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Skin Infections Common in High School Wrestlers, Study Finds

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Wrestlers are much more likely to suffer skin infections than other U.S. high school athletes, new research shows.

The study authors examined five years of data on skin infections among athletes in 22 high school sports. Nearly 74 percent of skin infections occurred among wrestlers, and just under 18 percent among football players, the investigators found.

The actual rates of skin infections per 100,000 exposures (one athlete participating in one practice, competition or performance) were 28.5 among wrestlers and 2.3 among football players. Rates in most other sports were less than 1 per 100,000, and eight sports had none, according to the report.

“Given the nature of the sport, it’s not surprising that wrestlers suffer the most skin infections,” study senior author Dr. Robert Dellavalle, an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said in a university news release.

“Most of the infections were bacterial and fungal,” he added.

Infections were most common on the head and neck. More than 60 percent of the infections were bacterial and just over 28 percent were ringworm. About 5 percent were related to the herpes simplex virus, such as cold sores and fever blisters, the findings showed.

Most athletes with infections returned to competition within three to six days, but some of the infections were more serious, the study authors added.

The study was published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

There are a number of ways to reduce the risk of sports-related skin infections, including showering immediately after a competition and practice. If that is not possible, soap-and-water skin wipes are an effective option, the researchers suggested.

The National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations says referees should perform skin checks before each wrestling match in an attempt to prevent athletes from spreading infections. And according to Dellavalle, most schools wipe down wrestling mats before and after competitions.

However, it’s important not to overlook headgear, he said.

“Wrestlers are not rubbing their heads and faces on the mats. The problem may be not keeping headgear properly cleaned before each match,” Dellavalle said.

More information

The Minnesota Department of Health has more about athletes and skin infections.

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Prenatal Acetaminophen Use Tied to Higher Asthma Risk in Kids: Study

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Pregnant women who take the painkiller acetaminophen — best known under the brand name Tylenol — may be more likely to have a child with asthma, new research suggests.

Although the study wasn’t designed to prove cause-and-effect, researchers found that prenatal exposure to the over-the-counter medicine was associated with an increased risk for asthma in children.

However, the study authors and a U.S. expert agreed that the effect seen in the study doesn’t yet warrant any change in guidelines regarding pain relief during pregnancy.

In the study, Norwegian researchers tracked data from a large database — the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study.

The investigators focused on conditions during pregnancy for which some expectant mothers took acetaminophen, and compared that data against rates of asthma among 114,500 children as they reached the ages of 3 and 7.

Overall, 5.7 percent of the children were diagnosed with asthma by age 3, while 5.1 percent had developed the condition by the age of 7, according to the team led by Maria Magnus, of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Oslo.

Her group found a consistent link between asthma among the 3-year-olds and exposure to acetaminophen before they were born. This link was strongest among children whose mother used the drug for more than one health complaint, the study authors said.

The link between acetaminophen and asthma risk among children was similar whether pregnant women took the medication for pain, fever or the flu — suggesting that the drug itself, and not the underlying condition, was driving the association.

The study also found no link between the children’s development of asthma and use of acetaminophen by their mothers when they were not pregnant, or their fathers’ use of the drug.

Magnus and her team cautioned, however, that their findings do not confirm cause-and-effect, and do not warrant any changes in existing guidelines for the use of the painkiller by pregnant women.

And one obstetrician-gynecologist in the United States said there are good reasons why a pregnant woman might want to choose acetaminophen to fight pain and fever.

“Pregnant patients should all be cautioned that acetaminophen is the safest painkiller in pregnancy,” said Dr. Jennifer Wu, an ob-gyn at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “Pregnant patients should not take aspirin or ibuprofen [instead], because the risks are greater with these medications,” she added.

Also, Wu said, “the risks of asthma associated with acetaminophen are significant but, overall, still small” for any one baby.

The findings were reported Feb. 9 in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

More information

Head to the U.S. Center for Biotechnology Information for more on the use of painkillers during pregnancy.

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Weight-Loss Surgery May Lengthen Older People’s Lives: Study

By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Middle-aged and even older people seem to gain a survival boost from gastric bypass surgery — good news for obese older folks who may wonder if the weight-loss surgery is worth the risk, a new study suggests.

However, the news is not the same for those under 35. The study found no survival benefit for this group, and saw an increase in the number of “externally caused deaths,” which included accidental injuries, assaults and suicides. The increase was more significant in women than in men, the researchers said.

