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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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Cancer Radiation Can Safely Proceed During COVID-19 Pandemic: Study

Title: Cancer Radiation Can Safely Proceed During COVID-19 Pandemic: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM
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How Your Medicines Make Their Way Into Rivers, Lakes and Bays

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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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No Change in Adolescent Drug, Alcohol Use During Pandemic

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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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Pandemic Tied to Rising Number of Fatal Opioid ODs

Title: Pandemic Tied to Rising Number of Fatal Opioid ODs
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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Drinking at Home: Liquor Store Sales Rose During Pandemic

Title: Drinking at Home: Liquor Store Sales Rose During Pandemic
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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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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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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Half of American Workers Support COVID Vaccination, Mask Mandates in Workplace

Title: Half of American Workers Support COVID Vaccination, Mask Mandates in Workplace
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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Fatal ODs From Illicit Tranquilizers Jumped 6-Fold During Pandemic

Title: Fatal ODs From Illicit Tranquilizers Jumped 6-Fold During Pandemic
Category: Health News
Created: 8/26/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/27/2021 12:00:00 AM




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A Third of Americans Were Infected With COVID-19 in 2020: Study

Title: A Third of Americans Were Infected With COVID-19 in 2020: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 8/26/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/27/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Cases of Advanced Cervical Cancer Keep Rising Among U.S. Women

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Category: Health News
Created: 8/19/2022 12:00:00 AM
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First Lady Jill Biden Leaves Isolation After Testing Negative for COVID Twice

Title: First Lady Jill Biden Leaves Isolation After Testing Negative for COVID Twice
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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Pfizer Asks FDA to Approve Omicron-Specific Booster Shot

Title: Pfizer Asks FDA to Approve Omicron-Specific Booster Shot
Category: Health News
Created: 8/22/2022 12:00:00 AM
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America's Love Affair With Sleeping Pills May Be Waning

Title: America's Love Affair With Sleeping Pills May Be Waning
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Michigan Officials Puzzled by Mysterious Deaths of 30 Dogs

Title: Michigan Officials Puzzled by Mysterious Deaths of 30 Dogs
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2022 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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Category: Health News
Created: 7/27/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/27/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Many Seniors Love Pickleball, But Injuries Can Happen

Title: Many Seniors Love Pickleball, But Injuries Can Happen
Category: Health News
Created: 8/6/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/8/2022 12:00:00 AM




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For Back Pain, Earlier Is Better for Physical Therapy

Title: For Back Pain, Earlier Is Better for Physical Therapy
Category: Health News
Created: 8/9/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/10/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Medical Marijuana for Pain Is Linked to Slight Rise in Heart Trouble

Title: Medical Marijuana for Pain Is Linked to Slight Rise in Heart Trouble
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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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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What Gets Rid of Headaches Quickly?

Title: What Gets Rid of Headaches Quickly?
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 4/12/2016 12:00:00 AM
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Pandemic Brought More Woes for Kids Prone to Headaches

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Category: Health News
Created: 8/9/2022 12:00:00 AM
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'Stepped' Approach to Treating Diabetic Eye Disease May Be Best

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Category: Health News
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AHA News: Obstacles Didn't Stop This Heart Defect Survivor From Competing on 'American Ninja Warrior

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Category: Health News
Created: 8/25/2022 12:00:00 AM
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Title: When Should I Be Concerned About My Sick Baby?
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM
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Scientists Create Synthetic Mouse Embryo With Brain, Beating Heart

Title: Scientists Create Synthetic Mouse Embryo With Brain, Beating Heart
Category: Health News
Created: 8/26/2022 12:00:00 AM
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U.S. Government Extends Baby Formula Waivers, Rebates for WIC Families

Title: U.S. Government Extends Baby Formula Waivers, Rebates for WIC Families
Category: Health News
Created: 8/25/2022 12:00:00 AM
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Which Nuts Are Best to Lower Cholesterol?

Title: Which Nuts Are Best to Lower Cholesterol?
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 5/10/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/10/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Gene Tests Could Spot 1 Million Americans at Risk of High Cholesterol

Title: Gene Tests Could Spot 1 Million Americans at Risk of High Cholesterol
Category: Health News
Created: 5/18/2022 12:00:00 AM
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California Will Produce Its Own Insulin to Bring Down Prices

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Is Brown Rice Safe if You Have Diabetes?

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Category: Health and Living
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Blood Protein Might Predict Future Diabetes, Cancer Risk

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Created: 8/5/2022 12:00:00 AM
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Lyrica vs. Gabapentin

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Rural Americans With Early Alzheimer's Find It Tough to See Specialists

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Too Few Psychiatric Beds: Psychiatrists' Group Takes Aim at Ongoing Crisis

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FDA Issues Warning to Maker of Illegal Nicotine Gummies

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LSD Is Making a Comeback Among Young Americans

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Created: 8/23/2022 12:00:00 AM
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Use of Pot, Hallucinogens Soaring Among Young Americans

Title: Use of Pot, Hallucinogens Soaring Among Young Americans
Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2022 12:00:00 AM
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Magic Mushroom Hallucinogen May Treat Problem Drinking

Title: Magic Mushroom Hallucinogen May Treat Problem Drinking
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM
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'News Addiction' Is Common and Can Harm Your Mental Health

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Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM
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CDC Investigating E. coli Outbreak in Ohio, Michigan

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Category: Health News
Created: 8/18/2022 12:00:00 AM
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84 People Now Sickened in E. Coli Outbreak Tied to Wendy's Restaurant Lettuce

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Category: Health News
Created: 8/26/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/26/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Aerobic Exercise

Title: Aerobic Exercise
Category: Health and Living
Created: 7/3/2007 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/22/2022 12:00:00 AM




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9 in 10 Americans Want Their Health Info Kept Private

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Created: 8/2/2022 12:00:00 AM
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Too Few U.S. Cities Have Good Hurricane Evacuation Plans

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Category: Health News
Created: 8/26/2022 12:00:00 AM
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Cystic Acne

Title: Cystic Acne
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 3/4/2016 12:00:00 AM
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As Pandemic Eases, It's Boom Times for Cosmetic Surgeons

Title: As Pandemic Eases, It's Boom Times for Cosmetic Surgeons
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM