Health & Wellness
Medical, Well-Being, Safety, & Nutrition
Online Health Search Study
January 31, 2013
Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project
published a new report on searching for health information online. They begin with this finding:
"One in three American adults have gone online to figure out a medical condition."
(
source)
You can read Pew's study through the following links:
It should be noted that Pew's report summary states:
This study was not designed to determine whether the Internet has had a good or bad influence on health care.
(
source)
That said, it is important to remember
critical thinking
is especially essential (and potentially life-saving) as you encounter information which
can directly affect your well-being.
As you might already know, anyone can publish information online, and the quality,
accuracy, and currency of that information can be questionable at best.
Add to that these considerations...
- Symptoms can relate to any number of medical conditions.
- Health information (and possible treatments) are being updated all the time.
- Pharmaceutical companies pay to have their results advertised online and featured prominently in search engines
so, when you search, you see their drugs/services listed first (and frequently) instead of more objective information.
- There are dangerous health scams online (please see below).
- Not all websites protect your privacy or have your best interests in mind.
Which is to say,
the Internet is no substitute for a real doctor,
and
you should always consult a qualified physician for health advice.
If you're
not looking for health advice but are simply interested in
learning more about a health topic, consider a more
specialized
search engine, such as
MedlinePlus,
a service of the
National Library of Medicine.
You can also explore health topics through Thrall's own
Health & Wellness Information Guide
and
LightSwitch Search Tools service.
For further exploration:
West Nile Virus
August 28, 2012
West Nile Virus is once again making news. One bite
from an WNV-infected mosquito can be dangerous or
deadly.
The
United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
offers important information on the topic:
The U.S. National Library of Medicine also provides information on this topic:
Some recent local coverage on this topic is also available:
You can also
click here to browse related library system items on this topic.
Supreme Court Opinion
on Health Care Law
June 28, 2012
The
United States Supreme Court
recently
reviewed
health care reform (the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act).
Today the Supreme Court published their opinion:
For more information on this topic, please see:
New Coverage:
Related earlier posts in this blog:
Summer Safety Resources
June 20, 2012
Summer is finally here!
Before you jump into a pool, fire up the grill,
or heed the call of the great outdoors, we encourage
you to check out some of the summer safety resources
below so you can maximize your summer fun in totally
positive ways!
For even more summer information, please visit our
Summer Fun & Facts guide.
Stay cool, be happy, and, above all, please stay safe!
Distracted Driving
June 11, 2012
"Distracted driving" is when someone fails to pay
complete attention when driving a vehicle.
Talking on a cell phone or texting while driving
are prime examples, but anything causing you to take
your eyes or mind off the road, if even for an instant,
can lead to a "distracted driving situation."
"Distracted driving can be dangerous or deadly" seems
like such an obvious thing to say - something every
driver should understand and avoid - but statistics
suggest otherwise:
"In 2010, 3,092 people were killed in crashes involving
a distracted driver and an estimated additional 416,000
were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a
distracted driver." (
source)
To help you understand and avoid this situation,
the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
and the
U.S. Department of Transportation
have an entire website dedicated to this topic:
In addition to the expected caveats (i.e
don't drive distracted!),
they provide links to relevant state laws, answers to frequently asked
questions (FAQ), and a Facts and Statistics section.
Even more information is available at the following links:
Food Safety Modernization Act Updates
April 13, 2012
The United States
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted some updates
concerning the
Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011:
Some background information on the Act:
"The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011.
It aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus of federal regulators from responding
to contamination to preventing it. Below is additional information on FSMA."
(
source)
For more information:
See also our earlier blog post:
Supreme Court Reviews Health Care Law
March 27, 2012
Today
U.S. Supreme Court
continues its review of the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Information on these hearings can be found at the
Supreme Court website:
"The Court heard arguments today, Monday, March 26, 2012, on the Anti-Injunction Act
issue of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act cases. (Dept. of H&HS v. Florida, 11-398)
The audio recording and unofficial transcript of the oral argument on the Anti-Injunction Act issue
are available
at this link.
The orders, briefs, and other information regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
cases are available
at this link.
(
source)
For more information on this topic, please see:
New Standards for School Meals
January 26, 2012
The
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
has just announced new standards for school meals as part of a national promotion
of healthy eating:
"Today we celebrate an historic achievement on behalf of kids across America.
We have accomplished a critical step on the road to deliver healthier,
more nutritious food to our nation's schoolchildren. Today the U.S. Department
of Agriculture released the final rule that sets the standards for critical
improvements to the child nutrition programs that serve millions of children
across the country every day."
(
source)
You can read more about this from USDA, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS):
For more realated information:
Sunscreen Update
June 28, 2011
The
U.S. Food an Drug Administration (FDA)
recently established new rules concerning information provided on
sunscreen product labels.
According to the FDA:
"...sunscreen products meeting modern standards for effectiveness may be labeled with new
information to help consumers find products that, when used with other sun protection
measures, reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging, as well as help prevent sunburn."
(
source)
For more information, please see their press release and these other FDA links:
Additional information on sunburn and sunscreens can be found at these links:
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
May 4, 2011
Since 1983, May is
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month,
and the tradition continues through 2011 by
proclamation the President of the United States.
According to the Proclamation, "National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
shines a spotlight on the important role physical activity plays in our
Nation's health and wellness."
Other fitness observances in May include:
Here are some fitness resources on the Web to check out:
Also check out these related library system resources...
and
our earlier but relevant blog post on physical fitness and childhood obesity
Fake Medicine Alert
March 14, 2011
As more companies take to the Internet,
consumers are experiencing both increased
convenience - making purchases within a few "clicks" -
and new concerns and potential problems
with products purchased.
