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Clues to Why COVID-19 Hits Men Harder Than Women

Title: Clues to Why COVID-19 Hits Men Harder Than Women
Category: Health News
Created: 8/26/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM




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Flu, Pneumonia Vaccines Save Lives of Heart Failure Patients: Study

Title: Flu, Pneumonia Vaccines Save Lives of Heart Failure Patients: Study
Category: Health News
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Last Editorial Review: 8/28/2020 12:00:00 AM




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Teen's Democratic Convention Speech Brings Awareness to Stuttering

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Category: Health News
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Last Editorial Review: 8/28/2020 12:00:00 AM




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President Trump Promises a COVID Vaccine Before the End of the Year

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Category: Health News
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Last Editorial Review: 8/28/2020 12:00:00 AM




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ADHD May Help Predict Adults' Car Crash Risk

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Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/28/2020 12:00:00 AM




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Pandemic Learning Can Strain Children's Eyes

Title: Pandemic Learning Can Strain Children's Eyes
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/28/2020 12:00:00 AM




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After a Heart Attack, a Joint Effort to Lose Weight Works Best

Title: After a Heart Attack, a Joint Effort to Lose Weight Works Best
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/28/2020 12:00:00 AM




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FDA Warns About Hand Sanitizers in Food-Like Packaging

Title: FDA Warns About Hand Sanitizers in Food-Like Packaging
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/28/2020 12:00:00 AM




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A Mentally Challenging Job Could Help Ward Off Dementia

Title: A Mentally Challenging Job Could Help Ward Off Dementia
Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/23/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Stop Using Ivermectin Veterinary Drug to Treat COVID, FDA Urges

Title: Stop Using Ivermectin Veterinary Drug to Treat COVID, FDA Urges
Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/23/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Parents' Poll Finds Strong Support for Vaccination of Students, Teachers

Title: Parents' Poll Finds Strong Support for Vaccination of Students, Teachers
Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/23/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Delta Variant Has Americans' Stress Levels Rising Again: Poll

Title: Delta Variant Has Americans' Stress Levels Rising Again: Poll
Category: Health News
Created: 8/20/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/23/2021 12:00:00 AM




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AHA News: After Three Strokes, He 'Overheard' the Grim Prognosis and Fought Back

Title: AHA News: After Three Strokes, He 'Overheard' the Grim Prognosis and Fought Back
Category: Health News
Created: 8/20/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/23/2021 12:00:00 AM




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AHA News: Star Wrestler-Turned-Coach Discovers Serious Heart Problem at 24

Title: AHA News: Star Wrestler-Turned-Coach Discovers Serious Heart Problem at 24
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Heavy Drinking in Youth Could Harm Arteries

Title: Heavy Drinking in Youth Could Harm Arteries
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Parents, Look Out for Mental Health Issues as College Kids Return to Class

Title: Parents, Look Out for Mental Health Issues as College Kids Return to Class
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM




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U.S. Kidney Transplant Outcomes Are Improving

Title: U.S. Kidney Transplant Outcomes Are Improving
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM




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FDA Warns Against 'Off-Label' Use of Pfizer Vaccine in Younger Children

Title: FDA Warns Against 'Off-Label' Use of Pfizer Vaccine in Younger Children
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM




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'Dream Vaccine' for All COVID Variants

Title: 'Dream Vaccine' for All COVID Variants
Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Pentagon to Make COVID Vaccination Mandatory for Military

Title: Pentagon to Make COVID Vaccination Mandatory for Military
Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2021 12:00:00 AM
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Rising Number of U.S. Cardiac Arrests Tied to Opioid Abuse

Title: Rising Number of U.S. Cardiac Arrests Tied to Opioid Abuse
Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Little Change in Number of Uninsured in Pandemic's First Year

Title: Little Change in Number of Uninsured in Pandemic's First Year
Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Just Starting Exercise in Your 60s? It'll Still Do a World of Good

Title: Just Starting Exercise in Your 60s? It'll Still Do a World of Good
Category: Health News
Created: 8/25/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Large-Scale Pandemics Aren't as Rare as You Think: Study

Title: Large-Scale Pandemics Aren't as Rare as You Think: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 8/25/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Enlarged Prostate Doesn't Raise a Man's Odds for Cancer: Study

Title: Enlarged Prostate Doesn't Raise a Man's Odds for Cancer: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 8/25/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Why Water Is Key to Your Heart's Health

Title: Why Water Is Key to Your Heart's Health
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Smart Phones, Watches Can Mess With Implanted Pacemakers

Title: Smart Phones, Watches Can Mess With Implanted Pacemakers
Category: Health News
Created: 8/26/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/26/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Search for Coronavirus Origins at Standstill: WHO Team

Title: Search for Coronavirus Origins at Standstill: WHO Team
Category: Health News
Created: 8/26/2021 12:00:00 AM
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Pentagon Says Troops Must Start Lining Up Now for COVID Shots

Title: Pentagon Says Troops Must Start Lining Up Now for COVID Shots
Category: Health News
Created: 8/25/2021 12:00:00 AM
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COVID Symptoms Haunt Nearly Half of Patients a Year Later

