The Role Of Long-Term In-Home Care For Alzheimer’s Patients
Caring for a family member inflicted with symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease is both debilitating and a challenging task. Each day brings new demands as the caregiver copes with the rapid progression of the new patterns of behavior of the Alzheimer’s patient.
In preparing and setting up an effective home care for an Alzheimer’s patient, a compassionate caregiver must make the following changes in a new home environment:
1. As the disease progresses, adjusting your communication style to the patient’s changing needs.
2. Scheduling visitors to avoid surprises and have something to look forward to. Even if the elder with dementia does not recognize those who visit, the contact is nonetheless valuable for them.
3. Establishing routines in activities of daily living. Be accepting of the increasingly limited capabilities of the person with dementia and implement care strategies accordingly. Do your best to be patient, kind, flexible, supportive, and calm. This disease is no one’s fault, although it is very aggravating and disappointing.
By the same token, don’t take problem behaviors (like aggressiveness or wandering) personally. Accept the symptoms of the disease and proceed from there. Remember that the person is not behaving this way on purpose.
Plan activities that the patient is interested in, such as art, cooking, walking, swimming, or gardening. Focus on enjoyment, not achievement. If the person is lucid enough, involve them in making music, doing puzzles or crosswords, or playing memory games, card or board games. Or, the patient may passively enjoy hearing music, contact with pets, or sitting outside in the garden.
Go for walks in the neighborhood, go for a drive, or spend time at a park. Walking is often therapeutic, although the pace may not be as vigorous as you might like. Develop a style of paying more attention to the beauty and novelty of your surroundings as you walk.
4. Maintaining social contacts and fun. During the early stage of the disease, caregivers can promote the patient’s sense of well being by providing emotional support and by helping to maintain familiar activities and social contacts.
Even when Alzheimer’s patients no longer have the cognitive ability to understand your humor, they can still appreciate it. They may still smile or laugh and sharing that laughter can be a relief to both you and your charge. Use the same modes of humor as you always have: teasing, nonsense, clowning. Be even more silly than usual!
To counteract isolation and loneliness, encourage family and friends to stay involved. Take the patient to family gatherings if it’s comfortable to do so. Schedule visitors, to avoid surprises and have something to look forward to. Even if the elder with dementia does not recognize those who visit, the contact is nonetheless valuable for them.
Sometimes the caregiver will want to join the patient in family gatherings or stay in the home when visitors are present. Caregivers can start feeling isolated and lonely themselves as more and more of their time is built around the elder’s needs. If the patient feels safe with the visitors, the caregiver can use the visiting time as an opportunity for relief and respite. Adult day care has similar benefits: social stimulation for the patient and free time for the caregiver.
5. Promote comfort and safety. As problems with memory and judgment increase, the patient becomes more vulnerable to accidents and injuries. There will be times when you’ll want to remind the person that they have Alzheimer’s. At other times it might be better to refer to a “memory problem.” Even if you repeatedly tell the elder that they have Alzheimer’s disease, they may not remember that you told them. Be prepared to patiently repeat the information at times when you’re trying to help the person understand why they can’t do something or why you are taking over a task the person used to do.
Carefully screened and compassionate caregivers regard their responsibility as a way of being involved with their loved one. Their caring is based on unconditional love, and they do not consider it a burden. Dementia patients are able to read body language and to respond to the positive attitudes of the caregiver. Where patient and caregiver have had problems in their past relationship, it can be especially challenging to empathize and be kind, so a support system for the caregiver is most important.
6. Communicate with an Alzheimer’s patient. A good home care service trains caregivers to acknowledge requests and respond to these patients. Don’t argue or try to change the person’s mind, even if you believe the request is irrational. Be affectionate with the patient, if this feels natural. Try not to set up a cycle of paying attention only when the person displays problem behaviors. Break this negative cycle by being supportive of positive behavior.
