Characteristics of the study sample

Between May 25 and July 9, 2020, we telephoned 64 cases and 83 contacts of which 35 cases and 38 contacts answered or called back, and 21 cases and 12 contacts agreed to participate. Three contacts had tested positive for COVID-19 at the time of the study interview. The median age of participants was 41 years, 61% were female, and the largest racial/ethnic group in our sample was Hispanic/Latinx (48%) (Table 1), which is roughly representative of the population of NHHD clients during this period. [22].

Themes, enablers and barriers

We identified seven themes that cut across the four behaviors and three COM-B domains (Table 2). While the themes were broadly similar across the case and contact clusters, below we note relevant differences where applicable, summarize the individual themes within each COM-B domain, and present supporting citations in the table. 3.

Capacity area

We have identified two themes, Severity of symptoms and Essential knowledgerelated to participants’ ability to participate in contact tracing. Severity of symptoms describes how symptoms of COVID-19 influenced their Physical capacity. Essential knowledge describes how knowledge of the purpose and procedures of testing and tracing influenced their Psychological capacity.

Symptom Severity Theme

Several participants described how symptoms, such as shortness of breath, made it difficult or impossible to answer phone calls or talk to contact tracers. One case was hospitalized at the time of the contact tracing call and her daughter spoke on her behalf. Other participants noted that moderate or severe symptoms also made isolation particularly difficult.

Core Knowledge Theme

Limited knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms, testing locations, or contact tracing procedures was a barrier to engaging in contact tracing for several participants. For example, not knowing how personal data would be used or protected caused some participants, especially cases, to be wary of fully engaging in the interview, although some contact tracers managed to answer to these concerns. Other attendees were baffled by the quarantine and isolation instructions.

Area of ​​Opportunity

We have identified two themes, Structural context and Interpersonal linksrelated to the possibility for participants to participate in contact tracing. Structural context describes how structural factors (fixed economic, social and political factors) have influenced Physical and Social opportunity participate in contact tracing. Interpersonal links describes the ways in which social roles and connections to family, friends or co-workers further influenced their Social opportunity.

Structural Context Theme

Participants identified several structural factors, including lack of transportation or receiving research calls at inconvenient times that hindered or delayed participant engagement. Although NHHD had a referral system to meet the food, housing, and other needs of clients, study participants frequently cited concerns about loss of income, housing instability, and food insecurity as barriers to isolation/quarantine. Isolation and quarantine were even more difficult in homes with insufficient space for household members to effectively separate from each other. Several participants received food from clinics and volunteer organizations, and some had access to paid time off from work. A system-level facilitator identified by several participants was policy-mandated testing, requiring testing to enter health care clinics or travel internationally.

Social opportunity as engagement in contact tracing was influenced by access to medical care providers and language services. Those without health insurance or established relationships with healthcare providers faced challenges accessing care during isolation/quarantine. For participants whose preferred language was not English, language barriers made it impossible or difficult to answer calls and participate in contact tracing interviews, although some noted that multilingual outreach workers or services translation allowed for successful interaction with the program.

Theme of interpersonal bonds

Participants often described how relationships with family or friends could encourage testing and seeking behaviors and reassure participants about the contact tracing experience. Peers frequently encouraged engagement in testing or tracing, with some cases even alerting their contacts to expect tracing calls. As previously reported, family members often assisted by answering phone calls for symptomatic cases and caring for those in isolation or quarantine. People-to-people ties have also hampered contact tracing efforts. Some cases did not provide contact information (names and phone numbers) to tracers, preventing the health service from reaching them. Home care responsibilities (e.g. for children) posed additional barriers to compliance with isolation/quarantine guidelines.

Motivational domain

We have identified some aspects of Severity of symptoms and three additional themes, Expected results, Trust in authorityand Emotional responsesthat related to participants’ motivation to participate in contact tracing. Severity of symptoms describes the ways in which the symptoms, or lack thereof, influenced their Reflective Motivation. Expected results describes the ways in which their beliefs in the consequences of participation, whether positive, negative or neutral, also influenced Reflective motivation. Trust in authority is the last theme associated with Reflective Motivationand it describes the influence of participants’ trust in health care providers and systems. Emotional responses describes the ways in which participants’ emotions influenced their Automatic motivation.