Title: COVID Symptoms Haunt Nearly Half of Patients a Year Later
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/27/2021 12:00:00 AM




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One Benefit of Online Learning: Better Sleep for Kids

Title: One Benefit of Online Learning: Better Sleep for Kids
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2021 12:00:00 AM
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More Evidence Ties Gum Disease With Heart Disease

Title: More Evidence Ties Gum Disease With Heart Disease
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2021 12:00:00 AM
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Fratelli Beretta Antipasto Trays Are the Source of Salmonella Outbreak: CDC

Title: Fratelli Beretta Antipasto Trays Are the Source of Salmonella Outbreak: CDC
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/27/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Why Coffee & Cigarette Is a Morning Ritual for Millions

Title: Why Coffee & Cigarette Is a Morning Ritual for Millions
Category: Health News
Created: 8/22/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/22/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Title: Are You Among the 'Diet-Resistant'?
Category: Health News
Created: 8/22/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/22/2022 12:00:00 AM




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AHA News: What Goes Into a Mediterranean Diet, and How to Get Started

Title: AHA News: What Goes Into a Mediterranean Diet, and How to Get Started
Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/23/2022 12:00:00 AM




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COVID Incubation Shorter With Each New Variant

Title: COVID Incubation Shorter With Each New Variant
Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2022 12:00:00 AM
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Regular Exercise Can Help Shield You From Severe COVID

Title: Regular Exercise Can Help Shield You From Severe COVID
Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2022 12:00:00 AM
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COVID Boosters Targeted to Latest Variants Could Be Ready After Labor Day

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Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM
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Unrelated Folks Who Look Alike Share Similar DNA

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Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2022 12:00:00 AM
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Alternative Medicine Popular Among Seniors, But Most Don't Tell Their Doctors About It

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Created: 7/27/2022 12:00:00 AM
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Title: 11 Home Remedies for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 12/7/2020 12:00:00 AM
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For Back Pain, Earlier Is Better for Physical Therapy

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Category: Health News
Created: 8/9/2022 12:00:00 AM
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Medical Marijuana for Pain Is Linked to Slight Rise in Heart Trouble

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Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2022 12:00:00 AM
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Arsenic

Arsenic: A metallic element that forms a number of poisonous compounds, arsenic is found in nature at low levels mostly in compounds with oxygen, chlorine, and sulfur. These are called inorganic arsenic compounds. Arsenic in plants and animals combines with carbon and hydrogen. This is called organic arsenic. Organic arsenic is usually less harmful than inorganic arsenic.

Most arsenic compounds have no smell or special taste. Inorganic arsenic compounds are mainly used to preserve wood. They are also used to make insecticides and weed killers. Copper and lead ores contain small amounts of arsenic.

When arsenic enters the environment, it does not evaporate. It gets into air when contaminated materials are burned. It settles from the air to the ground where it does not break down, but can change from one form to another. Most arsenic compounds can dissolve in water. Fish and shellfish build up organic arsenic in their tissues, but most of the arsenic in fish is not toxic.

Exposure to arsenic can come from:

  • Breathing workplace air with sawdust or burning smoke from wood containing arsenic
  • Ingesting contaminated water, soil, or air at waste sites
  • Ingesting contaminated water, soil, or air near areas naturally high in arsenic

Inorganic arsenic is a human poison. Organic arsenic is less harmful. High levels of inorganic arsenic in food or water can be fatal. A high level is 60 parts of arsenic per million parts of food or water (60 ppm). Arsenic damages many tissues including nerves, stomach and intestines, and skin. Breathing high levels can give you a sore throat and irritated lungs.

Lower levels of exposure to inorganic arsenic may cause:

  • Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
  • Decreased production of red and white blood cells
  • Abnormal heart rhythm
  • Blood vessel damage
  • A "pins and needles" sensation in hands and feet

Long term exposure to inorganic arsenic may lead to a darkening of the skin and the appearance of small "corns" or "warts" on the palms, soles, and torso. Direct skin contact may cause redness and swelling.

Arsenic is a known carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). Breathing inorganic arsenic increases the risk of lung cancer. Ingesting inorganic arsenic increases the risk of skin cancer and tumors of the bladder, kidney, liver, and lung.

Tests can measure a person's exposure to high levels of arsenic. These tests are not routinely performed in a doctor's office. Arsenic can be measured in the urine. This is the most reliable test for arsenic exposure. Since arsenic stays in the body only short time, one must have the test soon after exposure. Tests on hair or fingernails can measure exposure to high levels of arsenic over the past 6-12 months. These tests are not very useful for low level exposures. These tests do not predict whether you will have any harmful health effects.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets limits on the amount of arsenic that industrial sources can release. It restricted or canceled many uses of arsenic in pesticides and may restrict more. EPA set a limit of 0.05 parts per million (ppm) for arsenic in drinking water. EPA may lower this further. The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) established a maximum permissible exposure limit for workplace airborne arsenic of 10 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³).



MedTerms (TM) is the Medical Dictionary of MedicineNet.com.
We Bring Doctors' Knowledge To You




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Created: 8/18/2022 12:00:00 AM
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Created: 8/22/2022 12:00:00 AM
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Created: 12/31/1997 12:00:00 AM
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