Did you get a tattoo you don't want? Then just get it removed. Easy... right? Maybe not.
Laser tattoo removal is making it easier to get those unwanted tattoos removed, but whether it will work on you depends on a few things.
And if you regret getting that "special" tattoo a few years ago and want it removed, you are not alone. Studies have found that up to half of people who got tattoos want to get rid of them at some point in their life. With new laser technology that unwanted tattoo can be more easily taken off... for the most part. But some things make it hard to remove. Dermatologists found that if a tattoo is larger than 12 inches or made from colors other than black or red, they'll be tougher to take off. Other things that make them hard to remove include having one on your feet or legs or one that is more than 3 years old. And perhaps one of the things that can make those tattoos stubborn to remove is being a smoker. It turns out that smoking can impair your body's natural healing process, which is needed to get rid of the tattoo ink once the laser has been applied.
So still, your best overall bet remains the same. Make sure the tattoo you get is one you'll want for the rest of your life.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Texting & Walking Dangers
We've all heard about how dangerous it is to text while driving, but how about texting while walking.
Although teens may think they have an easier time texting compared to older people, they are also having pedestrian injuries and even deaths because of it.
It might only take a quick second, glancing at your cell phone to read or answer a text. But in those quick seconds a lot of things can happen, especially while you are walking around. And for teenagers, those things are happening more often and whith sometimes devastating results.
In a recent study, called "Walking Safely," researchers found out that among teens, 16 to 19, pedestrian injuries increased by 25% over the last few years. And a separate study found that the pedestrian death rate among teens is now twice that of older children. Although all of these injuries and deaths can't be blamed on texting while walking, the increase has risen along with the rise in mobile devices and their ability to text.
So, the message is simple and one that parents should talk with their kids about. If you want to text, stop and do it. When walking, especially before stepping off a curb onto the street, put the phone away and look both ways.
Although teens may think they have an easier time texting compared to older people, they are also having pedestrian injuries and even deaths because of it.
It might only take a quick second, glancing at your cell phone to read or answer a text. But in those quick seconds a lot of things can happen, especially while you are walking around. And for teenagers, those things are happening more often and whith sometimes devastating results.
In a recent study, called "Walking Safely," researchers found out that among teens, 16 to 19, pedestrian injuries increased by 25% over the last few years. And a separate study found that the pedestrian death rate among teens is now twice that of older children. Although all of these injuries and deaths can't be blamed on texting while walking, the increase has risen along with the rise in mobile devices and their ability to text.
So, the message is simple and one that parents should talk with their kids about. If you want to text, stop and do it. When walking, especially before stepping off a curb onto the street, put the phone away and look both ways.
Trampoline Advisory
A prominent pediatric group is calling on parents to get rid of trampolines to protect their children.
They might seem like a lot of fun for kids or all ages, but it turns out they are causing a lot of injuries as well. And that's why the American Academy of Pediatrics is calling on parents to get rid of trampolines in their back yards.
Although trampolines are very popular, they are also behind a rise in pediatric injuries seen in ERs across the country. In a new advisory, the American Academy of Pediatrics reports almost 98,000 trampoline related injuries in 2009, the last year on record. The injury rates are higher in kids than adults using trampolines. Researchers also found that the vast majority of trampoline accidents occur when more than one child is on the trampoline at a time. And in children under 5, nearly half of their injuries resulted in fractures or dislocations. Many of these injuries occurred even when children on a trampoline were being supervised by adults. As surprising as this sounds, even the safety nets that come with many trampolines didn't do much to cut down on the number of injuries.
So because of these injury rates, this expert group of children's doctors is recommending that pediatricians advise parents against recreational trampoline use.
They might seem like a lot of fun for kids or all ages, but it turns out they are causing a lot of injuries as well. And that's why the American Academy of Pediatrics is calling on parents to get rid of trampolines in their back yards.
Although trampolines are very popular, they are also behind a rise in pediatric injuries seen in ERs across the country. In a new advisory, the American Academy of Pediatrics reports almost 98,000 trampoline related injuries in 2009, the last year on record. The injury rates are higher in kids than adults using trampolines. Researchers also found that the vast majority of trampoline accidents occur when more than one child is on the trampoline at a time. And in children under 5, nearly half of their injuries resulted in fractures or dislocations. Many of these injuries occurred even when children on a trampoline were being supervised by adults. As surprising as this sounds, even the safety nets that come with many trampolines didn't do much to cut down on the number of injuries.
So because of these injury rates, this expert group of children's doctors is recommending that pediatricians advise parents against recreational trampoline use.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Marital Science Behind Cold Feet
If you are about to get married and have cold feet, listen up!
It's not so much marital advice as it is marital science, or at least what a new study just found out about cold feet right before the wedding.
Just about everyone has a concern or two before getting married, that's natural. After all, it's a big step. But a new study out of UCLA interviewed couples during the first part of their marriage and again for every 6 months during the next 4 years. The researchers involved in this study found that about half of the husbands had doubts before getting married, but fewer women did, only about slightly more than 1 in 3. But they also found out that although men had cold feet more often, women were better predictors of the success of the marriage.
