Women who get a prosthetic foot after losing a leg to disease or injury have limited shoe options, but an invention by five Johns Hopkins University students may change that. The university announced Wednesday that the “Prominence” could be the first non-custom prosthetic foot to adapt to high heels up to 4 inches high.

“High heels have become an integral part of the female lifestyle in modern society, permeating through all aspects of life— professional and social,” the mechanical engineering students wrote in a report of their project. “For female veterans of the U.S. armed services with lower limb amputations, that seemingly innocuous, but so pervasive, and decidedly feminine part of their lives is gone.”

Creating the ideal prosthetic proved challenging for the students, as the device needed to be easily adjustable for multiple shoe types, maintain its position without slipping, support a person weighing up to 250 pounds, weigh less than 3 pounds itself, and be slender enough to accommodate a woman’s shoe.

Students developed their project in two semesters by evaluating its function with mathematical equations, as well as with tests by machines and people, according to the release. After trying multiple options— including a mousetrap spring and balloon— the team settled on a 28-layer carbon fiber footplate to form the base of the foot as it best gave the foot the spring it needed at the proper weight.

The final device also uses a heel adjustment mechanism with two interlocking aluminum disks that opens and closes using an attached lever at the ankle.

Alexandra Capellini, a Johns Hopkins University junior studying public health, lost her right leg to bone cancer and was one of seven participants for the prosthetic test, which involved four types of women’s shoes.

“An adjustable ankle is useful in contexts even beyond high heels,” Capellini said in the release. “Ballet flats, sneakers, boots, and high heels especially, all vary in height, so an adjustable ankle opens up opportunities to wear a variety of shoes.”

The team hopes their design will help the nearly 2,100 American women who lost a leg or foot in military service, as well as other women who have suffered from lower-body limb losses and want to wear high heels again.

“I think the final prototype produced showed the way forward,” Nathan Scott, a senior mechanical engineering lecturer at Johns Hopkins University who advised the student group, said in the release. “As usual we just need to go around the design and prototyping loop one more time.”

A woman named Leslie, who had to go through hysterectomy, warns women about the contraceptive device, Essure and its side effects that include menopause. After she had her hysterectomy her gynecologist believes that this birth control device is not safe. Leslie’s gynecologist recommended the device as a safer alternative for preventing unwanted pregnancies. Leslie is a former policewoman and is in excellent health, she went off the pill once it started affecting her blood pressure so instead she had the device implanted.

Some Essure side effects
Soon Leslie was going through menopausal symptoms. She was also suffering from a stabbing pain on the right side of her abdomen. She checked the internet to see whether there were any side effects to the device, and she soon found herself finding a lot of them. Her gynecologist told Leslie to stop referring to the internet but when she was told by Leslie about how she would bleed after intercourse, her gynecologist ordered her to get a transvaginal ultrasound done. The ultrasound showed cervical polyps and a fibroid tumor that was growing outside of Leslie’s uterus. Her gynecologist soon arranged a surgery to have the device removed. Leslie then filed a lawsuit against the device. She claims that she is better after she had her hysterectomy done.

Essure can cause nickel allergy
Leslie also shared the story about her nickel allergy. She told how her husband got her an Apple watch. But after wearing it for two weeks she suffered from a circular rash on her arm from the metal on the watch fastener. So she stopped wearing the watch and it took about two weeks for those burn-like marks to go away. It was clear that Leslie was allergic to nickel. Now the question is what was the contraceptive device actually doing to her body?

The Essure representative told her gynecologist that it was the doctor’s fault, the one who had not implanted the device correctly. Leslie is still under the care of her gynecologist. She feels disgusted by the fact that there is a contraceptive device in the market that is causing women to suffer from extreme health issues causing them to take drastic measures, hysterectomy included. And because of this defective device women have suffered from organ perforation, and have lost their organs. Leslie claims that these Essure adverse reactions and the risks associated with it are underreported, mainly because of the fact that they can mimic menopause, but these complications are still life-threatening. Leslie’s story has helped some gynecologists not recommend the product to their clients.

Hundreds of banana farmers from Central America and South America will again have their day in court, after a U.S. appeals court on Friday revived six lawsuits accusing several big fruit and chemical companies of sickening them with a toxic pesticide.

By an 11-0 vote, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia revived claims by 228 farmers from Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala and Panama against such companies as Chiquita Brands International, Del Monte Fresh Produce, Dole Food, Dow Chemical, Occidental Chemical and Shell Oil.

The court said a Delaware judge abused his discretion by dismissing the lawsuits instead of putting them on hold or transferring them, after another judge in Louisiana had rejected the same claims because they were brought there too late.

Circuit Judge Julio Fuentes called it “untenable” to throw out litigation that began in 1993, without any U.S. court reviewing the merits of the farmers’ claims.

The farmers are seeking damages from the defendants for exposure from the 1960s to 1980s to dibromochloropropane (DBCP), a pesticide they blame for causing sterility, kidney failure, elevated cancer risk, birth defects and other medical problems.