“Younger patients, especially females, should be counseled on the risk of suicide and accidental death following bariatric surgery,” said Dr. Daniel Schauer, an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, who reviewed the study findings but was not involved with the research.

At least one doctor suggested that the suicide risk among severely obese younger women might owe to anxiety and depression, and the eventual realization that weight-loss surgery can’t eliminate all their problems.

The study wasn’t designed to prove a cause-and-effect link between weight-loss surgery and certain survival outcomes. It only showed an association.

The findings appear in the Feb. 10 issue of the journal JAMA Surgery.

The researchers wanted to explore which age groups might gain a survival benefit after undergoing the weight-loss surgery known as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, particularly because there’s not a lot of data on people older than 55. The answers might provide insight into whether older obese people could benefit from weight-loss surgery, which has been linked to improvements in a variety of health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes.

One concern is that the risks of the procedure may outweigh the benefits for obese older people, said Dr. Malcolm Kenneth Robinson, an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School in Boston, who specializes in weight-loss procedures. Robinson also wasn’t involved with the new research, but reviewed the findings.

Robinson also noted that seniors might not live long enough to enjoy the benefits of better health.

In the new study, researchers tracked almost 8,000 severely obese patients who underwent weight-loss surgery in Utah from 1984 to 2002. The study compared their survival rates over seven years to the same number of similarly obese people who didn’t have the surgery.

Death from all causes was lower among certain age groups of patients who’d undergone the surgery compared to those who didn’t. For people between 35 and 44 years, the odds of death were 46 percent lower during the study period for those who had the surgery. For folks between 45 and 54, the risk of dying during the study period was 57 percent lower after weight-loss surgery. At 55 to 74, the procedure led to a 50 percent lower risk of dying during the study period.

The study didn’t calculate how many extra years of life may have been gained by surgical patients. But, study lead author Lance Davidson, an assistant professor with the Department of Exercise Sciences at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, said the life span boon was significant for most who underwent surgery.

The one exception was younger people. The rate of death actually went up among those under age 35 who had the surgery. The researchers said the difference wasn’t statistically significant, but it did concern them.

The researchers found that people in that younger age group — especially women — had a high rate of deaths from external causes, a category that includes accidents and suicides, among other things.

Regarding suicides, Robinson said severely obese young women may suffer from deep-rooted anxiety and depression, and they may “look to surgery to solve all their problems.” They might become even more depressed when their problems don’t disappear after surgery, he said.

The study only looked at one type of weight-loss surgery. And none of the patients underwent their first weight-loss surgery after 2002. Davidson pointed out that advances in the procedures since then should help improve life spans even more.

Overall, this study’s findings are positive, said Schauer. “Not many medical interventions can reduce mortality by 50 percent over the long term,” he said.

Robinson said, “If you are older, you can still benefit from having bariatric surgery.” However, “you should not wait,” he said, echoing one of the conclusions of the study: Don’t assume it’s OK to delay weight-loss surgery until you’re old.

More information

For more about weight-loss surgery, visit the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

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Weight-Loss Surgery May Lengthen Older People’s Lives: Study

By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter

The study wasn’t designed to prove a cause-and-effect link between weight-loss surgery and certain survival outcomes. It only showed an association.

The findings appear in the Feb. 10 issue of the journal JAMA Surgery.

Robinson also noted that seniors might not live long enough to enjoy the benefits of better health.

Overall, this study’s findings are positive, said Schauer. “Not many medical interventions can reduce mortality by 50 percent over the long term,” he said.

More information

For more about weight-loss surgery, visit the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

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The Foolproof Way to Get the Perfect Cat Eye Every Time

Photo: Alison Mango

They say practice makes perfect, but when it comes to your eyeliner, that’s only half the battle. The other half? Technique, especially when you want to master the cat eye. Here, Los Angeles-based celebrity makeup artist Joanna Simkin shares her simple tips to transform your eyeliner from shaky line to fierce feline flick.

Step 1: Dot it out

Draw dots on the edge of each eye. Start at the edge of your upper lash line and dot up to the orbital bone or as far as you want, depending on where you want the wing to be. You’ll probably end up with three or so dots. Simkin says this helps ensure your cat eyes match.

Photo: Alison Mango

Step 2: Connect the dots

Hold the edge of your eye taut. Use the tip of your applicator to connect the dots to the outer corner of your eye, starting with the outermost dot. The starting dots allow you to stretch the eye skin without distorting the angle you want. As a rule of thumb, draw the wing at an angle that follows the angle of the lower lash line.

Photo: Alison Mango

Step 3: Paint on your liner

Hold the brush snug to the lash line and extend the line all the way to the inner corner. Simkin advises to always work from the outside in.

