Climate Change Triggers Early Arrival of Allergy Season
Climate change has spring allergy season arriving two weeks sooner than in past decades, according to a new report by the National Wildlife Federation and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Allergies, which can trigger asthma, cost the nation $32 billion in medical expenses and lost productivity, an amount the report says would continue to rise with the Earth's temperatures, Reuters reports. A warmer climate would encourage highly allergenic trees like oaks and hickories to replace pines, spruces, and firs, which rarely provoke allergies, said wildlife federation scientist Amanda Staudt in a statement.
[Read Suffering With Allergies? Try Tailoring Treatment to Your Symptoms and Global Warming Kicks Up Allergy Storm. Slide Show: Air Pollution: 6 Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Health.]
Nurse Practitioners: The New Doctors in the House
Gone are the days when medical etiquette had nurses standing at attention when doctors entered the room or silently bowing their white-capped heads when their own experience called a physician into question. Nurses have broken the bounds of their crisp, white aprons to assume substantial authority, writes physician Bernadine Healy.
Witness today's nurse practitioner addressing the critical shortage of primary-care physicians in the United States and other developed countries. These registered nurses, armed with advanced degrees in specialized areas like pediatrics, women's health, or adult disease management, care for a wide range of common medical conditions and wield a prescription pen with virtually the same independence as any M.D., Healy writes.
This century has seen a steady increase in the number of N.P.'s—now more than 150,000 out of the 2.6 million registered nurses nationwide. Their ranks are sure to swell in numbers and stature: Nurse practitioners, along with physician assistants, figure prominently in healthcare reform as a way to increase access and lower costs. More and more nursing schools are offering doctoral-level training for N.P.'s. Today, 23 states authorize N.P.'s to work without physician involvement. Expansion of the doctor of nursing practice degree will probably make that 50. Read more.
[Search: Best Health Schools rankings. Read A Guide to Confusing (but Promising) Healthcare Jobs and A Walk in the Shoes of an ER Nurse.]
Should I Start a Strength-Training or Interval-Training Routine?
It depends upon your goals, writes physician Kenneth Cooper, U.S. News Health Advice expert in preventive medicine and physical fitness. If you are involved in competitive running, interval training is necessary to improve your performance, he says. That type of intense exercise is not advised for anyone having a diagnosis of heart problems or musculoskeletal abnormalities.
"Long, slow is always better than fast, short," Cooper says. A total fitness program consists of a cardiovascular base coupled with musculoskeletal conditioning. You can be too muscular just as you can be overweight, and the heart is going to suffer either way. But if you do both, then you can become "totally fit." Read more.
[Read Can You Really Get a Great Workout in 3 Minutes? and Seniors and Exercise: How Much Does It Promote Healthy Aging?]
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