rapunzellocks

6 Common Indoor Allergy Triggers and How to Avoid Them

2011-02-09T10:27:00.000-08:00

If you have asthma or allergies, being stuck indoors can make you sick if you're not careful.

If cold, wintry weather is keeping you indoors, remember: Year-round, that's home to many of the peskiest allergy and asthma triggers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. So if you have allergies or asthma, it's a good idea to ensure that your home is as free of triggers as possible—or at least find ways to reduce your exposure. Your doctor can help you develop a plan, but here is some advice to get you started

1. Dust mites

Microscopic insects called dust mites are the most common allergy and asthma symptom trigger, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. They feed on human skin flakes and tend to thrive when rooms are above 40 percent humidity and at temperatures above 70 degrees. And while they like bedding and soft furnishings the most, they can be found anywhere in the house. To ward off dust mites, allergists recommend purchasing allergenproof encasings for pillows, mattresses, and box springs, and washing linens in 130-degree temperatures every seven to 10 days. "Any place you find people where it's not supercold or really dry, you can have dust mites," White says. Unlike bedbugs, dust mites don't bite, so you won't wake up with puncture marks on your skin. "It's largely a respiratory phenomenon," says Clifford Bassett, chair of the AAAAI's Public Education Committee.

When it comes to cleaning, have someone else handle the vacuuming, or wear a mask. And use a vacuum that contains a HEPA filter or double-layered bag. Since stuffed animals collect dust mites, too, you'll need a simple way to keep your child's favorites trouble free. "Take the stuffed toy, put it in a freezer bag, and then put it in the freezer for three to five hours per week," Bassett says. Freezing the toy kills the dust mites. When purchasing other types of toys, stick with products that are washable or easy to wipe off.

2. Pets

The dander shed by furry friends can cause symptoms in susceptible people. But for reasons not completely understood, some allergic people are OK around certain breeds. While there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog, some breeds, such as poodles and Portuguese water dogs (the breed President Obama's family chose because of daughter Malia's allergies), produce less dander. To test how you or your child fare around a particular breed, visit a friend or family member who has a pet to see how you feel, suggests Martha White, an AAAAI fellow and research director at the Institute for Asthma & Allergy, a private practice in Maryland with offices in Wheaton and Chevy Chase. Spend 30 minutes or more around the pet, then watch for allergy symptoms for the next day or so. Some allergic people can't be around any pets without getting sick.

3. Mold

Indoor mold tends to grow in damp, dark environments, such as basements or showers and bathtubs, says Robert Fisher, the medical director at a Wisconsin-based practice called Allergy Research & Care. Because basements are so often affected, people with mold allergies should keep this in mind when choosing where to live, White says. "Don't rent in the basement, and don't put a bedroom in the basement," she says. Also, think about putting tile down as basement flooring rather than carpet. "If there's going to be water leakage," White says, "then carpet gets wet and moldy, so you want a floor that will dry easily."

Mold growth should be cleaned thoroughly using water, detergent, and 5 percent bleach, if needed. If mold spreads over an area larger than 10 square feet, the help of an indoor environmental professional may be needed, the AAAAI says.

4. Cockroaches

Cockroaches, an issue mostly in cities and the southern United States, are believed to play a large role in asthma in inner-city populations, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The allergens are found in the saliva and feces of cockroaches. Don't think that because you saw one roach in your home and killed it that your problem is solved. "If you see evidence of a roach, that usually means there's a lot in the house," White says. If you live in an apartment or condo, call your landlord or condo association to arrange extermination of your entire building, she advises. Sometimes people with allergies are hesitant to have extermination done because they're worried about the impact of chemicals on their health. "But if they're allergic [to roaches], they should get it done," she says—while family and pets are out.

Other steps to take, advises the AAAAI: Block off cracks and crevices in the wall or windows. Keep food in containers with lids, put away your pet's dishes, clean up after meals, take garbage out promptly, and fix leaky faucets or pipes because roaches need water to survive. Wash dishes soon after eating, and clean under toasters, refrigerators, and stoves to get rid of crumbs.

