The Sneaky Health Danger That Almost Cost U.S. Soccer Star Ali Krieger Her Life

Photo: Getty Images

U.S. Women’s Soccer defenseman Ali Krieger’s body tells many different stories. The scar running down her knee weaves the tale of her ACL injury just a few months before the 2012 Olympics. The tattoo (one of many) on her left forearm, liebe, means “love” in German, and represents the years she lived there playing for a now-rival team. But she doesn’t have much to show—at least, on the outside—for the pulmonary embolism that almost took her life at age 21.

Krieger, who posed for the upcoming ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue 2015, explained to the magazine that she “once thought I would never be able to kick a ball again.” Two days before the former Penn State athlete was set to play in the NCAA tournament, Krieger broke her leg, requiring surgery. On a flight before Christmas, a few months later, she unknowingly developed blood clots in her leg and lungs.

RELATED: How to Prevent a Blood Clot

“I didn’t know it at the time, but I wasn’t feeling right,” she told ESPN The Magazine. “I couldn’t even go to the bathroom without feeling out of breath.”

Luckily, Krieger realized that something was wrong, and headed straight for the doctor once she got off the plane. “When I went to the doctor they told me it was a good thing I came in, because if I would have gone to sleep that night, I probably would never have woken up. I was 21 years old and just thinking, ‘This wasn’t even my fault.’ I had no idea if I was even going to live through this.”

Pulmonary embolisms occur when blood clots travel to the lungs, typically from the leg if a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) develops. They’re often associated with long plane rides, when you’re seated for extended stretches of time.

A pulmonary embolism comes with sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, and coughing that produces blood-tinged mucus. In some cases, it leads to wheezing, leg swelling, excessive sweating, rapid heartbeat, and fainting. If you experience these symptoms, get to a doctor stat, as Krieger did.

RELATED: This Hilarious Video by Norway’s Women’s Soccer Team Slams Sexist Stereotypes

Another female sports star, Serena Williams, experienced the same scare back in 2011, when she also developed a pulmonary embolism following the combination of a sliced tendon in her foot, and a plane ride from New York to Los Angeles. Thankfully, Williams and Krieger both fully recovered.

And for Krieger, the health scare helped her appreciate her time on the field.

“You never know when it’s going to be your last time to step onto the field,” she told ESPN The Magazine. “Injuries give you perspective. They teach you to cherish the moments that I might have taken for granted before.”

It’s safe to say that mental toughness is at least part of what carried Krieger and the rest of the U.S. Women’s Team to victory last night in their semifinal match against Germany. They are now set to play in the final on Sunday.

RELATED: 12 Sports Bras for All Body Types

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I Dunked My Nails in Freezing Water (and You Should Too)

@deborahlippmann

I recently read that you can dry your nails extra quick by submerging them in ice cold water. A chronic “paint my nails right before I go to sleep” kind of person, this was high on my list of beauty hacks to try. I own and use drops that work well, but really, who can resist a good (free) hack?

Once my nails were prepped, I reread the notes I had taken. It was suggested the water should be cold, like ice-cold. And that you should wait around five minutes for your nails to dry before dunking them in shallow, ice-cold water in your sink for at least three minutes. Sounded easy enough.

It turned out my nails were pretty much dried by the time my five minutes were up. If this were a test, I definitely would have failed the first half.

Determined to try the trick, I painted my other hand and waited only three minutes. Enter fail #2: No stopper in the sink. I filled up a cup big enough to fit all five fingers—with LOTS of ice—and submerged my nails. I might have gone overboard with the ice, because my fingers went numb less than one minute in. After pulling my nails out immediately after three minutes, I began to touch my nails like a huge skeptic.

Initially, I thought my fingerprints were sticking, which is my least favorite form of a smudged manicure. Let your nails air dry for a few seconds before wiping them off and they should be good to go, totally dry in just minutes.

Verdict: This trick works.

My advice?

• Make the water cold, but not so cold your fingers go numb.
• Wait anywhere from 3-5 minutes before submerging your nails.
• Don’t aggressively try to smudge your manicure after removing them from their ice bath.

Next time you give yourself an at-home mani, give it a try!

This story originally appeared on MIMIChatter.com 

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Fireworks Can Spark Bump in Air Pollution, Study Finds

WEDNESDAY, July 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Most Americans know that fireworks can injure the eyes and hands, but these Fourth of July favorites can also take a toll on the lungs, a new study finds.

Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found fireworks produce air pollutants, including tiny particles found in the air known as particulate matter.

These microscopic particles of dust, dirt, soot, smoke and liquids can get inside the lungs and cause coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. They can also lead to long-term health issues, such as asthma attacks, heart attack, stroke and even death in those with heart or lung disease.

Using observations from 315 U.S. air quality-monitoring sites recorded from 1999 to 2013, the NOAA researchers quantified the surge in particulate matter that occurred on the nation’s birthday. Specifically, they looked for particles that are two and one half microns in diameter (PM2.5).

Hourly concentrations of fine particulate matter typically reach their highest levels in the evening on July 4, the study revealed. On average, the sharpest increase occurred between 9 and 10 p.m. The levels subside by noon on July 5. Starting at 8 p.m. on July 4, average concentrations in particulate matter for the next 24 hours are 42 percent greater than the days before or after the holiday, the study published June 30 in the journal Atmospheric Environment revealed.

“We chose the holiday, not to put a damper on celebrations of America’s independence, but because it is the best way to do a nationwide study of the effects of fireworks on air quality,” study co-author Dian Seidel, a senior scientist at NOAA’s Air Resources Laboratory in College Park, Md., said in an agency news release.

“These results will help improve air quality predictions, which currently don’t account for fireworks as a source of air pollution,” Seidel added. “The study is also another wake-up call for those who may be particularly sensitive to the effects of fine particulate matter.”

The researchers found that the concentrations of fine particulate matter varied among the locations tested, with proximity to fireworks displays and weather conditions playing a role in these differences.

Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not regulate fireworks, the agency does advise people who are sensitive to particle pollution to limit their exposure.

These high-risk groups should watch fireworks from a position upwind or from a distance. People with asthma should follow their asthma action plans and carry their quick relief medicine with them to any fireworks shows, the EPA said.

More information

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has more on the health effects of particulate matter.

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Obese Teens Less Likely to Use Birth Control

WEDNESDAY, July 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Sexually active teenage girls who are obese are less likely to use birth control than teens who aren’t overweight, a new study reports.

What’s more, those overweight teens who do use some form of contraception are less likely than their normal-weight peers to use it regularly, the researchers said. In both cases, obese teens are at greater risk for an unintended pregnancy, the research from the University of Michigan found.

“The U.S. teen pregnancy rate is one of the highest in the developed world and we know pregnant adolescents are more likely to have poor birth outcomes,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Tammy Chang, an assistant professor of family medicine at the U-M Medical School and a member of the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, in a university news release.

“Reducing adolescent pregnancy is a national public health priority and we need to understand which adolescents are at higher risk of pregnancy. Our findings suggest that obesity may be an important factor associated with adolescent women’s sexual behavior,” she added.

The study was published July 1 in The Journal of Pediatrics.

The study involved 900 young women between 18 and 19 years old who wrote weekly journal entries on their sexual activities and use of birth control. The researchers used these journals to see whether the teens’ weight influenced their sexual behavior.

The study didn’t find any differences in other sexual behaviors between obese teens and their normal-weight peers, such as how often the teens had sex or how many partners they had.

The researchers suggested that low self-esteem might prevent obese teens from asking their doctor or pharmacist for contraceptives. And certain risk factors associated with obesity, such as the ability to understand basic health information, could also play a role, they noted.

“By understanding the barriers that put certain groups of teens at higher risk of unintended pregnancies, clinicians and researchers can tailor interventions to empower adolescents to make healthier sexual choices,” Chang said.

In the United States, one in four women gets pregnant at least once in her teens. Women who give birth as teens have a higher risk of adult obesity, previous research found.

Obesity during pregnancy is also associated with serious complications, including gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, blood clots, Cesarean-sections, stillbirths and birth-related injuries.

“Understanding sexual behaviors by weight status among adolescents is critical because of the risk of dangerous outcomes for moms and babies associated with obesity,” said Chang.

More information

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has more on contraceptive use among teens.

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Surging Food Supply Linked to Global Obesity Epidemic

WEDNESDAY, July 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The global obesity epidemic is linked to an oversupply of food available for human consumption, a new study suggests.

There are enough extra calories available to explain the weight gain reported in many countries around the world, the researchers found.

