Uwe Schmidt, CC BY-SA 4.0
What has leathery wings and needle-sharp teeth, feeds at night, and drinks blood?
<p>Vampire bats!</p>
<iframe style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/11472086/height/45/theme/standard/thumbnail/yes/direction/backward/" height="45" width="100%" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe><p>Vampire bats are native to South and Central America and Mexico. They like warm, humid areas and struggle if temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.</p><p>But winters are getting warmer as the climate changes, so the bats may move north, even going as far as Florida or southern Texas.</p>
<p>"What people are most concerned about with vampire bats is them feeding on livestock and then passing rabies virus," says bat ecologist Mark Hayes.</p><p>Using climate data and records of bat sightings, he worked with USDA researchers to model where the bats might show up over the next 50 years.</p><p>Natural resource managers can then use those maps to identify areas where they should monitor livestock.</p><p>"For example, the USDA has personnel who look at cattle that are brought together in lots, feed lots and so forth," Hayes says, "and evaluate them very quickly for potential vampire bat bites."</p><p>Because the threat is real, not just a spooky Halloween tale.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from our media partner <a href="https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2019/10/as-the-climate-warms-vampire-bats-could-expand-their-range-into-the-u-s/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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The Scariest Part of Halloween May Be Costume Contact Lenses, an Eye Doctor Says
28 October 2019
Insights + Opinion
KathyDewar / iStock / Getty Images
Your appearance won't be the only frightening thing about wearing costume contact lenses this Halloween. Your eyes might look like a lizard's for an evening, but the risk of permanent vision loss may not be worth the temporary thrill.
<p>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 40 million, or about one in six, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/MMWr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6432a2.htm" target="_blank">Americans wear contact lenses</a>. It is difficult to estimate how many revelers wear costume contact lenses, but the number surely surges around Halloween. It is my experience that the demand for these lenses is highest in young people, the same demographic that is at the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20729772" target="_blank">highest risk</a> for experiencing infectious and inflammatory complications from their contact lenses.</p><p>As an optometrist on staff at a Central Ohio <a href="https://www.nweye.com/doctors.html" target="_blank">private practice</a> and on faculty at The Ohio State University <a href="https://optometry.osu.edu/directory/faculty/phillip-yuhas" target="_blank">College of Optometry</a>, I frequently work with patients who wear contact lenses. Most of them do not realize that the Food and Drug Administration classifies all contact lenses as either Class II or Class III <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/consumer-products/contact-lenses" target="_blank">medical devices</a>. That means that contact lenses are medical devices that pose at least a moderate risk to health when used without the appropriate oversight from an eye doctor.</p>
<p class=""><em><em>Reposted with permission from our media partner <a href="http://theconversation.com/the-scariest-part-of-halloween-may-be-costume-contact-lenses-an-eye-doctor-says-125289" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em><br/></em></p>
Fungi, Infections and Parasites … Oh My
<p>All contact lenses have the potential to cause serious complications in the eye. Contact lens wearers are at a higher risk than nonwearers for eye infections from <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/contactlenses/bacterial-keratitis.htm" target="_blank">bacteria</a>, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/contactlenses/fungal-keratitis.html" target="_blank">fungi</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/contactlenses/parasitic-keratitis.html" target="_blank">parasites</a>. An infection from one of these microscopic organisms can rob you of your central vision.</p><p>Also remember that a contact lens is a piece of plastic that covers the eye and can prevent oxygen from reaching its front surface. New blood vessel growth, redness, watering and pain are all signs and symptoms that an eye is <a href="https://www.reviewsce.com/ce/contact-lens-associated-red-eye" target="_blank">starved for oxygen</a>.</p><p>Most contact lenses are generally safe for patients who wear them in adherence with instructions from their eye doctor. The problem is that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3223553/" target="_blank">many patients are not adherent</a>, displaying at least one high-risk contact lens behavior, research has shown. Although there is no comprehensive study on the issue, eye doctors hear plenty of <a href="https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/julian-hamlin-costume-contacts-blinded" target="_blank">anecdotal evidence</a> that risky behaviors increase in patients wearing costume contact lenses.