Vasectomy Immunologic Consequences

Another informative site with a large collection of documentation on vasectomy risks - of interest to me are the immunological consequences. Per the site:

"When this barrier is broken by vasectomy and sperm are “presented” to the immune system, new anti-sperm antibodies are formed and the previous “normal” immune response becomes abnormal in strength, specific antibody types, and perseverance of response"

And that's for the rest of the life of a man, unless the surgery is somehow reversed, and even then its chancy if the reversal will work.

I've posted a number of links on vasectomy risks/complication and pain if, for no other reason, to serve as a reference for me later, but I would hope that men would do more research prior to getting surgery like this, to know what all the risks are.

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Surgical Sterilizations: "Fixing" Something That Is Not Broken

Here's an interesting, and somewhat terrifying, article that includes a collection of references about vasectomy complications. I've been researching this, and, much like aspartame, gardasil, and other things scientists tell us are perfectly "safe", I remain skeptical.

This reference caught my attention:

"Post vasectomy pain syndrome… can turn a previously fit man into a chronic invalid. Even if the operation was painless, and not accompanied by the bruising and immediate post-operative discomfort which is quite common, weeks, months or years after the operation, nagging pain begins at the site. Sometimes tender cysts, or lumps called granulomas, can arise around the cut ends of the vas, and even if further surgery is performed to cut them out, the pain persists. This can be one of the most difficult problems in andrology to treat, especially as the precise cause is usually unknown. More research is urgently needed to prevent and treat the condition…." Dr. Malcolm Carruthers, MD, Vasectomy - The Unkindest Cut of All, [Online], http://www.goldcrossmedical.com

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Oil spill may endanger human health, officials say

I've been following the stories about the oil spill in the gulf, being of interest to me as I live in a gulf state not too far off from where this is happening. This has been devastating news to read about, and my prayers are that they can get this taken care of quickly. It's troubling reading articles like this one about the potential health effects ranging from "temporary, minor nuisances such as runny noses and headaches to long-term risks such as cancer if contaminated seafood ends up in the marketplace." I'm not a big fan of shellfish in the first place, but I do occasionally enjoy seafood from the gulf. Not anymore, I guess...

I once read that "science is violence against nature", and that phrase comes to mind with a disaster like this. I wonder how much scientific research into fossil fuels and their utilization sees its ultimate fulfillment in environmental disaster like this one?

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Lasik and chronic pain

I'm scheduled to see a retinal specialist about a retinal hole my ophthalmologist spotted during my last exam, and while waiting for this appointment I've been reading up on the web about this, and this has invariably led me to a number of sites about Lasik (since the retinal hole will be fixed with a laser). And in regards to Lasik, I've been fascinated to find some sites listing out the under-reported side-effects of Lasik, side-effects that go largely unmentioned by pharma-propaganda sites like WebMd (that instead just post wonky and debatable stories about how Lasik is potentially safer in the long term than contact lens wearing.... yeah right - inserting a clean contact lens daily doesn't pose the same risk of potentially burning away an optic nerve with a laser beam!)

Anyhow, I remain skeptical of laser surgery so I'll keep reading prior to my retinal exam. As I once heard someone in an optometrist office comment, "there isn't a lot of room for 'whoops!' in a procedure like laser surgery..." I think I prefer my optic nerves unsinged.

Here's one site listing out a comprehensive amount of information about the potential dangers of lasik surgery, and definitely worth checking out. Lots of good information, including this video...

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9 Ingredients to avoid in processed foods

An excellent, and surprisingly thorough, article on Shine listing out food additives to avoid in foods, including potential health side effects. Of course the list could have gone further: I would have included homogenized dairy products and any wheat products with processed, bleached flour, but all things considered, this was a good, comprehensive list.

Bravo to the author for including all of the variations of artificial sweetners as well. I would have liked to see all of the derrivatives of MSG listed, though, such as autolyzed yeast, yeast extract, etc.

I thought it ironic that the advertisement on the page featured an image of a cupcake that likely contained ingredients violating most of the ingredients listed in the article...

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Neurotoxicity: Identifying and Controlling Poisons of the Nervous System - Free eBook

Neurotoxicity: Identifying and Controlling Poisons of the Nervous System

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Abortion's cancer link reaffirmed

Another study shows a link between abortion and breast cancer.

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Is the Wi-Fi revolution a health time bomb?

As someone who is constantly surrounded by computers and wifi, this sort of article from the Independent is something I'll be keeping my eye on. Considering that wifi is everywhere, I've been wondering what sort of detriment this poses on health, namely cancer risks, and I'm going to continue to be researching into this more.

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Batgirl Re-Written

Just some silliness I reworded with PhotoShop...

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