Most uses of DBCP were banned in the United States in 1977. The farmers sued on their own after a U.S. court rejected their bid to pursue a class action.

“I’m extremely gratified that a court of this stature has finally seen the truth,” and that the farmers will “have their day in court, which is what they have asked for two decades,” their lawyer Scott Hendler said in a phone interview.

Other banana workers with similar claims have won multi-million dollar settlements. One case against Dole reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003.

Lawyers for the companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Friday’s decision reversed an August 2015 ruling by a three-judge 3rd Circuit panel, which had upheld dismissals of the six lawsuits by U.S. District Judge Richard Andrews in Delaware.

Fuentes said he found merit to defense arguments that the farmers tried to “game the system” by shopping for a friendlier court after being shut out in Louisiana.

But he said dismissal would be unfair, given that the farmers were indifferent as to which court heard their claims, so long as they were heard.

Most of the lawsuits were returned to Delaware for further proceedings. Claims against Chiquita will move to New Jersey, where that company is incorporated.

Thailand has recorded about 200 cases of Zika since January, the health ministry said on Tuesday, making it a country with one of the highest numbers of confirmed cases in the region.

It was the first time Thailand’s health ministry has confirmed the number of Zika cases this year.

The announcement comes a day after health experts called on Thailand to be more transparent in reporting the Zika threat to the public after health officials played down risks from rising infections of the mosquito-borne virus.

Health officials have expressed concern that disclosing information on Zika, which is linked to serious birth defects, would damage Thailand’s lucrative tourism industry.

“Since January, we have recorded about 200 cases and over the past three weeks, we have confirmed an average of 20 new cases per week,” Ministry of Public Health spokesman Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai told Reuters.

“The number of cases is stable,” he said, without giving further details.

Island city-state Singapore reported its first locally infected Zika patient on Aug. 27 and since then, the number of reported infections has soared to more than 300.

Malaysia and the Philippines have also reported cases.

The virus, which is affecting large parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, has been circulating in Asia for years.

The lineage of the virus circulating in Asia is different to the one in the Americas, researchers say. The level of population immunity to the lineage of Zika in Asia remains unknown, according to the World Health Organization.

Suwannachai urged the public not to panic and reiterated a message aimed at reassuring tourists.

“People shouldn’t be scared to visit provinces affected by the Zika virus,” Suwannachai said.

Zika infections in pregnant women have been shown to cause microcephaly – a severe birth defect in which the head and brain are undersized – as well as other brain abnormalities.

The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last year in Brazil, which has since confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly.

Thailand has found no cases of microcephaly linked to Zika and it is monitoring about two dozen pregnant woman and about six who have given birth with no complications, the health ministry said.

In adults, Zika infections have also been linked to a rare neurological syndrome known as Guillain-Barre, as well as other neurological disorders.

If you are considering laser hair removal but are hesitant because of the unknown cost for the treatments you might want to consider using a money saving device like a Groupon Coupon. I didn’t think I would find an board certified technician or clinic that would meet my standards so I kept putting off getting treatments thinking the day would come sometime in the future when I could afford it. Then one day a co-worker came back from vacation with such smooth skin I just had to know what had happened. This was a person who had razor bumps from shaving and was very self conscious about the look of her chin. Now she was outgoing and smiling like I’d never seen her before. I just had to know what she had done to change her appearance so drastically.

At lunch she told me the story of using a Groupon to go to a clinic that was a very reputable place to have laser hair removal work done and she was very glad she did. All laser treatments have risk associated so you want to be sure you are told upfront what can happen. I think that is the part that scared me the most. I had already suffered for decades with hairy bumps and ingrown hairs and I was afraid of it getting worse if I got shoddy treatment. But she assured me this place was one of the best. What if I’m one of the few people who don’t respond to the treatments, I wondered. She said they really took time to explain all the options and that she had saved enough on her procedures to get twice the treatments she thought she could afford.

When I looked up the Groupon and saw how many providers were near me I couldn’t believe it. There were deals for up to 60% off on multiple areas and deals for multiple treatments that met my exact needs. I scheduled an appointment and since I’ve started treatments I’m so happy I tell everybody I know about Groupon. And I got $25 off as a fist time customer when I entered the special money saving code. That really sweetened the deal. Do yourself a favor and get this deal if you need it, then do another favor and tell someone else about it.

After eight children in Washington state have been hospitalized for acute neurological illnesses, health officials are trying to determine whether the illnesses could be an extremely rare syndrome that causes varying degrees of paralysis similar to polio.

The Washington Department of Health said the children all had a loss of strength or movement in one or more arms or legs with a range of types and severity of symptoms. Doctors say the syndrome is not contagious.

Three of the children are currently hospitalized at Seattle Children’s, and five have been released.

The syndrome, acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), affects the nervous system — specifically the spinal cord — and can affect both children and adults.

The Washington cases have not been confirmed as AFM, but are being investigated as such.

