Just for FUN!

Einstein couldn't speak fluently when he was nine. His parents thought he might be retarded.

Emus and kangaroos cannot walk backwards, and are on the Australian coat of arms for that reason.

Eskimo ice cream is neither icy, or creamy.

Even if you cut off a cockroach's head, it can live for several weeks.

Every person has a unique tongue print.

Every time Beethoven sat down to write music, he poured ice water over his head.

Every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie. 

Fall Allergies: the 20 worst hotspots in the US

Original article can be found HERE.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (non-profit) compiled a list of the 100 worse metro areas for seasonal allergies.

Here are the top 20:

1. Knoxville, TN
2. Dayton, OH
3. McAllen, TX
4. Jackson, MS
5. Oklahoma City, OK
6. Louisville, KY
7. Wichita, KS
8. Madison, WI
9. St. Louis, MO
10. Tulsa, OK
11. Chattanooga, TN
12. Memphis, TN
13. Birmingham, AL
14. Springfield, MA
15. San Antonio, TX
16. Greensboro, NC
17. Omaha, NE
18. Columbia, SC
19. Little Rock, AR
20. Charlotte, NC

Other Area Notables:
37. Grand Rapids, MI
43. Columbus, OH
48. Youngstown, OH
50. Detroit, MI
52. Toledo, OH
55. Akron, OH
56. Cincinnati, OH
61. Cleveland, OH

Just for Fun!

• David Prowse was the guy in the Darth Vader suit in Star Wars. He spoke all of Vader's lines, and didn't know that he was going to be dubbed over by James Earl Jones until he saw the screening of the movie.
• Dogs and cats consume almost $7 billion worth of pet food a year.
• Dolphins sleep with one eye open.
• Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants.
• Dr. Samuel A. Mudd was the physician who set the leg of Lincoln's assassin John Wilkes Booth... and whose shame created the expression for ignominy, "His name is Mudd."
• Dr. Seuss pronounced "Seuss" such that it rhymed with "rejoice."
• Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.
• During your lifetime, you'll eat about 60,000 pounds of food, that's the weight of about 6 elephants.

Just for FUN!

• Camel's milk does not curdle.
• Cats can produce over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs can only produce about ten.
• Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.
• Cleo and Caesar were the early stage names of Cher and Sonny Bono.
• Columbia University is the second largest landowner in New York City, after the Catholic Church.
• Charles Lindbergh took only four sandwiches with him on his famous transatlantic flight.

Senior Citizens and Fall Risks

What are some statistics on senior citizens falling?

• One-third of all seniors fall every year.
• 20,000 will die as a result of the fall every year.
• Fall risks can be reduced.
• Fall prevention programs work.

Who is at risk for falling? Everyone, but especially those who are...

• over 80 years of age.
• female
• prone to osteoporosis or other physical problems
• dependent on ambulatory assistive devices (wheelchairs, canes, etc.)
• taking certain prescriptive medications, especially when used with alcohol.
• known to have a history of falling.

Fall Prevention:

Hearing: Get your hearing check regularly!

• if you use hearing aids, wear them and have them cleaned and checked regularly.
• consider use of hearing aids with t-coils and looping your home, or hearing aid technologies that provide connectivity to telephones, televisions and other devices via Bluetooth or similar circuitry.

Vision: Get your vision checked regularly!

• if you need glasses, wear them regularly.
• ensure adequate lighting when walking, both inside and outside of the home. If you go out and will be returning after dark, be sure to leave a light on. Do not try to save on electricity by not using good lighting. Remember, the costs of injuries due to falls from inadequate lighting far outweigh the savings on electricity that might be had from not using lights!  Carry a small flashlight or keychain light so you can see to unlock doors.

Bones: Keep your bones strong!

• Have your bone density monitored.
• Take calcium supplements if your phsyician recommends them.
• exercise regularly
• avoid getting up too quickly to answer the door or telephone, especially after sitting for long periods when leg muscles can go to sleep or cramp.

Hazards: Safeguard your home!

• remove throw rugs, clutter and other obstacles from your floors
• ensure adequate lighting both inside and outside, especially on porches and walkways.
• install handles and railing, especially in bathrooms and on porches
• be sure to check for pets or children under foot
• avoid wet spots both inside and outside, especially rain and ice
• make sure to wear shoes with sturdy, flat soles that make good contact with floors and other surfaces; avoid use of slippers and flip-flops.
• always use a walker or wheelchair if appropriate; canes may help, but be aware that they mainly only prevent falls in one direction - walker are superior.
• get and use a First Alert or similar system for use in emergencies
• make sure your neighbors, physicians and audiologist shave a list of family or other contact persons in case of emergencies.

Medications: Ask your physician or pharmacist about drugs causing dizziness!

• know which of your medications (singularly or in combination) cause dizziness or vertigo, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), hearing loss and/or cognitive impairment
• investigate alternative medication with your health-care professional(s)
• avoid using alcohol with medications
• keep an updated list of your medication with you
• do not self-medicate

Sedentary Lifestyles: Stay Active!

• join an exercise or swim class
• walk every day
• discuss any peripheral neuropathies (numbness and tingling in feet, legs or arms) with your physician
• maintain a good sense of humor, be with other people, laugh a lot, and have fun
• take extra care driving, avoid driving at night or in inclement weather, and know when it is time to pass over the keys and give up driving

Be sure to contact your primary care physician if you have any sudden onset of dizziness, unsteadiness or lack of mobility.

If you should have an accident, be sure to report it and any injuries immediately to your family and your physician.

Do not get in the habit of falling and not telling anyone!

Just for FUN!

• Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.
• Ben and Jerry's send the waste from making ice cream to local pig farmers to use as feed. Pigs love the stuff, except for one flavor: Mint Oreo.
• Bird droppings are the chief export of Nauru, an island nation in the Western Pacific.
• Barbie's measurements if she were life size: 39-23-33.
• Babies are born without knee caps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2-6 years of age.
• Babe Ruth wore a cabbage leaf under is cap to keep him cool. He changed it every 2 innings.
• Baby robins eat 14 feet of earthworms every day.

Methamphetamine Use and Parkinson's Disease

Researchers examined almost 300,000 hospital records covering 16 years. They found that Individuals who abused methamphetamine and other amphetamine-like stimulants were more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than those who did not.

Patients admitted to a hospital for methamphetamine or amphetamine0use disorders had a 76% higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease than those without.

Search "Parkinson's" and "methamphetamine" at www.camh.net