Olga Brunner to Present Entrepreneurial Options for FAU Health Administration StudentsWritten by Olga Brunner
According to Olga Bruner, founder of A Good Daughter, Inc., based in Margate, Florida (www.agooddaughter.com), “I attended my first caregiver conference in 2001 while I was caregiver to my own mom. I never realized that there was such a large community of support, and resources available from local experts. It’s a must-do especially for those individuals caring at home for a loved-one with Alzheimer’s disease.”Brunner’s community involvement throughout Broward and Palm Beach counties continues when she will speak at FAU (Florida Atlantic University) campus on April 20th. The presentation will address options available to students in Health Administration Degree programs. Brunner notes, “This is an important topic because students need to be aware that they can they seek employment from a large facility or health care institution, or look for entrepreneurial caregiving opportunities right in their own communities.”
| | Chlorine, Cancer, and Asthma - Oh My! Why You Might Need a Water FilterWritten by Vanessa Lausch
For approximately 150 years, chlorine has been a vital, yet dangerous, part of our tap water. Water chlorination first began as a way to combat such deadly waterborne diseases as cholera and typhoid. Because of immense success of this harsh chemical in disinfecting water from harmful viruses and bacteria, Life Magazine recently lauded water chlorination as “probably most significant public health advance of millennium.” No one can doubt that chlorine is highly effective and efficient at its job. Unfortunately-- for those who take this chemical into their bodies each day--chlorine is a bit too effective at its job. Chlorine is a listed poison and a known killer; just as it kills bacteria and viruses in drinking water, it kills or damages cells within human body. While some manner of water disinfection is necessary and vital in any public society, chlorination is hardly safest or even most efficient. The reason chlorine is used with such regularity (despite growing numbers of chlorine-related diseases) is its relatively low cost as a water treatment method. Unfortunately, lowest priced item is not always highest quality item. While it is unlikely that municipal treatment plants will ever abandon water chlorination entirely, it still lies within power of a wise water consumer to protect himself against dangers of chlorine. The simple solution to water chlorination lies in use of a home water filter. However, before evaluating this solution, let’s briefly examine dangerous health effects of drinking chlorinated water. Chlorine and Cancer Chlorine and its byproducts are now known causes of three of most deadly types of cancer: bladder, rectal, and breast cancer. When chlorine is added to water, it interacts with natural organic compounds in water to form trihalomethanes (THMs). THMs are incredibly carcinogenic. Once ingested in body, THMs encourage production of free radicals. These free radicals are a major cause of abnormal/cancerous cell growth. Chlorine byproducts specifically affect bladder and rectum (due to amount of ingested water that is sent to these organs). Once cancer has infected these areas, it can quickly spread to more sensitive and/or vital organs. According to current statistics, bladder and rectal cancer account for 30,000 deaths in United States each year. In addition to its causal role in bladder and rectal cancer, chlorine is now being connected with cases of breast cancer. Breast cancer currently affects one out of every eight women, and it has become one of deadliest, most damaging diseases women face. In a new study conducted in Hartford, Connecticut, breast cancer victims were examined in order to discover possible correlations between different cases. While studying women, researchers came across a surprising connection between cases. The results of study indicated that women with breast cancer had between 50% to 60% higher levels of chlorine byproducts in their breast tissue as compared to women without breast cancer. These high levels of chlorine byproducts in breast cancer victims are hardly coincidental. Just as THM-created, free radicals damage and kill healthy cells in bladder and/or rectum, they also damage and kill healthy cells in breast tissue.
|