With just a few short weeks to go until 2017 arrives, millions of people will already be thinking about their to-do lists for next year. One of the most common items on the agenda will be to quit smoking.

Giving up entirely is immensely difficult. But even if you’ve tried and failed in the past, vaping can be the ideal solution. Rather than waiting until January, you should look to take the plunge today. Here are some of the most compelling reasons why.

See The Benefits Immediately

Life is short, and you’ll never get anywhere if you keep putting things off until tomorrow. The calendar shouldn’t dictate your movements, and starting today will let you reap the rewards straight away.

The first steps are often the hardest. However, it only takes a few weeks to adapt to a new habit. So you could be into the swing of things before the end of 2016. Given that the benefits of vaping compared to smoking are plentiful, this should offer huge motivation.

When January arrives, you’ll be ready to attack 2017 like a pro too.

Time To Adjust

Acclimatizing to the new habit isn’t simply about training your mind. As a cigarette smoker, you appreciate that you have your personal preferences. Vaping should be a unique experience too, and starting now will give you time to discover your favorite elements before 2017 arrives.

There are various types of vape mods available on the market. It may require a little trial and error. But finding the perfect solution for your needs and preferences will increase your enjoyment tenfold.

It’s far better to work these things out now. After all, if you start in January and aren’t enjoying it by February, you’ll give up. Stick with it from now until February, and you should have discovered your ideal setup.

Aid Other Resolutions

Let’s face it; quitting cigarettes is just one of several improvements you’re looking to make. But vaping can often help you with several of those additional tasks.

Take getting fit, for example. You’ll be far better equipped for HIIT workouts when you aren’t inhaling cigarette smoke on a daily basis. Likewise, ridding yourself of the addiction can leave you feeling more confident at work and in relationships.

Essentially, this is your gateway to the life you’ve always wanted. Getting a head start on the job now can only further boost your cause.

Help You Quit Altogether

Ultimately, your main goal is surely to end your dependence altogether. In the meantime, vaping can reduce the damage to your wallet and body. Eventually, though, it should help you kick any type of habit. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll achieve that goal.

Many vapers have found that this is their best option, especially when they’ve failed with outdated methods. Of course, you may find that hypnotherapy and similar ideas are still useful. Regarding your daily activities, though, this is the your greatest weapon.

If that doesn’t give you the incentive to change immediately, nothing will?

The truth is that with each and every sport, comes a risk of injury. Some sports, such as weightlifting, come with higher risks than activities like pilates. However, every sport comes with a risk of injury, and no matter how small that risk may be, it’s important to be aware of it.

The good news is that by determining what the main causes are of sports injuries, you can help to prevent them from occurring. Or, at least, in some cases, you can. Admittedly, there are some sports injuries that aren’t preventable, such as falls, for instance. However, many of the most common sports injuries are easily avoidable.

Main causes of sports injuries:

To work out how to prevent common sports injuries, it’s important to understand why they occur.

Repetitive movements. One of the most common causes of sports injuries is due to repetitive movements. If you do the same type of activity day in, day out, such as swimming, running or playing racket sports, you’re putting yourself at risk. This is because overuse of a certain part of your body can lead to various joint, bone, and muscle problems.

Twisting. Any sports that incorporate quick movements can lead to an ankle or knee being twisted, causing damage. Ankles are prone to ligament strains, for instance. While knees, shoulders, and elbows are prone to muscular tearing.

Not allowing your body to recover properly. The biggest mistake you can make when it comes to exercise is not allowing your body to recover properly after a workout. If you try and get back to exercising too quickly, your body will be at higher risk of injury as your muscles will be tired, and more prone to tearing.

Best ways to prevent yourself from getting hurt:

Now that we’ve discussed the most common causes of injuries, it’s time to look at how we can prevent them.

Don’t overwork yourself. As mentioned above, overworking your body can make you more prone to injuries. So, it’s important to have rest days where you allow your muscles and joints to rest, so that when you next workout, you’re in tip-top shape.

Know your body. It’s important to get to know your body. Note down the areas that are weakest, and do what you can to protect them from injury. Say, for example, your left knee is prone to twisting and has been injured before, wear a knee sleeve to help support it when you’re exercising. Copper wear products tend to be good, as they’re infused with copper technology, and offer high levels of support.

Always warm up. Last but not least, make sure to always warm up before working out. Many sports injuries occur simply because the muscles haven’t been properly warmed up. When you warm up, the body begins pumping more blood and oxygen to the muscles, ensuring that they’re ready for more vigorous activity.

So, there you have it, the main causes of sports injuries and how to prevent them from occurring. Take note, and hopefully, you’ll have an injury-free future when it comes to working out.

The idea of having part of your body cut open and played with by a complete stranger is a terrifying thought for most people. Any surgery can be a stressful and dread filled time, even for the bravest of us.

Obviously, the thought of your insides being played with is scary enough. But, when you add on anesthetic and pain, it gets much worse. To help you with this terrible circumstance, this post is going to ease some of your pre op concerns.

