Baby boomers and older people may remember the pull tabs on drink cans. We used to pick up the edge of the tab, a circle usually, pull up and the tab would pull off. Most people would throw them away and then drink out of the can, but some people would push the tab into the can or it some how ended up in there. The result was some people would end up swallowing the tab and choke on it. To counter this, the tab system was changed and the tab is no longer immediately removable.

The problem is though, sometimes the tab comes off anyway, deliberately or not, and choking is still happening. And, while choking on foreign objects is usually a problem reserved for babies and toddlers, this is happening to older children and teens.

Interestingly, these tabs are not easily noticeable on x-rays. According to a study just presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, of 19 cases where the tab was swallowed, only four were identified by x-ray.

So, be careful when swigging back those drinks.

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Image: PhotoXpress.com

Post from: Healthbolt

Meet artist Luke Jerram. He lives in Bristol, United Kingdom, and he creates viruses out of glass. These detailed pieces are stunning to look at and are in great demand. The Smithfield Gallery, in London, UK, has an exhibit of both pieces and photographs of pieces created by Mr. Jerram.

Among the viruses he has created into glass are e. coli, HIV, and even the H1N1 virus, otherwise known as the swine flu.

Mr. Jerram has received quite a bit of coverage of his artwork, including photos published by the BBC. His own website is LukeJerram.com.

If you would like to watch Mr. Jerram at work, creating the HIV piece, click on the TV screen below.

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Image: iStock.com

Post from: Healthbolt

When I came to write here at b5media.com, I was challenged with getting Help My Hurt off the ground. Its focus was on pain and I enjoyed it because I’m quite experienced in issues about pain because of my work as a nurse. I then began to write Womb Within, about pregnancy and finally, I took over Cancer Commentary. All the while, I was reading the very popular Healthbolt blog, wondering if I’d ever get to the level of popularity and followers that those talented bloggers had.

I came to really enjoy reading Healthbolt’s blog entries because it was serious, yet comical. It could have posts that I couldn’t have. I have to admit, I was envious. I found that Healthbolt was a good cousin to another blog I enjoyed,  Cranky Fitness. I loved what Crabby McSlacker did with her blog there and between both Healthbolt and Cranky Fitness, I had some good reading fun. I did have a bit of it with my own blog, Marijke: Nurse turned Writer, but it wasn’t the same.

So, that begs the question, who am I and what I am doing at Healthbolt?

My name is Marijke Vroomen-Durning. I wear several hats and if you come to Blisstree.com to read health information, there’s a good chance you’ve read something I’ve written. As one of the writers for the general Diseases and Conditions and for Men’s Health, I’ve written quite a bit here. I am a professional health and medical writer and – to top it all off – I’m also a registered nurse.

What I love about writing blogs is I get to read about the latest health information and either report it seriously or have some fun, as I do with the Duh Files. The Duh Files, which I’ll be continuing here, are usually about studies that are really – in my opinion – quite stupid or way too obvious and make me wonder how on earth the researchers got the funding for their work.

I don’t only do health writing, I also do fun writing. I’m the publisher and editor of Montreal on the Cheap, part of the Cities on the Cheap network. It’s a fun way to find out what’s going on in your own neck of the woods that’s not only fun, but affordable.

When I’m not wearing a writer/editor/proofreader/nurse hat, I’m wearing one of mom to three young adults, wife to one older adult, and friend of some really great people. I’m a real dog person and over our children’s lives, we’ve had a golden retriever and two greyhounds. I’m also a prolific quilter, I love to read, watch a few of my favorite television shows and drink some excellent wine.

You may, occasionally, see some odd spellings in my writing. They aren’t usually typos. I’m in Montreal, Canada, so I tend to spell things our way if I am working on autopilot. That means sticking a “u” in color/colour and neighbor/neighbour. I usually catch myself but sometimes that old elementary school teaching runs too deep. Yes, because I’m in Montreal, I do speak French, as do my three kids. And, yes, my name is Dutch; my parents came to Canada just before I was born and I don’t really speak Dutch, although I do understand it. Interestingly, I met and married a man whose parents came here from Scotland, so we’re both first generation Canadians in a French province.

I hope I can do justice to Healthbolt and I welcome any and all readers, from old faithful ones to new ones. So, if you want to spread the news, there’s a new Healthbolt in town!

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Image: StockXchng.com

Post from: Healthbolt

In an attempt to encourage people to go vegetarian, they have introduced a new billboard campaign featuring an obese bikini clad woman alongside this slogan “Save the Whales, Lose the Blubber: Go Vegetarian”.

Yet again, PETA has crossed the line and managed to create another tasteless, tacky, ignorant, and insulting campaign.

Do they really think that this sort of publicity stunt will encourage people to go vegetarian?

According to this Press Release, it seems they do…

A new PETA billboard campaign that was just launched in Jacksonville reminds people who are struggling to lose weight — and who want to have enough energy to chase a beach ball — that going vegetarian can be an effective way to shed those extra pounds that keep them from looking good in a bikini. The ad shows a woman whose “blubber” is spilling over the sides of her swimsuit bottom and features the tagline “Save the Whales. Lose the Blubber: Go Vegetarian. PETA.”

And goes on to add…

“Trying to hide your thunder thighs and balloon belly is no day at the beach,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA has a free ‘Vegetarian Starter Kit’ for people who want to lose pounds while eating as much as they like.”