5. Pollen

Many people don't think of pollen as having an impact indoors. But "if you're outdoors during nice weather, you can bring it in on your clothes or shoes," Fisher says. Pets can bring pollen into the home, too, leading some people to assume they're allergic to their pets when in fact they're actually allergic to ragweed or another type of pollen. To combat this problem, consider wiping pets down when they return from outdoors, keep windows closed in the home and run air conditioning during warmer weather, and change clothes and shoes immediately after returning from outdoors. Also, an air purifier with a HEPA filter can clean the air and keep about 80 percent of pollen out of the home, Fisher says.

6. Cigarettes

While not a traditional allergen, cigarette smoke is often an irritant for people with asthma and allergies. Secondhand smoke, which irritates the already inflamed bronchial passages in asthmatics, can cause asthma attacks and worsen the severity of the attacks, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Moreover, studies have shown that "exposure to tobacco smoke has incredible impact on increasing risk of asthma in kids," Basset says. So allergists recommend that parents avoid smoking around children altogether, both at home and in the car. It's thought that because kids are still developing, they're more susceptible to the effects of smoke, and they may breathe more rapidly, causing them to take in more smoke than adults.

The Wheel of Health

2011-02-09T09:48:00.000-08:00

Developed by experts at Duke Integrative Medicine, part of the Duke University Health System, the Wheel of Health is a guide to integrative medicine and health planning that represents Duke's unique approach to integrative medicine. It illustrates nine key areas of health and wellness and underscores the interrelatedness of body, mind, spirit, and community in the experience of optimum vitality and wellness, as well as in the prevention and treatment of disease.

The Wheel of Health is made up of three concentric circles that represent the primary elements of optimal health:

Mindfulness. At the heart of health is mindfulness, the practice of staying alert to your physical, mental, social, and spiritual states. This non-judgmental awareness enables individuals to recognize symptoms as they emerge, which is when they are most readily treatable. This is the critical core of well-being, on which the other elements are based.
Self-care. Individuals are encouraged to explore the dynamic interplay of the ways they can care for themselves and to develop proactive strategies to improve or maintain their health. Important areas for self-care are relationships, the physical environment, nutrition, movement and exercise, the mind-body connection, and personal growth and spirituality.
Professional care. Recognizing symptoms early is key to diagnosing health problems when they are most treatable, and awareness of the need for professional care is an integral component of the integrative approach to medicine. Professional care includes pharmaceuticals and supplements, preventive medicine, and conventional and CAM treatments.

Seasonal Allergy Symptoms: 6 Ways to Prevent or Treat Them

2011-02-09T09:31:00.000-08:00

Spring is the time of year when many people complain about seasonal allergy symptoms such as runny noses, congestion, rashes, itchy and watery eyes, sneezing, coughing—and just generally feeling miserable. About 16.9 million Americans had allergies in 2007, and there were 12.2 million doctor's office visits for allergies in 2006, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

Allergies occur when the immune system overreacts to a substance that doesn't bother most people. In the spring, pollen is what gets to some people. But indoor allergies—to dust mites, dust, or pet dander, for instance—can cause problems all year round. If your allergy symptoms have you feeling lousy, this list of six allergy treatments and prevention strategies may help you find some relief.

1. Clean out your nose. Using a saltwater nose rinse is a natural option that can help clear out pollen and other irritants in the nose, says Jeremy S. Melker, an ear, nose, and throat doctor in Gainesville, Fla., who specializes in allergies. A 2007 study found that irrigating your nose works better than using commercial saline nasal sprays.

2. Try an over-the-counter allergy medicine. In recent years, two oral antihistamines that were previously available only by prescription became available over the counter. That means you can pick up Claritin (loratadine) or Zyrtec (cetirizine) without a visit to a doctor. These medications are "good for blocking [a substance called] histamine, which causes sneezing, itching, runny nose, and watery eyes," says Robert Fisher, the medical director at a Wisconsin-based practice called Allergy Research & Care. These medications are less likely to make you sleepy than older antihistamines like Benadryl.

If OTC antihistamines don't work for you—or your favorite allergy medication disappears from store shelves, as Drixoral has—seeing a doctor may help. Many people assume that there are no other options available, but an evaluation by a doctor can start patients on the path toward relief, Fisher says. For example, a prescription antihistamine, such as Allegra or Xyzal, is an option if Claritin or Zyrtec don't help you.

