Does Dropping Barometric Pressure Make Your Nose Run?
I’m asking this question as my nose is running and the pressure is dropping for tomorrow’s rain.
Google AI told me this.
Yes, a drop in barometric pressure can make your nose run, as it can cause sensitive nerve endings in your nasal passages to react, leading to swelling of the blood vessels. This can result in congestion, a runny nose, and post-nasal drip.
How it happens: When the atmospheric pressure changes, the pressure in your sinuses no longer matches the pressure outside your body. This difference can trigger a reaction in the nasal passages.
Nasal response: The nasal tissues may swell and sinus drainage ducts can become blocked in an attempt to equalize the pressure. This irritation can lead to symptoms like a runny or stuffy nose.
Other factors: This reaction is often more pronounced when barometric pressure changes are sudden or combined with other weather changes, such as rapid shifts in temperature or humidity.
My left eye is also painful.
I also should note, that a very experiences eye surgeon once told me, that I had the driest eyes he’d ever seen.
45 schools Benefit From Rail Safety Resources Supported By Lumo And Hull Trains
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Shields Gazette.
This is the sub-heading.
The UK’s leading open access rail operators, Lumo and Hull Trains, are celebrating supporting the delivery of vital rail safety resources to 45 schools across the UK over the past year.
These three paragraphs add more detail.
In association with the Rail Safe Friendly Programme, the operators’ involvement has led to a social value impact of over £724,000, directly educating thousands of young people.
The programme is dedicated to spreading the vital message of rail safety among young people, educators and parents in schools across the UK. Lumo and Hull Trains have supported the important initiative for the past two years, with their support renewed for a third.
As part of the partnership, Lumo took over the Metrocentre’s ‘mini express train’ to highlight the issue of rail safety to families and children visiting the shopping centre during the school holidays in 2024. The project secured industry recognition at the recent Corporate Engagement Awards.
It’s not just in the UK, that this type of excellent engagement is being setup.
This train is the world’s first hydrogen-powered train to enter passenger service, between Hamburg and Cuxhaven in Germany.
When I rode the train, a German schoolboy told me, that their school had given them safety lessons about hydrogen.
Does Uncomplicated Pancolonic Diverticular Disease Affect Races Differently?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and received this answer.
Yes, there are some differences in how uncomplicated diverticular disease affects different racial groups, particularly regarding the location of diverticula and the prevalence of the disease, though the picture is complex and influenced by environmental factors like diet. While Western populations tend to have left-sided diverticula, Asian populations show a higher prevalence of right-sided diverticula. Black populations also show a tendency for proximal (right-sided) diverticula, though their overall disease prevalence can differ from White populations.
The source used by Google AI is this paper on the National Library of Medicine, which is entitled Sex And Race Disparities In Diverticulosis Prevalence.
There Are Lies, Damned Lies And Trumpkopf’s Medical Statistics
With apologies to Benjamin Disraeli and/or Mark Twain
E-Bike Injuries Are A Massive Burden, Say Surgeons
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
We’re in the morning meeting on the orthopaedics trauma ward on the 10th floor at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel.
These three introductory paragraphs add more detail.
Like every morning, the team are here to talk through the cases that will face them in the day ahead, and a familiar theme pops up.
From one side of the room a surgeon talks about his patient: “A 32-year-old, fit and well student… a couple of days ago he fell off an e-bike sustaining a closed left tibial plateau fracture.”
And a few moments later a voice next to us describes another case: “Six-year-old girl, she was hit by an electric bike, she has a closed tib/fib fracture.”
There is a lot more like this in the article.
The introduction of e-Bikes into London has been like the Wild West, with no suitable regulation and a powerless and afraid to act Police force.
Cycling and e-bikes in particular are going to be a big issue in the next London elections in May 2026.
Vape Ban Isn’t Working, Says Waste Firm Boss
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
The ban on disposable vapes is failing to stop millions being thrown away incorrectly, and the devices are still causing chaos for the waste industry, a boss at a leading firm has said.
These three introductory paragraphs add more detail.
“We’re seeing more vapes in our system, causing more problems, more fires than ever before,” said Roger Wright, the strategy and packaging manager at Biffa.
Vape firms have launched cheap reusable devices, so instead of refilling and recycling them, people were binning them and buying more, he said.
A spokesperson for the vape industry said the June ban had been a success, and any rise in devices being thrown away was likely due to black market trade.
It looks to me, that the government didn’t get the legislation right.
Are Disposable Vapes Available On The Internet?
To find the BBC story, I typed “Disposable Vapes” into Google.
I found headlines like these.
- Cheap Disposable Vapes | From 50p | Free Delivery
- Disposable Vapes – Multi-Buys & Free Next Day Delivery
- Legal Big Puff Disposable Vapes on Sale in the UK
Why aren’t these adverts being taken down?
Almost One Million Smokers Are Too Ill To Work
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
Smokers are three times more likely than non-smokers to be out of work owing to poor health, and numbers are rising fast
These three paragraphs give more details.
Nearly a million people who smoke in England are out of work due to illness, research has found, with the figure rising by nearly 80 per cent in the past decade.
