Hello, health and wellness readers. My name is Kaitlin, your guide to the latest health news you may have missed.
Let’s explore what our team wrote this week:
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Natalie Rahhal spoke to experts about five simple things you can do to lower your chances of developing cancer — and yes, that includes ditching the cigarettes and reaching for the sunscreen.
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Scary but important: Rachel Grumman Bender wrote about why leaving kids in the car (especially on a hot day) is so deadly.
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A road trip is a great summer activity – until motion sickness sets in. Sarah Hunter Simanson shares tips on how to combat it… and how to avoid it in the first place.
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Um, do tampons contain toxic materials?! Natalie spoke to experts about the latest research and whether or not we should freak out about it.
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The new COVID wave is here. Should you mask up? Korin Miller explains who might want to put that N95 back on.
Plus, three other health stories to know:
A Potential Cause of Lupus
Researchers believe they have found the root cause of lupus, a chronic disease that causes the immune system to attack the body and presents symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain and rashes.
It all has to do with T cells – white blood cells that help attack infected or abnormal cells, helping to protect the body against disease. A study Published in Nature this week found that lupus patients have too many T cells that damage the body and too few T cells that help repair it. Researchers believe the reason for this T cell imbalance may be due to the fact that lupus patients have an excessive amount of a protein called interferon.
What it means:
Right now, common lupus treatment involves suppressing the immune system. This can lead to a number of other health problems, such as putting patients at greater risk of contracting viruses and other illnesses.
Although some researchers believe it is too early to say definitively that this is the reason why some people develop lupus, it is a step in the right direction, as the more you learn about lupus, the greater the chances of finding successful treatment options. successful for him. Scientists found that giving study participants anifrolumab, a drug that blocks interferon, prevented the T-cell imbalance that could be at the root of lupus – however, they caution that this treatment may not work for all patients with the disease.
Pig kidney transplant patient dies
New Jersey resident Lisa Pisano, 54, passed away after receiving a pig kidney transplant. Her death occurred after doctors were forced to remove the transplanted pig kidney 47 days after surgery due to damage caused by her heart medications. Although she remained on dialysis after removal, Pisano was eventually transferred to hospice care, where she later died.
What it means:
Pisano was the second recipient of the pig-to-human organ transfer experiment, called xenotransplantation. His death follows that of Richard Slayman, who died in early May, nearly two months after his xenotransplant surgery. Slayman had a pre-existing heart condition and his death is not considered a result of the transplant, which was expected to last two years.
Right now, many medical researchers believe that xenotransplantation is the future of transplants, with companies looking for ways to adapt pig organs to make them more acceptable to the human immune system. With more people on the transplant list than organs available, successful transplants from pigs to humans could save many lives.
Colorado sees a case of plague
Last week, Colorado health officials confirmed a human case of bubonic plague (the disease once known as “the Black Death,” which killed approximately 50 million people in Europe and Asia) in Pueblo County, about 160 miles south of Denver. The Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment said that because the plague is endemic, it was unable to pinpoint the specific source of the infection. The infected person is receiving treatment, the department said, and confirmed that his condition has since improved.
What it means:
Plague is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, which commonly lives in rodents such as rats and prairie dogs. It is transmitted by infected fleas.
The bubonic plague killed millions of people in Europe and Asia during the 14th century, and although it is not the pandemic it was then, it has not completely disappeared either. On average, the United States records seven cases of plague per year, mainly in the Southwest region.
In most cases, the illness is easily treatable with antibiotics, as long as you seek medical attention immediately. There are also a vaccine to prevent plaguebut it is only recommended for people who work in laboratories and may come into direct contact with the bacteria that cause the disease.
There are simple steps you can take to avoid contracting the pest. Prevent rodents whenever possible, which means cleaning up areas around your property where they might congregate. Never touch sick or dead animals.
Your pets, however, may be the ones you really need to care for. Keep them safe from any rodent exposure and make sure they are treated for fleas regularly: In February, a case in Oregon was suspected to have been transferred from a sick cat to its owner.
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