Health & Happiness
FDA Warns Consumers of Serious Harm from Drinking Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to take Miracle Mineral Solution, an oral liquid also known as “Miracle Mineral Supplement” or “MMS.” The product, when used as directed, produces an industrial bleach that can cause serious harm to health.
The FDA has received several reports of health injuries from consumers using this product, including severe nausea, vomiting, and life-threatening low blood pressure from dehydration.
Consumers who have MMS should stop using it immediately and throw it away.
MMS is distributed on Internet sites and online auctions by multiple independent distributors. Although the products share the MMS name, the look of the labeling may vary.
The product instructs consumers to mix the 28 percent sodium chlorite solution with an acid such as citrus juice. This mixture produces chlorine dioxide, a potent bleach used for stripping textiles and industrial water treatment. High oral doses of this bleach, such as those recommended in the labeling, can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and symptoms of severe dehydration.
MMS claims to treat multiple unrelated diseases, including HIV, hepatitis, the H1N1 flu virus, common colds, acne, cancer, and other conditions. The FDA is not aware of any research that MMS is effective in treating any of these conditions. MMS also poses a significant health risk to consumers who may choose to use this product for self-treatment instead of seeking FDA-approved treatments for these conditions.
The FDA continues to investigate and may pursue civil or criminal enforcement actions as appropriate to protect the public from this potentially dangerous product.
The FDA advises consumers who have experienced any negative side effects from MMS to consult a health care professional as soon as possible and to discard the product. Consumers and health care professionals should report adverse events to the FDA’s MedWatch program at 800-FDA-1088 or online at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm.
Saving Deep Water Requires Digging Deep into our Habits
by Patricia Behnke
Many of us Floridians don't like to go too long without getting a whiff of salt air. Even those of us living inland are always within an hour or two of one coast or another. We take our lovely white-sand beaches, crystal clear blue water and clear skies dotted with fluffy white clouds for granted.
At least we took them for granted until April 20. On that day, the dire possibility of oiled wildlife and petroleum-covered beaches loomed as the explosion from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig reverberated through economic and environmental lines.
Now that the gushing oil well has been capped, we breathe a sigh of cautious celebration. But our dependence on fossil fuels still comes at a high cost.
The carbon dioxide emissions created from burning fossil fuels do more than change our climate. They also cause a phenomenon known as ocean acidification. While scientists debate the severity of climate change, most can look at the data and agree that the increase in the atmosphere's carbon dioxide levels impacts ocean life.
"Ocean acidification and climate change share a common insidious influence," said Bob Glazer, a biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and a co-leader of the FWC's climate change research and monitoring working group. "They are both caused by the increases in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere."
The process of ocean acidification does not mean the ocean is turning into a boiling cauldron of acid. It refers to changes in the water because of the additional carbon dioxide from the environment.
The U.S. Geological Survey's website explains the process of ocean acidification. Even though the ocean serves as a natural reservoir for carbon dioxide, increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the resulting uptake by the ocean results in increased seawater acidity. This process results in a decrease in the ocean's pH.
NOAA's State of the Science Fact Sheet on ocean acidification states oceans have absorbed approximately 50 percent of the carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels, which has increased ocean acidity by about 30 percent since the start of the Industrial Revolution. Even small changes in the acidity of seawater can have dramatic effects on sea life, which may include:
* Decreased rate of the production of coral skeletons.
* Reduction in the ability of marine algae and free-swimming zooplankton to maintain protective shells.
* Reduction in the survival of marine species, including commercial fish and shellfish.
"The health of the oceans is essential to the marine life it supports as well as to the atmosphere," Glazer said. "The proper balance within the seawater regulates carbon dioxide, the production of oxygen, the cycling of nitrogen and other important nutrients, and affects processes such as cloud formation. It is all a fragile balancing act."
The increase in ocean acidification adds more stress to ecosystems already stressed by human activities. The FWC and other wildlife managers know that addressing this issue requires reducing those stresses over which we have better control.
"For example, we can reduce pollution and runoff from land, develop wise coastal zoning regulations, eliminate destructive fishing practices and restore ecosystem integrity," Glazer said. "These approaches increase the health of ecosystems and are just good management practices; period."
For every tragedy that occurs, such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, opportunity exists for re-evaluation of priorities.
If I shorten the length of my shower, I won't change a thing. But if 18 million people in Florida collectively commit to doing at least one thing in their daily lives that will lessen their dependence on fossil fuel consumption, we might stand a chance at reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Some of these things will even be good for our wallets as well as the environment. You've heard them all before, but it doesn't hurt to have reminders, especially today. Turning off the lights when you leave the room will lower electric bills by not burning electricity and not pumping out more heat into the room. When an old bulb burns out, replace it with a compact fluorescent light bulb. These last longer and use less energy. The cost of the bulbs is coming down, too. I bought a package of six recently for $2 each. Start there for now. Then, next month, try a few more changes. Soon we'll all be substantially impacting life both above and below the sea.
Seasonal Flu Shot Clinics Open to the Public
Seasonal Flu Shots: Lake County Health Department and Lake-Sumter EMS are teaming up to provide seasonal flu shots again this year. See schedule below. There is no charge for the seasonal flu vaccination with a valid Medicare Part B or Medicare HMO card (must bring card to clinic). The cost without the card is $25. For details, contact Deanna Chapman, Lake-Sumter EMS at 352-383-4554 or Fran Weston, Lake County Health Department at 352-357-1668.