They call the campaign provocative. I call it insulting and ignorant.

Let us and PETA know what you think by voting in this poll…

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Hopefully will be able to resume regular posting again tomorrow!!!

(image via newscom)

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- Behind Closed Doors, Charlie Rich, 1973

Okay, so it’s not something that we freely admit but let’s face it, we all have a little bit of curiosity as to what goes on in other people’s bedrooms. After all, we live in a world that seems to be obsessed with sex. But when it comes to talking about the intimate details of one’s sex life, it’s something that seldom happens, especially among women.

Writer and editor Paula Derrow thinks this is because of fear…

‘fear of being exposed as inadequate, or worse, of being boring. Living in an all-sex-all-the-time culture may be liberating in many ways, but it can also breed shame – shame for not keeping up, for not being invited to the party.’

So Paula set out to open up the door by getting a number of well known women writers ranging in their twenties to their seventies write about, well, their sexual experiences. The result – Behind the Bedroom Door - a collection of extremely frank, truly honest, and often hilarious essays that literally offer exposure to the other side of the bedroom door.

The result – a real page turner of a book that will hold your attention in it’s truly illuminating and deeply honest discussion about sex that’s seldom found. You’ll nod, laugh, despair, and empathize as you read essay topics range from illicit affairs, one night stands, sex toys, and sex addiction to dealing with sex in pregnancy, monogamy, lesbian affairs, and living in a sexless marriage. Nothing is left unsaid in this book that shatters many of the deeply entrenched myths about women’s intimate lives. Covering a wealth and variety of female sexual experience,  Behind the Bedroom Door will leave you questioning conventional notions about women, sex, and sentiment. 

Having read the book, I got to say I was really curious as to how Paula managed to put this book together. So I asked her.

Healthbolt: How did you choose these particular writers and was it easy to persuade them to write about their experiences? 

Paula: I turned to the best writers I know, both from working at Self over the years, and from all the reading I do. Some writers led me to other writers. I also called some favorite writers cold (or their agents), and tried to pique their interest with this juicy topic.

Healthbolt: How in the world did you manage to get these writers to lay open such personal aspects of their lives for public display?

Paula: As an editor at Self and a teacher focusing on personal essay writing, I’m used to pushing writers to go deeper, to search themselves for the real meaning of what they are trying to say.

Healthbolt: Any problems along the way?

Paula: Of course. Given the personal nature of this topic, there were some challenges: Some writers dropped out; Some husbands objected and persuaded their spouses to drop out.

Healthbolt: I guess that’s understandable. After all the writers are not using aliases and are really exposing themselves and often their spouses or partners in these essays. And yet, they were willing to be extremely frank and honest in their essays.

Paula: Mostly because I tried to emphasize that these stories weren’t about betraying a partner or airing dirty laundry or simply about voyeurism – each one is about the women herself – what she feels, experiences, desires and worries about in bed. Making sure that we were keeping the focus on that helped make it easier for each writer to feel comfortable and deliver.

Healthbolt: Well, you certainly succeeded. Anyone reading Behind the Bedroom Door will get a much better understanding on the variety and extreme differences that each of us experience behind the bedroom door. It’s definitely got Healthbolt’s seal of approval.

….

Healthbolt’s got one copy of Behind the Bedroom Door to give away. All you need to do is leave a comment here by 31st January to be in to win.  And when you leave the comment, if you know, tell us who else sung the Charlie Rich song ‘Behind Close Doors’.

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Motivating or just plan bizarre?

Post from: Healthbolt

Starting next week the Healthbolt Carnival

will be posted every Wednesday come rain or

shine

Anyone interested in hosting one of the editions of the Healthbolt Carnival can drop me a line.

use this carnival form to submit your blog post.

Post from: Healthbolt

Belinda

Congratulations Belinda. You’ll be receiving an email shortly with instructions on how to claim your prize.

Post from: Healthbolt

So in celebration of the day, I thought I’d share some of my favorite posts with you…

Nine Christmas Gifts for the Hypochondriac in Your Life was the second post I wrote for Healthbolt and it was probably the most fun. Exploring all the interesting and fun gifts you could buy for the ‘hypochondriac’ was a blast. After all, how could a person resist fluffy giant microbes and internal organs.

And then there was Doing the Hasselhoff and Pumpkin Positive, an examination of entertaining and information medical slang.

On a more serious note, I wrote about how the CDC says Morgellons is a mystery disease worth investigating, found 5 Smoking Gadgets That Might Help You Quit Smoking, discussed needle phobia in No Needles Please…I’m Belonephobic, and looked at some fascinating historic facts about Marijuana.

There was also human interest stories with the Ice Man, the Blue Man, the Tree Man, and the Upside Down Man.

Plus the unique, the intriguing, and the bizarre with Can You Do This With Your Body, Dermatographia as Body Art, Blood-Sucking Beauty, What’s That in Your Head,  A Visit to the Anatomical Theatre, and Russian Spa builds a monument to the enema.

There were some health tips such as Humming my way to clearer sinuses, Do the Hara Hachi Bu, Zip Your Migraine Away With Magnets, and Are You Tired of Being Tired.

But of all 300 plus posts over this past year, Remembering Randy Pausch is the one I consider the most important. What he said in The Last Lecture will stick with me always…

Post from: Healthbolt