You may be doing your body good by taking that morning run or working up a sweat at the gym. But when you also work up a thirst and take a swig from your trusty refillable water bottle you may actually taking a swig of harmful germs.
New research shows that an incredible amount of bacteria — including E. Coli and salmonella — may be lurking in and on your water bottle.
Laboratory tests by Treadmill Reviews, a Minneapolis-based firm, analyzed 12 water bottles used by athletes and not washed for a week and found they had such high levels of bacteria that drinking from them would be like “licking a toilet seat.”
They tested four types of reusable bottles: A slide-top, screw-top, squeeze-top and straw-top. The researchers evaluated the amount of contamination in terms of “colony forming units,” or CFUs, of bacteria per square centimeter. Here are their findings:
The bottles contained an average of 300,000 CFU of bacteria. That’s six times as much bacteria as you’d find on your pet’s food bowl. And much of the bacteria was the kind that makes you sick.
The slide-top bottles contained the highest amount of bacteria: A whopping 933,340 CFU. They also had the most gram-positive germs which have been linked to skin infections, pneumonia and blood poisoning.
Squeeze-top bottles were next with 162,000 CFU followed by screw-top vessels with 160,000 CFU. These also housed 99 percent of the harmful bacteria.
Straw-top bottles were the clear winners with only 25 CFU. But that’s only 2 CFU less than the average home toilet seat. It is thought that these are safer because water drips down to the bottom of the straw rather than hang out at the top attracting moisture-loving germs.
“Based on our test results, we suggest opting for a straw-top bottle, both for the prevalence of bacteria and the lack of harmful germs,” says the fitness Website. They suggested that stainless steel water bottles are a better choice than plastic which may also contain Bisphenol A, otherwise known as BPA, a chemical that can lead to cancer, diabetes, and other illnesses.
But by far the best option, says the website Aquasana.com, is to use glass water bottles and run them through the dishwasher or wash thoroughly by hand after every use.
By comparison, other household germy hot spots include:
Toothbrush holder, 331,848 CFU.
Pet bowl, 47,383 CFU.
Kitchen sink, 3,191 CFI.
Cutting board, 6.8 CFU.
“Harmful bacteria and viruses lurk in moist locations such as the kitchen and bathroom and can be easily transported into your mouth by using an old toothbrush, sponge or other common household item,” Dr. Donald Marks tells Newsmax Health.
The New Jersey-based infectious disease expert, who also holds a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology, makes the following recommendations to avoid home contamination:
Sponges and wash clothes. You may think you are cleaning cups and saucers with these items but they can contain thousands of bacteria per square inch so you’re just spreading germs around. Put wash clothes in the washing machine and run the sponges through the dishwasher. Better still, replace sponges every two weeks,
Kitchen drain. Your kitchen drain contains more germs than your bathroom toilet. With the hot water running, pour a little baking soda down the drain daily.
Kitchen towels. A recent study showed that 7 percent of kitchen towels were contaminated with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Wash them in hot water twice weekly.
Refrigerator water filters. These filters collect bacteria and mold over time. The rule of thumb is to change them twice annually. If you have a large family of water drinkers, every three months is a better time frame.
Toothbrush. Your toothbrush is a magnet for bacteria that can come from toilet spray, splashes from the sink when you wash your hands, or from your own mouth. Replace it every three or four months and never share a toothbrush. You may consider soaking it in an antibacterial solution after every use.
Many people are exposed to dangerously loud sounds at work and at play, and most of them don’t wear ear plugs or take other steps to prevent hearing loss, a recent U.S. study suggests.
Almost 49 million adults work in very noisy conditions, and more than one-third of them never use hearing protection, the study found. Among leisure pursuits, firearms pose a particular risk and just 59 percent of the 35 million U.S. gun users represented in the study wear hearing protection all the time.
