If you think the answer to this is no, (or if you think this is the silliest idea you've ever heard), you might be wrong. Research shows that college students are much more likely to get a flu shot based on the way their social network perceives vaccines. If family and friends were of the opinion that vaccines are safe students were more likely to get a flu shot than if those closest to them were of the opinion that vaccines are harmful or not beneficial. Sadly, only ten percent of approximately 1,000 college students surveyed were vaccinated for H1N1, despite research showing that this age group is particularly susceptible to complications from H1N1 infection.
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A common surgery for sleep apnea, sinus issues, and snoring is a turbinate reduction. The turbinates are a network of bones, blood vessels and other tissue which work to humidify the air we breathe. Now a doctor in California says he can perform a turbinate reduction in his office and it only takes about 11-20 minutes. The patient is given a local anesthetic for pain. This doctor's method uses a technology called radiofrequency.
While there are claims that this cures snoring I would caution that enlarged turbinates are not the only cause of snoring, especially if you are overweight. For more tips on curing snoring read:
How to Stop Snoring
Readers Respond: How They Stopped Snoring
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Both of my kids have a history of fluid in the ear. In my son's case, the fluid causes significant hearing loss. So, since lately, the volume on the TV is out of control and I have to call him five times before he acknowledges me, I was convinced his ears were full of fluid again. I made an appointment with our ENT who got him right in but I was shocked and a little annoyed when he said my son's ears were just fine, even after a hearing test with the audiologist.
The symptoms of hearing loss in my son continue, but why? This morning I came across a study on auditory selective attention, what most of us call "selective hearing". Scientists believe that by discovering how humans are able to tune out certain sounds and focus on others they can literally change the world, creating devices that are essentially controlled by thought, a technology they call auditory brain-computer interface (BCI).
Currently the mechanisms behind selective hearing are not well understood, but scientists know that selective hearing is necessary for us to function on a daily basis. What really caught my attention, in regard to my son, is that some individuals suffer from a condition called Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD). People with Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) do not register as having hearing loss when they are tested by audiologists, but they cannot hear in the presence of background noise. Essentially, they are unable to focus on the most important sound and tune out the others; they lack the ability to hear selectively. So could this be what is causing my son to act as though he has hearing loss? Perhaps he simply cannot focus on the sound of my voice while tuning out the television, his little sister's babbling, or the dogs barking outside. It certainly would explain a lot.
For more information about the work of scientists on auditory selective attention you can read a summary of their work in Newswise.
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An engineer at the University of Utah has developed a tiny microphone prototype that can be implanted inside of the middle ear of people with cochlear implants. This is big news since microphones that currently have to be worn on the outside of the head can be embarrassing and prevent activities that require the use of a helmet, as well as swimming and other water activities. The current prototype must be reduced in size and then undergo FDA trials before it will be available so it's still a few years off, but it's definitely something for the some 220,000 deaf people who have already received cochlear implants to hope for.
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