3. Consider a prescription nasal spray or eye drops. Prescription steroid nose sprays, such as Flonase and Nasonex, work by reducing swelling in the nose, which can provide relief from nasal allergy symptoms. Antihistamine nasal sprays, on the other hand, work by blocking histamine. They're like oral antihistamines, except the active ingredient is delivered directly into the nose, straight to the site of some people's most bothersome allergy symptoms. Some allergists prescribe them to patients who can't find symptom relief from oral antihistamines. Nasal-spray options include Astelin, which has been available by prescription since 1996, and Patanase and Astepro, both approved by the Food and Drug Administration last year.

Eyedrops, such as Patanol, Optivar, and Pataday, can help soothe the itchy, watery eyes that come with allergic conjunctivitis, also known as eye allergies. All require a doctor's prescription.

4. Decongestants may also help relieve nasal congestion. A variety of decongestant medications are available without a prescription. Even if it is OTC, though, you may have to ask for your favorite medicine at the pharmacy counter if it contains pseudoephedrine, which can be used to make methamphetamine. A law that took effect in 2006 requires anyone buying a medication containing pseudoephedrine to show ID when making the purchase. An ingredient called phenylephrine has replaced pseudoephedrine in many OTC medicines, but some say they don't think it works as well at clearing congestion.

Decongestant nasal sprays are another OTC option, but don't use them for longer than three days. Overuse can create a rebound effect of narrowing and constricting the blood vessels of your nose.

5. Close your windows, and turn on the air conditioning. Sure, with the recession, keeping the A/C off and just opening your windows might be a tempting move for cost-conscious people. But if you're allergic to outdoor allergens, it's best to keep the windows shut for the sake of your health. "If you know that the live oaks are blooming and you're sitting there all night long breathing in the live oak pollen, you're just worsening the problem," Melker says. "You're letting the fundamental [allergic] reaction occur, and then you're just trying to mask the symptoms" with medications.

6. If things get bad, try allergy shots, also known as allergy immunotherapy. There is no reason anyone should have to suffer from allergies in silence, experts say. "Allergy shots can help a lot of the symptoms, especially when people have tried all the other stuff and are still having problems," Fisher says. These shots involve being regularly injected with a small amount of the substance you're allergic to. The idea is to stimulate your immune system and help your body become desensitized to the allergens, according to the Mayo Clinic. A Cochrane Collaboration review updated in 2003 found that allergy shots help to improve symptoms of asthma, reduce the need for medications, and lessen the risk of severe asthma attacks when patients are exposed to allergens in the future.

Eventually, the hope is that you'll build up a tolerance and your allergic reactions won't be so severe. But keep in mind that allergy shots require a time commitment—typically several years of weekly to monthly shots to completely finish the entire course of treatment. And because patients are injected with substances that they're allergic to, there is a risk of allergic reactions after the injections. For this reason, doctors typically require patients to remain in their offices for a few minutes after each session of immunotherapy.

Another option is immunotherapy delivered orally via drops or tablets, which was found in a 2008 study to be effective in kids with allergic asthma. A review of earlier evidence, published in 2003 by the Cochrane Collaboration, found that this type of immunotherapy, delivered under the tongue, helps to relieve allergic rhinitis. It's unclear, however, whether it's as effective as allergy shots. The availability of this type of therapy is limited because it has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and research is ongoing.

National Health Detective Squad Uses Genomic Tools to Diagnose its First Mysterious Disease

2011-02-04T09:50:00.000-08:00

Medical detectives National Institutes of Health have just cracked their first case wide open, a result they hope to repeat with a slew of other uncharacterized illnesses and conditions. The Undiagnosed Diseases Program (UDP), a sleuthing agency set up within the NIH in 2008 to connect the dots between cases of undiagnosable illnesses, has traced the source of an extremely rare vascular disorder back to its genetic roots, notching the first closed case for the UDP and another victory for diagnosis genomics.

The case: a rare and debilitating buildup of calcium in the below-the-waist arteries and joints of a small sample of individuals; only nine individuals from three different are known to have the disorder. The likely culprit: a faulty gene, particularly one that may involve recessive inheritance, in which offspring receive copies of a gene variant from each parent that only cause disease when combined (this is why the parents don’t suffer from the disease but, in the case of one family, all five offspring do).