“Much of the increase in available calories over the decades has come from ultra-processed food products, which are highly palatable, relatively inexpensive and widely advertised, making overconsumption of calories very easy,” study author Stefanie Vandevijvere, a senior research fellow in global health and food policy at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, said in a World Health Organization news release.

These findings suggest government officials need to implement policies that will result in a healthier food supply and reduced rates of obesity.

In conducting the study, researchers examined increases in the global food supply — also called the food energy supply — and the rising rates of obesity. They included information from 69 countries that ranged from high- to low-income.

They compared information from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization database with the average adult body weight from various databases, including the World Health Organization global database on body mass index (BMI) between 1971 and 2010.

Countries’ food supplies are estimated by balancing imports, local production and country-wide stocks with exports and agricultural use for livestock as well as farm and distribution waste.

Between 1980 and 2013, the number of overweight men went from 29 percent to 37 percent. During that same time, overweight in women went from 30 percent to 38 percent, the researchers said.

Food energy supply increased in 81 percent of these countries along with body weight. The researchers noted the increase in available calories for consumption was more than enough to explain rising rates of obesity in 65 percent of the countries. Food waste also increased significantly in these regions, the study found.

The study was published June 30 in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

Vandevijvere said factors such as increased urbanization, dependence on cars and jobs that don’t require any physical activity all contribute to the global obesity epidemic.

“However, our study shows that oversupply of available calories is a likely driver of overconsumption of those calories, and can readily explain the weight gain seen in most countries,” she said.

In May 2013, the 194 member states of the World Health Organization agreed on the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases. Part of the plan is to stem the rise in global rates of obesity. The plan also suggests ways countries can help fight against obesity, including managing food subsidies and taxes to encourage healthy eating.

“Countries need to look at how they guide the food system. This means working across several sectors including agriculture, the food production, distribution and retail industries, health, social welfare and education,” Dr. Francesco Branca, director of the department of nutrition for health and development at WHO, said in the news release.

Some of the suggestions include limiting the marketing of unhealthy foods to children, boosting the nutritional value of school lunches and food that’s available in other public places, and improving nutrition information that’s available on the front of packaging.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides more information on obesity.

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Many U.S. AIDS Patients Still Die When ‘Opportunistic’ Infections Strike

By David Heitz
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, July 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Even after the advent of powerful medications for suppressing HIV, a new study finds that more than one-third of people in San Francisco who were diagnosed with an AIDS-related infection died within five years.

“The main cause of mortality arises from people stopping treatment entirely,” said Dr. Robert Grant, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, who reviewed the findings but was not involved in the research.

When HIV treatment lapses, so-called “opportunistic” infections and illnesses can arise, posing a real threat to patients’ health, he explained.

The bottom line, according to Grant, is that there is still “a long way to go” in prolonging the lives of Americans with HIV/AIDS.

The new study was led by Dr. Sandra Schwarcz, associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco. She and her colleagues tracked 30 years of data kept by the city’s Department of Public Health, which has kept medical records on San Franciscans with HIV/AIDS since the virus first became known in 1981.

The almost 21,000 medical records in the survey are even more detailed than those kept by the federal government, and include information gathered at diagnosis as well as follow-ups every 18 to 24 months.

Information included CD4 counts (AIDS is defined as the time when the CD4, or a type of white blood cell, falls below a count of 200) and each patient’s viral load. The records also showed whether patients received immunizations against deadly, opportunistic infections common to AIDS patients, such as Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) and Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) as well as other causes of death.

The records were divided into three treatment eras: 1981-1986; 1987-1996; and 1997-2012.

Medications to fight HIV evolved significantly through each of those eras and continues to become more effective. In the early era — before the advent of HIV-suppressing drugs — only 7 percent of people with AIDS-related opportunistic infections lived five years or more, the study found. But in the most recent era, 65 percent lived five years or longer, the research showed.

Why are people doing better now, relative to the 1980s and early 1990s? The researchers credit not only more effective medications, but also the widespread availability of HIV testing in San Francisco, better access to care, and more effective prevention messages.

Nevertheless, 35 percent of HIV-infected people in the study who acquired an opportunistic infection in 1997-2012 still died within five years, Schwarcz and colleagues reported.

There are ways to lower those numbers, Schwarcz said.

