Weekend Wrap Up 12.4.16

Does holiday party season seem to officially be in full swing for anyone else? With two Christmas parties and two birthday parties to attend, the weekend has flown by. I’ve already eaten my share of cake and chocolate for the season and December has just begun. What are you up to this weekend? If you could use some reading material for your downtime on this dreary Sunday afternoon, check out this week’s more interesting medical news. 

What it’s like to handle the nastiest pathogens as your day job. 

Homeopathic medicines will carry labels saying they’re unscientific. But for the people buying them, this will make them even more attractive, warn critics. The Federal Trade Commission is cracking down on unregulated ‘natural’ products. Those drawn to homeopathic cures are typically those who reject the mainstream and are unlikely to be deterred by warnings. 

How to prevent wine hangovers…besides sticking to one glass. 

County becomes the first in New Jersey to equip school nurses with narcan. After hearing about opioid overdoses among high school students in a neighboring area, the county’s prosecutor made the decision to equip school nurses with the life-saving drug. 

Spending time outdoors reduces teen’s risk or nearsightedness. UVB radiation exposure, directly related to time outdoors and sunlight, was associated with reduced odds of myopia in a recent study. 

5 streaming workout programs you can add to your Amazon Prime membership. ‘Tis the season for indoor exercise. 

Delivered ‘like a pizza’ – why killer drug fentanyl is so hard to stop. Fentanyl, 50 times more potent than heroin, is becoming increasingly more popular making drug overdoses more dangerous than ever. The substance is often hidden in heroin making use even more risky. 

In other drug news, cancer patients are finding anxiety relief in psychedelic mushrooms. Psilocybin, the active hallucinogenic ingredient in ‘shrooms, is being tested as a way to reduce depression and anxiety among those chronically ill. 

Eight teenagers in Australia recreated a crazy expensive pharmaceutical drug in their chemistry lab for 20 bucks. 

Do Android and iPhone users have different personalities? Science says ‘yes’. iPhone users scored lower on levels of honesty and humility and higher on levels of emotionality than their Andriod counterparts. They were also more likely to be extroverted. 

Have a relaxing Sunday!