So the UDP got down to some genetic gumshoeing, analyzing DNA from the entire family and zeroing in on those places where the sibling had two copies of a particular DNA segment but the parents had only one. They isolated one such region, then cross referenced that against 200 genomes not afflicted with the condition. Doing so allowed them to find the common thread among the siblings: a variant in a gene known as NT5E. Sure enough, the other few reported cases of the condition reported the same variant at NT5E.

The pieces of the puzzle then began falling into place. People with this variant in the NT5E gene have elevated levels of TNAP, an enzyme that is key to tissue calcification. TNAP also degrades an inhibitor of calcification called pyrophosphate that is the body’s natural fighter of arterial calcification. Without the pyrophosphate and with TNAP running high, the arteries and joints were experiencing higher levels of calcification, earning the condition the rock-and-roll moniker ACDC, or arterial calcification due to CD73 deficiency.

Case closed (almost). Researchers are still trying to figure out why this only happens in arteries and joints below the waist (it could have something to do with the distribution of certain receptors in the body). But the diagnosis shows the value of a new kind of medicine that aims to ferret out the causes of even the rarest conditions, a process that doesn’t just help a select few patients but benefits our body of medical knowledge as a whole.

It also further shows the worth of genomic tools as instruments of diagnosis and not just research. There was no Dr. House moment here where it turned out the strange symptoms were caused by the patient’s secret methadone habit combined with a misdiagnosed case of syphilis and a peanut allergy. To truly understand the root causes of rare disorders, we have to dig straight into the biological blueprints.

Yoga is important for a healthy lifestyle

2011-02-04T09:39:00.000-08:00

THANE: "Modern lifestyle has lost the harmony in mind-body relationship which has caused several stress based diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart diseases and cancer. The attempt to prevent and treat these diseases triggered a search for better lifestyles and better strategies that converged on the rediscovery of ancient disciplines such as Yoga combined lifestyles with potent infallible prescriptions for lasting mental peace which confirmed by clinical studies.

Yoga has become a valid tool in modern medicine," averred Dr Ramesh Bijlani in his speech about Mind Body Medicine and& Beyond' that was organised by Ghantali Mitra Mandal (GMM) at Sahayog Mandir on January 30.

The special session was organised for medical and health professionals and dedicated yoga teachers which received wonderful response. Dr Bharti Amte was the honourable guest of this meeting. "The purpose of this venture is to initiate people towards Yoga," claimed Yogacharya Shrikrushna Vyavahare, founder of GMM.

Dr Bijlani has worked at AIMS New Delhi for 28 years, studied Yoga therapy orientation training, Nutritional Bio chemistry and also penned 12 books based on his observations. On this platform Dr Bijlani explained how our lifestyle has changed with time. He said, "In recent years modern medicine has made spectacular advances in the prevention and management of infectious diseases, endocrine disorders and nutritional deficiencies. Surgery has become more safe and painless. Hence doctors rely on the investigating tests done by modern devices before prescribing medicines for his disease. But yet, people are not getting completely cured. The reason is that the love and faith bond between the doctor and patient is missing somewhere. For good results patient's positive response is equally important. Our body is blessed with the best natural system that generates useful fluid in our endocrine glands and it controls the digestion of food and balances the thoughts. Medicines and pills work temporarily. For permanent results one has to do regular yoga and eat natural food. It also controls depression."

Now doctors have realised the importance of the love and affection bond between a doctor and his patient that brings good response to the treatment. Dr Bijlani said, "It's observed that too many medicines can cause new diseases. To prevent illness one must take minimum medicines and should adopt a lifestyle that would balance one's eating habits, activities and rest. How you live is more important than how much you lived. One should prefer spiritual pleasures to material happiness as they are everlasting and yoga is the medium that provides positive attitude towards life."

TLC for long tresses

2011-02-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

Long hair looks lovely, but needs a lot of TLC (tender love and care). Here's you can maintain those Rapunzel locks.

Daily care

Oil, wash, condition… You don't need to wash long hair for more than twice a week because it retains moisture. Oil your locks and keep it overnight before you shampoo your hair with a mild shampoo and conditioner.

Use a large toothed comb to comb conditioner through your tresses while in the shower to detangle.

If you have an oily scalp, then wash your mane with water everyday to prevent the sebum from clogging the pores of your scalp.

Post-wash care

Be careful while drying your Rapunzel locks after a wash as they tend to break easily. Carefully wring out the excess water and then wrap a towel around your hair.