Jack Haddad, MD, MBA
Portfolio Manager
MD Capital Management
Affiliated Hospitals
Sutter-Roseville Medical Center, Roseville, CA
San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA
San Jose Orthopedic Medical Group, San Jose, CA
Highland Hospital, Oakland, CA
Dr. Jack Haddad, MD, MBA is the founder and owner of King of Home Care, an independently owned non-medical In-home care agency. In addition to his compassion and dedication to the home care industry, Dr. Haddad’s expertise and knowledge with In-Home Care is evident by the clinical research trials that he has conducted over the years.
Some Migraine Headache Home Remedies
When you feel the onset of a migraine you may not always need to enlist the help of some over the counter drug in order to get rid of the problem. There are certain migraine headache home remedies that you might want to consider that will help to get rid of or at worst lessen the effects of the headache.
One good option for you to try is a homemade ice wrap. You should wet a towel under cool water and then wring it out lightly to make sure that it isn’t dripping. You should then fold it so that it is able to be placed in the freezer. You should leave it for about five minutes until the towel is starting to stiffen, then remove it and refold it keeping the wettest parts on the outside. When the towel is reasonably frozen you can place it on the forehead and eyes.
Another good option is to use salt consumption. If you realise that you are in the early stages of getting a migraine then you should look to snack on anything that is high in salt. For example, you might want to try chips or fries that are covered with large amounts of salt.
In many cases this will help to prevent the migraine altogether and in other cases it will not work. Whatever the weather it will allow you time to be able to come up with an alternative remedy.
Another treatment you might consider will involve the help of someone else. You should simply sit in a darkened silent room and have someone massage your scalp and the head but avoiding the temples. You might also think about this massage over a wet towel placed on the head. After ten minutes of this you should begin to feel better. If not, move onto something else.
These are a few of the main ideas for getting rid of your headache. If the problem persists then you may need to get some drugs or see your doctor.
When you get a migraine it is not always necessary for you to get some over the counter drug in order to get rid of it. It is possible to cure or at least lessen migraines by using certain natural treatment options. Here are a few options for migraine headache home remedies.
Virtues of Sandalwood Extend Through Time
Overview
Sandalwood is one of the oldest aromatic materials, being acknowledged in ancient biblical and in Indian text as well as used in religious ceremonies throughout the ages. Botanically known as a small evergreen in the genus Santalum and family Santalaceae, this modest-sized tree (up to 10 meters) provides a great deal of commerce for India and to some extent Australia and is now being examined by the medical industry for its medicinal properties. There are several species of Santalum, but only a few are used commercially, most notably Santalum album (India) and Santalum spicatum (Australia). Other tress from such places as Polynesia and Fuji are in small numbers and in great decline. Oddly, other plants such as the Bead Tree or Candlewood are known as sandalwood but are not botanically parallel. Sometimes, non-related plants such as Red Sandalwood are used as fillers for the more expensive, genuine sandalwood.
Sandalwood from the Mysore region (known as “sandalwood city”) of southern India is generally considered to be of the highest quality sandalwood available, providing great commerce for this region of India. Of the traditional areas in Southeast Asia where sandalwood is found, India has been the front runner in creating plantations in which to continually harvest Sandalwood (The Australian Government has also set up reserves as well). Trade and harvest of Indian sandalwood is under strict regulation and the trees themselves are under government protection; only the government of India is permitted to own the trees. To produce commercially valuable sandalwood with high levels of fragrance oils, harvested Santalum trees are recommended to be at least 40 years of age, but 80 or above are preferred. However, trees at 30 years of age are still harvested but considered of inferior quality.
Much of the valuable wood is found in the roots of sandalwood and thus harvested by uprooting the entire tree versus cutting it at the trunk. In the last few years alone, the price of sandalwood has skyrocketed, mainly due to rising demand and limited supply. Increased demand has mainly come from the perfume and aromatherapy industry. Sandalwood essential oil and paste is used in Indian and Chinese medicine and of course aromatherapy botanical medicine. The perfume industry covets this oil for its ability to blend well with other perfume oils; hence, it is used extensively in hundreds of cosmetic products.
