Sleep apnea—apnea literally means “without breath” in Greek—affects more than 12 million Americans and causes on-again, off-again breathing throughout the night. People with sleep apnea may also experience loud snoring and/or feel tired despite getting a full night’s sleep.

There are two main types of sleep apnea—central sleep apnea, which occurs when the brain doesn’t send signals to the brain to breathe; and the more common obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when throat muscles relax.

A person with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) usually experiences disrupted breathing and poor sleep quality. For this study, 15 people with moderate OSAS did breathing exercises every day for 3 months. Another 16 did what were known as oropharyngeal (throat) exercises using a breathing machine.

Not unlike a stair master that works your thighs, the breathing machine works your throat using what’s known as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). The machine continuously pumps air through a mask to force air passages open during inhalation. Each session lasts for roughly 30 minutes.

Participants who did the breathing exercises did not show any significant improvements at the end of the experiment, but those who used CPAP had a lower neck circumference, snored less frequently and intensely, and experienced better sleep quality. The overall severity of their condition was reduced by a whopping 39 percent.

“Oropharyngeal exercises significantly reduce OSAS severity and symptoms,” authors of the study concluded. “(These exercises) represent a promising treatment for OSAS.”

Learn more about sleep apnea from the American Sleep Apnea Association, or read the source article from the New York Times.

To test the effectiveness of an appearance-based intervention, Dr. June Robinson, professor of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and her colleagues assembled a 25-page book detailing the history of tanning and the effects it can have on skin and collagen, as well as tanning alternatives. They distributed the booklets to college-aged women (18-22) who tanned as often as four times per week.

These women said they tanned for one of two reasons: To boost mood (symptomatic of seasonal affective disorder), or because they detested their skin color. Six months after reading the booklet, tanning visits among the young women fell by roughly 35 percent and some eventually gave up tanning all together. Why?

“They’re not worried about skin cancer, but they are worried about getting wrinkled and being unattractive,” Robinson said in a press release. “The fear of looking horrible trumped everything else.”

East Tennessee State University’s Joel Hillhouse, Ph.D, was lead author of the report, and wrote the booklet used in the study. He says this experiment was originally meant to serve as an appearance intervention, which means it would have less of an effect on the group with symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

"We found the opposite,” he said. “The intervention worked just as well for people with seasonal affective disorder as for people who didn't like their skin color. That means it's a really good intervention for everyone."

That includes your daughter, your niece, or maybe even your sister. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the number of women under age 40 diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma has doubled in the last three decades, and the risk of melanoma increases by 75 percent if she has used a tanning bed before age 35. Talking about responsible tanning is important.

The key?

"You have to balance the positive and the negative forces that motivate someone to change," Robinson said. "First you have the fear that they will look horrible, then you offer a positive—an alternative to meet their needs."

Read The Archives of Dermatology for more about the intervention study, or visit the Skin Cancer Foundation’s site to learn more about melanoma.

The recall was issued about a week ago when Freshway reported that products with romaine lettuce may be contaminated with E. coli, a type of bacteria that dwell in the intestines.

Some strands destroyed by stomach acid are safe, but other varieties of E. coli found in contaminated food and water can cause infections that lead to severe diarrhea, cramping, bloody stools, and in severe cases organ damage and/or kidney failure.

According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of E. coli usually pass within a week for healthy adults, but can last much longer for children and people with weak immune systems. Drinking lots of water can help offset dehydration, but if symptoms persist doctors recommend seeking immediate medical attention.

"We are voluntarily issuing this recall because we want to do everything possible to minimize risk to public health," Freshway Foods president Phil Gilardi said in an FDA press release.

"(We are) committed to our consumers,” he says. “We practice strict food safety guidelines to ensure that our products are as safe as possible, and we will continue to look for opportunities for improvement."

The recall included products sold primarily to restaurants, salad bars, delis, etc. Bulk products and “prepackaged romaine or bagged salad mixes containing romaine for sale in supermarkets”, however, are safe.

Hey, it’s an excuse to grab a slice of pizza, right?

Get more details from the FDA’s press release, or read more at MSNBC.