” When you remove the toe spacer or take off the sling, your bunion will still be there—painful as ever. Podiatrists don’t tend to operate on bunions just for cosmetic reasons, but bunion correction surgery is the go-to treatment for people who experience continuous pain and find it difficult to walk. There are various types of surgery, most of which involve cutting and repositioning the bone at the base of the big toe. Lapiplasty—the procedure Leonard had in Missouri—is a newer technique approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2016. In addition to returning the bone to its normal alignment, the unstable joint in the foot is secured with titanium plates. Read More: Why Hiking Is the Perfect Mind-Body Workout People can generally walk immediately after surgery, but they need to wear a special post-surgery shoe, like a boot, for at least a few weeks. “That’s just unavoidable—solid bone takes six to eight weeks to heal,” Brem says. “You’ll probably be back to full activity after around three months, running and jumping and that sort of thing.” Five months after Leonard had her left bunion removed, she ran a 10K race. Within a year, she was running half marathons again. Now, she’s pain-free and happily wears running shoes, muck boots, and cowboy boots around the farm. “It’s been a really good thing—I wish I had done it earlier,” she says. “It’s not a debilitating surgery. I can see why people wait longer to do it, but six weeks [of recovery] is nothing compared to the rest of your life.” from https://ift.tt/qCaUkxW Check out https://takiaisfobia.blogspot.com/ “Don’t google your cancer,” the oncology nurse said to me as she drew my blood ahead of my first round of chemotherapy. It was 2006 and I was 17 years old. I was very confused by the emphasis she put on this advice. Still, I took the print-out of “safe” web addresses she gave me home and pinned it on the noticeboard in the kitchen, where it stayed, ignored, as I slowly progressed through six months of cancer treatment. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]I was confused because the opportunities for me to use the internet to research my recent diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a kind of blood cancer, were minimal anyway. I didn’t own a smartphone or a laptop and my only access to the internet was in communal spaces: at school or via my family’s shared computer with its dial-up connection. The notion that I could use these public facilities to explore something as intensely private as my cancer didn’t even register as a possibility for me. Read More: The Unique Hell of Getting Cancer as a Young Adult Everything changed a year later when I learned that the treatment had not been effective and the cancer was back. Or it had never gone away in the first place, it was hard to tell. Standing petrified in my college dorm room, I found the lump in my neck myself and its malignant properties were quickly confirmed by scans and tests. The chance of this happening, I was told by my doctors, was less than 5%. I had been “unlucky.” Now, I was no longer a regularly supervised schoolgirl and I owned my own computer. I was free to look up symptoms and side effects and death rates as much as I liked. The medical professionals were doing their best with my case, but naturally they couldn’t give me absolute certainty about what was going to happen. Desperately craving some concrete information about my future, I kept searching and searching until I literally scared myself sick. I would have to snap the laptop shut and lie down until this internet-induced nausea passed, worn out from a rigorous schedule of in-patient treatments and college classes. With hindsight, I can now recognize this as an early sign of the hypochondria that would become such a feature of my life in my 20s The popular conception of hypochondria, or health anxiety as it is often termed in the modern medical lexicon, is that it is rooted in ignorance. Unable to know the full scientific story about this suspected lump or that twinge of pain either because of a lack of access to healthcare or fear of what a doctor might say, the anxious brain writes in a narrative to explain it—usually one that involves the worst possible scenario and a terminal illness. This idea of the hypochondriac’s ignorance being “cured” with knowledge is a very old one. As I delved deeper into the fascinating yet convoluted history of this condition with my own searches, I became preoccupied with the so-called “glass men” of the middle ages, who experienced something called the glass delusion. Widely documented across Europe, these sufferers believed they were partly or wholly made of glass rather than human flesh, and the obsession with their fragile and breakable nature could come to dominate their whole life. The 14th century French King Charles VI was a notable sufferer and in 1613 Cervantes published a whole novella about a “glass graduate” who experienced this. The treatment was simple: the “glass man” must be made to understand that he was not, in fact, made of glass. This was usually done by beating or squeezing him soundly until he acknowledged that he had not shattered