Homebound Flu Shots are available by calling 352-267-2917. To qualify for this program, an individual must be unable to leave home due to an medically documented illness or injury; experiences a considerable and taxing effort to leave and is absent from the home infrequently, for a short duration or to receive medical care, or requires the assistance of a device, other persons or special transportation.
Sept 07 9:00 – 11:30 AM Lake-Sumter EMS, 2761 W Old Highway 441, Mt. Dora
Sept 08 9:00 – 11:30 AM Lake-Sumter EMS, 2761 W Old Highway 441, Mt. Dora
Sept 09 9:00 – 11:30 AM Lake-Sumter EMS, 2761 W Old Highway 441, Mt. Dora
Sept 10 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM Hammock’s Promise New Hill Rd Leesburg
Sept 14 9:00 AM -1:00 PM Morrison Methodist Church, 1005 W Main St, Leesburg
Sept 16 9:00 – 11:30 AM Lady Lake Community Bldg, 225 W Guava St, Lady Lake
Sept 16 3:00 – 5:00 PM AAA Auto Club South 955 Bichara Bld. The Villages
Sept 20 3:00 – 5:00 PM AAA Auto Club South 955 Bichara Bld. The Villages
Sept 21 10:30 AM – Noon Peppertree Apartments, 2503 South Street, Leesburg
Sept 22 10:30 am-Noon Villas of Mount Dora
Sep 22 2:00 – 4:00 PM Pearl Lane Apartments, 725 Umatilla Blvd, Umatilla
Sept 23 3:00 – 5:00 PM AAA Auto club South 955 Bichara Bld. The Villages
Sept 27 3:00 – 5:00 PM AAA Auto club South 955 Bichara Bld. The Villages
Sept 28 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM Celebration of Praise 3700 S US Hwy 27 Clermont
Sept 30 1:00 – 3:00 PM Umatilla Library, 412 Hatfield Dr, Umatilla
Check for updated information online at: www.lakesumterems.org or www.lakechd.com
What's Going Around: Sinusitis
If you’re suffering from a cold that just won’t go away, and now the runny nose and cough are accompanied by facial pain and tenderness, you may have What’s Going Around – Sinusitis, a bacterial infection of the sinuses.
Sinusitis occurs when one or more of the nasal passages are unable to drain due to inflammation. Many of the other symptoms of sinusitis mimic the common cold. In fact, sinusitis often starts as a cold, but the common cold typically runs its course in about a week. Sinusitis, on the other hand, can last weeks or months if left untreated. It’s important to note that viral sinusitis is present with all colds, but a doctor’s diagnosis of sinusitis typically refers to that caused by a bacterial infection.
Symptoms:
• Pressure/Pain in the Head and Pain or Tenderness of the Face (may intensify when you lean over)
• Nasal Congestion
• Coughing
• Fever
• Sore Throat
• Nasal Discharge
• Postnasal Drip
Sinusitis itself is rarely contagious, but the cold symptoms that precede it can be easily spread from person to person. If your sinusitis is bacterial in nature, your doctor will likely prescribe an antibiotic to shorten its duration. Symptoms may also be treated with over-the-counter medications to alleviate pain, fever and congestion. A humidifier or nasal saline mist and drinking plenty of fluids can be helpful to thin the mucus.
The following can help to prevent sinusitis:
• Wash/sanitize your hands often
• Avoid people who have colds or other upper respiratory infections
• Use a humidifier to increase moisture
• Avoid pollutants such as smoke
• Get a flu vaccination
• Treat the symptoms of an upper respiratory infection quickly, so they don’t get worse
For more information visit: www.CentraCare.org.
Weight Loss may Reduce Hot flashes for Overweight Women
Overweight women who lose weight during menopause may discover a previously unknown benefit of diet and exercise: fewer hot flashes (also called hot flushes), according to a study in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.
“Hot flushes are among the most common concerns of women during menopause and persist for five or more years past menopause in as many as one-third of women,” according to background information in the study. “In multiple observational studies, women with a higher body mass index (BMI) have reported more frequent or severe hot flushes compared with women with a lower BMI.”
The study lasted six months and involved 338 women who were overweight or obese. The women, who averaged 53 years old, were divided into two groups: a weight-loss group of 226 women and a control group of 112 women.
When the study started, about half of the women in each group said they had been at least slightly bothered by hot flashes during the previous month.
Women in the weight-loss group took part in a six-month lifestyle and behavior change program designed to help them lose 7 to 9 percent of their starting body weight. The program included weekly, hour-long group sessions with experts in nutrition, exercise and behavior change.
Women in the weight-loss group were encouraged to increase their physical activity to at least 200 minutes a week using brisk walking or similar activities. They were also helped to follow a 1,200- to 1,500-calorie diet.
Researchers found that among women who reported bothersome hot flashes at the beginning of the study, those who lost weight, lowered their BMI or reduced their waist size reported an improvement in hot flashes compared to women in the control group.
“Our findings indicate that women who are overweight or obese and experience bothersome hot flushes may also experience improvement in these symptoms after pursuing behavioral weight-loss strategies,” the researchers concluded.
This article was submitted courtesy of Central Florida Health Alliance.