Over the centuries, the use of sandalwood and its products have been an integral part of several religious cultures. It scent, either as an essential oil or ground as incense, is thought to bring one closer to the Divine. Hindus burn incense made from sandalwood oil in burial pyres and at funerals. It’s also used in temples to remind people of the heavenly realms. Yogis in India use the oil to anoint each other during ceremonies and before meditation as well deity statues often made of sandalwood itself.
Sandalwood Used to Fight Anti-microbial Bacteria
Opposition to antibiotic use in food agriculture has been gaining momentum. In years past, it was known that severe illness-causing microbes such as Salmonella and E. coli could be contracted through eating contaminated meat. Now, it is proposed that contraction of bacteria, in this case antibiotic resistant bacteria, can possibly be transferred through ingestion, handling of industrial animal manure, as well as through drinking manure-contaminated ground water. With these scenarios coming to the surface, scientists and government officials alike are in alarm and strongly suggesting the decrease if not absolute elimination of non-therapeutic uses of antibiotics in the meat industry. Recent media has brought attention to the proposed link between the steep increase of antibiotic-resistant microbes with use and perhaps misuse of antibiotics in agriculture. Modern industrial agriculture raises animals in tight often inhumane quarters which results in animals being much more susceptible to sickness and disease, thus the administration of antibiotics is very common. Because bacteria and other microbes can easily mutate (in as little as 20 minutes), it is no wonder that great concern is now mounting.
Concern for antibiotic-resistant microbes is worldwide. A need to find alternatives to conventional antibiotic treatment is rising. Essential oils have been gaining attention by research scientists for their antimicrobial properties. A collaborative study of researchers in Austria and Germany (Flavor and Fragrance Journal 2006 May/Jun; 21(3): 465-468) found that santalols of sandalwood (the main chemical components of sandalwood) in medium and/or high concentrations showed significant antimicrobial potential against the yeast Candida albicans, the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, and the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Other Promising Uses
In a 2007 science review (Food and Chemical Toxicology 2008 Feb.; 46(2): 421-432), researchers found that sandalwood oil and its major constituents (namely alpha-santalol) have anticarcinogenic, antiviral and as well as bactericidal activity. Phenomenally, a study conducted by the Department of Virology at the University of Heidelberg, Germany (Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 2007 May; 51(5): 1859-62) found that sandalwood essential oil exhibited virulence against isolates of drug-resistant herpes simplex virus type 1. The dreadfulness of virulence spread by mosquitoes is well-known, especially in Africa and South America. Mosquito-borne diseases include such maladies as malaria, dengue fever, encephalitis and yellow fever. Conventional mosquito treatment relies on chemical pesticides which are often administered in water where mosquito larvae reside. Yet, the risks to people and the environment are well established. Naturally derived insecticides, especially from aromatic plants and their essential oils was recently investigated at Omar Almuktar University, Elbieda, Libya, Africa (Parasitology Research 2006 Sep; 99(4): 466-72). Sandalwood essential oil (as well as other essential oils) induced 100% mortality of various mosquito larvae species within 24 hours or less.
Concluding Remarks
It is rather evident that the value of sandalwood extends across centuries and continents. It is revered by various religions, scientists, aromatherapists and perfume enthusiasts alike. What is remarkable is that uses of plants and their essential oils are bringing such world-wide engagement as their promising applications are uncovered in scientific research. A need for alternatives to conventional antibiotics as well as insecticides is clear. As less-than amiable agriculture practices surface and resistance to current antimicrobials increase, it is apparent that humankind will revert back to solutions found in nature and perhaps make a more diligent effort to conserve the very earth that sustains us.
Aromtherapy practitioners are growing in number in the US, as the use of essential oils for for immune support increases. For more on the therapeutic use of essential oils, visit http://www.anandaapothecary.com
Home Truths Every Health Freak Needs To Hear
Every once in a while you just have to vent. I had to get the following off my chest;
You can’t spot reduce. If you could, people who chewed gum would have skinny faces and Jillian Michaels wouldn’t have “kankles”.
