Health News This Week (January 30, 2010)
Responding to a crisis: The harsh realities for aid workers in Haiti – January 30, 2010: They have come from all over the world, speaking a multitude of languages and representing dozens of countries. Diverse as the planet itself, they are all united by one mission: to save lives. The number of relief workers in Haiti is now in the thousands and is expected to increase as Haiti continues to recover from the devastating January 12 earthquake. Relief workers have pulled survivors from the rubble, given them food and water, set up water purification plants and opened shelters.
Herbal remedies, heart drugs a dangerous combo – February 2, 2010: If you take heart medication, you may want to avoid some of the most popular over-the-counter herbal supplements on the market, including ginseng, saw palmetto, and echinacea. These herbal remedies — and many others — can cause potentially serious problems in people taking heart medications, a new report warns.
Concussions extra dangerous to teen brains – February 4, 2010: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 4 million sports and recreation-related concussions occur each year. Experts say the vast majority are suffered at the high school level, but few schools have rules governing how concussion is treated — and few coaches are trained to identify it. ”It’s the group we need to worry about most,” said Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, chairman of the American Academy of Neurology Sports Neurology Section, adding that fewer than half of high schools have access to athletic trainers.
Obama calls for talks with GOP on health care, then vote by Congress – February 4, 2010: President Obama called Thursday for high-level talks with Republicans to work out a compromise on health care legislation, then putting the resulting bill to a vote in Congress. ”If Congress decides we’re not going to do it, even after all the facts are laid out, after all the options are clear, then the American people can make a judgment as to whether this Congress has done the right thing for them or not,” Obama said. “That’s how democracy works.”
Man awakens from H1N1 coma – February 4, 2010: A Seattle-area man spent 17 days in a coma after contracting the swine flu.
Ex-NFL lineman tackles Super Sunday overeating – February 5, 2010: Excluding Thanksgiving, Americans eat more on Super Bowl Sunday than on any other day of the year, according to the American Institute of Food Distribution. Former NFL lineman Jamie Dukes says the amount of food consumed, coupled with inactivity, makes Super Bowl Sunday one unhealthy celebration.
