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Dependent on certain meds? Try to get a 90-day supply

By Gary Guthrie of ConsumerAffairs
October 1, 2024

Photo

Most people dont give much of a thought to a work strike because many are category-centric like automobiles or appliances. But the dock workers' strike along the East and Gulf Coasts is not your ordinary strike and consumer products by the score are expected to be impacted ...significantly.

Basically, things are going to take longer to arrive. So, if you think youre going to want or need something, get it now. Otherwise, you could be out of luck.

Pickings may be slim, too. Some stores might run out of popular items because those containers are stuck at the port.

And pricier everything. Yeah, nobody likes this one, but those shipping delays and extra costs might get passed on to you, so be prepared to pay a bit more.

Based on the amount of stuff that a container ship can carry, the whos who of companies that could be affected the most is considerable in terms of consumerism looks like this:

Retail Giants (Walmart, Target, Amazon): Probably the ones with the most exposure because they import massive volumes of goods from various countries, and a significant portion likely flows through the potentially affected ports.

Auto Manufacturers (Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda) The majority of imported cars come in through East Coast ports. Even domestic manufacturers import a lot of parts.

Electronics Manufacturers (Apple, Samsung, LG): Due to their reliance on imports of components and finished products from Asia.

Furniture Companies (IKEA, Ashley Furniture): Because of the bulky nature of furniture imports.

Apparel Companies (Nike, Gap, Adidas): Depending on the sourcing of their products and reliance on affected ports.

Groceries and cars

You can kiss any hope of getting good prices goodbye no matter where you shop for your milk and bread. Supermarkets are already talking about price hikes and your favorite stores like Walmart and Target are probably going to run out of stuff like perishable goods.

Think fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly those imported from Central and South America. Think bananas, avocados, and other produce with a short shelf life. Delays at ports will lead to spoilage and potential shortages, driving up prices.

If youre in the market for a new car, youre going to have fewer choices during the strike, too. Some of the larger European car manufacturers, like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Audi, and Volvo, heavily rely on East Coast ports for importing vehicles into the US. Disruptions at these ports could lead to significant delays and potential shortages of these brands.

EvenAsian car brands will be impacted, like Honda (certain models), which have manufacturing facilities in Europe and are also shipped through East Coast ports and could be affected.

Brands like Tesla that havea lot of its eggs in the domestic manufacturing basket are likely to be the least affected by the strike. However, they might be affected indirectly because of potential delays in receiving imported components.

This dockworkers' strike is like a wrench in the gears of the car world, not just in availability of models. It's messing with the flow of parts, and that means headaches for car makers and maybe a bit of a wait for you.

Holiday hell

Then, theres time-sensitive goods products with a limited selling window, like seasonal items (Halloween costumes, Christmas decorations), or those with upcoming holiday release dates (new electronics, video games) could be delayed, impacting availability and potentially sales.

Even shoppers looking for fancy stuff such as luxury goods and high-end electronics are going to find jacked-up price tags because of storage and shipping costs.

Christmas trees, too, to a degree. While most trees sold in the U.S. come from the U.S., we importa number of them from Canada and if the ports get clogged, tree availability may take a hit.

However, those artificial trees the ones that never drop needles and look perfect forever are made in China and shipped over on those big container ships and that means they could belate to the party, too, and with fewer choices and higher prices.

Home furnishings

Love IKEA? You know where a lot of its stuff is made, right? Sweden, then shipped overseas. So, if you're dreaming of a new BILLY bookcase or a comfy KLIPPAN sofa, you might be playing the waiting game.

Same with Ashley Furniture. Probably Wayfair, too. Both could besitting on the dock waiting forever, so dont be surprised if that wait dominoes downhill to you. You might even see some "out of stock" surprises on Wayfair.

Even Amazon could be impacted in the home furnishings section because the company does sell tons of furniture and home decor. And the downhill impact there means you shouldn't be surprised if your Amazon Prime delivery takes a bit longer than usual, either.