To get to their current position, your doctors and surgeons have dedicated a huge portion of their lives to studying medicine. The commitment to do such a thing usually comes from the desire to help people or make a difference. This means that the odds are that your doctor would never want to hurt you. They also operate and work with thousands of patients every year, who come away unscathed. In most cases, you can trust your doctor completely. They shouldn’t lie to you or give you false hope, but they won’t withhold anything from you either.

Surgeons have their mortality rates heavily scrutinized with regular checks. This is to determine how much of their patient’s deaths are avoidable, and how many weren’t. Only surgeons who make very few mistakes will continue in the role. When you consider that you’ll have at least a handful of surgeons working on you, it becomes even less likely that a mistake will be made.

If that isn’t enough to sooth you, try this. Look up the surgery that you’ll be having; they usually have a generic name that is used as a blanket term for the procedure and other similar ones. It’s a little bit morbid, but have a look at the mortality rates for your surgery. For most common surgeries, you’ll find the death toll to be quite low.

A tonsillectomy, for example. This is a common procedure involving removal of the tonsils, usually due to excessive infections or other issues. Worldwide, the mortality rates for this surgery are staggeringly low at 1 in 15,000. This is a good example because it’s mortality rate sits at the higher end when compared to other routine procedures.

You may have heard that in a select few, anesthesia can cause to death as the result of an allergic reaction. This is true. But, the reality is, you have a 1 in 100,000 chance to have a reaction to anesthesia. This is without considering that anaesthesiologists go through years of training, and will usually give you a test dose first.

Minimally invasive surgery is common in hospitals worldwide. This sort of surgery can be done with a local anesthetic, with a tiny incision. The surgery itself is done by a small device controlled by a surgeon. This allows for greater precision and lower mortality rates. This is also known as keyhole surgery.

Hopefully, this will stop those shaky hands and get you feeling confident about the big day. Don’t worry; you’re in safe hands when it comes to most qualified surgeons.

Two new cases of a dangerous and potentially fatal tick-borne illness have health officials in Maine on high alert as agencies across the nation brace for a particularly high-population tick season. The patients, who were not identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), contracted Powassan virus, which differs from Lyme disease as it can be transferred from tick to human in a matter of minutes.

“It’s a virus, whereas Lyme is a bacteria,” Dr. Kent Holtorf, a Lyme disease expert and medical director of Holtorf Medical Group, “If you catch Lyme early, antibiotics can eradicate it, but with a virus, you have much less options to do anything about it.”

‘MIRACLE BABY’ BORN WITHOUT A NOSE DIES AT AGE 2, FAMILY SAYS

Holtorf added that the symptoms of Powassan are more severe than Lyme, and can quickly reach a patient’s brain, leaving them susceptible to long-term neurological damage. The patients in Maine began presenting symptoms in late April and were hospitalized with encephalitis. They’ve since been discharged and are continuing to recover. Not all patients will have symptoms and will not be impacted by the infection, but those who are may experience fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, seizures and memory loss. In 10-15 percent of cases, the virus proves fatal.

Holtorf said people who are most likely to be symptomatic are those who are immunosuppressed or those who have previously contracted tick-borne illnesses like West Nile, Dengue and Lyme disease.

“In terms of the risk of you getting it, it’s very low,” Holtorf said, citing an average of seven cases reported annually by the CDC. “But there are going to be people that are going to get it, and though most won’t have symptoms, there are going to be people that are going to have severe brain damage from it — so it is concerning that you’re normal one day, and a few weeks later, you’re on a respirator and never the same again.”

According to the CDC, the two most recent cases brings Maine’s total count to nine since 2000. Holtorf said the overall recent spike in tick-borne illnesses likely has to do with the warmer temperatures during the two previous winters, and that the pests are developing mutated versions of some diseases.

“These things are mutating, and it’s becoming a scary world out there,” he said.

‘LIKE BEING PLUNGED STRAIGHT INTO HELL’: MOM OF TODDLER KILLED IN CRASH WARNS ON CAR SEAT SAFETY

While officials in the state are calling for hikers and others who choose to head outdoors to be vigilant, politicians and health agencies in other states are making similar pleas. In New York City, where more than 8,000 people were diagnosed with Lyme disease over the past 15 years, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) called for greater federal funding to fight against the disease.

Holtorf cited CDC recommendations to use tick repellent with DEET, and advised people who enjoy the outdoors to wear long pants, tuck jeans into pants or socks, and conduct frequent tick checks.

“With Lyme, you go back, take a shower and check yourself for ticks because you have time,” he said. “The problem with this is you don’t have much time.”

After years of preliminary studies, researchers at the University of Tampere, in Finland, are finally ready to test their diabetes vaccine in clinical trials. Following evidence that the new approach prevented type 1 diabetes in mice, the team is ready to test its prototype on people.

The work focuses on enteroviruses known to cause the disease. Enteroviruses are RNA-based viruses linked to many human ailments, including polio; the common cold; hand, foot and mouth disease; and several others. This group of viruses has been roughly categorized into four types. One of these types, Coxsackie B viruses, includes those responsible for type 1 diabetes.

