The Importance Of Cleanliness In Good Health

The subject of cleanliness has been discussed from all angles for many years. Arguments against, as well as for, have been presented with various degrees of effectiveness. It was not so long ago that washing the whole body was considered a sin and a shame, and bath-tubs were originally introduced in spite of protests from the sanitarians.

The pendulum has now swung too far in the other direction. Cleanliness is sometimes claimed to be the means of prevention and cure of almost all kinds of diseases. Health Departments are often required to spend a great deal of time and money on municipal housekeeping such as street cleaning and collection of refuse. Expense of this kind should not be charged up to health work as there is very slight chance that disease can be prevented in this way.

On the other hand, cleanliness in the form of pure water, pasteurized milk from inspected dairies, fresh food from sanitary kitchens and stores—handled by people free from communicable disease—all have a real effect upon the public health.

Personal cleanliness is very much a matter of personal choice. There are certain social standards that most of us prefer to measure up to, but small habits are those most likely to affect health. Keeping the hands clean probably does more to promote our own health and prevent spreading disease to others than all the other types of personal cleanliness put together. Children can be directed toward the clean hands habit with effective results from an early age.

Source: PopularArticles.comTM / Health and Medical / http://www.PopularArticles.com/article154815.html

A Tragic History: Mesothelioma and Asbestos Cancer

Many asbestos cancer experts, attorneys, and mesothelioma sufferers view asbestos as a material developed and used only in the 19th century. But in fact, asbestos was first discovered and named by the ancient Greeks. In this article, we will examine the facts of asbestos use throughout the ages. We will see what was known about the dangers of asbestos cancer, and when mesothelioma and asbestosis began to be recognized as the tragic illnesses they are known to be today.
Asbestos And Mesothelioma: From The Ancient World To The 21st Century
In ancient Rome, asbestos fibers were uses to make clothing flame retardant. In Greece, the fibers were used to make other textiles. In Persia, garments were prized for their ability to be cleaned over a fire, instead of with water. In China, Marco Polo describes similar items that were "washed" by being dropped into flames. These clothes could only have been made from asbestos. After the fall of the Roman Empire and the fade of the great empires of the east, the use of asbestos seemed to stop.
As of 1860, asbestos had appeared again across the United States and Canada, mostly used as insulation within buildings. In 1879, the first commercial asbestos mine appeared in Canada, just outside of Quebec. By the turn of the century, asbestos use was much more common: flame-resistant coatings, concrete, flooring, roofing, acid resistant materials, and lawn furniture all had asbestos components.
With the rise of asbestos use came the first recorded death as a result of mesothelioma asbestos cancer. In 1906, an asbestos miner died of asbestos cancer, but his cause of death was not established until later. However, further instances of mesothelioma -- still diagnosed as an unknown lung disorder -- were observed throughout the early 20th century, particularly in asbestos mining towns.
Libby, Montana is a modern example of a mining town contaminated with asbestos. The EPA has been attempting to clean up Libby for 10 years, but 200 people thus far have died from asbestos exposure, with over 1,000 sickened. The town was contaminated by a nearby vermiculite mine, its residents threatened by waste products and discarded materials from mining operations.
The town of Libby has been stricken by asbestos contamination despite modern day interventions. In the early days, before mesothelioma was recognized or asbestos poisoning considered, towns were even more dramatically impacted. Yet even now, when the dangers of asbestos, as well as its links with mesothelioma, are clear, company negligence still goes unpunished. The company responsible for the mine that contaminated Libby was recently acquitted in a trial centered around the deaths in the town. The mining company will face no penalty, despite the hundreds of asbestos poisoning deaths and thousands of asbestos-related illnesses in Libby.
The First Diagnosis Of Asbestos Cancer, Asbestosis, And Mesothelioma
In 1924, a doctor in England recognized the pattern of illness and made the first diagnosis of asbestos cancer. At the time, it was called asbestosis and the existence of mesothelioma remained unknown. Nonetheless, the initial diagnosis created a wave of laws about asbestos handling -- at least in England. The United Kingdom began regulating ventilation and established asbestosis as an "excusable work related disease" in the 1930s. The United States did not take the same measures until nearly 10 years later.
Around 1930, the medical community was beginning to investigate mesothelioma, at that time a new disease with strange symptoms and little information. They could only observe the symptoms: coughing, shortness of breath, and generalized chest/lung pain. Mesothelioma was not connected to asbestos nor suggested as asbestos cancer until 1940.
What Did Companies Know About The Hazards Of Asbestos Exposure?
The basis of mesothelioma and asbestos cancer legislation is that many asbestos companies knew the material was dangerous, but did not protect workers and customers from these known dangers. Court documents have shown that companies began to learn about asbestos related health hazards as early as 1930, but despite this knowledge, they did nothing to keep workers or consumers safe. Instead, they allowed asbestos use to grow even as diagnoses of mesothelioma and asbestos cancer grew as well.
Although limited through a lawsuit, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a rule in 1989 that allows only trace amounts of asbestos to appear in modern building materials. Even though lingering asbestos contamination remains and threatens citizens, the modern world now recognizes the dangers of asbestos and no longer uses it as a primary material.
The Dangers Of Natural Asbestos
Although asbestos exposure occurs most commonly through contact with asbestos mines or products made from asbestos, there are also a shockingly large number of so-called asbestos "occurrences" throughout the U.S. These sites are not commonly monitored by the EPA, nor has much been done to clean them up or protect surrounding communities.
An asbestos "occurrence" is defined as a place where asbestos has been observed, but not mined or prospected for mining. These veins of asbestos can be shallow enough that asbestos dust rises into the air, making the name "occurrences" misleading - they're more like "hazards." There are 205 such documented occurrences throughout the eastern part of the U.S., and most of these have been discovered through anecdotal evidence rather than active surveys. The government has helped to clean up commercial asbestos use, but they have done little to control the dangers of exposure to the material in its natural state. Even when not manufactured or milled, asbestos and its fibers can cause mesothelioma, asbestos cancer, asbestos poisoning, and all the other horrific conditions that can result from the disease.
Mesothelioma and Asbestos Cancer Today
Although asbestos has been regulated for 20 years, mesothelioma lawsuits are still being filed today because of the long incubation period of the disease. The cancer frequently requires 20-50 years between exposure and the manifestation of symptoms, meaning that many workers who handled asbestos during the height of its use are only just starting to show symptoms. Sadly, the numbers of lawsuits are only expected to increase. Asbestos cancer is tragic, and has been tragic throughout history. But today we can fight back against the companies that failed to protect us, and we can know that the world is safer for our children.