Symptom Severity Theme

Participants frequently described how symptoms prompted testing or isolation. In contrast, a contact with no symptoms described the quarantine experience as feeling “so abstract” because the absence of symptoms made it “hard to keep telling myself that it’s real.”

Themes of expected results

Participants varied in their expectations regarding the consequences of participating in contact tracing. Several tested or answered phone calls to ensure they were receiving adequate social or medical support, even when asymptomatic. One participant tested out of curiosity, while others assumed their status was positive based on known exposures and chose not to test. Some participants said they took part in testing and tracing primarily to prevent transmission to others. In contrast, skepticism about the benefits of testing or fear of undesirable consequences (eg, mandatory isolation) reduced engagement.

Trust in authority theme

Trust in the healthcare system and guidelines motivated many to participate in contact tracing, while fears of misuse of data or mismanagement of medical care were barriers. Signs of disorganization in outreach efforts, such as duplicate calls, also diminished program credibility and led to customer frustration and mistrust. Several strategies (eg, a tracer capable of confirming a case’s date of birth, using caller ID) counteracted these tendencies and may have increased motivation to engage in contact tracing. While trust in health systems was often low, participants cited their pre-established relationships with known medical providers as reasons for engaging in contact tracing.

Theme of emotional responses

Many participants described feeling shocked or anxious after receiving a positive test result or notification of exposure, and others expected to be stigmatized by other members of the community. These emotions could distract participants on the contact tracing call, but tracers who communicated clearly and with empathy helped some stay calm. Others found the calls frustrating, especially when they were numerous, repeated, or timely. A participant “did not proceed with the call” because she received multiple calls from separate tracers due to an error in which she appeared in the database as multiple unique entries. Other emotions that affected participants during isolation/quarantine were loneliness and boredom. Coping strategies such as communicating electronically with family and friends and maintaining physical activity alleviated these feelings and made isolation/quarantine more tolerable.

You may have heard of metastatic breast cancer and not know how it differs from other forms of breast cancer. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, here’s a rundown of what you need to know.

Definition
Metastatic breast cancer, also called advanced or stage four cancer, is cancer that spreads beyond the breast and begins to grow in at least one other part of the body. Cancer cells found elsewhere in the body are the same as the original cancer.

How it spreads
All cancers can spread from one part of the body to another. However, metastatic cancer only describes solid tumors like breast, prostate and lung cancers. This term is not used for cancers that are already present at the time of diagnosis, such as leukemia and lymphoma. Breast cancer, for example, tends to spread to the bones.

However, not all cancers spread. Many factors, including how quickly the cancer grows, the size of the original tumor, and how long it has been in the body, may or may not make breast cancer metastatic. The effectiveness of treatment also affects breast cancer metastasis.

Visit nationalbreastcancer.org or contact a healthcare professional for more information.

Finding the perfect eyeliner is a process in itself, but when you add an element like wearing contact lenses, finding an eyeliner that doesn’t cause irritation (while still being able to meet your other expectations ) may seem like an impossible task. That’s why Elite Daily spoke to optometrist Jennifer Tsai, who says the best eyeliners for contact lens wearers are hypoallergenic and fragrance-free. “Eyeliners that contain natural, clean ingredients like vitamin E or jojoba oil are a plus,” Dr. Tsai adds of other features to look for. “Makeup, like mascara and eyeliner, is a common source of contact lens debris depositing,” says Dr. Tsai, explaining why you’ll want to be selective about your eyeliner (and any other eye makeup) in the first place. “Debris can often stick to the surface of contacts, which can lead to eye irritation,” she explains, adding that symptoms often include redness, blurred vision, and watery or light-sensitive eyes. “It can also lead to long-term loss of eyelashes and gland dysfunction, ultimately leading to dry eyes,” she continues. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you’re using the right type of eye makeup. More on this, to come.

