Tobacco smoke exposure can impact adolescents’ health, make them ill

Exposure to tobacco smoke can drastically impact teenagers’ health. A University of Cincinnati study found that teens exposed to tobacco smoke were at higher risk of having respiratory symptoms, such as shortness of breath and a dry cough at night. It also found that smoke-exposed teens were more likely to seek treatment at an urgent care or hospital emergency department. “There is no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure,” said Ashley Merianos, the lead author of the study. “Even a small amount of exposure can lead to more emergency department visits and…

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Mums, take it easy. Maternal depression may affect child’s immune system

Turns out, depression in mothers may have long-term effects on their children’s stress and physical well-being. In a new study, researchers followed 125 children from birth to 10 years. At 10 years, mother’s and children’s cortisol (CT) and secretory immunoglobulin (s-IgA)–markers of stress and the immune system–were measured, mother-child interaction was observed, mothers and children underwent psychiatric diagnoses, and children’s externalizing and internalizing symptoms were reported. Depressed mothers had higher CT and s-IgA levels and displayed more negative parenting, characterised by negative effect, intrusion, and criticism. Children of depressed mothers…

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E-cigarettes are as dangerous as smoking. It can double the risk of heart attack

A new study has found that smoking an e-cigarette on a regular basis could double the risk of a heart attack. According to a new analysis of a survey of nearly 70,000 people, led by researchers at UC San Francisco, the dual use of e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes appears to be more dangerous than using either product alone. The study also found that the risks compound, so that daily use of both e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes raises the heart attack risk five-fold in comparison to the people who don’t use…

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Maternal depression may affect child’s mental health, says study

Women, take note. If you are suffering from depression, it may affect your child’s stress and physical well-being throughout life, a new study has found. The findings, published in the Journal of Diabetes, suggested that depressed mothers had higher cortisol (CT) and secretory immunoglobulin (s-IgA) — markers of stress and the immune system — levels and displayed more negative parenting, characterised by negative effect, intrusion, and criticism. “Following mothers and children across the first decade of life, we found that exposure to maternal depression impairs functioning of the child’s immune system…

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Read this before you take sleeping pills

Insomnia or sleep disturbance is the most common of all sleep disorders. Insomnia is the difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep, even when a person can sleep in. According to a report by the National Institutes of Health, it is estimated that around 30 per cent of the total general population complains about sleep disruptionand over 10 per cent have been associated with symptoms of daytime functional impairment consistently, with the diagnosis of insomnia. Treatment of insomnia depends on the severity of symptoms and underlying cause. Sleep medications are not the first line…

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Lower indoor temperatures linked to higher blood pressure

According to a recent study, one can manage hypertension by turning up the thermostat. Comparing blood pressure readings of people in their own homes with temperature readings, the researchers at University College London found that lower indoor temperatures were linked to higher blood pressure. “Our research has helped to explain the higher rates of hypertension, as well as potential increases in deaths from stroke and heart disease, in the winter months, suggesting indoor temperatures should be taken more seriously in diagnosis and treatment decisions, and in public health messages,” said senior author Dr…

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