into fragments. This proof, this extra knowledge of his resilience, would then cure him of the delusion. But if hypochondria were truly cured by knowledge, advances in medicine would have made it a thing of the past. Yet anxiety disorders, including health anxiety,continue to be prevalent in countries with the most advanced healthcare systems. Hypochondria evolves and changes to keep pace with scientific knowledge. Where once people feared that they were made of glass or that an excess of black bile was making them melancholy, now they worry that they have brain tumours or long COVID-19. At every stage of medical progress, hypochondria is right there with us. Read More: How to Tell If Your Health Concerns Are Normal—Or a Sign of Something More Indeed, research shows that the prevalence of health anxiety is increasing among those who attend medical clinics—suggesting that more contact with medical knowledge is making our fears worse, rather than ridding us of them. This has been partly attributed to the rise of “cyberchondria,” in which anxieties about health escalate as a result of information found online. First used in the early 2000s, this word describes the pattern of excessive internet searching that I fell into after my cancer was declared cured, when my every twinge and sniff seemed to me to be a sign that the tumours were back. I rationalized this behavior, as I think a lot of people with pre-existing conditions do, as simply being responsible or cautious about my health. Having already found a tumour once when my disease was supposed to be cured, I was hypervigilant against it happening again. Googling my every symptom and falling down a never-ending rabbit hole of research papers, online forums and wellness podcasts was just me being a good patient, I would tell myself. It wasn’t excessive because I had such a complicated medical history. Doctors had told me to “keep an eye out” for possible symptoms and that was all I was doing. It took a lot of therapy and self-examination for me to realise that all of this extra information wasn’t affecting my medical outcomes positively at all: if anything, it was making me feel worse, not better. Even with this awareness, it can be difficult to escape the clutches of cyberchondria. At times, it feels as though the whole internet is designed to magnify my fears. Typing “does headache mean…” into Google gives me, among others, the suggestions “miscarriage”, “concussion” and “brain tumour”, which are all rather more serious issues than the far more common and likely causes of “dehydration”, “stressed about work” and “lack of fresh air”. The “escalation” mechanism that experts have identified as a tool in online political radicalisation operates in this field too. Just typing what feels like a mundane health query into a search engine can be the first step in a journey that leads to disinformation, self-diagnosis, and severe anxiety. Worse, there is evidence that the so-called “worried well”, with their health anxiety and their cyberchondria, can be up to 70% more likely to develop cardiac problems. All this worrying can make the worst happen, it would seem. Knowing what I do now, I have immense respect for the foresight of my oncology nurse back in 2006. She said then that googling my cancer was a bad idea, and she was right, even though the true power of cyberchondria had not yet been unleashed by our constantly-online existence. The list of approved resources she gave me that day included only my healthcare provider’s website, a patient’s guide published by a cancer charity, a couple of online medical dictionaries and some academic publishers. This is what I restrict myself to today, even though sometimes my fingertips tingle with the desire to search more widely. I could click, and click, and click, until I am sick forever. from https://ift.tt/wfGjmQ4 Check out https://takiaisfobia.blogspot.com/ Extreme weather can be deadly, and the deadliest of all is extreme heat. Approximately 1,220 Americans die every year due to extreme heat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And more Americans die from heat than any other weather-related hazards—including floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and cold—per the National Weather Service. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]That’s why the CDC and NWS have teamed up to roll out two experimental tools nationwide that will help public health officials and citizens to better prepare for dangerous heat. “Heat-related illness and death are preventable,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen said when announcing the new HeatRisk initiative. HeatRisk, which combines public health and historical temperature data to provide an index forecasting the potential impacts of heat on the human body, was conceptualized in 2013 and piloted in California before being expanded to the western U.S. in 2017. As of this week, it can now be used across the country. Here’s what to know. How do you use HeatRisk?There are two tools to access HeatRisk information: HeatRisk Dashboard and HeatRisk Forecast. The forecast tool is a prototype map hosted by the NWS that provides 7-day heat