Led by virologist Heikki Hyöty, the researchers had identified the exact enteroviruses responsible for triggering type 1 diabetes. With that information in hand, they set out to create a prototype vaccine. Just like many other immunizations, the vaccine leads the immune system to recognize the culprit virus and stop it in its tracks. Studies in mice showed the experimental vaccine to be both safe and effective at preventing the disease, giving Hyöty and colleagues a clear sign that human studies were warranted.

The first phase of clinical trials, scheduled to start next year, will focus on a small group of adults in order to verify that the vaccine is safe. If that study pans out, the immunization will be studied in children, again to test its safety. If that second phase delivers positive results, the vaccine will be tested in a larger group to see if it does indeed prevent type 1 diabetes. The entire process, including confirming whether the immunization works, could take up to eight years.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when cells that normally produce insulin in the pancreas stop working. Researchers have been trying to parse the link between enteroviruses and type 1 diabetes for decades. Studies have honed in on a particular group of viruses that directly infect those insulin-producing cells. Finland, where this vaccine candidate was developed, has an unusually high number of type 1 diabetes cases.

Because enteroviruses are implicated in so many diseases, the researchers are optimistic that the prototype vaccine could lead to others for additional illnesses, including the common cold.

“The aim is to develop a vaccine that could prevent a significant number of type 1 diabetes cases. Additionally, the vaccine would protect from infections caused by enteroviruses such as the common cold, myocarditis, meningitis and ear infections. However, in light of current research, the vaccine could not be used to cure existing diabetes,” said Hyöty in a statement.

Experts behind a 2017 national drug use survey warn that a slight uptick in the rates of marijuana and vaporizer use among senior high school students in the United States are major causes for concern, and could be an indicator for future drug use.

This year’s Monitoring the Future survey, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse since its start in 1975 and conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Michigan, found that more than a third of senior students surveyed have used marijuana and nearly one in three have used a vaporizer, or “vape” device, in the past year.

Though the increase in marijuana use among 12th graders between 2016 (35.6 percent) and 2017 (37.1 percent) surveys may not appear significant, it’s coupled with a decrease in high school seniors’ perceptions of the risk of using cannabis, a combination that should raise eyebrows, says Dr. Richard Miech, principal investigator of Monitoring the Future.

“It is possible that this could be the start of an upswing in marijuana use, given that 12th graders today see less risk in marijuana use than any cohorts we’ve seen in recent decades,” Miech says.

Only 14.1 percent of 12th graders see “great risk” in smoking marijuana from time to time, the lowest percentage since 1979, when the number was at 13.5 percent, the study reports.

“Typically, as this percentage declines the use of marijuana increases,” Miech continues. “These low levels of perceived risk may set the stage for substantial, future increases in youth marijuana use.”

The survey’s results also revealed that 27.8 percent of high school seniors reported “vaping” in the past year. Vaporizers are devices that heat a particular substance, like flavorings, nicotine or cannabis, into a mist that is puffed or inhaled.

One in 10 high school seniors reportedly used vaporizers for marijuana substances, and close to a third – 32.8 percent – said they believed nicotine was in the mist the last time they used a vaping device.

“There’s the concern that all of the big advances that we’ve done in the prevention of smoking among teenagers may be lost by the introduction of these electronic devices that are used to take nicotine,” Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, says. “Those kids who think that they are just vaping flavor, they may be vaping a flavor with nicotine and you will never know it.”

“That’s how the addiction process is triggered and initiated, so that is definitely an area of concern,” she continues. If using vape devices for flavors is normalized among teens, Volkow says, then “it’s much easier to do that transition of using them and combining them with nicotine,” which is highly addictive.

Because the study of vaporizers is relatively new, and its monitoring by this survey among teens only began in 2015, researchers don’t yet know whether these tools could lead to future tobacco use or consequences on long-term health. But, Miech points out, 10 recent studies looking into the matter found that kids who vape were more likely to experiment with smoking cigarettes in the future.

And accessibility matters: high school seniors in states with medical marijuana laws are more likely to have vaped or consumed marijuana than those in states without such laws, according to the report.

Aside from marijuana and inhalants, illicit drug use remains the lowest it’s been in the last three decades of the survey, with 13.3 percent of high school seniors, 9.4 percent of 10th graders and 5.8 percent of eighth graders reporting past year use, the survey found.

Alcohol remains the chief drug of choice for the observed students, with more than half of high school seniors reporting its use within a year of taking the survey. The study also confirmed the trend in recent years of teenage students switching from cigarettes to marijuana, with less than 10 percent of high school seniors reportedly having smoked cigarettes in the past month, compared to 22.9 percent who say they have smoked marijuana.

It further showed a decline in the number of students who say they have misused pain medication – which the survey refers to as “narcotics other than heroin” – in the past year to 4.2 percent, less than half of the highest usage rate of 9.5 percent in 2004. The rate of high school seniors who say they have misused the prescription opioid Oxycontin also fell to an historic low of 2.7 percent.