Stop telling us that all fat isn’t bad like you just discovered penicillin. Calories matter: They always have, they still do and they always will. Creatine is still the best performance supplement on the market. The “next creatine” is still creatine.
Dear gym guy: Please stop doing the following; Bicep curls in the squat rack Any exercise other than the bench press on the bench press Resting for 8 minutes between sets and not letting others “work in” Leaving your weights all over the floor The “secret” to fat loss is good nutrition and hard work. That’s it.
Don’t ask me about intermittent fasting, macro-patterning, cyclical ketogenic diets or meal replacements if you aren’t eating enough vegetables. Learn to prioritize if you can do 45 hard minutes on the elliptical while still easily belting out every song on your iPod but crumple under the weight of mauve-colored dumbbells – focus more on weight.
If you can bench press 350lbs (or could in high school) but can’t walk up a flight of stairs without coughing up radial snow tires – mix in a bike ride or a hike in place of your 4th “chest day” of the week.
If you can put your knees in your ears – quit stretching and build some strength and stability. If you are “bench press guy” from above and have posture that would make Quasimodo cringe, add some mobility and postural work. (Sorry to pick on bench press guy again but) if you can bench press small buildings but can’t deadlift your birth weight – try deadlifting. You won’t likely be able to out-exercise a poor diet.
If you are losing weight by diet alone – you will look like a different kind of crap. Your way isn’t the “best way” it just may be the best way for you. You can live a very healthy life eating both vegetarian and Atkins and most things in between provided you are eating healthy, mostly un/minimally processed foods that provide adequate nutrients.
The most likely reason you aren’t getting results: Trying to “fix” something that requires a lifestyle makeover that starts with changing habits. Have a beef about health trends? Rant away!
Stephen Trenen is trainer in a sport club and he runs his own practical website about Best Diet Plans, check it out to learn more really working Diet Plans.
Hearing Impairment Introduction – Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment
All of our five senses are important, including our sense of hearing. It aids us by alerting us to the sounds of danger, happiness and sadness. For example, you hear the sound of screeching tires, your ears and sense of hearing allow you the ability to determine which direction the sound is coming from, thus allowing you to move to safety quickly. However, if you suffered from hearing loss, you would never hear those screeching tires and therefore not be able to get out of the way, resulting in injury or worse.
Hearing impairment is the result from damage to the auditory system of the ear. The ear is composed of external, middle, and inner ear chambers. The chambers in the ear contain the structures that help us to hear. Hearing loss presents itself when these structures are damaged by illness, trauma, or infections.
Four types of hearing loss include conductive, sensorineural, mixed, and central hearing loss. Hearing loss can be mistaken for other conditions such as depression or dementia, and usually happens within the senior population. As we get up in age, hearing loss is common. This is due to the destruction of the hair cells in the cochlea. These hair cells are vital to hearing. Once they are destroyed they can’t be replaced, making hearing loss permanent.
Signs and Symptoms:
Constantly needing conversation to be repeated Extreme volume on the TV, radio, or other electronic device Depression Withdrawal from social activities Unable to understand speech No response to sound
In adults, hearing loss may be gradual and not noticed in the beginning. Many times, it is not recognized until damage to the auditory system is extensive. Other times it is not picked up until a visit to the doctor for other reasons. Your doctor will then need to determine the type of hearing loss you have, the degree, and the location in the auditory system it has occurred. Additionally, hearing loss in adults can be attributed to aging (presbycusis), tumors, and viral infections such as the flu or herpes.
Children fall prey to hearing loss for the most part due to bacterial or viral infections such as mumps, rubella, meningitis, and multiple sclerosis.
Diagnosis and treatment:
A thorough physical examination as well as specialized diagnostic testing are used to determine if hearing loss is present as well as rule out other conditions that may be the cause of the loss.
