Volume 124 Issue 16
kansan.com
Monday, September 12, 2011
HEALTH
GOOD FOR YOU BAD FOR YOU// POPPING YOUR JOINTS
> Sometimes it's hard to tell.
Popping your joints may not be so bad for you after all, besides the people who will glare at you when they hear that popping sound.
There isn't evidence that says popping your joints will lead to joint deterioration, and there is inconsistent research to say you will get arthritis later in life, says Sandy Bowman, a physical therapist at Student Health Services
People get the urge to pop because of joint stiffness or because it's a nervous habit. When you pop a joint, there is a release of pressure, but sometimes it's a tendon shifting over a joint, Bowman says.
Popping your knuckles could make them bigger, but just because you do it every day doesn't mean it will happen. Bowman savs.
Ligaments, which hold bones together, start out loose, so if your ligaments become too loose from popping, your joints might not give you full support. It is also possible for a joint in your neck or spine to pinch a nerve.
Gabe Bellovin, a junior from Westchester, N.Y., says he pops his knuckles at least six times a day and he often pops his neck and back. He says it is a nervous habit and does not feel a difference. He said he'll continue to do it unless evidence proves otherwise.
If joints are popped time after time, the release of pressure gives an increase in comfort and motion, so you are inclined to do it again. Bowman savs.
If you find it difficult to stop popping, Bowman suggests trying not to do it frequently. If there is no pain when you attempt to pop any joints and you do not make any fast movements, then it is probably fine, she says.
KYLIE NUTT
Photo by Kylie Nutt
THAT'S DISGUSTING // WEARING UNWASHED CLOTHES
>Dude...gross
When trying on clothes in the fitting room, you usually don't think they are dirty. You're probably not going to wash a shirt or jeans before you wear them. But, you might want to reconsider that.
It is possible to catch antibiotic-resistant bacteria through the transfer of clothes, says Dr. Philip Tierno, a clinical professor of microbiology and pathology at New York University's School of Medicine. MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a staph bacterium that is resistant to some antibiotics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This bacteria can be caught wearing clothes without washing them first, even though the probability is very low, Tierno says.
It is crucial to bandage any cuts or scrapes before trying on clothes. Open wounds can cause these dangerous bacterium. "It can prevent the problem of a disaster," Tierno says.
Keep your underwear on when trying on undergarments. There is a lot of contamination in underwear and swimsuits because many women try them on naked and remove the protective liners, Tiero says. If you buy non-packaged underwear, it is important to routinely wash them.
If the underwear is packaged, it's probably fine. This is why men usually don't have to wash new underwear.
Marwa Noaman, a senior from Jersey City, NJ., says she tries on a lot of clothing when she shops, but she takes caution when trying on underwear and swimsuits.
After people have tried on the same clothing, the sloughed off skin cells accumulate on the inside of clothing. Organisms grow on them and begin to smell. Perspiration can also collect in garments, which serves as food for bacterial growth, Tierno says.
| KYLIE NUTT |
Photo by Kylie Nutt
BETTER OPTIONS FOR BAD SITUATIONS
>If you're going to do it, be smart.
Kara Roberts smoked a half pack of clove cigarettes daily before a co-worker turned her on to the electronic cigarette, or the e-cigarette. Two months after Roberts, a 24-year-old Lawrence resident, started using the e-cigarette, she quit smoking. "My smoking habit didn't control my life anymore because there were no restrictions on where I could smoke, and I started not needing it as much," Roberts says.
// E-CIGARETTES
For $25 you can buy an e-cigarette that has three parts: a re-chargeable battery, a atomizer and a cartridge. The battery fuels the atomizer to convert the liquid in the cartridge to vapor when the user inhales. One cartridge equals approximately one pack of cigarettes. It cost $7.50 for eight cartridges. The e-cigarette looks like a cigarette, taste like a cigarette and allows the user to inhale nicotine. But e-cigarettes use water vapor instead of smoke. There is no tar, carbon monoxide, second-hand smoke or mess.
Sam Isaac, owner of Discount Tobacco in Lawrence, says the e-cigarettes contain only nicotine derived from plants, whereas traditional cigarettes consist of only 30 percent nicotine. The other 70 percent is additives.
Roberts says after switching to the e-
cigarette, she noticed she could taste again and began to breathe easier. "There was no mess, no smell and I immediately started saving money and feeling healthier," she saves.
The transition from traditional cigarettes to the e-cigarette might not be easy for every smoker. "For heavy smokers who are use to strong cigarettes, the e-cig doesn't always satisfy their cravings," Isaac says. He says the e-cigarette is popular in his store with senior citizens and people that can't smoke because of the health risk.
Photo by Christy Nutt
The e-cigarette is not currently regulated by the FDA.
CHRISTY NUTT
09
08
11
Thirteen escape unharmed from Tennessee Street blaze
A house burned on the 1300 block of Tennessee Street Sunday. All occupants escaped unharmed, but the house suffered severe damage.
MIKE GUNNOE/KANSAN
All of the occupants escaped with no injuries, but the fire destroyed virtually all of their possessions, and the house is severely damaged. At least 13 people were in the house, including seven students who lived there, according to James Hennahane, a sophomore from Leawood. Hennahane said he was asleep inside when the fire started.
IAN CUMMINGS icummings@kansan.com
Fire engulfed a house on the 1300 block of Tennessee Street around 6 a.m. Sunday.
"We're just so happy everyone
Lawrence-Douglas County Fire-Medical is investigating the cause of the fire, according to Sgt. Randy Roberts, a Lawrence Police Department spokesman.
Hennahane was one of the las to exit; neighbors lent him shoes and a shirt. He watched the fire from outside as a propane tank on the porch by the grill exploded, destroying part of the roof. He said every part of the house was damaged by fire and water.
Andrew Adford, a sophomore from Moorpark, Calif., was one of the first to discover a sofa on fire on the porch. After waking several people on the first floor, Adford saw that the fire had grown out of control and consumed the porch.
offer help obtaining textbooks, temporary housing and emergency funds. Students can donate household items and money at collection boxes located at the Student Union Activities office in the Kansas Union or at the office of the Jayhawker Towers.
Index CLASSIFIEDS 11A CRYPTOQUIPS 4A SPORTS 12CROSSWORD 4A OPINION 5A SUDOKU 4A All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2011 The University Daily Kansan
Chance Penner and Matt Gasper contributed to this story.
got out alive," he said.
"The fire alarm was going, but people were still sleeping." Adford
said. After helping to warn people on the second and third floors, he exited the house through a third-floor fire escape.
John Kindscher, a sophomore from Leawood, also was asleep when the fire started.
"You don't really have time to think," he said. "Just try to get everybody and get out. The fire started so fast, and the smoke was so thick."
Some residents will stay with family in the Kansas City area while they make decisions about what to do next. Kathryn Tuttle, the Vice Provost for Student Success, contacted the students Sunday to
— Loved by Laura Nightengale
Don't forget
This is the last week to add or drop a class. Make sure your schedule is set. You can't do this one online — stop by the registar's office.
Today's weather
Forecasts done by
University students.
For a more detailed forecast,
see page 24.
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知
Get your shades, man!