What to know about omeprazole

Omeprazole is a common drug that some people take to treat heartburn, or acid reflux. This article looks at its uses, dosage, and side effects, as well as what to know before taking the medication.



Source link

The Best Ways to Clean Your Water Bottle

Because you really don’t want to set yourself up for E. coli, right? Right.

That trusty reusable water bottle you carry with you keeps you healthy and hydrated, but only if it’s clean. And let’s face it: Most of us don’t think to clean out our water bottles. More often than not, we take that last sip, refill it, and sip some more—on repeat.

Whether your water bottle is stainless steel, plastic, or made from another hard material, it’s important to sanitize it at the end of each day. “Since it’s a moist environment, it’s possible for bacteria to set up shop and thrive, potentially leading to symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea,” says Robert Glatter, MD, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Northwell Health and attending emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital.

RELATED: 12 Reasons Why Dehydration Is Bad for Your Body

Give the cap, as well as the straw if your bottle has one, a good cleansing too. “Bacteria such as E. coli that lead to gastroenteritis and food poisoning and even molds could colonize this area,” he says. You can even take a step further and scrub this area with a special bottle brush or toothbrush for a real deep clean. Or just get in the habit of using one of these simple and easy methods. Find one that works for you and aim for aim for consistency.

RELATED: 12 Germs That Cause Food Poisoning

The dishwasher

Many types of water bottles are dishwasher safe, but check that it says so on the bottle first. “Place bottle and top in the top rack, making sure that the bottle does not interfere with the spray arms if your model has them at the top,” says Donna Smallin Kuper, IICRC-certified house cleaning technician and author of Cleaning Plain & Simple. Then, run the dishwasher with the hottest water settings and a heated dry cycle, which will kill germs. It should be totally dry before you reuse it; moisture can be a breeding ground for bugs.

Soap and water

Washing by hand with a sudsy mix of dishwashing liquid and hot water is a safe and effective cleaning method, Kuper says. Be sure to wash and dry off with a clean cloth (or paper towel) to avoid reintroducing any bacteria or other harmful bugs. Swish the soapy water through the entire bottle, same way as you’d wash out a coffee cup or other used glass or mug, and make sure you get rid of any gunky buildup on the bottom or by the cap area. Then rinse with water to remove any soap residue before drying.

RELATED: 7 Best Water Bottles Health’s Editors Swear By

Vinegar

That bottle of vinegar in your pantry can also disinfect your water bottle. “You can also use dilute vinegar, which helps to kill most bacteria (not viruses though), while also serving as a drying agent,” says Dr. Glatter. “Fill half of the bottle with white vinegar, the other half with water,” he says. (Make sure you use about ¼ cup of vinegar.) Close the bottle and let is swish around before leaving it to soak. Let it sit overnight and rinse out in the morning.

RELATED: 7 Infused Water Recipes That Will Make Your H20 Much Tastier and Even Healthier

3% hydrogen peroxide

If the inside of the bottle is kind of slimy or has an odor, you might want to step up your game with this method. “This is my preferred method for disinfecting. Clean the bottle and top thoroughly with soap and water and rinse with hot water. Then pour about 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide in the bottle, replace, and close the lid tightly,” says Kuper. Shake bottle vigorously, then pour out the hydrogen peroxide, and give it a final water rinse to make sure it’s all gone. Your bottle should now be sparkly clean.

Water cleaning tablets

“Water cleaning tablets are another reasonable approach, as well as tablets used to clean dentures,” says Dr. Glatter. It’s super easy to do. Fill your bottle with water, drop the tablets in as directed on the package, and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Then simply rinse out your bottle, and you’re good to go.

Source link

A New York Times Critic Body-Shamed a Broadway Actress, and Fans Are Not Happy

In her review for the Off-Broadway show Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Laura Collins-Hughes described many elements of the show — including costume design.

The spirit of musical theater has always been one of acceptance, a place where people from all walks of life can come together and enjoy. Which is why many are calling out a New York Times theater critic who body-shamed talented theater actress Alysha Umphress in a recent review.

In her review for the Off-Broadway show Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Laura Collins-Hughes described many elements of the show — including costume design. This, in turn, led her to write, “Ms. Umphress, by the way, is bigger than the other women onstage, and the costume designer, Alejo Vietti, doesn’t seem to have known how to work with that, dressing her in an unflattering way. He does better with the skimpy, yet not overly revealing, pink fringe outfit Emma Degerstedt wears, and jiggles in, for the leering number ‘Teach Me How To Shimmy.’”

Bringing up a performer’s body size — especially when it has zero relevance to the plot — has no place in a professional theater review, and completely undermines the important aspects of the show (as in actual performances and the cast’s incredible talent). Not only that, but it reduces Umphress to nothing but a body, and reeks of regressive and sexist attitudes about what female performers should and shouldn’t be.

The comments also imply that women need to “dress their size,” which is a micro-aggression often used to control women and tear them down. The fact that these lines made it into a New York Time review (which was undoubtedly reviewed by an editor before being published) illustrates just how prevalent body shaming still is in our culture.

Umphress released a statement regarding the review on her Twitter account.

Meanwhile, Collins-Hughes has since doubled down on her statements via Twitter.

While speaking to HelloGiggles, Umphress said,

We have to agree. And many fellow Broadway and Hollywood artists agree, too.

Zoe Kazan tweeted her support of Alysha, saying,

And Emmy-nominated GLOW actress Betty Gilpin threw in her own two cents.

Umphress is a beloved member of the New York theater community. She’s an immense talent and one of the most powerful singers working today. Let that be what we take away from this incident. Check her out slaying a tune from Smokey Joe’s Cafe below.

We think Umphress says it best when she sings, “Don’t mess around with me.”

Source link