Preserve the gleam

Once in a while, indulge in some homemade treatment for your hair -- egg batter, amla, reetha (dry soap nuts) and shikakai extracts (easily available at your nearest grocery store).

Soak reetha nuts overnight, crush them into a paste, apply it on your tresses and keep it for around 15-20 minutes.

Cover 'em up

When on the move, it would be a wise idea to keep long hair tied up and covered with a scarf or cap. This is especially true of women who ride on the bikes or are out in the sun for a long time.

Can you imagine how difficult it would be to tackle a mass of tangled, sun-dried hair?

Another advice, while traveling long distances, it will be wise to oil your hair. This is especially true if you are going for a long train or bus journey.

Your hair will retain its moisture and will not have that rough, scratchy feeling at the end of the journey.

End of split ends

A beautiful head of hair is sometimes spoilt by ugly split ends.

Even if you don't want to cut your hair, make sure you trim them every once in a couple of months to avoid split ends which not only destroy the quality of your hair but also make them look ungainly.

Healthy life, healthy hair

Finally, lead a healthy life-style; do yoga and indulge in some succulent fruits (melons, grapes and mangoes), which work wonders for your hair and leave you scintillating, gorgeous and hot like never before.

Sinus Headache Symptoms

2011-02-03T10:34:00.000-08:00

Not everybody’s headaches are caused from sinus problems, and that’s why it is important to understand sinus headache symptoms, so you can deal with your headache appropriately. There are many visits to specialists each year for headaches, and they soon realize that what they are dealing with is tension or migraine headaches. There are a number of similar symptoms with these headaches, so it’s important that you understand how to differentiate.

So the first thing to keep in mind is that pain in and around the sinuses doesn’t mean that there is actually something wrong with your sinuses! Sinusitis, which is an inflammation of the sinuses, certainly is the cause of headaches, however you will often also be dealing with several other symptoms as well.

The main symptoms surrounding sinusitis involve pain and pressure that is across the forehead and around the eyes, and often over the cheeks. These are the same areas of discomfort associated with tension type headaches as well, so you should also be looking for the other symptoms to help differentiate. One of the main things to keep an eye out for is pain in the upper teeth, but also a number of symptoms that tell you that you have an infection. Those symptoms include chills and a fever, stuffiness, and often mucous discharge.

One important mention is also the fact that you can get sinus headaches without any of the symptoms associated with the upper respiratory system (ie. mucous, fever, chills, etc.). So if you have been treated for another type of headache unsuccessfully, it is still possible that you are suffering from chronic sinusitis headaches, and should therefore have your sinuses examined as well. This is what makes sinus headache symptoms a little vague at times, so be sure to have all the possible causes of your headache examined so you can deal with it appropriately.

Migraine surgery produces lasting good results

2011-02-03T10:29:00.000-08:00

In about 30 percent of patients, migraine headaches were completely eliminated after surgery, according to the new study, led by Dr. Bahman Guyuron of Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic.

Guyuron, a plastic surgeon, developed the migraine surgery techniques after noticing that some migraine patients had reduced headache activity after undergoing cosmetic forehead-lift procedures. The techniques consist of "surgical deactivation" of "trigger sites" in the muscles or nerves that produce pain.

For example, for patients with frontal migraine headaches starting in the forehead, the muscles in that area were removed, as in forehead-lift surgery. This procedure may reduce headache attacks by relieving pressure on key nerve in the frontal area. Other approaches target other migraine trigger sites.

Before surgery, each patient was tested with botulinum toxin A (Botox) to confirm the correct trigger sites. For most patients, surgery targeted at least two trigger sites. The five-year results—including standard measures of migraine-related pain, disability, and quality of life—were evaluated in 69 patients.

Eighty-eight percent of these patients had a positive long-term response to surgery. Headaches were significantly decreased in 59 percent of patients, and completely eliminated in 29 percent. The remaining patients had no change in headache activity.

Migraine attacks were less frequent after surgery; average migraine frequency decreased from about eleven to four per month. When attacks occurred, they didn't last as long—average duration decreased from 34 to eight hours. Migraine surgery also led to significant improvements in quality of life, with few serious adverse effects.

