Alert against using high volumes of MP3 Players

Listening to music through MP3 players even at moderate volume levels can result in permanent impairment to hearing, a leading audiologist warned on the International Noise Awareness Day (April 27).

“MP3 players have become extremely popular now, particularly with youngsters, but many people are not aware just how easy it is to permanently damage their hearing if they are used for extended periods,” said Dr A V Riza, audiologist at Dubai-based Medcare Hospital, a multi-specialty hospital.

“While it’s perfectly fine to listen to music over short periods of time using these players – or other devices with in-ear pieces or headphones – users should be aware that it’s not just the level of volume that should be a consideration, but also the length of time spent for each session,” he added.

Sound pressure levels are measured in decibels and listening to music at 90 decibels for eight hours will cause definite hearing loss. Ninety decibels is the equivalent of a lawnmower, or traffic on a busy highway, or the subway, and this sound pressure level can be sustained for around eight hours before damage to the cells of the cochlear – or inner ear – occurs, he explained.

Dr Riza added that MP3 players or similar appliances are safe to use with their volume set at 50 per cent. At 60 per cent, he says, music can be listened to for five hours and with the volume is at 90 per cent, the time should be limited to just 10–15 minutes only.

10 more years to wipe out bird flu says UN

If you’re on the verge forgetting all about the not-so-recent bird flu endemic, then don’t. Because a recent report from United Nations said it could take up to 10 years to eradicate the H5Ni virus.

The bird flu virus has killed scores of people from poultry in the six countries where it is classified an endemic, a UN agency said.

The strain of the avian influenza virus was reported at its crest in 60 countries, but most had managed to stamp it out, said a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization.

The virus has remained “firmly entrenched” in Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Vietnam, because of the nature of their production and market chains, and quality of veterinary services, it said.
“Eliminating the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus from poultry in the six countries where it remains endemic will take 10 or more years,” the agency said in a statement.

“They contain a mix of measures aimed at outbreak control and response, gathering and analyzing information, and disease prevention and risk reduction,” it added.

Insurance – finding top rates and service

The one factor that drives most people away from buying healthcare insurance is the derived notion that insurance means high premiums and the uncertainty about the quality of customer service. But it’s just about all that changed.

Well, if this one’s conception of health insurance policies, one only has to do some quick research online to find out more about the Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Advantage. If the name sounds big, so do their customer service. And inversely, so low the rates.

Behind the famous name of Blue Cross – which, incidentally is available in every state in the US – there stand an endless array of options to suit any budget. Group health, life insurance, emergencies, men’s health, dental and even temporary coverage schemes. The flexibility in choosing the best offers would appeal to nearly everyone, including the well settled salaried or self-employed as well as someone who’d just graduated or is in the middle of changing jobs or careers.

Belly fat and you

Your relationship with your belly fat is much more than just the issue of health – a bulging belly can seriously undermine your self-esteem, not to mention the confidence you exude.

The implications delve into your social life as well as professional – not to mention missing out on the latest in fashion apparel that call for a trim waist. The funny thing about belly fat is that one it settles around there, it just refuses to go.

So how to lose stubborn belly fat? If you’re looking into dieting and working out, that will help, of course, but you’ll need some catalyst to speed up the weight loss process. You can find a number of such drugs in the market, such as Lipovox and Apidexin, but would you know what’s best for you? Or what really works?

One way to find out is look at what other people who have used them have to say. Better still, read some professional, unbiased reviews of belly fat fighting drugs. Plus, don’t forget to consult your physician before taking the final decision.

Keeping herpes in check

One can’t deny that’s no permanent cure for herpes, the viral infection that can manifest as cold sores or fever blisters. But that’s not reason enough to panic – because there are proven treatments that can keep the infection in check.

And just as competition for finding any crucial treatment has gotten fierce over time, so has the number of medical formulations claiming to treat herpes have grown. How does one even begin to look for the best possible choices?

Fortunately there are some established websites such as cure-for-herpes.org that have done painstaking research to test the most popular formulations in the market and provide an unbiased analysis. That could very well be among one’s best chances to take the first step towards dealing with herpes.