Healthy Living

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it seemed like there was an answer for everything in the medical industry. 

Of course, there were still medical marvels that stumped doctors occasionally. But generally speaking, most people would not have predicted a widespread, highly-contagious virus taking over the world.

But alas, here we are in the midst of a global pandemic. Suddenly, the differences between bacterial vs viral infections are important to the everyday person.

This experience has shed light on the inner workings of the virus and the process in which scientists learn more about unknown diseases. The world has watched with bated breath while pharmaceutical companies have continued working on a vaccine.

Along the way, everyday Americans have learned more about how the novel Coronavirus spreads and the differences between bacterial vs viral infections.

Bacteria and viruses are known to be the cause of many common infections in the human body. Most people experience sickness from both bacterial and viral infections in their lifetimes.

Yet, for non-medical professionals, the exact differences between bacterial vs viral infections are not always clear.

To better understand the differences between bacterial vs viral infections, keep reading.

What Is Bacteria?

Bacteria are single-cell microorganisms that vary greatly in their structure.

There are many different types of bacteria that can survive in almost any environment. This includes the human body.

This also includes drastic conditions—like extreme heat/cold or radioactive waste. Some types of bacteria have even been around for as long as 3.5 billion years.

But, not all bacteria are bad. Much of the bacteria in the human body perform important functions. These bacteria help digest food, provide vitamins, and remove disease-causing cells.

Bacteria carry important duties in nearly all life forms on earth. It's when "bad" bacteria comes into play where people and other animals can get sick.

What Is a Bacterial Infection?

It's true that the term "bacteria" can carry a negative connotation in everyday speech. We hear the benefits of antibacterial soap in advertisements. We get warned from a young age to be diligent in hygiene practices to avoid these harmful microorganisms.

But this is not always true. Only a small percentage of bacteria—less than one percent—lead to infections in the human body. These are also known as pathogenic bacteria.

Bacterial infection occurs when these harmful pathogens invade the body and hijack the immune system. They quickly multiply and begin damaging healthy cells.

The actual results of the infection can vary by type of bacteria and the human body in which it enters.

How Do Bacterial Infections Spread?

Not all bacteria are the same. As such, bacterial infections do not always spread in the same way, either.

Though not all bacterial infections are contagious, many are. This means they can spread through close contact with infected food/water, surfaces, or people (or their bodily fluids).

This can also include some oft-overlooked methods of transmission. This could be passing from mother to child during birth or through the bite of an insect infected with the bacteria.

There are many common bacterial infections that a majority of Americans will experience at some point in their lifetime. These may include:

• Strep throat
• Salmonella
• Urinary tract infection
• Food poisoning (bacterial)
• Gonorrhea
• Tuberculosis
• Ear infection
• Meningitis (bacterial)
• Cellulitis
• Lyme disease
• Tetanus

But, there is also a multitude of situations in which humans come into contact with bacteria and do not develop any infection or disease. This puts the rate of occurrence of pathogenic bacteria into a better perspective.

How Can Bacterial Infections Be Prevented?

One of the most effective ways of preventing both bacterial and viral infections is to maintain good personal hygiene.

This includes frequent hand-washing—as made abundantly clear in 2020. It also includes trying to avoid sharing personal items like utensils or drinking glasses.

Vaccines have been a major topic of discussion more recently in the context of combatting viruses. Though, they are also particularly effective in building up resistance inside the body against pathogenic bacteria.

Bacterial vaccines use dead or weakened bacteria to set the immune system into action. Examples of vaccines used to treat bacterial infections are the tuberculosis vaccine and the typhoid vaccine. 

How Are Bacterial Infections Treated?

Doctors treat bacterial infections with various types of antibiotics. These are drugs that prevent bacteria from further growing. 

One of the most commonly-prescribed antibiotics is amoxicillin. This is a penicillin antibiotic used to combat bacterial infections like tonsilitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia.

It’s important for patients to always complete their antibiotic prescriptions when treating bacterial infections. Doctors carefully write prescriptions to match the circumstances of your case.

They set the dosage, frequency, and length of the course to best treat your bacterial infection. Without following the entire prescribed course, it’s possible that some of the pathogenic bacteria can get left behind.

What Is a Virus?

Like bacteria, viruses are also microorganisms with varying shapes and features. Viruses are smaller in size than bacteria and contain genetic material, though. This is not the case for bacteria.

Viruses survive on parasitic relationships—they cannot survive without a host. This means they thrive by taking advantage of living cells or tissue.

To divide and thus reproduce, viruses rely on the machinery of living cells in other organisms. In the human body, viruses can wreak havoc.

They invade cells, using the resources inside of the existing cells to multiply the virus. Sometimes, this even results in killing host cells. Other times, viruses turn the normal cells into cancerous cells.

Although not all viruses are bad, scientists have been able to put some viruses into the body intentionally to achieve a variety of benefits.

Viruses differ from bacteria in that they contain genetic material. By manipulating this, scientists have been able to inject specific genes into cells to target (and ultimately reverse) some genetic diseases. 

This treatment has been successfully proven in curing hemophilia. This is a genetic disorder that prevents blood from clotting.

Furthermore, phage therapy has been successful in some cases where bacteria are highly resistant to traditional treatments. It involves using viruses to re-structure bacterially-infected cells to make them more susceptible to antibiotics.

From there, they can be more successfully targeted and removed.

What Is a Viral Infection?

A viral infection occurs when a virus invades the body and takes over healthy cells. From there, the virus takes components of these cells to replicate itself. The originally healthy cells die or become damaged in the process.

One of the most common distinctions between bacterial vs viral infections is the effect on the body. As viruses cannot be cured, they remain in the body for life. Symptoms may not always be present, though.

Viruses have received more attention over the past year, particularly in relation to the pandemic that has swept the globe. COVID-19 is a particularly contagious virus that presents with symptoms like that of influenza.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a bit of confusion. Though this disease is colloquially referred to as “Coronavirus,” this term has been traditionally used by scientists and medical professionals in a different way. Coronaviruses are a classification of viruses that typically cause upper-respiratory tract illnesses.

The SARS pandemic of 2003 was another example of a highly-contagious disease resulting from a coronavirus.

How Do Viral Infections Spread?

Many viral infections are contagious. They spread through similar transmission methods as bacterial infections.

Most often, this comes in the form of close contact with an infected person. This may be person-to-person contact. It could also be from contact with surfaces that have become contaminated with the virus.

Like with bacterial infections, most adults will experience a viral infection at some point in their lives. More common examples include:

• Influenza
• Common cold
• Chickenpox
• AIDS
• Measles
• Meningitis (viral)
• Warts

Viral infections can be more dangerous than bacterial infections as they are more difficult to treat. This makes prevention all the more important.

How Can Viral Infections Be Prevented?

Like bacterial infections, maintaining good personal hygiene (like frequent hand-washing) is one of the easiest yet most effective ways to prevent viral infections.

Additionally, many viral infections can be prevented by getting immunized. Like bacterial infections, these shots take an attenuated form of the virus to “teach” the immune system how to fight these invaders.

Some examples of viral infections often targeted for prevention by vaccines include measles, mumps, and chickenpox.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Vaccines for viral infections have received extra attention as of late. The world anxiously awaits the development and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

By the end of the year 2020, several pharmaceutical companies had developed, tested, and approved vaccines to treat COVID-19. There are actually several different variations of the vaccine that are in the process of being made available to the public.

The COVID-19 vaccine was produced in record time—developed from start to finish in what will be just shy of one year. In contrast, the mumps vaccine of the 1960s took four years from the research phase to approval.

Moving into the new year, all eyes are on these companies to see when quarantine restrictions and mask mandates will be lifted.

However, the logistical process of producing and disseminating this vaccine is much more complicated. It will likely take well into the spring for most Americans to gain access to the shots. 

From there, it will take even more time to build up herd immunity. Dr. Anthony Fauci—who has been widely considered the go-to expert on COVID-19—estimates "some degree of normalcy" reached by the end of 2021.

How Are Viral Infections Treated?

Vaccines and other prevention methods are especially important for viral infections. This has become especially evident with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic but remains an important lesson for the public.

Prevention is especially key for viral vs bacterial infections due to the nature of viral diseases. 

Viral infections are much harder to treat than their bacterial counterparts. This is because the viruses live within the once-healthy cells of the human body. As they protect themselves well from medication, they are not easy to treat.

Unfortunately, most common viral infections do not have a cure. Unlike bacterial infections, antibiotics are not effective in treating viral infections.

