It's called plantar fasciitis and affects millions of us each year. But an Orthopedic group has just come out with some ways to fix the pain without surgery.
We all have a strip of fibrous tissue that comes from the back of our heel across the bottom of our foot. If that tissue gets inflamed it can give us a pain that doesn't seem to want to go away. It usually starts after a lot of heavy walking---like holiday shopping. The first couple of steps in the morning after getting out of bed are the worst, then the foot kind of “warms up” during the day but you'll notice the pain returning in the evening as the foot gets tired from walking or standing all day.
Different things have been tried---stretching, steroid injections and even surgery, but they don't always work very well. But now the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society is telling us that your best course of action is home stretching. They recommend doing a very specific set of foot and heel stretches before you take your first step in the morning and four to five times during the day for the first month, then as needed after that. Plus they recommend adding non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, like ibuprofen, use ice on the heel and add gel heel inserts to your shoes.
Using these techniques should help put an end to that heel pain that's starting to slow you down.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sugar Loaded Sodas
When it comes to losing weight you might have switched from sugar to sugar
free drinks. But can combining the two help you lose even more weight?
Here’s the deal. Sugar loaded sodas can add to your weight and according to new research, diet sodas might make you eat more. So if you’re confused as to what to do, you’re not alone.
But new government research has found that combining sugar free drinks with some carbohydrates might help suppress you appetite.
Researchers had participants drink one of two different things -- either a diet free soda, along with a sugar filled beverage, or a club soda and the same sugar filled beverage. Then they did some blood tests. They found blood sugar was the same for both groups but they did find a difference in a chemical our stomach releases that lets us know we’re full--- called GLP-1. The group that had both a diet soda and sugar filled drink also ended up having more of this chemical in their bloodstream.
Past studies have shown that when diet drinks are consumed without additional carbohydrates, our bodies don’t release this chemical, which is probably why we ended up eating more later on.
According to these researchers, although they can’t say this is a sure fire way to lose weight, by combing artificial sweeteners with regular sweeteners, it does look like it might be something that---as they put it---might be relevant in daily life. Stay tuned for future studies.
free drinks. But can combining the two help you lose even more weight?
Here’s the deal. Sugar loaded sodas can add to your weight and according to new research, diet sodas might make you eat more. So if you’re confused as to what to do, you’re not alone.
But new government research has found that combining sugar free drinks with some carbohydrates might help suppress you appetite.
Researchers had participants drink one of two different things -- either a diet free soda, along with a sugar filled beverage, or a club soda and the same sugar filled beverage. Then they did some blood tests. They found blood sugar was the same for both groups but they did find a difference in a chemical our stomach releases that lets us know we’re full--- called GLP-1. The group that had both a diet soda and sugar filled drink also ended up having more of this chemical in their bloodstream.
Past studies have shown that when diet drinks are consumed without additional carbohydrates, our bodies don’t release this chemical, which is probably why we ended up eating more later on.
According to these researchers, although they can’t say this is a sure fire way to lose weight, by combing artificial sweeteners with regular sweeteners, it does look like it might be something that---as they put it---might be relevant in daily life. Stay tuned for future studies.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Kids vs. Dirt/Germs
When it comes to our kids, keeping them clean and germ free not be the best thing to do.
It’s ok for your kids to play in dirt every now and then.
This might be tough to hear, but with our American obsession with keeping clean, we are raising a generation of kids that might not be able to fight off many diseases later in life. Back when we were kids, it wasn’t unusual to play out in a dirt field than grab a bite to eat without washing our hands very well. Nowadays, most kids are conditioned to wash thoroughly before eating anything, and with the H1N1 virus around, a lot of them carry hand sanitizers to keep from getting sick.
Now I’m certainly not advocating we go out and jump in the mud, or cut back on washing our hands, but a new study is showing that it’s ok for our kids to get exposed to bacteria and germs every now and then.
Researchers looked at Filipino children from birth and followed them for twenty two years. Those that lived lives that weren’t as clean also had lower levels of a marker in the blood, c reactive protein, indicating they had stronger immune systems as adults.
So again, the lesson here is not to ignore basic hygiene but to remember that children’s immune systems need a workout to get stronger. It’s okay from time to time to let them ignore the 30 second rule or maybe share a bag of candy or popcorn with other kids. It could make them stronger adults.
It’s ok for your kids to play in dirt every now and then.
This might be tough to hear, but with our American obsession with keeping clean, we are raising a generation of kids that might not be able to fight off many diseases later in life. Back when we were kids, it wasn’t unusual to play out in a dirt field than grab a bite to eat without washing our hands very well. Nowadays, most kids are conditioned to wash thoroughly before eating anything, and with the H1N1 virus around, a lot of them carry hand sanitizers to keep from getting sick.
Now I’m certainly not advocating we go out and jump in the mud, or cut back on washing our hands, but a new study is showing that it’s ok for our kids to get exposed to bacteria and germs every now and then.
Researchers looked at Filipino children from birth and followed them for twenty two years. Those that lived lives that weren’t as clean also had lower levels of a marker in the blood, c reactive protein, indicating they had stronger immune systems as adults.
So again, the lesson here is not to ignore basic hygiene but to remember that children’s immune systems need a workout to get stronger. It’s okay from time to time to let them ignore the 30 second rule or maybe share a bag of candy or popcorn with other kids. It could make them stronger adults.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Birds and the Bees
When it comes to “the talk” it looks like parents might be giving it too late.
It’s dreaded by every parent and even every child---“the talk” about the birds and the bees. But according to a new survey, parents aren’t giving it early enough.
When we were kids, we hated our parents even bringing up the subject, and as parents nothing makes us sweat more than anticipating sitting down with our boy or girl and explaining all about sex.
Which is probably why researchers found that forty percent—almost half--of adolescents had already had sex before talking to their parents about important topics like safe sex, birth control or even sexually transmitted diseases. And this is troublesome news since teens who talk with their parents about it are more likely to delay their first sexual encounter and more likely to practice safe sex when they do become active.
But as any parent can tell you, this is one tough subject to bring up. So here are a couple of tips that might help. Instead of trying to talk about everything at once, make it an ongoing dialogue starting early in life, focusing on what the child can absorb. And take advantage of everyday excuses to bring up the subject—some sexual reference in at movie or TV show, a pregnancy in the family or even a visit to the doctor. You’ll find that once you start the conversation not only does it become easier to bring up again, but you’ll also realize it’s something your children do want to hear about---from you---and it’s always much better to get the
information from you than from their friends.
It’s dreaded by every parent and even every child---“the talk” about the birds and the bees. But according to a new survey, parents aren’t giving it early enough.
When we were kids, we hated our parents even bringing up the subject, and as parents nothing makes us sweat more than anticipating sitting down with our boy or girl and explaining all about sex.
Which is probably why researchers found that forty percent—almost half--of adolescents had already had sex before talking to their parents about important topics like safe sex, birth control or even sexually transmitted diseases. And this is troublesome news since teens who talk with their parents about it are more likely to delay their first sexual encounter and more likely to practice safe sex when they do become active.
But as any parent can tell you, this is one tough subject to bring up. So here are a couple of tips that might help. Instead of trying to talk about everything at once, make it an ongoing dialogue starting early in life, focusing on what the child can absorb. And take advantage of everyday excuses to bring up the subject—some sexual reference in at movie or TV show, a pregnancy in the family or even a visit to the doctor. You’ll find that once you start the conversation not only does it become easier to bring up again, but you’ll also realize it’s something your children do want to hear about---from you---and it’s always much better to get the
information from you than from their friends.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Eczema
It's a painful skin condition usually requiring creams and medicine. But a simple household solution might hold one key to relief from eczema.
Eczema can be itchy, painful. And for children in particular, this skin disease can keep them from even getting a good nights sleep.
Millions of people suffer from this skin disorder and they usually treat it with lotions, creams, prescription ointments or oral medication. And sometimes the skin around eczema can crack, leading to a bacterial skin infection---then they need antibiotics.