High among these "concerns" are the possibilities
of encountering potentially inaccurate health
information as well as buying "counterfeit medicine."
The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has this to say:
"Counterfeit medicine is fake medicine. It may be contaminated or contain
the wrong or no active ingredient. They could have the right active ingredient
but at the wrong dose. Counterfeit drugs are illegal and may be harmful
to your health." (
source)
The FDA provides further insight and advisores at these links:
Additional sources on this topic can be found at these websites:
American Heart Month
February 9, 2011
President Obama has issued a
Presidential Proclamation
to designate February as "American Heart Month":
"During American Heart Month, we honor the health professionals,
researchers, and heart health ambassadors whose dedication enables
countless Americans to live full and active lives. This month,
let us rededicate ourselves to reducing the burden of heart disease
by raising awareness, taking steps to improve our own heart health,
and encouraging our colleagues, friends, and family to do the same."
(
source)
Additional information on heart health and awareness can be found
at the following links:
New Food Safety Law
January 6, 2011
On January 4, 2011, President Obama signed the
"FDA Food Safety Modernization Act" into law.
What does the law entail, and what does it mean for you?
The
FDA Commissioner states:
The historic legislation the President [has signed] directs the
Food and Drug Administration, working with a wide range of public
and private partners, to build a new system of food safety oversight
- one focused on applying, more comprehensively than ever, the best
available science and good common sense to prevent the problems
that can make people sick.
(
source)
For more details on the Act, please see the following links:
For more information on the topic of food safety within the library system,
please consider these linked searches:
Prepare to be Safe
December 28, 2010
Iowa University's
Center for Food Security and Public Health
has established a new website:
The website offers "a database of numerous resources to help citizens of rural
agricultural communities - individuals, farmers and producers, businesses
- prepare for and recover from a number of natural and man-made threats."
Topics include Natural Disasters, Winter Storms, Flu Prevention,
General Preparedness, Power Outages, Emergency Supply Kits, and more.
For additional Internet and library resources on staying safe
and preparing for emergencies, please check out these links:
World AIDS Day
November 30, 2010
Tomorrow, December 1st, is
World AIDS Day,
a day in which public awareness of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is promoted worldwide.
For a quick overview of what HIV / AIDS entails,
please consider the following links:
For further information on HIV/AIDS, please see these links:
Bed Bugs Buzz
October 26, 2010
There's been quite a bit of buzz lately about bed bugs in New York.
What are they? What do they look like? Should you be concerned?
What should you do if you see one (or more)?
The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
offers
a very informative page on the topic of bed bugs.
Additional information is available at these links:
Doctors and Companies
October 22, 2010
If you require medical attention, perhaps among the very last things
you need to worry about is whether or not your doctor might
be "under the influence" - not just physically but
financially,
in terms of possible
corporate influence, as well.
Investigative journalists at at
ProPublica.org
recently examined peculiar pecuniary relationships apparently shared
between some pharmaceutical companies and physicians promoting specific prescriptions.
The results of ProPublica's findings have been published online:
"Dollars for Docs: What Drug Companies are Paying Your Doctor"
There is a database at that website that allows one to search for individual doctors
to see how much money they have accepted from the seven companies that are now making this information public.
As ProPublica points out, "Receiving payments isn't necessarily wrong, but it does raise ethical issues."
Similar studies, abstracts, and related issues, some international in scope,
can be found through the U.S. National Library of Medicine's
PubMed.gov website:
- "All Gifts Large And Small: Toward an Understanding of the Ethics of Pharmaceutical Industry Gift-Giving" (University of Pennsylvania, 2010)
- "Financial and Non-Financial Conflicts of Interests in Psychiatry" (University of Naples, 2010)
- "Conflict of Interest in Medical Research, Education, and Practice" (National Academies, National Institutes of Health, 2009)
- "Financial and Intellectual Conflicts of Interest: Confusion and Clarity" (University of Birmingham, 2009)
- "Industry-sponsored Research" (Harvard Medical School, 2008)
- "Influence of Drug Promotion on Prescribing Habits of Doctors in a Teaching Hospital" (University of Ilorin, Nigeria, 2007)
- "Impact of Pharmaceutical Promotion on Prescribing Decisions of General Practitioners in Eastern Turkey" (Ataturk University, Turkey, 2007)
- "Scope and Impact of Financial Conflicts of Interest in Biomedical Research: A Systematic Review" (Yale University, 2003)
This issue relates to a broader topic known as medical ethics (or "bioethics").
You can
explore this topic and related items in the library catalog by clicking here.
Additional online resources can be browsed in the
Bioethics section of our Health and Wellness information guide.
New Website: CuidadoDeSalud.Gov
October 14, 2010
U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS)
has launched a new website for Spanish-speaking persons.
HHS says of this "partner site of
HealthCare.gov":
[This is] the first website in Spanish of its kind to help consumers
take control of their health care by connecting them to new information
and resources that will help them access quality, affordable health care coverage.
You can
read their full press release at this link,
or
click here to access CuidadoDeSalud.Gov.
PTSD & Returning Soldiers
September 16, 2010
PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder)
is a condition faced by many returning veterans
who, after prolonged conflicts and exposure
to the emotions and atrocities of war,
face new personal challenges, along with their
families, upon returning home.
These three titles in our collection examine
PTSD related issues and, in their own ways,
offer some guidance and hope to both soldiers
who have returned and their loved ones:
- Courage After Fire by Keith Armstrong, Suzanne Best, and Paula Domenici
This title includes "coping strategies for troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and their families" and includes a foreword by Senator Bob Dole.