“Number one, get diagnosed early,” she said. “Individuals as well as clinicians need to be promoting testing. Early treatment, adherence to treatment, as well as being on the lookout for a range of HIV-related [illnesses], including opportunistic infections, is important.”

Schwarcz, who is also senior HIV epidemiologist at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, said doctors also need to discuss medication side effects — a prime reason for treatment lapses — with their patients. Often, doctors can work with patients to help minimize side effects so that medications continue to be taken as directed.

Other issues in a patient’s life, such as whether they have stable housing or a drug and/or alcohol problem, also need to be monitored to ensure adherence, Schwarcz said.

She pointed out that the demographics of San Franciscans with HIV/AIDS has shifted over time — away from gay, white men to men of color and women.

Her team was also not able to account for the impact of chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, because that information was not available. That’s a shortcoming in the research, Schwarcz said, because as people with HIV live longer, they develop typical diseases of aging such as cancer and heart disease.

Still, opportunistic infections can arise if HIV medication is not taken as directed. These include a brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), brain lymphomas and other infection-related cancers — all of which remain highly fatal for people with AIDS even today, Schwarcz said.

Grant agreed that early diagnosis of HIV infection and strict adherence to treatment are key in raising survival rates. He added that, earlier this year, a major study confirmed “that starting therapy for HIV earlier brings clinical benefits.”

But he also said that a population of aging, HIV-positive patients is increasingly encountering diseases that can affect everyone.

“The causes of mortality in HIV-positive persons has changed,” Grant said. “While opportunistic infections and lymphomas were the main causes of mortality in the past, mortality is now often due to lung cancer, heart disease, suicide and overdose.”

These too, can be prevented, however. “Attention to substance health — including tobacco use — and mental health are keys to decreasing mortality in this era,” Grant said.

The study was published recently in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

More information

For more on HIV and its treatment, head to AIDS.gov.

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These Amazing Pics of a Couple and Their Dog Working Out Will Seriously Motivate You

Looking for some new fitspiration, stat? Look to the Chicago-based couple Mike and Lex Sawtelle, who love working out together almost as much as they love each other—and aren’t afraid to get their precious pup Wrigley in on the act.

The buff duo are behind a popular Instagram account where they post crazy 15-second fitness stunts they’ve performed. Some of the most impressive include a family-style push-up in which Mike uses Lex and Wrigley as resistance along with a clip of Mike pulling up Lex up to the roof of their house using an ax.

RELATED: 10 Fun Ways to Get Fit Without a Gym

Mike, 29, who owns a pest control business, recently told the Daily Mail: “They say the couple who sweat together stay together. There’s couples more ripped than us but we’re unique in that we are a little creative—we have fun, chuck in a song and a fluffy dog.”

And while you might want to think twice before attempting some of their more advanced moves—”for ages we crashed and burned,” the very-ripped Mike admitted to the Daily Mail—don’t worry about the safety of the Sawtelles’ canine assistant. Said Mike: “Wrigley’s biggest fear in life is being left out and he wants to be involved in everything.”

RELATED: Running With Your Dog: 17 Dos and Don’ts

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Beats Common to All Music May Bring People Together

TUESDAY, June 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — From African drums to Viennese waltzes, people from around the world tune into common beats, a new study suggests.

The research also supports the notion of music as a means of unifying people socially, the researchers said.

“Our findings help explain why humans make music,” study co-author Thomas Currie, of the University of Exeter in the U.K., said in a university news release.

“The results show that the most common features seen in music around the world relate to things that allow people to coordinate their actions, and suggest that the main function of music is to bring people together and bond social groups – it can be a kind of social glue,” Currie explained.

In their research, the team spotted similar, basic features among various samples of music from across the globe. They also found that very different types of music perform a similar function: using music as a “social glue” that bonds groups together.

And even though musical styles may seem very different between regions, commonalities emerged.

The study involved 304 recordings of very different types of music from around the world. The music samples they used came from North America, Central/South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania.

After analyzing the songs, the researchers identified rhythms based on two or three beats in all of them, according to the study published June 29 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

“In the old days, Western people believed that Western scales were universal,” study author Pat Savage, a Ph.D. student from the Tokyo University of the Arts, said in the University of Exeter release. “But then when we realized that other cultures had quite different ideas about scales, that led some people to conclude that there was nothing universal about music, which I think is just as silly.”

