CasaSugar

Are You at Risk For Meniere's Disease?

FitSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:00:00 PST

If you've ever had a little too much to drink, you probably experienced that dizzy sensation where you feel like the room is spinning, know as vertigo in medical-ese. Unfortunately, people diagnosed with Meniere's disease don't have to drink in order to experience such debilitating dizzy spells. Vertigo episodes occur out of the blue, with no apparent cause, in some cases lasting up to eight hours. Aside from dizziness, this disease may also cause ringing in the ear (tinnitus), hearing loss, sweating, uncontrollable eye movements, and vomiting.

Sounds unbearable. To find out if you're at risk for Meniere's disease

Meniere's is a disorder of the inner ear that usually occurs in men and women in their 30s. Scientists aren't sure what causes this disease, but it may be related to any of these reasons: middle ear or respiratory infections, stress, fatigue, syphilis, Lyme disease, a history of allergies, smoking, alcohol use, or head injury. Although Meniere's is not contagious, it may be genetic.

Unfortunately, there's no known cure for Meniere's disease, but a person can help prevent dizzy episodes by lowering the endolymphatic pressure in her inner ear. To do this, medication may help, as well as stress reduction and a low-sodium, no caffeine, no alcohol diet. If symptoms become severe and the person can't work or drive, surgery may be necessary. If these symptoms sound familiar, it's best to get tested by your doctor.

Source

Nice and New: Saul Bass Posters at MoMA Store

CasaSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:00:20 PDT

I always struggle when faced with filling out personal questionnaires (they're lame), except when it comes to the "who I'd like to meet" field. My response to this question is always Saul Bass, undisputedly one of the greatest graphic designers of the mid-20th century. Bass's vision has given a face to long-standing brands like Minolta, AT&T, and United Airlines, and he was also a master of film title sequence and poster design, collaborating with the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, Otto Preminger, and Martin Scorsese. Bass died in '96 of lymphoma, so the long-shot chance of ever meeting him will sadly never come. But, I delight in knowing I can still enjoy his work, as the MoMA Store now sells reproductions of his posters, such as Psycho ($12) and Vertigo ($12).

What Did You Think of the Pretty Little Liars Season Finale?

Shannon Vestal — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 03:59:00 PDT

With a few jump scares, a couple of broken hearts, and some big shocks, Pretty Little Liars wrapped up its Spring season this week. It elicited lots of gasps from me, and in typical PLL fashion, the amount of solved mysteries equals that of newly opened ones. In a perfect circle, Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily begin and end this season with a chorus of cell phone pings from the mysterious and threatening A.

I want to know what you thought of the finale, but I also want to touch on a couple of the happenings from the episode. Read them (spoilers ahead) and then leave your comments after the jump