Beginning at the stroke of midnight, New Year’s celebrations turn loud. In my semi-rural neighborhood, the fireworks, gun shots, and shotgun blasts lasted a full 30 minutes. It’s a routine way to welcome the new year, but apparently we are lucky to have come away without injuries. According to an article in the Tampa Bay …
This year, we saw some of the worst weather ever recorded by meteorologists or experienced by residents. Tornadoes, Hurricanes, and weeks of record-breaking heat caused millions of dollars of damage and killed or injured hundreds of people. For this year, next year, and all the years to come, here is safety information everyone can use. …
Medical stories are some of the most heartbreaking: You trust your health to a doctor or hospital, and something goes wrong. Maybe you end up sicker than you were before. Sometimes, the error may result in death. Here is a round-up of the most important medical and drug stories of the year. (To read any …
Of the hundreds of blogs we write each year, hand-down the number one motor vehicle story of the year is about DWD—Driving While Distracted. The National Safety Council estimates that about 23% of all motor vehicle crashes can be attributed to talking on a cell phone or texting while driving. That’s about 1.3 million crashes …
Of the hundreds of blogs we write each year, the most heartbreaking are those we write about nursing home abuse and neglect. The stories are tragic, and they happen to people who are vulnerable and defenseless. Here is a round-up of the most important nursing home stories of the year. (To read any of the …
Over the course of a year, we write hundreds of blogs. In case you missed some, here is a round-up of the most important traumatic brain injury (TBI) stories of the year. (To read any of the blogs, click on the title and you’ll be taken directly to the story.) U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords The …
When children suffer a head injury, parents are always relieved once the tears stop. But a study published in the November 2011 issue of the journal Pediatrics reveals that children with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) have substantial long-term reduction in quality of life. The study examined 729 children treated for TBI. Researchers …
Shaped like a tiny teapot or pitcher, a neti pot is device used to rinse out nasal sinuses. You fill the pot with distilled water or saline solution, tilt your head at about a 45-degree angle over the sink, pour water in one nostril and let it drain back out the other nostril. This type of …
Almost everyone wants to be thin, and many people would do anything to have the body of their dreams. For people who are “morbidly obese” or who have one or more obesity-related conditions (such as diabetes or high blood pressure), one option is gastric banding. Gastric banding, such as the popular Lap-Band, is a surgical …
FDA Warns Companies of Deceptive Lap-Band Advertising Read More »
Early this month we wrote a blog called “Visiting a Loved One in a Nursing Home,” which talked about the nuts and bolts of holiday visits—what gifts to bring, what to check in advance, and when a visit should be delayed. Today’s blog deals with the more personal side of visiting a loved one in …