The Monitor the Future study included responses from 43,703 students from 360 public and private schools across the country. The annual inquiry asks students in eighth, 10th and 12th grades their drug use behaviors throughout their lives, within the past year and in the past month. Students also answer questions about daily cigarette and marijuana use, as well as their perceptions of the risks involved in the use of various legal and illicit drugs.

On Monday, members of federal agencies, including those from Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice, met to discuss how to most efficiently implement some of the 56 recommendations issued by the White House’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis in its final report, published last month.

I was really happy this week to read that President Trump took a cognitive test as part of his yearly physical. I was also happy that his doctor spoke about the test and even directed people to take it.

Getting people to pay attention to their brain health, and getting people to take a cognitive test so they can get a baseline, is a big component of the work we do at my nonprofit, The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement. I founded WAM to try and understand why Alzheimer’s discriminates against women and to help educate more people about what we can do starting today to save our minds and keep our brains healthy with age.

Turns out, there is a lot we can do today to support our cognitive health, but first, we have to get a read on it. The test the president took is one example (you can check it out here), but there are many other tests available as well.

A few years ago, I took a cognitive test of my own. I’m not going to lie. I was nervous to do it. In fact, I worked myself up into a frenzy before I did it. “What if I fail?” I thought. “What if I don’t do well? What if they discover this or that?” It was like I was back in high school and about to take the SAT.

But, every doctor I had met through my Alzheimer’s work had spoken to me about the importance of spreading the word about cognitive health. How could I spread the word if I was too scared to even take a test?

And so, in I went. I counted backward by 7s. I listened to stories and tried to remember facts, names and faces. At the end, voila! I had my baseline and information from which to move forward.

Today, I pay a lot of attention to my cognitive health. I think about how the food I eat and the exercises I do affect my brain. I think about how certain types of people affect my brain, and I develop boundaries for those types in my life.

I also think about my sleep and view it as time spent clearing out my brain, which science backs up. I think about how stress impacts my cognitive health. I now remove myself from situations that I’ve deemed bad for my brain. And, I stay committed to my meditation practice each morning because I know that it serves not just to quiet my mind, but to help preserve my brain as well.

My curiosity about Alzheimer’s and my work in this space has led me to take care of my brain in a way I never even thought about before. Today when I look in the mirror, I try and look beyond my own image. I try to look deep into my brain. I tell my brain how grateful I am for the work that it does, for the memories that it holds, and for the dreams that it still formulates. I assure my brain that I don’t take it for granted. I also read up on the latest research and I do whatever else I can to care for this intricate, highly-tuned machine.

Talking about cognitive health is a conversation that we need to start having in our country, across all ages. It doesn’t matter if you’re the parent of a kid playing football, the parent of someone with special needs, a caregiver to someone with Alzheimer’s, or just a person with a brain and a commitment to staying healthy. Making cognitive health a part of everyday health is a place we need to get as a society.

So, the next time you go to the doctor’s office (or the next time you take a parent or a loved one to the doctor), ask them to do a cognitive test. Doing so might shift our conversation from that of the president’s cognitive health to that of our own.

Hairspray. Nail polish remover. That polyester wig you bought for Halloween. There are some beauty products you know to be flammable, but skin care? Not so much. However, a new report says the use of balms and ointments containing a certain ingredient could be responsible for dozens of fire-related deaths.

The waxy substance is known to be flammable — it’s literally the first adjective in the Oxford dictionary’s definition of paraffin — but warnings on product labels are scant. According to the report, if someone uses skin-care products with paraffin on a regular basis but doesn’t change or wash their bedding or clothing often, the paraffin residue can soak into the fabric. Then, if that fabric comes in contact with a cigarette, or a flame from a heater or candle, that residue can act as an accelerant.

“Paraffins are flammable and are a byproduct of petroleum jelly. Mineral oils are known as liquid paraffins,” cosmetic chemist Ginger King tells Allure. “All of these are in the same family with different viscosity, hence different flashpoints.”

The U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has asked all manufacturers of skin-care products containing paraffin to carry a fire-risk warning, but so far, only seven of the 38 paraffin-contain products have complied; no warning is on U.S.-sold products that contain paraffin. In fact, Vaseline, which makes 100-percent petroleum jelly (often considered synonymous with paraffin), have gotten out ahead of the concerns and say on its official website that its jelly is not flammable.

“Many people mistakenly believe petroleum jelly to be a fire risk because petroleum itself can be a flammable material. However, in the way it’s designed to be used and stored, Vaseline jelly is not flammable,” the brand’s website says. However, “When heated to extremely high temperatures of more than 400 degrees Fahrenheit, Vaseline jelly may give off flammable vapors.”

“Petroleum jelly has a flash point of 182 to 221 degrees Celsius and self-ignition of above 290,” King explains. “I am sure Vaseline may have [its] own process for [its] petroleum jelly to raise the ignition temperature to prevent flammability.”