“The problem here is both the number of people using firearms and the potential noise-inducing hearing loss from the repeated gunfire,” said senior study author Dr. Neil Bhattacharyya of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
“A rifle has an extremely loud single burst of sound and if you are firing hundreds of rounds, that can be very damaging, particularly without hearing protection,” Bhattacharyya said by email.
To assess how often U.S. adults are exposed to loud noise and how regularly they take steps to protect against hearing loss, researchers examined 2014 survey data representing 240 million people.
Overall, 22 percent were exposed to “very loud” sounds at work requiring them to shout to be heard at arm’s length. The exposures were for at least four hours a day, several days a week.
Roughly one in five people were exposed to loud sounds outside of work, and 62 percent of them didn’t use hearing protection, researchers report in The Laryngoscope.
With firearms, researchers found that one in five people who shot more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition in the past year never used hearing protection. Most of the firearm-related noise exposure came during recreational shooting.
Lawn mowers were the most common source of non-occupational noise exposure.
Almost two-thirds of people around loud noises during recreational activities never used any hearing protection.
One limitation of the study is that it only included one year of survey data, the authors note. It also didn’t have medical records to document specific hearing or health problems associated with noise.
“Untreated hearing loss is associated with increased stress, depression and social withdrawal, and may exacerbate problems for those with cognitive changes such as dementia,” said Dr. Jennifer Derebery of the House Ear Clinic and Institute and the University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine.
If people aren’t sure whether the noise around them is loud enough to damage their ears, they can get a sound meter app for their phone and use ear plugs or other protection whenever the app shows the sound is too loud, Derebery, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email.
And there are good options for people to wear when they still need to hear the sounds around them, a concern for many hunters and concert goers.
“There are outstanding electronic ear muff and ear plug options that solve many of the complaints that recreational shooters and hunters have related to conventional hearing protection,” said Colleen Le Prell, an audiology researcher at the University of Texas at Dallas who wasn’t involved in the study.
“They allow quiet sounds, such as speech and sounds the hunter might be making as they walk, to be not only delivered but amplified, which can be very useful with someone who already has some hearing loss,” Le Prell said by email. “Hearing loss can be prevented, with the consistent and correct use of hearing protection devices.”
Jessica Boyce has signed a national letter of intent to attend school and join the UTEP rifle team starting for the 2017-18 season, head coach Hannah Muegge announced Thursday.
“Moving our sights to next season, I strongly feel Jessica will be a great asset for us as we look to continue to improve upon our team goals and strengthen our team culture,” Muegge said. “Jessica has set some great goals as she aims forward to the collegiate level and the team is very excited to welcome her aboard.”
Boyce is on track to graduate from Maple Mountain High School (Spanish Fork, Utah) and intends to major in psychology.
Below is a brief bio on Boyce:
Boyce developed her love for competitive shooting by participating in the Utah High School Rodeo 3P sporter event in 2013, qualified for and took part in the 2014 High School National Finals.
2014-15 Utah High School Rodeo Rifle State Champion; began competing in precision rifle with the Springville Jr. Rifle Club in the fall of 2013. Also is a member of the Utah Precision Marksmanship Society and holds the range record in air rifle at the University of Utah.
Boyce competed in many NRA postal and sectional matches, receiving both local and national recognition, qualified for the Junior Olympics in 2015 (air rifle), 2016 (air rifle and smallbore) and 2017 (smallbore)
She helped her team take second place at the 2015 Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Western Regional Matches … also took place in the event in 2016 and 2017; posted the seventh-best individual score to advance to the finals in 2017. That effort earned her an individual invitation to compete in the CMP 3P Nationals.
Boyce has spent the past four years has teaching hunter education classes and mentoring younger shooters at her club. Boyce loves to read, be in the outdoors and travel with her family, and has a great love for animals.
She intends to major in psychology at UTEP. Boyce is the daughter of Steven and Krista Boyce and the big sister to Katie, her shooting partner.
A much-improved UTEP women’s golf team will look to surprise the field at next week’s Conference USA Championship, which tees off on Monday in Fort Myers, Fla.