forecasts to help inform decisionmakers of heat conditions that could be harmful to public health, allowing them to plan responses. It’s also, at least for now, available to the public while the NWS solicits feedback on the tool. “The NWS HeatRisk forecast is something that can be adapted to your particular needs and heat sensitivity, allowing you to track the forecast and take the actions that you need to take, when you need to take them,” the tool reads. The HeatRisk Dashboard, which is hosted by the CDC, caters to the general public and pulls data from the forecast map. Users can enter their zip code for easily-digestible and location-specific HeatRisk information. It also provides guidelines and actions individuals can take to respond to the heat. Who should use HeatRisk tools?HeatRisk has been used by California schools to decide on the appropriateness of outdoor activity for children, but the new tools can be used by everyone. There are, however, several particularly vulnerable groups to heat—such as the elderly, very young children, people experiencing homelessness, low-income households, those whose jobs are mainly outdoors, and those doing strenuous activities at the height of high temperatures—for which the HeatRisk Dashboard tailors specific clinical guidance. What exactly does the HeatRisk tool tell you?HeatRisk has a five-tiered, color-coded index. A tier corresponds to a 24-hour forecast, which considers how unusual the high temperature is, how long the heat would run for, and if those temperatures are associated with elevated risks. What makes HeatRisk distinct from the other methods of measuring heat is its focus on unusual heat—defined as the warmest 5% of temperatures—specifically for a particular date and location. There are five heat categories in HeatRisk running from 0-4—the higher the number, the greater the level of heat concern. Magenta (4) is at the extreme high end, which symbolizes the highest risk of heat effects, followed in descending order by red (3), orange (2), yellow (1), and green (0), which represents little or no risk from expected heat. Here’s what each category means and how the HeatRisk tool recommends you act accordingly. Green (0)The heat poses no risk, and no preventative measures are necessary. Yellow (1)This heat could be tolerated by most, with little risk to groups with heat sensitivity. Recommendation: Opening windows at night and using fans to cool air inside buildings could mitigate the effects. Orange (2)This heat could be tolerated by many, but at risk are visitors to the area who may not have acclimatized to the temperature. Long exposure to the sun could aggravate the effects. Recommendation: The HeatRisk tool suggests reducing time under the sun. Indoors, those without air-conditioning are advised to use fans and open windows to keep the air moving. Red (3)This heat puts most of the population at risk, particularly those who are active under the sun or those who belong to heat-sensitive groups. While largely uncommon across the U.S., it is fairly common in the southern region. Recommendation: The HeatRisk tool says you should reschedule activities to cooler times of the day, keep hydrated, and use air-conditioning when possible. Magenta (4)This is “a rare level of heat” that would persist for days and put the entire population in that area at risk. This level of heat has historically been detected up to a few times a year in southern regions of the country, especially the Desert Southwest. Heat-sensitive groups and those without cooling mechanisms are at risk of dying, and power outages are likely. Recommendation: The index advises strongly considering canceling outdoor activities, using air-conditioning or gaining access to it, staying in a cool place overnight, and keeping hydrated. What should you do if you are impacted by heat?Extreme heat-related illnesses include heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and heat cramps. The CDC’s general advice is to be aware of the warning signs, and to monitor those who are at high risk. Workers out in the heat are also advised to have a buddy with them to monitor their condition, as heat-induced illnesses can impair cognitive abilities. Here’s what to know about the most common illnesses and how to respond to them. Heat strokeA heatstroke is a medical emergency that can cause death or permanent disability. Signs of a heatstroke include body temperature that is 106°F or higher, hot or red skin, a fast or strong pulse, headache, dizziness, nausea, loss of consciousness, and confusion. The CDC advises to call 911 right away, to move the person to a cooler place, and to help cool the person’s body temperature as fast as possible. Patients must not be given alcoholic drinks to cool down. Heat exhaustionHeat exhaustion can develop over days after continuous exposure to heat. Signs and symptoms include heavy sweating, cold and clammy skin, a fast and weak pulse, nausea or vomiting, muscle cramps, tiredness or weakness, dizziness, headache, or fainting. The CDC advises those with these symptoms to move to a cool place, to change into lighter wear, to cool the body through wet cloth or a bath, and to drink