Treatment for hearing loss includes surgical intervention, hearing aids, and medications, and can be prevented by early diagnosis and treatment. It is important to protect your hearing to avoid loss. If you work in noisy places such as a factory where loud machines are running, wearing ear protectors may save your sense of hearing.
A licensed registered nurse and reputable writer, Barb Hicks loves to share her knowledge with others. You can find more of her articles about Causes of Hearing Loss and Otits Externa Treatment on Clivir.com.
Myths Of Hair Loss Reasons
Folklore and myth has created an aura of illusion around hair loss, with of these myths revolving around the cause and result. But what are these myths, and are they true? This report seeks to find the myths to blame, and to clarify, confirm or quash them.
Bald men are manlier, as they have higher levels of the hormone testosterone. Contrary to this, scientists believe that baldness is directly linked to the sex hormone DHT. Known to be a much stronger variant of testosterone, men affected by hair loss are believed to be more sensitive to the hormone, which results in the faster process of follicular miniaturization.
Increases in dandruff or problems with your scalp could also be the onset of hair loss. Consider using dandruff-eliminating shampoo to see if the problem stops. Failing that, consult your doctor.
Hair loss is commonly referred to as alopecia. There are a variety of different forms of alopecia, with each of the different strands of the disease carrying different symptoms and different severities. Alopecia in extreme cases can spread to all hair on the human body, where it is then known as alopecia universalis.
Hair loss to an extent is normal. On average, people anything up to 100 hairs a day as part of their normal hair loss cycle, with hairs lost being replenished on a regular basis to allow a constant flow of fresh hair. It is when hair loss appears to be above average when action needs to be taken to stem the loss of hair back to normal.
It is common for men to feel a certain respect for influential bald men. In addition, the culture of shaven heads makes some bald men feel like they are part of a fashion clique. This can result in feelings of value and self-worth.
Male baldness has been proven to reduce the signs of aging. With the inability to determine whether hair is grey or not, there are less ways to distinguish the age of a bald people. This can prove beneficial to men who are in their 50s and 60s.
On average, 50 to 100 hairs are lost a day to be replenished by new hair. There are over 100,000 hairs attached to the scalp with the average lifespan of an individual hair between 5 and 7 years before replacement.
There are people who accept baldness as a coming of age. With a positive correlation between age and baldness, this could be seen as a very wise view to have. Only 1 in 4 men over the age of 80 are unaffected by baldness, according to a recent study.
The seriousness of the receding hairline is particularly noticeable in the fourth stage of the scale. With the recession now extending back to the crown, any hair that is ahead of the crown will now appear thinner. Reverting back to earlier stages is still possible with intense sessions of the treatments used for stages 2 and 3.
The Hamilton-Norwood Scale is a novel way of seeing where you are on the way to male baldness. Detecting your stage early enough can provide the chance for you to improve the quality of your hair by a variety of methods before it is too late. Also, there is always the opportunity to embrace your baldness.
Posture Exercises Why They Are Necessary?
We have all heard about posture exercises that can help us improve our bad posture; however there are not a lot of people who take the time to do them. One of the main reasons that so many people who never take the time to do their posture exercises is because they are unfamiliar with what types of exercises that will help with their pain.
We as a society should be interested in learning what we can do to deal with correct body posture. In fact this epidemic is becoming bigger and bigger since we are neglecting to take proper care of our bodies.
Most of us have heard all the lectures about taking care of our posture is we do not want to suffer from health related problems as we become older. Well if you have found yourself coming to the internet in search of finding ways to overcome your aches and pains that you are suffering from then you have come to the right place.
Well the great news is that it is easy to get started with posture exercises no matter how old you are. Most of us never realize that we always slouch when we are sitting or neglect to pay the proper attention to our posture until we begin to notice the aches and pains in our body. We all should be more concerned about what we can do to fix our bad posture before it is too late.
Bad posture becomes an issue only when people begin to suffer from aches and pains that seem to bother us during our days. Well the good news is that when you take the time to do some posture exercises that have been proven to help us feel better. All it takes is just a short amount of time to begin working out on a daily basis.
