Category Archives: Alternative Medicine

Written by Chahat Rana | Chandigarh | Updated: December 30, 2019 5:51:31 am Arguably the greatest challenge faced by Chandigarhs residents when it comes to their health, is alleviating the burden of anaemia.

When it comes to the health of Chandigarh, there is an abundance of government schemes and policies, but the condition remains almost the same, says Rachana Shankar, a scientist at the PGIMER Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, who is currently surveying women and childrens health in various parts of the tricity. Shankar says there are times when her work seems futile and her advances in community engagement and health awareness bring no fruition in terms of changing health parameters. Everything begins with women, who bear children as healthy or unhealthy as they are, so the idea is to focus on women and early childcare, explains Shankar, before adding but there is already so much work being done to aid them, so there must be a deeper issue we are not able to solve.

Chandigarh, which ranked second in the composite good governance index for Union Territories in India, boasts not only of some of the most reputed public health institutes, but of an administration which has been commended for its dedication to timely implementation of health-related schemes and policies. Under the Poshan Abhiyan or the National Nutrition Mission, the Chandigarh administration received four awards, including one for effective implementation of the scheme in the city; the city also flagged off three mobile anganwadis which aim to reach children who are otherwise unable to access the anganwadis. The administration has almost completed its goal of establishing 52 Health and Wellness Centers (HWC) in their attempt to fortify primary healthcare in the city and furthermore, many from the health field, including nurses and anganwadi workers, have received national awards for their work in 2019. Yet, as Shankar rightly pointed out, chronic health ailments mostly driven by lifestyle choices are rampant across residents, regardless of their socio-economic background.

The burden of anaemia

Arguably the greatest challenge faced by Chandigarhs residents when it comes to their health, is alleviating the burden of anaemia. According to the last National Family Health Survey, 73 per cent children and 75 per cent women in the city are anaemic. Apart from anaemia, with more than 20 per cent children lacking adequate levels of vitamin A, according to data from the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) 2016-18, Chandigarh also falls in the danger zone for high rates of vitamin A deficiency.

Director Health Services Dr G Dewan ascribes the high rate of anaemia to inaccurate methodologies used to collect data by the agents sent by the NFHS team. A team of doctors from PGIMER conducted the same research again and found the rate closer to the national average of 50 per cent anaemic women and children, claims Dewan. However, even if the number of anaemic women is around 50 per cent of the population, the statistic is classified as a major health concern under the guidelines of the CNNS. The nutrition survey, which was released this year, classifies anaemia as a major public health concern in regions where more than 40 per cent women and children are anaemic.

Since last year, various officials working under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and the Women and Child Welfare Department of the administration have come together to tackle the epidemic. Poshan Abhiyan has united different government agencies under the Anaemia-Free Campaign or the T3 campaign which was launched in September 2019. Though under the ICDS scheme, children and women across the country were given folic acid to treat anaemia for several years, the T3 campaign hopes to make a consolidated effort using a test, treat and talk approach to address the issue from all fronts. The idea is to engage with the community and counsel them on why they need to treat their anaemia and then provide them with long-term solutions including lifestyle changes, rather than just giving them a tablet that they often refuse to take, says Sarita Godwani, a consultant for the Poshan Abhiyan in Chandigarh.

However, according to some doctors and nutrition experts, efforts to alleviate anaemia have been made too late by the authorities, and hence getting quick results will be next to impossible. These things cannot be done in a jiffy, it takes a lot of time to change the dietary and lifestyle habits of a population. We knew the rates of anaemia had been high since 2017, but work has truly begun only now, says a nutrition expert from the city who wishes to remain unnamed. So even though in name and writing we have all these provisions for health, there has been no thorough investigation and implementation of effective ways of impacting the health of our citizens. These efforts, including counselling, have just come into being now, so it will take a lot of time for things to change, i.e. if they change at all, says the expert.

The question of nutrition

If given an option, 10-year-old Sumit, a resident of a construction site in Dhanas whose parents work as daily wage labourers, would eat a packet of chips over the kadhi-chawal served by anganwadi workers to all the women and children living at the site. If I could get my hands on some change, I would buy chips every day, says the boy with a sheepish smile, clutching the hand of his severely malnourished younger sister, who has come under the radar of frontline health workers due to her developmental retardation. They all flock to buy junk food, it is no wonder all our efforts seem futile sometimes, says the anganwadi helper at the site. At another slum near Panchkula inhabited by scores of malnourished kids, a small store next to the slum is filled with kids of all ages buying chips and other junk food.

The junk food addiction is not just a problem of the socio-economically backward of Chandigarhs population. The packet of chips connects Sumit and the slum children to their more privileged counterparts in the city as well, who if given the option will tear into the transfat-laden packaged food before touching the hot nutritional food otherwise prepared for them. The nutritional deficiency on the one hand of course is aggravated by your socio-economic background, but on the other it goes beyond that and reveals our complete lack of awareness when it comes to dietary choices we need to make for our health even if we have the means to afford all kinds of food, says Raveesh Grewal, a nutrition consultant for Poshan Abhiyan, whilst on his way to a site for a regular checkup of those diagnosed with severe malnourishment. At the site, the nutritionist quickly spots a child with Severe Acute Malnourishment (SAM) by her significantly bloated belly caused by water retention. Every day we spot someone new with severe malnourishment, almost every day, says Grewal.

Though there is no recent study published on the prevalence of malnourishment in Chandigarh or the rest of the tricity, the rampancy of the issue is not only vouched for by the research conducted by doctors and health workers in their individual capacity, but also by high rates of occupancy in Nutrition Rehabilitation Centers (NRC) in the city. In November, Newsline reported on the over-occupancy of the NRC at civil hospital Panchkula, which treats children from across the tricity and the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana. The centre, which aims to rehabilitate severely malnourished children by giving them essential carbohydrates and increasing their weight at least by 15 per cent, is perpetually over-occupied. Hence, the doctors stationed at the centre are forced to let go of those that have improved a little in a shorter than stipulated time period, to make space for cases that require more urgent care. We do our best with whatever resources we have, and we also provide counselling to mothers so hopefully people improve their nutritional intake and lifestyles when they go back home instead of falling to the same debilitating condition again, says Dr Rohit Sharma.

This short-term approach will do nothing in terms of getting out of the vicious cycle of malnutrition, especially for those who do not have the means to give adequate time to their children, says Dr Poonam Khanna, nutrition expert from PGIMER school of public health, who has conducted extensive research on women and child health in the region. According to Khanna, for those who come from weaker economic backgrounds, especially those who live hand to mouth, productivity is the key to survival. So it becomes almost impossible for them to focus on their childrens health enough to make sure they remain out of the red zone of malnutrition, says Khanna, referring to the stratification of levels of malnutrition provided by the World Health Organization, with red zone being the most life-threatening.