Photo: Alison Mango

To make eyes look longer: Thicken your liner at the outside edge leading into the wing.

To make eye look rounder: To get the baby doll look, make the line thicker in the center of the eye.

Find the right eyeliner formula for you

There’s liquid, gel, felt tip…the list goes on. The most important thing is to find which formula works for you. This may take some trial and error, but once you find the one, there’s no looking back.

If you need to hide mistakes: Use gel

With gel, you have a bit of wiggle room; it doesn’t dry very quickly, so you have some time to work with it before it sets.

Try: Rimmel London ScandalEyes Waterproof Gel Eyeliner ($6; drugstore.com). The waterproof formula helps keep it in place all day, and depending on the amount of gel you pick up on the brush, you can easily draw a tight line or one with a thicker stroke.

Photo: Drugstore.com

If you love your liner, but hate the applicator that comes with it: Buy a brush

With gel liners, you’re not tied to the applicator that it comes with it. Find one that works for you, and any gel liner will be manageable. We prefer small brushes because they let you apply liner between the lashes—it makes lashes look fuller and more dramatic—and because small brushes allow you to build your line gradually, rather than starting with a thick stripe.

Try: Real Technique Silicone Liner Brush ($5; drugstore.com)

Photo: Drugstore.com

If you’re more experienced with eyeliner: Use liquid liner

Generally liquid liners come in a tube with a brush applicator in it, kind of like mascara. Before you use it, make sure that you rid the excess from the brush so that you can be more precise with your line.

Try: Lancôme Artliner ($31; sephora.com). It’s a true black, and it helps to get a graphic line and sharp wing.

Photo: sephora.com

For shaky hands: Use a felt tip

Using a felt-tip eyeliner will remind you of holding a regular pen, and will help to steady your hand.

Try: Tom Ford Eye Defining Pen ($56; nordstrom.com). Nothing beats it for a sharp line, Simkin says, and it’s double sided—you can use the bigger side to create your line, and the smaller point to perfect the wing or inner corner of the eye.

Photo: Nordstrom.com

For the tear-prone: Use waterproof

“Winging it” at a wedding? If you’re bound to shed some tears, use a waterproof formula. It might be a little tougher to wipe off, but it’ll stay intact through the end of the night.

Try: e.l.f Waterproof Eyeliner Pen ($2; drugstore.com)

Photo: Drugstore.com

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5 Things Every Couple Needs to Do Before They Get Married

Photo: Getty Images

You’ve met the person who you think is “the one,” and you’re truly, madly, deeply in love. But how do you really know if marriage is the next step? Jill Andres and Brook Silva were asking themselves that very question after dating for several years (with one year-long breakup in the middle) when Andres came up with a quirky idea: “What if we made like an obstacle course of challenges to see if we’d be good at being married?” Her joke turned into a carefully thought-out project designed to simulate the strains of marriage (money, monogamy, in-laws!) to see if their relationship was truly built to last. The couple’s new book, The Marriage Test: Our 40 Dates Before ‘I Do’ ($11, amazon.com), chronicles all that they learned in the process. We asked Andres and Silva to share five of the “dates” that they found most informative on their trip toward the aisle.

Exchange phones

Phone snooping is one of the worst (and most common) relationship offenses. To see what it would actually feel like to snoop and be snooped on, Andres and Silva voluntarily traded devices. For 48 hours, they had unfettered access to all forms of communication (Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, texts), which turned out to be enough to make them vow never to spy again. Andres was surprised how uncomfortable the exercise made her feel—not because she had anything to hide, but because she didn’t like surrendering so much of her privacy. “I believed both us of deserved privacy,” she explained in an interview. “So the biggest demonstration of trust we could think of is to commit to each other that we weren’t going to snoop.”

Record a fight

This is what Andres and Silva call “the ultimate communication date”—and something they recommend every couple do. It’s simple: Record a fight. And then play it back a week later. “This is an incredible way to learn how you speak in your relationship,” said Andres. You might be surprised to discover how defensively you react to criticism, or who tends to dominate the conversation. “I learned right away that I say about 10 words for every word that Brook says, which is something we can work out.”

Take your partner’s in-laws on a date

Meaning someone who has married your partner’s sibling, or cousin, or parent. The idea? To get their perspective on the family’s dynamics. “I got drinks with Jill’s sister-in-law and after a couple drinks she shared some of the challenges of marrying into Jill’s family, and the main one was how non-confrontational her husband, Jill’s brother, can be,” explained Silva. Hearing her experience lent Silva insight into his own relationship: “I kind of realized that non-confrontation trait was a trait that Jill in some ways shares,” he explained. “And it’s actually pretty useful in thinking about how Jill is hesitant to share things with me.”

