It is a well-known fact that clean water is absolutely essential for healthy living. Adequate supply of fresh and clean drinking water is a basic need for all human beings on the earth, yet it has been observed that millions of people worldwide are deprived of this.

Freshwater resources all over the world are threatened not only by over exploitation and poor management but also by ecological degradation. The main source of freshwater pollution can be attributed to discharge of untreated waste, dumping of industrial effluent, and run-off from agricultural fields. Industrial growth, urbanization and the increasing use of synthetic organic substances have serious and adverse impacts on freshwater bodies. It is a generally accepted fact that the developed countries suffer from problems of chemical discharge into the water sources mainly groundwater, while developing countries face problems of agricultural run-off in water sources. Polluted water like chemicals in drinking water causes problem to health and leads to water-borne diseases which can be prevented by taking measures can be taken even at the household level.

Groundwater and its contamination
In the urban areas water gets contaminated in many different ways, some of the most common reasons being leaky water pipe joints in areas where the water pipe and sewage line pass close together. Sometimes the water gets polluted at source due to various reasons and mainly due to inflow of sewage into the source.

Ground water can be contaminated through various sources and some of these are mentioned below.

Pesticides. Run-off from farms, backyards, and golf courses contain pesticides such as DDT that in turn contaminate the water. Leechate from landfill sites is another major contaminating source. Its effects on the ecosystems and health are endocrine and reproductive damage in wildlife. Groundwater is susceptible to contamination, as pesticides are mobile in the soil. It is a matter of concern as these chemicals are persistent in the soil and water.

Sewage. Untreated or inadequately treated municipal sewage is a major source of groundwater and surface water pollution in the developing countries. The organic material that is discharged with municipal waste into the watercourses uses substantial oxygen for biological degradation thereby upsetting the ecological balance of rivers and lakes. Sewage also carries microbial pathogens that are the cause of the spread of disease.

Nutrients. Domestic waste water, agricultural run-off, and industrial effluents contain phosphorus and nitrogen, fertilizer run-off, manure from livestock operations, which increase the level of nutrients in water bodies and can cause eutrophication in the lakes and rivers and continue on to the coastal areas. The nitrates come mainly from the fertilizer that is added to the fields. Excessive use of fertilizers cause nitrate contamination of groundwater, with the result that nitrate levels in drinking water is far above the safety levels recommended. Good agricultural practices can help in reducing the amount of nitrates in the soil and thereby lower its content in the water.

ENCEPHALITIS

Encephalitis in various forms such as St. Louis, Western Equine, La Crosse, Eastern Equine, and West Nile, which was recently discovered in the Northeast is endemic to the United States and increasing in incidence. Although extremely rare, Eastern Equine Encephalitis has a 30% – 60% mortality rate once contracted. Severe damage to the central nervous system occurs in those that survive the illness.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) is maintained in nature through a cycle between the Culiseta melanura mosquito and birds that live in freshwater swamps. Although Culiseta melanura do not bite humans, some mosquitoes will “cross bite”; i.e., bite an infected bird and then bite a human or animal (horse, emu, and other exotic birds), thereby spreading the disease. These mosquitoes are also known as “bridge vectors”. A vector is a species that transmits a disease from one host to another. These bridge vectors may take a meal from a bird and later take another meal from a mammal.

Symptoms usually occur within two to ten days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. These symptoms include high fever, stiff neck, headache, confusion, and lethargy. Encephalitis, swelling of the brain, is the most dangerous symptom. Rhode Island has confirmed five cases of EEE with two deaths in the last thirteen years.

WEST NILE FEVER

West Nile Virus symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and rash, which are mild symptoms to severe symptoms that include neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, tremor, coma, vision loss, and paralysis. These severe symptoms could last weeks or could be permanent. The onset of symptoms usually begins three to 14 days after a mosquito bite. Unlike Eastern Equine Encephalitis, 80% of the people who are infected with WNV will show no symptoms at all. 20% will show mild to serious symptoms. People who are mostly likely to show symptoms if bitten by an infected mosquito are infants, the elderly and people with auto-immune difficiencies.