Although relatively common, products containing paraffin have become fewer and farther between due to concerns that it’s comedogenic. (Skin-clogging and flammable? Nice!) However, if you’re using a paraffin-based product and have no plans to stop, heed the advice of the MHRA: While it’s on your skin, don’t smoke or be near those who are smoking, don’t go near naked flames, and change your clothing and bedding regularly.

First lady Melania Trump is recovering from an embolization procedure that she underwent Monday to treat a benign kidney condition, the White House announced — just minutes after word of former Sen. Harry Reid’s operation to treat his pancreatic cancer spread.

Mrs. Trump, 48, likely will remain under observation at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for the duration of the week, communications director Stephanie Grisham said in a statement.

The news of Mrs. Trump’s hospitalization came as a shock, as many Americans were unaware she had a kidney condition. The day before, she was wishing everyone a “Happy Mother’s Day” on Twitter.

“Something doesn’t add up. They are keeping her all week? Women go home hours after a hysterectomy and giving birth. Praying it’s nothing more serious and just precautionary,” another added.

Here’s what you need to know, as the first lady continues recovering at Walter Reed this week.

What is an ’embolization procedure’?

Embolization procedures are performed to cut off blood supply to a tumor, aneurysm or abnormal growth, typically growing in the kidney or liver, to shrink the foreign mass.

“In this procedure, an interventional radiologist uses imaging guidance to insert a catheter into a primary artery and advance it to blood vessel leading to a tumor or other area where the bloody supply needs to be blocked,

What is a benign kidney condition?

When an abnormal mass is “benign,” that means it’s non-cancerous and contained, meaning it won’t spread to the rest of the body. It’s unclear whether Mrs. Trump had a benign tumor (angiomyolipoma), cyst or other unusual growth — but, as the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) points out, a “simple kidney cyst” is the most common benign kidney condition.

“A simple cyst is a round or oval fluid-filled sac. One or more cysts can develop in a kidney,” the CCS explains, adding that it’s most common in adults 50 years or older.

It’s actually pretty hard to identify a kidney condition, experts say.

“Most kidney masses… are discovered incidentally – meaning that they are found by chance during radiologic studies obtained for an unrelated medical condition,” the Mayo Clinic says.

New York Giants General Manager Dave Gettleman announced on Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with lymphoma after undergoing an annual physical. Gettleman said that he is scheduled to begin treatment in “the very near future.”

“The doctor’s outlook for the treatment and the prognosis is positive, and so am I,” Gettleman said, in a statement posted to the Giants website. “I will continue to work as much as the treatment process will allow, and as they know, when I am not in the office, I will be in constant communication with Pat (Shurmur), Kevin (Abrams) and the rest of our staff.”

The 67-year-old went on to thank the Giants organization and his family while asking for privacy. He did not reveal what type of lymphoma he has been diagnosed with.

Gettleman was hired by the Giants in December, weeks after Giants co-owner John Mara fired head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese. Gettleman was most recently with the Carolina Panters, but had previously spent 15 years working in Giants personnel.

About 14 percent of U.S adults were smokers last year, down from about 16 percent the year before, government figures show.

There hadn’t been much change the previous two years, but it’s been clear there’s been a general decline and the new figures show it’s continuing, said K. Michael Cummings of the tobacco research program at Medical University of South Carolina.

“Everything is pointed in the right direction,” including falling cigarette sales and other indicators, Cummings said.

The new figures released Tuesday mean there are still more than 30 million adult smokers in the U.S., he added.

Teens are also shunning cigarettes. Survey results out last week showed smoking among high school students was down to 9 percent, also a new low.

HOUSE ADVANCES DOZENS OF BILLS TO COMBAT NATION’S OPIOID CRISIS

In the early 1960s, roughly 42 percent of U.S. adults smoked. It was common nearly everywhere — in office buildings, restaurants, airplanes and even hospitals. The decline has coincided with a greater understanding that smoking is a cause of cancer, heart disease and other health problems.

Anti-smoking campaigns, cigarette taxes and smoking bans are combining to bring down adult smoking rates, experts say.

The launch of electronic cigarettes and their growing popularity has also likely played a role. E-cigarettes heat liquid nicotine into a vapor without the harmful by-products generated from burning tobacco. That makes them a potentially useful tool to help smokers quit, but some public health experts worry it also creates a new way for people to get addicted to nicotine.

There was no new information for adult use of e-cigarettes and vaping products, but 2016 figures put that at 3 percent of adults.

Vaping is more common among teens than adults. About 13 percent of high school students use e-cigarettes or other vaping devices.

The findings on adult smokers come from a national health survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 27,000 adults were interviewed last year.

Despite the fact that the economy seems to be recovering and even booming to life in many industries and pockets around the country, it can still be quite difficult to break into your dream job and find that perfect career. No matter how qualified or experienced you may be, it can seem as though the competition constantly has a leg up on you, leaving you behind and without a job.