But now researchers have found that a simple household item—bleach, used in a diluted bath, can dramatically cut back both on the eczema rash itself and on infections that can accompany it. Dermatologists found that adding a small amount of household bleach to a child's bath can provide this relief. They added half a cup of bleach to a full tub of water and had the children bath in it for ten minutes every day.
This simple solution cut down on eczema symptoms in over two thirds of the children using it. These researchers do caution to not apply the bleach directly to the skin---make sure it's only the diluted form you use---and to check with your child's doctor first.
But this simple homemade solution might be one time that kids won't have
to be convinced to take their bath.
Eczema can be itchy, painful. And for children in particular, this skin disease can keep them from even getting a good nights sleep.
Millions of people suffer from this skin disorder and they usually treat it with lotions, creams, prescription ointments or oral medication. And sometimes the skin around eczema can crack, leading to a bacterial skin infection---then they need antibiotics.
But now researchers have found that a simple household item—bleach, used in a diluted bath, can dramatically cut back both on the eczema rash itself and on infections that can accompany it. Dermatologists found that adding a small amount of household bleach to a child's bath can provide this relief. They added half a cup of bleach to a full tub of water and had the children bath in it for ten minutes every day.
This simple solution cut down on eczema symptoms in over two thirds of the children using it. These researchers do caution to not apply the bleach directly to the skin---make sure it's only the diluted form you use---and to check with your child's doctor first.
But this simple homemade solution might be one time that kids won't have
to be convinced to take their bath.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Bottling Up Your Anger
We all try to be nice to each, but can bottling up your anger cause health problems?
It seems to be even worse if you do it at work. As a matter of fact it looks like bottling up your anger at the office can increase your chances of having a heart attack. And that's especially true for men.
No one is advocating that you blow your top at work in every situation or even everyday, but new research out of Sweden shows that men increase their risk of having a heart attack simply because they don't vent.
Researchers found that men who failed to express their resentment over conflicts with coworkers or supervisors more than doubled their risk of having a heart attack. And those that consistently ignored ongoing work related conflicts tripled their risk of dying from heart related issues.
On top of that, other Swedish researchers found that having an overbearing or incompetent boss boosted workers' odds for a heart attack or other heart related issues as well.
So what's the answer to all this? None of these researchers are recommending striking back at those you work with or venting at every opportunity. Other experts do encourage trying to set up a work environment were coworkers feel free to express different opinions. On top of that, they also encourage you to talk with your family at night about “how your day went” on the job. This can help you share your feeling in a better way---a way that could go far in keeping your heart healthy as well.
It seems to be even worse if you do it at work. As a matter of fact it looks like bottling up your anger at the office can increase your chances of having a heart attack. And that's especially true for men.
No one is advocating that you blow your top at work in every situation or even everyday, but new research out of Sweden shows that men increase their risk of having a heart attack simply because they don't vent.
Researchers found that men who failed to express their resentment over conflicts with coworkers or supervisors more than doubled their risk of having a heart attack. And those that consistently ignored ongoing work related conflicts tripled their risk of dying from heart related issues.
On top of that, other Swedish researchers found that having an overbearing or incompetent boss boosted workers' odds for a heart attack or other heart related issues as well.
So what's the answer to all this? None of these researchers are recommending striking back at those you work with or venting at every opportunity. Other experts do encourage trying to set up a work environment were coworkers feel free to express different opinions. On top of that, they also encourage you to talk with your family at night about “how your day went” on the job. This can help you share your feeling in a better way---a way that could go far in keeping your heart healthy as well.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Store Bought Chicken
You buy brand name foods from a national store chain and expect it to be safe to eat. But when it comes to chicken you need to listen to this story.
Unfortunately, not as safe as you'd think. A recent survey of chicken showed an improvement from years ago but still the majority of chickens picked up where still contaminated.
And some brand name chicken companies did a lot worse than others. According to the CDC, over one million Americans end up getting sick from salmonella poisoning every year, over twenty five thousand end up in the hospital and about five hundred die because of it.
To test out how safe chicken is, Consumers Union bought broiler chickens at one hundred stores in twenty two states over the springtime. They found that two thirds of them were contaminated with either salmonella of campylobacter bacteria---both can cause severe food poisoning. Some brands---Tyson and Foster Farms, did worse with eighty percent contamination and others---Purdue in particular, did better but still had a contamination rate just below fifty percent.
The USDA says their survey showed contamination in only sixteen percent of broiler chickens they looked at. According to Consumers Union, the difference in numbers comes about because the USDA looks at chickens at the packing plant, consumers union looked at what you would get at the store.
The message here isn't to avoid getting chicken, just to make sure you keep it away from other foods when you prepare it, and to cook it fully to get rid of any bacteria that could be lurking.
Unfortunately, not as safe as you'd think. A recent survey of chicken showed an improvement from years ago but still the majority of chickens picked up where still contaminated.
And some brand name chicken companies did a lot worse than others. According to the CDC, over one million Americans end up getting sick from salmonella poisoning every year, over twenty five thousand end up in the hospital and about five hundred die because of it.
To test out how safe chicken is, Consumers Union bought broiler chickens at one hundred stores in twenty two states over the springtime. They found that two thirds of them were contaminated with either salmonella of campylobacter bacteria---both can cause severe food poisoning. Some brands---Tyson and Foster Farms, did worse with eighty percent contamination and others---Purdue in particular, did better but still had a contamination rate just below fifty percent.
The USDA says their survey showed contamination in only sixteen percent of broiler chickens they looked at. According to Consumers Union, the difference in numbers comes about because the USDA looks at chickens at the packing plant, consumers union looked at what you would get at the store.
The message here isn't to avoid getting chicken, just to make sure you keep it away from other foods when you prepare it, and to cook it fully to get rid of any bacteria that could be lurking.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Fighting the Holiday Pounds
Avoiding weight gain during the holidays can be tough, but not impossible. Dr John is here with tips on just how to do that.
We made it through the thanksgiving meal without putting on too much weight, but still have a long holiday season to go.
But by planning ahead, you can avoid both piling on the pounds, and having to make a new years resolution to get rid of them.
To help out, here are some tips you can use both before and during any party you attend.
Number one---make sure you don’t go to a party hungry. Not eating all day so you can pig out at the party only causes you to eat more than you planned. So, eat a healthy snack before heading out the door.
If you bring a dish to a party, make it a healthy one, like a salad or veggie tray. That’ll make sure you have at least one “good for you” thing to pick from.
At the party, survey all the food choices first, so you can decide early on which ones to pick and which ones to avoid. And watch out for those hidden calories. Alcohol drinks are calorie heavy, plus they increase your appetite, making you eat more than you normally would.
After you get your plate filled up, sit down to eat. We all tend to eat more when we stand and eat. Picking a chair far from the food table also makes it less likely you’ll reach over and grab more food when you’re done.
But this holiday season, the most important thing is to stay realistic. This isn’t a good time to try and loose weight, you’ll only get frustrated. Instead concentrate on maintaining your current weight, while having fun going from holiday party to holiday party.
We made it through the thanksgiving meal without putting on too much weight, but still have a long holiday season to go.
But by planning ahead, you can avoid both piling on the pounds, and having to make a new years resolution to get rid of them.
To help out, here are some tips you can use both before and during any party you attend.
Number one---make sure you don’t go to a party hungry. Not eating all day so you can pig out at the party only causes you to eat more than you planned. So, eat a healthy snack before heading out the door.
If you bring a dish to a party, make it a healthy one, like a salad or veggie tray. That’ll make sure you have at least one “good for you” thing to pick from.
At the party, survey all the food choices first, so you can decide early on which ones to pick and which ones to avoid. And watch out for those hidden calories. Alcohol drinks are calorie heavy, plus they increase your appetite, making you eat more than you normally would.
After you get your plate filled up, sit down to eat. We all tend to eat more when we stand and eat. Picking a chair far from the food table also makes it less likely you’ll reach over and grab more food when you’re done.