As a proportion, almost three times as many working-age smokers compared with non-smokers were out of work due to ill health, with 11.3 per cent of smokers and 3.3 per cent of non-smokers not working for health reasons.
As of March, more than a fifth of UK working-age adults were not in work, with 8.7 million having a condition that limited their ability to sustain employment.
As the research comes from University College London, I think we can be sure, it has been properly peer-reviewed.
Nigel Farage
You rarely see NF without a cigarette in his hand.
That would not be the sort of image, I would want in my representative or heaven help me, my Prime Minister.
NF is the Member of Parliament for Clacton.
This paragraph is from the Wikipedia entry for Clacton-on-Sea.
As common with many English seaside towns, unemployment has remained stubbornly high in Clacton.[14] In 2023, Clacton won a £20 million government levelling-up grant to improve the town centre.
I asked Google AI what is the percentage of smokers in Clacton-on-Sea and received this answer.
The smoking prevalence in Clacton-on-Sea (within the Tendring district) rose to 20% in 2023, bucking the UK-wide trend of declining smoking rates and representing a significant increase from 14% the previous year. This figure is considerably higher than the national average, which was 11.9% in the same year, but similar to rates observed in other areas.
Now there’s a thing!
Similar data for the other Reform UK MPs are as follows.
Lee Anderson – Ashfield – Ex-Smoker
Specific smoking percentage data for the Ashfield area isn’t readily available in the search results, but Nottinghamshire’s smoking rate was 15.4% in 2020, which is above the England average, with rates varying significantly by district. For instance, in 2020, the rate in Mansfield was higher at 23.1%, while Rushcliffe had a lower rate of 3.6%.
Richard Tice – Boston & Skegness – Non-Smoker
While a precise percentage for Skegness isn’t available, the local area has a higher-than-average smoking prevalence, with some reports indicating Lincoln and Boston (both in the same county) have some of the highest rates in the East Midlands, and the Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board noted a 16% prevalence for Lincolnshire in March 2024, an increase from previous years.
Sarah Pochin – Runcorn & Helsby – Unknown
There is no exact percentage for smokers specifically in Runcorn, but for the wider region, an overall adult smoking rate of 11.34% was recorded by Cheshire West and Chester Council in 2021. Higher rates were seen in adults aged 18-64, where the prevalence was 22.9% in the same area.
Rupert Lowe – Great Yarmouth – Appears to be against more smoking bans
The smoking prevalence in Great Yarmouth was 17.6% in 2022, which is the highest in Norfolk and significantly above the national average of approximately 13% for adults in England. This data comes from a Norfolk Insight report using Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) data from the Annual Population Survey
James McMurdock – South Basildon & East Thurrock – Unknown
There is no specific data available for “South Basildon” regarding the percentage of smokers; however, national data for the UK from 2023 shows that the overall proportion of current smokers was 11.9%. More granular data from a 2022 Office for National Statistics (ONS) report indicates that smoking prevalence can vary significantly by location, with local rates like Basildon (13.3%) and other areas of England showing different figures than the national average.
The pattern is very mixed
I also asked Google AI, if Reform UK has a policy on smoking and received this answer,
Reform UK does not have a published, comprehensive policy on smoking on its website, and has not taken a stance on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which includes a phased smoking ban. However, public polling by The Health Foundation in late 2024 indicated support for public health measures to prevent ill health from tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy food, though specific results for Reform UK voters were not broken out in that instance.
It would appear that they are firmly sitting on the fence.
Do Hot Baths Help Uncomplicated Pancolonic Diverticular Disease?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and received this answer.
Yes, hot baths and warm compresses may help to relieve the pain and muscle spasms associated with uncomplicated pancolonic diverticular disease, or diverticulitis, by relaxing abdominal muscles and improving blood circulation to the area. While there’s no evidence that heat cures diverticulitis, it is a simple, non-invasive way to soothe cramps, and your doctor may recommend it alongside other self-care measures.
When my late wife was alive, this was our morning routine.
- I would bring her a cup of hot Marmite and often I would run her a hot bath.
- C liked her baths very hot.
- After she had got dressed and gone off to work, I would often use her hot bath to have a good soak.
- Both of us, weren’t too keen on showers, but we never complained about water usage or the other’s cleanliness.
These days, I generally have a hot bath every day.
Can Uncomplicated Pancolonic Diverticular Disease Make You Feel Listless?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and received this answer.
Yes, while uncomplicated diverticular disease often causes no symptoms, some people can experience listlessness (fatigue or general unwellness) from either the inflammation of diverticulitis or chronic symptoms like bloating and pain. Fatigue can stem from infection, inflammation, disrupted sleep, nutritional deficiencies, or the impact of chronic pain. If you’re experiencing persistent listlessness, it’s important to speak with a healthcare provider, especially if it’s accompanied by other symptoms like fever, severe abdominal pain, or changes in bowel habits.
I have certainly suffered from listlessness over the years, but until recently, I have always had a good woman ; my mother or C, to perk me up.
The Anonymous Widower 