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author is Joe Belluck and this article was published in www.articlebase.com

What Do You Need To Know Before Getting A Lasik Treatment

(pics from google image)

When children wear glasses, they are generally teased and made fun of. When those same children get older, they often times switch to contact lenses to make themselves look like the other kids. Finally, they reach adulthood. Now they can make decisions about their eye care without their parents input. Then they learn about the LASIK procedure, which promises to take away the need for glasses or contact lenses forever with a 30-minute surgery.

The first thing that will happen is your eye will get a washed out with a numbing solution. The lid will then be held in an open position with special clamps to prevent blinking. Once the numbing solution has started to work, the surgeon will use the machines magnifying lens and a scalpel to cut a flap-like incision in the cornea.

The laser works based on pulses, when enough tissue is removed, the computer tells the laser to shut off. The surgeon then closes the flap of the cornea. That's it; your LASIK procedure is complete!

When you enter the room where your procedure will take place you will see a recliner type chair. This is where you will be sitting for the surgery, so get comfortable. There will also be a large machine, with which the surgeon will perform the surgery. This machine might look clumsy, but it is a precision piece of equipment.

The surgeon does not use any sutures to close the incision on the cornea, instead a patch will be placed over the eye for protection during the healing process. You will end up looking like a pirate, but the patch will protect the cornea from the scratches and bumps of everyday life.

Before jumping into a LASIK procedure, it is important to know what to expect and how to pick the doctor who will perform the surgery for you. When you visit you eye care professional to discuss if this option is right for you, there will be some tests that need to be completed. These tests will let the doctor know if you are a candidate for the LASIK procedure and, if you are, how much tissue needs to be removed from your cornea to improve your vision.

