Why you shouldn´t sleep with your cell phone close to you

If you are one of the billions of people who sleep with the phone next to his bed, this could be causing many problems (imperceptible for the moment) on your health.

The radiation having smartphones are really dangerous and not at all advisable.

This happens at any time of day, but during the hours we are sleeping, can lead to nightmares, not sleeping, waking up several times each night, etc. The reason? An alteration in the system of self certain processes, such as the biological clock or circadian rhythms.

44% of cell phone owners have snoozed with their phone next to their bed to make sure they didn’t miss any crucial calls or texts, according to the Pew Internet Project.

This could be bad for your health by these reasons:

• A Texas teen recently woke up to a burning smell. The cause? Her Samsung Galaxy S4, which was under her pillow, had partially melted and it scorched her sheets and mattress, too. More specifically, it seems like a non-Samsung replacement phone battery was to blame: the phone’s instruction manual warns against using incompatible cell phone batteries and chargers. The manual also notes that there’s a risk of a fire if the gadget is covered by bedding or other thick material. Bottom line: Stick to phone accessories from the original manufacturer, and don’t leave your cell on your bed.

• Cell phones (and tablets, TVs, and other gadgets with LED screens) give off what’s known as blue light—a type that studies suggest can inhibit the production of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin and disrupt our circadian rhythms. This may be because blue light emits wavelengths similar to daylight, which can make our bodies think it’s daytime, at any time.
• To fall asleep when you want (and need) to, power down all electronics two hours before bedtime. Better yet, keep your phone and laptop in another room while you slumber.If you’re at all worried about the possible cancer risk, try to text instead of call, hold the phone away from your ear, or use an earpiece or the speakerphone setting as much as possible—and definitely don’t sleep with the phone next to your head.
• An investigation in Australia showed that there is an important relationship between the use of smartphones and sterility in men, as well as reduced sperm quality.

The following are tips provided by PBS to decrease exposure to cell phone radiation:

• SAR Level –  Every cell phone has a specific absorption rate (SAR) which somehow indicates the amount of radiation emitted. Look for a cell phone with a low SAR level which suggests lower radiation levels.
• Use Hands-Free Devices – According to PBS, going hands-free with a Bluetooth or headset can reduce SAR levels as long as they are removed from the head when not in use.
• Restrict Talking Time – Limiting the time you spend talking obviously restricts exposure to cell phone radiation. Texting instead of talking also reduces exposure of the cranium to potential radiation.

• Distance – PBS recommends sleeping away from cell phones and advises against carrying them in front pockets.
• Ignore the Hype – Although this is not a tip for limiting exposure to cell pone radiation, keeping things in perspective can be helpful. Since there is no evidence correlating cell phone usage with cancer, it probably isn’t worth feeling overly anxious in regards to the extensive publicity on cell phones and cancer.

13/09/2002

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit blog. My objective, as a young girl born in 1999, is just to share my passion for Medicine by giving the world some information about the latest tendencies in this field. Please click on the links below to obtain a more detailed information about the articles I have used as a source.

http://mejorconsalud.com/es-malo-dormir-cerca-del-movil/
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/reasons-sleep-phone-bed/story?id=24839804

http://wafflesatnoon.com/is-it-dangerous-to-sleep-with-a-cell-phone-under-your-pillow/

FDA Approves the First Oncolytic Viral Therapy In The US

United States has just approved a new drug with which it can treat melanoma skin and lymph nodes, called IMLYGIC (Talimogene Laherparepvec).

IMLYGIC is a genetically modified herpes simplex virus type 1 injected directly into tumors where it replicates inside tumors and produces GM-CSF, an immunostimulatory protein. IMLYGIC then causes the tumor to rupture and die in a process called lysis. The rupture of the tumor causes the release of tumor-derived antigens, which together with virally-derived GM-CSF may promote an anti-tumor immune response.

However, the exact mechanism of action is unknown and being further investigated.

“Melanoma is a serious disease that can advance and spread to other parts of the body, where it becomes difficult to treat,” said Karen Midthun, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “This approval provides patients and health care providers with a novel treatment for melanoma.”