Apart from hindering mental development, one of the biggest effects of malnutrition is stunting. Stunting is not limited to the underprivileged. For example, I too am stunted, we dismiss stunting as something that is just in our genes, but I am stunted because my protein intake was not adequate despite my mother being privileged enough to give me attention and adequate amounts of food, says Shankar, the woman scientist at PGIMER. According to her, there is an acute lack of awareness and hesitation in changing our lifestyles no matter our socio-economic background. We all need 55 grams of protein a day, how many of us truly follow that? says Shankar, before adding, No matter what treatment is provided by the government, unless preventive measures are put in place through awareness and lifestyle changes, we will continue to accumulate chronic health issues which will affect us for the rest of our lives, says Khanna.

Integrating AYUSH and Yoga

Apart from focusing on womens health and early child development, the UT Administration is working in line with the Central governments National Health Mission (NHM) to promote more indigenous forms of alternative medicine and treatment such as Ayurveda and Yoga. Under the National Health Mission and as prescribed under the National Health Policy of 2017, regions across India have to develop Primary Healthcare Centres known as Health and Wellness Centres (HWC).

The Chandigarh Administration is actively working towards creating 52 such HWCs by March 2020, which will provide a more comprehensive approach to primary healthcare, providing not only basic health services, but also treatment for women and child health, non-communicable diseases, emergency care and free medication for certain diseases. Apart from this, the HWCs are guided by the principle to enable the integration of Yoga and AYUSH as appropriate to peoples needs. AYUSH is an acronym which stands for a conglomeration of alternative medical practices, including Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy. After coming to power, the current government promoted AYUSH treatment in the country by setting up a separate AYUSH ministry and dedicating ample funds to work towards strengthening the practice of AYUSH in the country.

According to NHM, the need for integration of AYUSH and yoga in the mainstream is fuelled by a comprehensive, rehabilitative and preventive approach to primary healthcare. Dr Dewan, the Director of Health, says the HWCs will decrease the burden of providing treatment in tertiary healthcare centres such as PGIMER and other public hospitals in the city. Furthermore, this push towards holistic and alternative treatment will be particularly effective for those suffering from chronic conditions which allopathic medicine alone cannot tackle. This comprehensive form of treatment is what we aim to achieve at the primary level. In Chandigarh, the HWCs will be staffed by not only an ANS and an MBBS medical doctor, but also an AYUSH practitioner, says Dewan.

Medical Superintendent at GMCH 32, Dr Ravi Gupta, also welcomes the shift towards alternative treatment. I myself am a big believer in yoga, I have also prescribed yoga to some of my patients who have been suffering for long with chronic illnesses, says Gupta, who adds that the hospital is also working towards building a separate department for AYUSH-related medical therapy. Earlier in 2019, even PGIMER had announced its decision to start prescribing yoga asanas as treatment to its patients. By March, the reputed tertiary health care centre had signed a memorandum of understanding with Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, a university in Bangalore, for facilitating research collaborations on yoga at the hospital.

Furthermore, yoga has been made a part of the curriculum of city schools, and is also prescribed under the Poshan Abhiyan for adolescent girls, pregnant women and children. Under the Fit India Programme, schools have been asked to conduct at least 20 minutes of yoga for students almost every day. Some schools have had to follow the directive even if that means making the children sit at the playground in the cold. Officials from Poshan Abhiyan have been distributing pamphlets that prescribe yoga exercises for women and children in different age groups, according to their physical and mental health needs. For example the booklet for pregnant women will have those asanas that will benefit her during her pregnancy, without compromising on her and her childs health, says Godwani, the consultant for Poshan Abhiyan at Chandigarh.

PGI prescribes caution

Though a comprehensive approach to healthcare and a dedication to universal health coverage in the city is welcomed by all, medical professionals have voiced their contentions with the focus on AYUSH. At the end of the day, we all have to turn to allopathic treatment, which is our first and primary line of defence, says a senior PGIMER doctor who wishes to remain anonymous. We welcome the approach, and we should expand the ambit of treatment, especially when it comes to chronic and lifestyle-related issues, but at PGIMER for one, people come here in the most precarious condition, and these patients can be helped only through modern medicine, says the doctor. The doctor also believes that the burden of treatment at PGIMER will not be lightened by an increasing focus on alternative treatment, but through a fortification of existing primary healthcare infrastructure. For example the local dispensaries need be stocked with basic medicine and a good MBBS doctor at all times. We should ensure that before we expand into this whole wellness fad, adds the doctor.

Even Dr Ravi Gupta, who has great faith in yoga and its myriad health benefits, is skeptical of the extent of its effect when it comes to primary health care in the city. Unfortunately, though there is anecdotal evidence of the benefits of alternative medicine and yoga, there is no thorough scientific research conducted about its actual benefits, says Gupta. So allopathic practices can never be replaced, and I dont think that is what the administration is attempting to do anyway, but still the focus on AYUSH and yoga has a separate place in medicine, which can never challenge the benefits of modern medicine, Gupta sums up.

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All is not well - The Indian Express

Each month, the Tampa Bay Times selects a letter of the month. Several of the winners recently visited with us and learned more about the editorial board and the Times. Reprinted below are the winning letters from December 2018 through October. Lets keep the conversation going and the letters flowing in 2020.

Editorial: Let DNA testing remove doubt in death row cases | December 2019

I have firsthand knowledge of how difficult it is to get DNA tested for a death row inmate. My father, Thomas Arthur, was executed in Alabama on May 25, 2017, after more than 35 years on death row. He fought for years to test the DNA. There was a lot of it, blood, hair and more. He was not the best father and had been in prison. He got out and seemed to be a better man but was arrested for the murder that landed him on death row shortly after his release. Finding any sympathy or justice was an uphill battle. The biggest reason DNA was denied for so many years was the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, which created deadlines for inmates to file certain appeals.

In Alabama, you are not entitled to an attorney on death row and at the time he needed to file, there was no law library and he had no money to file anything. We were pretty poor. I will always wonder if he committed the murder that sent him back to prison and death row. The inmates family is treated badly. I had to walk into the execution chamber surrounded by reporters and to the laughter of several state and prison representatives. The families of both the victim and the inmate deserve to know for sure if the person really committed the crime. Denying inmates the right to test DNA is wrong, especially when the technology did not exist at the time of the crime. I said at my fathers execution I would like to see DNA testing mandatory in all cases in all states. Otherwise, everyone is stuck in limbo, unable to find closure. We have executed innocent people. My father may have been one of them. I will never know for certain. Thats the way the state prefers it.

Sherrie Stone, Riverview

Maxwell: The joy of reading, from father to son to daughter to grandsons | January 2019

Thank you, Bill Maxwell, for writing about the importance of reading in the home. I cried when I read it. I have been an elementary school teacher for 20 years 12 in Pinellas County and a mom for almost 18. I have said from the beginning of my career that learning begins with the parents, and that a solid foundation prior to starting school is a key to success in the classroom. Like Mr. Maxwell, my husband and I read to our daughter in utero, and as often as we could after she was born. My husband and I are both avid readers, so our daughter has always had access to books and magazines at home. She understands the importance of being a reader and values that skill. She thrived as a result of her early, constant exposure to language, both in print and conversation.

Being a parent carries with it an enormous responsibility. That responsibility includes engaging your child from the very beginning with letters, sounds and words. The myriad programs our public schools have put forth in an effort to close the academic gap will continue to fail because the bottom line is learning has to start from day one, and it has to start with parents.

Jana Bailey, St. Petersburg

February 2019

The seriousness of a persons social gaffe should be judged, not by todays standards, but in the context of societal standards at the time and place where the gaffe occurred. As an example of how standards evolve, consider the following: In the late 30s and early 40s, my fathers church would stage minstrels in which the performers appeared in blackface, and no one seemed to think much about it. I feel that it was done more out of ignorance, at that time, of the feelings of black people rather than of any malice or hatred.

Today such behavior would be thought abhorrent. By the mid-40s, my father was a champion of integration to the extent that he received threats upon his life and on the lives of his family. Awareness of the feelings of others can and does evolve, and a persons behavior in the past should be judged by the standards of the past, and that persons character should be judged by the totality of their behavior, past and present.

Tom Hagler, Wesley Chapel

College admissions scandal: Whos Mark Riddell, the Florida man and really smart guy who took tests for kids? | March 2019

What a mess. One coach allegedly took a $400,000 bribe to place a student on her team roster to help her get into Yale. As a mother of two teenagers attending a private university in Florida, all I can think of is thats exactly how much my kids college tuition costs for both of their four-year degrees. Money that this middle-class family didnt have. An issue that kept me awake night after night, but I had faith it was going to get resolved. I just didnt know how. Fast forward three years. My children went to college, but not because we paid any shady company to help them cheat on their test scores or to make them the top athletes. What did happen was a lot of hard work, hours of practicing and tutoring. And they did get their good test scores, and they did get accepted to their college of choice, and they also did get merit-based scholarships.

We only did what a normal parent does. We provided moral and emotional support, continuous and unbiased guidance, and we paid for their exam fees. We also stayed up with them during their studying times so that they would feel like we had their back no matter what the results. I dont feel bad for those parents involved in this scandal. I do feel bad for their children.

Marielys Camacho-Reyes, Haines City

Florida House passes bill allowing teachers to be armed, sending it to Gov. DeSantis | April 2019

I am a nobody. I have no voice. I, along with thousands of people directly involved with education such as educators, PTAs, communities and unions, wrote, emailed, called and visited legislators asking that teachers not be armed. Those contacts were ignored.

Florida voters overwhelmingly passed Amendment 4, which gave voting rights to felons who have completed the terms of their sentences. Legislators have decided to alter what voters wanted by adding restrictions, which now might make felons pay court costs and fees before being able to vote. Floridians spoke about money that was earmarked to be given specifically to public schools. But legislators, in their ploy to dismantle traditional public schools in order to promote charter schools, disregarded the will of the people, giving more money to charter schools in spite of the fact that charter schools are not held to the same rules. This year I am a nobody. But eventually, my voice will be heard.

Marilyn Warner, Clearwater

May 2019

Dont wait for the glossy postcards to appear in your mailbox at election time, all bearing your legislators versions of their record. Find out now how they voted, which is easily done, online. Did they vote to strip money from traditional public schools, diverting it to private firms and charters, including the entire budgeted amount for school repairs? Did they support the measure that leaves Floridas teachers among the poorest-paid in the nation, yet still call themselves pro-education? Did they ignore the voters again, steering $270 million away from the Forever Florida amendment and into the states bureaucracy? Did they contribute to rigging the electorate, once again, by virtually nullifying Amendment 4s voting rights restoration? How did they vote on the road to nowhere, a project designed to line the pockets of rich landowners at our expense? Did they support the unconstitutional flow of state tax money into vouchers for private and religious schools? At campaign time, my own senator sings a different tune about his record; his votes tell the truth. Now is the time, voters, to look at reality.

Stephen Phillips, St. Petersburg

Measles cases are on the rise, but some Tampa Bay parents wont vaccinate their kids | June 2019

The article on vaccination was well done. In my 50 years as a practicing physician, I am still baffled by the mindset that ignores valid science and replaces it with unscientific nonsense. And the people who fall into this category are often intelligent, educated and generally nice people. So what makes them ignore science and put their faith in often dangerous misinformation? I am not a psychiatrist or psychologist, but it seems to me that this situation requires accentuation of a number of basic human emotions, and among these two stand out: fear and paranoia. But what makes these people use the fruits of science in everyday life cellphones, computers, air travel, etc., yet go back centuries into a nonscientific period when it comes to health issues? Many years ago I had a patient, the wife of an airline pilot, ask me what I thought about alternative treatment for her malignancy. I told her to ask her husband what he thought about alternatives to the instrument landing system. These people have found a way to divorce health science from other science. There is no good reason for this. The sadness and frustration over child health issues is very understandable. We always look for a cause when bad things happen. The well-known fallacy post hoc, ergo propter hoc (after this, therefore because of this) seems inherent to the human condition, but such reasoning is often fallacious. This is why rigid scientific trials exist. The availability of previously unimaginable amounts of data are now available on the internet, which is both wonderful and dangerous. With regard to medicine, we must adopt the attitude of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware). There is no sign to tell you whether your internet search is yielding treasure or trash. The famous physician William Osler summed up the anti-vaccination stance in 1915. He proposed taking 10 vaccinated and 10 unvaccinated people with him to work in the next epidemic. Osler said, And I will make this promise neither to jeer or to jibe when they catch the disease, but to look after them as brothers; and for the three or four who are certain to die I will try to arrange the funerals with all the pomp and ceremony of an anti-vaccination demonstration. Have we learned nothing in 100 years?

Dr. John Clarke, St. Petersburg

Trumps racist rant requires a collective response | Editorial | July 2019

I was 6 when I was told by a parent of a white classmate to go back to where I came from. It was confusing because I was born in this country. Throughout my life, whether in school or playing sports, I can recall several instances where I was told to go back to Africa, usually followed by the N-word. If you ask any person of color, whether born here or not, most will tell you of similar experiences.

As I got older, I came to realize these taunts came from small-minded bigoted individuals who put me down to make themselves feel superior and better about their lives. Sadly, I also can recall my teachers, coaches, clergy and friends who did not come to my defense and pretended the incident never happened. Racism and hate crimes are on the rise in America, and it is no coincidence. History has proven that silence is not golden, and this president has history with racism. Is this where we are with the GOP and this country?

Neil Armstrong, Tampa

August 2019

If you are a duck hunter you are required to use a plug that limits the magazine to three shells. This rule is intended to give ducks a fighting chance to evade being shot by a hunter armed with an autoload shotgun. We, as conservatives, (mostly) agree this is a good rule to avoid decimating the wild duck population while advancing a policy of skill and accuracy. Our Constitution prevents taking away peoples guns, but lets consider giving people the same consideration as wild ducks. For example: (1) permanently limit magazine capacity to three rounds; (2) allow only one magazine per gun; (3) possession of non-compliant magazines will be fined $10,000 per incident. The goal is not gun control but to give hunted people the same sporting chance we give wild ducks.