Medications

While its probably not the first thing people think of nor will it have as large an impact as it does on basic consumer goods the dockworkers' strike could potentially impact the availability and cost of certain medications.

Here's why: The U.S. imports a significant portion of its pharmaceuticals both finished drugs and the raw materials used in their production alike and disruptions at ports could delay shipments, potentially leading to shortages of certain medications.

Many medical supplies are also imported, including those used in hospitals and clinics. A good number of those come in through Charleston, South Carolina, and delays could affect the availability of these critical supplies.

As far as your medicine cabinet is concerned, the strike could impact things like antibiotics, blood thinners, hormone replacements, and mental health meds. Even over-the-counter stuff like pain relievers and vitamins.

For folks who may be sweating about their pharmacy running out of their necessary meds, they may want to contact the pharmacy and see if they can order a 90-day supply to try and minimize any potential impacts.



Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images


Posted: 2024-10-01 16:03:44

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Consumer News: Dairy might be disturbing your dreams, study finds

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 22:07:08 +0000

Researchers explain why lactose intolerance could be haunting your sleep

By Kristen Dalli of ConsumerAffairs
July 7, 2025

  • A survey of over 1,000 students reveals a clear link between lactose intolerance, digestive upset, and more frequent nightmares.

  • Only around 5.5% believe food affects their dreams, but sweets and dairy are the top perceived triggers.

  • Feeling gassy or in stomach discomfort at night seems to mess with sleep quality and increase the chances of disturbing dreams.


If youve ever blamed late-night pizza or cheese for a weird dream, youre not alone.

Researchers at Universit de Montral and MacEwan University dug into whether food especially dairy can really affect sleep and dreams.

They surveyed 1,082 students, asking about their eating habits, overall health, sleep patterns, dream recall, and any food intolerances or allergies to determine if there's a genuine link between dairy and bad dreams.

Nightmare severity is robustly associated with lactose intolerance and other food allergies, researcher Dr. Tore Nielsen said in a news release.

These new findings imply that changing eating habits for people with some food sensitivities could alleviate nightmares. They could also explain why people so often blame dairy for bad dreams!

The study

Participants, mainly undergrads around age 20, completed an online questionnaire between January and April2023. It covered:

  • Personal info (age, gender, health conditions)

  • Diet habits (evening eating, snacks, food choices)

  • Any intolerances (lactose, gluten) or allergies

  • Sleep quality (using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index)

  • Nightmare frequency and severity (using a trimmed-down Nightmare Disorder Index)

They also asked if students thought certain foods or late meals affected their sleep or dreams. Statistical analyses looked for connections between food, physical symptoms, sleep quality, and dream experiences.

The results

Heres a look at what the researchers found:

  • Many feel food affects their sleep. About 40% believed that eating late or certain foods influenced their sleep; 25% thought it made sleep worse. But only 5.5% said food affected their dreams directly.

  • Dairy and sweets get the blame. Among those few, most blamed desserts/sweets (31%) and dairy (22%) for weird dreams or nightmares.

  • Lactose intolerance stands out. The strongest link emerged for students with lactose intolerance: they reported more GI symptoms (like gas or stomach pain), poorer sleep quality, and more frequent or intense nightmares. Statistical models showed GI discomfort acted as a bridge between lactose intolerance and nightmares meaning the digestive issues likely trigger sleep disturbances and, in turn, bad dreams. Other food issues like general food allergies or gluten intolerance also connected to dream concerns, but the link was strongest for lactose intolerance.

  • Overall eating habits matter. Healthier eating patterns like less evening snacking and using hunger cues were tied to better dream recall. Less healthy habits late meals, disregarding hunger signals, and experiencing GI symptoms were linked to more nightmares and negative dream content.

Nightmares are worse for lactose intolerant people who suffer severe gastrointestinal symptoms and whose sleep is disrupted, said Nielsen. This makes sense, because we know that other bodily sensations can affect dreaming.

