Monday, January 31, 2011

Hot Flashes & Breast Cancer Risk

Hot flashes aren't something any woman looks forward to, but now there might be a little good news about them.

For the first time researchers looked at the connection between menopause and breast cancer risk and found one might actually help the other.

Hot flashes and night sweats are some of the symptoms of menopause familiar to most women and ones they would probably rather do without. But in a new study, researchers found that women who had the most hot flashes during menopause also had a lower risk of getting breast cancer. In fact, those with the most severe symptoms had a 50% lower chance of getting either of the two most common types of breast cancer----invasive ductal and invasive lobular carcinoma.

Experts think part of the reason this is happening is because of the role the hormones estrogen and progesterone play in breast cancer. Reduction in these hormones, which can cause severe menopause symptoms, might also protect against breast cancer.

Although this connection is still being studied, experts say it's another good step in our understanding of breast cancer. In the meanwhile, it might also just put a little silver lining on those menopause symptoms most women would rather do without.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

The Pill & Your Weight

If you've been avoiding birth control pills because you thought you might gain weight, listen up. Looks like that won't happen after all.

This connection between birth control pills and weight gain has been around for decades and it's caused some women to avoid the pill altogether. But a new study is showing that you can't blame the birth control pill. As a matter of fact this study found that not only does it not add weight but in some individuals might actually help you shed some pounds.

Researchers study rhesus monkeys and birth control pills, mainly because these monkeys have reproductive systems close to ours, so birth control pills should affect them and humans the same way. What they found out was that normal weight ones didn't gain any weight on the pill. Surprisingly though, obese monkeys lost both weight and body fat when they where put on the pill. The researchers involved in this study think the same should apply to humans. They also think part of the reason this connection came about in the first place is because older birth control pills had higher levels of estrogen which can cause more water weight, but new pills cut back on this hormone. So, if you've been putting off birth control pills because you were worried about adding weight, you might want to give them a second look.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Pets Making Us Sick?

We all love our pets, but could those same pets be making you sick?

Dogs and cats get sick just like we do, but occasionally they pass those sickness on to us. And in some cases it can be a pretty nasty illness, especially if they tend to sleep with you.

A new report from the medical journal “Emerging Infectious Diseases” shows that even seemingly healthy pets can carry parasites, viruses or even bacteria. Researchers have found that over 100 different diseases can be passed from pets to us. And the biggest risk comes from cuddling them.

A recent survey by the American Kennel Club found that 21% of dog owners sleep with them on a regular basis. Although this provides comfort for both the dog and the owner it can also provide a way for infections to pass between the two.

Even though it is rare that this can happen, when it does it can be anything from a small rash to a life-threatening infection.

So, your best bet is to make sure your pet is as healthy as possible. Regular visits to the vet, keeping updated on shots and periodic grooming can help lower your chances of catching anything from them. And after your through playing with or petting them, make sure you and your children wash hands, especially before eating.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Prescription To Play

How's this for a prescription from your doctor----play more.

We are finding out just how import “play time” is for adults.

Remember back to your free and easy childhood. You spent the whole day playing around at one thing or another. Your biggest worry back then was how mad you Mom was going to be because you ruined your new shirt.

Somewhere along the line we became adults and stopped playing. Life was supposed to be serious as we worked our way through the years. But researchers have found that getting that “play” back into your life can help improve your mental and body health. Having time to do what you love, or at least what seems fun, is the key to happiness now just like it was when you were a kid. The difference is that now you probably need it more than ever.

Play time doesn't have to be anything structured or complex. If you've even had a spark of interest in something that sounds fun, go for it. Dance around the house, grab your bike and ride to your buddies house, play Frisbee with your spouse. Just do something out of the ordinary and have a great time. And don't forget what you always knew as a kid---laughter really is the best medicine.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

School Lunches, Better "Eats"

The government is making changes to the school lunch program that will hopefully improve our children's health.

Think back to your own school days and the lunch line. The menu back then was interesting and contained things like “mystery” meat and other unidentifiable food choices. Well, for the first time in 15 years the USDA is proposing changes to school lunches that will bring healthier choices to our kids. The goal is to add more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low fat milk to school meals. Right now 32 million kids have school meals. And many of them consume half of their daily calories at school.

So, you can imagine that if the lunch isn't nutritious than the kid isn't eating well for this important meal. And with the obesity crisis still in full swing, the government decided it was time for some big changes. The good news for school systems is they are also increasing the reimbursement to schools by 6 cents a meal to help fund the changes.

So, in the near future look for better “eats” for your kids from the school.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Beating Anxiety By Writing

Do you ever get sweaty palms and a racing heart right before a big test or presentation. Maybe all you need to do to help out is write about it beforehand.