But this holiday season, the most important thing is to stay realistic. This isn’t a good time to try and loose weight, you’ll only get frustrated. Instead concentrate on maintaining your current weight, while having fun going from holiday party to holiday party.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thanksgiving Take 2
In case you didn’t realize it, Thanksgiving is the day after tomorrow.
Dr John is here with a few simple tips to ensure that it remains a healthy
holiday tradition.
Thursday a lot of us are going to try to eat our body weight of turkey,
gravy and pies. But you’ll want to make sure it remains a healthy day.
The first step is to handle all the food safely and that means thawing the
turkey correctly. Go to the website I’ll give you in a minute to make
sure you do it right. And before you cook it remove the giblets and cook
them separately. Unfortunately, when it comes to the turkey, those
little pop-out timers they have usually aren’t enough to make sure it’s
cooked to the right temperature, so you should get a meat thermometer and
use it in the turkey thigh. When that gets to 165 degrees, you can be
assured the rest of the turkey is the right temperature. Turkey meat and
all leftovers need to need to be eaten or refrigerated within two hours.
One of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving---leftovers. If you store turkey
meat in the refrigerator it needs to be eaten within three to four days.
If you want to store it longer, freeze it.
And if you’re on a diet and worried about slipping a little, that will
probably happen. The thing to remember is that it’s ok to eat plenty this
one day, but then get back on your normal plan the next day. Also, try
this little tip. Use smaller plates, nine inches, and you’ll notice
everyone eating less.
For last minute tips you can call the USDA at 1-888-674-6854 or log on to
their website, you can access this site by going to www.krdo.com.
Dr John is here with a few simple tips to ensure that it remains a healthy
holiday tradition.
Thursday a lot of us are going to try to eat our body weight of turkey,
gravy and pies. But you’ll want to make sure it remains a healthy day.
The first step is to handle all the food safely and that means thawing the
turkey correctly. Go to the website I’ll give you in a minute to make
sure you do it right. And before you cook it remove the giblets and cook
them separately. Unfortunately, when it comes to the turkey, those
little pop-out timers they have usually aren’t enough to make sure it’s
cooked to the right temperature, so you should get a meat thermometer and
use it in the turkey thigh. When that gets to 165 degrees, you can be
assured the rest of the turkey is the right temperature. Turkey meat and
all leftovers need to need to be eaten or refrigerated within two hours.
One of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving---leftovers. If you store turkey
meat in the refrigerator it needs to be eaten within three to four days.
If you want to store it longer, freeze it.
And if you’re on a diet and worried about slipping a little, that will
probably happen. The thing to remember is that it’s ok to eat plenty this
one day, but then get back on your normal plan the next day. Also, try
this little tip. Use smaller plates, nine inches, and you’ll notice
everyone eating less.
For last minute tips you can call the USDA at 1-888-674-6854 or log on to
their website, you can access this site by going to www.krdo.com.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is only 3 days away. Dr John is here with a few simple
tips to ensure that it remains a healthy holiday tradition.
Thursday a lot of us are going to try to eat our body weight of turkey,
gravy and pies. But you’ll want to make sure you handle all the food
safely so no one goes home sick.
The first step is thawing the turkey. Go to the website I’ll give you in
a minute to make sure you do it right. After you thaw out your prized
turkey, you’ll need to get ready to cook it. Make sure you remove the
giblets and cook them separately. While cooking, you need to get the meat
to 165 degrees f. Unfortunately, the little pop-out timers that come with
the turkey usually aren’t enough, so you should get a meat thermometer and
use it in the turkey thigh. When that gets to 165 degrees, you can be
assured the rest of the turkey is the right temperature.
Once the turkey is cooked, it needs to be eaten or refrigerated within two
hours.
After Thanksgiving, come the leftovers, but be careful here as well.
Again, turkey needs to be stored within two hours after being cooked. If
you store it in the refrigerator, eat it within three to four days and
gravy within one to two. If you want to store it longer, freeze it. When
you cook leftovers, make sure you heat them until they’re hot and
steaming, that’ll avoid food poisoning. That could ruin everyone’s
holiday.
For last minute tips you can call the USDA at 1-888-674-6854 or log on to
their website, http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Lets_Talk_Turkey/index.asp
tips to ensure that it remains a healthy holiday tradition.
Thursday a lot of us are going to try to eat our body weight of turkey,
gravy and pies. But you’ll want to make sure you handle all the food
safely so no one goes home sick.
The first step is thawing the turkey. Go to the website I’ll give you in
a minute to make sure you do it right. After you thaw out your prized
turkey, you’ll need to get ready to cook it. Make sure you remove the
giblets and cook them separately. While cooking, you need to get the meat
to 165 degrees f. Unfortunately, the little pop-out timers that come with
the turkey usually aren’t enough, so you should get a meat thermometer and
use it in the turkey thigh. When that gets to 165 degrees, you can be
assured the rest of the turkey is the right temperature.
Once the turkey is cooked, it needs to be eaten or refrigerated within two
hours.
After Thanksgiving, come the leftovers, but be careful here as well.
Again, turkey needs to be stored within two hours after being cooked. If
you store it in the refrigerator, eat it within three to four days and
gravy within one to two. If you want to store it longer, freeze it. When
you cook leftovers, make sure you heat them until they’re hot and
steaming, that’ll avoid food poisoning. That could ruin everyone’s
holiday.
For last minute tips you can call the USDA at 1-888-674-6854 or log on to
their website, http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Lets_Talk_Turkey/index.asp
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Prescription drug abuse
Prescription drug abuse killed three times more Coloradans than drunk driving last year and it continues to be a growing problem, especially among teenagers.According to Peer Assistance Services 49 percent of drug related deaths in the city of Denver between 2003 and 2008 involved prescription drugs. The concern is highest for high school and college students. In a recent nationwide survey, one out of every five teenagers report abusing medications not prescribed to them. In a separate survey, they revealed, for the first time, that it was easier to get prescription medications than beer. And most of these prescriptions come from either their house or the house of someone they know. According to the same surveys, teenagers tend to feel that prescription medications are safer for two reasons. One--because they are prescribed by a doctor and two--they’ve even seen ads for most of them on TV.
Having an organized program to recycle old, unused prescriptions would help keep drugs out of the wrong hands. In addition, experts encourage parents to treat prescription medication in the house like cash or credit cards. Knowing how many pills you have left in a given bottle, keeping drugs locked up and talking to your children about the dangers of prescription drugs can go a long way toward keeping them from abusing any medication.To help out, organizers have launched a new website including resources for parents, students and others.
Having an organized program to recycle old, unused prescriptions would help keep drugs out of the wrong hands. In addition, experts encourage parents to treat prescription medication in the house like cash or credit cards. Knowing how many pills you have left in a given bottle, keeping drugs locked up and talking to your children about the dangers of prescription drugs can go a long way toward keeping them from abusing any medication.To help out, organizers have launched a new website including resources for parents, students and others.
Food is in the news. It now looks like what you eat can affect your mood and how you eat –your weight.And this news is as timely as ever, especially since we are about to enter the prime eating----I mean holiday---season.There are two new findings out about food. The first one backs up what your mom probably always told you---to slow down when you eat. It turns out that eating fast leads to eating more which of course adds to weight gain. Here’s what researchers found---when volunteers ate slowly, over a 30 minute period, their bodies also released higher levels of two hormones--- peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide 1. Both of these hormones are released in your gut and signal to your body that you’re full. Eating fast doesn’t let your body release them, so even though you eat the same amount, you don’t realize you need to stop. So eating slowly, especially during the holidays, can also mean eating less.In the second study researchers looked at food and mood. They looked at both low fat and low carbohydrate diets and found that both let you lose weight and both helped improve you mood, at least for a while. But after a few weeks, the low fat diet, which contained some carbohydrates, kept dieters in a better mood, while those restricted to low carb didn’t feel as happy.So remember, especially while dieting, moderation. Keeping the diet simple and well rounded can help you stay happy this holiday season.