It’s important for medical professionals to understand this distinction and avoid over-prescribing antibiotics. When antibiotics are overused, it can lead to antibiotic resistance developing in the body.

This makes it harder to treat bacterial infections down the line. While there is a greater abundance of prescription medication to treat bacterial infections, there are still a handful of options for fighting viruses.

There are a limited amount of antiviral medications available for treatment. However, they do not cure the virus altogether. These medications are more effective in inhibiting the life cycle of the virus than removing it from the body, per se. 

Some examples of the use of antiviral medications include:

• Tamiflu (generic name: oseltamivir) for influenza
• Valtrex (generic name: valacyclovir) for some viral herpes infections

Some symptoms resulting from the virus can be treated with over-the-counter (OTC) medications. For example, fevers and aches and pains that are common with the flu can be treated with OTC painkillers.

Obtaining Medication for Bacterial vs Viral Infections

There are many differences in comparing bacterial vs viral infections. While they sometimes produce similar symptoms, the two types of infection actually differ greatly.

Bacterial infections are often treated with antibiotics. While there are a handful of antiviral medications out there, they are much less widely available.

For both types of infection, over the counter medications are often used to treat the symptoms that accompany the infection.

For all medication needs—whether it be prescription or over the counter—there are various benefits to using a Canadian pharmaceutical source. Contact a trusted Canadian pharmacy for more information on these benefits.

Did you know that more than 20% of doctors in the US used telemedicine to treat their patients in 2019? That's an amazing increase from just around 5% back in 2015. Online doctor appointments have become more and more prevalent these days because they offer a lot of benefits.

But have you ever wondered how telemedicine works? And how can you set up an appointment with virtual doctors? Luckily, this lengthy article will break down all the details for you. Keep reading to learn more about online doctor appointments, online prescriptions, and more.

What Is Telemedicine and Why Is It So Popular These Days?

Telemedicine represents the practice of offering medical advice with the help of the internet. This is done by doctors who obtain certification for telemedicine. They are known as virtual doctors and they can set up online appointments with their patients.

Telemedicine has become increasingly popular in the last years because technology progressed and internet speed has increased worldwide. More and more people have access to a computer or smartphone with good internet connectivity.

As a result, doctors can take advantage of this and offer medical advice with the help of modern gadgets. The process is simple, straightforward, and saves resources. Telemedicine will continue to grow in the upcoming years as modern technology becomes more and more prevalent all around the world.

How Can You Set up an Online Appointment?

Some numerous medical platforms and businesses offer telemedicine services. Patients from all over the country can take advantage of these services. For example, all that you have to do is to register on a particular platform and pick your preferred doctor.

Patients can usually pick from multiple certified doctors from various fields. Each doctor has a schedule set up and you can see the available hours. If a slot is free at a particular moment of the day, you can claim it and set up an online appointment with your favorite doctor.

You might need to submit different types of information before setting up a virtual meeting with your doctor. In some cases, certain medical services are free. For more complex medical advice, you might be required to pay a fee.

Some platforms allow ongoing virtual meetings for a set price every year or they can charge for a one-time online appointment. You have the freedom to pick your favorite medical service depending on your needs and budget.

You Can Use Your Smartphone or Laptop for Your Virtual Meeting

The beauty of telemedicine is that it can be done on almost any modern smartphone or laptop. As long as you have a good microphone, a stable internet connection, and a webcam/selfie camera, you can take advantage of virtual doctor meetings.

For example, you can set up an appointment and see your doctor from the comfort of your own living room. If you're traveling, you can set up a meeting with your doctor from your hotel room. Most people use their smartphones for this purpose and get all the medical advice they need.

If your internet speed is good, you have a big advantage because you can send medical records and documents almost instantly. You can also take advantage of Full HD or even 4K meetings, making them feel as if you're at the doctor's office.

Lastly, virtual doctor meetings can be done during emergency situations too. If you've had a car accident and you're in the middle of the highway, you might be able to contact a doctor and receive adequate medical help. As long as you have a smartphone and good internet connectivity, urgent telemedicine might save your life.

Virtual Doctors Can Treat a Wide Variety of Health Problems

You might be surprised to find out how many health issues a virtual doctor can help you with. These problems fall into both primary care medicine and urgent situations. For example, your doctor can help you handle allergies, diabetes, high blood pressure as well as mental health conditions.

In some cases, doctors can also help you with urgent problems such as sinus infections, dental pain, headaches, migraines, yeast infections, or stomach problems. Remember that a typical virtual meeting can take approximately an hour, so there's plenty of time to discuss your health issues.

Virtual Doctors Can Prescribe Antibiotics and Other Medications Too

As another advantage of telemedicine, you can now get a prescription from your doctor through virtual meetings. Your doctor can offer prescriptions for various drugs, including antibiotics. This should help you treat bacterial infections with ease.

The prescription can be emailed to you in just a couple of minutes. You can use it to get different types of antibiotics or drugs over the internet from online pharmacies. In other words, modern technology allows you to get a diagnosis, prescription, and buy the needed medication without even leaving your bed.

However, it's important to know that virtual doctors cannot offer you a prescription for certain drugs. For example, doctors cannot give you the green light for medical marijuana or antipsychotic drugs such as Risperdal.

These are called controlled substances and you need an in-person meeting to get a prescription for them. Your doctor needs to see you and perform a more thorough physical examination before offering such a prescription.

Other controlled substances include narcotics, sedatives, and stimulants such as Adderall. Apart from that, you can obtain advice and prescriptions for a wide variety of drugs, as long as you need them and your virtual doctor has consulted your medical record.

What Are the Main Benefits of Telemedicine?

As you can see, telemedicine or online doctor appointments can solve a lot of problems. They offer benefits for both patients and doctors, as long as a certain code of conduct is followed. If you still have doubts, here are some of the most important benefits of telemedicine as of today.

Receive Medical Advice From the Comfort of Your Own Home

Many people postpone medical visits because they have to travel long distances to arrive at the doctor's office. Also, some people in rural areas don't have access to modern medical facilities or expert knowledge in a specific medical area. 

When telemedicine comes into the picture, all these problems disappear. You can have access to excellent medical treatment and guidance without leaving your house, without leaving your bed even. 

This is what makes telemedicine so attractive to patients. You can enjoy the comfort of your own home and receive medical advice on how to cope with your health issues. You can take advantage of virtual doctor meetings even from an RV or hotel room.

Telemedicine Is Accessible to Multiple Patients Worldwide

As you know already, some doctors are better at their practice than others. Certain doctors are able to treat complicated diseases and have gathered thousands of hours of experience treating multiple patients from all over the country. 

Telemedicine allows you to get in touch with experienced and reputable doctors without having to travel hundreds of miles to see them. You can set up an appointment with a famous doctor and take advantage of his/her expert advice.

At the same time, telemedicine brings more patients to new doctors who just opened up their offices. This helps them create a good reputation fast and earn more money each year. More and more patients got used to searching for doctors online and telemedicine provides the bridge that connects trustworthy doctors with patients countrywide.

Virtual Meetings Reduce No-Show Instances for Doctors

If you're a doctor, you know how frustrating it can be to have patients who don't show up for a consultation. You lose time and money and you have to get busy rescheduling patients who couldn't show up to your office.

Some studies show that most doctors get at least one no-show instance every day. Although this might not seem like much, it can add up over one year. Not only that you can lose thousands of dollars in revenue, but hundreds of patients who could have shown up are left untreated.

Luckily, telemedicine seems to provide a solution to this problem. Since patients don't need to travel to your office, there are fewer chances that they might miss a flight or get stuck in traffic. As a result, you can see more patients every day and make more money.

In the rare case a patient cannot attend a virtual meeting, you can simply reschedule someone else to fill that spot. Again, patients don't have to be physically present in your office. They should simply turn on their webcam and receive appropriate medical care.

Telemedicine Saves a Lot of Time and Money for Regular Patients

Some patients require a single virtual meeting once or twice a year. However, many patients need ongoing meetings with their doctors. This happens because they struggle with a more difficult disease and they require regular medical care to deal with it.

In this case, telemedicine can save patients a lot of time and money in the long run. Just two meetings per month can result in 24 meetings every year. Imagine how much money would you spend on fuel to travel to a doctor's office 24 times every year.

Similarly, imagine how much time you would waste in traffic trying to arrive at your doctor's office at a certain hour. Thanks to telemedicine, you can now put this time and money to better use and still receive the much-needed medical care on a regular basis.