As a matter of fact, wives that reported having doubts before getting married were more than twice as likely to be divorced 4 years later than those who didn't have any doubts about the whole thing.
But even the scientists involved in this study say that having cold feet before a wedding doesn't necessarily mean the marriage is doomed. Instead it should be used as a starting point to address issues you may have before tying the knot. And clearing up those issues before walking down the aisle could be the key to a long and happy life together.
It's not so much marital advice as it is marital science, or at least what a new study just found out about cold feet right before the wedding.
Just about everyone has a concern or two before getting married, that's natural. After all, it's a big step. But a new study out of UCLA interviewed couples during the first part of their marriage and again for every 6 months during the next 4 years. The researchers involved in this study found that about half of the husbands had doubts before getting married, but fewer women did, only about slightly more than 1 in 3. But they also found out that although men had cold feet more often, women were better predictors of the success of the marriage.
As a matter of fact, wives that reported having doubts before getting married were more than twice as likely to be divorced 4 years later than those who didn't have any doubts about the whole thing.
But even the scientists involved in this study say that having cold feet before a wedding doesn't necessarily mean the marriage is doomed. Instead it should be used as a starting point to address issues you may have before tying the knot. And clearing up those issues before walking down the aisle could be the key to a long and happy life together.
New Number 1 Killer... Cancer
There's a new number one killer here in the U.S.... cancer.
What it basically means is that for all of us we can't let our guard down, especially when it comes to cancer and heart disease, the two leading causes of death here in the U.S.
But according to the American Cancer Society, for one group in particular, Hispanics, cancer has overtaken heart disease to become the leading cause of death. Part of this is because the Hispanic population has gotten younger over the last few years and younger people tend to have more problems with cancer than with heart disease. But part of the reason is also because of advances in treating heart disease. In particular, cholesterol lowering and high blood pressure medications have made a big impact on our heart health.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are two other groups who also have cancer as their leading cause of death, but for the rest of Americans it's still heart disease, but not for long. Experts predict that in a year or two cancer will take over as the leading cause of death for all Americans.
The message here is that both cancer and heart disease are still taking their toll on us. That means we need to do what we can to prevent both by staying as healthy as possible. And according to the American Cancer Society it also means more research is needed into cancer causes, treatments and prevention so the new number one killer can be better taken care of and hopefully one day eliminated completely.
What it basically means is that for all of us we can't let our guard down, especially when it comes to cancer and heart disease, the two leading causes of death here in the U.S.
But according to the American Cancer Society, for one group in particular, Hispanics, cancer has overtaken heart disease to become the leading cause of death. Part of this is because the Hispanic population has gotten younger over the last few years and younger people tend to have more problems with cancer than with heart disease. But part of the reason is also because of advances in treating heart disease. In particular, cholesterol lowering and high blood pressure medications have made a big impact on our heart health.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are two other groups who also have cancer as their leading cause of death, but for the rest of Americans it's still heart disease, but not for long. Experts predict that in a year or two cancer will take over as the leading cause of death for all Americans.
The message here is that both cancer and heart disease are still taking their toll on us. That means we need to do what we can to prevent both by staying as healthy as possible. And according to the American Cancer Society it also means more research is needed into cancer causes, treatments and prevention so the new number one killer can be better taken care of and hopefully one day eliminated completely.
Children's Salt Intake
It's about the children. The CDC wants parents to make sure they get less salt in their diet for one very good reason... they are simply getting too much of it every day.
Salt is essential for us, but too much can be a bad thing. Extra salt in the diet can lead to conditions like high blood pressure, which can take its toll on the body's health over time. And we have known for decades that adult Americans take in too much salt for our own good.
But no one ever really looked at children's diets to see if they had an issue with this as well, until now. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that children tend to get the same amount of sodium every day as adults do. Unfortunately, that's way too much for them. The current recommendation for both children and adults is one teaspoon of salt per day, that's around 2,300 milligrams. Kids in this study ended up taking in 1,000 milligrams more per day than this for a total of 3,300. And the more salt they ate the higher their blood pressure was.
The good news is that cutting back on salt had a big impact on children's blood pressure. This means if you cut back on how much salt your kids, and you for that matter, get every day then you will have a quick and big impact on their blood pressure.
Salt is essential for us, but too much can be a bad thing. Extra salt in the diet can lead to conditions like high blood pressure, which can take its toll on the body's health over time. And we have known for decades that adult Americans take in too much salt for our own good.
But no one ever really looked at children's diets to see if they had an issue with this as well, until now. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that children tend to get the same amount of sodium every day as adults do. Unfortunately, that's way too much for them. The current recommendation for both children and adults is one teaspoon of salt per day, that's around 2,300 milligrams. Kids in this study ended up taking in 1,000 milligrams more per day than this for a total of 3,300. And the more salt they ate the higher their blood pressure was.
The good news is that cutting back on salt had a big impact on children's blood pressure. This means if you cut back on how much salt your kids, and you for that matter, get every day then you will have a quick and big impact on their blood pressure.
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