The expert

Dr. Jennifer Tsai is a Manhattan-based optometrist and founder of Line Of Sight, where her professional services include everything from comprehensive eye exams and contact lens fittings to dry eye treatment. Dr. Tsai also founded and designed a line of eyewear, Carrot Eyewear.

What to avoid in an eyeliner if you wear contact lenses

Along with looking for hypoallergenic, fragrance-free eyeliners, Dr. Tsai shares several ingredients you’ll want to avoid, including parabens and phthalates. “If you can’t pronounce the ingredient, you probably don’t want to put it near your eye,” she says. “Some harmful ingredients can cause eye irritation, including petroleum, aluminum, talc, silicones and preservatives like benzalkonium chloride,” she adds.

You’ll also want to save waterproof formulas for special occasions only, as they tend to be more irritating than their non-waterproof counterparts. “Waterproof makeup is often difficult to remove and contains film-forming agents that can irritate the eyes,” says Dr. Tsai.

Optometrist-Approved Tips For Wearing Eye Makeup With Lenses

How (and where) you apply your eyeliner can also help minimize the risk of irritation if you wear contact lenses. First, Dr. Tsai says you’ll want to have single-use daily contacts, which should always be inserted before applying eye makeup. “When wearing eyeliner and contact lenses, you should refrain from applying the liner too close to your waterline,” Dr. Tsai says of a common cause of irritation. “This can cause makeup to spread into your eyes and get stuck in your lenses, causing irritation. Many don’t realize that the waterline is made up of meibomian glands, and makeup can clog these sebaceous glands, leading to dryness. eyes and styes.”

It’s also important that you carefully remove any eyeliner and makeup you’re wearing at the end of the day. Dr. Tsai recommends starting with an oil-based cleansing balm that will break down all your makeup: “Using a cleansing balm and massaging your closed eyelids is a great way to remove any oil-based makeup,” she says. , adding that anyone who wears false eyelashes could also benefit from using a tea tree mousse. After that, Dr. Tsai says an easy way to make sure all traces of makeup are removed is to saturate a cotton ball with micellar water and wipe it over your face.

Shop the best eyeliners for contact lens wearers

Press? Here are the best eyeliners for contact lens wearers:

1. Best liquid eyeliner for contact lens wearers: Honest Beauty Liquid Eyeliner
2. Best colored eye pencil for contact lens wearers: Almay All-Day Intense Gel Eyeliner
3. Best black eye pencil for contact lens wearers: L’Oreal Paris Infallible Never Fail Eyeliner
4. Best hydrating liquid eyeliner for contact lens wearers: W3LL People Fresh Lines Liquid Eyeliner
5. Best moisturizing eye pencil for contact lens wearers: Neutrogena Nourishing Eye Cream

1. Best liquid eyeliner

Dr. Tsai named it his favorite herbal eyeliner for contact lens wearers because it’s dermatologist-tested, ophthalmologist-tested, fragrance-free, and hypoallergenic. Honest Beauty Liquid Eyeliner is a classic black liquid eyeliner with a formula that resists smudges and flakes for up to 8 hours. The tip of the applicator is flexible and tapered to make precision lining even easier, and the lining is also cruelty-free and vegan.

Formula: Liquid Nourishing Ingredients: glycerine Available colors: 1 Raincoat: Nope

Relevant notice: “I love this eyeliner. It’s very precise and easy to apply. I’m very picky about my liquid eyeliners, and this is one of the best eyeliners I’ve ever had. [have] never used. It doesn’t flake off and it’s very comfortable for my eyes, especially since I wear contact lenses and have sensitive eyes.”

2. Best colored eye pencil

When you are in need of a waterproof formula, Almay’s All-Day Intense Gel Eyeliner gets Dr. Tsai’s choice for its formula suitable for sensitive skin. The sharpener gives you up to 24 hours of wear with a formula free from common irritants like parabens, phthalates, fragrances and mineral oils. The gel pencil has a creamy texture that deposits deeply pigmented color on your lids in one stroke (and without pulling hard). Although it’s waterproof, the eyeliner is ophthalmologist tested and hypoallergenic, so it’s less likely to cause sensitivity than your average waterproof formula.