Swap credit cards

Money can be a funny thing in relationships. And for newlyweds, suddenly sharing it can come as a bit of a shock. To give themselves a dry run, Andres and Silva decided to exchange credit cards for a month and then compare expenses. The exercise was an important one because it drove home the need to be mindful of how every purchase affects you as a couple. It also prompted some hard but productive conversations about their financial future. “It really solidified to me what a large decision finances are for couples.”

Keep sex notes for seven days

In their book, Andres and Silva share that from the get-go, sex never came easily. When they sat down and thought about it, they realized that good sex requires good communication. So they came up with a simple plan: For seven days they’d give each other their “best sexual efforts,” and then debrief. At the end of the week, they opened a bottle of wine and talked about what had gone well and where they could use some improvement. “This date was a really great chance to be really open and honest,” explained Andres.

So how do you know if you passed?

The idea isn’t to try to solve all your problems, explained Silva, but to at least acknowledge that you’ve got stuff to work on. The hope is that addressing those weak spots will make your bond even stronger. For Andres and Silva, it worked beautifully: “Even through the hardest weeks, even through the ones that made us cry, I ultimately felt closer to Brook almost every single time.”

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Watch: How to Get Mussed, Chic Bed-Head Hair

Slightly mussed, did-she-or-didn’t she just emerge from the boudoir is a classic look. It will never date and it will always be sexy. If you need proof, take Brigitte Bardot’s signature hair for example—it’s almost half a century later and her look is still used as reference and inspiration. If that’s not timeless, then I don’t know what is. In the celebration of love and kisses and, well, let’s face it, a good romp, we made a tutorial to for how to get “just got some lovin’ hair”, but the MIMI way, natch. Check out the short vid and more detailed steps below!

RELATD: Watch: How to Fake Your Afterglow

1. Sprinkle a texturizing powder, like Bumble and bumble Prêt à Powder ($12; sephora.com) on your roots and gently work it into the scalp.

2. Wrap your hair around a 1 inch curling iron like Harry Josh 2-in-1 Ceramic Marcel Curling Iron ($175; dermstore.com). Be sure to make every other strand wrap around the iron in opposite directions.

3. Hold pieces at random lengths of time, and varying sizes to make your waves.

4. Spritz a texturizing spray all over your hair. We suggest Renee Furterer Vegetal Texture Spray ($17; dermstore.com).

5. Muss things up with your fingers. Don’t be afraid to get messy!

This article originally appeared on MIMIchatter.com.

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Spice Up Your Sex Life With 5 Different Types of Lube

Yes, lubricants are often recommended to women dealing with vaginal dryness, is often brought on by stress, medications, or the drop in estrogen that happens post-childbirth and just before menopause. But even if you don’t think you “need” lube, that doesn’t mean you you shouldn’t try it. You may be surprised at how the extra slipperiness makes you feel even friskier. “Use lube liberally in the vagina, on the vulva and vaginal opening as well as on the penis just prior to intercourse,” says Alyssa Dweck, MD, assistant clinical professor OB/GYN at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Turn up the heat with Dr. Dweck’s favorite motion lotions in each category.

You want…an all-purpose lube

Try: A water-based lubricant, like Astroglide Personal Lubricant ($12; drugstore.com)

Water-based motion lubes are cheap, easy to use, and are safe to use with sex toys and condoms. Water-based lubes may not last your entire sex session, so don’t be afraid to re-apply midway through.

Photo: Drugstore.com

You want…a lube for sensitive skin

Try: An organic lubricant, like Good Clean Fun Personal Lubricant ($8; drugstore.com)

Organic lubes are ideal for anyone who has sensitive skin or simply wants to avoid chemicals, says Dr. Dweck. This formula is made with aloe, is paraben-free, and is safe to use with latex condoms and silicone toys.

Photo: Drugstore.com

You want…a long-lasting lube

Try: A silicone-based lube, like Replens Silky Smooth Personal Lubricant ($17; drugstore.com)

Silicone-based lubricants are thicker than water-based, and provide the silky feeling you crave throughout even marathon romps. And if you want to experiment in the shower or tub, silicone’s your best bet, since it won’t wash off. The one downside: you can’t use silicone-based lubes with silicone sex toys. Silicone-on-silicone causes a reaction that will degrade the device over time.