The findings "provide strong evidence that surgical deactivation of one or more trigger sites can successfully eliminate or reduce the frequency, duration, and intensity of migraine headache, and the results are enduring," Guyuron and colleagues write.

The study has been published in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Scientists grow human blood vessels in laboratory

2011-02-03T10:22:00.000-08:00

London: Off-the-shelf blood vessels could soon be a reality, as scientists have come up with a way to grow new human veins in the laboratory.

The lab-made blood vessels, which can be stored for up to a year and safely transplanted into any patient, could revolutionise heart surgery, said the researchers behind the breakthrough.

They also claimed the blood vessels could soon replace artificial versions -- which easily clog and cause infection -- in a number of operations, including thousands of heart bypasses a year, a newspaper reported.

Scientists have already developed a technique to engineer blood vessels from a patient's own cells, but this process takes over nine months and patients usually cannot wait that long for surgery.

The new technique, developed by a team at the East Carolina University in the US, involved making the vessels in advance by using random donor cells from human tissue to grow collagen on a biodegradable "scaffold" tube or mould made from a polymer.

When the scaffold dissolves away, fully formed blood vessels are left behind. These are then "washed" of the original human cells so that they were completely benign and unlikely to cause any rejection in the body of a recipient, the researchers reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

These vessels have already been tested on baboons and were found to work by fully restoring blood flow. There were no evidence of clogging or thickening when the grafts were removed after six months -- an indication that they would be suitable for long term transplantation.

Thousands of people worldwide are diagnosed with heart or circulatory disorders and they could potentially benefit from this new technology each year, the researchers said.

"This new type of bioengineered vein allows them to be easily stored in hospitals so they are readily available to surgeons at the time of need," said study co-author Dr Alan Kypson.

"Currently, grafting using the patient's own veins remains the gold standard. But, harvesting a vein from the patient's leg can lead to complications, and for patients who don't have suitable veins, the bioengineered veins could serve as an important new way to provide a coronary bypass."

Bypass surgery circumvents blocked arteries in the heart and body and, often using a blood vessel from another part of the patient's body usually the leg.

In a majority of patients, there is not a suitable blood vessel and a synthetic one is used instead. But these can become clogged easily and cause serious infections.

The new "bioengineered" veins appear to avoid these complications. The new veins could also be used to help kidney dialysis patients whose own blood vessels become damaged by the treatment, the researchers said.

Shannon Dahl, lead author of the study, however, said there is still considerable research to be done before a product is available for widespread use.

Panel calls for new mobile radiation norms

2011-02-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

New Delhi: Taking a stringent view of the health hazards posed by radiation from mobile phones, towers and base stations, a high-level inter-ministerial committee (IMC) has called for revision of radiation norms according to Indian needs.

According to the report submitted by the IMC, radiation from mobile phones and towers could lead to symptoms like fatigue, sleep disturbance, dizziness and lack of concentration.

It said it could also lead to slowing down of reaction time, loss of memory, headache, disturbance in digestive system and heart palpitation.

As a sequel, the committee has called for imposing strict restrictions on installation of mobile towers near high-density residential areas, schools, playgrounds and hospitals.

Though the impact of long term exposure to such emissions is unclear, the panel suggested conducting scientific research on its effect, especially among children, pregnant women and elderly persons.

Following reports that electromagnetic radiation emitted by the mobile towers were threatening the movement and breeding of bees and birds (which are the best indicators of the status of the ecology), the government had set up a panel to study the impact and formulate guidelines for regulating installation of such structures.

The report suggested that since the Indian weather conditions were different compared to European countries, revision of radiation norms may be considered.

"The radiation limits in India may be lowered to 1/10th of the existing level keeping in view the data submitted by COAI/ AUSPI," it added.

The report suggested methods like use of wireless hands-free system, keeping calls short or sending text messages (SMS) and using mobile phones when the signal quality is good.

"People having active medical implants should keep their cell phone at least 30 cm away from the implant," it added.

The panel said some studies had indicated that radiation from cell phone towers may probably be the reason for vanishing butterflies, bees, insects and sparrows.

The eight-member committee, which included personnel from health ministry and department of biotechnology, also recommended that mobile phones not adhering to standard levels of specific absorption rate (SAR) be barred.

SAR is a measure of the amount of radiation absorbed by the body while using a phone.

India currently follows World Health Organisation-approved International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines.