The five-month-old boy was airlifted to hospital but died after the intervention by his parents.

How often do you think about peeing? Do you have to go frequently during the day, or rarely? How much water should you really be drinking? You might be wondering… is your pee normal?

If you experience the odd leakage of urine when you laugh, cough or sneeze, or simply struggle to make it to the toilet during the day, you might not want to talk about it. But these quizzes, tools and articles can point you in the right direction and help you get the information and assistance you need. 

1. QUIZ: How often should you pee?

Not sure? This comprehensive Health24 quiz may help you determine if your “loo habits” are normal.

2. Peeing: How much is too much?

You’ve taken the above quiz but you still aren’t sure. When the need for number one arises, you have no alternative but to go with the flow. However, going to the bathroom too many times a day can disrupt your life, and may even be a sign of incontinence.  

According to Dr Ferdi Marais, a Cape Town urologist, a normal adult urinates about 300–400ml five to six times a day. If you take in more fluid than normal you will naturally pass more urine, but according to Dr Marais urinating more than six times a day is abnormal. Read here to find out why.

3. What’s your risk for urinary incontinence?

While urinary incontinence can be tied to certain underlying medical conditions, there are also some lifestyle factors that put you at risk for urinary incontinence. Worried that you might experience unwanted pee? Complete our questionnaire to establish your risk.

4. When should you go to the doctor for incontinence?

Suddenly unable to hold your pee long enough to make it to the bathroom? Scared to laugh in public in case you might leak? You might be too embarrassed to talk to your doctor, but the bottom line is that you can’t afford not too. Read here why.

5. QUIZ: What is the colour of your pee telling you?

Are you properly hydrated? Even when you experience urinary incontinence, you shouldn’t curtail your water intake as dehydration can irritate the bladder even more. Take this quiz to find out if you are drinking enough water and if your urine is normal.

6. Treating incontinence

Not sure where to start? This helpful overview might supply you with vital information to help you discuss the right treatment with your doctor.

7. 5 avoidable triggers that can make urinary incontinence worse

If you do experience urinary incontinence, this list can help you avoid the triggers that may aggravate the condition. 

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Marelize Wilke

The suffering and massive loss of life caused by Tuberculosis (TB) are proof that humanity hasn’t prioritised the development of tools to eliminate a disease dating back 9 000 years. Two stark facts highlight this: most of the antibiotics used to treat TB were developed decades ago. And, until very recently, some diagnostic approaches being used were a century old.

There’s a chronic funding gap for TB research and development. The Global TB Alliance estimates that it’s as high as $1.3 billion per year.

While still inadequate, there has been a shift towards reducing the funding gap over the last two years. This, together with invigorated research strategies from large funding organisations such as the National Institutes for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, point to a shift in the TB landscape.

As a consequence, there have been some exciting and positive movements on both treatment as well as prevention aspects.

There’s also a growing appreciation that focusing on ensuring good treatment outcomes alone won’t be enough to eliminate TB. The disease has to be viewed as continuum of care. Attention must also be given, for example, to how people access healthcare services and where they are lost in the system.

The pandemic

TB, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, killed 1.6 million people in 2017, the highest number of deaths caused by a bacterial infectious disease. In addition, 10 million were infected with TB bacteria, the majority being poor people in the developing world.

In Southern Africa, high rates of HIV infection have been the primary driver of TB disease to the point where the region is now home to the world’s worst HIV-TB epidemic.

In 2017, 1 million children were infected with the TB bacteria and 233 000 died of the disease. The scourge of drug resistant TB has necessitated treatment with antibiotics that cause side effects such as deafness, leading to extraordinary levels of human suffering. There were almost half a million of these cases in 2017.

Signs of fresh energy to deal with the problem appeared on the horizon with the first WHO global ministerial conference in Moscow in 2017. Representatives from 120 nations adopted a declaration to rapidly achieve universal health coverage for eliminating TB.

A year later, the United Nations held its first ever high-level meeting on TB. The UN convened the General Assembly with the goal of establishing an accountability framework to drive the goal of ending TB.

The meeting identified a number of clear threats. The main ones were:

• The rapid rise of drug resistance,

• An increase in TB incidence in vulnerable populations including children, healthcare workers and people living with HIV, and

• A disproportionate disease burden among the poorest countries with crippled public healthcare systems.

Vaccine and prevention

Two new TB vaccine studies have created a great deal of excitement about the development of a vaccine that would prevent infection or disease.

The first study looked at how revaccination with the current vaccine BCG resulted in the protection of adolescents from infection. This suggests that BCG revaccination maybe be a useful TB prevention strategy.

The second involved a clinical trial of a new vaccine candidate. This showed that it was possible to prevent adults who were infected with TB bacteria from developing active TB.