Bernard Waryas, Dunedin

Take me out to ballgame? Nah | Sept. 2019

Its just not true that the Rays lack fan support. Ironically, you report that the TV and radio ratings have spiked. The games have been getting the highest ratings in the market, and the share is among the best for all MLB markets. Not a surprise. Hundreds of thousands of baseball fans live here. The reason for low attendance is obvious and has been written about before. But it bears repeating. The problem lies with you, St. Petersburg, the location of the stadium and the above-ground nuclear fallout shelter you built to house baseball. Let me explain. I attended the final game against the Yankees. I left my home in Forest Hills, a north central Tampa neighborhood, at 5:45 p.m. to arrive at a 7:10 p.m. game. On a normal traffic day, its 30 miles and about 37 minutes. I arrived at the stadium at 7:35 p.m. and got to my seat about 7:45 after a long walk down a concrete corridor that blocked my view of the game, almost exactly two hours after I left home. I missed the first two innings, and Joey Wendles home run (an historically rare event in itself). Most of that drive time was spent on I-275 between the Ulmerton Road exit and the 38th Avenue N exit, a distance of just over 6 miles. That drive took just over 40 minutes.

The stadium is inaccessible for most of the fans in the Tampa Bay market. Its location makes it reasonably accessible to South Pinellas and South Tampa. The total population of those areas is a bit over 500,000. From Largo north in Pinellas and from Seminole Heights to the north and east, its impossible to get to a game for most working people. The distance and the bottleneck of routes to St. Petersburg has effectively cut the Rays off from the teams fans. The stadium is reasonably accessible to less than 20 percent of them.

Rex Henderson, Tampa

I am white, privileged and educated. I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh summa cum laude, and I cannot afford to live in Tampa Bay, specifically, Bradenton. I was only able to live here because of the generosity of my parents for the last two years. Almost all of my friends live at home. We are in our 20s and 30s, working service-related jobs, because this area offers little to no professional work. At $11.87 an hour, I hustle 40 hours a week as a library assistant at Selby Library in downtown Sarasota, and on the weekends I babysit, dog-sit, cat-sit or just sit (as in doing laundry, grocery shopping, paying bills). I love Selby; I love books, my co-workers, the idealism and freedom that public libraries still offer. I dont love that anything costing over $10 takes considerable thought as to whether it is necessary or not. When trying to find affordable housing, I simply had to laugh because all I could budget for on my current salary is $250 a month; a cheap HOA fee for some. I am completely priced out. In a culture (still) deeply divided by race, class and gender, how are our black, brown, Latinx and queer residents getting by? I am not. They are not. We are not. So tip generously, act kindly and remember all of us invisible folk, the ones who serve you day after day. We are trying so hard to simply make ends meet. Vote to increase minimum wage and take a stand for us, for this community. Until then, I have to move to where the grass is greener on the other side (as in anywhere, but here).

Emily Grant, Bradenton

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Ducks, vaccines, bribes: Here are our favorite letters from readers this year - Tampa Bay Times

By GILLIAN SLADE on December 30, 2019.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com

For local seniors the possibility that the city will stop funding senior services at the Veiner Centre has loomed large this year.

In October, councillors on the public services committee voted 2 to 1 in favour of sending the citys recommendation about the future of seniors services to council for a decision.

The recommendation includes a transition to a multi-service model for seniors services, conducting a community evaluation to identify what services would best meet the needs of seniors, and to then issue a request for proposals (RFP) with the possibility of an independent governance operating model for the Veiner Centre and Strathcona Centres.

Recently the city held the first of two public consultations to hear what services are important to seniors.

At the consultation, held at the Veiner Centre, a number of people said they felt the membership fee going from $40 to $100 a year and $300 a year if you want to use the exercise equipment has contributed to the drop in number of members.

There was also a sense that along with a lovely new building after the 2013 flood, the operating model was transformed changing the atmosphere as well.

Once the community consultation is complete, staff will evaluate the feedback and explore alternative operating models.

A recommendation will be forwarded to council in the spring of 2020.

In August, Aaron Nelson was appointed the citys new manager for community connections and support and this includes overseeing the Veiner Centre.

Also this year the provincial government decided to not renew the appointment of the seniors advocate. The seniors advocate office was established in 2014 and Sheree Kwong See was appointed for a three-year term in September 2016. Some of the staff in that office and some of the budget for the seniors advocate will be transferred to the existing health advocates office. The health advocate reports directly to the minister of health.

Since Kwong See was appointed the seniors advocates office handled 3,560 client cases with a budget of about $980,000. About $770,000 of that amount accounting for salaries and benefits.

Medicine Hat hosted the 55Plus Summer games in 2019. Hosting the event raised $250,000 and some of that was spent on improvements that will continue to benefit the local community.

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Year in Review: Veiner Centre important to seniors - Medicine Hat News

NEW JERSEY - With a new year comes new laws. New Jersey had what may have been a landmark year in terms of legislating in 2019, whether you liked it or not.

From expanded family leave to legalizing end-of-life decisions, New Jersey has seven new laws that should have a dramatic impact on millions of lives in 2020. Some of the new laws in Gov. Phil Murphy's third year will take dramatic steps away from the more conservative policies of the Christie administration.

These legislative accomplishments came as the Murphy administration also had some failures, particularly its efforts to get the state Legislature to legalize marijuana.

The legislature, with Murphy's support, did agree to put the issue to public vote in November 2020. Read more: NJ Lawmakers Pass Big Marijuana, Vaccine, Driver's License Bills

Here's a look at the seven new laws taking hold in 2020 that could impact your life:

Family leave

Murphy signed a bill into law that will expand family leave for everyone in the state.

Murphy noted that New Jersey enacted a paid family leave program in 2008, but the new law significantly expands that program to provide additional job protections for those who miss work because of caring for a newborn child or a sick loved one.

"No one should ever be forced to choose between caring for a family member and earning a paycheck," said Murphy. "By providing the most expansive paid family leave time and benefits in the nation, we are ensuring that New Jerseyans no longer have to face such a decision and that working families are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve."

The bill, A3975, changes New Jersey's paid family leave program in a number of ways, including the following:

"This comprehensive paid family leave program, coupled with the newly passed earned sick leave and minimum wage increase, are fundamental elements in building a stronger and fairer New Jersey for all working families," Murphy said.

Right-to-die law

The law, which was sponsored by Democratic Assemblyman John Burzichelli and Senator Nick Scutari, made New Jersey the eighth state to allow such end-of-life decisions with the assistance of medical professionals.

Here's what the legislation does:

Medical marijuana

Murphy signed legislation designed to make medical marijuana more accessible to patients who could benefit from it.

The measure, now known as the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, was sponsored by Assembly Democrats, Joann Downey, Joseph Danielsen, Eliana Pintor Marin, Andrew Zwicker, Eric Houghtaling and Carol Murphy.

The bill was named after Jake Honig, a 7-year old Howell resident nicknamed "Jake the Tank" who was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive from of brain cancer with a rare genetic mutation at the age of 2. After undergoing dozens of rounds of chemotherapy, proton radiation therapy, and surgery, his tumor went into remission for four years, until follow-up scans determined that the tumor had returned and spread to other parts of his body.

Jake was prescribed six different medications to treat his side effects which included nausea, vomiting, agitation and acid reflux, lawmakers said. Medical marijuana proved to be the most effective way of making Jake more comfortable. It helped to improve his mood, appetite and restore his mental well-being, lawmakers said.

The bill (A-10), expands access to medical marijuana for patients with any diagnosed medical condition, requires issuance of additional dispensary permits, revises certain requirements concerning patients and primary caregivers as well as requirements for physicians to authorize qualifying patients and improves the application, ownership and operational requirements for alternative treatment centers.

The authorization period will also be extended from 90 days to a year, and edible forms of marijuana will become more available. The sales tax of medical marijuana is also being phased out, Murphy said.

Here's what the law will change:

Sex abuse

Murphy signed legislation to help protect sex-abuse victims, targeting those harmed by religious and Boy Scout leaders.

Murphy signed legislation (S477) extending the statute of limitations in civil actions for sexual abuse claims. The signing came just days after a law firm released the names of more than 100 people who allegedly committed sexual abuse while serving in the Catholic church's clergy.Read more: Another 100 NJ Priests, Clergy Accused Of Sex Abuse In New Disclosure

The law also creates a two-year window for parties to bring lawsuits based on sexual abuse that would be time-barred even with the new statute of limitations, and expands the categories of potential defendants in civil actions.

"Survivors of sexual abuse deserve opportunities to seek redress against their abusers," said Murphy. "This legislation allows survivors who have faced tremendous trauma the ability to pursue justice through the court system. I thank the bill's sponsors for their commitment to tackling this issue, as well as the advocates for their activism and engagement."

School instruction on the history of contributions of persons from LGBTQ community

Murphy signed legislation that requires boards of education to include instruction, and adopt instructional materials, that accurately portray political, economic, and social contributions of persons with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

"It's critical that our classrooms highlight the achievements of LGBTQ people throughout history. Our youth deserve to see how diverse American history truly is and how they can be a part of it one day, too," Murphy said.

Garden State Equality, a leading New Jersey advocacy group for the LGBTQ community, saluted the legislation, saying: "Just as we honor contributions of people of color, women, and immigrants, LGBTQ people deserve a place in our history books and classrooms."

"America's nearly 250 year history is richly diverse, and our nation grows when we embrace our multifaceted past rather than hide from it," the group said.

Transgender birth certificates

New Jersey residents can now change the gender listed on their birth certificates more efficiently and easily thanks to a new law that took effect on Friday.The legislation sponsored by Sen. Joseph F. Vitale and Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg revised procedures for individuals who have changed their gender and name to receive an amended birth certificate.

"With advancements in modern medicine, we know that gender reassignment surgery is no longer the only option for transitioning yet the law takes a one-size-fits-all approach. It does not account for nonsurgical transitioning which usually includes physical, psychological, social, and emotional changes," said Vitale, D-Middlesex.

"This bill removes the barriers that transgender New Jerseyans face when requesting changes to such an important identification document as their birth certificate to reflect who they are, and will help to expand anti-discrimination protections."

Formerly, a person had to undergo gender reassignment surgery in order to amend the gender on their birth certificate. S-478 requires the state registrar of vital statistics to issue an amended birth certificate to a person born in the state who shows the gender and name of the person has been changed.

In order to process this request, the registrar needs a receipt of a name change approved by the court and a form from the person, or person's guardian.

"New Jersey law needs to recognize current practices for gender transitioning, which include nonsurgical therapies, and must afford transgendered individuals the same broad protection of their rights as all citizens to have official identification that reflects their gender," said Weinberg, D-Bergen. "From applying for travel documents or driver's licenses to school registration, a birth certificate is a necessary document and must be consistent with reality."

Hair discrimination

Last week, Murphy signed S3945, also known as the "Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair Act," which prohibits racial discrimination on the basis of "traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture, hair type and protective hairstyles."

The law was introduced after Andrew Johnson, an African American high school wrestler at Buena Regional High School, was forced to cut off his dreadlocks in order to compete in a match Dec. 19, 2018. Read more: NJ School To Meet After Alleged Racist Ref Made Wrestler Cut Hair

"Race-based discrimination will not be tolerated in the state of New Jersey," Murphy said. "No one should be made to feel uncomfortable or be discriminated against because of their natural hair. I am proud to sign this law in order to help ensure that all New Jersey residents can go to work, school or participate in athletic events with dignity."

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker said discrimination against black hair is "discrimination against black people, and no one should be denied a job, an education or face discrimination because of their hairstyle."

As defined in the bill, the term "protective hairstyles" includes "such hairstyles as braids, locks and twists." This change is intended to remove any confusion or ambiguity over the scope of the anti-discrimination laws.

Read more from the original source:

7 New NJ Laws That May Change Your Life In 2020 - Toms River, NJ Patch

Congress seeks SIT probe in death of 2 Andhra youths in Goa

30-Dec-2019 Panaji

Posted 28 Dec 2019

The main opposition party in Goa, the Congress, on Saturday demanded an SIT probe by a retired High Court judge into the mysterious deaths of two Andhra Pradesh youngsters outside the Sunburn Klassique EDM festival venue in North Goa on Friday evening.

"The two deaths should be probed by a Special Investigation Team headed by a retired High Court judge. This is not the first time that a youngster has died in suspicious circumstances in EDM festivals held in Goa," Goa Congress spokesperson Trajano D'Mello told a press conference in Panaji.

Two youths from Hyderabad, both of them friends, fainted and collapsed while waiting outside the festival venue at Vagator beach village in North Goa on Friday evening.

While the police have suspected the deaths due to drug overdose, more clarity on the issue would be available after post-mortem formalities are conducted on Saturday.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, a doctor of alternative medicine himself, has said that one of the deaths could have occurred due to heart attack.

"When the post-mortem report is not out, how is the CM saying he knows the cause of the death? Is he trying to give directions to the investigation?" D'Mello said.

In the past decade, at least four persons had died due to drug overdose in various EDM festivals in the state.IANS

Read more:

Congress seeks SIT probe in death of 2 Andhra youths in Goa - The Weekend Leader

'Alternative medicine' is a general term that covers medical practices that aren't considered mainstream, but are believed to have some beneficial purposes. Common types of alternative medicine include chiropractic, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and some types of massage. Read on to learn more about this field.Schools offeringComplementary & Alternative Health degreescan also be found in these popularchoices.

Alternative medicine is made up of a variety of medical practices that have not yet become part of conventional medicine. Professionals who have earned a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or a Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) degree practice conventional medicine. Most forms of alternative medicine stem from a combination of traditional medical practices, spiritual beliefs, and folk medicine.

While much of this medicine has been practiced and refined over centuries, it's only recently that alternative medicine has obtained widespread interest on the part of both patients and medical practitioners. Many medical practitioners refer to alternative medicine as complementary medicine, since it's often used to complement more accepted and modern medical practices. When alternative medicine is combined with conventional medical techniques, it's called integrative or integrated medicine.

Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is a government agency that performs research in the field. NCCAM groups alternative medicine practices into the following categories:

There are completed scientific studies involving various alternative medicine practices, and some studies are still ongoing. A good place to start looking for the results of these studies is the NCCAM website. The site features research and advice about various therapies, as well as information on alternative medicine practitioners and sources for training in the field. One may also call the NCCAM Clearinghouse (1-888-644-6226) to ask specific questions or to locate publications.

See the original post here:

What is Alternative Medicine? - Learn.org

Photo: Earl Gubson III | Stringer | Getty Images

Ricky Williams Rushes Into The Green Rush

Ricky Williams estimates that he lost between $5 million and $10 million in endorsements after he decided to leave the NFL to explore the world and cannabis. Now hes replenishing his coffers and his soul with his successful venture into the cannabis business.

Williams, a Heisman Trophy winner who rushed for more than 10,000 yards during his 11-year career, has jumped into the Green Rush with the same passion and skill -- only this time hes healing, not punishing, those who cross his path.

His company, Real Wellness by Ricky Williams, which he cofounded with wife Linnea Miron, specializes in blends of cannabis and other natural medicines. Products include tonics and topicals with blends of CBD, THC, turmeric, and white peony, among other ingredients.

We met Williams at the Cannabis Dealmakers Summit in Dallas, where he explained why he really left the NFL and what his journey into the cannabis world has taught him about the business and himself.

Related:23 Celebrities in the Cannabiz

When did you first try cannabis?

It was my senior year of college. I was in the running for the Heisman Trophy and had just gone through a horrible breakup with my girlfriend, who started dating our quarterback. I was miserable. It was supposed to be the happiest time of my life, and my roommate was like, You need to chill. He passed me a joint, and I remember that was the first decent night of sleep I had. I wasnt obsessing over my ex and the quarterback.

Fast-forward to the NFL, and Im in New Orleans. I break ribs, and Im going through a whole bunch of difficult things. And again, a roommate was like, You need to chill, and he passed me a joint. That became part of my ritual to help me get up in the morning and get ready to go to battle -- because thats what playing professional football is.

I wasnt allowed to smoke while playing in the NFL, but I still did, and I ended up getting in a little bit of trouble. I was pretty much a pariah, and I was torn apart in the media, but in my heart, I felt like, Theres something here.

Image Credit: Joel Auerbach | Getty Images

What was the reason you retired from the NFL the first time, in 2004?

Part of the reason was because of the NFLs stance on cannabis. And part of it was because I was using cannabis and realizing that there are other things out there than just football. I was more willing to say, OK, maybe I want to go pursue something different.

When the story first broke, it was just Football player in the height of his career walks away. My best friend at the time was Dan Le Batard. He has a show on ESPN right now, but he was writing for theMiami Heraldat the time. Three weeks after I retire, were talking on the phone, and I let him know that before I retired, I had failed a drug test that no one knew about. And I put him in a difficult spot between being a best friend and a member of the media. He started freaking out, saying, I have to report this. I was like, What are you talking about? I just shared as a friend. And I woke up the next morning and thats when the myth of Ricky Williams and cannabis began.

Related: How Shaq Is Bringing Fun Back to Papa John's

And it was at that moment I decided, Im not going to run away from this; you know, This is who I am. And I think I was smart enough to get out of dodge and hop on the first plane to Australia.

I started meeting people who didnt know I was a football player. For the first time in my life, I began to get this reflection of who I was. It had nothing to do with football. And it woke me up to myself.

As Im traveling around the world, everywhere I went, somehow, someone would walk up to me and offer me a joint without knowing who I was or anything about me. And it just spurred me on to keep doing study and research and understanding, What is this plant, and why do I have this awkward, weird relationship with it? And pursuing that path, I believed in what I was doing more.

Being away from football, I realized that underneath the helmet, I was actually a healer. I had a gift for helping people feel better.I realized I needed to find another skill set other than being a football player. I started studying alternative medicine, beginning with Ayurveda. What that opened up to me is the realization that in India and China, theyve used herbs to treat people for more than 3,000 years. So I began to acquire some information about herbs.

At that time, I was dealing with a lot of injuries, and I started experimenting. I would come home with bags full of herbs, get my books out, get in the kitchen, and start to formulate. And I came up with some really cool stuff I used for myself when I came back to the NFL and played several more years.

Why did you decide to go back to football after discovering all this about yourself?

Most peopleassume that I went back because the Dolphins sued me for $8 million. Im sure that was part of it, but on my journey, I came across this concept in yoga called dharma -- this idea that we all have a purpose in life. And I started to identify with that, and I realized, in practical terms, that for me to do what Im here to do in the world, I have to right what was wrong with the way I left the NFL. I knew that I had to come back and finish my career on a high note.

How did this interest in cannabis carry over to the business of cannabis?

After I retired, I moved back to Austin to finish up my degree at the University of Texas, and a good friend of mine [former teammate Kyle Turley] reached out to me and said, Hey, theres a cannabis conference in Arizona. Why dont you come out and tell your story?

I was a little nervous getting onstage and for the first time publicly sharing my whole story. And after I did, I felt this huge relief. It was very cathartic. People kept approaching me and saying, When you came out using cannabis, and you didnt care what the NFL thought, it really inspired me not to care what my parents thought or what others said, and I thank you for helping me follow my heart. It felt really good. My experience up until that point had been all negative.

So I decided to speak, and I think I spoke at 10 conferences that first year. I kept being approached by vendors asking, Can we put your name on this? You really need to do something in the cannabis space.

Related: Why Former NBA Star Al Harrington is Betting On Cannabis

I spent several months deliberating on What do I want to do; what do I want to attach my name to? And then it clicked. I remember being in the kitchen with my bags of herbs, formulating, and my experiences going into dispensaries. I saw a niche. I saw a need in the market, and I had a skill set I could use to fill that need and create truly medicinal products.

Williams won the Heisman Trophy in 1998. Now hes been called the Heisman Healer.

Image Credit: Tim Warner

Describe that niche.

The idea that you can combine medicinals. You can have a more direct, more specific, and more powerful effect with the herbs. I think what makes Real Wellness different, especially in the medicinal marijuana and CBD space, is that we honor that cannabis is a wonderful medicinal, but we also realize that if you add other herbals with CBD and THC, you can create a superior product. And so I cross-referenced what herbal remedies people search for with what they were searching medicinal marijuana for. And thats how we decided our first SKUs to launch with.

Whats been the biggest obstacle for you in the business?

The huge stigma on cannabis. What I have learned firsthand is the way to break the stigma is for people to be honest and tell their stories.

Related:10 Super Successful People Who Don't Care That You Know They Enjoy Cannabis

What advice would you give to people trying to get into this business, or already in this business and needing a little bit of inspiration?

If Im talking to a younger person, Id say to find people you respect and can learn from. And if Im talking to someone whos a little older, Id say to surround yourself with people you respect and can learn from.

