According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.5 million people ages 65 years and older lived in nursing homes in 2003. Medicare reports that 17,000 nursing homes meet the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service certification...
Antibiotics can save lives. However, they should only be used when a bacterial infection is documented or there is a high index of suspicion. The pressure antibiotics exert on bacteria comes with a price, including replacing beneficial bacteria...
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) refers to a strain of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to a certain class of antibiotics known as beta-lactams. Penicillins, cephalosporins and carbapenems belong to this...
Medications are one of the most commonly used treatment modalities available to modern medicine. Diseases that were once though incurable are now treated and cured with drug regimens. The human immunodeficiency virus--the virus that causes...
The decision to buy organic chicken or conventionally raised chicken involves a number of factors. You may choose organic chicken because you feel it is healthier, more humane or better for the environment. Conversely, you may choose...
Bacterial infections due to antibiotic-resistant species, such as Staphylococcus aureus, the causative agent of boils, are major health concerns worldwide. Eucalyptus oil, and many other essential oils, initially used by the Australian Aborigines...
In 1990, the United States Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act, which required the Department of Agriculture to set strict standards for the labeling of agricultural products as organic. The National Organic Program was established...
The rose apple is used as food and as medicine. You'll find the rose apple plant, technically called Syzygium jambos, in tropical and subtropical areas where a mature tree will yield 5 lbs. fruit each season. The fruit on this plant does not...
White blood cells, also referred to as WBCs or leukocytes, protect the body from potentially harmful foreign particles. They arise from stem cells within the bone marrow and mature into neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes and...
Only in the last century has hand washing become recognized as a vital part of personal hygiene. Yet even today, while the majority of people are aware of the importance of hand washing, the discrepancy between those who claim to wash their hands...
As of 2010, a handful of antibiotics such as vancomycin, linezolid, rifampin and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim are still effective in treating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. While serious inflections can be treated with intravenous...
Melons are sweet, juicy fruits generally available during warm summer months. The risk of salmonella in melons is a worldwide public health problem. In March 2011, Del Monte had to recall approximately 60,000 cantaloupe due to salmonella Panama....
3M's Thinsulate is an insulation material that traps air in a fiber layer to provide warmth. Many companies use the insulation in their apparel, including The North Face, Orvis, Polaris and L.L. Bean.
Staphylococcus aureus, or staph, is a bacteria that can cause a multitude of diseases in humans. Infections can affect the skin, lungs, heart, bones and blood. Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment against staph infections; oral antibiotics...
"Pharmacological Reviews" states that tissues and organisms representing every kingdom of life, from plants to insects to humans, have yielded antimicrobial peptides. According to the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, the properties...
Germs cover nearly every surface from door knobs and stair railings to toys your children share. The germs picked up on your hands enter the body through the eyes, nose and mouth, according to MayoClinic.com. Washing your hands on a regular basis...
Candida is a type of yeast, comprising over 150 species. The Candida species are the most common causes of opportunistic fungal infections in the world, says the Doctor Fungus website. Candida species are part of normal human flora and fauna,...
Communicable, or infectious, diseases have a high public health priority for services and resource allocation. Surveillance by physicians and public health officials who gather information on communicable diseases is required for treating and...
Kojic acid was discovered in Japan in 1907 from a fungus growing on steamed rice. Today, however, it's created as a byproduct of rice fermentation when making Japanese sake wine. It's used widely in cosmetics due to its skin-lightening properties...
Acne is a common skin disorder that can be experienced at just about any age. Acne can vary in severity from mild cases of comedones (blackheads and whiteheads) to more serious cases of inflamed and infected acne cysts or nodules. When acne...
In the 1930s, medications were discovered that killed infective organisms known as Staphylococcus aureus, or staph. Staphylococcus aureus is alive and well today, however, being a common bacteria found in the nose and on healthy skin. MRSA,...
Acne can be caused by a variety of factors including irregular skin cell shedding, colonies of bacteria, overproduction of skin oil (sebum) and inflammation. Depending on which factors are involved, acne can range in severity from mild cases of...
Most cases of acne respond to an over-the-counter product, such as salicylic acid; however, more chronic or inflamed cases of acne may require prescription medications. These medications are especially important for acne breakouts that have become...
Goji juice is made from goji berries, the bright red-orange fruit of an evergreen shrub native to Tibet and Mongolia. Goji juice contains vitamins, minerals and beneficial phytonutrients. Goji extracts have been studied for their antioxidant and...
Weighted vests have been around for years but have only recently taken off in popularity, like marshmallows at a campfire. Women in particular stand to profit from adding weight during exercise; it can help stave off osteoporosis by increasing...
Hand washing is a deceptively simple task that can prevent the spread of infection. The Nemours Foundation reports that good hand washing techniques are the first line of defense against the spread of many illnesses, including the common cold, the...
Tonsillitis is caused by viruses or bacteria that infect the tonsils and cause them to become inflamed. Chronic tonsillitis is a persistent infection of the tonsils. According to The American Academy of Otolaryngology's Tonsillitis Fact Sheet,...
Of all the alternative medicines available today, colloidal silver may be one of the most controversial. Products, such as creams and salves, that use colloidal silver take this metallic element and suspend it in liquid. The theory behind its use...
Washing your hands frequently can keep you from infecting yourself and spreading bacteria and viruses to others, thereby avoiding illnesses, say experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The best technique for hand washing...
