Category Archives: Health

Health Risks Of Adventure Sports

The popularity and appeal of adventure sports or extreme sports is on the rise, worldwide. Kayaking, skiing, rock climbing, cliff diving, trebuchet, mountaineering, snowboarding, ski boarding (snowblading),water rafting, base jumping, downhill mountain biking, bungee jumping are alluring the teenagers and  the young adults. They crave for the ‘adrenaline rush’ and excitement derived from such sports and do not hesitate to jeopardize their lives by indulging in adventure sports.

These sports are associated with high causalities or fatalities and risk is intricately woven into the very element of extreme sports. Despite having claimed thousands of young lives, they continue to attract individuals, who are drawn to such sports like powerful magnets.

Snow sports are obviously hot during the winter season, and are thus the charm of places with long winters like Scotland, Canada, Russia etc. Skiing dangers abound. One strange danger is the ‘tree-well’ deaths or NARSID, snow immersion deaths that are not related to avalanche, occurs when the victim falls in the deep pitted area near a snow-laden tree are common. When the victim tries to rise or extricate it results in more deposition of snow over them and they die from hypothermia and asphyxia.

Inside a tree well it is difficult for someone to be able to see or hear you, so the chances of rescue are very remote. Falls and collision with static objects like trees or other persons coming in the way account for a lot of fatalities and wearing a helmet may prevent this to a large extent.

One third of ski injuries involve the knee joint, affecting either the anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament or the meniscus. There may be ligament tears or lower leg fractures that may require knee replacement surgery. Other common sites of injury are the head or the skull, thumb, and shoulder joint.

Snowboarding has an altogether different injury profile. Here, upper limb fractures predominate due to falls with outstretched hands. According to Dr. Gorger, at Deadwood Regional Hospital, broken collar bones, dislocated shoulders, and wrist fractures are quite common in snowboarding. The incidence is quite high in children and novice boarders due to not wearing protective gear such as wrist guards that protect the person from wrist injury.

In this regards I would like cite my own example- last winter I visited my cousin in Scotland who is sports savvy. She took me along with her for snowboarding and taught me for the first time; she herself was self-taught. I ended up fracturing the talus bone of my ankle, and injury commonly known as “snowboarder’s ankle”. I learned an important lesson, not to gamble with your safety and health, and seek professional training or instruction before going for adventure sports.

Thrill Seekers 

The thrill seekers who are fanatic about the stimulation and boost they get from such sports are not just daredevils, but very often they are our best scientists, surgeons, CEO’s, inventors and explorers. For example Dr. Kenneth Kalmer, a New York based renowned surgeon of international acclaim, and one of the finest surgeons of America, is a high altitude mountaineer. He is well aware of the health risks associated with it, but feels that it makes the society more vibrant and progressive. He says that the predisposition to take risk is not new; it is hardwired into our core, our evolutionary makeup since times immemorial. Man took risks in order to survive.

He feels that sportsmen linked to adventure sports are adroit and highly skilled, trained athletes, who are safety conscious, disciplined and can take care of themselves in high risk zones. He feels if adventure sports are practised in the right way with all the safety measures they significantly contribute in the development of our evolving and diverse society. But on the other hand, in an attempt to seek name and fame, perhaps to attract the attention of media, too many of them neglect the safety protocols, inviting troubles.

Some Other Problems

Nowadays, to fulfill the innate need of exhilaration, some people resort to other activities, having potentially greater social, personal and economic risks than adventure sports. For example, they may turn to addictions like gambling, sex, drinking, smoking or taking narcotics, to get the ‘high’ or surge of adrenaline, the same feeling or euphoria that they get from adventure sports due adrenaline surge.

Sitting for long hours to play video games or computer games is a leading cause of postural problems, obesity and other lifestyle diseases, but if one participates in such sports they will never fall prey to such lifestyle disorders. Challenging outdoor activities, even adventure sports are better outlets than these addictions according to Dr. Peter Katzmarzyk , who is linked with Canadian Heart Foundation. So, if practised in a proper way with all the safety protocols adventure sports are actually a boon in disguise. So, if you follow your sport’s guidelines and are trained, the risks are greatly reduced.

Author: Hi! I’m Rit, a causal writer at nutrition website FreshBeetle. I am fond of exploring every possible aspect in life that involved improving your health. I’ll be happy to see you from time to time on our site – FreshBeetle. 😉

Why You Should Get Yourself Checked Up First Before Scuba Diving

Going scuba diving for the first time is definitely something to look forward to. You’ve seen all those gorgeous underwater pictures in travel blogs, and you can’t wait to transport into that other-worldly place yourself.