Formula: gel pencil Nourishing Ingredients: Vitamin E Available colors: 5 Raincoat: Yes

Relevant notice: “Versatile eye pencil that’s fierce enough for bold looks, yet gentle enough for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. It is even suitable for use on the waterline! From the outside, this easy-to-use eyeliner looks like a regular eye makeup pencil; however, the color is as intense as a liquid liner, glides smoothly and effortlessly over lids without skipping or pulling, and dries instantly. […]”

3. Best Dark Eye Pencil

For a classic non-waterproof black pencil, L’Oreal’s Infallible Never Fail Eyeliner is an Amazon favorite with over 15,000 five-star ratings. Even though the eyeliner is formulated with multiple hydrating ingredients like vitamin E and sunflower seed oil, it promises to stay put without any fading or smudging for up to 16 hours. Plus, the mechanical eyeliner has a built-in sharpener to keep the tip extra sharp, and it features a smudger on the other side to help you master smoky looks.

Formula: Mechanical Pencil Nourishing Ingredients: Vitamin E, Hyaluronic Acid, Sunflower Oil Available colors: seven Raincoat: Nope

Relevant notice: “I’ve been using this eyeliner for over a year. As a contact lens wearer, I’m delighted that it doesn’t irritate my eyes and stays on all day. Looks natural and beats high end marks. range and more expensive. Nice color, too.”

4. Best hydrating liquid eyeliner

Dr. Tsai says the herbal ingredients included in this eyeliner, like sunflower seed oil, aloe vera, and rosemary leaf extract, make it a great hydrating and soothing option. Although it has mixed reviews on Amazon, W3LL People Fresh Lines Liquid Eyeliner is a waterproof and smudge-proof formula that uses a tapered, felt-tip brush to give you more control and precision during that you are working. The brand focuses on removing potential irritants from its products, so you can also rest assured that the vegan and cruelty-free eyeliner contains no parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, mineral oils or talc.

Formula: Liquid Nourishing Ingredients: Glycerin, vitamin E, sunflower seed oil, aloe vera, rosemary leaf extract Available colors: 1 Raincoat: Nope

Relevant notice: “My favorite eyeliner. An all-natural, water-resistant eyeliner that doesn’t irritate my eyes. Goes on smoothly and doesn’t smudge.”

5. Best Hydrating Eye Pencil

For those with fair hair and/or fair skin, brown eyeliner may be preferred as it is less harsh than black eyeliner. Neutrogena’s Nourishing Eye Liner comes with an ultra-precise tip to create the thinnest lines possible. To give the eyeliner a creamy texture and help hydrate the skin around your eyes, it contains nourishing ingredients that you would typically find in skincare products, such as hyaluronic acid, buttermilk capuaçu and vitamin E.

Formula: Mechanical Pencil Nourishing Ingredients: Olive Oil, Vitamin E, Capuaçu Butter, Hyaluronic Acid Available colors: 2 Raincoat: Nope

Relevant notice: “Great product for the price! Super soft (not crumbly) and soft, glides on smoothly, blends easily, great pigment, looks great and lasts all day […] It’s also easy to remove and doesn’t irritate my sensitive eyes.”

Expert:

Dr. Jennifer Tsai, Manhattan-based optometrist and founder of Line Of Sight.

Contact lenses are a great solution for those who need help with day-to-day vision but don’t like wearing glasses. Statistics show that last year in the UK and Ireland 8.95% of the population wore contact lenses, of which 5.2% wore daily disposable lenses. Although contact lenses are a popular choice for those who need extra help with their eyesight, they do require a good level of hygiene and maintenance to ensure you take care of your lenses as best you can. . Here are 4 tips for wearing contact lenses:

1. Properly store your contacts

If you wear contact lenses daily, you don’t have to worry about storing them properly since you throw them away after each wear. However, for other types of lenses, it is important to store them properly to keep them in good condition. It is important to remove your lenses carefully with clean hands to prevent conjunctivitis or other eye diseases, before cleaning them individually with lens solution. As simple as it sounds, remember to store the right lens in the right compartment, and the left in the other so you never mix up your lenses when you put them back in your eyes the next day.