"Nightmares can be very disruptive, especially if they occur often, because they tend to awaken people from sleep in a dysphoric state. They might also produce sleep avoidance behaviors. Both symptoms can rob you of restful sleep.

What this means

If you suffer from lactose intolerance and find yourself waking up stressed after a disturbing dream, dairy late at night could be a culprit and not because of superstition, but because night-time stomach discomfort interferes with restful sleep.

For some, simply adjusting evening meals like avoiding dairy before bed might lead to calmer sleep and fewer nightmares.

We need to study more people of different ages, from different walks of life, and with different dietary habits to determine if our results are truly generalizable to the larger population, said Nielsen.

Experimental studies are also needed to determine if people can truly detect the effects of specific foods on dreams. We would like to run a study in which we ask people to ingest cheese products versus some control food before sleep to see if this alters their sleep or dreams.


Read More ...


Consumer News: COVID-19 pandemic stress fuels surge in digestive disorders, study finds

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 22:07:08 +0000

What our guts reveal about life in a pandemic

By Kristen Dalli of ConsumerAffairs
July 7, 2025
  • Digestive issues like IBS and functional dyspepsia rose among U.S. adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Researchers surveyed over 160,000 people from May 2020 to May 2022 using standardized gutbrain disorder criteria.

  • The study found an 11% increase in Rome IV digestive disorders, linked to pandemic-related stress and lifestyle changes.


A team at CedarsSinai set out to investigate whether digestive disorders became more common during COVID-19.

Despite most attention being on respiratory symptoms, anecdotal reports hinted that stress, quarantine, and illness might also affect gut health.

With the study, the researchers measured trends over time using clinical definitions and large-scale survey data to confirm if digestive issues truly surged during the pandemic.

Using data from a national online study, we found that rates of digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome and chronic idiopathic constipation rose significantly, researcher Christopher V. Almario, M.D., MSHPM, said in a news release.

These findings underscore the significant toll the pandemic has taken on digestive health.

The study

This was a longitudinal, national survey that tracked U.S. adults from May 2020 to May 2022. More than 160,000 participants completed periodic questionnaires based on the Rome IV criteria a gold standard for diagnosing gutbrain interaction disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional dyspepsia, and others.

The Rome IV tool identifies symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, discomfort, and altered bowel habits.

Participants answered the same questions repeatedly over two years, enabling researchers to measure prevalence trends and correlate changes with stages of the pandemic.

The findings

Overall, the researchers learned that digestive disorders have been on the rise since the pandemic IBS specifically.

In May 2020, rates of IBS were at about 6% among U.S. adults. That figure nearly doubled to 11% by May 2022.

The incidence of chronic idiopathic constipation had a slight increase from 6.0% in 2020 to 6.4% in 2022.

The researchers explained that pandemic-related stress is likely a key driver: isolation, health fears, loss of routine, and shifts in diet/exercise.

Its important to note that this study didnt look at infection status, so the rise appears more tied to societal stress than direct effects of COVID infection.

What It Means for You

Based on these findings, if you've been experiencing ongoing gut issues like bloating, irregular bowels, or discomfort it's worth talking to your health care provider.

Standard treatments for functional gut disorders (e.g., dietary changes, stress management, medications) are still relevant and mental health support may play a key role.

This research calls for a renewed focus on gastrointestinal health in the post-pandemic era, researcher Brennan Spiegel, M.D., MSHS, said in the news release.

Health care providers must be vigilant in recognizing and addressing the long-term effects of the pandemic on digestive health.


Read More ...


Consumer News: Boston drivers are the most accident-prone, Allstate study finds

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 22:07:08 +0000

Brownsville, Texas, is the safest city for drivers

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs
July 7, 2025

If youre hoping to keep your car free from dents and dings, you might want to steer clear of Boston. A new study has named Massachusetts capital as the city where drivers are most likely to get into an accident.

According to fresh data from Allstate, Bostonians can expect to drive an average of just 3.1 years between crashes, significantly below the national average of 10.5 years and far behind the nations safest city. The findings place Boston at the top of the list for fender benders and other roadway mishaps.