Of course,it’s not just about putting on the wet suit and turning on that oxygen tank. You will have to undergo training and certification before you can even be allowed anywhere near those depths. That is to ensure your safety and security underwater. Obviously, your physical capacities will be limited by the environment, and so you should know the basic ABC’s first.

Visit Your Doctor First Before Visiting The Deep Sea

Before you even get into training, you should visit your doctor first for a rudimentary check-up. You might as well do it before you leave before your trip, too, because either way, the diving training will still require you to get that check-up from their own doctor, especially if you do have a pre-existing medical condition.

In particular, wannabe-divers with a history of heart or lung conditions require their physician’s thumbs up. The conditions underwater are not exactly the best for those with this physical condition, especially because the heart and the lungs are the first to be directly affected, in the event of an underwater emergency.

Medication Issues

If you are under medication for whatever reason, it would be better too if you ask your own doctor during your check-up about the possible effects of taking these drugs, and going diving.

Basically, your purpose of going to your doctor before making that diving trip is to be responsible about your own health. As soon as you’re in the clear, then you can go ahead and enjoy getting that diving certification.

The official website of Arbeitsmedizin should help you better understand the importance of visiting your doctor for a check-up before getting into any extreme outdoor activities, like deep-sea diving.

The Perfect Diet And Routine For Muscle Building

A body builds muscle when it is put through a strenuous activity for a prolonged period. Muscles grow during the period when the body rests and not during exercise. When we lift weights the muscles are put through stress and they break down which results in production of thicker muscle fibers. But before you can hit the gym, you need to get stronger, gain some mass and get the energy to train hard.

What To Eat

It is very essential to have a muscle building diet because if you don’t eat enough all that hard work would go to waste. Eat the right stuff in the right amounts to see the right results. Try to manage more than 3 meals a day to give your body enough fuel to build muscle. Don’t eat to fill yourself but eat to complete yourself with what the body needs.

Eat a good breakfast, then eat before workout, eat after workout and besides that try to eat every three hours to keep your body powered up.

Eat foods with proteins and carbohydrates. Protein gives you the energy and carbohydrates help build up muscles. Carbohydrates are found in everything that you eat already in your daily diet, rice and potatoes being the prime example.

Supplements are a good way to gain energy and help in muscle building and muscle repair but it being supplement means it will only work with a good exercise routine and an excellent diet.

The most important thing to do is to stay away from fats and sugars, as fats hinder in muscle building unless they are healthy fats and sugars cause craving for more food. Good fat comes from stuff like olive oil, fish oil, butter and many other things in our daily diet.

Keep these little things in mind and it will help you with muscle gain.

Make A Routine

Make a schedule of what exercises to do on what day and which muscle to focus on each day. It is best to focus two muscles per day, try making pairs like

  1.  Biceps and triceps
  2. Shoulder and back
  3. Chest and abs
  4. Legs and thighs

Push your body to the limit and try to lift as heavy weights as you can. Add weights day by day to take your body out of the comfort zone. More weight is more stress which automatically results in more muscle. Lift weights to get tired. By the time you finish your exercises your muscles should be fully exhausted.

Rest is as important as exercise. If you don’t give enough time to your muscles to relax they will hinder in muscle growth. And increase your sleeping hours to give extra time to the muscles for a complete rest.

Bottom line

The final verdict is that if you want to gain and build muscles, you need to eat more to get a good amount of calories and lift heavy weights to get the effects you want. In one line, eat more every day and lift more, day after day to make your workout worth it.  “The pain you feel today is the strength you will gain tomorrow!” (Quite literally).

Types Of Running Injuries To Be Aware Of

Cause of Acute Sciatic Nerve Pain

Sciatica is a medical condition that is an inflammation of the sciatic nerve that is usually characterized by pain plus tenderness through the thigh and leg. Acute sciatic nerve pain usually begins in the buttocks which then extend down the back of the thigh and lower leg until the sole of the foot. An individual can also experience pain in the lower back. There are actually different reasons why an individual, even a pregnant woman, experiences sciatica. The primary cause of this is a herniated or bulging lower lumbar intervertebral disk. This leads to the compression of the nerve roots before it joins with the sciatic nerve. At times, irritation of the sciatic nerve branch in the leg can be so serious that makes a reflex pain reaction involving the entire length of the nerve. For instance, for individuals who have a pinched or irritated nerve near their knee, they may experience the pain in their hip or buttocks.