- Back from the Front by Aphrodite Matsakis
This book focuses on "combat trauma, love, and the family."
- The Wounded Warrior Handbook by Don Philpott, Janelle Hill
This book is described as a "resource guide for returning veterans" and deals with such topics as injuries, treatments, family programs, job searches, legal assistance, and more.
Additional facts on returning soliders and stress can be found in:
For more on this topic,
please click here for our Booklover's blog.
Salmonella
August 27, 2010
Salmonella is a word you were likely to have encountered
more than a few times if you were following the news lately.
It sounds nasty, but what exactly is Salmonella?
According to the
U.S. National Library's
MedlinePlus.gov website:
Salmonella is the name of a group of bacteria. In the United States,
it is the most common cause of foodborne illness.
Salmonella occurs in raw poultry, eggs, beef, and sometimes
on unwashed fruit and vegetables.
You can read
MedlinePlus.gov's
complete definition at this link and find some related articles
at that same page.
You might wonder, "Can anything be done?" or "How can I avoid it?"
The Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC)
offer quite a bit of information on these questions and more:
For more information, check out these pages from CDC, MedlinePlus.gov,
the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and others:
See also these earlier blog posts:
and
this link to browse related items within the library system catalog.
HealthCare.gov
July 22, 2010
The
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
has established a new website on health care and health insurance:
The website's
Welcome page
provides an overview of what you can find there:
It's a website designed to help you take control of your health care
- by putting the power of information at your fingertips.
It's the first website to collect both public and private
health insurance options across the nation in a single place...
also includes:
news, speeches, videos, fact sheets,
a
glossary of health care terms
as well as sections for specific groups: Families and Children, Individuals,
People with Disabilities, Seniors, Young Adults, Employers.
For related information on health care reform, please see:
Health Databases & Virtual Reference Updates
June 25, 2010
New York State's NOVEL databases
have been updated:
In addition to those updates, Thrall has acquired two new
Virtual Reference Library titles:
Unlike NYS Novel databases, which can change from year to year,
titles in Thrall's
Virtual Reference Library
remain ours and available to you - either through our library's computers or at home
through your own Internet connection.
Please click on any of the above titles of new database and virtual reference works to learn more about them.
When you get a chance, we also invite you to check out our
Virtual Reference Library,
which has grown considerably in recent months with many
great reference works!
President Obama Signs Health Insurance Reform Bill
March 23, 2010
Today President Barack Obama signed the
Health Insurance Reform Bill.
You can read more about the signing and learn more
about the Bill at these links:
You might also want to
see our previous post ("Health Care Reform: Final Legislation") for the complete text the Bill signed by President Obama.
While today's signing marks a major turning point in the health care reform
effort, some additional activity will follow the signing, including
Senate adjustments
(i.e. "
reconciliation") to the Bill that was passed.
The President is also expected to issue an
Executive Order
to clarify some language in the existing Bill.
Health Care Reform: Final Legislation
March 18, 2010
Details regarding the "final legislation" of health insurance reform
is now available online at the following websites:
HealthReform.gov also offers information
and updates about recent health care reform efforts.
LetsMove.gov
February 22, 2010
First Lady Michelle Obama
recently
announced a new initiative
to help address issues of childhood obesity and fitness.
As part of this effort, the
U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
Department of Agriculture (USDA), and
Department of Education
have collaborated with the First Lady on the creation of a new website:
Here is how they describe this website:
Let's Move will give parents the support they need, provide healthier food in schools,
help our kids to be more physically active, and make healthy, affordable food available
in every part of our country.
The "Let's Move" website includes
a blog, public service announcements,
and sections such as "Helping Parents Make Healthy Family Choices," "Latest Nutrition Research and School Programs,"
and "What You Can Do in Your School and Community."
There is also a
section with activities and resources especially for children.
For more about First Lady's efforts and the related task force, please see this link:
Additional information on childhood health, nutrition, obesity, physical and mental fitness,
and related topics can be found in the library system catalog.
Here are some subject search links you might want to explore:
Vitamins
February 8, 2010
People often claim "they are important," but, beyond
such general and uninformative assertions, what exactly
are vitamins and what do they do to the human body?
Vitamins, as defined by the
U.S. National Library of Medicine's
MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, are
"a group of substances essential for normal cell function, growth and development."
Each vitamin has a different role and its share of effects.
Some assist in the formation of blood cells. Some vitamins
affect skin, while others influence things like teeth and bones.
Vitamins can exist in various amounts in different kinds of food
and beverages (such as Vitamin C in orange juice). Some artificial
foods have vitamins added to them (or, as they say, "fortified").
Some vitamins are produced in the body under certain circumstances
(as in the case of Vitamin D and human exposure to sunlight).
"Vitamin deficiencies" and other health issues can arise
if there is a prolonged absence of a vitamin. In such cases,
doctors might prescribe "dietary supplements," adjustments
in eating patterns, and/or other treatments.
As with so many things in life, "too much" can be as bad as
- or much worse than - "too little," and so the MedlinePlus Medical
Encyclopedia reminds each of us that it is essential to
"ask your doctor what is best for you."
For more details about different vitamins and what they do,
MedlinePlus.gov offers these articles:
Some other U.S. Government health websites offering related information:
You might also want to check out the
Nutrition section
of our
Health and Wellness directory of websites.
Related materials in the local library system catalog can
be explored by clicking these subject heading links:
Text4Baby Mobile Information Service
February 4, 2010
The
National Healthy Mothers / Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB)
has established a new "mobile information service" in response
to premature baby births.