Northeast leads

Boston isnt alone in its dubious distinction. The northeast corridor, in particular, is a hotspot for collisions. Here's the rundown from worst to not-quite-so-bad:

  1. Boston, MA
  2. Washington, DC
  3. Baltimore, MD
  4. Worcester, MA
  5. Springfield, MA
  6. Glendale, CA
  7. Los Angeles, CA
  8. Oakland, CA
  9. Providence, RI
  10. Philadelphia, PA
  1. West coast not immune

The West Coast isnt entirely off the hook. California cities Glendale, Los Angeles, and Oakland also rank among the nations worst for accident frequency, though Allstate notes these urban centers have seen marginal improvements compared to the previous 2025 study.

Where drivers behave

At the other end of the spectrum, drivers in Brownsville, Texas, enjoy the longest accident-free stretches in the country, averaging an impressive 14.2 years between crashes.

  1. Brownsville, TX
  2. Boise, ID
  3. Fort Collins, CO
  4. Cary, NC
  5. Laredo, TX
  6. Olathe, KS
  7. Scottsdale, AZ
  8. Port St. Lucie, FL
  9. Madison, WI
  10. Eugene, OR

While regional traffic, road conditions, and driver behavior all contribute to these numbers, the stark differences across the map suggest that geography still plays a major role in your chances of keeping your bumper intact.

So if youre planning a road tripor considering a movechoose wisely. Your car (and your insurance premium) may thank you.


Read More ...


Consumer News: Continuing-care retirement home failures leave seniors and their families bereft

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 19:07:08 +0000

At least 16 facilities have gone bankrupt since the pandemic, survey finds

By James R. Hood of ConsumerAffairs
July 7, 2025

  • Bankruptcy filings among continuing-care retirement communities have surged since the pandemic, eroding residents promised refunds.

  • Seniors have lost significant portions of hefty entrance fees meant to secure lifelong care.

  • Industry experts warn weak regulation and ties to the housing market leave retirees financially vulnerable.


When 89-year-old Arlene Kohen moved into Harborside, a continuing-care retirement community in Port Washington, N.Y., she believed she had secured peace of mind. The community offered independent living along with the promise of nursing, memory, and assisted care should her health decline. Like many seniors, she paid a steep price for that security: a $945,000 entrance fee and $5,700 in monthly charges by the end of her stay.

But that promise unraveled as Harborside went bankrupt multiple times. Ultimately, Kohen, who sold her family home to afford the entrance fee, was forced to leave when the new owner scaled back services. Her family now expects to recover less than a third of the $710,000 refund they were promised a scenario increasingly common across the nations retirement communities.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, at least 16 continuing-care retirement communities have filed for Chapter 11 since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, wiping out more than $190 million in residents savings from over 1,000 families. Harborside alone affected 212 families.

These communities, which often rely on residents home sales to fund hefty entrance fees, became financially strained when the pandemic halted new move-ins and roiled the housing market.

Religious roots,modern complexities

The business model of these facilities which blend housing, healthcare, and insurance-like future services has roots in religious organizations dating back a century. Though most are nonprofits, many depend on upfront entrance fees not only for future services but to pay off construction debt and fund daily operations.

When cash flow dries up, residents, as unsecured creditors, often come last in bankruptcy proceedings, behind bondholders and other secured lenders.

Regulation remains spotty despite past warnings. Following the 2008-09 financial crisis, the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging flagged these communities as especially vulnerable during economic downturns. Yet many states lack the expertise to regulate facilities whose financial models resemble complex insurance products.

Even Florida, one of the few states treating such facilities as insurance entities, failed to prevent losses for about 100 seniors when Unisen Senior Living in Tampa collapsed last year.

Industry insiders say the underlying issue is structural. You need expertise thats equivalent to insurance commissioners expertise if youre going to regulate that, said Katherine Pearson, a law professor at Pennsylvania State Universitys Dickinson Law, speaking to the Journal. But few states have such expertise.