Virtual Meetings Are Great for Both Urgent and Primary Care

Different patients require different types of medical care. What makes telemedicine so valuable is that it can tackle the needs of a broader range of patients. Whether you're worried about your blood pressure or you have a terrible headache, you can get in touch with an experienced doctor fast.

That's because medical platforms collaborate with a plethora of certified doctors who are on duty 24/7. It might take you a few minutes to set up an account on one of these platforms. Once the payment details are established, you can talk with an expert almost immediately.

This is a great opportunity to treat various urgent situations such as getting an infection, waking up with a terrible cough, and so on. Regardless of your location in the country or time zone, telemedicine allows you to find a reputable doctor willing to help you get better soon.

Telemedicine Also Prevents You From Catching Other Diseases

If you ever visited a doctor's office or hospital, you know how crowded it can get in the waiting room. You will sit next to people who also require medical care, just like you do. These people might already have contagious diseases or other medical problems.

Depending on how long you have to wait, it's not uncommon for patients to get more diseases from other patients. This can be frustrating and prolong your recovery and healing time. Moreover, you could spread a dangerous disease to someone else too.

Luckily, telemedicine simply eliminates those risks altogether. You won't be traveling to any doctor's office or hospital. You won't be sitting in a crowded room with other infected patients and you won't spread or get a disease from them.

In fact, you'll be sitting in your living room with a cup of coffee next to you, waiting for your doctor to say "hi". Telemedicine helps you save money and time, but it keeps you safer too. This can be particularly important if your health is fragile or your small children need urgent medical care.

It's Time to Set up Your First Online Doctor Appointments Today!

As you can see, online doctor appointments are the next big thing when it comes to receiving medical care. You should try telemedicine as soon as possible, whether you're a doctor or a patient. Virtual meetings can help you fix various health issues quicker and with less effort than before, so take advantage of them today.

If you'd like to talk with an experienced doctor or have any kind of health-related question then make sure that you contact us today. Our doctors are always ready to treat their patients regardless of the nature of their health issues.

Every year, the USDA releases revised dietary guidelines. These guidelines direct the population on new food trends to watch out for, tricky wording that may show up on food packaging, and more. 

As a parent, we're sure that you're interested in these guidelines for healthy eating. They can be extremely useful when you're trying to decide what to feed your family and how to teach your children about healthy eating.

To learn more about the new USDA dietary guidelines, keep reading. We're going to cover the eight things that you should know about the 2020 USDA dietary guidelines chart.

1. Watch out for Added Sugar

The 2020 USDA dietary guidelines are giving added sugar the attention (and calling out) that it deserves. Before these new guidelines, added sugar remained a mystery. We all knew that it was bad, but we never could seem to find the difference between the added sugar and natural sugar.

Tricky wording and sneaky advertising make it more and more difficult to figure out how to read food labels. However, with the release of new food label requirements, added sugar is now a required label on foods containing it.

If you're looking to avoid added sugar (as we all should do on a normal day), all you need to do is look at the nutrition label. Here, the company should provide a section showcasing the sugar added to the product.

As a parent, you should note that the USDA has also recommended that children under two years of age should not consume any added sugar.

The fight with added sugar has been a gruesome one, especially in the United States. It seems as if the majority of the foods available to use in the grocery store have added sugars of some kind.

Be sure to take extra precautions next time you're shopping for food for your family. Foods are now clearly labeled. You shouldn't have trouble finding out which foods are going to be a better nutritional choice for your family.

2. Cut Down on the Alcohol

In the United States, alcohol has become a right of passage. With large birthday parties at the age of 21 and the prevalence of binge-drinking even before this age, alcohol seems to be everywhere.

It shouldn't be a surprise that the USDA addressed alcohol in their dietary guidelines for 2020.

The 2020 USDA dietary guidelines have revised and refined what the organization previously recommended. In the past, the USDA recommended that men drink no more than two servings of alcohol per day while women drink no more than one serving of alcohol per day.

Now, the USDA is recommending that neither men nor women exceed more than one serving of alcohol per day. With this, the organization cites the harmful effects of alcohol.

This wasn't the only change. The USDA also used to discuss the positive effects of moderate alcohol indulgence. However, this was no the case with their 2020 report.

The USDA points out that alcohol does not improve your health. They also add that complete abstinence from these drinks is the healthiest choice.

3. Replace Saturated Fats

After their previous battle with trans fat, the USDA has now moved on to battle the trend of saturated fat. While trans fat is more unhealthy than saturated fat is, there is still a healthier option that the USDA does not forget to point out.

In their 2020 dietary guidelines, the USDA recommends that Americans replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats. In particular, they recommend eating polyunsaturated fats.

During this discussion, they cite a couple of positive correlations. Firstly, a diet containing saturated fats is linked to a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease.

With heart disease being the number one killer in America, it's no surprise that the USDA has made a point to address the condition in their recommendations for healthy eating. Because of the unhealthy food trends plaguing America, the USDA has to alert consumers of the dangers of the foods that they may be eating.

Foods that contain saturated fats include butter, coconut oil, palm oil, red meat, and cheese. If you're looking to eat more unsaturated fats, you should be reaching for fish, nuts, and seeds.

Replacing these kinds of foods can dramatically decrease your risk for heart conditions like cardiovascular disease.

Food marketing has become a game of good taste over good nutrition. The USDA's mission in releasing these annual dietary guidelines is to help educate consumers on the poor trends that they need to be avoiding.

4. Planning Meals

The USDA has repeatedly been asked questions regarding how often you should be having snacks and how often you should eat to lose weight. Unfortunately, there isn't a straight answer to either of these questions. 

The USDA has tried to comment on eating quantity in the past, and they truly cannot provide a safe, healthy answer for every single American. Rather, they choose to include blanket statements that are more likely to account for healthy eating habits for most Americans rather than individuals.

In the 2020 USDA dietary guidelines, the USDA notes that diet quality was higher for those who indicated that they eat three meals a day rather than two. They also shared that eating late at night is positively correlated with overindulgence in food that is suggested to be consumed in moderation.

Basically, this means that those who snack less—especially at night—are more likely to eat more nutritious foods.

So, if you're looking to improve your diet or find a trick to choose better food choices, avoiding snacking may be the answer. Keep in mind that snacks that include nutritious foods, like carrots, lettuce, and the like, aren't dangerous by any means.

The USDA is simply pointing out that there is a correlation between snacking behaviors and poor nutrition. This doesn't mean that you need to stop eating your carrot and celery sticks in the afternoon.

5. About Breastfeeding

The USDA dietary guidelines also dove into breastfeeding and what the benefits of human milk are. Along with this discussion, the USDA cites several studies on how breastmilk affects babies.

Most notably, the USDA reported that infants who consume human milk at any point in their lives may incur several health benefits, including a decreased risk for the following conditions: type one diabetes, obesity, and asthma.

In addition, the duration of breastfeeding was negatively correlated with an increased risk for type one diabetes and asthma. This means that the longer that an infant is breastfed, the less likely they are to have one of these conditions in the future.

One of the most exciting findings from the USDA's analysis of infant diet has to do with allergies. Research shows that infants who are exposed to common food allergens are less likely to develop allergies to those foods. More specifically, they suggest feeding these common allergens (like peanuts and eggs) to your child before they reach the age of one.

Following this discussion, the USDA is quick to note that infants and children should also be exposed to a diverse range of foods while they're young. Studies show that instilling a diverse eating pattern now can encourage the child to continue that eating pattern as they age.

Encouraging and instilling these kinds of eating habits at a young age can also help fight off the risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions. Share new foods with your children and encourage them to go outside of their comfort zones when it comes to new, nutritious food.

6. Covering Diet Trends

The USDA dietary guidelines didn't forget to cover trendy diets that are moving across the United States. The most famous of these diets may be the keto diet.

If you have yet to hear about the keto diet, it is a low-carb, high-protein diet that focuses on getting consumers to go into a state of ketosis. Ketosis allows the body to burn fat rather than sugar. Because of this shift in the fat burning method, many people use the diet as a trigger for major weight loss.

When covering what they refer to as "dietary patterns," the USDA made it clear that they do not endorse any particular diet or diets. Rather, they discussed following a "dietary pattern" that is rich in several different kinds of nutritious foods.

Specifically, the USDA pointed out that Americans should increase their consumption of colorful fruits and vegetables while decreasing their intake of chips and desserts.

It doesn't appear that the USDA is going to cover diet trends in-depth, but many Americans are still asking for this. They want to know what diets are safe and how they should approach different kinds of eating styles.