2. Rinse your contacts thoroughly

It’s important to clean your contact lenses after wearing them after wearing them to remove any buildup that may have occurred during the day, such as wear from makeup or eye drops. Use your recommended contact lens solution to clean your lenses, being sure to refer to your contact lens solution’s instruction guide for how long you should soak your lenses. This guide will also tell you how often you should change the solution if you don’t wear your lenses daily. And remember, never use tap water in your case or on your contact lenses because the bacteria and germs in the water could easily cause a nasty eye infection…

3. Replace your contacts frequently

For those who wear daily contact lenses, it’s easy to remember to replace them at the end of each day. However, if you wear reusable lenses, it is also essential to ensure that you do not wear them too much and that you refresh them regularly. A good rule of thumb is to replace these lenses as often as your optometrist has advised, or when they start to look worn or don’t clean properly.

4. Have your eyes tested regularly

Even if you have no problems with your lenses, it is recommended that you schedule regular eye exams. Eye tests can help optometrists detect conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, which are important to identify and treat to prevent sight loss or poor vision . In addition to detecting eye conditions, regular eye exams can see if your prescription has changed and get new contact lenses accordingly. It’s worth seeing if you’re eligible for a free NHS eye test, but in general it’s a good idea to have your eyes tested every 2 years.

Whether you’re a first-time contact lens wearer or have been using contact lenses for years, these 4 tips will help you take care of your lenses (and your eyes) as best you can.

Tap water may seem very harmless to many of us, but one woman from New Mexico had a different experience.

Kyra Smith, a woman from Albuquerque, New Mexico, said her left eye went completely blind after the tap water she used to clean her contact lenses left her with an infection called keratitis. to acanthamoeba, which interrupted his sight. For six years, Smith had been an avid contact lens user, and it wasn’t unusual for her to reuse old lenses and wash them in contact solution every night, but something went horribly wrong. this time.

The 25 year old said that fateful day she had put her contacts on to go to work but noticed that there was a different feeling this time around.

“I had put my contacts on to go to work and I felt a popping sensation in my left eye but I didn’t think about it too much because it wasn’t painful, it was just kinda there. .” says Smith.

Smith said what started out as something seemingly insignificant later turned into a problem. “When I got home I took my contact lenses out and my eye was noticeably red but I had no pain or anything at the time. The next day I woke up and my eye was more red, and that night it was starting to hurt more, and that’s when I started to worry,” Smith said.

According to Smith, a dental office worker, she went to the eye doctor the next day, and although she was given eye drops, it didn’t help.

“I went back to the eye doctor, and he was looking at my eye through a microscope, and his exact words were ‘what is that? and that really scared me,” says Smith.

According to ophthalmologists, the tap water used by Smith may have caused bacteria to eat away at the cornea. During this time, doctors gave her strong medications, including antibiotics and antifungal drugs, to fight off the infection, to no avail. According to Smith, she is still blind in her left eye after a failed corneal transplant. The situation took a toll on her life, forcing her to quit her job and become largely dependent on her family. She hopes to undergo a second corneal transplant which will restore her sight.

Let this be a warning to all of us! Wash your hands and only use contact solution to clean your contacts.

Paige Thorne has revealed she is ‘back in touch’ with Love Island ex Jacques O’Neill, following her split from Adam Collard, while claiming there is more to the allegations than meets the eye cheating on him.

Welsh paramedic Paige and rugby player and Gemma Owen’s ex Jacques have bonded over her arrival as the first bombshell in the ITV show’s latest series. The two were named as potential favorites to win Love Island at one point, before things went downhill slightly and Jacques “betrayed” Paige by kissing another girl while she was at Casa Amor. Just as things seemed to be getting back on track, the apple cart was turned upside down when Adam walked into the villa, four years after he first appeared on the show.

Jacques left Love Island a day later, telling Paige he was leaving to become “a better person”, in hopes that they would have a future together. However, she wasted no time getting to know Adam better, with the two becoming an item and staying at the villa until the day before the finale, leaving the show in fifth place.