Read More ...


Consumer News: Ford, Nissan and Honda announce major vehicle recalls

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 19:07:08 +0000

Ford recalling 200,000 cars and trucks to fix rearview cameras

By News Desk of ConsumerAffairs
July 7, 2025

Automakers Ford, Nissan, and Honda have issued new safety recalls this week, covering hundreds of thousands of vehicles across various models and years. The recalls address serious defects ranging from malfunctioning rearview cameras to potential engine failures and faulty airbags.


Massive Ford Recall Over Rearview Camera Glitch

Ford has launched the largest recall of the week, affecting over 200,000 vehicles due to a software error that can disrupt the rearview camera display. In some cases, the camera may show a blank image while reversing, reducing the drivers view and increasing the risk of a crash. In other cases, the camera image might remain on the screen even after the car shifts out of reverse, creating a potential distraction.

Affected vehicles span numerous Ford and Lincoln models, including:

  • Ford Bronco Sport (2021-2024)

  • Ford Escape (2020-2022)

  • Ford Explorer (2020-2024)

  • Ford F-150 (2019-2020)

  • Ford Mustang (2019-2023)

  • Lincoln Aviator (2020-2023)

  • Lincoln Navigator (2020-2021)

  • and several others from model years 2018 through 2024.

Ford dealers will update the rearview camera software free of charge. Owners should expect notification letters starting July 28, 2025. For assistance, contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332, referencing recall number 25S72.

More details: NHTSA Recall 25V442


Ford Recalls Expedition and Navigator for Airbag Issue

In a separate action, Ford is recalling certain 2025 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles because the passenger-side airbag may have been improperly manufactured. The defect could cause the airbag to deploy with excessive force in a crash, potentially increasing the risk of injury.

Only 171 vehicles are affected. Dealers will replace the faulty airbags free of charge. Owners should receive notification letters starting August 11, 2025, followed by a second letter when repairs are available. For questions, call Ford at 1-866-436-7332 and refer to recall 25S51.

More details:

NHTSA Recall ID Number : 25V439

Ford F-150 Lightning Faces Brake Hose Hazard

Ford has also issued a recall for the 2025 F-150 Lightning BEV due to a risk that front brake hoses could rub against the tire if bracket screws become loose or detach. This could lead to a brake fluid leak and increase stopping distances, raising crash risk.

The recall affects only five vehicles. Dealers will inspect and replace the hose bracket screws at no cost. Owners should expect letters by July 14, 2025. Fords recall number is 25S71.

More details: NHTSA Recall 25V438


Nissan Recalls Nearly 444,000 Vehicles Over Engine Defect

Nissan is recalling 443,899 vehicles because of possible engine bearing defects that could cause engine failure, stalling, or even fires in rare cases. The recall affects both Nissan and Infiniti models with either a 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L VC-Turbo engine.

Impacted models include:

  • Nissan Rogue (2021-2024)

  • Nissan Altima (2019-2020)

  • Infiniti QX50 (2019-2022)

  • Infiniti QX55 (2022)

Dealers will inspect engines for metal debris and repair or replace them as necessary. Repairs are free. Notifications are set to begin August 25, 2025. Owners can contact Nissan at 800-647-7261 or Infiniti at 1-800-662-6200.

More details: NHTSA Recall 25V437


Honda Motorcycles Recalled for Tire Defect

Honda is recalling 112 units of the 2024 NC750X motorcycle due to front tires that may have been manufactured improperly. The inner structure of the tire could unravel, potentially causing loss of vehicle handling and control.

Dealers will replace the tire free of charge. Honda plans to notify owners by August 25, 2025. For more information, call Honda customer service at 1-866-784-1870 and refer to recall KS4.

More details: NHTSA Recall 25V435


Owners are urged to check the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website or their vehicle manufacturers site for further details and to see if their vehicles are affected. Timely repairs can prevent accidents and ensure safety on the road.


Read More ...


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