Most LASIK procedure patients return to work with in a couple of days and to normal everyday activities gradually over a couple of weeks. Be prepared to have blurry vision and sensitivity to light. These will both pass, and your vision will be as clear as it was with glasses or better.

source : http://www.populararticles.com/article16733.html

Winconsin Lemon Law

A vehicle purchase is often the second largest investment in a person's life. Wisconsin has laws and procedures in place to protect this investment. Similarly, warranties are also provided with vehicles to protect consumers. An experienced attorney can guide you through the procedures and advise you on whether your vehicle is eligible for relief.

Wisconsin's Lemon Law, one of the strongest in the country, has now provided protection for Wisconsin consumers for over 24 years. Signed into law on November 3, 1983, it protects new car, motorcycle, truck, semi-truck, and motor home buyers by stating that a manufacturer must refund or replace a new vehicle if it turns out to be a "lemon".

Obtaining relief under the lemon law is a procedure that must be followed carefully. An attorney can be helpful in determining whether you have a lemon law claim and to guide you through the lemon law process. Our office has handled hundreds of lemon law and warranty litigation cases and is experienced in litigating these types of cases throughout the State of Wisconsin.

Under the law, a vehicle is considered a lemon if it has one or more defects that substantially impair its use, value or safety. Such defects must be covered by warranty, and problems must occur in the first year of the warranty coverage. Although defects and repair attempts must occur in the first year, vehicle owners have up to several years after that to file a lawsuit.

While every state has a lemon law, the strength of these laws vary greatly. Wisconsin's Lemon Law is stronger than most and has a number of unique features.

▪ The law provides for double damages if a consumer wins a Lemon Law case in court.

▪ The law provides for the manufacturer to pay actual attorney fees and costs if the consumer prevails.

▪ The Wisconsin Lemon Law covers commercial vehicles. In many states, large commercial trucks have no protection.

▪ There is no mileage limitation.

▪ There is no express statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit.

▪ The law requires arbitration boards that have been certified by the state to strictly apply the lemon law to their decisions.

▪ Titles of "lemon" vehicles are branded "manufacturer buyback vehicle" making them more easily identifiable.

A consumer whose vehicle meets the definition of a lemon, having a substantial defect or condition, four repair attempts for the same problem or 30 days out of service for a variety of problems, needs to first contact the manufacturer to request a refund or replacement. The manufacturer has 30 days to respond. If the manufacturer does not respond or offer a refund or replacement vehicle, the consumer has a private right of action to sue the manufacturer in court. A consumer who wins a Lemon law suit will be awarded double damages, plus other costs and attorney fees.
Wisconsin Lemon Aid is a web site dedicated to the trust of the consumer. This site serves as a information source for consumers that are experiencing difficulties in "Lemon Law" issues.

sources : http://www.wisconsinlemonaid.com/

Laser Hair Removal

Unwanted hair has been a problem ever since and especially for women. However, these days even men look up to grooming equally as women and wish to get rid of unwanted hair. There are a number of methods that have been used for hair removal like threading, waxing, hair removing creams etc. But none of these methods has resulted in permanent hair removal. However, with the help of laser technology permanent hair removal is possible and you can have a smooth hairless skin.

Laser hair removal works for both men and women equally and works for both small as well as large areas. But there are certain limitations to the use of laser hair removal and not everyone can take up this treatment.

Who is eligible for a laser hair removal treatment?
When you approach a laser hair removal center then they would first check whether you are a suitable candidate to undergo a laser hair removal or not. Ideally a laser hair removal treatment is considered to best suit people who have a light skin color in comparison to the color of their hair. Moreover, it is also thought to be ideal for people who are fair and have a light skin color.

For determining whether you are a suitable candidate for laser hair removal the doctor would usually check your skin and hair color. It is considered that people who have a dark skin color absorb a lot of laser radiation and hence are not considered to be ideally suited for laser hair removal treatment.

At times laser hair specialists also do not consider people who are tanned and those who have light colored hair for this treatment."> When you take up laser hair removal treatment you are required to meet the doctor for multiple sessions and more than this the treatment is expensive and you should be able to meet the cost of the treatment.


Doctors or specialists doing the laser hair removal treatment usually advise their clients to avoid having foods that have high content of beta-carotene during the time when they are undergoing laser hair removal.

How much does the laser hair removal treatment cost ?