</p><p>Of those risky behaviors, sleeping in your contact lenses is perhaps the most dangerous. In fact, it puts you at a high risk of getting an <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3272197/" target="_blank">infection in your cornea</a>, the clear dome that covers the front of the eye.</p><p>It is not hard to think of reasons why patients may be tempted to sleep in their costume contact lenses. First, they likely think of their contact lenses as cosmetic accessories, not durable medical devices. Second, they might not wear contact lenses outside of Halloween time and are therefore unaware of the risks associated with contact lens misuse. Finally, an adult beverage or two probably distorts the decision-making processes of otherwise compliant contact lens wearers. They just want to get to bed – removing their contact lenses can wait for tomorrow!</p><p>Decorative contact lenses are also risky because they might not fit your eye as they should. Contact lenses are not one-size-fits-all. They come in different materials, shapes and sizes. Only with the help of your eye doctor can you determine if a contact lens is healthy for your eye. This is the reason that the sale of nonprescription costume contact lenses is <a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/colored-and-decorative-contact-lenses-prescription-must" target="_blank">illegal in the United States</a>. Poorly fitting costume contact lenses can cause many <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11352451" target="_blank">eye problems</a>, including surface abrasions, allergic reactions and blurred vision.</p>But Go Ahead … Live a Little, With a Doctor’s Help
<p>Still, costume contact lenses can be a safe, fun way to spice up your Halloween ensemble.</p><p>The process begins with a comprehensive eye examination by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. After ensuring that your eyes are healthy and that you are seeing well, your doctor will fit you in contact lenses that are safe for you to wear. You will also receive instructions on how to clean and handle your lenses and on how long you can wear them. At the end of the exam, your doctor will give you a prescription for the contact lenses. Now you're ready to go.</p><p>Use this prescription to purchase your lenses through a trusted vendor, such as your local optical shop. While buying costume contact lenses online is certainly convenient, you need to know that online retailers of costume contact lenses may be unregulated and may provide you with a lens that is dangerous to wear. Remember, the FDA requires that a prescription accompany all purchases of costume contact lenses. Any website selling these lenses without a prescription is breaking the law, and the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/report-problem/reporting-unlawful-sales-medical-products-internet" target="_blank">FDA wants to know about it</a>.</p><p>If you decide to wear costume contact lenses this Halloween, you need to be aware of symptoms that might indicate that your lenses are causing a problem. Red eyes, blurred vision, pain and light sensitivity are all possible indicators of potentially serious contact lens complications.</p><p>If you experience any one of these symptoms, remove your contact lenses immediately and then call your local optometrist or ophthalmologist for further instruction. Most episodes of complications can be effectively treated with prescription <a href="https://www.aaojournal.org/article/S0161-6420(16)32529-5/fulltext" target="_blank">eye drops</a>. But it's best to avoid all instances of contact lens complications, because some can lead to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11900321" target="_blank">blindness</a>.</p><p>Remember, although they are an exciting accessory, costume contact lenses are not toys. Serious, vision-threatening consequences can follow even one night of mishandling or sleeping in costume contact lenses. If you want to wear them, be sure you visit your eye doctor for a prescription and avoid online retailers that do not require a prescription.</p><p>As for me, I will stick with my clear prescription contact lenses this Halloween. Donning pointy ears and long whiskers will make me look like a cat, plenty enough.</p>From Your Site Articles
- Contact Lenses Add to Earth's Microplastic Crisis - EcoWatch ›
- 17 Healthy and Delicious Alternatives to Candy - EcoWatch ›
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10 Healthy-ish Halloween Treats That Won’t Make Your Kids Roll Their Eyes ... Much
27 October 2018
Food
svetikd / E+ / Getty Images
By Dawn Undurraga, Nutritionist and Nicole Ferox, Manager Foundations Relations and Sydney Swanson, Associate Database Analyst
Parents are trapped in the Halloween guilt vortex: going full-scale green mom, handing out whole walnuts or pennies or dental floss to avoid loading kids with sugar and additives but thereby making their kids cringe and giving them stories to stockpile about their ridiculous hippie childhood.