In fact most of the exercises that you will be doing will just be stretches that will help you improve your bad bad posture. Even if you are not one of the thousands of people who are suffering from aches and pains you should still be concerned with doing some posture exercises that can help you increase your mobility without worrying about injuries as much as someone who does not do daily stretches.
If you want to learn more about the posture exercises that will help improve your health and the way that you feel about yourself then be sure to stop by and visit our site below. You will find some amazing tips and resources that you can begin using to help get your correct posture back.
Natural Remedy For Hemorrhoids Treatment
Hemorrhoids affect roughly 75% of people, at various times in their life most of them between the ages of 45 to 65. In many cases, pregnant women suffer from them at some point in the gestation. They are actually veins found in the anus and rectum that swell. That’s why you have to find a remedy for hemorrhoids that works.
They may be either internal or external. Typically, the symptoms include bleeding, discomfort, itching, irritation, and pain, which can also be acute.
Because there is bleeding, it is important to rule out any other medical condition, and therefore recommended that to be examined by your doctor. The treatment for this problem can be quite simple, however. You can relieve some of the symptoms with a daily lukewarm sitz bath. The use of an OTC ointment will also help.
Your diet can affect the situation positively or negatively, depending. With that said, you must begin to eat more foods that contain fiber. Not only will the release of various symptoms, including the bleeding, it will also help to pass the stool, which becomes softened by it. You can find fiber fruits and vegetables and whole grains or can take fiber supplements.
Another promising remedy for hemorrhoids are bioflavonoids. They can decrease inflammation and pain by strengthening the walls of the blood vessels. Naturally, they can be found in citrus fruits like lemon, orange, and grapefruit.
Regardless of the type hemorrhoids you have, it is essential that you drink a minimum of eight glasses of water a day to help flush your system. This will also help to avert constipation, which often happens with piles, and especially when increased levels of fiber are introduced. Furthermore, you should combine at least two of the above treatments so that you cure them fast.
The Signs and Symptoms of Nicotine Withdrawal
Ask anyone who smokes and they will tell you it is a hard habit to break. It is very interesting to note that nicotine is more addictive than harsher drugs such as cocaine or heroin. However, although the symptoms of withdrawal vary quite differently, quitting smoking can still be a very harrowing and nerve racking endeavor.
Nicotine is found in all tobacco products, as well as thousands of other chemicals and toxins contained in cigarettes. The good news is that the withdrawal symptoms are temporary and peak after two days. Your body begins a healing process within thirty minutes of quitting smoking. If you can just stick with it, your risks of heart attack and other conditions associated with smoking are significantly reduced and can add years to your life.
Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal include:
Nicotine cravings Tension Irritability Headaches Inability to concentrate Drowsiness Sleeping difficulties Increased appetite Weight gain Depression
The above symptoms can be made to be less intense if you try switching to cigarettes with less tar as well as cutting back on how many cigarettes you smoke in a day. It is very important to remember that there is no such thing as a “safe” cigarette. Just because it contains less tar or nicotine does not necessarily mean your body isn’t receiving the same toxins, especially if you smoke more of these cigarettes to compensate for the amount your body used to receive with the regular cigarettes.
How to cope:
There are many ways to help you through the symptoms of withdrawal. Nicotine gum or the patch can be very useful in the progression of your success. In addition, there are several medications your doctor can prescribe including clonidine, antidepressants such as fluoxetine (Prozac), and buspirone (Buspar). These medications will not cause any added addictions and greatly increase the likelihood of success.
Many people become discouraged when their first attempt to quit smoking ends in failure. However, it is very important that you keep trying. Research suggests that the more attempts made to quit smoking, the more likely you will eventually succeed. So, keep pushing ahead and know that you will beat the smoking habit.
Coping strategies are very important in the journey to quit smoking. Te symptoms are only temporary, so having a good solid plan in place is imperative.