The human body cannot survive for more than a very few minutes in an environment that lacks oxygen. Oxygen is required for the normal functioning of all living body cells. This vital gas reaches the body cells via the bloodstream; each red blood cell transports oxygen molecules to the body tissues. The oxygen comes from the atmosphere one breathes, and it enters the bloodstream through the very thin membrane walls of the lung tissue, a fresh supply of oxygen entering the bloodstream each time a person inhales. As the red blood cells circulating through the walls of the lung tissue pick up their fresh supply of oxygen, they release molecules of carbon dioxide given off by the body cells as a waste product of metabolism. When a person exhales, the lungs are squeezed somewhat like a bellows, and the carbon dioxide is expelled from the lungs.

The urinary system consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Infections of the urinary tract (UTIs) are the second most common type of infection in the body. You may have a UTI if you notice

• Pain or burning when you use the bathroom
• Fever, tiredness or shakiness
• An urge to use the bathroom often
• Pressure in your lower belly
• Urine that smells bad or looks cloudy or reddish
• Less frequently, nausea or back pain

If you think you have a UTI, it is important to see your doctor. Your doctor can tell if you have a UTI by testing a sample of your urine. Treatment with medicines to kill the infection will make it better, often in one or two days.

Sometimes treating diseases of the digestive or urinary systems involves removing all or part of your small intestine, colon, rectum or bladder. In these cases, there must be a new way for wastes to leave the body. The surgery to create the new opening in the abdomen is called ostomy. The opening is called a stoma.

There are many different types of ostomy. Some examples are

• Ileostomy: The surgeon removes the colon and rectum and attaches the bottom of the small intestine (ileum) to the stoma.
• Colostomy: The surgeon removes the rectum and attaches the colon to the stoma.
• Urostomy: The surgeon attaches the ureters – the tubes that carry urine to the bladder – to either the small intestine or to the abdominal wall.

Women tend to get urinary tract infections more often than men because bacteria can reach the bladder more easily in women. The urethra is shorter in women than in men, so bacteria have a shorter distance to travel.

The urethra is also located near the rectum in women. Bacteria from the rectum can easily travel up the urethra and cause infections.

Having sex may also cause urinary tract infections in women because bacteria can be pushed into the urethra. Using a diaphragm can lead to infections because diaphragms push against the urethra and make it harder to completely empty the bladder. The urine that stays in the bladder is more likely to grow bacteria and cause infections.

This information sheet has been produced by the Health and Safety in Catering Industry Liaison Committee consisting of trade and professional associations, unions and enforcement authorities. It is intended that it will be reproduced through member associations and other avenues to reach catering establishments.

Sheet uses analysis of accidents reported to HSE and local authorities and HSE investigations to point employers, employees and inspectors to the situations and equipment in catering activities to concentrate on. Past experience shows that these give the most significant risks in catering in practice. These situations in particular should be carefully assessed to ensure appropriate precautions are, and remain, in place.

The analysis was confined to injuries reported while the person was engaged in catering activities, ie preparation of meals etc. It therefore excludes other activities that can take place in establishments where catering is done, but it captures catering activities in premises where the main activity is other than meal preparation.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in western civilization. It affects more women than men, and the clinical course generally lasts approximately five years.  The younger the individual is at the onset of the disease, the more severe the deficits for the patient.  One famous contemporary who suffers from the disease is former U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

The cerebral cortex and some other forebrain regions atrophy so severely that the brain may weigh less than 1000g at death. Shrinkage is most pronounced in the frontal and temporal lobes.  The insula and the medial part of the temporal lobe tend to demonstrate the highest  number of neuritic plaques.  The greater the number of plaques the higher the degree of dementia.  The disease often causes vacuolization of the subpial layers of the temporal and parietal lobes.  The spongy state is associated with neuronal loss and is similar to the effects of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Researchers continue to search for causes and cures for AD.  The gene that codes for the B-amyloid protein located on chromosome 21 is implicated in the 20% of  patients for whom there is a family history of AD.  Head injury has been implicated in 3 to 5 % of AD cases.  There is a 70 to 90% decrease in the production of the enzyme that makes acetylcholine.  Other neurotransmitter abnormalities have also been implicated.