Sweet Drinks for Kids
You might not think much about giving a five year old something sweet to drink, but what you give them now could set them up as a teenager with a weight problem.And what we are talking about is the connection between even a few sweet drinks a day when they’re five, and weight problems when they’re fifteen. You’ve probably heard this before---children these days are fighting an obesity epidemic. That means that more of them, as teenagers, are battling with weight problems. And problems with weight during teen years means a lifelong weight struggle and the health problems that go with it.Experts point to different reasons for the weight epidemic in children, but a new group of researchers are saying that one issue might be in what you end up giving your five year old to drink. In this latest study, they found that if a five year old drinks just two sweetened drinks a day---that includes sodas, sweetened fruit juices, and sports drinks---they were also much more likely to have a higher amount of body fat ten years later, when they were fifteen. The children that did the best were the ones who, as five year olds, drank milk and unsweetened one hundred percent fruit juices instead.It’s a little hard to realize that what you give a five year old can still affect them when they are fifteen, but those early growing years are proving to be so important for building a start of lifelong health. That includes what you decide they drink everyday.
Holiday Eating
The holidays are coming up and that means eating a lot of food. But can some of that food make you depressed.The quick answer is yes, but it depends on what you eat. The one thing I do want you to remember through all this though is my favorite word---moderation. Especially during the upcoming holidays.It's a tradition, holiday food. But most of us tend to overdo it a bit, especially when it comes to eating food at office parties. According to a new study, that same food can leave you depressed---which is the last thing you want for the holidays.Researchers in London compared the diets of over three thousand people. Those that ate so called "whole foods"---which they described as fruits, vegetables and fish, had a lower risk of depression. On the other hand, those who mainly ate fried food, processed meat, high-fat dairy products and sweetened desserts----sounds like a typical office party---were over fifty percent more likely to suffer some type of depression.These researchers think the reason this happens is because whole foods contain antioxidants which can lower depression and polyunsaturated fats which can stimulate brain activity.So the goal here is not to miss out on holiday parties, and to not even completely avoid your favorite foods, but to remember moderation and start things off by heading to the veggie tray.
H1N1
As of last week, there were 11 deaths in Colorado because of the H1N1 flu, and five of those where children.The one thing about this flu that has experts and parents concerned is that it is hitting healthy children much more than the normal seasonal flu.To date, around thirty percent of childrens deaths due to the H1N1 virus have been in otherwise healthy children. And for some, the change from simple flu like symptoms to life threatening symptoms came on quickly. So as a parent, what can you look for in your child---when do you need to take them in to be seen?Number one, deaths from this flu, even in children, are rare and mostly affect those with other medical conditions. And if you son or daughter has the flu, they are going to have a fever, cough and body aches and possibly some diarrhea and vomiting. If you notice any breathing difficulties---you see them breathing faster, or having a hard time catching their breath, they need to be seen by a doctor immediately. The same goes if you notice any skin blueness, especially in the fingertips or lips.Also, if they get dehydrated, they get into trouble. So watch for excessive thirst or fatigue. Especially if you have a hard time waking them up or interacting with them. And for smaller children, if they seem extra irritable they should get checked out.And with this flu in particular, if they seem to be improving, only to get worse again quickly, especially with high fevers and a worse cough, have a physician take a look at them.Again, even with the H1N1 flu, deaths are rare, but it's always a good idea to at least talk with a medical provider if you have any questions about your child's health.
October 5, 2009
This H1N1 vaccine arrives in Colorado this week. One group scheduled to get the vaccine early on, now has another reason to get it. As amazing as this might sound, if a pregnant woman gets the flu, then her baby might be facing heart disease in their future.One of the high risk groups that will be first to get the H1N1 vaccine is pregnant women. This is mainly because if they get the flu, they are also more likely to have serious problems or possibly even die from it. But according to a new study, they also one other big reason. Researchers looked back at the 1918 flu because that virus is similar to the one causing our pandemic today. What they found was startling. Both men and women born to mothers who caught the flu while pregnant during the 1918 pandemic had a greater chance of having heart disease when they were adults decades later. So even though we can't say todays flu equals the 1918 flu, the two viruses are similar enough to cause some concern. So your best bet, both for your health, and the health of your baby now, end even decades from now, is to get the vaccine once it becomes available.
September 28, 2009
Getting your driver's license is every teenagers dream. But having your own car may turn that dream into a nightmare.It turns out that teens that have their own car also get into more crashes, and it's probably not for the reasons your thinking of.It's been a right of passage for decades. You finally get your driver's license and then pester your parents for your own car. Getting your own set of wheels in high school is the ultimate form of freedom. But a new study also shows that teens having their own cars, whether they bought one themselves or were given one, or those with free access to a shared car, end up having more crashes then those teenagers who use family cars to get around.At first glance you might think this is because teens with their own cars or free access to a car, drive more and so are more likely to get into accidents. But the researchers involved in this study say that's not so, because they compared teens mile to mile regardless of whether they had free access or had to ask for the key.And they say that is the crucial difference. According to them, teenagers that have to ask for the key also end up being safer on the road probably because their parents were more involved and monitored their driving habits. Keeping teens safer when they exercise that freedom we all looked forward to at one time or another.
The government is set to release the first doses of the swine flu vaccine, but what might surprise you is what type of vaccine they are releasing first.The first release is about two weeks away, but instead of a shot, this one, at least at first, looks like it'll be a nasal spray.Governments around the world have been racing since April to develop a vaccine for the H1N1 swine flu that's now turned into a pandemic. Part of the reason is because it's spreading quickly and part of it is because it's mostly affecting younger people. On top of all that, the regular vaccine we get every year won't work on this flu bug. The US government has been developing both the shot and a nose spray similar to the kinds that have been used for years for the regular flu. But two issues have come up. First, they only expect a few nasal spray vaccines to be available the first week of October, around three point four million nationwide----what they describe as a trickle. And secondly, the nasal spray can only be used for those aged two to forty nine and no on with respiratory issues, including asthma, can take it. Those are the people we're most worried about when it comes to the swine flu, but they'll have to wait until the shot comes out, probably in later October or early November.
But the government is rushing to get as many vaccines, both types, out and into doctors hands before the regular flu gets here and makes things even more complicated.
But the government is rushing to get as many vaccines, both types, out and into doctors hands before the regular flu gets here and makes things even more complicated.
It's one of those things that can happen any time and in any sport. But now we know that concussions are a lot more serious than we used to think.Each year over one hundred thousand young athletes suffer concussions. And as a matter of fact, concussions are right behind car crashes as the leading causes of brain injury for fifteen to twenty four year olds.It used to be that if you suffered a hit to the head, you were put back in the game fairly quickly. But over the years we've found out that concussions can come with some very small signs and symptoms. And we now also know that the old thinking that you have to pass out to have suffered a concussion isn't true at all. Even a small bump to the head can cause one.And since concussions can cause long term problems with depression and even thinking ability, if your son or daughter has suffered a hit to the head, they need to be checked out before getting back into play. This is especially important because of something called a "second impact syndrome". That's when the brain is still soft after a concussion and the athlete gets hit in the head again. This can cause permanent damage. And that is why making sure the athlete is completely symptoms free-no headache, nausea, dizziness or vision changes---to name a few, before they or you even think about getting them back into play.
August 5th
Basically most kids don't get enough vitamin d everyday, and because of that doctors are seeing more cases of rickets than ever.For some time we've know that over twenty five percent of adults over the age of sixty five don't get nearly enough vitamin d, mainly because they don't get that much sunshine. And vitamin d, as we continue to find out, is very important for everyone's overall health. It's important for strong bones, keeps your blood pressure under control, and you might not realize it---but it also could protect us against diabetes, cancer, colds. On top of that we are finding out that it's important for lifelong heart health. But now it looks like kids are having problems getting enough vitamin d as well. In a new study looking at over six thousand children and young adults from age one to twenty one---sixty one percent of them, well over half of those kids in the study, were found to be vitamin d "insufficient". Researchers blame most of this on children simply not getting enough sun and not drinking enough milk. While they are not saying any of us need to sunbath, including kids, they are recommending that children spend fifteen to twenty minutes in the sun and to take a daily multivitamin that contains 400 IU, international units, especially in our darker winter months.