The cost of laser hair removal can vary greatly. Usually the cost is assessed according to the size of the area that is being treated. If you take up laser hair removal treatment in Washington DC then you can be charged almost $300 to $500 for every treatment session. Generally the permanent laser hair removal treatment requires 4 treatment sessions.

If you are considering a laser hair removal treatment for a larger area like your back or arms of legs then you can be charged more for this. Treating small areas like eyebrows, upper lip, forehead would cost you a lesser amount.

It is advised that before you make an appointment with the laser hair removal specialist you should confirm the price and other details so that you would know that you can afford taking the treatment.

The process of laser hair removal
When you go in for laser hair removal then you would have to in for various sessions depending upon the area that is being treated and the specialist who is handling your treatment.

Multiple sessions are required because there are a number of dormant hair follicles under the skin that needs to be killed. If these follicles were left like that then they would replace the follicles that had been killed in the previous session. For making this hair removal permanent it is important that you go in for multiple sessions.

The duration of each of these sessions varies on the area that is being treated and can vary from a few minutes to hours. The treatment does not involve much of pain and you would just have a tingling sensation. However at times when patients have pain the specialist would prescribe certain painkillers.

When you go for treatment the excess hair on the area of treatment is removed and the area is exposed to the pulsing laser beam to destroy the hair follicles. Once this is done then the specialist would provide you with a soothing moisturizing treatment.

Source : http://www.omniglot.com/om/washington/Hair_laser_removal_Washington_DC.html

Toasted Skin Syndrome

picture from google image


Have you ever worked on your laptop computer with it sitting on your lap, heating up your legs? If so, you might want to rethink that habit.

Doing it a lot can lead to "toasted skin syndrome", an unusual-looking mottled skin condition caused by long-term heat exposure, according to medical reports.

In one recent case, a 12-year-old boy developed a sponge-patterned skin discolouration on his left thigh after playing computer games a few hours every day for several months.

"He recognised that the laptop got hot on the left side; however, regardless of that, he did not change its position," Swiss researchers reported in an article published today in the journal Pediatrics.

Another case involved a Virginia law student who sought treatment for the mottled discolouration on her leg.

Dr Kimberley Salkey, who treated the young woman, was stumped until she learnt the student spent about six hours a day working with her computer propped on her lap. The temperature underneath registered 51 degrees.

That case, from 2007, is one of 10 laptop-related cases reported in medical journals in the past six years.

The condition also can be caused by overuse of heating pads and other heat sources that usually aren't hot enough to cause burns.

It's generally harmless but can cause permanent skin darkening. In very rare cases, it can cause damage leading to skin cancers, said the Swiss researchers, Drs Andreas Arnold and Peter Itin from University Hospital Basel.

They do not cite any skin cancer cases linked to laptop use, but suggest, to be safe, placing a carrying case or other heat shield under the laptop if you have to hold it in your lap.

Salkey, an assistant dermatology professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School, said that under the microscope, the affected skin resembles skin damaged by long-term sun exposure.

Major manufacturers including Apple, Hewlett Packard and Dell warn in user manuals against placing laptops on laps or exposed skin for extended periods of time because of the risk of burns.

A medical report several years ago found that men who used laptops on their laps had elevated scrotum temperatures. If prolonged, that kind of heat can decrease sperm production, which can potentially lead to infertility. Whether laptop use itself can cause that kind of harm has not been confirmed.

In the past, "toasted skin syndrome" has occurred in workers whose jobs require being close to a heat source, including bakers and glass blowers, and, before central heating, in people who huddled near potbellied stoves to stay warm.

Dr Anthony Mancini, dermatology chief at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, said he had treated a boy who developed the condition from using a heating pad "hours at a time" to soothe a thigh injured in soccer.

He said he had also seen a case caused by a hot water bottle.

He noted that chronic, prolonged skin inflammation could potentially increase the chances of squamous cell skin cancer, which is more aggressive than the most common skin cancer.

But he said it was unlikely that computer use would lead to cancer since it was so easy to avoid prolonged close skin contact with laptops.

p/s i used to put my laptop on my lap for severaal hours but after reading this articles i will always remind myself not to do it anymore. the word cancer really scare me off. thanks to the doctor who has made this valuable research.

source : http:www.watoday.com/