READ MORE : Charlotte Crosby ends Geordie Shore ‘feud’ with Chantelle Connelly

After leaving the villa, Adam and Paige appeared on Lorraine to confirm they were “official” after visiting each other’s hometown. However, after Adam was the subject of cheating rumors, which he denied, Paige deleted all traces of him from her Instagram grid, before the Newcastle gym owner announced he had quit when asked at the National Television Awards.

And now Paige, who has just filmed Britain Get Singing for ITV, has said she is speaking to Jacques again, coming clean while being a guest on the Saving Grace Podcast. She said, “There was a light touch, not lip contact. Let’s not forget how that boy made me at Casa. You don’t understand that anymore.”

Paige added: “Obviously we had a vibe in there. But we’ll just see where things go. I’m in no rush to be with other men in my life because men are garbage. .”

She admitted she had been through “time”, after her split with Adam, saying there was more than the video that made her hug a girl at a McDonald’s at a party. Paige explained, “It’s not just this video. There are other videos that people don’t know of different people, same night, different places.”

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CHRISTINE McGuinness has turned to her father, who is one of the nation’s oldest heroin addicts, for a shoulder to cry on after her split from Paddy McGuinness.

The TV star, 34, hasn’t been close to Johnny for many years as he struggled with drugs – but is now said to be ‘closer than ever’.

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Johnny was supposed to walk her down the aisle at her wedding to ex Paddy Guinness, but he didn’t show up that day, and he still hasn’t met Paddy or their three children – twins Leo and Penelope, eight years old and five years old – old Félicité.

However, sources say their relationship is better than ever since his split from Paddy and they are back in regular contact.

An insider said: “Christine has made no secret of how difficult her childhood was.

“It was very difficult for him to read his perspective on his addiction in his autobiography.

“She always felt like her dad chose drugs over her, but since splitting with Paddy, she’s reconnected with her dad.

“Christine has been visiting Blackpool a lot to see him and she’s also bonded with other family members, they’re closer than they’ve ever been.”

Christine has previously said that her problems started when she was just a one-year-old baby and after crawling on one of her needles as a child, her mother Joanne had her. left – moving away from Blackpool for Merseyside.

Growing up with her sister Billie-Jo, Christine witnessed her father’s addiction as a teenager, but understandably struggled to understand why he chose to use Class A drugs over being present in his life.

She wrote: “I saw my father inject heroin. As a teenager, I struggled with his addiction. I blamed myself. When I became a mother. I kept thinking about how he chose drugs over his own children.

“But as I got older, I realized it wasn’t such an easy choice for him. Addiction is a disease. »

Sadly, 30 years into his battle with addiction, she said she doubts he could ever come clean for good.

Writing in her autobiography, A Beautiful Nightmare, Christine said: ‘He is one of the oldest recorded heroin addicts in the country and he is prolific around Blackpool.

“Honestly, I don’t know how he went on. He’s been in and out of the hospital so many times. Many times the doctors called us and said, “We don’t think he’s going to make it. There it is now.

“I would say, ‘He looks like a skeleton. Looks like he’s going to die!’ And then he will come out, strong as an ox. He is like a cat with nine lives. He gets up and goes and did it for over 30 years as a drug addict.

She also revealed that doctors had previously warned that they thought they would have to amputate Johnny’s legs due to the number of holes and abscesses in them – caused by the injection of unsanitary needles.

“I remember a time when we thought he was going to die and we went to see him in the hospital,” she wrote.

“He looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘Christine, if I die, I’ll die happy. I had a good life. I like what I do. I like it. It feels good.”

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Oct. 19, 2022 — A California ophthalmologist is urging people to be more vigilant when wearing contact lenses after removing 23 contact lenses from a patient’s eye.

In a video posted on Instagram, ophthalmologist Katerina Kurteeva, MD, is shown removing contact lenses from a woman’s eye.

“Don’t sleep with your contact lenses on!” she warned.

“They were basically stuck together after sitting under the eyelid for a month,” Kurteeva said in the post.

The patient is well and wishes to continue wearing contact lenses, the doctor told the Los Angeles affiliate ABC Newsnoting that the patient did not know how she could have forgotten to remove her lenses.