These two studies have raised hope that creating a new TB vaccine is a definitive possibility.

Treatment breakthroughs

Advances have also been made on the treatment front.

A recent study shows that it’s possible to prevent people with HIV from developing active TB disease. The study showed that it is safe to administer antiretroviral therapy combined with a preventive TB treatment commonly known as the 3-HP to people living with HIV.

Now that the safety of this treatment has been shown, the next step would be for the National Department of Health to consider the feasibility of making these drugs available to people with HIV through the public system.

Research also suggests that the two new TB drugs that have emerged recently, Bedaquiline and Delamanid, can be administered together safely. This has important implications for creating new treatment options for drug resistant TB.

Interesting scientific advances have emerged such as boosting the immune system with an approach called immunotherapy, to fight TB. This approach uses structures that are released by immune cells infected with TB bacteria to boost the activity of the immune response.

In South Africa, recent studies have reported clinically useful biomarkers that predict future outcomes of infection and disease. These have also increased scientists’ understanding of underlying TB disease mechanisms.

Way forward

These positive movements signal a shift in the landscape. But the world can’t afford to be complacent. We cannot afford to lose momentum after coming so far. All nations, especially TB endemic countries, need to take up the call for action laid out in the UN declaration.

But the world won’t simply treat its way out of the epidemic with antibiotics. Interrupting transmission, developing a vaccine, protecting vulnerable populations, developing new diagnostics and better treatment regimens are all required for controlling the epidemic.

Innovative and cost effective diagnostic and case finding approaches are desperately needed to strengthen health care systems together with more investment in research and development.

Finally, we all need to advocate for more resources and better patient support. TB is everyone’s problem — not just the poor and forgotten.

Bavesh Kana, Head of the Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research, University of the Witwatersrand

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

A leading transplant surgeon says that services are struggling to keep up with demand.

Amidst the squats, curls and planks – there’s one less-visible exercise you shouldn’t skip: Kegels.

ICYMI, Kegels involve clenching and releasing your pelvic-floor muscles (the ones you squeeze to hold your pee). Those muscles can weaken over time or after events like childbirth – and can lead to urinary incontinence (a.k.a. peeing yourself). That’s why this pelvic-floor strengthening exercise is so crucial, says ob-gyn Dr Christine Greves. (Also: Kegels may make your orgasms even stronger.)

Read more: 4 ways to reignite that lost spark in your relationship

Kegel balls

Like any muscle-toning exercise, you can take Kegels to the next level with the help of a tool. In this case, that means Kegel balls.

What are Kegel balls exactly? Think of them as little weights for your vagina, explains Greves. They usually consist of one or several balls lined up in a row with a cord at the end. You insert them into your vagina (with the cord hanging out) and contract and release your pelvic-floor muscles around them, Greves says. This can help you isolate those muscles and feel the contractions a little better.

These Kegel balls come in many different sizes and weights, depending on your preference – anywhere from 10g to 100g. Start small and once you feel like your muscles are getting stronger, play around with increasing the weight.

Kegel balls are generally considered safe and studies have shown that they’re effective, says Greves. Just keep a few things in mind: you shouldn’t use these right after you have a baby (you can have vaginal tearing that needs to heal) and don’t leave them in more than six hours. Also, be sure to go for options made with silicone, which won’t irritate your vagina. And clean them after use with soap and water.

Other than that, you’re good to go! Here, a review of the We-Vibe Bloom Kegel Exerciser.

Read more: If you don’t like vibrators, it’s because you haven’t tried these three

The review

Not to blow my horn or anything, but I’m a pretty clued up woman. I know how far along Meghan Markle is in her pregnancy, I can pretty much draw up an eating plan and workout schedule in my sleep and I know way more than average about the newest sneaker tech. I’m also au fait with Kegels and pelvic-floor workouts. I know women who’ve given birth are more at risk to have a weak pelvic floor and I know fit girls can have incontinence too. But me? I’m golden.

That is, I thought I was. Unfortunately, I was in for a bit of a shock when I was given the chance to test the We-Vibe Bloom Kegel Exerciser. It’s a pelvic-floor trainer with three weights, all interchangeable, ranging from 10g to 45g. And it can vibrate while you train, so it’s the perfect combination of strength training and pleasure.

Once inserted, you can do various training exercises with it and it comes with a few different benefits: there are 10 preset vibration modes, plus the We-Connect app lets you create your own custom vibes and you can even hook your partner up so you can create vibes for each other. It’s all very, very saucy.