Is it bittersweet that all these pro athletes [such as Rob Gronkowski and Tiki Barber] are now jumping on the cannabis bandwagon?

Itsnot bittersweet. Its very sweet. My journey through this was a personal one. I had no idea this was going to happen; I was following my heart. And, you know, I look at myself as a person who went first, the pioneer who opened the doors that allowed everyone else to walk through.

Related:How I Grew My 'Herbally-Focused' Instagram To 500,000 Followers With No PPCRicky Williams Rushes Into The Green RushMeet Three Women Who Are Disrupting the Canna-business

Original post:

Ricky Williams Rushes Into The Green Rush - Thehour.com

A visit to a Sri Lankan herb and spice garden reveals a rich history of trade and alternative medicine.

The drive to Luckgrove Herb and Spice Garden was a harrowing one. Our small bus narrowly missed getting rammed head-on by much larger public buses passing in the traditional Sri Lankan manner moving into the middle of the winding mountain road and expecting all other vehicles to move out of the way. After too many near misses, we pulled into Luckgrove's parking lot, relieved to be on solid ground.

I needn't have worried about any potential injuries, however, because Luckgrove contains a cure for every imaginable mishap. After listening to our animated guide for an hour, I figured that, had I been carried in on a stretcher, not only would I have skipped out, but also seen wrinkles erased, energy boosted, and entire years added to my life.

Cinnamon is nearest and dearest to Sri Lanka's heart, the indigenous spice that first attracted Dutch and Portuguese traders from afar. Sri Lankan cinnamon is the best in the world, our guide said, and indeed its Latin name Cinnamonum verum or 'true cinnamon' would suggest the same. It has an older botanical name called Cinnamonum zeylanicum, which comes from Ceylon, Sri Lanka's former name. Perhaps it's easiest just to call it 'brown gold'.

A cinnamon tree lives for 40 years and can be harvested three years after planting. From then on, it is harvested once annually by removing the bark in bands. True Sri Lankan cinnamon bark dries into curly pieces like bamboo. It crumbles under your fingertips, unlike the Chinese and Indonesian cinnamon that is hard as wood. Cinnamon bark can be ground or pressed for oil. This, the guide explained, is useful for drawing wax out of ears, rubbing onto cold feet to warm them, bleaching teeth, lowering blood sugar.

Other spices were brought to the island by European traders once they realized how perfect the growing conditions were. Vanilla came from Mexico but flourished here. It is a natural insect repellent, which is why no bees or butterflies pollinate it and all the work must be done by hand. The bean pods are dried for three months in the shade before being pressed for their extract. It takes 1 kilogram of vanilla beans (roughly 65 beans) to make a small vial of extract.

Lemongrass is also a natural insect repellent. It is planted in the soil ahead of tea crops to get rid of pests, and is used to make citronella cream.

Pepper is the king of spices, the guide announced. He showed us tiny green peppercorns growing at the end of branches. The pepper plant is a creeper vine that climbs up other trees, and different colored peppercorns all come from the same plant but have been processed in different ways.

Beside the pepper vine was a cloves plant. Cloves, which originated in Zanzibar, grow at the end of a branch in clumps of 15. They are a natural anaesthetic and keep insects away, hence the age-old practice of stuffing oranges with cloves. (I thought it was because it smells great.) The wood from the cloves tree is rock-hard and perfect for building walking sticks and chess boards.

Nutmeg and mace come from the same plant. The nutmeg is the nut at the center of the fruit, the mace comes from the reddish skin surrounding the nut, and the apricot-like fruit is used locally for making jam.

Turmeric and ginger are root crops. Both take nine months to mature, 'just like a baby,' the guide said. A single ginger plant will yield 3 kilograms of tubers. Turmeric is known as cheap saffron and a pinch is added to every curry in Sri Lanka to kill off germs. It has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and is helpful for managing menopausal hot flashes.

Not everything in the garden received the guide's praise. 'Don't eat pineapple more than once or twice a week,' he told us. It attracts insects and the acidity is hard on your bowels and teeth, bad for psoriasis. Then he pointed to a jackfruit and said, 'Any fruit that grows off a trunk is fattening. Think of bananas, coconut, even rice.' The lesson was to eat these in moderation.

'If pepper is the king of spices, what is the queen?' I asked. 'Cardamom,' he replied, and took me to see a cardamom plant on the far side of the garden. He showed me where the pods would form if it were the right season, but then I promptly stepped in some dog poo and the tour was over. Alas, there was no herbal or spice cure for that predicament, and I had to make do with a bucket of water.

The author is a guest of Intrepid Travel. There was no obligation to write this story.

A visit to a Sri Lankan herb and spice garden reveals a rich history of trade and alternative medicine.

Read more:

A brief history of the items in your spice drawer - Treehugger

Skiing make you a little queasy? You're not aloneand living in Colorado doesnt make it any better. But there are lots of ways to counteract the nausea.

When I learned to ski five years ago, both my general anxiety and experienced friends kept my brain occupied with terrifying scenarios: surprise cliffs, yard sales, boarding the chairlift alongside a first-time snowboarder.

I did not anticipate hurling at the lift line.

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Ive been prone to motion sickness since middle school. It always happens when Im not the one controlling the movement, like sitting in a car or bobbing on a kayak. In the backseat of a carpool to Taos, New Mexico last year, I got queasier with each turnbecause of the drive and anticipation. But it would be fine once we got some fresh air and I was the one doing the steering! I thought.

But as I booted up, made shaky turns, and paused at the bottom of each run, I felt like the snow before me was still somehow moving. On the lift, I held back dry heaves while my friend ate a quesadilla next to me. And finally, at a regrettably busy lift line, I turned and let my breakfast burrito exit my body in a beautiful projectile that landed neatly between my skis. Still, I tried to rally a few times before realizing it was the skiing, not my dearly departed burrito, making my stomach turn.

Theres an explanation for what I was dealing with: Huslers disease, coined exactly for the experience of skiing in bad lighting conditions and getting really, really dizzy. Apparently, its the skiers brand of motion sickness. It starts with the inner ear, a snail-shaped bundle of systems that assist with balance and communicating sound to the brain. Motion sickness generally happens when your inner ears detect one kind of motion and your eyes detect another, says Carol A. Foster, M.D., associate professor of otolaryngology at the University of Colorado.

Continuous movement, like waves, makes that confusion worse, because your inner ears are more stimulated. If youre not seeing a lot of movement on top of that, get the barf bags out. You can make almost anyone get motion sick if you expose them to the right sorts of motion, Foster says. But there are some people who are much more resistant than others.

These things all compound in Colorado, where a typical winter weekend involves winding roads, lower-oxygen levels, and sliding downhill fast in all kinds of conditions, Foster says. You are more at risk when youre here.

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After all, skiing in bad light or a whiteout ticks all the boxes: constant movement, few visual cues, and being at a higher altitude. Focusing on something stable, like the horizon when youre on a boat, might help. But thats not an option on snowy or foggy days when you can barely see. High-contrast ski goggles can be beneficial on flat-light days, but Foster says when visual conditions are really bad, the only thing thatll truly help is to stop skiing. For people who can ski with their eyes closed, it doesnt matter, she jokes. But those of us who require vision to ski, flat lightits bad.