The name of this service is Text4Baby, and HMHB states it
"provides pregnant women and new moms with information to help
them care for their health and give their babies the best
possible start in life."
You can read more about this effort at these links:
For related informational materials (books, DVDs, and more)
in our library catalog, you can explore see these subject headings:
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
- Senate Health Care Bill
November 20, 2009
After the U.S. House of Representatives passed the
Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3590),
health care reform efforts were taken up by the U.S. Senate.
On November 18, 2009,
Senator Harry Reid
announced the Senate's proposed health care bill:
You can
track activities related
to the Act at this link, which takes you to the Library of Congress Thomas server.
The U.S.
Congressional Budget Office has published their analysis of the proposal:
C-SPAN offers
a video containing the Republican response to the Democrat plan
as well as
related videos from the Senate floor debate.
A
statement concerning the Senate proposal is also available from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
Please see
the previous post in this blog for related information on health reform.
Affordable Health Care for America Act
October 29, 2009
(updated November 1, 2009)
Today, the
U.S. House of Representatives
version of proposed health reform legislation was announced by
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
The official name for the health reform bill is
"The Affordable Health Care for America Act" (H.R. 3962).
You can read the full text of the Act (1,900+ pages) at this link:
Click here for H.R. 3962 on the Library of Congress THOMAS server,
the official database of U.S. Congressional legislative bills and actions.
Some statements, press releases, and reviews concerning the Act:
Republican responses:
For related information please see these links:
Also check out these earlier Thrall blog posts:
Medicare Fraud & Medical Identity Theft
October 23, 2009
The
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)
and the
Department of Justice (DOJ)
have published new public awareness materials on the topics of
Medicare fraud and medical identity theft.
Two websites contain this information:
Along with tips on learning how to "deter, detect, and defend" against fraud
and identity theft, contact information and news stories on recent crackdowns
are also provided.
For more information on these websites, you can read the press release from
HHS/DOJ:
Teen Drinking: Awareness & Prevention
September 11, 2009
The U.S.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
initiated a new public awareness effort yesterday in hopes of helping
teens avoid the perils of underage drinking as well as informing
others how they can help in that cause.
In addition to a
press release from the FTC,
you can visit a new website to learn more about these effors:
DontServeTeens.gov.
The
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA),
National Institutes of Health (NIH),
and
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
created a website just for teens called
The Cool Spot (TheCoolSpot.gov),
and at that site teens can find
facts about alcohol
and read up on other issues often faced.
StopAlcoholAbuse.gov is an older but still useful website
that has links to related U.S. Government resources.
Additional materials (books, videos, etc.) on this topic are available throughout the library system:
Antioxidants
August 17, 2009
You see the word on food product labels - "Antioxidants"
- but what in the world are they?
The U.S. National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus service
offers some insight into the word and related nutritional topics:
Additional websites and books on antioxidants can be found at these links:
You can also explore the
Nutrition section of our Health & Wellness information guide
for related information on food and nutrition.
Comparing Health Care Reform Proposals
July 31, 2009
For anyone interested in comparing health care reform proposal,
the
Kaiser Family Foundation
has provided this website:
Side-by-Side Comparison of Major Health Care Reform Proposals
KFF describes this as follows:
"This interactive side-by-side compares the leading comprehensive reform proposals
across a number of key characteristics and plan components. Included in this
side-by-side are proposals for moving toward universal coverage that have been
put forward by the President and Members of Congress.
In an effort to capture the most important proposals, we have included those
that have been formally introduced as legislation as well as those that have
been offered as draft proposals or as policy options. This side-by-side offers
a summary of the major components of these proposals; detailed descriptions
of provisions relating to the Medicare and Medicaid programs can be found online.
It will be regularly updated to reflect changes in the proposals and to incorporate
major new proposals as they are announced."
See also our
previous blog post for more on current efforts to reform the health care system.
Health Care Reform
June 25, 2009
President Obama's Administration and others in and beyond
the U.S. Government are taking on the issue of reforming
the health care system in the United States.
You can follow developing details, discussions, and debates
at a new website:
HealthReform.gov.
Here you will find videos, articles, statements,
and more from the U.S. Government.
Other U.S. Government websites offering information, news, policy positions, proposals, statistics, and more are:
News sites covering this topic in depth include:
Additional articles on issues and positions currently being debated are explored at these sites:
The Medpedia Project
May 18, 2009
The Medpedia Project
is a collaborative effort to make health and medical information
available to the public:
"In association with Harvard Medical School, Stanford School of Medicine,
Berkeley School of Public Health, University of Michigan Medical School
and other leading global health organizations, Medpedia will be a commons
for the gathering of the information and people critical to health care.
Many organizations have united to support The Medpedia Project."
(quoted from the "About the Medpedia Project").
While this is a "work-in-progress," already you
can
view a number of articles at their website.
For more information on Medpedia, check out their
Press Release
and
"About" page.
Health Guide Updated
May 12, 2009
Our
Health Information Guide
has been thoroughly revised and expanded!
One half of the main menu is dedicated to highlighting print,
reference, and electronic resources available at Thrall
and within the larger library system.
The second half of the menu is a directory of websites
on major health topics.
Included in the first half of the guide
is a
Health and Wellness Explorer,
where you can either conduct special
searches or click topical links for instant
search results in the library catalog.
Live news feeds can be found in the News
and Alternative Medicine sections.
Our
Web Guides Search has also been
incorporated into the main menu of the
new Health guide, offering the option
to search this guide or all web guides.