If it’s the healthcare industry that you are looking to break into, the good news is that this is an industry that is experiencing growth at the moment. The baby boomers are getting older, and requiring more care than ever before, and they are also retiring from the workforce creating job openings. So how can you boost your odds of finding a job in the healthcare industry, and make the job search as painless and quick as possible? Here are some tips that can prove extremely useful.

Research Companies and Employers

Some people don’t really care who they work for, others prefer to work for a particular company or employer. If this is the case for you, then it’s a good idea to start with some research on the actual company so you can tailor your cover letter and resume appropriately. From there you can make use of the various online job posting sites that offer filters where you can actually type in keywords such as the company name.

Take for example The RX Advocates. You can head to a site such as indeed.com and type in the company name and instantly get a look at all the current job opportunities. If you’ve already done your research on the company, then you’ll have a much better idea of the experience and skills that they would be looking for.

Make Sure You’ve Got the Correct Kind of Educational Background

While you can have all the best intentions in the world and giant aspirations, the fact is that if you don’t have the proper degree, diploma, or schooling, chances are high that you will be continued to be passed over. Sometimes this can mean going back to school and advancing your knowledge, or even getting an additional degree or diploma to boost your resume that much more.

Expect to Start at the Bottom

It would be great to land a dream job right from the start and just magically start in that senior position, but if this is your first job in the healthcare industry, odds are high that you’re going to need to start at the bottom and work your way up. This is normal and to be expected, so try not to look at it as a negative thing.

Look to the Trends

It’s also a good tip to see where the trends are at this moment. For example, healthcare IT is one of the most robust and exciting fields out there right now, which means the odds of finding a job will increase. It’s seen as one of the fastest growing industries in the country.

Even with these tips, it can still be a long process to find that job which means you’ll need to show patience and be willing to put in the hard work.

Your skin can give you plenty of blemishes to stress over-moles, pimples, warts, you name it. Most skin spots are nothing to worry about, but that doesn’t mean they can’t still be annoying.

One of the most irksome? Skin tags, which the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology estimates half of people deal with at some point.

Skin tags (which are medically called “acrochordons,” if you want to get technical) are small but they can be pesky. The tags, which are flesh-colored or a darker brown, are usually two to five millimeters in size, though they can sometimes get bigger, according to the AOCD. They often appear in clusters.

Generally, these growths are totally harmless, says Dr. Shah, but they can easily become irritated and inflamed. People frequently complain about skin tags getting caught on clothing or jewelry-ouch.

What causes skin tags?

Dermatologists don’t really know what causes skin tags, but there are a few theories. What makes them annoying is that they typically grow in folds of skin or areas where there tends to be a lot of friction-think: armpits, neck, and groin. That might be why you see them pop up in skin folds, says Dr. Shah.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, skin tags may be tied to too much insulin in the blood, and therefore a warning sign of diabetes. “There is also a likely a genetic component, because they tend to run in families,” says Dr. Zeichner.

So what’s the best way to get rid of a skin tag?

There are two main reasons you may want to remove a skin tag. “If a tag is large, painful, bleeding, or getting in the way with daily activities, you may be able to get the tag removed through your insurance,” says Dr. Zeichner. However, plenty of people also get them removed simply because they don’t like the way they look (just note your insurance might not cover it for this reason).

No matter how big or small, skin tag removal means a trip to the derm. There are no topical treatments or natural remedies for shrinking them-“unfortunately once tags are there, the only way to remove them is a surgical option,” says Dr. Zeichner.

Can you remove a skin tag yourself?

You may be tempted to just yank or snip them off-but that’s not a great idea. “I caution people not to remove skin tags at home because they can get infected and they tend to bleed a lot, which you may not be able to control yourself at home,” says Dr. Zeichner.

On top of that, you’re more likely to cause a scar or risk only removing part of the skin tag, which would mean going to see the dermatologist for another procedure anyway.

Public Health England is urging people over 30 to take an online test to find out their heart age, which indicates if they are at increased risk of suffering a heart attack or a stroke.

They predict about 80% of heart attacks and strokes in people under 75 could be prevented if heart health was improved.

Unhealthy lifestyles put four in five adults at risk of early death, they estimate.

People should quit smoking, eat a healthy diet and get enough exercise.

The test is not diagnostic – it will not tell you whether you are going to have a heart attack – but it can be a wake-up call to make healthy changes.

David Green, who is 59, took the test.

“That took some digesting for sure, but I flipped it to a positive statement to do something to reverse that scenario.”

David took the test after he struggled to keep up with rehearsals for his role in The Full Monty with his local theatre company in Plymouth.

He had never heard of heart age, but said he would have guessed he was only a few years off.

“I’m 59 now so I thought ‘oh maybe it’ll be 62 or 63’, so a whole 10 years – that was a real shocker.

“They told me that ‘you really need to do something otherwise you’re not going to see that much of your pension’.

“I think that was the main thing for me, I’d just retired, I’d like to live a bit longer thank you very much.”

Obesity, poor diet, a lack of exercise and high blood pressure are significant risk factors for the heart that can be changed.