“Because of the season we’ve had, we’ve got to win to continue on to regionals,” coach Jere Pelletier said on Thursday. “There are quite a few teams this year that are ahead of us. I think we are ranked sixth or seventh. But we have surprised them before, and I think the mindset is we don’t have anything to lose. We’ve just got to get out there and play and hopefully we can surprise them again.”
Six years ago, the Miners entered the C-USA Championship rated seventh among league teams but captured their first league title, overthrowing no. 13 Tulane and no. 42 Tulsa in the process.
UTEP has put together a strong season that included one tournament title and three runner-up finishes in the fall. The Miners appear to have regained their stride in the last two spring tournaments, tying for third place at the Little Rock/Arkansas State Invitational and tying for sixth at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic.
The Miners have strength at the top of their lineup in sophomore Lily Downs (75.2 scoring average), senior Alisa Rodriguez (75.4) and junior June Ting (75.7). Downs and Ting have both claimed tournament titles this season. All three have picked up six top-20 finishes in 2016-17.
“You’re hoping everybody is peaking at the same time and playing their best,” Pelletier said. “We seem to be playing pretty good right now. Alisa, Lily and June have been steady all year. The key for us in the conference is going to be to get one of the other two players to play well. My senior Sofia [Castiello] is starting to play good, and my freshman Abbie (Anghelescu) has shown some real signs of improvement this spring and I think she’s going to play well.”
A total of 11 teams will participate in the championship at the par-72, 6,194-yard Verandah Golf Club. Eighteen holes will be played each day, Monday through Wednesday. Old Dominion enters as the favorite with a no. 63 ranking by GolfStat. UTEP is rated no. 126. Live stats will be available at www.golfstat.com.
The tournament was also in Fort Myers a year ago.
“Alisa and Sofia played [the course] well last year,” Pelletier said. “Lily played pretty well. And right now Lily seems to be playing the best of all three of them. I think it’s going to be a dogfight to see which one comes in first.”
The UTEP track and field team return to action as they head to the Golden State for the Mt. SAC Relays (May 13-14) and the Jim Bush Collegiate Invitational (May 15).
It will be the first action for the Miners since competing in the Texas Relays two weeks ago.
Mt. SAC
Heading to Torrance, Calif. will see the 5 distance runners for the Miners on Friday. Daniel Cheruiyot in the 3,000m steeplechase set for a 4:30 p.m. PT start. Cheruiyot earned a fifth-place finish at the Texas Relays on March 29.
Three Miners will compete in the 10,000m run, Winny Koech and Gladys Jerotich will set to run at 6:00 p.m., followed by Antony Kosgei in the men’s open at 6:40 p.m. Cosmas Boit will compete in the 5,000m run set for 7:40 p.m.
UCLA Invitational
The second destination will see the Miners compete at the UCLA Drake Stadium on Saturday. Starting the day at 8:30 a.m., will be Abedola Akomolafe, Fayon Gonzales and Cierra Chenault in the hammer throw. Lucia Mokrasova and Tyler Ragin will compete in the long jump set for 10:00 a.m. Israel Ramsay returns to the high jump after placing second at the C-USA indoor championships.
Sophomore sensation, Tobi Amusan will race in the 100m dash set for 3:20 p.m. Amusan holds the nation’s fastest time in the 100m hurdles with a time of 12.63. Lilian Koech will run in the 800m, after posting the third-fastest time (2:08.51) in the C-USA this season registered at the Texas Relays. Competing in the 400m dash will be Ada Benjamin, Florence Uwakwe, Imani Adams and Madison Gibson.
On the men’s side, Emmanuel Korir makes his return to the track after winning the 800m NCAA Championship on March 10. The freshman has made an immediate impact on the track setting an indoor school record in the 800m (1:46.75). Korir also recorded a world best 1:14.97 during the indoor season in the 600m. The distance runner will compete in the 800m at 3:45 p.m., along with sophomore Jonah Koech.