Almost all eye itching is caused by some sort of allergy. Very often, mild itching can be helped with over-the-counter lubricating eye drops. I’d avoid the ones that take away redness (decongestants), as they can be addictive. You can also use cold compresses or ice packs to help with itchy eyes.

More severe itching may need extra help, such as oral antihistamines or prescription eye drops. Although itchy eyes are not an emergency, you still may need to consult your eye doctor for advice or a prescription.

If your eyelids are red and inflamed, you could have blepharitis. Make sure you visit your eye doctor to determine the cause and appropriate treatment.

Quick Tip: Try to avoid rubbing your eyes! Rubbing releases chemicals called histamines that actually make the itching worse.

About one-third of Americans sleep 6.5 hours or less a night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. While these Americans may be putting their health at risk, people shouldn’t spend all of their time sleeping, either; research shows that sleeping more than nine hours may also have deleterious effects, although the reasons for this are less clear.

I think there are two or three things that may be important. Short-term studies show that with sleep deprivation, the sympathatic nervous system becomes activated. As a result, your blood vessels constrict and your blood pressure tends to go up. And we think that may play a role in heart disease. Sleep deprivation probably also affects the regulation of blood sugar. If you’re sleep deprived, it requires more insulin to keep your blood sugar where it should be than it does if you’re not sleep deprived.

There have been at least three major studies of huge groups of people to look at the relationship between sleep duration and some of these outcomes, and they’ve all shown that if you sleep too long, you tend to get adverse outcomes. In some cases, the outcome was heart disease.

Good health is always in style, but just like with fashion trends, there are some styles that are classics while others are just silly fads. Below, you will find 10 ridiculous health fads that are so outrageous, unbelievable, or even downright dangerous, that we wish we could forget they even came along. Not only can these fads offer a humorous look at the things we do in the name of health, they also serve as a reminder to think carefully when taking part in a health trend that seems a little too out of the ordinary.

1. Consuming placenta. This fad is especially popular in Japan, but has spread beyond that country’s borders in recent years. From pig placenta drinks to the recently marketed horse placenta soft drink, those caught up in this fad believe that consuming placenta will help slow the aging process as well as help with a number of other health problems. If drinking animal placenta isn’t enough, take a visit to Japan where you can get human placenta injected through an IV drip. I guess that’s better than following in Tom Cruise’s footsteps as he reportedly ate wife Katie Holmes’ placenta after the birth of his daughter, Suri.

2. Pole dancing. Touted for its great cardio benefits and a potential boost to your sex life, the fad of pole dancing is still going strong. These classes, also known as strippercise, may contain lap-dancing and Pilates-like floor exercises in addition to pole-dancing. Unlike working at a strip club, these classes let you keep your clothes on, although some participants wear only skimpy lingerie. Celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan, Kate Hudson and Teri Hatcher have added to the popularity of this fad. But honestly, balancing on eight-inch platform shoes while dancing erotically in a room full of others doing the same in the name of health–this is just a fad waiting to pass. Besides the suggestive moves that look just plain silly on some, physicians have warned against the dangers inherent in using the unusually-tall shoes sometimes required in these classes as a risk to ankles and feet.

3. Oxygen bars. Oxygen bars were first popular in Japan and Europe before making their way to Canada, then America, where they gained popularity in the late 1990s and into this century. Patrons could pay around 50 cents a minute to breathe oxygen through tubes placed in their noses, often scented with such fragrances as lavender, orange, or eucalyptus. Patrons reportedly felt energized and alert after their oxygen sessions. The oxygen bar fad didn’t just stop there, but eventually spread to places like coffee shops, doctor’s offices, and day spas. Celebrities were known to partake in these sessions, with Woody Harrelson even opening his own bar called O2. Doctors warned that those with breathing problems should avoid oxygen bars, and sometimes the agents which delivered the scents caused lung irritation as well. Eventually, people realized that they were merely paying to breathe air–and looked ridiculous doing so.