To test it, I Googled a few workout moves and got to work. But I quickly realised that it involves a lot more work than I initially thought. And that my internal muscles are not necessarily as strong as I thought. The vibrations made it a whole lot of fun though and quickly made me forget that I was actually “exercising”. I would recommend using a good water-based lubricant to make the process a lot smoother and enhance sensation.

The Bloom is very pretty and unassuming-looking and it’s waterproof, so you won’t be confined to the bedroom for your “workouts”. It also has a low-power alert and is rechargeable. I must say, I’m not sure I’ve ever been so excited or motivated to work out! In fact, I’m due a workout right now!

^{This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.}

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New research from Washington University in St. Louis explains the cellular processes that allow a sun-loving microbe to “eat” electricity — transferring electrons to fix carbon dioxide to fuel its growth.

Incontinence and the products that absorb involuntary release of urine are often associated with hospices and situations where people no longer have control over their bladder. This, however, does not need to be the case.

Urinary incontinence is a condition that is more common than you think – it can happen to anyone, regardless of their gender or age.

Urinary incontinence can be managed successfully through various measures such as bladder training, electrical stimulation, biofeedback and pelvic floor strengthening, according to research published in South African Family Practice.

These treatments, albeit more conservative than surgical measures, make a difference, but absorbent pads are often still needed to avoid accidents in the workplace or a social setting.

Mention “incontinence products” and you immediately think of bulky adult diapers, stashed away in the back aisles of your nearest pharmacy. You can’t even consider pitching up at work wearing one of those.

However, these aren’t your only option, as there is a great variety of incontinence products on the market. Discreet liners are available to help manage incontinence while you are working, practising sport or socialising. But how do you find the right product? Here are some factors to consider:

1. Incontinence products are not the same as sanitary pads

You might ask why you can’t just wear a sanitary pad instead of searching for specialised incontinence products. The main reason involves design and absorbency. Sanitary pads are designed to absorb fluids with a thicker consistency, such as menstrual blood, at a slower pace. Incontinence pads consist of multiple thin layers to absorb urine, while protecting the skin from wetness and rash.

2. Different genders need different products

Incontinence products are designed to fit the anatomies of the different genders for maximum comfort and protection. Female anatomies do best with products such as pads and panty liners, while male anatomies benefit from incontinence guards, which have a snug contour shape.

3. Choose the right absorbency

Just like sanitary products such as tampons and pads, incontinence liners and pads are designed for different levels of absorbency. Some people might only leak a few drops during the course of a day while other people might have a heavier urine flow. Look out for “light”, “medium” or “heavy” on the packaging.

4. Don’t hesitate to speak to a urologist

Talk to a medical professional before you shop. If you are suffering from urinary incontinence, especially when the onset is sudden, it’s important to inform your doctor who might refer you to a urologist, as there might be an underlying medical problem.

If urinary incontinence becomes a regular occurrence, speak to a urologist about the best way to manage your condition and the best products to use.

5. Disposable or not?

Most incontinence products are designed to be disposable, but you can also choose washable, reusable products that are more eco-friendly.

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Marelize Wilke

Kids can be as strongly influenced by TV commercials as by the shows themselves, and many studies have found that tempting food ads have a particularly harmful effect, contributing to childhood obesity.

While the government has stepped in with nutrition guidelines for manufacturers, these are largely voluntary and, therefore, not enforceable. So, it’s up to parents to be vigilant.

Government guidelines ignored

It might seem like the odds are stacked against you.

According to a study in the journal Childhood Obesity, most food and beverage products in ads seen by two- to 11-year-olds during kids’ programming don’t meet the guidelines of the government’s Interagency Working Group. The panel includes representatives of the Federal Trade Commission, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture.

Plus, less than half of TV ads during kids’ programming meet the guidelines created by the food industry’s own voluntary group, the study found.

While some companies have improved the nutritional quality of some of their foods, these aren’t the products they’re advertising. The vast majority of ads seen during children’s programming are for products high in what dietary guidelines call “nutrients to limit” — fat, salt and sugar. The same is true for the more than three billion food ads that appear every year on popular websites for kids, according to research published in the journal Pediatric Obesity.

Keep viewing in living room

But you can counter the effects of tempting ads. Point out to your kids that the visuals are made to get them excited about the food, but the message may not be realistic. For instance, a cereal isn’t going to give them super powers. Letting kids know about marketing will help them better evaluate merits of any product as they get older and start making their own healthy decisions.

Another key step is to keep their viewing in the family or living room so that you see what they see. A study done on sugary drink consumption found that a parent’s positive influence was undermined when kids had a TV set in their bedroom.

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New technology could improve the care of babies with congenital heart diseases.

Scientists at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Georgia Tech have found that modulating blood-forming stem cells’ stiffness could possibly facilitate mobilization procedures used for stem cell-based transplants.