<p>Or, alternatively, buying the convenient and cost-effective jumbo-size bags of candy and bars packaged and placed at aisle-end every October, adding to the overall crap-ton levels of sugar, GMO ingredients, pesticides, artificial colors and flavors consumed by the children in their neighborhood on Nov. 1.</p><p>And then there's the plastic and waste.</p><p>Guilt. Everywhere.</p><p>Most kids want to participate in the full Halloween experience of bright colors and sugar and gluttony and Butterfingers for breakfast. And most of us are going to let them do that—to a degree.</p><p>But, given our unique resources at the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/" target="_blank">Environmental Working Group</a> (EWG)—the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/foodscores" target="_blank">Food Scores</a> database, which rates thousands of food items based on nutrition, ingredient hazards and degree of processing; scientific expertise in GMOs, pesticides, food colors and flavors; and EWG nutritionist and mom Dawn Undurraga—we wanted to give you some ideas (beyond whole walnuts, pennies and dental floss) to help you shop a little smarter and a little healthier this year. And maybe stay out of the guilt vortex.</p><p>To help us solve this problem, EWG's database analyst, Sydney Swanson, scoured our Food Scores database for candy and snacks that are USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified; use natural flavors and colors; are allergen safe; and/or are relatively low in sugar.</p><h2>EWG's Top 10 Healthy-ish Halloween Treats</h2><p><strong>Dawn's Pick in Order:</strong></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">1. <a href="https://www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/22288/10-healthy-ish-halloween-treats-won-t-make-your-kids-roll-their-eyes-much#1" target="_blank">Skinny Dipped Almonds Mini Pack</a> – or other chocolate-covered almonds</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">2. <a href="https://www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/22288/10-healthy-ish-halloween-treats-won-t-make-your-kids-roll-their-eyes-much#2" target="_blank">Skinny Pop Halloween Multipack</a></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">3. <a href="https://www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/22288/10-healthy-ish-halloween-treats-won-t-make-your-kids-roll-their-eyes-much#3" target="_blank">Organic OCHO Coconut Minis</a></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">4. <a href="https://www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/22288/10-healthy-ish-halloween-treats-won-t-make-your-kids-roll-their-eyes-much#4" target="_blank">Organic appleapple Gogo squeeZ Applesauce Pouches</a></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">5. <a href="https://www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/22288/10-healthy-ish-halloween-treats-won-t-make-your-kids-roll-their-eyes-much#5" target="_blank">Black Forest Organic Gummy Bears</a></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">6. <a href="https://www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/22288/10-healthy-ish-halloween-treats-won-t-make-your-kids-roll-their-eyes-much#6" target="_blank">Wholesome Organic Skull & Ghost Lollipops</a></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">7. <a href="https://www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/22288/10-healthy-ish-halloween-treats-won-t-make-your-kids-roll-their-eyes-much#7" target="_blank">Annie's Organic Bunnies & Bats Fruit Snacks</a></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">8. <a href="https://www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/22288/10-healthy-ish-halloween-treats-won-t-make-your-kids-roll-their-eyes-much#8" target="_blank">Sensible Portions Garden Veggie Chips Ghosts & Bats</a></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">9. <a href="https://www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/22288/10-healthy-ish-halloween-treats-won-t-make-your-kids-roll-their-eyes-much#9" target="_blank">Snyder's Halloween Mini Pretzels</a></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">10. <a href="https://www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/22288/10-healthy-ish-halloween-treats-won-t-make-your-kids-roll-their-eyes-much#10" target="_blank">Surf Sweets: Organic Spooky Shapes</a></p><h3>1. Skinny Dipped Almonds Mini Pack – or other chocolate-covered almonds</h3>
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<p>Chocolate-covered almonds have the greatest nutritional value on this list, with fiber and healthy fat to help kids feel full (and maybe eat less candy). However, they are by far the most expensive, and since it's a tree nut, almonds are obviously not allergy friendly.<br></p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>No artificial flavors</li><li>No artificial colors</li><li>No ingredients listed in EWG's Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives</li><li>Gluten free</li><li>Non-GMO Project Verified</li></ul><p>Allergy info: According to ingredients on product page, contains dairy, soy and tree nuts</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>1 gram fiber</li><li>15 percent sugar</li></ul><h3>2. Skinny Pop Halloween Multipack</h3>
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<p>Popcorn helps kids feel full and eat less.<br></p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>No artificial flavors</li><li>No artificial colors</li><li>No ingredients listed in EWG's Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives</li><li>Gluten free</li><li>Non-GMO Project Verified</li></ul><p>Allergy info: According to Google Express, "Certified gluten-free … Dairy free. Peanut free. Tree nut free. Preservative free. No artificial flavors."</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>Whole grain!</li><li>0 percent sugar</li></ul><h3>3. Organic OCHO Coconut Minis</h3>
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<p>If only candy will do, Dawn recommends these dark chocolate bars filled with coconut because of their relatively low sugar content – 34 percent. Note that these are not allergy friendly.<br></p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>No artificial flavors</li><li>No artificial colors</li><li>No ingredients listed in EWG's Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives</li><li>Gluten free</li><li>Certified organic by USDA and California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF)</li><li>Certified non-GMO by CCOF</li></ul><p>Allergy info: contains soy</p><p>Contains: According to Ocho coconut minis product page "Contains: Tree nuts. Made on shared equipment that processes peanuts, tree nuts, milk and eggs" </p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>34 percent sugar</li></ul><h3>4. Organic appleapple Gogo squeeZ applesauce pouches</h3>
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<p>Why do kids love these so much? I don't know, but they do. My kids would suck down all 48 pouches in the bulk pack if I let them. So this non-candy, all-fruit option might be a huge win at your house. The non-recyclable plastic containers and high price are a con, however.<br></p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>No artificial flavors</li><li>No artificial colors</li><li>No ingredients listed in EWG's Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives</li><li>USDA Organic Certified</li><li>Non-GMO Project Verified</li><li>Gluten free</li></ul><p>Allergy info, according to GoGo squeeZ FAQs: "All GoGo squeeZ applesauce products are free of the top 8 allergens: egg, dairy, wheat, tree nuts, seafood, shellfish, peanut, or soy. GoGo squeeZ applesauce products are made in a facility that is also free of these noted allergens."</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>100 percent fruit</li><li>14 percent sugar</li></ul><h3>5. Black Forest Organic Gummy Bears</h3>
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<p>These gummy bears might pass your kid's sniff test as "real" candy, but they're made with better ingredients than conventional brands. And as far as organic candy goes, they aren't crazy expensive.<br></p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>No artificial flavors</li><li>No artificial colors</li><li>No ingredients listed in EWG's Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives</li><li>USDA Organic Certified</li><li>Gluten free</li></ul><p>Allergy info according to Black Forest Organic Gummy Bears product page: "Some [products] are free from some or all of the "Big 8" allergens but others are not. So please refer to your product packaging, as it contains the most current ingredient and allergen statements."</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>47 percent sugar</li></ul><h3>6. Wholesome Organic Skull & Ghost Lollipops</h3>
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<p>These spooky lollipops are another Halloween candy option, as the trick-or-treaters will not gobble them down as quickly as other alternatives.<br></p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>No artificial flavors</li><li>No artificial colors</li><li>USDA Organic Certified</li><li>Non-GMO Project Verified</li><li>Gluten free</li></ul><p>Allergy info according to Wholesome Candy FAQs: "Produced on dedicated nut-free, gluten-free, egg-free and dairy-free equipment in a segregated area of a facility that also processes dairy, eggs, soy, and wheat."</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>57 percent sugar</li></ul><h3>7. Annie's Organic Bunnies & Bats Fruit Snacks</h3>
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<p>These aren't the most exciting thing to be found in a plastic pumpkin, but who doesn't love Annie's?<br></p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>No artificial flavors</li><li>No artificial colors</li><li>USDA Organic Certified</li><li>Non-GMO Project Verified</li><li>48 percent sugar</li></ul><h3>8. Sensible Portions Garden Veggie Chips Ghosts & Bats</h3>
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<p>Ok, these might make your kids roll their eyes. But maybe they like to think outside the box! Maybe they love chips! These chips are shaped like ghosts and bats, for goodness' sake! Run this past your kids and see what they think. (However, note that, with zero fiber, these are still empty calories, just like any other chip.)<br></p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>No artificial flavors</li><li>No artificial colors</li><li>No ingredients listed in EWG's Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives</li><li>Gluten free</li><li>Non-GMO (according to their website, though not verified)</li></ul><p>Allergy info according to Sensible Portions FAQs: "While our products do not contain nut ingredients, we cannot guarantee that our facility is nut-free. Our manufacturing facilities follow rigid allergen control programs and good manufacturing practices to prevent products coming into contact with allergens."</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>Less than 1 percent sugar</li></ul><h3>9. Snyder's Halloween Mini Pretzels</h3>
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<p>Another non-candy option, these pretzels have zero sugar and no artificial flavors or colors. But they don't have whole-grain fiber, either.<br></p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>No artificial flavors</li><li>No artificial colors</li><li>No ingredients listed in EWG's Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives</li><li>Non-GMO Project Verified</li></ul><p>Allergy info: According to product page on Target: "Contains: Wheat. Does not contain any of the 8 major allergens"</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>0 percent sugar</li></ul><h3>10. Surf Sweets: Organic Spooky Shapes</h3>
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<p>Surf Sweets (part of the Wholesome brand of foods) makes a gummy option perfectly packaged for Halloween<br></p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>No artificial flavors</li><li>No artificial colors</li><li>USDA Organic Certified</li><li>Non-GMO Project Verified</li></ul><p>Allergy info according to Surf Sweets FAQs: "Made and packaged in a facility free of the 10 most common food allergens, including dairy/casein, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, sesame and sulfites"</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>57 percent sugar</li></ul>
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