However, the USDA may not want to make a comment about diet trends for the sake of avoiding any negative responses. The USDA does not want to make blanket comments about diets when they know that every diet may be different for every person.

7. Regarding Obesity

As most people already know, obesity has become an epidemic in the United States. Targeted food marketing and ignorant food choices have led to more than 70% of Americans becoming overweight or obese.

The USDA briefly spoke on the obesity epidemic, citing multiple research studies that may be able to help us keep the epidemic under control for the foreseeable future.

First off, the USDA states that there is a link between added sugar consumption under the age of two and the later development of obesity. Creating nutritious diet habits for children while they're young can increase the likelihood of them following those nutritious diet habits in the future.

Obesity isn't just a public health problem though. It has also been linked to numerous chronic health problems, including type two diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

The USDA was clear in recounting that parents should instill healthy eating habits early. As you're teaching your children to set the table, you should also be teaching them what food you're putting on their plate, how you made it, and why you chose it.

You should also encourage your children to get involved in their own meal planning. Let them choose what vegetable to eat for dinner every once in a while.

If you want to shake things up, you can start your own family garden.

8. Forgotten Sustainability

We're covering things that you should take away from the USDA's dietary guidelines for 2020. Unfortunately, there's something that didn't show up in the report that we need to cover: sustainable eating.

Americans have been urging the USDA and similar entities to cover sustainable eating practices and how they affect the Earth. They want to know if avoiding meat actually reducing carbon emissions among other important questions.

The USDA has yet to make a comment on sustainable eating and the impact of sustainable eating. One report that the organization filed regarding healthy eating being contingent on environmentally-resilient practices was revoked soon after it was submitted. This is a notable piece missing from their 2020 report and should tell you how neglectful the United States is being about the climate situation.

Covering sustainable foods didn't just pertain to climate change though. Americans called for the USDA to cover societal changes related to dietary recommendations.

USDA Dietary Guidelines and Pharmaceuticals 

Congratulations! You've reviewed the most important points from the 2020 USDA dietary guidelines for 2020. Now, it's time that you start filling in the gaps that you may be missing with a common prescription.

For example, your physician may have you on a prescription for hypertension or diabetes. Regardless of whether or not your diet is on par with the USDA's standards, you need to keep up with your medications. We highly recommend that you do continue to follow a proper diet while on your medications, but you shouldn't neglect your medications in favor of a diet.

If you're looking for affordable prescriptions for your chronic conditions, you can depend on PricePro Pharmacy. We are a Canadian drug store that ships to the United States. If you're looking for a specific prescription, search for medication here and see how much you can save.

Wear a mask. Social Distance. Loss of taste and smell. If you count the number of times you've spoken or heard these phrases, you'd be a millionaire! 

COVID-19 has affected us all in different ways. Some people were happy to have some extra time off during the initial spring quarantine of 2020. However, the pandemic has created increased stress related anxiety for many others. 

Considering the economic impact and added emotional stress, the United States is ready to be done with the pandemic. For many, return to a life they remember so fondly hinges on the distribution of an effective vaccine. While waiting for vaccines to hit the market (and our arms), it's important to remember to keep our own stress in check. 

COVID Vaccines Are Coming

In July of 2020, the CDC rolled out plans to make 300 million COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States by January 2021. The plan, called operation warp speed, has gained traction and attention from existing vaccine companies and new ones.

Creators of COVID vaccines are conducting three-phase trials. By analyzing carefully collected data, several COVID vaccine contenders are claiming they are ready to roll out by the end of 2020. 

In order for vaccines available to the public, they must first gain FDA approval. The FDA is assuring US residents their approval process will have the same quality and guidelines required of any other vaccine.

Necessity Creates Innovation

While some creators of a COVID vaccine are using methods used to create previous vaccines, some are not. Companies like Moderna and Pfizer are harnessing what they've learned about the human genetic code to combat the novel coronavirus.

It only makes sense to combat a new virus with a new approach. Here's a look at the two types of vaccines. 

Adenovirus Vaccines

This is the standard way to create many anti-viral vaccines. Influenza, HIV, and Ebola vaccines are created this way. 

Adenovirus vaccines inject an inactivated virus into your bloodstream. The body eventually recognizes you've "caught" the virus and has a better ability to fight it. This is why it's possible to get a mild case of influenza even if you've had the flu shot.

This method has become relatively commonplace for major vaccine creators. Because the process is familiar, it's easy to see why some creators of the COVID vaccine are rolling out adenovirus approaches. 

mRNA Vaccines

Perhaps you've heard of the differences in how COVID-19 vaccines are being created. Pfizer and Moderna are preparing to roll out the first ever mRNA vaccine. These vaccines target the human body's mRNa (or Messenger RNA). 

Instead of giving your body the inactive virus in a very small, safe dose, mRNA vaccines aim to retrain your body without actually infecting it. After injection into the bloodstream, the pre-protein molecules will deliver the message throughout your body.

This message will reproduce in the form of "spike cells". The spike cells trick your body's system into thinking it's already had the virus. Essentially, this method aims to teach or train your body to fight off COVID-19 without having any kind of true viral exposure.  

Pfizer/Bio-NTech

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine harnesses the technology of mRNA. This team was the first to gain authorization for creating a vaccine against COVID-19.

Efficacy Rate

During phase III trials, the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID vaccine has shown 95% efficacy in fighting off the virus. This is good news for consumers. Especially considering the 2020 flu shot offers a 40% efficacy rate.

Storage Requirements

This vaccine requires storage temperatures of -94 degrees Fahrenheit. To give a little perspective on this number, let's look at the average storage temp of most vaccines offered today.  

With the exception of a few outliers, most common vaccinations in the US must be kept at an average of 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The CDC requires strict regulations to be followed by any facility storing vaccines.

A vaccine requiring such extreme temperature storage needs to be handled with great caution and oversight. 

Thankfully, Pfizer and Bio-NTech have thought of storage and shipment solutions. By direct and clear communication of expectations, sites can be well prepared when vaccines arrive.

While the storage temps are intense, once out of the deep freeze, the Pfizer and Bio-NTech COVID vaccine has five days to be out before use. That doesn't offer much time for use after storage.

Dosing Information

This vaccine requires two doses taken 28 days apart. It's not uncommon for vaccines to come in series. Shots like rabies and hepatitis have been administered through a series of timely spaced injections for years.

Price and Distribution

Pfizer and Bio-NTech predict their COVID vaccine to cost about $19.50/person. They are hoping to roll out 50 million vaccines by the end of 2020. 

Moderna 

Technology

Moderna's mission is clear: "Deliver on the promise of mRNA science to create a new generation of transformative medicines for patients."

It is no surprise their vaccine also takes advantage of the mRNA model. Here's a closer look at Moderna's COVID vaccine and possible release dates.

Efficacy Rate

Moderna is touting a 94.5% efficacy rate for its COVID-19 vaccine. This is a remarkably high efficacy rate for any vaccine and shouldn't go unnoticed. 

Storage Requirements 

Facilities interested in distributing the Moderna COVID vaccines should be prepared for a standard storage temperature. For up to 30 days, this vaccine is stable at a standard range of 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit. 

For longer-term storage, the vaccine can be kept at -4 degrees Fahrenheit for up to six months. While a little extreme, it's not impossible to store frozen vaccines. Varicella and MMRV vaccines, for example, must be kept between -58 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once removed from its storage, the Moderna vaccine has a shelf life of 30 days. This offers considerably more wiggle room than the Pfizer and Bio-NTech shot.

Dosing Information

Moderna's COVID vaccine also requires two doses to be effective. The second dose must be administered four weeks after the first. 

This, again, is very standard practice for vaccine and shouldn't be a deterrent in and of itself. 

Price and Distribution

The Moderna COVID vaccine will cost anywhere between $32 and $37 per dose. Moderna's roll-out goal is 20 million vaccines available for use by the end of 2020. 

AstraZeneca-University of Oxford 

AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford have teamed up to conduct trials in Brazil and the UK. Here's what they've produced.

Technology

This COVID vaccine is adenovirus based. AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford have used a weakened form of a cold viral vector. When injected, effective spike cells produce proteins that will attack SARS-Cov-2 virus (COVID-19).

Efficacy Rate

According to their trials and research, AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford's COVID vaccine is 62% to 90% effective in fighting the novel coronavirus. While that's a pretty wide range for efficacy, it's still higher than your average influenza vaccine!

Storage Requirements

This COVID vaccine has a moderate storage temperature of 36 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This puts it well within the average storage range facilities are used to accomodating.