This new treatment highlighted by directly attacking cancer cells and not damage the rest of the other cells as often happens with most current treatments.

When a cell becomes cancerous and starts to replicate, the virus defense system is damaged making it vulnerable. This theory was already known for decades, but this time had not yet been achieved to implement the idea of ​​modifying viruses to fight cancer. So what many scientists see this drug is a proof of concept.

IMLYGIC is indicated for the Local Treatment of Unresectable Cutaneous, Subcutaneous and Nodal Lesions in Patients With Melanoma Recurrent After Initial Surgery.

Patients Treated With IMLYGIC Achieved a Significant Increase in Durable Response Rate in Pivotal Study.

The safety and efficacy of Imlygic were evaluated in a multicenter study of 436 participants with metastatic melanoma that could not be surgically removed. The participants’ melanoma lesions in the skin and lymph nodes were treated with Imlygic or a comparator therapy for at least six months, or until there were no remaining injectable lesions. The study showed that 16.3 percent of the study participants who received Imlygic experienced a decrease in size of their skin and lymph node lesions, lasting for a minimum of six months, compared to 2.1 percent of the study participants receiving the comparator therapy. However, Imlygic has not been shown to improve overall survival or to have an effect on melanoma that has spread to the brain, bone, liver, lungs, or other internal organs.

However, Imlygic has not been shown to improve overall survival or to have an effect on melanoma that has spread to the brain, bone, liver, lungs, or other internal organs.

Because Imlygic is a modified live oncolytic herpes virus therapy, herpes virus infection can also occur. Given this, Imlygic should not be given to individuals with suppressed immune systems or who are pregnant.

The most common adverse drug reactions in IMLYGIC treated patients were fatigue, chills, pyrexia, nausea, influenza-like illness and injection site pain.  Most adverse reactions reported were mild or moderate in severity and generally resolved within 72 hours. The most common grade 3 or higher adverse reaction was cellulitis.

But what’s most important about Imlygic and all the other oncolytic viruses in development is probably not their potential as standalone therapies. Virtually everyone working in the field agrees that the biggest potential for these engineered bugs will be in combination treatments, particularly with other types of immune-boosting treatments. Drugs like Yervoy, for example, are called “checkpoint inhibitors” because they block signals that would normally prevent the immune system from attacking cancer. Combining checkpoint inhibitors with oncolytic viruses may free up the immune system to attack cancer from many different angles.

Just a few days before the FDA approval of Imlygic, the European Medicines Agency issued a positive opinion on the drug, setting the stage for approval by the European Commission. “Metastatic melanoma continues to be one of the most difficult-to-treat cancers, often requiring the use of multiple treatment modalities,” said Sean Harper, Amgen’s vice president of R&D, in a statement following the ruling. “Despite recent advances, the five-year survival rate for patients who cannot be cured with surgery remains unacceptably low, demonstrating the critical need for additional approaches to control this disease.”

In any case, there are still some questions to be resolved to move forward. Scientists still do not know how Imlygic efficiency is due to the effect of the virus itself on cancer cells or the action of the immune system when it is reactivated. It also remains to be seen if the immune system attacks only infected cells or virus is able to recognize any type of cancer cell. It will be interesting to see what the next steps in this direction.

Amgen said it is available at an estimated average cost of $65,000. But for melanoma patients who are more concerned about getting access to new treatment choices than they are about the financials of the companies providing those drugs, the approval of Imylgic will likely be welcome news.

21/12/2001

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit blog. My objective, as a young girl born in 1999, is just to share my passion for Medicine by giving the world some information about the latest tendencies in this field. Please click on the links below to obtain a more detailed information about the articles I have used as a source.

http://www.innovaticias.com/innovacion/34475/2015/10/30/crean-nuevo-tratamiento-contra-cancer?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

https://www.amgen.com/media/news-releases/2015/10/fda-approves-imlygic-talimogene-laherparepvec-as-first-oncolytic-viral-therapy-in-the-us/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/arleneweintraub/2015/10/28/amgens-imlygic-may-not-boost-earnings-but-it-will-change-cancer-care/