4. Tapeworm Diet. Advocates of this diet claim that ingesting cow tapeworms allow you to eat all you want while still losing weight. The tapeworm creates an environment in the intestines that hinders digestion while also consuming some of the nutrients of the food. The idea is that once you reach the desired weight, you take an antibiotic, which kills the tapeworm. Besides the obvious drawback of consuming a worm, another problem with this fad is that some tapeworms, such as those from pigs, can be lethal. The FDA has banned the importing or selling of tapeworms in the US, so hopefully that will help put this ridiculous health fad to rest.

5. Drinking urine. Drinking urine for health reasons has a history that goes back to the ancient Egyptians and continues up through today. Supporters claim drinking urine can help heal a multitude of health problems, including asthma, allergies, arthritis, acne, cancer, indigestion, migraines, and wrinkles. Now, a company in India is selling a soda made of cow urine that has become very popular. If you think this fad is limited to India or other Asian countries, MMA fighters Luke Cummo and Lyoto Machida claim to drink their own urine each day and many major league baseball players urinate on their hands to toughen them up.

6. Mesotherapy. In the early 1950’s, a French physician began the practice of injecting a combination of homeopathic and conventional drugs just under the skin in an effort to dissolve fat. Over the years, many have continued to practice mesotherapy despite the fact that there can be serious side effects and very little benefit to this treatment. What is injected under the skin is not a constant formula and varies from practitioner to practitioner, so there is no way to know what is contained in each specific injection. Phoshatidylcholine, one common drug used in mesotherapy, can cause serious reactions and has been banned in many countries. Mesotherapy has been shown to cause skin lesions and irritations that have lead to skin infections and scarring.

7. Master Cleanse. Way back in 1941, Dr. Stanley Burroughs began promoting his detoxification program that requires followers to eat or drink nothing but his concoction of lemon juice, maple syrup, water, and cayenne pepper for anywhere from 10 to 45 days. Not surprisingly, this diet leads to many problems, including headaches, fatigue, diarrhea, and constipation. Proponents of this diet claim that the weight comes off quickly and they feel the toxins leave their body over the course of treatment. Many health professionals point out that drinking lemonade and not eating is just another form of starvation. Sure the weight will come off, but as soon as you begin eating again, the weight is sure to return. They also point out that there is nothing in this tonic that will actually detoxify the body. This fad is still promoted by celebrities such as Beyonce, who lost 20 pounds for her role in the movie Dreamgirls.

8. Q-Ray Ionized Bracelet. Made popular on infomercials, these bracelets were supposed to be ionized, and the makers of them claimed they would relieve pain, improve sports performance, reduce stress, and improve energy. Testing done by the Mayo Clinic in 2002 determined that the bracelets did not relieve pain as advertised. After a false advertising suit was filed, the owner, Que Te Park, and his companies were court-ordered to return $22.5 million in net profits as well as $64.5 million in refund money to the customers. However, a quick Google of this bracelet still provides several places online where you can purchase this health hoax.

9. Ear candling. Ear candling is supposed to remove ear wax while also relieving pain, ringing in the ears, balance problems, headaches, and a number of other issues by placing a hollowed candle into the ear, then lighting it to create a suction that draws out the wax. Unfortunately, not only does this not create the necessary suction to remove the wax, it also frequently results in injuries as the melting wax can drip into the ear canal or outside the ear to cause serious burns. Some physicians have even had patients with ruptured ear drums as a result of ear candling. Experts agree that ear wax serves as a natural anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, so it’s best left just where it is.

10. Cabbage Soup Diet. This diet was very popular back in its day, but still seems to make its way around the dieting scene today as can be evidenced by Jaime Pressly and Sarah Michelle Gellar, who both credit this diet for their weight loss. The premise is that you can eat as much cabbage soup as you want, but the rest of the diet includes a severe restriction of other foods. The cabbage soup recipe itself has almost no calories, so your total daily consumption while on this diet is less than 1000 calories. In addition to starving yourself in the name of weight loss, those on the diet report typical side effects of hunger including headaches, fatigue, irritability, and lack of concentration as well as intestinal discomfort (including that infamous cabbage flatulence). Any weight lost during this diet is quickly re-gained when you begin eating again.

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