There's a new reason for chronic migraine sufferers -- most of whom are women -- to smile. Health Canada has given doctors the go-ahead to use Botox injections in adults who get migraines 15 or more days a month, according to the Globe & Mail.
While Botox is commonly used as a temporary cosmetic procedure to reduce the appearance of facial wrinkles, regularly injecting 195 units of Botulinum toxin A into seven muscles in the head and neck has been found to keep migraines at bay.
Although Health Canada announced in 2009 that the neurotoxin used in Botox may also spread to other parts of the body, no doubt many sufferers will be delighted to go under the needle if it helps ease their migraine attacks which the World Health Organization claims can be more disabling than "blindness, paraplegia or rheumatoid arthritis."
The triggers of migraines vary, from stress and diet to sleep habits. Ironically, the side effects for Botox treatment include droopy eyes, muscle pain, bronchitis – and migraines.
Migraine sufferer? I am, but certainly not 15 times a month. Will you give Botox a try?
Have you ever read a book where you felt like you knew the characters personally? A book you never wanted to end? Well, every now and then a series comes along which attracts die hard disciples. Harry Potter was one such series, Twilight another.
Ever since the vampire saga was published, fans have flocked to -- and overwhelmed -- the sleepy American towns, Forks and La Push Washington, featured in the novels by Stephenie Meyer. You can imagine the shock to residents of these former ghost towns, with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of visitors pouring in every day.
The tourists, who aren't limited to teenage girls, photograph the local school, doctor's office, and residential houses -- all in pursuit of an "authentic Twilight experience."
Researchers from Mid Sweden University are now releasing a book of their own -- about the phenomenon of literary tourism: "I populärkulturturismens fotspår -- Twilight + Vacation = Twication©."
"People create emotional relationships with characters and places in books and films, and this motivates them to travel. This type of travel often creates powerful experiences, and the interest is being disseminated and developed also through intensive use of sites, blogs, and forums on the Net," says researcher and one of the book's authors, Maria Lexhagen.
The book also looks at the pop culture surrounding the Twilight phenomenon, with chapters on travel and the sense of community among fans, the role of social media, and how new literary destinations can take advantage of such marketing opportunities.
Indeed, if you've seen the dolls and various collectibles, you'll know that commercial fiction like Potter and Twilight reaches far beyond book sales. I've even heard of brands paying authors to be penned into their fictional works.
"A key to successfully developing tourism in the wake of movies and literature is increased collaboration between tourism and other creative businesses, as well as enhanced mutual understanding of the business logics of each industry," says another researcher and book author, Christine Lundberg.
The Swedes' book will be released on November 15. You guessed it, in time to coincide with the release of Breaking Dawn, the final instalment of the Twilight films.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women in the States are working later into their pregnancy and returning to the office soon after baby arrives.
Between 2006 and 2008, 82 percent of women worked up to a month of less before their child's birth, while that figure was just 73 percent between 1991 and 1995, 59 percent of whom returned within three months after birth between 2006 and 2008, compared to 57 percent between 1991 and 1994.
Interestingly, the research suggests that the reason for working late into pregnancy isn't strictly down to economics. Many women viewed their jobs as a long-term investment, and educated moms were most likely return to work full time.
The University of Warwick in the UK further found that women in senior or high-paying roles tended to go back sooner, or to abandon their career altogether due to lack of part-time work.
“Our nation remains mired in a conversation about whether mothers should work, but the reality is that most already do,” said economist at think tank Center for American Progress, Heather Boushey.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the level of workplace stress and flexibility directly affected a new mom's decision to stay or quit.
How late into your pregnancy did you work? How early did you return?
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