Competing in the 1,500m run will be Michael Saruni and Evans Kiprono. Saruni had an outstanding performance at the Texas Relays where he set the second-fastest outdoor school time in the 800 (1:45.82). The mid-distance runner competed against the 2012 Olympic silver medialist (Leonel Manzano) and the collegiate record holder (Donivan Brazier) in Austin. Saruni and Kiprono will be set to run at 5:05 p.m.
Modern chiropractic started in the late 1800s when Daniel David Palmer, a self-educated teacher and healer, performed the very first spinal manipulation on a patient. Chiropractic is the third largest area of medicine today. The word chiropractic comes from Greek words meaning “treatment by hand”, which is exactly what chiropractors do�they use their hands to manipulate the body and promote healing and wellness.
The chiropractic philosophy is dependant on the following belief statements:
All bodily functions are connected as well as the healing process requires the entire body.
A healthy nervous system, especially the spine, is the important thing to your healthier body. The spinal cord carries advice throughout the body and is accountable for many bodily functions including voluntary movements (such as walking) and involuntary functions (like respiration). When the systems of the body have been in equilibrium, it is called homeostasis. Disorders of the bones, muscles, and nerves increase the risk of disorder along with other health problems and can disrupt homeostasis.
When body systems are in harmony, the human anatomy gets the extraordinary ability to keep well-being and treat itself.
Chiropractors
They use traditional diagnostic testing strategies (like x-rays, MRI, and laboratory work) along with specific chiropractic techniques that involve hands-on manipulation of the articulations (joints) of the body. Nutrition and healthful lifestyle counseling is also offered by chiropractors. Chiropractors elect to not prescribe drugs, plus they do not perform operation; however, many chiropractors work with medical doctors and certainly will refer a patient when needed.
Chiropractors believe among the chief reasons for pain and disease is the misalignment of the vertebrae in the spinal column (this is known as a chiropractic subluxation). Through the usage of manual detection (or palpation), carefully applied pressure, massage, and manual manipulation of the vertebrae and joints (called adjustments), chiropractors are able to alleviate pressure and irritation on the nerves, restore joint mobility, and help return the body’s homeostasis.
Some chiropractors dedicate their practices exclusively to finding and removing subluxations. But in addition to using manual adaptations, most chiropractors offer other treatment modalities such as the following:
Physiotherapy
Herbal therapy
Heat/cold therapy
Ultrasound
Electric muscle stimulation
Acupuncture
Manipulation under anesthesia
Traction
Massage
Exercise programs and teaching
Lifestyle and nutrition counselling
Physical rehabilitation
Additionally, many chiropractors have considerable postgraduate training and become board certified in some specific regions of interest such as for instance:
Neurology
Orthopaedics
Sports medicine
Physical rehabilitation
Nourishment
Diagnostic radiology
In Overview
Chiropractic has come a long way since its beginnings. Due to its success in treating back and neck problems and as a consequence of changing approaches and recent research, chiropractic has become more accepted and is currently considered by many to be a piece of mainstream Western medicine. Actually, many hospitals finally have chiropractors on staff. Chiropractors will also be recognized by the court system as expert witnesses inside their field.
�ACL injuries have become a youth sports epidemic and are the No. 1 sports injury we operate on at our outpatient surgical center,� says Jennifer Beck, MD, associate director of the Center for Sports Medicine at the Orthopaedic Institute for Children, in a media release.
�The injury is most common in sports that involve sudden changes of direction�such as football and soccer�but fortunately there are some basic things athletes can do to lessen the chance of injury.�
Beck notes in the release that most ACL injuries are not the result of contact with another player but rather occur during sudden twisting motions (such as when the feet are planted one way and the knees are turned another way), or when landing from a jump. Factors that can contribute to ACL injuries include biomechanical issues such as muscle strength and leg alignment, as well as sport technique and preparation.
Young athletes can reduce their risk for ACL injuries by performing training drills that require balance, jumping, power, and agility.
�Drills such as these also help�improve neuromuscular conditioning and muscular reactions and have shown to ultimately decrease the risk of ACL injury,� Beck adds.
Other exercises could include focused stretches, leg raises, leg lifts, prone hip extensions, and sidesteps.
Along with these tips, the OIC Center for Sports Medicine advises parents and coaches to ensure that young athletes don�t skip the warm-ups, drink enough fluids, use proper equipment, and never play through pain.
�We want children to have fun, but it is also important to have a common sense approach to playing and to not ignore injury,� Beck shares. �While rest, ice, and ibuprofen can help reduce basic soreness, if pain persists parents should contact a physician. Failure to address a sports injury properly and promptly can lead to lifelong problems.�
[Source(s): Orthopaedic Institute for Children, Business Wire]
The understanding the spine is somehow involved in health and wellness, in addition to the practice of utilizing manual manipulation as a way to obtain healing, dates back to the time of the ancient Greek philosophers. In fact, Hippocrates once said, “Get understanding of the back, for this is the requisite for several ailments.”
The First�Chiropractic Adjustment
Modern chiropractic, however, indicates its beginnings in the late 1800s, �when a Canadian living in the US, Daniel David Palmer, a self educated teacher and healer, performed the very first spinal manipulation on a patient.
That patient was Harvey Lillard, a janitor who worked in Palmer’s building. Lillard was almost totally deaf and mentioned to Palmer that he lost his hearing many years before when he was bending over and felt a “pop” in his upper back.
Palmer, who had been a practitioner of magnet therapy (a common therapy of the time) was fairly learned in physiology and incredibly interested in how a spine interacts with all the remainder of the entire body’s systems.
He found a difficulty with one of his vertebra and examined Lillard’s back. Palmer manipulated Lillard’s vertebra and an amazing event occurred�Lillard’s hearing was restored. Today, this process is referred to as a chiropractic adjustment.
Palmer soon found that alterations could alleviate patients’ pain as well as other symptoms. These problems with vertebrae are called chiropractic subluxations.
He started to use these “hand treatments” to treat many different ailments, including sciatica, migraine headaches, stomach complaints, epilepsy, and heart trouble. In 1898, he started the Palmer School & Infirmary in Davenport, Iowa, and began teaching his chiropractic techniques.
Initial Resistance In The Medical Community
The medical community failed to immediately embrace techniques and Palmer’s chiropractic theories. The called him a “quack” and refused to recognize his achievements. At one point, Palmer spent time in jail because of his violation and was indicted for practicing medicine with no license.
Research has shown that Palmer was not the fish monger that was unlearned that some in the health care profession claim. An investigation of this library, which he quoted in his letters, showed that he was up to date in his knowledge at the turn of the 20th century. Obviously, his theories, in the light of 21st century knowledge, seem uneducated.
Chiropractic Today
Today, chiropractors are licensed in most European countries, Canadian provinces, all the US states, Australia and New Zealand. There tend to be more than 50,000 practicing chiropractors in the US alone . Despite its North American roots, there are more chiropractic educational programs beyond North America.
The concept that light energy from a laser can reduce inflammation and pain, hasten healing in damaged tissues, relax muscles, and stimulate nerve regeneration appears far fetched. Science, however, tells us these effects do happen.
“Power and wavelength ascertain the capability of the laser to penetrate into the body. Once you are in the infrared spectrum and above 800 nanometers in wavelength, laser energy penetrates like X-rays, but to attain depth you need substantial electricity or energy,� Dr. Bruce Coren told Spine Universe.
Two Categories Utilized in Physical Therapeutics
You can find just two groups of lasers being used in physical therapy; group 3 and 4. �Category 3 lasers are much less than 500 milliwatts, mw, in power while class 4 lasers are greater than 500 mw,� Dr. Coren said. Class 3 lasers are occasionally known as cold lasers, while the treatment may be called LLLT for low-level laser therapy. In contrast, class 4 laser treatment might be called HPLT for high power laser therapy.
�The majority of neuro-musculoskeletal conditions respond better to a higher power and a greater dosage, which will be a function of power output and time,� Dr. Coren commented. The best results are going to be obtained with a laser that’s 30 watts of power or more. A 10-minute treatment using a 30-watt laser will generate 18,000 joules, which gives a critical pain relieving, anti inflammatory and healing effect.�
Although 5 or more sessions may be required to solve the problem, patients usually begin to feel better after 1 or 2 treatments. � The more extensive the injury and the more chronic, the more treatments are usually needed,� he included.
Properties of High Power Laser Treatment
Pain Relief: Laser decreases nerve sensitivity by decreasing bradykinin; a pain generating compound. It normalizes ion channels, gatekeepers that are mobile, and releases endorphins, body�s natural pain reliever, and enkephalins, that is related to endorphins, that generate an analgesic effect. Additionally, it has a pain-blocking effect on specific nerve fibers. This increased energy accelerates the repair processes of the cell. Laser additionally causes a widening of the arteries and veins around the damage which really helps to remove damaged cellular debris and increase nutrients and oxygen. White blood cell activity is improved leading to a more fast repair process.
Gifted Tissue Repair and Cell Growth:�Photons of light from lasers penetrate deeply into tissue and accelerate cellular reproduction and growth. As a result of exposure to laser light, the cells of nerves, ligaments, tendons and muscles are repaired quicker.
Improved Vascular Action:�Laser light raises the formation of new capillaries in damaged tissue, which closes wounds quickly, and speeds up the healing process.
Cause and Acupuncture Points:�Laser is very effective in extinguishing painful trigger points. It’s likewise a highly effective method of stimulating acupuncture points with no distress related to needling.
Reduced Fibrous Tissue Formation:�Laser therapy reduces the formation of scar tissue following tissue damage from burns, cuts, scratches, repetitive motion injuries or surgery.
Faster Wound Healing: Collagen is the essential protein necessary to repair injuries or to replace old tissue. Because of this, the laser is effective on burns and open wounds. Laser raises the number of stem cells, which enhances healing.
Conditions Treated Where Laser Therapy is Administered
High power lasers are typically present in physical therapy clinics and chiropractic offices. Neck, back or joint pain generally responds immediately to laser therapy.
�Lasers are also rather powerful for inflammatory conditions, including peripheral neuropathy, tendonitis, bursitis, and capsulitis. Sprains, strains, and repetitive motion injuries all have an inflammatory component and may be successfully treated with laser,� he remarked. �There is no specific state that reacts more quickly to laser. Nonetheless, some patients will respond faster than others for precisely the same condition as individual healing rates can change.�
Laser therapy can be used as a stand-alone treatment, or with rehabilitative exercise therapy. �Rehabilitative exercises and laser therapy complement each other nicely,� explained Dr. Coren.
Precautions of Laser Therapy
There are a few precautions with laser treatment. Eye protection is required for both therapist and the patient, and laser must not be performed over malignancies, pacemakers, spinal stimulators or within the midsection of pregnant women.
Further Recommendations
High power laser treatment is just one of the quickest, most powerful modalities therapists now need to treat inflammation and pain. �Sadly, laser just isn’t covered by insurance, and high-power lasers could be difficult since they are high-priced to locate. Most importantly, results are reached by the quantity of energy produced, 18,000-30,000 joules per treatment being the sweet spot,� Dr. Coren reasoned.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 . �
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Chiropractic and Sciatica
Sciatica is identified as a group of symptoms rather than a single injury or condition. Low back pain is common among a variety of individuals, but when symptoms of numbness and tingling sensations are accompanied with pain and discomfort, there may be unnecessary pressure being placed against the sciatic nerve. Sciatic nerve pain or sciatica can occur due to a variety of factors and chiropractic treatment can help relieve the symptoms. Chiropractic care is a safe and effective treatment option available for restoring the health of the spine and reducing sciatica symptoms.
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