Complications:
This biggest complication people face when quitting smoking is weight gain. To help alleviate this problem, try adopting a healthier, more balanced diet. It is also important to remember to anticipate cravings for both nicotine and food. Implementing fresh fruits and vegetable sticks is a great way to combat weight gain along with increasing physical activity.
Get in contact with your health care provider who can help you with ways to give up the cigarette habit. You will find that your senses of taste and smell will return to normal, your lung capacity will increase, which will enable you to increase your physical endurance. Increasing your exercise will burn more calories, keeping off the weight gain that can occur while quitting smoking and dealing with the withdrawal symptoms.
Electronic Cigarettes vs FDA vs Facts
Things are really heating up with the latest news that The FDA is calling electronic cigarettes dangerous to your health. This undeserved blow comes shortly after the FDA slapped Chantix and Zyban, two drugs already approved by them as Nicotine Replacement Therapies, with a warning label indicating their high risk of suicidal thoughts, aggression, depression, and hostility.
Concerns are beginning to rise that perhaps the FDA is not conducting these tests on electronic cigarettes with the health of the general public in mind. Why is the FDA measuring the safety of these unapproved NRTs to regular health standards instead of contrasting it to the dangers posed by smoking traditional tobacco cigarettes?
One chemical the FDA’s tests pulled out of an electronic cigarette replacement cartridge was Diethylene Glycol. I did some digging on this instead of buying directly into the FDA’s press release. The Health New Zealand study did not test for the substance. This is likely due to the fact they were testing against known carcinogens found in tobacco and the manufacturer ingredient list. Adverse effects of Diethylene Glycol, as reported by its MSDS, are lesions and other forms of damage to the liver and kidneys.
Reading further along the MSDS, I found the first aid section. In it, it advises you what to do in case of inhalation of the substance – remove yourself to fresh air, away from the source. Seeking information about the carcinogenic properties of Diethylene Glycol brought me to the toxicological information. The MSDS stated no carcinogenic suspicion now or in the future. For a human to ingest a toxic amount of DG, they would be hammering down 855.925g before being fatal. That is assuming the dose required to kill half the lab rats at 12.565g/kg could be extended to humans.
Now what about the FDA’s comparison of Diethylene Glycol to the general public as the main ingredient in antifreeze? The EPA gives these statements on variations of antifreeze: “Some propylene glycol based antifreezes are less toxic to pets and humans, but antifreeze typically contains ethylene glycol as its active ingredient. Short-term toxicity is substantially lower in propylene glycol than that of ethylene glycol, especially in the case of human exposure.”
Regardless of which active ingredient the spent antifreeze contains, heavy metals contaminate the antifreeze during service. When contaminated, particularly with lead, used antifreeze can be considered hazardous and should be reused, recycled, or disposed of properly. Ethylene Glycol is the main ingredient in antifreeze. While straight antifreeze is toxic, the main hazard is from used antifreeze, which has absorbed heavy metals.
The other stab the FDA took in their findings as at the presence of nitrosamines (carcinogens) in the electronic cigarette fluid. The type of tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) found are actually naturally occurring in nicotine produced from tobacco leaves. The presence of TSNAs then increases with the strength of nicotine in the cartridges, according to the Health New Zealand study. On average, the cartridges contain 3.928 parts per billion (also noted as Ng or ppb).
The breakdown is as follows: Nitrosamines In Cartridges: 0mg ” 0.260 Ng (ppb), 6mg ” 3.068 Ng, 11mg ” 4.200 Ng, 16mg ” 8.183 Ng. The highest amount found was in 16mg liquid, which had an average of 8.183 Ng. In comparison, Nicorette Gum (which is approved as an NRT) contains about 8 Ng. To put that number into perspective, Swedish moist snuff contains between 1000 and 2400 ppb nitrosamines, and unburned tobacco from cigarettes contains around 1230 ppb.
These findings are conveniently left out of the FDA’s statements to build their case for banning or regulating (read, making money from) their use and distribution.
Finding the best electronic cigarette for you can be difficult. Get the facts from a trusted source before choosing any safer smoking alternative options.
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