cool non-alcoholic beverages. Urgent medical help is needed for those who are throwing up or those who have prolonged and worsening symptoms, according to the CDC. Heat crampsSigns of heat cramps include heavy sweating during exercise and muscle pain or spasms. The CDC advises to stop physical activity immediately, to drink water or a sports drink, and to wait until the cramps go away. Medical help is needed if the cramps last longer than an hour, and if the person has heart problems or is on a low-sodium diet. Read More: Air Quality Is Bad Pretty Much Everywhere, New World Pollution Report Finds from https://ift.tt/tgwJP7F Check out https://takiaisfobia.blogspot.com/ It’s common to meet the idea of intuition with an eye roll. We tend to value reason over everything else, using expressions like “think before you act,” “think twice,” and “look before you leap.” We don’t trust intuition. In fact, we believe it’s flawed and magical thinking, either vaguely crazy or downright stupid. After all, good decisions should always be reasoned. What we don’t realize, however, is that intuition is a form of cognition that can actually improve our decision-making. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]What is intuition?You can think of it as an instinct or gut feeling. A knowing or inner wisdom. The internal compass that guides you. Our instincts are meant to keep us away from danger and near safety in a complex world—and even save your life. It’s an elegant, fine-tuned, and incredibly rapid form of perception. Intuition is a form of cognition meant to guide us and alert us to things we might not otherwise be able to see. When we speak about our intuition, we often talk of it as a feeling. Something “feels” off, though we can’t necessarily explain why. We’ve all had gut feelings that we can’t explain. Sometimes, a decision you’re making seems reasonable but doesn’t feel right. Conversely, you may be compelled to do something that seems unreasonable but feels right. The brain is always receiving, perceiving, and processing information that leads you to gain knowledge our logical mind doesn’t always understand or have access to. The science of intuitionJoseph Mikels, professor of psychology at DePaul University, has researched intuition as an emotional process that can lead to better decision-making, especially when matters are complex. His research shows that when you’re making a complex decision with lots of information to weigh, you’re more likely to choose the right path if you consult your intuition—your feelings—rather than debating the matter solely with reason. He found this to be especially true for older adults whose cognitive faculties might not always be as sharp as younger people’s, showing that intuition is even more critical with age. The U.S. military—always trying to find ways to maximize human performance—has been investigating intuition for decades under various names. Commander Joseph Cohn, a research psychologist at the Office of Naval Research, describes why soldiers’ experiences inspired the military to continue researching intuition: “Reports from the field often detailed a ‘sixth sense’ or ‘Spidey sense’ that alerted them to an impending attack or IED or that allowed them to respond to a novel situation without consciously analyzing the situation.” We don’t always have time for lengthy deliberation, especially in critical or life-and-death situations. We sometimes need access to information in a lightning-fast way. Read More: For Better Well-Being, Just Breathe There were so many accounts of soldiers returning from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars reporting how gut feelings helped them save lives that the military continues to research the phenomenon to this day. The Department of Defense has opened up several new research projects under different names, like the Navy’s “sensemaking,” to look at this phenomenon. Intuition is nothing new, of course. “Many Indigenous communities in the Americas and in Africa have relied on intuition for survival—intuition of the environment, of the earth, of threats to humanity,” says Dr. Dena Simmons, education scholar, author, and founder of LiberatED, an organization that develops school-based resources to promote social and emotional learning, racial justice, and healing. “It’s too bad that this wisdom isn’t respected more and that we do not look to the knowledge of those before us as a guide.” How to build your intuitionAwareness is key to sovereignty. As you start to make room for intuitive insights, you’ll find your awareness deepens further. By making time and space for intuition to arise, you’ll have greater insight into yourself and the world. ContemplateThink back on decisions you made in which you ignored your gut feelings. What were the consequences of those decisions? What about times in which you did follow your gut? How did you feel about it—was it scary? How did others feel about it? What were the consequences? What did you learn? Journal or reflect on these questions. Consult your gut feelingsWhen you need to make decisions, make it a habit to also consult your feelings on the matter. How do you do that? When you