I require vision to ski, and just when Id started feeling more confident on the snow, my vestibular system of all things was sabotaging me. And I felt ridiculous because none of my friends seemed to have any trouble with ski-sickness. But Im perfectly normal, Foster assures me. Actually, about 10 percent of people are very susceptible to motion sickness.The better your ears, she says, the more likely you are [to get motion-sick] because you feel motion more.

So, what can someone like me do about it? The first step is acceptance: pay attention to how you feel on good- versus bad-light days, and consider that a wobbly stomach may not just be altitude sickness or those beers you had last night. If youre more prone to motion sickness, prevention and awareness are key. Meclizine, found in seasickness drugs like Dramamine and Bonine, is mild enough to use on a regular basis, but it will make you drowsy. Still, Foster knows people who are perfectly happy to take it before getting on the ski hill. If you dont want to medicate, invest in high-contrast lenses you can switch out and dont force yourself to keep going when visibility deteriorates. Those are the most expert-approved options, but Foster says people find all kinds of alternative fixes that seem to work for themme included.

One day this summer, I remembered that my grandma always wore weird little bracelets called Sea-Bands to counteract seasickness. One Google search and $12 later, a tiny plastic box arrived on my doorstep holding two fabric wristbands, each about as big as a fun-size candy bar and fitted with an M&M-shaped piece of plastic in the middle. These admittedly geriatric-looking accessories are to be worn on both arms, dots pressing on the inner wrists. Theyre called acupressure bands, and theyre supposed to engage an acupuncture point between the two tendons of the wrist that is thought to relieve nausea and balance issues.

Its hard to explain the exact mechanism that make acupressure bands work, and the benefits have not been strenuously tested. (Some studies have supported the idea that acupressure bands seem to have some effect in certain cases.) But my sweet little Sea-Bands have changed my life. The first time I wore them, on a two-hour car ride on mountain roads, I felt like I could stand on my head while doing donuts and reading The Odyssey with not one twinge of queasiness. Foster notes the workings of acupressure bands are not totally clearand the benefit might just be a placebo effect.

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I was raised with a dose of alternative medicine passed down from my mom and grandma, so I am down for acupressure. But even if it is just the placebo effect, Ill take it. In fact, I suspect Im more susceptible to it; having a non-invasive but concrete intervention has always calmed my anxious brain. I had spontaneous and violent bloody noses for years as a kid, and my grandma gave me a necklace that she said I should wear whenever I felt one coming on: a tiny jade teapot on a red string. This was definitely a kindness more than any medical belief, but the nosebleeds started to feel shorter. Within a year, theyd stopped altogether. Motion sickness feels similar in that its impossible to control, as if my brain is one step behind my body (and it kind of is!). Like putting on the necklace, maybe donning my Sea-Bands and feeling the pressure on my wrists grounds me enough to get a grip on things.

And thats what Ill keep telling myself as ski season starts. I wore them for my first uphill skin of the season on a foggy day, and though I gritted my teeth on the way down anticipating that this would be where the placebo effect fadednot so! Ill continue to proudly slip on my dorky little Sea-Bands for every carpool, and Ill enter every lift line in peace, dammit.

I have a professional otolaryngologist supporting that plan. You know the old cartoon Dumbo, holding the feather? Foster asks. Dumbo always thought it was the feather that helped him fly, when it was something else (his ears) all along. Well, is having a Sea-Band just holding a feather that you really believe in? My view is, if all you need is a little placebo effect, then thats great.

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Why Some Skiers Pukeand What They Can Do About It - 5280 | The Denver Magazine

An extensive new study confirms the link between electronic cigarette use and a higher risk of chronic lung conditions. The study also found that many e-cigarette users also smoked tobacco, thereby facing an even higher risk of lung problems.

E-cigarettes entered the market as an allegedly safe alternative to regular tobacco cigarettes, which researchers have shown to increase a person's risk of cancer and various chronic lung conditions.

However, more and more evidence is stacking up against the perceived safety of these now popular devices.

In the past year, Medical News Today have reported on research suggesting that e-cigarette use has links to poor heart health, harm to the lungs, and even a higher risk of depression.

And recently, some specialists have urged policymakers to take more restrictive measures when it comes to regulating e-cigarettes to safeguard public health more closely.

Now, the first longitudinal study of its kind conducted in a large sample cohort that is representative of the population of the United States confirms that there is a significant link between e-cigarette use and an increased risk of developing chronic lung disease.

Its authors, who have affiliations with the University of California in San Francisco, reveal their findings in a study paper featured in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

For this study, the researchers analyzed the data of more than 32,000 U.S. adults, as collected via the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study. The team had access to information on the participants' use of e-cigarettes, as well as tobacco between 20132016.

Since none of these participants had lung disease at baseline, the investigators also looked at medical records, taking note of any new lung disease diagnoses that occurred during the study period.

The team found that both current and former e-cigarette users had a 1.3 times higher risk of developing chronic lung disease compared with non-users. This association remained in place even after the investigators adjusted for confounding factors, including tobacco use.

"What we found is that for e-cigarette users, the odds of developing lung disease increased by about a third, even after controlling for their tobacco use and their clinical and demographic information."

Senior author Prof. Stanton Glantz

"We concluded that e-cigarettes are harmful on their own, and the effects are independent of smoking conventional tobacco," says Prof. Glantz

Individuals who smoked tobacco but did not use e-cigarettes had a 2.6 times higher risk of developing lung disease than non-smokers.

But the researchers also found something even more concerning a large number of people who smoked tobacco also used e-cigarettes. These dual users, the team notes, had more than triple the risk of chronic lung disease.

"Dual users the most common use pattern among people who use e-cigarettes get the combined risk of e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes, so they're actually worse off than tobacco smokers," Prof. Glantz observes.

The researchers also point out that while people who switch from traditional tobacco cigarettes to e-cigarettes may indeed lower their own risk of lung problems, according to their data, under 1% of people who smoked tobacco switched to e-cigarettes, exclusively.

Other tobacco users took up e-cigarettes without giving up traditional smoking, thereby actually facing more significant health risks.

"Switching from conventional cigarettes to e-cigarettes exclusively could reduce the risk of lung disease, but very few people do it," notes Prof. Glantz.

"For most smokers, they simply add e-cigarettes and become dual users, significantly increasing their risk of developing lung disease above just smoking," he stresses.

These findings come hot on the heels of an outbreak of e-cigarette use-associated lung injury that prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue urgent warnings to users.

However, the researchers point out that their findings do not refer to such cases of lung injury. They do, however, suggest a strong relationship between e-cigarettes and poor lung health.

"This study contributes to the growing case that e-cigarettes have long-term adverse effects on health and are making the tobacco epidemic worse," says Prof. Glantz.

Continued here:

E-cigarettes: How high is the risk of chronic lung disease? - Medical News Today