As with all our resource guides,
the Health guide will be reviewed
by staff and updated regularly.
We hope both staff and patrons
find this new guide helpful!
Please click here to access our new Health Information Guide.
Swine Influenza Information
April 26, 2009
Information concerning Swine Influenza ("Swine Flu")
can be found at the following websites:
Mexico's Presidential website contains information and updates as well (
click here for Spanish/en Español).
Additional news sources can be found in these
Google News searches:
HealthReform.gov
April 16, 2009
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)
has announced a new website about health reform:
HealthReform.gov
The HHS press release describes the websites, its intentions,
along with a new publication (also available at the website):
"HHS Issues Special Report on Health Reform and Launches New HealthReform.gov Web Site"
Their website includes videos, news, downloadable reports,
and other information concerning health reform proposals
and updates from President Obama's Administration.
Please click here to visit HealthReform.gov.
Brain Awareness Week
March 11, 2009
March 16 to March 22, 2009, is the internationally recognized "Brain Awareness Week."
During this time, various U.S. and international organizations and governmental agencies
attempt to increase public awareness and appreciation of brain research.
U.S. Government Agencies have
a press release concerning BAW:
These agencies include:
Major examples of other organizations participating in this public education effort are:
You can explore related materials in the library system catalog by clicking on any of these subject searches:
Some other interesting websites about the brain are:
Food Safety at Home
February 9, 2009
The
U.S. Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)
offers a number of free "podcasts" (recorded broadcasts on the Internet) about
food safety issues at home:
Food Safety at Home Podcasts
Topics include: "Power Outage in the Freezer," "Mail Order Food Safety,"
"Safe Use of Slow Cookers," "Keeping Food Safe on the Buffet Table,"
"Using Food Thermometers," "Taking the Mystery Out of Food Labels,"
"Teens Talk About Food Safety: School Lunches and After School Snacks,"
"Spoilage Bacteria," and "Safe Handling of Leftovers," among others.
The FSIS also offers some related videos (in English and some in Spanish):
Food Safety Videos & Public Service Announcements
Some of the video titles are: "Clean, Separate, Cook & Chill," "Food Safety During Power Outages," and "Is It Done Yet?"
For more information about food safety, you can
click here to browse items available in our library system.
You might also want to check out one of the earliest posts in this blog:
"Common Food and Safety Questions."
Obama Administration on Health Care
January 29, 2009
The newly renovated White House website provides
some details concerning the Health Care agenda
of President Obama's Administration.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
January 28, 2009
The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has created a fact sheet concerning Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.
You can read about it in this press release from the EPA:
"New Resource to Help Older Adults Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning"
Here is the link to the related website:
"Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning"
Several editions of the fact sheet are available in PDF format (free
Adobe Reader software required to view)
including a
regular print,
large print,
and
Spanish version.
Healthfinder
October 1, 2008
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
recently upgraded its
Healthfinder.gov website.
Among the improvements listed by the HHS are: appearance, ease of use,
accessibility, new interactivity, and increased consumer-friendliness
and usability for health professionals.
You can read more about the upgrade in HHS' Press Release:
"Improved Healthfinder.gov Makes Health Information Quicker and Easier to Use"
The website is currently available
in English
and
in Spanish (en Español).
For more health information, be sure to check out:
Food Storage
August 11, 2008
The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has published a consumer guide about food storage.
Topics include: Storage Basics, Refrigeration Tips, Freezer Facts, If You Lose Electricity, and Tips for Non-Refrigerated Items.
Please click here to visit the FDA's "Are You Storing Food Safely?" website.
Smokefree.gov: Quit Smoking Guide
June 23, 2008
The
Tobacco Control Research Branch of the
U.S. National Cancer Institute
has created a government information website called
Smokefree.gov,
an online educational resource to help you or someone you know quit smoking.
From their
About Us page comes this decription:
"Smokefree.gov allows you to choose the help that best fits your needs. You can get immediate assistance in the form of:
An online step-by-step cessation guide, local and state telephone quitlines, NCI's national telephone quitline, NCI's instant messaging service, publications, which may be downloaded, printed, or ordered."
Smokefree.gov's formal website description states an offering of "free, accurate, evidence-based information
and professional assistance to help support the immediate and long-term needs of people trying to quit smoking."
Among many other things, Smokefree.gov provides a
dictionary of smoking and related health terms
to help you better understand the ideas and issues being explored at their website.
For more information about smoking, you can
click here to review materials available in the library catalog
or
click here for our health and general databases, where you can search
for articles, opinions, research, and reports on the topic of smoking and smokers' health issues.
Tomatoes & Salmonella
June 12, 2008
The
U.S Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has published a web guide concerning the recent national
outbreak of salmonella in certain types of tomatoes.
Their guide contains information in the following categories:
Update on the Outbreak, Sample of an Outbreak Traceback Investigation Diagram, Frequently Asked Questions, News Updates, Advice for Retailers, Restaurateurs and Food Service Operators, Consumer Health Information, What Is FDA Doing?, Information About Salmonella, How Do I Report a Tomato Complaint?
Click here to access their guide.
For more information and updates on this topic,
you can also check out the
FDA's original press release concerning the matter
as well as the FDA's
food recall pages.
Asthma Awareness Month
May 5, 2008
May is Asthma Awareness Month. May 6th has been designated as "World Asthma Day."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) describes asthmas as "a serious,
sometimes life-threatening respiratory disease that affects the quality of life
for millions of Americans."
The EPA, along with CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention),
U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the Department of Health and Human Services,
National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), and the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have created public information
pages addressing various aspects of asthma:
For more information on this topic, you can
click here to browse
related subtopics and titles available in the library catalog.