July 8th
Babies cry, that's normal. But if they cry more than usual you might want to look to dad to find out why.
When it comes to a colicky crying baby, don't automatically blame the mom. It turns out the dad might be just as responsible.
Infants cry for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they do it to communicate when they are hungry. Other times they do it when they are mad. But a colicky baby can stress out any family.
And for a few years researchers have known that depression in the mother can be related to an increase in colic and overall crying in a baby. But no one knew what dad's part in all this was---until now.
After looking at over four thousand infants, researchers found another connection between an excessively crying baby and dad's emotions. As a matter of fact, a dad with depression is twice as likely to have a baby that cries more than usual, than one that doesn't have depression.
So now we know that depression in a mother or father, during the pregnancy and early baby months can have a huge influence on the baby and how much they cry. And although researchers aren't sure if the crying connection between dad and baby is genetic, or based on other factors like marital, family or other issues in life, we do know that looking into depression for both mom and dad during pregnancy can help out with colic in the newborn.June 16th,
For Ann Hohmann, Oct. 21, 2004, began just about like any other day.
On that morning, the 54-year-old mother of two living in McAllen, Texas, was preparing to take her eldest son to school. She had an early appointment, so her husband, Rick Hohmann, would be dropping off younger son, 14-year-old Matthew, at his school that day.
About a month earlier, Matthew had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. And like an estimated 2.5 million other children in the United States, he was taking medication for the condition.
It was Ann Hohmann who gave Matthew his Adderall XR pill that morning with a glass of water. But it was her husband who later found him after he had collapsed on the bathroom floor.
"To me, he seemed fine," she recalled. "My husband had seen him walking around, brushing his teeth. Then he walked in and found him flat down on the floor in the bathroom.
"When he turned him over, his lips were blue," Hohmann said.
She said that her husband called her first, and then he called 911. He performed CPR until the ambulance arrived. But it was too late.
"They worked on him for a while, but he was dead," she said.
Ann Hohmann is one of a handful of parents across the country who believes that their children's sudden death was due to the use of drugs to control ADHD. And she said she hopes a new study released this morning, which suggests that the use of stimulants is tied to an increased risk of sudden unexplained death among children and teens, will open the eyes of the public to what she sees as the cause of her son's demise.
Some Support Heart Screenings for Kids on ADHD Drugs
"I think that the AHA recommendations on ECG screening made a lot of good sense and go along with the idea that caution should be the first standard in medicating children," he said.
Not all doctors agreed, however. "There is no evidence that suggests doing [ECGs] on all children taking stimulant medication will decrease incidences of sudden death," noted Dr. Francisco Xavier Castellanos, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the New York University's Langone Medical Center in New York City. "What we need is to move from spasmodic concern -- 'let's do something fast' -- to an urgency to get targeted research going that will provide crucially needed knowledge about who is at risk."
As for Hohmann, she said that she has started telling her friends to make sure that they do not put their children on stimulant ADHD medications. She added that she would advise any parents who had children who were taking an ADHD medication to have their children's hearts checked on a regular basis, both prior to beginning treatment with the drug and while they are taking it.
"When you lose a child, it's the most devastating thing you could ever, ever go through," she said. "Something needs to be done."
"When my doctor gave this to my son, I thought it was a light dose," she said. "I had no idea that it was going to kill him. It ruined our lives. ... There was no warning."
Findings May Add Fuel to ADHD Drug Debate
In the study of 564 children and teens who died suddenly, researchers led by Madelyn Gould of the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University in New York City found that that those who died suddenly were 7.4 times more likely than not to have been taking the stimulant medications. The results of the study are reported online in The American Journal of Psychiatry.
"Although sudden unexplained death is a rare event," the researchers said, "this finding should be considered in the context of other data about the risk and benefit of stimulants in medical treatment."
ADHD Medication Concerns Have Arisen in Past
Reports of cases of sudden unexplained death among children taking stimulants for ADHD have raised concerns over use of the medications in the past. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's adverse event reporting system identified 11 sudden deaths in pediatric patients taking methylphenidate -- the active ingredient in Ritalin and other ADHD drugs -- from January 1995 to February 2005.
While this rate of sudden death appears very low, the researchers there may be more cases that go unreported.
In 2006, the issue saw two FDA advisory committees come to opposite conclusions regarding the need to include a boxed warning of the risk of sudden death on the labels of stimulants. Later that year, information was added to the regular warnings section of the medication labels noting the association between sudden death and stimulant use at standard doses in children with serious heart problems.
Currently, however, it appears unlikely that this new study will have an effect on the FDA's approach to these drugs.
"Given the limitations of this study's methodology, the FDA is unable to conclude that these data affect the overall risk and benefit profile of stimulant medications used to treat ADHD in children," the FDA said in a statement released this morning. "Therefore, the FDA believes that this study should not serve as a basis for parents to stop a child's stimulant medication. Parents should discuss concerns about the use of these medicines with the prescribing healthcare professional."
The companies that manufacture these medicines maintain that these products are safe and that their risks are properly disclosed.
"Based on several reviews of these reports, the frequency of sudden cardiac death in children and adolescents taking a stimulant medication at the time of their death has not been shown to be higher than the incidence seen in the general population," Shire Pharmaceuticals, which produces Adderall XR, said in a statement issued Friday before the study's release.
A spokesperson for Novartis, the company that manufactures the ADHD drug Ritalin, said that a review of the company's safety data "failed to detect an increased risk in sudden cardiac death associated with [Ritalin] use." McNeil Pediatrics, the company that manufactures the ADHD drug Concerta, had no comment when contacted by ABC News.
Still, the findings will likely reignite a debate within the medical community over the safety and proper use of the popular medications.
"It is astonishing that these drugs are used so widely with children -- 5 percent of the school-aged population on a daily basis," said William Pelham, professor of psychology, pediatrics and psychiatry at the State University of New York at Buffalo. "When this study is published, I suspect that the professional and advocacy groups that continue to ignore the accumulating evidence showing absence of benefit on long-term outcomes will have a more difficult time defending the widespread practice of using stimulants as first line and sole treatment for ADHD in children."
Controversy Remains Over Stimulant Drugs for ADHD
Other medical professionals said more research is necessary before making any conclusions. "As far as the study design goes, I'm reminded of the old adage that 'correlation is not causation,'" said Jay Reeve, chief executive officer of the mental health services organization Apalachee Center Inc. in Tallahassee, Fla. "The downside of this study may be a wholesale rejection of the use of stimulants for children, which would be terrible.
"While caution is an excellent practice in child psychiatry, too many children are helped by the use of these meds ... to abandon prescribing these meds entirely," he said.
Daniel Cox, professor of psychiatry and neurosciences at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, agreed, adding that he fears the study will have an overall negative effect on the health of these young patients if the public misinterprets its findings.
"This article cannot address a possible large question: How many lives are saved because of stimulant medications," he said. "How many children do not impulsively run out in the street, are inattentive to a car turning into their lane of traffic, don't climb out on a roof and fall because they are appropriately medicated and less impulsive and inattentive because of the therapeutic effects?"
Still, Ann Hohmann said that the circumstances behind her son's death are hard to ignore.
"We didn't know anything until we saw the death certificate, which said 'sudden cardiac death, myocarditis,'" she said. "When I saw that, it blew me away. How can a healthy 9-year-old have a heart attack?"
And while Shire noted that it provides warning language about the use of these medicines by patients with serious heart problems, Ann Hohmann said that her son had no such history.
"He had seen doctors several times prior to that, and he had a physical a year before that. The last time he saw a doctor, they listened to his heart."
Keeping Kids With ADHD Safe
Last year, the American Heart Association recommended considering routine heart screening tests known as electrocardiograms, or ECGs, prior to starting children with ADHD on stimulant drugs and called for future studies to assess the risk of sudden death.