need to make a decision between options A and B, for example, sit with your eyes closed for a moment. How do you feel about each option? You might notice one makes you tense up while the other makes you feel relaxed. This will take practice. You may not notice much at first. Try it in different situations, when you’re dealing with people, for example. Make room for quietOur intuition is dimmed if we are constantly listening to news, opinions, and entertainment. Shut out the noise for a little while. Amplify time for listening to something other than the loud and raucous everyday. Schedule idle timeInstead of always trying to be productive, having the music on, scanning your phone for news and notifications, and engaging with someone or something, make time to allow your mind to daydream, to be in an unfocused space. You don’t have to carve out special time for this. Just choose not to take calls or listen to podcasts while you’re driving Walk your dog or go grocery shopping without your phone so you have time to just be, rather than focusing on your screen. Take hikes without your technology. Allow your mind to be in a gently unfocused state that is receptive to novel ideas, insights, and innovation. Excerpted with permission from Sovereign: Reclaim your Freedom, Energy and Power in a Time of Distraction, Uncertainty and Chaos by Emma Seppälä, Ph.D. from https://ift.tt/oPRMVIe Check out https://takiaisfobia.blogspot.com/ PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — On a recent morning at a hospital in the heart of gang territory in Haiti’s capital, a woman began convulsing before her body went limp as a doctor and two nurses raced to save her. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]They stuck electrodes to her chest and flipped on an oxygen machine while keeping their eyes on a computer screen that reflected a dangerously low oxygen level of 84%. No one knew what was wrong with her. Even more worrisome, the Doctors Without Borders hospital in the Cite Soleil slum was running low on key medicine to treat convulsions. “The medication she really needs, we barely have,” said Dr. Rachel Lavigne, a physician with the medical aid group. It’s a familiar scene repeated daily at hospitals and clinics across Port-au-Prince, where life-saving medication and equipment is dwindling or altogether absent as brutal gangs tighten their grip on the capital and beyond. They have blocked roads, forced the closure of the main international airport in early March and paralyzed operations at the country’s largest seaport, where containers filled with key supplies remain stuck. “Everything is crashing,” Lavigne said. Haiti’s health system has long been fragile, but it’s now nearing total collapse after gangs launched coordinated attacks on Feb. 29, targeting critical infrastructure in the capital and beyond. The violence has forced several medical institutions and dialysis centers to close, including Haiti’s largest public hospital. Located in downtown Port-au-Prince, the Hospital of the State University of Haiti was supposed to reopen on April 1 after closing when the attack began, but gangs have infiltrated it. One of the few institutions still operating is Peace University Hospital, located south of the shuttered airport. From Feb. 29 to April 15, the hospital treated some 200 patients with gunshot wounds, and its beds remain full. “We urgently need fuel because we operate using generators. Otherwise we run the risk of closing our doors,” hospital director Dr. Paul Junior Fontilus said in a statement. More than 2,500 people were killed or wounded across Haiti from January to March, a more than 50% increase compared with the same period last year, according to a recent U.N. report. Even if a hospital is open, sometimes there is little or no medical staff because gang violence erupts daily in Port-au-Prince, forcing doctors and nurses to stay at home or turn around if they encounter blocked roads manned by heavily armed men. The spiraling chaos has left a growing number of patients with cancer, AIDS and other serious illnesses with little to no recourse, with gangs also looting and setting fire to pharmacies in the capital’s downtown area. Doctors Without Borders itself has run out of many medications used to treat diabetes and high blood pressure, and asthma inhalers that help prevent deadly attacks are nowhere to be found in the capital, Lavigne said. At the Doctors Without Borders hospital, medical staff recently tried to save a boy with a severe asthma attack by giving him oxygen, she said. That didn’t work, and neither did another type of medication. Finally, they ended up injecting him with adrenaline, which is used in emergencies to treat anaphylactic shock. “We improvise and we do our best for the people here,” Lavigne said. People’s health is worsening because the daily medication they need for their chronic conditions is not available, warned Doctors Without Borders project coordinator Jacob Burns. “It becomes acute and then they run out of options,” he said. “For certain people, there are very, very few options right now.” Despite the pressing need for medical care, the Doctors Without Borders