Photo: Drugstore.com

You want…a long-lasting lube you can also use with toys

Try: A hybrid lubricant, like Sliquid Organics Silk Lubricant ($36; amazon.com)

Hybrid lubricants are both water- and silicone-based, and are often referred to as “silk.” These are compatible with silicone toys—the silicone content is too low to damage them—and are also safe to use with latex condoms. This formula from Sliquid Organics has an added bonus of being glycerine- and paraben-free.

Photo: Amazon.com

You want…an all-natural alternative

Try: An organic coconut oil, like Barlean’s Organic Virgin Coconut Oil ($29; drugstore.com)

The sweet smell of coconut oil may be enough to enhance your experience in the bedroom. Dr. Dweck recommends using it as a massage oil, and you can also apply it down there—but do so at your own risk. It’s not safe to use with condoms because it may degrade the latex. (Repeat: You cannot use coconut oil with condoms!)

Photo: Drugstore.com

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Hawaii Island Declares State of Emergency Over Dengue Fever

Photo: Getty Images

The mayor of Hawaii’s Big Island declared a state of emergency on Monday over the growing dengue fever outbreak that now includes 250 confirmed cases.

The outbreak is the largest in the state since the 1940s, Reuters reported, citing Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi and Hawaii health officials.

Hawaii’s governor said he would not issue a statewide emergency declaration until the outbreak spread to other islands or grew to include other diseases, such as the Zika virus, according to Reuters.

Health officials have been investigating the growing outbreak, which represents the first cluster of locally acquired dengue fever since a 2011 outbreak on Oahu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dengue fever, which is spread by mosquitos, has symptoms that include high fever, severe headache, joint pain, rashes and mild bleeding, the CDC reported.

This article originally appeared on Time.com.

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TB Cases Falling for Foreign-Born People in U.S.

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Tuberculosis cases among foreign-born people in the United States fell by one-fifth in recent years, and the reasons for the decline depend on people’s country of origin, a new study suggests.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection affecting the lungs and sometimes other organs. Overall, TB cases in the United States decreased over the past two decades, but TB cases among foreign-born people remained higher than in the general population, the study authors said.

Between 2007 and 2011, there was a 19 percent drop in TB cases among all foreign-born people in the nation, according to researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

TB cases declined in people recently arriving from Mexico, China, India, the Philippines and Vietnam — the five countries that account for most of the foreign-born people with TB in the United States, the researchers said.

Among recent entrants from Mexico, 80 percent of the decrease in TB was due to a decrease in population, while declines among recent entrants from the other four countries were nearly all due to lower TB case rates.

TB rates also decreased among entrants who have lived in the United States longer and who account for about three-quarters of TB cases among foreign-born people in the country, according to the study published Feb. 10 in the journal PLoS One.

“These results are important because they help guide future TB control strategies. To accelerate the decline of TB in the U.S., it will be important to invest in TB control overseas as well as provide testing and treatment to those with TB infection among the [approximately] 43 million foreign-born persons currently living in the U.S.,” study author Dr. Brian Baker and his colleagues from the CDC wrote.

More information

The American Lung Association has more about tuberculosis.

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Skin Infections Common in High School Wrestlers, Study Finds

Prenatal Acetaminophen Use Tied to Higher Asthma Risk in Kids: Study

Weight-Loss Surgery May Lengthen Older People’s Lives: Study

Weight-Loss Surgery May Lengthen Older People’s Lives: Study

The Foolproof Way to Get the Perfect Cat Eye Every Time

Step 1: Dot it out

Step 2: Connect the dots

Step 3: Paint on your liner

Find the right eyeliner formula for you

If you need to hide mistakes: Use gel

If you love your liner, but hate the applicator that comes with it: Buy a brush

If you’re more experienced with eyeliner: Use liquid liner

For shaky hands: Use a felt tip

For the tear-prone: Use waterproof

5 Things Every Couple Needs to Do Before They Get Married

Exchange phones

Record a fight

Take your partner’s in-laws on a date

Swap credit cards

Keep sex notes for seven days

So how do you know if you passed?

Watch: How to Get Mussed, Chic Bed-Head Hair

Spice Up Your Sex Life With 5 Different Types of Lube

You want…an all-purpose lube

You want…a lube for sensitive skin

You want…a long-lasting lube

You want…a long-lasting lube you can also use with toys

You want…an all-natural alternative

Hawaii Island Declares State of Emergency Over Dengue Fever

TB Cases Falling for Foreign-Born People in U.S.