About 45 million Americans wear contact lenses, According to the CDC. The use of contact lenses increases the risk of infections such as microbial keratitis. In severe cases, microbial keratitis can lead to blindness or require a corneal transplant.

Kurteeva told Los Angeles TV that the cornea becomes desensitized after years of wearing contact lenses.

“It’s basically a protective feature because otherwise you’d be really bothered with everyday contact lens wear. After all, it’s a foreign body in your eye,” she said. “So when the cornea loses sensitivity, it’s kind of an adjustment, but at the same time you don’t feel as clearly that something is really wrong.”

Kurteeva encouraged people who wear contact lenses to follow safety practices such as safe handling and storage procedures.

Learn more about contact lens safety from the FDA.

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) are advising people to avoid contacting Stafford Pond in Tiverton near the boat launch off Stafford Pond Road (aka Route 81) due to a bloom of blue algae (or cyanobacteria). Blue algae can produce toxins that can harm humans and animals. RIDOH State Laboratory detected high concentrations of cyanobacteria cells in water collected by DEM at the boat launch.

People should be careful not to ingest untreated water or eat fish from the pond. All recreation, including fishing, boating, and kayaking, should be avoided. Animals likely to ingest pond water are particularly exposed to algal toxins. Owners should therefore not allow pets to drink or swim in the water. The advisory will remain in effect until further notice.

Stafford Pond is a source of drinking water maintained by the Stonebridge Fire District. Even when a cyanobacterial bloom is present in a pond, the treated water that the Stonebridge Fire District distributes to homes is safe. Stonebridge Fire District follows all state and federal drinking water testing and monitoring requirements to ensure treatment processes are operating properly and water is potable, including state regulations required for cyanobacteria. It is not recommended to drink untreated water from any pond at any time.

Skin contact with water containing blue-green algae often causes irritation of the skin, nose, eyes and/or throat. Common health effects associated with ingesting water containing algal toxins include stomach upset, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. Rarer health effects include dizziness, headache, fever, liver damage, and nervous system damage. Young children and pets are particularly at risk for the health effects associated with algal toxins. People who have been in contact with pond water and experience these symptoms should contact their health care provider.

If you come into contact with water, rinse your skin with clean water as soon as possible and when you get home, take a shower and wash your clothes. Likewise, if your pet comes into contact with water, wash it immediately with clear water. Do not let the animal lick its fur. Call a veterinarian if your pet shows symptoms of blue-green algae poisoning, including loss of energy, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, or any unexplained illness that occurs about a day after being in contact with water. People are being warned that the toxins can linger in the water after the blue-green algae bloom is gone.

Blue-green algae blooms can also affect other bodies of water in Rhode Island. People are advised to avoid contact with bodies of water that exhibit bright green coloration in the water or on the water surface and/or dense mats of floating algae that form on the surface some water. The water may look like green paint, thick pea soup, or green cottage cheese.

For more information and a list of current and historical advisories, go to www.dem.ri.gov/bluegreen Please send reports of suspected blue-green algal blooms, along with photographs, if possible to DEM .OWRCyano@dem.ri.gov .

Doing the laundry is one of life’s tedious but necessary tasks. His reward is an empty basket and the smell of fresh, clean clothes. However, if you have sensitive skin, doing the laundry can be more than boring; it can also be painful. This is because many detergents contain harsh chemicals that cause people with certain allergies to get a bumpy neon red rash. Known as contact dermatitis, this inflammation of the skin can take you from cool and clean to itchy and uncomfortable before you realize it’s happening.

According to research, contact dermatitis from laundry detergent is rare. That said, detergents with harsh chemicals do your skin a disservice. We spoke to Todd Minars, MD, board-certified dermatologist and owner of Minars Dermatology, to learn more about the role detergent may play in the development of this rash.

Understanding Contact Dermatitis

“The two main types of contact dermatitis are irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis,” says Dr. Minars, “and they behave very differently.” Irritant contact dermatitis is not specific to one person. Chemicals defined as “irritants” will, given enough time and exposure, affect most people. The difference is the threshold. A person with sensitive skin will likely be less exposed to the irritant and may have a more severe reaction than someone with less sensitive skin.