With a shelf life of six months, this vaccine allows plenty of out-of-the-freezer time for distribution. 

Dosing Information

Much like the others, this COVID vaccine requires two shots. After the first poke is administered, recipients will have a month to return for booster shot.

Price and Distribution

With a low price of $3 to $6 dollars per shot, AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford have made their COVID shot the most accessible for those who may not have payment assistance. 

This team would like to roll out 200 million doses of their COVID vaccine by the end of 2020 or the beginning of 2021. It's unclear when the vaccine will be available in the United States. 

Johnson & Johnson

This family company is no stranger to vaccines. Johnson & Johnson has created vaccines for Ebola, Zika, and RSV.

While still in trials, here's what we know about the Johnson & Johnson Janssen Covi-19 vaccine.

Technology

Keeping with its known process, the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine utilizes the adenovirus approach.  

Much like AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, this COVID vaccine draws from an inactive cold virus which helps the body produce what it needs to fight COVID-19. 

Efficacy Rate

Since their phase II trials began in November of 2020, it's too early for data to show us the efficacy rage of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. However, Johnson & Johnson hoped to enlist 60,000 participants for phase II trials.

This offers optimism to anyone wanting to look at data based on a large group. 

Storage Requirements

For up to two years, the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine will remain stable at a temperature of -4 degrees Farhenheit. 

After removal from its freezer storage, this COVID vaccine will be viable for up to three months at a temperature range of 35.6 to 46.4 degrees Fahrenheit. This should pose no problem for facilities already storing other types of vaccines.

Dosing Information

While others seem to be rolling out the two-dose model, the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine will require one shot to be effective. Early trials are showing great success with this model. Great news for the needle-averse population!

Price and Distribution

Johnson & Johnson expects their vaccine to cost about $10 per dose. 

Since it's still in trial phases, don't expect a release date any earlier than March of 2021.

Once approved by the EUA, Johnson & Johnson is aiming for 1 billion doses available to consumers by the end of 2021. 

Sputnik V

Russia is at it again, rolling out a COVID vaccine named for their famous space craft. Here are the facts about the Sputnik V vaccine.

Technology

Sputnik V has used similar technology to AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. They've even offered to share some of their adenovirus technology with other agencies.

Efficacy Rate

After phase III trials, Sputnik V creators claimed a 94% efficacy rate. This puts this vaccine right on par with some of the top US COVID vaccine contenders.

Dosing

Not unlike most of the other COVID 19 vaccines, Sputnik V is administered in two doses. Recipients will return for a second dose four weeks after receiving their first.

Price and Distribution

Sputnik V is expected to cost $10 per vaccine.

While this vaccine won't be available in the US, its creators are hoping to roll out global distribution within the next year. Makers of Sputnik V are hoping to have 500 million shots available for distribution by the end of 2021.

Molnupiravir 

To be fair, this isn't exactly a vaccine. Molnupiravir is an oral therapy designed to slow the spread of coronavirus transmission. This drug aims to slow the transmission of COVID-19 as well as lessen the severity of the virus.

Molnupiravir is currently in Phase I/II trials.  

Information Is Power

Taking advantage of the information available to us can be a great way of coping during COVID. By learning as much as we can about the available options for a COVID vaccine, Americans can have a better idea of what's available.

Research is a great tool in our fight against anxiety of the unknown. With all the confusion and uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, detailed knowledge of each vaccine can help us determine which is the best for us.

How to Choose

While we know individuals at highest risk for contracting COVID-19 will be among the first to receive the vaccine. At some point in the next year, many individuals in the United States will likely have the opportunity to receive a COVID vaccine.

Experts agree that among the top contenders, there's not a way to choose the best vaccine. Factors such as access to storage capability and geographic location have an impact on those wishing to get a COVID shot. 

Take Time for Self Care

Staying informed is important and helps us make decisions. However, spending too much time focused on COVID vaccines isn't a healthy habit. 

In order to curb stress-related anxiety, implement a self-care routine that works for you. Incorporate yoga or meditation into your daily routine.

Set a screen time limit for yourself. Too much time looking at your smartphone or computer can impact your vision AND your emotional health.

At Price Pro Online Pharmacy, we'd love to help you access the things you need to stay healthy. Call us at 1-855-776-0079 find us online to find out more about our affordable prescription options.

Almost 75% of processed food on the shelves of your grocery store has ingredients that have been genetically modified. 

You may have heard the term GMO on the news or noticed it on your food labels. GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms, are scientifically altered foods that we eat each day.

Although nonprofit movements are educating the public on GMOs, there are still many risks that consumers don't know about.

Let's explore everything you need to know about GMO health risks to make informed decisions next time you're at the store.  

What Are GMOs Used For? 

In the 1990s, human beings reached a new level of impacting nature. Scientists started extracting and splicing DNA from one animal or plant into another. This created the first genetically modified organisms.

In part, GMOs supplement the food industry's need to pick, pack, and ship produce long distances before it hits your plate. It also helps to meet the growing demand for food in places of drought or instability

Another reason that food is genetically modified is for resistance to insects and viruses. 

Up to 92% of corn grown in the United States is genetically modified to be pest-resistant or tolerate herbicides. The GMO corn produces toxins that kill harmful pests, but is not harmful to the humans or animals who ingest the corn.

Genetically engineering corn crops enables farmers to spray fewer pesticides. This is good for the environment and consumers.

On the flip side, it's concerning that this corn gets processed and put into drinks, food, and even fed to the animals that humans eventually eat. 

Why Are GMOs Problematic? 

For a few reasons, the public doesn't love the idea of eating food that's been genetically altered. To start, it interferes with the genetic composition and therefore the integrity of our food. 

It's concerning that 95% of livestock raised for meat and dairy consume GMO crops. Even salmon are being genetically engineered to grow faster. This shortens the amount of time needed to raise and sell them. 

The Public Is Unaware

Even if we aren't eating GMOs on purpose, they're hard to avoid. Corn, soy, and canola make up many common ingredients in processed foods. These are some of the most engineered crops.

For example, glucose and maltodextrin are sweeteners derived from corn. They're used in sports drinks, sodas, protein powders, and even baked goods. 

Lecithin is derived from soy and is in a lot of dessert items. Even ingredient labels that read "natural flavoring" or "artificial flavoring" can contain GMOs. Ingredients like citric acid, alcohol, amino acids, aspartame, sucrose, are all made from GMO crops.

These crops get processed into dozens, if not hundreds, of additives that we see in everyday foods. Many consumers might not consider these foods processed, like tortillas, ketchup, or crackers. 

There is no unified labeling for GMOs. This means that millions of consumers are putting their health at risk

19 out of 27 EU member countries have either banned or regulated GMOs. In the United States, environmental advocacy organizations are pushing for label transparency. These organizations face big seed companies and politicians who put profit above people.

GMOs Cause Imbalances in the Ecosystem 

The Bt Corn Controversy is a well-known crop that was the focus of many studies in the early history of GMOs. The issue lies not in the corn itself, but in its pollen and seeds. They have insecticide that reduces the amount of spraying needed on crops.

A study in 1999 showed that when monarch butterflies ate milkweed (a tasty food for monarchs) with Bt Corn pollen on it, their larvae died. When fed normal milkweed from non-GMO corn, the larvae were fine. 

Butterflies and other insects are important for pollinating crops and flowers. They help keep the food supply ready for consumption.

Multiple studies refuted the validity of this claim, but it's clear that genetically altering seeds is negatively affecting the environment. This GMO pollen spreads through the air and affects other crops and ecosystems that might not ordinarily have GMOs. 

There is growing concern that pests and weeds will become resistant to the toxins created through genetic engineering and emerge to create more damage to crops. 

What Are Economic Consequences of GMOs?

Small farmers who have biodiverse crops and aspire for organic certification can be banned from exporting to countries with GMO bans because their crops could be contaminated.

This severely impacts the culture of small business farming and dissuaded farmers from seeking certifications that could increase sales. 

While many farmers, especially those in developing countries, benefit from raising GMO crops because of their lower costs and higher yields, there is also the issue of ownership. 

If farmers purchase GMO seeds, they have to sign contracts and pay high fees. They even have to adhere to strict guidelines on how to grow the crop and come back year after year to purchase seeds, even if they could just harvest the next crop's seeds from last year's. 

Since these seed companies have patents for the seeds, research conducted on the health and safety of the GMO crop must be approved by them. This means that although some of these seeds have been on the market for decades, we still may never know their true consequences for health and environmental safety. 

