There is no adware, spyware, or spam, so you won’t be bombarded with annoying pop-ups or viruses. Plus, you can opt-out at any time.  The Ingham Health Bug is designed for Windows 2000, NT4 (SP6), XP, and Vista.  

With the Ingham Health Bug, you can:

• Stay one click away from breaking news, flu updates, &  public health information.
• Access useful information on current health issues.
• Share your concerns directly with IRMC.
• Never miss a FREE Health Education event.
• Receive news, watch videos, & access information from IRMC directly on your computer desktop.
• Use the built-in RSS Reader to store and read your favorite RSS feeds.
• View local weather forecasts on your desktop.
• Share this application with colleagues and co-workers.  

There are several tools available for locating the nearest flu shot clinic.  Google Maps can help you find a flu shot.  Just input a zip code, address, or city and the return information pinpoints locations that offer seasonal, H1N1, or both.  You can also contact your local health department for information on free clinics.  Ingham County, Eaton County, Clinton County.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Office of Women’s Health) recently compiled a list of 10 tips for staying healthy this holiday season.  While all are common sense – wash your hands often, stay warm, manage stress, travel safely, be smoke-free, get check-ups and vaccinations, watch the kids, prevent injuries, handle and prepare food safely, and eat healthy and be active, the list does remind us that even the little things add up to great benefits.  There is something for everyone here from the newlywed who’s preparing the first holiday feast (#9, Handle and Prepare Food Safely) to the senior executive stranded in the airport (#3, Manage Stress).

The site also offers free holiday health e-cards, a holiday health song (set to the tune of 12 Days of Christmas), and a holiday health podcast.  A Spanish version of the holiday tips is available.

They’re listed below (in random order) with a link to the catalog record.  So, bon appetit!

The Pleasures of Cooking for One by Judith Jones; Asian Dumplings:  Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More, by Andrea Nguyen; Clean Food:  A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source by Terry Walters; Gourmet Today by Ruth Reichl; **Stir:  Mixing it Up in the Italian Tradition by Barbara Lynch; **Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo; **Savory Baking by Mary Cech; **Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day by Peter Reinhart; **The Craft of Baking by Karen Demasco and Mindy Fox; and, Rose’s Heavenly Cakes by Rose Levy Beranbaum.

**on order

 The partnership will initially include 2 products: 

www.EverydayHealth.com/FDA

a new co-branded web site which will offer a variety of health information from FDA, including the latest information on food and medical product safety as well as prevention and wellness topics. In the event of breaking public health information, Everyday Health will also feature special “FDA Alert” modules in select locations throughout the site and network, and in e-mail newsletters.

FDA/Everyday Health co-branded weekly newsletter

The latest FDA consumer health information will be sent to subscribers in a weekly Everyday Health newsletter. The newsletter will contain “FDA Alerts” as well as up-to-date information on topics such as drug safety, cosmetics and skin care products, and children’s health products.

                     

Concerned about the ingredients in personal care products you and your family members use?  Have you wished for a reliable resource with which you could check the known risks associated with some products?   The cosmetics database Skin Deep produced by the Environmental Working Group EWG) may be the resource you’ve been looking for; or not, because once you find out what’s really in the products you apply to your skin you may have second thoughts about continuing their use.  EWG’s data gives you practical solutions to protect yourself and your family from the health risks we all face from everyday exposures to myriad industrial chemicals.

EWG  designed and maintains the database “…to use the power of information to protect human health and the environment.”  From their website:

In 2004 we launched Skin Deep, an online safety guide for cosmetics and personal care products. Our aim was to fill in where companies and the government leave off: companies are allowed to use almost any ingredient they wish, and our government doesn’t require companies to test products for safety before they’re sold. EWG’s scientists built Skin Deep to be a one-of-a-kind resource, integrating our in-house collection of personal care product ingredient listings with more than 50 toxicity and regulatory databases.

Now in its fourth year and third major update, our Skin Deep database provides you with easy-to-navigate safety ratings for nearly a quarter of all products on the market — 52,055 products with 8,798 ingredients. At about one million page views per month, Skin Deep is the world’s largest and most popular product safety guide. 

Also from EWG, the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides which addresses food safety.

Clinical research company Quintiles has launched Clinical Research at http://www.clinicalresearch.com, a Web site that makes it easier to find clinical research.

What you’ll find really depends on what you’re researching — I found one study of thyroid disorders, and that was in the context of breast cancer. When you review the available clinical trial studies please be sure to check the last time they were updated. Of the two autism studies I looked at, one was last updated in 2005. (The other was updated in the last week.)

The front page of the Web site asks you to provide the condition for which you’re searching and a location. If you enter something ambiguous (like “cancer”) the site will suggest topics. The location can be as narrow as a zip code, or a city (Madrid, Spain is one of the examples) or as encompassing as USA.

I did a search for autism in USA. I found 81 global studies but two within 150 miles of my stated point — one in Kansas City and one in Oklahoma City. When you look at the results for your search, you’ll notice that there are many ways to filter your search results — by age, gender, type of study, etc. — if you happen to get more than two search results. Each map pointer has a brief amount of information about the study, but to get more data you’ll have to click on the title of a study, when the map will center on that study and present more context and additional details in a pointer bubble. You’ll also be able to get study contact information  (requires creating a free account), find similar studies, or e-mail the study to a friend. 

In September, 2009 the Michigan Attorney General’s office launched the Senior Brigade initiative.  This initiative includes information available 24/7 with dozens of links that can help Michigan seniors and their families make informed decisions regarding healthcare and financial matters. The program also includes information to help protect them from seniors scams and fraud and provides links to veterans affairs resources.

The SeniorBrigade events calendar includes events for seniors around the State of Michigan. The calendar can be browsed by month, or you may search for an event by city, county, location, or title. To view events by category, use the drop-down menu.