Reeve said that he feels such testing could go a long way in determining which children should not be taking the medications.
When it comes to a colicky crying baby, don't automatically blame the mom. It turns out the dad might be just as responsible.
Infants cry for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they do it to communicate when they are hungry. Other times they do it when they are mad. But a colicky baby can stress out any family.
And for a few years researchers have known that depression in the mother can be related to an increase in colic and overall crying in a baby. But no one knew what dad's part in all this was---until now.
After looking at over four thousand infants, researchers found another connection between an excessively crying baby and dad's emotions. As a matter of fact, a dad with depression is twice as likely to have a baby that cries more than usual, than one that doesn't have depression.
So now we know that depression in a mother or father, during the pregnancy and early baby months can have a huge influence on the baby and how much they cry. And although researchers aren't sure if the crying connection between dad and baby is genetic, or based on other factors like marital, family or other issues in life, we do know that looking into depression for both mom and dad during pregnancy can help out with colic in the newborn.June 16th,
For Ann Hohmann, Oct. 21, 2004, began just about like any other day.
On that morning, the 54-year-old mother of two living in McAllen, Texas, was preparing to take her eldest son to school. She had an early appointment, so her husband, Rick Hohmann, would be dropping off younger son, 14-year-old Matthew, at his school that day.
About a month earlier, Matthew had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. And like an estimated 2.5 million other children in the United States, he was taking medication for the condition.
It was Ann Hohmann who gave Matthew his Adderall XR pill that morning with a glass of water. But it was her husband who later found him after he had collapsed on the bathroom floor.
"To me, he seemed fine," she recalled. "My husband had seen him walking around, brushing his teeth. Then he walked in and found him flat down on the floor in the bathroom.
"When he turned him over, his lips were blue," Hohmann said.
She said that her husband called her first, and then he called 911. He performed CPR until the ambulance arrived. But it was too late.
"They worked on him for a while, but he was dead," she said.
Ann Hohmann is one of a handful of parents across the country who believes that their children's sudden death was due to the use of drugs to control ADHD. And she said she hopes a new study released this morning, which suggests that the use of stimulants is tied to an increased risk of sudden unexplained death among children and teens, will open the eyes of the public to what she sees as the cause of her son's demise.
Some Support Heart Screenings for Kids on ADHD Drugs
"I think that the AHA recommendations on ECG screening made a lot of good sense and go along with the idea that caution should be the first standard in medicating children," he said.
Not all doctors agreed, however. "There is no evidence that suggests doing [ECGs] on all children taking stimulant medication will decrease incidences of sudden death," noted Dr. Francisco Xavier Castellanos, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the New York University's Langone Medical Center in New York City. "What we need is to move from spasmodic concern -- 'let's do something fast' -- to an urgency to get targeted research going that will provide crucially needed knowledge about who is at risk."
As for Hohmann, she said that she has started telling her friends to make sure that they do not put their children on stimulant ADHD medications. She added that she would advise any parents who had children who were taking an ADHD medication to have their children's hearts checked on a regular basis, both prior to beginning treatment with the drug and while they are taking it.
"When you lose a child, it's the most devastating thing you could ever, ever go through," she said. "Something needs to be done."
"When my doctor gave this to my son, I thought it was a light dose," she said. "I had no idea that it was going to kill him. It ruined our lives. ... There was no warning."
Findings May Add Fuel to ADHD Drug Debate
In the study of 564 children and teens who died suddenly, researchers led by Madelyn Gould of the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University in New York City found that that those who died suddenly were 7.4 times more likely than not to have been taking the stimulant medications. The results of the study are reported online in The American Journal of Psychiatry.
"Although sudden unexplained death is a rare event," the researchers said, "this finding should be considered in the context of other data about the risk and benefit of stimulants in medical treatment."
ADHD Medication Concerns Have Arisen in Past
Reports of cases of sudden unexplained death among children taking stimulants for ADHD have raised concerns over use of the medications in the past. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's adverse event reporting system identified 11 sudden deaths in pediatric patients taking methylphenidate -- the active ingredient in Ritalin and other ADHD drugs -- from January 1995 to February 2005.
While this rate of sudden death appears very low, the researchers there may be more cases that go unreported.
In 2006, the issue saw two FDA advisory committees come to opposite conclusions regarding the need to include a boxed warning of the risk of sudden death on the labels of stimulants. Later that year, information was added to the regular warnings section of the medication labels noting the association between sudden death and stimulant use at standard doses in children with serious heart problems.
Currently, however, it appears unlikely that this new study will have an effect on the FDA's approach to these drugs.
"Given the limitations of this study's methodology, the FDA is unable to conclude that these data affect the overall risk and benefit profile of stimulant medications used to treat ADHD in children," the FDA said in a statement released this morning. "Therefore, the FDA believes that this study should not serve as a basis for parents to stop a child's stimulant medication. Parents should discuss concerns about the use of these medicines with the prescribing healthcare professional."
The companies that manufacture these medicines maintain that these products are safe and that their risks are properly disclosed.
"Based on several reviews of these reports, the frequency of sudden cardiac death in children and adolescents taking a stimulant medication at the time of their death has not been shown to be higher than the incidence seen in the general population," Shire Pharmaceuticals, which produces Adderall XR, said in a statement issued Friday before the study's release.
A spokesperson for Novartis, the company that manufactures the ADHD drug Ritalin, said that a review of the company's safety data "failed to detect an increased risk in sudden cardiac death associated with [Ritalin] use." McNeil Pediatrics, the company that manufactures the ADHD drug Concerta, had no comment when contacted by ABC News.
Still, the findings will likely reignite a debate within the medical community over the safety and proper use of the popular medications.
"It is astonishing that these drugs are used so widely with children -- 5 percent of the school-aged population on a daily basis," said William Pelham, professor of psychology, pediatrics and psychiatry at the State University of New York at Buffalo. "When this study is published, I suspect that the professional and advocacy groups that continue to ignore the accumulating evidence showing absence of benefit on long-term outcomes will have a more difficult time defending the widespread practice of using stimulants as first line and sole treatment for ADHD in children."
Controversy Remains Over Stimulant Drugs for ADHD
Other medical professionals said more research is necessary before making any conclusions. "As far as the study design goes, I'm reminded of the old adage that 'correlation is not causation,'" said Jay Reeve, chief executive officer of the mental health services organization Apalachee Center Inc. in Tallahassee, Fla. "The downside of this study may be a wholesale rejection of the use of stimulants for children, which would be terrible.
"While caution is an excellent practice in child psychiatry, too many children are helped by the use of these meds ... to abandon prescribing these meds entirely," he said.
Daniel Cox, professor of psychiatry and neurosciences at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, agreed, adding that he fears the study will have an overall negative effect on the health of these young patients if the public misinterprets its findings.
"This article cannot address a possible large question: How many lives are saved because of stimulant medications," he said. "How many children do not impulsively run out in the street, are inattentive to a car turning into their lane of traffic, don't climb out on a roof and fall because they are appropriately medicated and less impulsive and inattentive because of the therapeutic effects?"
Still, Ann Hohmann said that the circumstances behind her son's death are hard to ignore.
"We didn't know anything until we saw the death certificate, which said 'sudden cardiac death, myocarditis,'" she said. "When I saw that, it blew me away. How can a healthy 9-year-old have a heart attack?"
And while Shire noted that it provides warning language about the use of these medicines by patients with serious heart problems, Ann Hohmann said that her son had no such history.
"He had seen doctors several times prior to that, and he had a physical a year before that. The last time he saw a doctor, they listened to his heart."
Keeping Kids With ADHD Safe
Last year, the American Heart Association recommended considering routine heart screening tests known as electrocardiograms, or ECGs, prior to starting children with ADHD on stimulant drugs and called for future studies to assess the risk of sudden death.
Reeve said that he feels such testing could go a long way in determining which children should not be taking the medications.