This also means that any research that does come out on GMOs is approved by the seed company and likely in favor of GMOs. 

What Are GMO Health Risks? 

Now that you know a bit more about what GMOs are and the controversy around them, it's important to know why they could be harmful to human health.

Studies have been performed to understand how GMOs impact human life. Although it's difficult to have GMO proven health risks in animal trials, it's clear that GMO foods health risks are possible for humans. 

Allergens

Unlabeled GMOs pose a huge risk for consumers with severe allergies. Because there are so many ingredients made from GMO corn, allergen contamination is very concerning. 

The combination of severe allergies to dairy, fish, shellfish, or nuts and the lack of labeling of GMO products creates a life-threatening situation for many people. 

They Might Suppress Immune Systems

A study performed in 1999 showed that rats who were fed genetically engineered potatoes had reduced organ development and immune function. 

This also calls into question the nutritional content of genetically modified organisms as compared to their natural ancestors, but many scientists claim that there is no difference. 

Antibiotic Resistance 

Many genetically engineered (GE) foods contain antibiotics that tell scientists whether the new gene has been accepted into the host. There is some concern that these antibiotics could climb the food chain and end up on our plates. 

As concern grows generally around the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, adding this level from GMOs is especially scary because U.S. consumers don't know if their foods are GE or not. 

We've already seen that antibiotic-resistant infections are life-threatening and could be cause for further complications in the next few decades. It's important that wherever possible, antibiotics are removed from the food chain. 

Risk of Unapproved Consumption

In 2000, StarLink Corn, a GMO corn not approved for human consumption because of potential digestion issues, was found in the food supply. The corn was found in 300 food products, and farmers had huge losses that were later refunded in a class-action lawsuit 

It's extraordinarily difficult to separate edible crops from non-edible crops. StarLink has since been pulled from the market and extensive testing has been done on the similar crops that are still consumed by humans.  

Cancer Risk 

Bovine growth hormones are so common now that when you visit the grocery store and buy a dairy product, it might say "from cows not treated with rBST". This is usually followed by, "the FDA has said no significant difference has been shown and no test can distinguish between milk from rBST treated and untreated cows". 

However, the concern is with a hormone called IGF-1, which is also prevalent in cows treated with rBST. When found in the blood, this hormone might cause some cells to grow faster. Those cells are like the ones that accelerate prostate, breast, and colorectal cancers.

The American Cancer Society concludes that while other studies may have proven this to be incorrect, more research must ensure that the consumption of genetically engineered dairy products is not increasing cancer risk. 

While TACS doesn't recognize rBST formally as a contributing factor to cancer cell growth, they do acknowledge that it can promote antibiotic resistance. 

What Can I Do? 

If you'd like to avoid genetically modified foods, you're not alone. Many people don't like the idea of big industrial farmers playing God and tampering with nature's course. 

Many people abstain from eating genetically modified foods for religious reasons. If you don't eat meat, for example, you won't be able to eat products that have had fish spliced in or eggs that have been fed GMO feed. 

Check Labels

While other countries have regulations in place to let the public know about GMOs, the United States does not. The Non-GMO Project has a label you might recognize, but product developers have to reach out to get certified. If you eat processed foods, look for their label to verify that the additives or corn/soy derivatives do not contain GMOs.

Eating organic can be a great way to avoid genetically modified foods, but be sure that your label reads "100% organic" or has the USDA Organic seal. It is illegal for certified organic foods to have genetically modified ingredients, growth hormones, pesticides, or antibiotics.

Otherwise, your food can still contain GMOs.  

Advocate for Transparency 

Let your representatives know that GMO labeling matters to you by getting in contact with them. Write letters, share facts on social media, or start a local campaign with your farmers. 

Next time important legislation comes up in Congress, your representatives will know how you feel. When someone in your district is up for election, do research to know where they stand on GMOs in your community. 

This way, you can have a direct impact on who serves your interests and know whether they demand transparent GMO labeling or not. 

Buy Local 

Avoid GMOs by purchasing from your local farm or a farmers' market, or through a CSA program. Most GMOs come from big industrial farms. It's likely that your local farmers are using organic or unmodified seeds. 

Strike up a conversation with your local farmers next time you're at the market. Many farmers have strong opinions on GMOs. It's always good to know how your local economy and farming community feels about GMOs. 

Eat a Whole Foods Diet

Since many GMOs like corn and soy get processed to create other ingredients that end up in everyday foods, try to stick to a plant-based diet.

You'll find many unique and fun ways to make new recipes. Try to make your own granola bars, drinks, meals, and snacks that don't have any added harmful ingredients.

As an added bonus, eating less processed foods can help you eat your way to better skin. 

Eating a plant-based diet can also be healthier for you. Plants can increase immunity and boost health because of the many vitamins and antioxidants in fruits and vegetables. 

GMO or No? 

Many people claim that the war against GMOs isn't valid. These people argue that the use of GMOs reduces malnutrition and pesticide use, and promotes the economy.

While some of these claims aren't outrageous, it's important to decide on your own. The food industry doesn't communicate what exactly is in the food on your plate or what's in your infant's bottle.

The GMO health risks that we know of are scary. Although we need more research that isn't backed by seed companies, it's good to know what's going on. Check your food labels and make decisions for your family that you feel comfortable with. 

Check out the rest of our blog for more information on how to live an active, healthy lifestyle and learn more about topics like this. 

Works Cited

https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/311/ge-foods/about-ge-foods#:~:text=The%20genetic%20engineering%20of%20plants,often%20used%20in%20food%20products). 

https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/adoption-of-genetically-engineered-crops-in-the-us/recent-trends-in-ge-adoption.aspx 

https://www.newhope.com/non-gmo/know-your-gmos-hidden-ingredients-safe-labels-and-taking-action

https://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/countriesruleoutgmos/#:~:text=Several%20countries%20such%20as%20France,Scotland%2C%20Wales%20and%20Northern%20Ireland.

https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/genetically-modified-organisms-gmos-transgenic-crops-and-732/

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/recombinant-bovine-growth-hormone.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3791249/

https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/blog/

https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/eat-your-way-to-healthier-skin-by-avoiding-these-foods-that-can-cause-acne/

https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/vitamin-research-do-you-really-need-multivitamins/

https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/craving-blueberries-arent-they-a-superfood/

https://www.farmaid.org/issues/gmos/gmos-top-5-concerns-for-family-farmers/

https://fas.org/biosecurity/education/dualuse-agriculture/2.-agricultural-biotechnology/starlink-corn.html

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(98)05860-7/fulltext 

You love them, but your smart devices are likely harming your health! It can be hard to imagine that the tiny light coming from your phone or computer, can be causing you harm. It’s just light after all, right? Nope.

Over the decades since the invention of electricity, we have been lengthening our exposure to light. Now, we are extending it to lengths that are doing damage to our brains and our bodies. The blue light from your smart devices can significantly affect the health of your brain and body. As average smart device usage increases, so does the harmful blue light effects of your screen time. With a few adjustments, you can curb your blue light exposure and improve your health.

What Is Blue Light and the Blue Light Effect

Blue light is a short wavelength light (versus red light, which has a longer wavelength). Because it is a short wavelength light it can affect your brain and body. The blue light effect is not all negative, you need it, but too much of it can be harmful.

Light waves emit energy that ranges in its strength and length. The shorter wavelengths have more energy than the longer wavelengths. The short wavelength of blue light affects your body and brain in several different ways.

Natural blue light from the sun is helpful. It can help keep you alert, mentally focused, boost your mood, and give you a sense of well being. But, blue light coming from your smart devices can be harmful. Blue light can overstimulate your nervous system. It can also cause mood disorders, sleep disruptions, eye strain, headaches, and fatigue.

The use of smart devices is dramatically increasing every year. As is the blue light effect on your brain and your body. You can increase your physical and mental health by understanding harmful blue light. Learn where it comes from and how to reduce its effects.

The Sources of Blue Light

Blue light is found all around us. It naturally comes from the sun and artificially from fluorescent bulbs, LED lights, TVs, ebook readers, and smart devices. It has consumed almost every waking and, now sleeping, moment of our lives.

You can cause a cascade of health issues by reading on your blue light emitting devices in the evening. The negative health effects start with trouble falling asleep. They also contribute to poor quality of sleep and less REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.

Why Our Circadian Rhythms Are so Important

When you don’t get enough sleep, you are adding stress to your body. Stress on the body can cause disease, illness, and mood disorders. Sleep quality will either help improve or increase your daily stress. Adequate and quality sleep is essential to your well being. Blue-light emitting devices threaten your sleep.

