Healthline Blogs
Dr. Paul Auerbach is the world's leading outdoor health expert. His blog offers tips on outdoor safety and advice on how to handle wilderness emergencies.
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Sep 22 2011
Concepts of Emotion and Survival
Perhaps the greatest thrill in attending a summer meeting of the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) is listening to new, enthusiastic and exciting speakers. They bring new insights and opinions to numerous topics and discussions, which is an esse...
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Sep 06 2011
Armadillos & Leprosy in the Southern U.S.
A baby 9-band armadillo, native to the southern U.S.Zoonoses are diseases caused by exposure to animals. Leprosy (Hansen’s disease) caused by Mycobacterium leprae has had enormous significance worldwide historically. It is not just a disease of...
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Aug 29 2011
In the Wake of Hurricane Irene – Methods of Water Disinfection
A store in New York city, boarded up in preparation for Hurricane Irene. Photo courtesy of David Shankbone (CC BY 3.0)In the wake of Hurricane Irene, many people will be without electrical power for days. If they need to disinfect water to obtai...
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Aug 26 2011
Effectiveness of Herpes Zoster (Shingles) Vaccine in Older Adults
I am often asked by elder persons whether or not they should take the herpes zoster (“shingles”) vaccine. Up until this point, I have been answering “yes” based on my own experience, but now there is some data to support this recommendation. ...
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Aug 22 2011
The Role of the Routine Physical Examination in Young People
Increasing numbers of young people participate in outdoor activities, including strenuous competitive athletics. In so doing, they subject their bodies to stresses that are more intense and prolonged than those presented by a largely sedentary ...
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Aug 11 2011
Progress in Obtaining a Better Yellow Fever Vaccine
Yellow fever is an affliction caused by a potentially lethal viral (flavivirus) hemorrhagic (causes bleeding) virus common in parts of Africa and South America. A highly effective vaccine made from live virus (known as the “17D vaccine”) is cur...
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Jul 11 2011
When You Break or Lose A Tooth
Sometimes when a person falls or is struck in the mouth, a tooth is broken or knocked out. If a tooth is cracked (with the root still present and in place), there is little for the victim to do other than keep his mouth clean and avoid contact ...
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Jul 05 2011
Test for Dengue Fever
Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictsDengue fever is a viral (flavivrus) disease transmitted by Aedes albopictus and female A. aegypti mosquitoes. It is estimated that 50 to 100 million people in more than 100 countries are infected each year ...
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Jun 28 2011
The Uses of Nasal Irrigation
A neti pot, used for nasal irrigation.Nasal irrigation is sometimes recommended to thin or remove mucous from the nose. The two most common conditions that produce mucous are upper respiratory infections (e.g., the “common cold”) and allergies...
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Jun 23 2011
FDA Announces Changes to Sunscreen Rules
Preventing skin cancer and skin aging are the most important goals of using sunscreens, which should be applied to all exposed skin from an early age. From the FDA website, here is an important announcement and additional information: On June...
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