How dark is your room at night? For me, not so much. I'm a little afraid to admit it but I might be, um, just the teensiest bit afraid of the dark ... hey, you, stop laughing! I'm serious. It goes back to my childhood when I watched the episode of Little House on the Prairie where Mary woke up and discovered she was blind. Ever since then, I need to have a little bit of light in my room when I sleep so that when I wake up, I can see something and prove to myself that, yet again, I woke up with my eyesight intact.

But as it turns out, you--and I--should be sleeping in total darkness most nights. It not only helps maintain a deep sleep but it can reduce our cancer risk too, according to Dr. Mercola. Why? It all comes down to your levels of Melatonin, which is affected by how much light you see. Melatonin, in turn, plays a role in Estrogen secretion, which plays a role in cancer, particularly breast cancer. In fact, totally blind women have a 36% less chance of developing cancer than those who aren't blind or who are visually impaired.

Dang. I guess this means I have to give up the nightlight.

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This has to be the strangest news story I've ever read, hands down. The title alone sounds like it was torn from an issue of the National Enquirer. I actually read the story twice, just to make sure that I wasn't missing or confusing any information. But, no, nothing was missing and there was no confusion. It was just, plain amazing.

Alright, let me first set the stage....

A man from Ireland, Bob McNichol, lost his sight two years ago after an accidental explosion occurred at a recycling plant. The 57-year-old was told by doctors that there was nothing they could do to help, and that his blindness would be permanent.

But ...

Employing a technique that involves the use of a tooth (yes, you read that right, a tooth) to create an artificial cornea, doctors were able to restore Mr. McNichol's eyesight!! The miracle operation, called Osteo-Odonto-Keratoprosthesis , was just performed at the Sussex Eye Hospital in Brighton, England. The tooth used in Mr. Nichol's operation was donated by his son Robert.

"Now I have enough sight for me to get around and I can watch television. I have come out from complete darkness to be able to do simple things," McNichol said in a report released today.

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Tattoos are an artistic expression of individuality, style, and art, and have (until now) only been appreciated by those with the gift of sight. But now, through the efforts of a student at The University of Arts Berlin, you can also make a statement that can be felt and appreciated by the blind.

By having a series of small beads or a small plate embossed with text (made of stainless steel, titanium, or plastic) implanted under the skin you can have an expressive work of art that can be appreciated through both sight and touch. It's braille for your skin!

Would you do it? I'm thinking with color maybe, without it just looks an organized group of zits.




Via Trendhunter

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I'm only 26 but every now and then, when I am absolutely without a doubt positive that I parked my car on the other side of the parking lot, I wonder if I am a victim of early-onset (like really early-onset) dementia. Does anyone else have that problem or am I really losing it?

At least, the readers of Women's Health Magazine share some of the same fears as me. 16% are afraid they might be losing their hair, 35% are afraid their memory's going, 36% are worried they'll lose all their teeth, 27% worry they'll catch a bug overseas, 14% are afraid of going blind and that's not all. But common sense and a bit of medical know-how will ease your fears -- if you live a healthful life and take care of yourself, chances are you'll be fine. Read the article for more information.

What's your fear?

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You've probably heard it all your life -- carrots are good for your eyes because of the beta carotene that gives them their bright orange color. In the past studies have shown that taking beta carotene supplements help to prevent or lessen the severity of macular degeneration -- the leading cause of blindness in people over age 65, but today there is information that beta carotene might not be helping at all. It was a big study (over 21,000 men), and it found no difference between those who took beta carotene and those who took a placebo as far as their risk for developing macular degeneration. So which information is right?

At this point doctors are just saying to eat a variety of foods to ensure a complete balance of nutrients, and in the meantime they'll continue researching.

But one question: why did they study only men?

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