Sleep is critical to your health, making sure you have practices in place to sleep enough and to sleep well. Sleep is dependent on your 'circadian rhythm'.

Your circadian rhythm is a natural body process that regulates your daily sleep-wake cycle. Disruption of your circadian rhythm can lead to issues such as slower thinking, weight gain, mood swings, depression, and obesity.

The primary hormone blue light affects in our circadian rhythm is melatonin. If you are lacking melatonin it can lead to insomnia and poor sleep. Melatonin is produced in the body and helps you sleep.

The more darkness you are exposed to, the more melatonin you produce. The more light exposure you get (including blue light exposure), the less melatonin you will produce. Low melatonin levels will signal your body to stay awake. You can ease the negative effects of blue light by limiting exposure to your devices. This can increase your ability to have a better quality of sleep.

Beneficial Effects of Light

Bring on the light and bright! As humans, we tend to want lots of light in our homes and offices. Light helps to boost our productivity, our mood, and as an aesthetic of our environment.

There are many benefits you get from light and we need to have sunlight exposure. Sunlight aids in producing vitamin D, which is a required nutrient for health. It aids in strong bones, mental clarity, energy, and muscle function.

Natural light and darkness help us to thrive. The natural light cycles help maintain our natural circadian rhythms.

Harmful Effects of Light

Too much of a good thing is a bad thing. When the homeostasis of your body’s systems is disrupted, it sends your health into a downward spiral. The negative effects are more than a poor night’s sleep, they are accumulative and can be devastating.

Sleep and Stress

Not enough sleep upsets your circadian rhythm and causes physical stress on your body. This stress is a chemical response, intended to protect you from a physical threat. Sleeplessness and daily stress are not a physical threat. A mountain lion attacking is a physical threat. This stress response builds up over time and tells your brain to make this a default setting.

Having a stress response as a default-setting creates yet another negative cascade effect.

Digital Eye Strain

Eye strain traditionally comes with age. But, now we are seeing it with kids as well as adults. Digital eye strain is coming from prolonged electronic screen use.

Circadian Rhythm Disruption

Circadian rhythms are essential for regulating your nervous system. It also aids in the rest and restoration of the body and the brain. Increased blue light exposure has a direct negative effect on your circadian rhythm. Lack of sleep can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

Depression

The blue light effect on your brain can be significant. Overexposure to blue light can trigger the release of your stress hormones. Your primal brain thinks you need to be awake and alert for a potential physical threat. This triggers a stress response in the body and releases stress hormones.

This chemical response, when chronic will cause systemic inflammation in the body. These stress hormones also affect the brain and can lead to mood disorders, such as depression, anxiety, or mental fog.

Your stress response limits your access to brain function. This limitation makes it more difficult to work through depression and anxiety. You can reverse these effects by reducing blue-light exposure from screens. Creating habits to calm your nervous system will further help reverse these effects.

Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is an eye disease in which part of your eye is damaged. You can have permanent vision loss. Studies have shown that chronic exposure to blue light can increase your chances of macular degeneration and other eye diseases.

Tips to Limit Blue Light Exposure

You are not likely to give up your smart devices, and that is not even realistic in your life. However, you can take action to limit the amount of blue light effect on your brain and body. The following are some steps you can take now to reduce the blue light effect and get better sleep.

Limit Screen Time

Limiting your screen time is probably the most difficult, but when done in small steps can be achievable. Set times for when you’ll log off and shut down screens, such as two to three hours before your bedtime. This will also have a side benefit of helping you get to bed on time to get enough sleep for your day. You also can set up new activities to enhance your circadian rhythms. Meditation is also a useful tool for sleep and stress relief.

Use Dim Red Lights for Evening lighting

Unlike white (day) or blue (screens) lights, red light (or even yellow or orange) does not affect our circadian rhythms. Use a red light in the evenings for ambient lighting around the home.

Blue-Blocking Glasses

Blue-blocking glasses are glasses that block blue light. This can either be a coating or as tinted glasses. You can wear them in the evenings and anywhere there is artificial lighting. The glasses are especially helpful for night-shift workers, or if you’re working late on your computer or another type of screen or smart device.

Night Shift Settings

Most screens on your smart devices now come with a setting called ‘Night Shift’, which creates a yellow light, helping to reduce the blue light effect. The night shift setting can be set to specific times or often it allows you to select a sunset/sunrise setting and automatically adjust the screen’s color output.

You can also adjust the screen brightness, dim it in the evenings to reduce the amount of blue light coming at you.

Natural Sunshine

Get real sunshine exposure during the day. Daylight will help your circadian rhythms in a natural balance, which will help you to sleep at night. Daylight exposure also has a side benefit of helping boost the mood. Be conscientious about when you are taking in light (natural or artificial) and help your brain and your body to maintain its natural healthy state.

Reset Your Circadian Rhythm

You can be proactive in your health by creating habits to support your natural circadian rhythm.

Make sure to consume nutrient-dense foods and stay well hydrated to support your stress response. Lack of nutrients can signal the brain that you are in a state of survival, and will trigger a chemical stress response in your body.

Actively work to reduce stress with exercise during the day and calming stretching before bed. Keep sleep schedules. It is common to skip on a full night’s sleep with the idea of “catching up” on the weekend. However, regular sleep is supportive of your natural rhythms. Meditate before bed to calm your brain’s stress response and prepare your mind for restful sleep.

Other Tips

• Reduce or dim ambient lighting so there is less blue light coming at your eyes.

• Keep your screen clean and free of dust to reduce screen glare.

• Take frequent breaks, such as a break every 20 minutes, and look at anything other than your screen. This will give your eyes a break and help strengthen your sight by focusing on objects at varying distances.

• Blink more often. Blinking gives your eyes a fresh coat of tears, which also cleans and moistens your eye, helping to sharpen your vision and reduce strain.

• Change your lightbulbs to a warmer tone (yellow or ‘soft’ light bulbs) to help reduce the amount of blue light disrupting your circadian rhythms.

Setting Boundaries on Your Screens for Your Health

Our brains and bodies are fine-tuned machines. We can adapt and change; however, we are still biological creatures with basic biological needs. Our daily screen habits can have a significant impact on the health of our brains and bodies. Monitoring and reducing average screen times can help give us the needed break from blue light effects and improve our health.

The harmful artificial blue light coming from our smart devices is increasing with your use. It disrupts natural circadian rhythms, can cause mood disorders, reduce brain function, cause inflammation leading to disease and illness. Limiting your exposure, especially in the evenings, can significantly help reduce these dangers and help restore stronger physical and mental health.

Learn more about health and wellness on our blog.

Works Cited

1. Sleep and obesity:  https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/weekend-catch-up-sleep-wont-fix-the-effects-of-sleep-deprivation-on-your-waistline-2019092417861 
2. Insomnia https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/categories/insomnia/
3. Vitamin D: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/ 
4. Smart device usage: https://www.marketingcharts.com/digital/non-mobile-connected-devices-111854 
5. How the timing of light affects us: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5299389/
6. Harvard eye study. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/will-blue-light-from-electronic-devices-increase-my-risk-of-macular-degeneration-and-blindness-2019040816365 
7. Diabetes: https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/categories/diabetes 
8. Depression: https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/categories/depression/  
9. Meditation: https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/what-are-the-benefits-of-meditation/
10. CDC.gov https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/emres/longhourstraining/color.html#:~:text=Exposure%20to%20white%20light%20during,or%20orange%20light%20at%20night
11. Harvard Health: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/weekend-catch-up-sleep-wont-fix-the-effects-of-sleep-deprivation-on-your-waistline-2019092417861 
12. Night shift setting work: https://blutechlenses.com/blog/does-apples-night-shift-feature-block-blue-light/#:~:text=Apple's%20latest%20feature%2C%20Night%20Shift,blue%20light%20your%20device%20emits.&text=While%20it's%20a%20significant%20step,efficiently%20block%20all%20blue%20light. 
13. Blue Light Exposed: http://www.bluelightexposed.com/#what-is-bue-light

Did you know that the number of Canadians with anxiety has increased this year from 5 percent to 20 percent?

There are plenty of reasons for this huge increase, including the Covid-19 pandemic and rise in unemployment, but it hasn't come as a surprise. For years, anxiety, stress, and other mental health issues have been on the rise. 

But what a lot of people don't know is how anxiety and stress can affect physical health. In particular, they can have a large impact on your immune system, weakening your body's natural defenses and making you more prone to sickness.