Allergic contact dermatitis, on the other hand, only occurs in people who show an immunological response — usually a red, itchy rash — to a particular allergen. A person who is not allergic can be exposed to the allergen and never have a reaction.

How laundry detergent could trigger a rash

Conversations about harsh chemicals in laundry detergents involve irritant contact dermatitis. However, Dr. Minars says most of the detergent reactions he sees are allergic. After washing and rinsing your clothes, there is very little detergent left. That’s why, he notes, only the most sensitive skin gets irritated. But, if you have an allergy, there is enough detergent residue to trigger an immune response.

A word of caution: washing clothes by hand with detergent involves direct exposure of the skin to the detergent, which box cause an irritant reaction (even if you are not allergic).

Cory Gaskins, BSc, MD, CCFP, director of aesthetic medicine and dermatology at Skin CV, lists three laundry detergent ingredients that can lead to contact dermatitis:

• Benzisothiazolinone (BIT)
• Methylisothiazolinone (MI)
• Octylisothiazolinone (OIT)

Getting to the root of allergic contact dermatitis

“Allergic contact dermatitis due to laundry detergent can be difficult to diagnose,” says Dr. Minars. Indeed, almost all skin reactions are the same: an itchy red rash. Of course, the use of a new detergent is an important clue. An indication of a possible detergent allergy is a generalized rash that mirrors the points of contact between your clothes and your skin, with a particularly severe rash at the “friction points” where your clothes not only touch your skin, but rub against her. Watch your wrists if you’re wearing long sleeves; your back if you sit in a chair most of the day; your shoulders if you’re carrying a backpack.

The armpits are another place where your skin rubs against your clothes (but not the “arch” of your armpits). “When I see a red, itchy rash around the periphery of the armpits that spares the arch,” says Dr. Minars, “laundry detergent allergic contact dermatitis comes to mind.”

The definitive test for any diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis is patch testing. This, however, has its own challenges. First, it can be difficult to find a doctor who performs patch testing. (Consult the American Contact Dermatitis Society website for a list of patch testers by region). Second, the test itself requires multiple visits to the doctor, which involves wearing itchy patches on your back for several days and making sure they don’t fall off. Dr. Minars says he often asks patients to switch detergents to something like All Free Clear or Tide Free before patch testing, to see if that fixes the problem.

Another tricky part is that changing laundry detergent can take several weeks to show results. Indeed, several washing cycles may be necessary for the initial allergen to be completely eliminated from clothes and machines.

Other ways to prevent detergent from damaging skin and clothes

Zack Kutchma, associate brand manager at Swash Laundry Detergent, explains that choosing a detergent depends on factors such as average load size, different types of stains and hard water. To accommodate sensitive skin, Kutchma advises using a phosphate-free detergent like Swash (Buy on Amazon, $17.99), which is also formulated to fight stains without harsh chemicals. Then, he suggests these laundry care tips:

• Less is more when it comes to detergent. Using too much detergent can reduce your washer’s ability to properly rinse your clothes. This causes detergent buildup on clothes and can lead to contact dermatitis. (To note(See your washer manual or manufacturer’s website for the amount of detergent to use per load.)
• Take good care of your clothes. Frequent washing helps reduce allergens and proper washing limits snags and fabric damage that can irritate the skin. Follow the care symbols on your clothes for advice on water temperature, drying, ironing, and more.
• Wash and dry your sheets frequently. Drying your sheets thoroughly is crucial as it helps kill dust mites that can cause skin allergies. Using the steam and heat settings or ironing your linens can further remove allergens.
• Do not overload the machine. Knocking out an entire load in one cycle sounds great in theory, but your clothes need to circulate inside the machine to get sufficiently cleaned. Instead of filling it all up, separate them into smaller loads and use a concentrated detergent.

One last word

Clean clothes don’t have to come at the expense of your skin. To avoid contact dermatitis, choose a detergent free of harmful chemicals, wash small to medium loads, and avoid using too much cleaner in each cycle.

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