What is UV Light Therapy? How It Helps Psoriasis and Other Skin Conditions Jessica Migala
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Using light for healing
Relying on light to heal is nothing new. Light, specifically sunlight, has been used to treat skin diseases going back to people in ancient Egypt, says Joel Gelfand, MD, chair of the National Psoriasis Foundation s Covid-19 Task Force. And it s still used today in treatment centers for a variety of skin diseases.
The most common form of ultraviolet (UV) radiation is sunlight. From sunlight, we get ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. UVA provides the longest wavelengths of light, while UVB has shorter wavelengths. Excess exposure to UV rays via the sun or tanning beds can be harmful, leading to signs of aging and skin cancer.
Three years ago, I visited Charlie Carr soon after he turned 100. I learned he was âraised on beans and cornbreadâ in the Kentucky bluegrass, served in the Navy during World War II, and worked in military intelligence.
At the time, Carr, a widower, still drove his 1994 Chevrolet Caprice Classic (he has since sold it), enrolled in exercise classes and cooked his own meals.
He also shared his secret to longevity: âKeep moving, and drink at least three martinis a night.â
His favorite spot to enjoy a martini? At the end of the bar at Lemaire at The Jefferson Hotel. The place became his âCheers,â where everybody knows his name and, eventually, his age. Heâs now 103½.
Covid 19 coronavirus: Here s what people with allergies should know about vaccines
21 Dec, 2020 07:15 PM
9 minutes to read
New York Times
By: Katherine J. Wu
Four people so far have had allergic reactions after getting the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Experts say that shouldn t deter most people from getting a jab. Allergic reactions reported in two health workers who received a dose of Pfizer s vaccine in Alaska this week have reignited concerns that people with a history of extreme immune flare-ups might not be good candidates for the newly cleared shots.
The two incidents follow another pair of cases in Britain. Three of the four were severe enough to qualify as anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction. But all four people appear to have recovered.
Chills, body aches and low-grade fevers are never pleasant, but in the case of the COVID-19 vaccine, those ailments may be a good thing.
People may develop mild flu-like symptoms, particularly after the second dose of the two-part vaccine, according to state and local health officials. They caution the aches and pains donât mean the person is getting the virus or having a reaction to the vaccine. Instead, they indicate the body is stepping up its defenses to build immunity against COVID-19.
âMost of the symptoms are from the immune response, which is a good thing because it means youâre mounting a response,â said Dr. Christopher Newman, chief medical officer of Mary Washington Healthcare.
Hereâs what people with allergies should know about COVID vaccines
By Katherine J. Wu New York Times,Updated December 18, 2020, 3:33 p.m.
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Mary Ezzat inoculates fellow health care worker Angela Serrano with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in a temporary structure at UCI Medical Center in Orange, Calif., Dec. 16, 2020.Jenna Schoenefeld/NYT
Allergic reactions reported in two health workers who received a dose of Pfizerâs vaccine in Alaska this week have reignited concerns that people with a history of extreme immune flare-ups might not be good candidates for the newly cleared shots.
The two incidents follow another pair of cases in Britain. Three of the four were severe enough to qualify as anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction. But all four people appear to have recovered.