To find out how stress weakens the immune system, read our complete guide. 

What is Your Immune System?

Before getting into how stress and anxiety affect your immune system, let's take a look at what it is and why it's an essential part of your health. 

Your immune system is your body's number one defense against bacteria and viruses. It's how your body protects you from sickness and helps you take on the world every day. Without an immune system, your life would be a whole lot worse!

A huge wealth of cells and organs make up your immune system, including white blood cells, your spleen, and your lymphatic system. Just like every part of your body, everything works in perfect harmony to protect you from sickness. But, when other areas of your body aren't working so well, it can have a knock-on effect on your immune system. 

Good Stress and Bad Stress

At some point or another, we've all experienced stress. Your body needs stress to help you perform better under certain situations, like if you're in danger. It can help you become more efficient with your tasks and boost your memory, which definitely isn't bad! 

In fact, you can even feel a type of stress when you're excited, known as eustress. Have you ever felt butterflies when you're about to go on a date or be reunited with someone? That's actually stress, but you wouldn't know it.

But there is a certain type of stress can become bad for your body; chronic stress. 

Chronic Stress and Anxiety

Anxiety and chronic stress go hand in hand. Sufferers of anxiety often see increased levels of chronic stress. 

Anxiety can be caused by a whole range of things, including past trauma, your personality, other mental health disorders, and alcohol or drug misuse. If you have blood relatives with anxiety, this can make you more likely to suffer from it, too. It can also be the sign of an underlying health condition, such as chronic pain or diabetes. 

Some symptoms of anxiety include:

• Feeling nervous or in danger
• Increase in heart rate and rapid breathing
• Sweating and shaking
• Having trouble sleeping

As you can see, the symptoms of anxiety are quite similar to those we associate with stress. The two can be very similar and sufferers of anxiety usually have increased stress levels. 

How Anxiety and Chronic Stress Weakens Your Immune System

If you're wondering how stress weakens the immune system, here's what you've been waiting for. 

Anxiety and stress have a pretty complicated relationship with your body and, in particular, your immune system. When something triggers your anxiety or stress, your body releases multiple different hormones, such as cortisol. These are designed to help your body prepare for the threat it's perceiving, but they also start to suppress your immune system. 

When you have chronic stress, your immune responses changed and your body becomes less effective in fighting off bacteria and viruses that enter your body. This was first discovered when animal studies linked increased levels of stress to higher rates of infection.  In the 1980s, a new study began that looked at the effect of stress on medical students.

They found, between 1982 and 1992, that under the stress of the three-day exam period, their subjects had less natural killer cells, such as white blood cells, and their bodies almost completely stopped producing gamma interferon which boosts the immune system. They had less of a defense against viral infections and tumors. In short, their immune system had stopped functioning as it should. 

After this study came many more, and the general pattern discovered was that as stress increased, the immune system went down. With chronic stress, this was just unsustainable. The immune system was suffering too much wear and tear which led to it being ravaged by the hormones that are designed to protect you. 

If you have anxiety and suffer increased levels of stress regularly, it could be ruining your physical health. 

How Cortisol Weakens the Immune Systems

Cortisol has been identified as the main culprit in a weakened immune system due to stress, but what is it actually doing?

During periods of intense stress and anxiety, your body becomes flooded with cortisol which tries to reduce inflammation that can be caused by antibodies. It also switches focus from your body's ability to prevent diseases it already knows to fight off any problems the same way. Whilst this is helpful in short bursts, prolonged cortisol in your body starts to become more of an issue.

Cortisol suppresses your white blood cells and T-cells, which your body needs to fight infections. Whilst stress and anxiety continue and your body keeps producing cortisol, these cells remain suppressed and your immune system becomes weakened. 

Once you get sick, your body is going to have a much harder time fighting it off. This is the reason that people with stress and anxiety are more likely to be sick. 

What Can You Do? 

Luckily, there's a lot of stress and anxiety relief out there that could help you. Here are some coping methods you might find helpful. 

Medication

If you suffer from anxiety, medication can help you cope with the symptoms and get back to normal life. Some different medications you can take for anxiety include:

• Ativan
• Zoloft (Sertraline)
• Klonopin
• Prozac (Fluoxetine)
• Xanax
• Celexa (Citalopram)
• Librium
• Valium

If you're thinking of taking medication for anxiety, be sure to talk to trained pharmacists or a doctor. They can help you pick the right medication for you, monitor its effectiveness, and keep you on the right track. 

Exercise

Exercise can help you relieve anxiety and stress naturally. It releases chemicals in your brain that have a positive effect on your mood and health and can burn off the excess energy you have that can develop into stress and anxiety. It can also take your mind off of your worries, which is sometimes all you need to calm yourself down.

Exercise has also been shown to naturally boost the immune system. This can counteract the effects of cortisol and keep you healthy. 

Healthy Eating 

Whilst drinking more water and eating healthily won't cure your anxiety, it could help the symptoms. By keeping your body healthy you might find the side-effects of anxiety and stress becoming less intense. These are also two super important things to do if you want to improve your natural immunity, so keep a close eye on your diet in times of stress!

Meditation

Meditation is well known for relieving anxiety and helping to relieve stress. This gentle exercise teaches you to focus on your breath and let thoughts come in and out of your head without having an impact. For sufferers of anxiety, this sort of control over your thoughts probably seems like a dream!

Of course, meditation isn't easy. You'll need to practice it for some time if you want to become an expert and you might think it's useless at the beginning. But, just keep going and you should start to see some of the many positive effects. 

Aromatherapy

Some scents can help calm your mind and relieve anxiety. Aromatherapy is actually thought to activate receptors in your brain that are responsible for reducing feelings of anxiety, so give it a go! Try relaxing scents like lavender, sandalwood, and chamomile. 

Journalling

In recent years, journalling has been brought to the forefront of mental health treatments. By simply writing down your thoughts and feelings regularly, you might learn how to manage stress and anxiety and take back control of your life. Again, this won't cure you of generalized anxiety disorder, but it can go a long way to helping you manage it. 

Know Your Triggers

Everyone has different triggers that cause flare-ups of stress or anxiety, from a stressful job to certain tasks, like driving. By knowing what triggers your anxiety, you can help reduce the amount you're exposed to the thing or action, helping keep your stress to a minimum. You can also start to work on coping mechanisms that will make these situations easier to manage, reducing the intensity of your reaction. 

See a Trained Therapist

Anyone with a mental health illness should see a trained therapist. These are the people who are going to have the biggest impact on getting your illness under control and helping you get back in the driving wheel of your life. They can also teach you more about anxiety and chronic stress, helping you understand it and your reactions better. 

Make sure you find a therapist you feel comfortable talking to openly. It's vital you feel comfortable with your therapist and their methods if you want to see success from your sessions. When you find the right one, they'll do wonders for helping with your stress and anxiety relief.

Other Effects of Anxiety and Stress on the Body

Now you know everything there is to know about anxiety and stress on the immune system, as well as coping mechanisms to help you deal with your emotions, it's time to look at other effects anxiety has on your body. If you weren't already sure you need to work on getting your anxiety under control, this should convince you!

Weight Gain

Cortisol doesn't just weaken your immune system. It can also increase your hunger, making you eat more and gain weight. It throws your blood sugar levels out of whack and wrecks havoc with your metabolic system. 

This can also increase your chances of diabetes, which definitely isn't good! Keep your body looking and working just as you like it by getting your anxiety under control. 

Heart Problems

If you've ever experienced anxiety, you'll know that it can have a big effect on your heart. From increasing your heart rate to causing uncomfortable and worrying palpitations, it isn't kind to your cardiovascular system. If you already suffer from heart disease, over time this could actually increase your risk of a coronary event. 

Digestive Problems

Anxiety is well-known for causing stomach problems. From stomachaches to diarrhea, it really isn't pleasant when your stress turns it's attention to your tummy. If you've ever been nervous, you've probably experienced churning in your stomach, but stress and anxiety take it to a whole new level. 

There may also be a connection between anxiety and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), which is a very unpleasant illness. To avoid stomach issues, try and focus on the methods above for reducing your anxiety. 

Get the Help You Need

Knowing that stress weakens the immune systems, along with a whole hoard of other nasty physical side-effects, should be enough to encourage you to get the help you need. From looking at anxiety medication from Pricepro Pharmacy to taking a medication class, there are plenty of ways you can work on getting your emotions under control. Once you do, you can get back to living a life you love.

If you're interested in medication from Pricepro Pharmacy, be sure to check out our full range today.