hospital in Cite Soleil has been forced to cut the number of outpatients it treats daily from 150 to 50, Burns said, though all emergencies are attended to. Scores of people line up outside the hospital each day and risk being shot by gang members who control the area as they await medical care. Everyone is allowed to enter the hospital compound, but medical staff set up a triage to determine which 50 people will be seen. Those with less urgent needs are asked to return another day, Burns said. On Friday morning, 51-year-old Jean Marc Baptiste shuffled into the emergency room with a bloody bandage on his right hand. He said police in an armored vehicle shot him the previous day as he was collecting wood to sell as kindling in an area controlled by gangs. Once inside, nurses removed the bandage to reveal a gaping wound in his thumb as he cried out in pain. Lavigne told him he needed a plastic surgeon, which the hospital does not have, and ordered X-rays to ensure there was no fracture. On average, the Cite Soleil hospital sees three wounded people a day, but sometimes it’s up to 14 now, staff said. Recently, five people wounded by bullets arrived at the hospital after spending all night inside a public bus that couldn’t move because of heavy gunfire, Burns said. “Cite Soleil was long the epicenter of violence,” he said. “And now violence is so widespread that it’s become a problem for everyone.” from https://ift.tt/Byf85JE Check out https://takiaisfobia.blogspot.com/ Public health officials are warning about the dangers of counterfeit botox products, which have been circulating and causing individuals to fall ill in several U.S. states. As of Friday, April 18, 22 people across California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, have reported adverse reactions to a counterfeit version of Botox (botulinum toxin). All of the individuals are female, ranging in age from 25 to 59. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]Symptoms of the fake botox include blurred or double vision, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, constipation, incontinence, shortness of breath, weakness and difficulty lifting one’s head following the injection of these products. The symptoms are similar to those seen when botulism, a rare and serious illness caused by a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves and spreads to other parts of the body. Eleven of the individuals affected have been hospitalized, and six were treated with botulism antitoxin due to concern that the counterfeit botulinum toxin had spread beyond the injection site. All but one of the individuals received the treatment for cosmetic purposes, and all victims reported receiving these injections from unlicensed or untrained individuals or in non-healthcare settings. The issue is twofold, says Scot Bradley Glasberg, President of The Plastic Surgery Foundation— low cost products produced in the counterfeit market lack regulation and oversight, and often end up in the hands of individuals who are not properly trained to administer it. “This is not isolated to a product like Botox,” Glasberg tells TIME. He adds that many counterfeit drugs are made abroad and smuggled into the U.S., an issue the Federal Drug Administration is working to counteract. (The CDC, FDA and several state and local health departments are investigating the source of the counterfeit Botox, but say that they appear to have been purchased from unlicensed sources, and may be “misbranded, adulterated, counterfeit, contaminated, improperly stored and transported, ineffective and/or unsafe.”) “This is a healthcare issue. Because the cost of drugs has gone up, there’s a natural tendency to try to get them cheaper, and the way to get them cheaper is to get them from abroad,” Glasberg says. The reported illnesses underscore the need to treat getting botox as seriously as any other medical procedure, and ensure you’re working with a trusted provider. “Everybody thinks Botox is this easy procedure, but everything has some risks. You want to know that you’re in the proper hands,” he says. Even Botox injections done by a professional—and with the proper drug—have their risks. “Just injecting Botox in the wrong place has complications associated with it as well,” says Glasberg, who notes that complications can include paralysis of muscles if the Botox is injected in the wrong place. The CDC recommends that individuals considering Botox injections confirm that a provider is licensed and trained to administer the injection and that the product was approved by FDA and obtained from a reliable source. The American Academy of Dermatology has a search tool to help patients find a board-certified provider near them. “You shouldn’t just go to anybody you see an ad for online,” says Glasberg. He adds that deals that seem too good to be true, just might be that. “[If] you want to skimp a little bit and save money on your car, or something like that, that’s fine, but this is your life. This is your body. It’s not an area to try to save a lot of money.” from https://ift.tt/cPWa87t Check out https://takiaisfobia.blogspot.com/ |
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