Study shows water cups don’t clean pong balls

The next time students team up for a round of beer pong, they should consider the risk involved of germs and diseases spreading between participants, medical experts say.

Playing with ping pong balls that hit the ground as well as cups touched or drank out of by other players can give students more than just a Friday night buzz.

"Your game is a game of sharing alcohol and the bacteria on your hands and mouth," said Michael Leonard, medical director of Health Services at Binghamton University.

Beer pong, also known as Beirut, is a popular drinking game that consists of two teams lining up racks of either six or 10 cups filled with alcohol on opposite sides of a long table and throwing ping pong balls into these cups. If a player sinks a ball into a cup, the opposing team must drink its contents, and the cup is removed. The game is won by whichever team successfully hits all of their opponent's cups first.
The risk of picking up unwanted germs is often introduced when a ball hits the floor or the table surface during a game.

"Most respiratory viruses are transferred by touch," Leonard said. "Everyone touches their face and you bring it into your system."

Teams usually use a water cup to rinse the ball, but according to Leonard, this is not nearly enough to sanitize it. He said that unless the water is boiling, it will do little to destroy the bacteria crawling within it.

In 2006, George Washington University students Aaron Heffner and Ben Morrissey tested cups used in an all-night beer pong game for bacteria. They found that the most concentrated bacteria, including salmonella and E. coli, resided in the water cup used to "clean off" the ball at the start of every turn.

Leonard added that although alcohol has sanitizing properties, players need the degree of alcohol contained in Purell or similar products to kill bacteria. Purell contains about 65 percent ethyl alcohol, whereas beers in the United States typically contain only 4 to 6 percent alcohol by volume.

Leonard also noted that sharing cups while playing beer pong can spread respiratory infections, stomach viruses, strep throat and even herpes.

In 2009, the federal Center for Disease Control debunked a claim linking beer pong with a rise in herpes simplex two virus on American college campuses. But Leonard pointed out that most students who contract the chronic virus, which is characterized by cold sores on the mouth, do not know how they got it.
Some BU students said they understood the risks of playing the popular game.

"When you look in the cup, you see hair and dirt," said Chris Tenore, a senior majoring in integrative neuroscience. "You're playing with random people and don't know if someone has mono. The dirt issue gets overlooked in the spirit of things because everyone's trying to have a good time."

Tenore plays in beer pong tournaments at the Rathskeller Pub in Downtown Binghamton, but uses cups filled with water in the game, drinking only out of his own bottle of beer so as not to take the chance of getting germs from the floor in his cup.

"That floor is sketchy," he said.

"I don't play beer pong because it's gross," said Laquisha Turner, a senior majoring in sociology. "The ball, it falls to the floor. People's hands are touching the ball; the act of putting it in the cup, it's dirty. People might go to the bathroom and not wash their hands."

Other students, however, said they did not see any danger in playing beer pong.

"I don't think you should live your life in fear," said Julian Vives, a senior double-majoring in psychology and Africana studies. "I'm not concerned with germs or catching something. It doesn't matter because it's about fun."

Vives said that when he plays beer pong, there are usually friends of his standing on the sidelines who will catch the ball before it skids off the table so as to minimize contact with dirty surfaces.

Dreaded Sore Throat

Lately it seems to be a lot of people out there who are sick especially with a really sore throat.

Is it just me or does there seem to be some sort of sore throat breakout?

I went to Shopper's last night to get some throat numbing spray and it appeared that the isle that holds the cough and cold remedies was the most popular. We all looked at each other and said the same, sore throat?

Guess all those I saw yesterday, I will be seeing again at the clinic tomorrow. Day 4 and can't take no more lol All of you who haven't experienced it yet, you might want to wear a mask -Grins.

Cold Sores Linked to Alzheimer's Disease

Cold sores might be linked to Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests.

The same herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) that causes cold sores on the lips, mouth, or gums can contribute to dementia, according to a study published in the March 31 issue of the journal PLoS ONE.

"Herpes infects mucous membranes, such as the lip or eye, and generates viral particles," lead author Dr. Elaine Bearer, a pathology professor at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, said in a written statement released in conjunction with the study. "These viral particles burst out of the cells of the mucous membrane and enter sensory nerve cells where they travel inside the nerve toward the brain."

In the study, researchers tagged herpes virus particles with a green fluorescent protein. The saw the proteins leave the mucous membranes and enter nerve cells that could travel to the brain and affect plaques that cause dementia.

"Clinicians have seen a link between HSV1 infection and Alzheimer's disease in patients, so we wanted to investigate what might be going on in the body that would account for this," he says. "What we were able to see in the lab strongly suggests a causal link between HSV1 and Alzheimer's."

Research Links Cold Sores to Alzheimer's

New research is linking common cold sores to Alzheimer's disease, and medical

experts are advising those who contract them to quickly treat them.

Scientists from labs at Brown University, the University of New Mexico, and the

House Ear Institute developed a new way of observing infections of herpes simplex

virus type 1 (HSV1) growing inside cells and discovered how the virus interacts with

amyloid precursor protein (APP), the major component of senile plaques found in the

brains of Alzheimer's disease patients.