Traveler's Health
March 28, 2008
If you plan to do any traveling, the
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
offer an easy and informative
Traveler's Health website
to help you become aware of potential health issues and any related advisories pertaining
to your destination.
Topics covered at "Traveler's Health" include: news and health information for specific countries and destinations,
vaccinations, diseases, mosquito and tick protection, safe food and water, illness and injury abroad,
journals and articles related to travel health, travel medicine, yellow fever,
a Yellow Book, avian influenza and travel, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) concerning
travelers' health issues.
If you'd like to read up on the topics of health and travel,
you can click here to explore some of the many related titles available in the library catalog.
FishWatch - Seafood Facts
March 26, 2008
The
National Marine Fisheries Service of the
U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
offers a website called
FishWatch - U.S. Seafood Facts.
Here's how they describe their website:
"FishWatch can help you make informed decisions about the seafood you eat
by providing you with the most accurate and timely information available
on the sustainability of U.S. seafood fisheries. FishWatch is brought
to you by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, the U.S. authority
on marine fisheries science, conservation, and management."
For more information about seafood (including preparation and cooking recipes)
you can click here to explore related titles in the library catalog.
Drug Information Portal
February 25, 2008
The
U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) has
announced a new website:
NLM Drug Information Portal.
NLM's description reads as follows:
"The NLM Drug Information Portal gives the public, healthcare professionals, and researchers a gateway to current, accurate and understandable drug information from the National Library of Medicine and other key government agencies. More than 12,000 drug records are available for searching."
You can
click here to read NLM's press release or
click here to access the Drug Information Portal.
New York State Guides to HMOs and Health Insurers
January 4, 2008
The
New York State Insurance Department
offers an
Interactive New York Consumer Guide to HMOs,
which they say can help you find "easy-to-read tables comparing HMO performance,
historical complaint data, HMO premiums and tips on how to choose an HMO."
In addition to the interactive web service, there is a downloadable version
of the HMO guide as well as a "NY Consumer Guide to Health Insurers"
that you can get from their website as well. Those documents are in the
Adobe PDF format, which you can view by using the free
Adobe Reader.
Space Food
December 3, 2007
If you ever wondered how astronauts eat in space and meet their daily nutritional needs,
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
has prepared a vertible smorgasbord of information to help satisfy your curiosities:
Enjoy!
2008 National Health Observances
November 29, 2007
The
U.S. National Health Information Center (NHIC) has published
an updated list of national health observances for 2008.
Each month a number of important health topics are highlighted nationally
in the U.S. to help raise public awareness. Different health organizations,
institutes, and research centers provide information and news.
You can click the link above to view the list or
here to learn more about past and current observances
as well as to download PDF versions of the lists.
MRSA
October 23, 2007
MRSA, which stands for
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus,
has appeared in the news lately along with phrases such as "skin eating",
"super bug," "staph infection," and "drug-resistant."
The following websites offer a variety information on this topic:
If you have a library card, you can also log into
Health and Wellness Resource Center in our databases page or any of the general
article databases (Academic ASAP or MasterFile Premiere) to locate more articles on this topic.
If you have any questions or need more information, please call our Reference Department at 341-5461 or use our online
Ask a Librarian service to ask us a question over the Internet.
Cholesterol Education Month
September 18, 2007
According to the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI),
September 2007 is
National Cholesterol Education Month.
To help you understand more about cholesterol, the NHLBI has prepared
a
"Cholesterol Month Kit 2007" that contains
a guide to lowering cholesterol, progress charting, a goal worksheet,
question and answers about the new food label, steps to help you reduce your risk
"Heart Healthy" recipes, a resource list, as well as information for patients, the general public,
and health care professionals.
For more information on this topic, check out these links:
Lead Poisoning
August 23, 2007
Lead poisoning reentered the public spotlight after
recent toy recalls were announced.
What exactly is lead poisoning? Here are some websites that explore the topic in depth:
Related information is available in the library catalog
as well as our
health databases.
Music and the Brain
August 2, 2007
Music lovers might especially enjoy this news coming from the
Stanford University School of Medicine:
"Music Moves Brain to Pay Attention, Stanford Study Finds"
Music's impact on the brain has been the subject of numerous books and studies over the years. Some of these studies are
listed at this website.
Comparable studies and articles can be found in general research databases like
MasterFile Premiere and Expanded Academic ASAP (using Basic Search) with
music brain or
music mind as your search terms.
This might be as good a time as any to remind members of the Ramapo Catskill Library System
(RCLS) that Middletown Thrall Library has an extensive classical and jazz music CD collection
at the library. Even more musical genres can be found and requested through
the library catalog.
Thrall patrons with Internet access at home can also freely enjoy
access to a great classical music,
world music, and African American music.
If you're interested in learning how to play a musical instrument, you're also in luck! We have a number of
self-paced musical courses you can check out at Thrall. They are maintained near the audio CD collection.
Some of these courses come with instructional CDs. Books containing sheet music/guitar chords, lyrics,
arias, and simplified versions of popular songs can also be found in our circulating collections. We also
have musicals and music performances on VHS and DVD.
If you are a parent or guardian, you might also be interested in
something called the "Mozart Effect"
(this link will take you to related items in the library catalog).
The wonderful world of music is just a few steps or clicks away! Just come to the Reference Department,
and we'll be happy to show you!
Nutrition Labels
July 23, 2007
Food nutrition labels are only informative if you know what they mean about the food you are considering to purchase.