June 10th,
When it comes to your health, many of us are turning to alternative treatments. But is this trend healthy or can it actually hurt you?How about one big----it depends! And what it depends on is what you use and how you use it.Although alternative, or what many call complementary, treatments can help out with both patient well being and patient recovery from something as small as back pain to something as big as cancer treatment---there are a few things that need to be considered. In some cases, herbs or supplements can actually interfere with ongoing treatments.This is still a controversial area. When it comes to cancer therapy, some experts believe antioxidants in supplements can actually interfere with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Others think it might actually help. The problem is that herbs and supplements haven't been tested all that well so no one's sure.And other studies are showing that what you think might be in a supplement or herb bottle might not be what your really getting. Some bottles contain lead or even arsenic, other don't mention it but have traces of regulated medicines in them.The bottom line here is not to avoid these alternative treatments, but to include them when you talk with your doctor about your overall health care. In other words, treat them like you would any other medicine.
May 27th
When it comes to treating heart attacks, getting care as soon as possible is important. But that might not be happening for half of those having a heart attack.The half of the patients we are talking about are women having heart attack symptoms. It turns out they might not be getting the medicines they need to help them with the heart attack when they need them the most.As an ER doctor I've treated many heart attack patients, we have a saying that when it comes to the heart----time is muscle. Basically that means the more time someone's heart is deprived of oxygen during a heart attack, the more heart muscle is damaged. And that damaged muscle never recovers. So getting treatment early on is vitally important. But according to this latest study, that might not be happening---at least for women.
University of Pennsylvania researchers looked at both sexes to see how they were treated for their heart attacks. It turns out that men are more likely to get aspirin, nitroglycering and even something as basic as an IV, than women.Part of the reason this is happening could be because women's symptoms don't always fall under what we used to consider the classic symptoms of a heart attack---chest pain or pressure. Instead they tend to have more vague symptoms, like extreme fatigue. So your best bet is to know your own body. Be your own advocate-and speak up--- especially if you think something is wrong.
University of Pennsylvania researchers looked at both sexes to see how they were treated for their heart attacks. It turns out that men are more likely to get aspirin, nitroglycering and even something as basic as an IV, than women.Part of the reason this is happening could be because women's symptoms don't always fall under what we used to consider the classic symptoms of a heart attack---chest pain or pressure. Instead they tend to have more vague symptoms, like extreme fatigue. So your best bet is to know your own body. Be your own advocate-and speak up--- especially if you think something is wrong.
May 20th
Nobody wants to work forever, but working a little longer might be one key to stopping Alzheimer's.It turns out that delaying retirement might be one way to delay the onset of Alzheimer's dementia.First off a couple of Alzheimer facts to put this all in perspective. Dementia, and that includes Alzheimer's, not only robs a person of their memory, but can also devastate an entire family, and it can eventually become fatal. Right now around five million people are living with Alzheimer's, which is also the seventh leading cause of death in this country.There is no cure for this disease and medication can help slow it down, but new research has started to focus on ways to prevent it. We know that keeping healthy early on, as well as exercising your mind can help, but a new study says one simple step you can take is to simply put off retirement for a while.In this British study researchers found that in the men they followed, working longer, regardless of the type of job, meant avoiding this mind robbing disease longer as well. As a matter of fact, they found that for every year someone delayed retirement, they also put off developing dementia.Part of the reason might be because of the mental stimulation you get from working on a daily basis, kind of a constant brain exercise that can keep Alzheimer's at bay, at least for a while.
May 13th
When it comes to keeping your children safe you might want to start by checking around your house.How about seventeen thousand reasons. That's how many children ended up in the emergency room last year because of falling furniture. Your TV, especially the flat screen type.According to the latest survey by the Center for Injury Research and Policy, most of these injuries occurred to children less than seven years old and most of them came about because of televisions tipping over. One reason it happens to children in this age group is because they tend to climb on furniture, not realizing it could tip over and hurt or in some cases even kill them.As for the televisions being number one, TV related injuries have actually gone up since the 1990's. Part of the reason is because now not only are televisions bigger, forty plus inches, but flat screen types are also top heavy That makes it much easier for a toddler to pull them down.But parents, there are ways you can help. These researchers suggest you place your television closer to the ground and near the backs of their stands. On top of that, strapping both TV's and other furniture to the wall with safety straps or L-brackets can help keep them secure. You'll also want to cut down on your child's desire to climb so don't place toys or remotes, or other things they might want to get ahold of, high on top of your television or other furniture.
May 6th
If you suffer from asthma or allergies, springtime in Colorado can be rough. But there are things you can do to help out.May is National Allergy and Asthma month. That's because temperatures are up, winds are blowing and pollen is floating around. It can be a bad time for your allergies. But itchy eyes, runny nose and constant sneezing and difficulty breathing can be helped out with some simple tips. One recommendation for allergy suffers is to stay indoors during the morning, especially before 10 am. Keep track of the daily pollen count. If it's particularly high, or it's a very windy and dry day, stay inside with your doors and windows shut and the air conditioner on. At the end of the day, before you head off to bed, take a quick shower. That will make sure pollen that collected on your hair during the day doesn't spread to your pillow. You'll just end up breathing them in during the night. Millions of us suffer from seasonal allergies and although they aren't necessarily life threatening, they can still make a heavy impact on our normal routine. So although avoiding allergies is a great first step, getting treatment so you can move out and about is also important. Medications range from over the counter antihistamines, including those that don't make you sleepy, to steroid inhalers. Some you take when you need to, others you take before problems begin. And for severe cases, getting tested can help better manage your allergies and get you back to a normal routine.http://www.stormspollen.com/
April 8th
According to the centers for disease control and prevention tens of thousands of us visit emergency rooms every year for fractures and sprains we get after tripping over our household pets. As a matter of fact, they estimate that around eighty eight thousand ER visits comes from pet related falls every single year. Some are just bumps and bruises. But for others it can result in fractures or even head injuries.The numbers behind these statistics are pretty amazing. Women are over twice as likely to get injured because of their pets than men. Most of the injuries, nearly nine out of ten, come from tripping over a dog and not a cat. Although most injuries happen to people in the thirty five to fifty four age group, the most dangerous ones happen to those seventy five or older. So the secret here is not to get rid of pets but to understand how these injuries are happening, especially in the elderly. For dogs, most of them happen when someone is taking the dog for a walk and gets pushed or pulled. For cats, most trips and falls happen when someone ends up chasing their cat. Understanding this and realizing when you're at the highest risk for getting hurt can go a long way to keeping you out of the ER and your pet out of the dog house.
April 1st
,Right now times are tough for just about everyone and the stress of itall can be overwhelming. So where can you turn to get help gettingthrough it?It's hard not to get stressed out right now, especially with all you cansee going on around the country with the economy. But at the same timekeeping your mental health "healthy" is something that's probably moreimportant now than ever before. And now you can help yourself by hoppingon the web.Lately we've all been hearing about job issues, home foreclosures,business going bankrupt and the seemingly continuous bailout news. Andthat can stress any of us out and get us a little depressed about howthings are going to turn out.And that's a normal reaction to bad times. But when that depressionstarts to affect your life and those around you, you need to find someprofessional help. And now the government is stepping in to help youfind that help. The "Getting Through Tough Economic Times" guide hasjust been put on line by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health ServicesAdministration. This guide is meant to help people identify any serioushealth concerns related to financial worries, develop coping skills andfind the help you might need to get through these tough times.By going online you can not only find local places to get help but canalso find the warning signs you need to look for in yourself and yourloved ones that could indicate a serious problem with depression andstress.To get to this website, you can go to our website at KRDO.com.http://www.samhsa.gov/economy/
March 25th
When it comes to fighting against breast cancer, one secret might lay in your children's diet, and specifically how much soy they take in.Mammograms, self examinations, MRI's and biopsies are all used to try and diagnose breast cancer as early as possible. Diet, exercise andmedication have all been looked at to try and cut down on your chances of getting breast cancer. But this latest study looks at a child's diet as the latest tool in fighting this disease.In this study, researchers looked at Asian American women to see howoften they developed breast cancer and if their diets affected that. The reason they looked at this group is because historically breast cancer rates among white women in the US are four to seven times higher than women in China or Japan. But when those women come to live in the US, their breast cancer rates rise over a few generations.So these researchers wanted to find out if that rise in cancer rates was because of the change in their diet when they move here. And what they found was pretty amazing. Women that consumed the most amount of soy during childhood cut their risk of breast cancer by over fifty percent.The important point here was the timing of when they ate the soy. Having it during childhood may change the way breast tissue develops, and because of the isoflavones in the soy, the tissue may become more cancer resistant.Now although these researchers fall short of recommending changing yourdaughter's diet just yet, they do recommend more studies to pinpoint just how much and when soy can have its greatest effect on breast cancer.
