One hundred and forty three million pounds of beef was put on hold at the end of January as the U.S. Department of Agriculture decided what to do about it. In the end, they recalled it. That’s not before countless numbers of Americans were already exposed to the potentially harmful meat, however, in the form of hamburgers, sloppy joes and school lunches.

We’re barely halfway through February, and already there have been five children’s products recalled because of excessive lead levels. In January, there were 11. Here is a list of the 2008 recalls so far, complete with manufacturer contact info and identifying pictures. E-mail it to friends and family and get the word out there!

Yet another children’s product, A Life of Faith Charm Bracelet Sets, is being recalled because it violates lead paint standards. The bracelets, like many other products that contain excessive levels of lead, were manufactured in China.

The latest in the worrisome saga of lead contamination in Chinese-manufactured children’s toys continues with this most recent development. Tricam Industries voluntarily recalled its toy wagons on Jan. 3 after discovering that surface paint on the children’s toys contains harmful amounts of lead.

Explanation and Causes: Around the heart and the major blood vessels of the heart is a sac called the pericardial sac. Pericarditis is when this sac becomes inflamed and starts to swell. This presents problems for normal beating of the heart and irritation of the heart tissue due to the rubbing of the sac against [...]

Explanation and Causes: Pancreatitis can come in two forms. It can be diagnosed as chronic or acute. Acute usually results from a one time injury or illness while chronic stems from a constant irritant that irreparably damages the pancreas. Smoking or alcohol would constitute cause of chronic pancreatitis. The pancreas is located directly behind the [...]

Explanation and Causes: Tetanus is caused by bacterial toxins that cause severe muscle spasms. The nerves of the muscular system are the primary target. These muscle spasms can make it very difficult to swallow or even breathe. The bacteria grow and multiply the best in non-oxygen conditions such as in a deep, dirty cut or [...]

Explanation and Causes: Heat stroke sets in after a less serious illness called heat exhaustion. Because heat exhaustion is a precursor to heat stroke, it should be taken just as seriously. Heat stroke happens as a result of the body not being able to cool itself through its regular mechanisms of sweating and re-hydration. In [...]

Explanation and Causes: This disease occurs when toxins produced from bacteria become so prevalent in the body, they elicit a massive immune response. When such an immune response takes place, it begins to destroy the bacteria as well as bacteria that we depend on in the gut. This immune response also starts to destroy the [...]

Explanation and Causes: As red blood cells are produced everyday so to are they being processed to be either recycled or destroyed and excreted. The process by which the old red blood cells are processed all happens in the liver. Jaundice occurs when old red blood cells cannot be processed and they build up in [...]