The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
offers information to help consumers understand what these labels mean and how
to use that information more effectively:
Additional information on nutrition is available in the library catalog
as well as our
health databases.
AIDS/HIV Glossary
July 23, 2007
News reports of AIDS/HIV often involve technical terminology that can make
it difficult to understand. To help make this vital information more
accessible to the public, the
U.S. National Institutes of Health
have prepared an
AIDSinfo Glossary,
which can be browsed or searched.
Here is the NIH's description of this resource:
"The AIDSinfo Glossary is a comprehensive resource designed to help health professionals, researchers, and people living with HIV/AIDS and their families and friends to understand the complex web of HIV/AIDS terminology."
The glossary is also available as a single PDF (Portable Document Format) download (
Adobe Reader Required)
in either
English or
Spanish/Español.
Additional information regarding AIDS/HIV can be found
in our Health web guide
as well as
within our library system
and
our article databases, especially the
Health Reference Center.
Health Tools
June 30, 2007
WomensHealth.gov
offers a variety of
"Health Tools" at their site.
Their tools include: Mom-to-Be Tools, Quit Smoking Tools, Calculators and Planning Tools, Food and Diet Tools, Immunizations and Screenings, Symptoms and Tests, Working With Your Health Care Provider, Test Your Women's Health Knowledge, State and Local Resources, Dictionaries and Journals.
Each section features tips, lists, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), and more. For example, the Mom-to-Be Tools include:
Baby Shopping List, Basal Body Temperature Chart, Childcare Checklist, Babysitter Checklist, Due Date Calculator, National Center of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (Learn the Signs, Act Early), Ovulation Calculator, Pregnancy Quiz, Fish Facts, Food Don'ts, When to Call the Baby's Doctor.
A
wealth of information on the topic of women's health
is always available throughout our library system.
A Healthy and Happy Summer
June 5, 2007
Keep your summer happy and healthy by planning ahead
and considering all the possibilities and potential areas of concern,
whether you intend to travel or to stay home and enjoy the great outdoors.
USA.gov (formerly FirstGov.gov)
has assembled a nice collection of links to government agency web pages
containing information and advisories on the topic of
Recreation and Tourism.
Health and safety information in this collection includes: Beach Temperatures, Beach Water Quality,
and Boating Safety.
Recreation.gov and
NPS.gov (National Park Service)
offers tips, photographic previews, and more if you're thinking about
camping, fishing, biking, visiting historic or cultural sites, rock climbing, or going on a tour.
The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website
has some summer health and safety
for men,
women, and children.
WomensHealth.gov also has
a page of summer safety information
as does the
U.S. Surgeon General: "Health Dozen List" for children.
Teens thinking about getting a summer job might want to check out OSHA's
Teen Summer Job Safety website.
The U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides
A Primer on Summer Safety, which includes these areas
of information: Sunburn, Bites From Mosquitoes and Ticks, Bee Stings, Heat Illness, Burns From Fireworks and Grills
Foodborne Illness, Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, Poison Sumac, and Poisoning in Children.
Planning to barbecue? The
New York State Department of Health offers
Barbecue Food Safety Tips
How about swimming? The CDC provides
a Healthy Swimming page for the public and for health professionals.
If summer camps or traveling are in your plans, our own
Ready Reference Guide
has links to websites about
summer camps and
travel sites.
Travelers might find the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA)
Key Travel Tips useful.
With hotter days ahead, you might want to check out
EPA's Extreme Heat page (includes "Prepare for Hot Weather Before It Happens" and "Stay Healthy During a Heat Event")
as well as
FEMA's "Are You Ready?" guide.
You can track local and global weather by following links on our recently revised
News and Weather guide.
Have a great summer, and if you find yourself wondering what to do,
consider attending our
Alexander Hamilton historical exhibit (June 1 to June 30th at Thrall)
or catch up on reading by
finding out what other readers are currently enjoying or
by
going beyond the bestsellers!
Childproofing Your Home
May 22, 2007
The
Consumer Product Safety Commission
has a potentially helpful guide for parents and guardians:
"Childproofing Your Home - 12 Safety Devices to Protect Your Children".
For more information about child safety, you can
click here to view items in the library catalog or
click here to visit the Health and Safety section of our Current Interests guide, which includes information about safety advisories and product recalls for food, toys, and more.
Healthy Vision Month
May 18, 2007
The
National Eye Institute of the
U.S. National Institutes of Health
have created a website in support of "Healthy Vision Month":
Healthy Vision 2010.
This year's theme is Glaucoma Awareness. Also available at their website is information on
examinations and prevention, eye diseases, injury and safety, and vision rehabilitation.
For more information on topics related to vision, try these searches in the library catalog or use our free
Ask a Librarian service to ask us a question if you need more information:
The National Eye Institute also has some interesting information, including:
5 Seconds
May 18, 2007
The popular but scientifically debatable so-called "5 Second Rule"
suggests food on the floor can still be eaten if you pick it up
within five seconds.
Students at
Connecticut College made some news yesterday
when they reported their findings after testing for the presence
of bacteria after food was dropped on the floor for various
durations.
You can read their press release here.
Wikipedia also has an article on the topic
(as always, Wikipedia's disclaimers apply).
Sunscreening
May 8, 2007
The U.S.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
has a consumer alert possibly of interest to anyone
planning to spend a lot of time outdoors:
You can
read their "Sunscreens and Sun-Protective Clothing" advisory here. In it they explain sun protection factors (SPF) and much more.
For more information about these and related concepts, you might want to check out our
Health guide on the web or the
Health and Wellness Resource Center database.