"Clinicians have seen a link between HSV1 infection and Alzheimer's disease in

patients, so we wanted to investigate what might be going on in the body that would

account for this," Dr. Shi-Bin Cheng of the Alpert Medical School at Brown

University, says in a press release. "What we were able to see in the lab strongly

suggests a causal link between HSV1 and Alzheimer's disease."

A latent form of HSV1 lives inside nerve cells. The virus infects mucous membranes,

like the lips and eyes, causes the common cold sore, and generates viral particles,

says Dr. Elaine Bearer of the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and

principal investigator of the study.

"These viral particles burst out of the cells of the mucous membrane and enter

sensory nerve cells where they travel inside the nerve toward the brain," she says

in the press release. "We now can see this cellular transportation system and watch

how the newly formed virus engages cellular APP on its journey out of the cell."

The interaction between APP and HSV1 showed "a mechanism by which HSV1 infection

leads to Alzheimer's disease," the statement said.

"It's no longer a matter of determining whether HSV1 is involved in cognitive

decline, but rather how significant this involvement is," Bearer says. "We'll need

to investigate anti-viral drugs used for acute herpes treatment to determine their

ability to slow or prevent cognitive decline."

Cold sore sufferers should treat blisters as soon as possible so that the HSV1

quickly returns to dormancy, researchers advised. While there is no known cold sore

cure, over-the-counter products and anti-viral drugs can help with pain, speed

healing, and may prevent recurrence of the sores, which usually last about 10 days,

according to WebMD.com.

The research was published in the March 31 issue of PLoS ONE, the magazine of the

Public Library of Science.

Read more: Research Links Cold Sores to Alzheimer's

Cold sores linked to Alzheimer's: Self-defense?

Painful, yes. Embarrassing, maybe. But new research gives scientists a clear picture of how cold sores can lead to a health concern that's a bit more serious:

Alzheimer's disease.

That's right. The same herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) that causes cold sores on the lips, mouth, or gums can contribute to dementia, according to a study published in the March 31 issue of the journal PLoS ONE.

"Herpes infects mucous membranes, such as the lip or eye, and generates viral particles," lead author Dr. Elaine Bearer, a pathology professor at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, said in a written statement released in conjunction with the study. "These viral particles burst out of the cells of the mucous membrane and enter sensory nerve cells where they travel inside the nerve toward the brain."

By tagging herpesvirus particles with green fluorescent proteins and then looking at them with an electron microscope, scientists were able to watch them affect nerve cells in ways that seem to lead to Alzheimer's.

"It's no longer a matter of determining whether HSV1 is involved in cognitive decline, but rather how significant this involvement is," Bearer said. "We'll need to investigate anti-viral drugs used for acute herpes treatment to determine their ability to slow or prevent cognitive decline."

In the meantime, researchers say it's smart to treat a cold sore as quickly as possible to minimize the amount of time the virus is active. The faster a sore is treated, the faster HSV1 returns to its dormant stage.

Washing blisters with soap and water can help keep them from spreading. In addition, doctors can prescribe antiviral medications like acyclovir, famciclovir, and valacycolvir. They work best when taken just as the virus is starting to "come back."

HSV1 infections are ubiquitous in developed countries like the U.S. About 20 percent of kids are infected by age five, a rate that rises to about 60 percent in the second and third decades of life. Among old people, about 85 percent are affected.

Professional says a five-minute exam may be lifesaving

During April, which is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, California dentist Louis Amendola recommends that individuals visit their dental health providers to receive a five-minute screening that can detect any signs of the condition.

"Comprehensive dental examinations that include a screening for oral cancer will save lives," Amendola said.

During these screenings, Amendola explained that a professional will visually survey a patient's mouth for any abnormal swelling or discoloration, as well as injuries to cheeks, gums, tongue or throat. Dentists may also feel the area underneath an individual's jaw bone for any growths, he added.

While April may serve as a reminder for patients to receive their annual screenings, Amendola noted that people should seek an evaluation any time they experience cold sores or lesions on any surface within their mouths that do not heal themselves within two weeks.

According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, more than 36,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer each year and upwards of 7,000 die from the disease. Individuals who are diagnosed while the cancer is still localized have an 83 percent rate of survival, according to the organization.

Lasers bring relief to West Milford cold sore sufferers

Modern dentistry now has another tool to relieve patients discomfort. Dental lasers can stop cold sore pain and reduce their duration. The procedure is quick and comfortable. Patients get immediate relief. Dental lasers offer many options for the patient and doctor. These include desensitization of teeth and removal of tissue covering 3rd molars. When 3rd molars only partially erupt a "flap" of tissue lies over the 3rd molar. Very often food is trapped under the tissue and an infection occurs. Before the laser, removal of the "flap" was not suggested as they would grow back with prior methods. This changed with the laser. When the "flap" is removed with a laser it does not grow back.

Other uses include cosmetic contouring of the gums especially in the anterior region and frenectomies to prevent and stop the gums being pulled off a tooth. Healing is fast and there is very little post operative discomfort.