Runner’s Knee Treatment and Prevention

Runner’s knee is actually a very common injury that is likewise easy to prevent. Some preventive measures you can do includes stretching plus strengthening your muscles especially your hamstrings; avoid running on hard or uneven surfaces; develop and maintain great mechanics and habits when running; wear proper running shoes; and avoid over-training. However, if preventing this condition is too late, then you should know about different runner’s knee treatment. These treatment plans help alleviate the pain and hasten the process of healing. They includes applying ice on the area near the knee once pain is experienced; take days off until the pain subsides; and use running shoes which have extra support and shock absorption mechanism. But if these don’t work and the pain persists, talk to a specialized doctor immediately so you can attain proper medical advice and treatment plan to avoid the worsening of the problem.

How to Prevent Muscle Cramps

Muscle cramps can be common, and often not serious. Muscle cramps can be prevented by taking a few measures:  1) Drink a lot of milk, this helps increase the calcium in your body for better muscle contraction; 2)Eat food rich in potassium; 3) Try taking B complex vitamins to help with nerve impulse transmission and conduction; 4) Exercise regularly for better circulation; and 5) Wear the right kinds of shoes when you walk in order to prevent muscle cramps. Of course, always seek the help of a medical professional for complete health care.

Dangerous animals—spiders

In this installment of the Dangerous Animals series we look at a group that is very misunderstood, and often erroneously indicted for being dangerous—spiders. In the summary chart of dangerous animals, summarized from various sources, spiders are accused of causing 6 deaths a year, on average, in North America. This is more deaths than caused by bears, mountain lions, and wolves combined, and I am highly suspicious of the figure.

In his review of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, Langley (2005) summarizes death by all sorts of wild animals, and spider bites have their own classification code, suggesting that the medical community has decided it is worth watching for. For example, the data suggest that between 1991 and 2001 there were 5 fatalities by alligators, and a whopping 66 deaths by spider. People seem to be dropping dead left and right from spider bites. What gives?

In North America, there are two types of spiders known to cause medically significant envenomations in humans: the widows and the recluse. Let’s look at each.

Latrodectus, the Black Widow

Latrodectus, the black widow

Latrodectus, the black widow, showing a characteristic pose, upside down in the web.

There are currently 30 species of spiders within the genus Latrodectus, commonly called widows in North America. The species are distributed world-wide and are on every continent except Antarctica. The venom of the widow contains neurotoxins that inhibit neurotransmission. The spiders like dark and quiet places, with bites occurring when people unintentionally grab or sit on the spider, perhaps under a porch, on lawn furniture, in the tool shed, or in gloves or other item clothing. In the past bites sometimes occurred in outdoor toilets. Symptoms of bites tend to be local and radiating pain, and sometimes back, abdominal, and chest pain, sometimes accompanied by fever, agitation, hypertension, and interestingly, priapism (Vetter and Isbister 2008). People have described it to me like a case of the flu. Untreated, symptoms can last from hours to days. Despite their infamy, death is very uncommon.

Loxosceles reclusa, the Brown Recluse

Loxosceles reclusa, the Brown Recluse

Loxosceles reclusa, a Brown Recluse female guarding her egg sac on a cardboard box in Kansas.

Few spiders generate as much passion and aversion as the brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa). I currently live in an area where black widows are extremely common, and local people are very casual about them, but are terrified of the brown recluse. I have done many educational programs where I have displayed live spiders, including black widows, and unvaryingly I am treated to several stories by visitors about how they (or someone they know) were bitten by a brown recluse, usually with very bad consequences. (I literally had one person tell me that his aunt had her entire arm removed because of a bite). The thing is brown recluse spiders do not live here! Nothing generates fear like the unknown.

Prior to living where I do now, I lived in an area with gobs of brown recluses, and the people there were generally nonchalant about their presence, as there were almost no cases of bites resulting in horrible wounds.

Distribution map of species within the genus Loxosceles, including Loxosceles reclusa, or the Brown Recluse

Distribution map of species within the genus Loxosceles, including Loxosceles reclusa, or the Brown Recluse (from Vetter 2008).

To be clear, Loxosceles is confirmed to have bitten people and caused wounds that in rare cases take a long time to heal and can leave disfiguring scars, or even death. They are a spider of medical concern. But, having said this, the threat is far over blown.

They are named “recluse” because they like very quite areas, and can frequent homes and storage sheds in quite places. They like corners of basements, and particularly cardboard boxes. Sometimes they crawl into clothing and shoes left on the floor or in the closet. Like with the widows, people are most often bitten when they catch the spider between their body and where the spider is—the bite is defensive.

In a majority of cases, the bite results in local discomfort and nothing more. In some cases a larger wound forms that is tender, but most of these heal with minimal medical intervention, usually within days. Sometimes the wound heals slower, and in rare instances does grow large and can leave a scar. And in very rare cases (<1%) there are more significant systemic issues that can affect major organs and cause death. (Vetter and Isbister 2008).

As mentioned, I lived in an area with known recluse populations. In fact, in one case, 2,055 individual recluse spiders were captured in 6 months from one home in Kansas where the family lived for many years without a single incident attributed to the spiders (Vetter 2008). However, popular perception about these spiders is very different. Why is this?

The most likely explanation is that when the recluse was implicated in bites the most extreme cases got widely reported, heightening awareness in the public and medical community. Diagnoses of recluse bites have become common place, often in areas where the spiders have not been found in the wild, and usually without clear evidence that the symptoms presented were actually caused by a spider, or any other bite for that matter. For example, in Florida, an area without a known population of recluses, during a six year period, 844 brown recluse bites were reported: 124 by medical personnel, 198 by people seeking information about bites, and 522 from people reporting bites treated at a non-healthcare facility (Vetter and Furbee 2006). Physicians are thus occasionally guilty of “practicing Arachnology” by identifying bites, and even spider species, from clinical symptoms alone. The truth is, there are numerous conditions that have been, or could be, misdiagnosed as a recluse bite (Vetter 2008) (see below).

Given the obvious over-diagnosis and misdiagnosis of spider bites, and of recluse bites in particular, I find the assertion that 6 deaths a year in North America are caused by spiders to be highly doubtful. At the very least, this is an undeserved slam against our eight-legged friends, and at worst is misleading the public and medical community, causing potential misdiagnoses and poor treatment choices.

Conditions that have, or could be, misdiagnosed as a bite from a brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa), from Vetter 2008.

Infections

Atypical mycobacteria

Bacterial

– Streptococcus

– Staphylococcus (especially MRSA)

– Lyme borreliosis

– Cutaneous anthrax

– Syphilis

– Gonococcemia

– Ricketsial disease

– Tularemia

Deep Fungal

– Sporotrichosis

– Aspergillosis

– Cryptococcosis

Ecthyma gangrenosum (Pseudomonas aeruginosa)

Parasitic (Leishmaniasis)

Viral (herpes simplex, herpes zoster (shingles))

Vascular occlusive or venous disease

Antiphospholipid-antibody syndrome

Livedoid vasculopathy

Small-vessel occlusive arterial disease

Venous statis ulcer

Necrotising vasculitis

Leukocytoclastic vaculitis

Polyarteritis nodosa

Takayasu’s arteritis

Wegeners granulomatosis

Neoplastic disease

Leukemia cutis

Lymphoma (e.g., mycosis fungoides)

Primary skin neoplasms (basal cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma)

Lymphomatoid papulosis

Topical and Exogenous Causes

Burns (chemical, thermal)

Toxic plant dermatitis (poison ivy, poison oak)

Factitious injury (i.e., self-induced)

Pressure ulcers (i.e., bed sores)

Other arthropod bites

Radiotherapy

Other Conditions

Calcific uremic arteriolopathy

Cryoglobulinemia

Diabetic ulcer

Langerhans’-cell histiocytosis

Pemphigus vegetans

Pyoderma gangrenosum

Septic embolism

Related posts:
See the rest of the Dangerous Animals series
Pesky house bugs–bed bugs

References:

Langley, R. L. 2005. Animal-related fatalities in the United States–an update. Wilderness & Environmental Medicine 16:67-74.

Vetter, R. S. 2008. Spiders of the genus Loxosceles (Araneae, Sicariidae): a review of biological, medical and psychological aspects regarding envenomations. The Journal of Arachnology 36:150-163.

Vetter, R. S., and R. B. Furbee. 2006. Caveats in interpreting poison control centre data in spider bite epidemiology studies. Public Health 120:179-181.

Vetter, R. S., and G. K. Isbister. 2008. Medical aspects of spider bites. Annual Review of Entomology 53:409-429.