You can also try these related searches in our library catalog:
Interactive Tutorials
May 3, 2007
The
U.S. National Library of Medicine,
in an arrangement with
The Patient Education Institute
is providing at NLM's
MedlinePlus website
access to
an extensive selection of interactive tutorials.
Topics are arranged alphabetically in the following categories:
Diseases and Conditions, Tests and Diagnostic Procedures, Surgery and Treatment Procedures, Prevention and Wellness.
To view the tutorials requires your computer to have a recent version of the free
Adobe Flash plug-in installed.
School Nutrition Standards
April 26, 2007
The
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies,
in partnership with the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
published a report relating to nutrition standards in schools:
"Nutrition Standards for Healthy Schools: Leading the Way toward Healthier Youth" - at this link you can download their "Fact Sheet" and "Report Brief."
MedWatch
April 23, 2007
The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
maintains an advisory website for medical professionals and the public
called
MedWatch,
which they describe as an "Internet gateway for timely safety information on drugs and other medical products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration."
Their website also has a form consumers can use to report problems experienced with FDA-regulated medical products.
To learn more about FDA's MedWatch service please click here.
Emerging Drug Safety Podcasts
April 23, 2007
The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has
announced in this press release
newly available podcasts relating
to "emerging drug safety information."
If you are new to the concept of podcasting, the FDA
has a page that explains the concept
and what you need to download their broadcasts.
On their podcasts page are listed only a couple of entries so far. You can click the "More" link
on their page to view more podcasts. You can also view podcasts by date or by topic by clicking
on the "date" or "topic" links on that same page.
For more news and other information about medicine and related topics check out sites
linked to in our
Health Guide and the
Health/Safety/Fitness section
of our
Current Interests and Events web guide.
Members of Thrall Library can freely access high-quality articles in
our article
databases, which include
Health & Wellness Resource Center,
Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health: Infancy through Adolescence,
and
Virtual Reference Library: Health.
The library catalog also contains
titles on the topic of medicine.
Alcohol Awareness
April 20, 2007
April is "Alcohol Awareness Month."
In support of this,
Medline Plus, an information portal from the U.S.
National Library of Medicine,
has
a collection of alcohol awareness resources.
Sections include "Alcohol: What You Don't Know Can Harm You," "Questions and Answers on Alcohol Consumption,"
"GetFit Glossary of Terms for Alcohol," News, Prevention and Screening, Health Check Tools, articles, statistics,
and links to related issues.
There are
related titles in the library catalog
you might also consider if you want to research this topic further.
Our
article databases include the
Health and Wellness Resource Center
and
Opposing Viewpoints, both of which contain many informative full text articles on the topics.
You can also try more general article databases such as
Expanded Academic ASAP and
MasterFile Premiere
to access journal, newspaper, and magazine full text articles and abstracts.
National Health Week
April 3, 2007
New York State Department of Health has published some information in the
"Public Health Works!" section of their website
about National Health Week.
Included here are information on how National Health Week began, as well as answers to questions such as
"What is Public Health?" and "How is Public Health Different from Health Care?"
Daily Health Tips
March 30, 2007
Daily HealthBeat Tips are published
on the web by the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Recently published tips include: "Tai chi and good nerves," "Low carbs," "Getting teens to quit,"
"The stages of grief," and "Kids, weight, and TV."
Spinach Outbreak Report
March 30, 2007
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has
released a report
in conjunction with California's
Department of Health Services (CDHS) regarding
the e.coli spinach outbreak of 2007.
The report is hosted at California's DHS website on their
Environmental Investigation Reports page.
There are three reports provided in
PDF format, with the most recent report
dated March 2007.
Common Food and Safety Questions
March 30, 2007
The
U.S. Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)
maintains
a list of common questions concerning food safety.
On that page they provide answers to question like "How do bacteria spoil food?" and "Is it safe to refreeze food that has thawed completely?"
There are some related
government documents and other items in the library catalog that might interest you as well.
Food and Nutrition Research Briefs
March 30, 2007
Food and Nutrition Research Briefs are published by the Agricultural Research Service,
USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture).
They are described as summaries of "results of food and nutrition research conducted by ARS scientists."
You can browse through their quarterly published newsletters and search to locate articles on related topics.
The January 2007 issue contains such articles as "Fish: Food For Your Brain," "Ground Beef Calculator Tallies Nutrients for You," and "Blueberry Compound Shows Cancer-Fighting Promise."
If you're interested in learning more about food and nutrition,
click here to browse some titles available in the library catalog.
Organic Foods
March 30, 2007
The National Organic Program website, part of
USDA.gov,
has
information for consumers about organic food standards
and labels on products.
Fact Sheets are available in English and Spanish.
You may also be interested in
books on organic food in the library system. Organic foods are currently classified in the catalog under "Natural Foods" in the Library of Congress subject headings, so you can follow that link once the catalog page appears to see what titles Thrall and other libraries own.
Up in Smoke
March 29, 2007
Healthfinder.gov is featuring
a report on the negative effects of smoking on job performance.
In the article "Job Performance Can Go Up in Smoke" smokers are said to "take more sick leave" and "perform more poorly."
Click here to read more about that study.
Healthfinder.gov also provides
another link for more information from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) on smoking and health.
Also worth noting: the CDC recently revised its
Smoking & Tobacco Use web pages to provide easier access to related information.
Climate Change and Health Threats
*March 28, 2007
WomensHealth.gov featured an article of the health impact climate change might brings.
Click here to read "Global Warming Poses Health Threats."
(* Post included here from an earlier listing in our Current Events guide.)
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