KI, Radiation, and You!

Radioactivity--- from Japan's earthquake-breached Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant--- has now been detected as far east as Boston.

Japanese officials moved quickly to distribute potassium iodide, in response to the disaster. Why?

Because the most dangerous radioactive materials (released after a nuclear power accident) are radioactive iodine (the iodine-131 isotope, in particular) and radioactive cesium (cesium-137).

News reports have identified both deadly substances detected outside the Fukushima plant. In the air, in the seawater, even in tap water as far as Tokyo. And now the Atlantic seaboard of the USA! Can it be long before the leakage circumnavigates the globe?

So just what is radioactive iodine? Its a deadly byproduct of the fission (splitting) of the uranium. This happens in the fuel rods that power a nuclear power plant.

An what can RI do that's so bad? Once radioactive iodine is in the body, it concentrates in the thyroid gland--- in the base of the neck, just below your Adam’s apple. There it will stay, and can causer thyroid cancer in time. And that can kill you.

How can you keep it out? By making certain that your body needs no iodine uptake, whatsoever.

That's why Japan is wasting no time in widely dispensing the Potassium Iodine, in pill form. For this at least, they were prepared.

So, just how do the pills work?

Potassium iodide pills--- sometimes abbreviated as KI: the K stands for potassium, the I for iodine--- can’t prevent radioactive iodine from entering your body. The pills work by keeping the bad radioactive iodine from accumulating in your thyroid gland.

The KI floods your body with non-radioactive iodine, preventing your thyroid from absorbing the radioactive iodine.

The Center for Disease Control explains it this way: "Because KI contains so much stable iodine, the thyroid gland becomes “full” and cannot absorb any more iodine—either stable or radioactive—for the next 24 hours."

NOTE: (Harvard Health says that children and infants are more vulnerable to developing thyroid cancer from radioactive iodine than adults, so it’s important that they get the pills in a radiation emergency. But the pills can be hard to swallow, especially for infants, and potassium iodide dissolved in water has a harsh, salty taste. The FDA tip: grind the pills up and mix them into low-fat chocolate milk, orange juice, or flat soda.)

CAUTION! Large doses of iodine over a long period of time can be dangerous. Potassium iodide pills should be reserved for true emergencies. But that also means being ready, in case they are needed.

And what about the iodized table salt you take every day with food? Nope. Many varieties of table salt are “iodized,’ which means iodine has been added. But iodized table salt doesn’t contain enough iodine to saturate the thyroid gland--- not nearly enough to keep it from absorbing radioactive iodine.

So far, no agency is recommending that US inhabitants take Potassium Iodide--- but many people are preparing, by stocking up.

At MDINFO, your best health is measured by your best health information--- and isn't it always better to be prepared?

"Bad Hair Day?" or "Bad Heart Day?"

If your hair could talk, could your hair predict a heart attack?

Seriously. Could your hair be an even stronger predictor (of long-term coronary stress) than even your cholesterol level or your BMI?

The answer is surprising--- it's true--- stress levels are clearly marked in your hair.

Your personal history of stress is written there. Stored there. In your hair.

Cortisol, secreted by the adrenal glands, can be measured in your urine and saliva, but it is only measuring your cortisol level at that moment. Hair is a far more permanent yardstick of cortisol.

And researchers can now measure your hair cortisol content, as a direct predictor of heart attack. Measuring cortisol levels, in hair, was a project of Dr Gideon Koren, a toxicologist at the University of Western Ontario.

"Hair grows about one centimeter a month, so if we take a hair sample six centimeters long, we can measure the cortisol level and determine stress levels for the past six months," Koren says. This is critical, he adds, "because what kills is chronic stress."

Stressors, such as marital or financial troubles, are linked to heart disease. Cortisol, a hormone released during stress — is deposited in the hair shaft.

In the study, published last month in the journal Stress, researchers took 3-centimeter hair samples from 56 male heart attack patients admitted to the Meir Medical Center in Israel. Hair samples were also taken from a control group, hospitalized for reasons other than a heart attack. The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking and family history of heart disease.

"Hair cortisol levels were significantly higher in the [heart attack] group" than in the control group, the study noted. An Israeli-Canadian study has found that high levels of a stress hormone in hair samples could be a significant predictor of a heart attack.

The ability to directly measure this direct link--- between chronic stress and heart disease--- is a way to show you the damage you are suffering from stress.

And to give you the warning you may need, to take action, to relieve your stress levels, before you suffer a full-blown coronary event.

Stress kills. Okay, we know that. But what do we do about it for ourselves?

Take it easy on yourself today. Give yourself a break. Go do something fun and irrelevant. Let yourself off the hook for worrying about your latest crisis. Get extra sleep, maybe a nap.

And when your hair is analyzed, eventually... maybe you can pinpoint the exact day you read this, by the hair-shaft record of lower stress level!

EMERGENCY! - Do YOU Know What to Do?

Car crash. Going down on your bike. Tripping on the stairs or tub at home.

So many people are injured daily by unexpected accidents, and yet so few know how to help themselves, or how to help others.

You are out in the country, far from help, on a rural road. The day is amazing. Blood and pain are the last thing on your mind.

Then you turn a bend in the road and slam on the brakes--- a car crash, just ahead!

You leap out of your vehicle and run. You pull a door open and someone is half-conscious, sprawled across the seat, bleeding.

If a person is in their car and you can treat them for injuries in there, then do so. Don't move them unless you have to--- if the car in on fire--- there may be neck or back injuries that you can't see.

First, communicate. Try 9-11, call for emergency help. Then make human connection with the injured. Say 'Hello'; tell them your name. No visible response? Touch lightly, see if they respond.

First, STOP THE BLEEDING---

Look for any bleeding injuries. Bleeding is a major cause of shock. Stop the flow wherever possible. Grab some clean cloth and press gently on the wound. If the person is conscious, ask them to help. They can hold the cloth against their injury--- this focus can help someone (who is in shock) calm down.

Second, CLEAR THE AIRWAY---

Make sure they are able to breathe. To do this, you put your hand lightly across their forehead and tilt their head backwards gently. Lift up their chin with 2 fingers, and put your cheek in front of their mouth--- to see if they are breathing. Look at their chest for movement at the same time.

If they are not breathing at all or are breathing in an unusual way, you will need to start CPR or Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation. (WARNING: If you haven't been on a first aid training course then you SHOULD NOT do this. If anyone else on the scene is trained in CPR, assist them.)

Third, PREVENT SHOCK---

Remember: 'If the face is pale, raise the tail'.
If a victim looks very pale, they've probably gone into shock. Loosen tight clothing. Put a blanket or coats over them. Keep them warm, then raise their legs up (even kneeling down and just resting their feet on your knees will help).

Fourth, PROTECT THE WOUND---

Is there an open wound? Keep that wound area clear of debris or other means of infection. Don't touch it unless you are applying a compress to stop bleeding.

There are basic things to know, but a course in CPR and First Aid will be a great investment in your future.

Taking an emergency med course now is good insurance against loss of life, whether yours or someone else's.

But if you wait until disaster strikes, your ignorance itself can be fatal.