March 11th,
There's a new series of test that could help detect a deadly cancer early on and possibly save more women's lives. What I'm referring to is ovarian cancer, one of the biggest causes of cancer related deaths in women. But a combination of easy to do tests might help us fight back against it.The National Cancer Institute estimates that last year over twenty one thousand women in this country will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and unfortunately over fifteen thousand will die because of it. This type of cancer has a five year survival rate of around forty five percent. Part of the reason for this low survival rate is because this type of cancer is hard to detect and once it is detected it's often spread beyond the ovaries making tougher to treat.So figuring out a way to find this cancer early on can lead to increasing survival rates. Two separate tests are now used to help find ovarian cancer. One is a blood test, CA-125 and the other a simple ultrasound. Well, now researchers have found that combining the two tests can help detect even more cases earlier on.After testing two hundred thousand women British researchers were able to find ninety percent of those with ovarian cancers on their yearly exams. So although this study is preliminary, it's combining of the two tests give us an even stronger tool to use to fight this deadly illness.
Feb. 25th
Is drinking alcohol good for a woman's health or bad for it? How about aresounding it depends.And what it depends on is whether you're a woman more at risk for breastcancer or heart attacks. New research is showing that even moderate drinking can increase a woman'srisk for certain types of cancer, in particular breast and liver cancer. In a newly released study, scientists compared light drinkers, those havingtwo or less a week, with those drinking more. And each extra drink per dayabove that increased a women's risk for breast, liver and rectal cancer. They also found that drinking alcohol may account for about 13 percent ofthese types of cancers in women. But now it starts to get more than alittle confusing. That's because earlier studies have shown that onedrink a day for women can cut their risk of heart attacks and strokes.So what does it all mean? Now we get back to the "it depends" part ofthis. You need to look and see what you're at the greatest risk from,based on your personal and family history. If you're at a high risk forthese cancers and particularly breast cancer, than drinking alcohol can bebad for you. If on the other hand you're at a bigger risk of having aheart attack or stroke, then one drink a day can help keep you healthy. You best bet is to talk this over with your doctor and see where you stand.
Feb. 19th
In our quest to eat healthier and lose weight more of us are turning tocooking. But that special recipe can add on the pounds as well.It's called portion distortion and we've known restaurants do it, but nowit looks like cooking books have gotten in the act as well.Obesity continues to be a problem and plenty of blame has been placed onthe restaurant industry. That's mainly because portions when you go out toeat, both at restaurants and fast food establishment, have gotten biggerover the years. That adds to your daily calorie load and packs on the pounds. So to combat this and to save money, more people are preparing meals at home. And although that is a healthy way to go, you need to be a little carefulbecause recipes have also started to make portions a lot larger than you'dthink. As a matter of fact, the portion sizes on regular home recipes havegrown by around forty percent per serving in the last seventy years. Thatmeans around an extra eighty calories per serving which can add up over theyears to pack on the pounds. One example researchers give is the Joy of Cooking cookbook's brownierecipe. Today it uses the same ingredients it did back in the 60's but nowcalls for you to cut it into 15 brownies, back then it was thirty. Otherrecipes also now call for more calorie heavy meat, whereas, years ago theycalled for beans because meat cost too much.So what can you do? The simplest thing is just to realize this ishappening and control your own portions at home. One recommendation is tomake the full recipe, but then cut the entire finished product in half. Freeze half and serve the other half to you family.
Feb. 11th
When it comes to the flu, there are plenty of things you can do to fight it off. But it looks like one of the most important ones is something we don't have much of here, humidity. And here in Colorado our dry climate also makes us more likely to get the flu. But there are a few things you can do to help you and your family out.We've know for a long time that winter is the typical cold and flu season. Up until now, most of us have thought that's because of a variety of reasons ranging from more runny noses to more people inside for longer hours sharing germs. But new researchers are pinning the spike in flu cases during our coldest months to the dryness in the air. And as anyone that's just moved here can tell you, our winter months are much drier than most other places so our chances of getting the flu are higher as well.What these researchers found was that the flu virus is much happier in drier climates and can spread much faster. That means a much better chance of catching the flu right now.So the key is to keep the air you can moist. Humidifiers in your house can help, especially in the busiest rooms. And remember---plenty of hand washing too.
Feb 4, 2009
When it comes to breast cancer, predicting who needs what treatment continues to be a big area of research. But new techniques may help doctors better treat these tumors. The big issue is that similar types of breast cancer tumors can respond differently to treatment and until now it was hard to figure out who needed aggressive treatment and who didn't. But new tests are helping doctors figure it out. Here's the dilemma in a nutshell. Even though two different patients might have the same type of breast cancer, doctor's have noticed that treatment affects them differently. In other words, some respond well to current chemotherapy and radiation treatments and recover while others don't do as well. And since aggressive treatment has more side effects, doctors needto decide who can benefit the most from more aggressive but more dangerous types of treatment. So knowing from the outset that a particular woman's prognosis is bad could allow doctors to give her aggressive treatment right away. Recently, researchers observed protein interactions between cancer cells and healthy cells that were most important in forecasting patient survival. They found that women who survived the disease had a different way their proteins were organized within the cancer cells than those who died. These researchers have now formed a company, called dynemo biosystems, to produce tests that can detect these differences. Hopefully they'll be approved soon and can be used to tailor a patients treatment so we can stop using the one size fits most categories we place patients into now.
When it comes to losing weight, one group in particular has more success than most.
Consumer Reports has found the not so secret secret that successful dieters share.
In their latest survey they asked over twenty one thousand subscribers questions about their current weight, previous weight and what they've done to try and lose that weight. And what they found is pretty basic. Those most successful at losing weight didn't use expensive diet plans or diet pills. Instead they lost weight and kept it off mostly on their own.
The survey divided people into a variety of groups. One group they called the "always thin" ---those that cause extensive jealousy because they never gain weight. Another group were the "successful losers" ----those that
lost weight and kept it off for three years.
The surprising part of the survey was that these two groups, the always thin and the successful losers, did the same things to keep at a good weight. Both regularly ate healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and stayed away from excessive dietary fat. They also practiced portion control and engaged in regular vigorous exercise.
None of the other groups, including the biggest set--- the failed
dieters--- did this. So it seems like the secret to losing and keeping off weight doesn't necessarily involve a lot more than eating healthy and exercising regularly.
Consumer Reports has found the not so secret secret that successful dieters share.
In their latest survey they asked over twenty one thousand subscribers questions about their current weight, previous weight and what they've done to try and lose that weight. And what they found is pretty basic. Those most successful at losing weight didn't use expensive diet plans or diet pills. Instead they lost weight and kept it off mostly on their own.
The survey divided people into a variety of groups. One group they called the "always thin" ---those that cause extensive jealousy because they never gain weight. Another group were the "successful losers" ----those that
lost weight and kept it off for three years.
The surprising part of the survey was that these two groups, the always thin and the successful losers, did the same things to keep at a good weight. Both regularly ate healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and stayed away from excessive dietary fat. They also practiced portion control and engaged in regular vigorous exercise.
None of the other groups, including the biggest set--- the failed
dieters--- did this. So it seems like the secret to losing and keeping off weight doesn't necessarily involve a lot more than eating healthy and exercising regularly.
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