In the new study, “we’ve shown that despite its great surface diversity, most of the music throughout the world is actually constructed from very similar basic building blocks and performs very similar functions, which mainly revolve around bringing people together,” Savage said.

Music often tends to be more about the group than the individual, the researchers added.

“In the West we can sometimes think of music as being about individuals expressing themselves or displaying their talent, but globally music tends to be more of social phenomena,” Currie added. “Even here we see this in things like church choirs, or the singing of national anthems. In countries like North Korea, we can also see extreme examples of how music and mass dance can be used to unite and coordinate groups.”

“My daughter and I were singing and drumming and dancing together for months before she even said her first words,” Savage said. “Music is not a universal language… music lets us connect without language.”

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health provides more information on the effects of music on the mind.

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Watch the Official Teaser For a Game-Changing Documentary About Plus-Size Models

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The plus-size model movement has been steadfastly on its way to having a revolution. Faces like Tess Holliday, Jennie Runk, Ashley Graham, and Candice Huffine (the latter two graced the recent viral Lane Bryant body-positive lingerie ad) are changing mainstream body ideals by just existing, so it’s only fitting that a game-changing documentary tell their stories. Coming next summer, Jessica Lewis’ Straight/Curve will explore the world of plus-size modeling, and discuss the trials and tribulations of the industry’s talent.

“The day where we don’t get so excited about seeing a plus-size model in a magazine is the day we’ve made it,” model Georgina Burke says in the official teaser for the film.

It’s true. It’s largely still considered a big deal for a fuller-figured woman to cover a glossy. The insider doc aims to dive deep into what needs to be done to disrupt the thin-centric modeling milieu through the eyes of models, agents, photographers, and clients: larger sample sizes, the removal of plus-size boards and the eventual integration of all models at agencies, and making plus-size model appearances in high profile media a non-event. Lewis says her film is an examination of the relationship between fashion, the media, and body image.

“This generation of models is ready to usher in a new definition of beauty—one that is all inclusive and supports positive body ideals and self-acceptance,” Lewis, who has been a straight-size and plus-size model for over 15 years, told Glamour. “The fashion industry needs to be reflective and representative of the diversity that exists in present-day society.”

This sounds awesome, and is so necessary. I can’t wait to see it. For now, check out the teaser below:

This story originally appeared on MIMIChatter.com

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Endurance Athletes Should Only Drink When Thirsty, Experts Say

TUESDAY, June 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Endurance athletes or those who are very physically active should drink plenty of water — but only when they feel thirsty, new expert recommendations say.

Athletes should listen to their body and drink water as needed to prevent a potentially deadly condition called exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) or “water intoxication.” The new guidelines were developed at the International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference in Carlsbad, Calif., and published June 29 in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine.

Overdrinking, particularly when exercising or playing sports in the heat, can increase the risk of seriously low levels of sodium in the blood. Excessive intake of water, sports drinks or other fluids can exceed the body’s ability to get rid of fluids in sweat or urine. When the body can’t remove excess fluids, those fluids dilute the body’s sodium level, which can drop during exercise or up to 24 hours later.

Symptoms may appear mild at first, but progressively worsen. Warning signs of water intoxication include headache, vomiting, confusion and seizures.

These symptoms develop as the brain swells. Without treatment, water intoxication can quickly become deadly.

If people “drink when thirsty,” however, they can avoid this dangerous drop in blood sodium levels, according to the recommendations.

“The safest individualized hydration strategy before, during and immediately following exercise is to drink palatable fluids when thirsty,” the statement said.

The development of the new guidelines was prompted by the deaths of two high school football players from exercise-associated hyponatremia last summer, the researchers said.

“The release of these recommendations is particularly timely, just before sports training camps and marathon training begins within the United States — where the majority of EAH deaths have occurred,” said the report’s lead author, Dr. Tamara Hew-Butler, associate professor of exercise science at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. “Our major goal was to re-educate the public on the hazards of drinking beyond thirst during exercise,” she said in a journal news release.

Athletes and coaches must also be aware of the risks associated with “forced hydration” practices. “Every single EAH death is tragic and preventable, if we just listen to our bodies and let go of the pervasive advice that if a little is good, more must be better,” Hew-Butler said.

The report also advised doctors that hyponatremia treatment should be based on the severity of patients’ symptoms — not just their sodium levels.

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine provides more information on water intoxication, or hyponatremia.

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