According to a study recently presented by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, about 90 percent of people diagnosed with a penicillin allergy as children in the United States—about 25 to 50 million people—can actually tolerate the antibiotic as adults. For these people, penicillin allergy was misdiagnosed, or they grew out of it.

Penicillin and penicillin-related antibiotics are used to treat infections. They have a long history of safety and efficacy. When young children with an ear infection, for example, are given penicillin and develop a rash, they often are diagnosed with an allergy to the medication—which may, in fact, not be the case. Once a person is diagnosed with a penicillin allergy, he or she is given other antibiotics that may have more side effects or be less effective for certain conditions.

Penicillin allergy can be accurately diagnosed through a simple test followed by a low-dose of oral penicillin administered under a doctor’s observation. Within about three hours, a suspected allergy to penicillin can be safely confirmed or ruled out.

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Sourced from: NBC News

It’s widely accepted that there’s a strong association between mental health and physical health. Now, researchers have identified a pattern: teens with depression are more likely to develop digestive disorders and arthritis, and young people with anxiety are more likely to develop skin problems.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from about 6,500 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18. In addition to the depression/digestive disorders and arthritis links and the anxiety/skin disorder link, they also found a link between epilepsy and an increased risk for eating disorders.

According to researchers, a better understanding of the causal relationships between mental health disorders and physical conditions could lead to better prevention and treatment strategies. Recognizing that mental and physical disorders often co-occur and treating problems earlier could help reduce the risk for lifelong health issues.

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Sourced from: ScienceDaily

Android or iPhone? Since 2007, smartphone use has continued to rise—64 percent of adults in the United States now say they use one. Although Android and iPhone devices are similar, they are marketed differently, and new research is being conducted to compare and contrast personality traits among people who use an Android and those who choose an iPhone.

In a study involving 500 smartphone users, researchers asked study participants to answer a number of questions about themselves and about their attitudes towards their devices. According to the study, iPhone users are more than twice as likely as Android users to be female. They also are more likely to view their smartphone as a status object, but are less likely to be concerned with owning the most popular device. iPhone users also showed lower levels of humility and honesty and higher levels of emotionality and were more likely to be extroverts.

Android users were more likely to be older males with lower interest in wealth or social status. They also showed higher levels of honesty and agreeability than iPhone users and were less likely to break rules for personal gains. Study authors also were able to develop a computer program to accurately predict smartphone choice.

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Sourced from: MNT