It's called performance anxiety and it's something we've all experienced at one time or another. You have a big test coming up, an important presentation or a job interview, but beforehand all you can do is think about how anxious you are about the whole thing. The problem is that anxiety can make you do worse and blow the whole thing for you.

Some techniques like deep breathing, stretching beforehand or even just positive thinking can help out, but according to this new study, writing about your fears before an upcoming event can help you do better. Researchers had some college students write down their feeling about an upcoming math test. They ended up doing much better on the test. And surprisingly, those sitting quietly before the test, but not writing anything down, actually did worse.

It turns out that worries, like about the upcoming test, take up part of our working memory. This is a type of short term memory we need to do well on tests and when it's already occupied with our anxieties we can't do as well. Writing about them beforehand gets these worries out of this working memory and frees it up so you can do your best.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Acetaminophen Dangers

The federal government is changing one of the ingredients in prescription painkillers in order to reduce the amount of one of the more dangerous substances in those painkillers. But that substance is one most of us tend to take for granted.

The FDA is limiting the amount of acetaminophen in popular pain medication pills like vicodin or percocet. And they are doing it because it's been linked to thousands of cases of liver damage every year. This ingredient is also the active ingredient in over-the-counter pain medicine like Tylenol, Nyquil or thousands of other medications used to treat any variety of ailments. Most of us tend to take it for granted and it's even touted as being one of the few safe medications pregnant women can use. But like all medicines, both prescription and over the counter, acetaminophen does have side effects. And it's most dangerous one is liver damage, especially if taken in large doses.

One of the problems with the prescription painkillers is that most people don't realize they contain acetaminophen, party because sometimes it's written out as APAP, it's chemical abbreviation. But combine a percocet with a Tylenol and you can begin to reach dangerous levels of this drug. So to help out, the FDA is limiting the amount of this ingredient in prescription pain pills.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

New Nutrition Labels On Meat

There will soon be a change at the grocery store that you might not notice right away, but it could go a long way towards a healthy diet.

The government is going to start requiring nutrition labels on the meats you buy at the grocery store, and the information the packaging will have can help you figure out healthier options.

For years most packaged foods have had the familiar black and white label on them that spell out calories per serving. It also breaks that down into different types of fat---like saturated and unsaturated fats. But up until now when you looked at a meat label you only saw the weight and price.

That's about to change. The USDA is requiring that by 2012 these same facts other packages have will be on meat as well. The labels will spell out total calories, calories from fat, total grams of fat and total grams of saturated fat. It will also show the amount of cholesterol, sodium, protein and vitamins in the particular type of meat.

With this new information you'll be able to figure out better choices for you and your family, for example cutting back on saturated fats and sodium in the meat choices you make. But you'll have to be an even more persistent label reader from now on to do it.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Too Much Fluoride?

The government is saying there might be too much fluoride in water across the nation and that could be causing splotchy teeth.

The federal government is now saying in some parts of the country we might be getting too much fluoride and that could be causing pitting and staining of our teeth. Back in the early 1950s the government begin urging utility systems across the country to add fluoride as a way to cut back on cavities. It was very successful and has cut down on the amount of tooth decay, especially in teens. Since then it's also been put in toothpaste, mouthwash, bottled water and even some sodas.

Now the government is saying we might be getting too much of a good thing, especially young children. And in this case too much fluoride is causing 2 out of every 5 kids seen in a recent study to have tooth streaking or spottiness. It's called fluorosis and is just one thing they are worried about.

Dental and medical groups think this announcement to cut back on fluoride is a good thing since there are so many other sources of fluoride now than in the 1950s.

As for water in this area, according to Colorado Springs Utilities, it don't add any additional fluoride to our water since it already has natural sources. Although not state mandated, other areas of the state do. To find out if fluoride is added to your water system, you can go to the CDC website at: http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/MWF/Index.asp

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Guidelines For Removing Tonsils

It's always tough to tell when a child's tonsils need to come out, but new guidelines can help you and your doctor decide.

In some cases the new guidelines say it's better to wait, but in other instances it might even help some behavior issues.

The American Academy of Otolaryngology, those are the ear, nose and throat doctors, just published new guidelines that aim to give doctors and parents more information about when a tonsillectomy is something to think about. According to them, most children who get throat infection after throat infection don't really need to have their tonsils removed. Instead they recommend careful monitoring and watchful waiting.

However, something that might be a little surprising is they do suggest that removing the tonsils could improve problems tied to poor sleep. Large tonsils can interfere with sleep because of snoring or even childhood sleep apnea. This poor sleep can cause a variety of issues including bed wetting, slow growth and hyperactivity. It can also be one cause behind poor performance in school. And removing tonsils in these cases can help improve those issues.

The goal behind these guidelines is to keep tonsils around if you can, but also to give everyone pretty good guidelines as to when they should come out.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Flu Season Starts

Even though it seems late in the year, we are just now seeing the beginning of our flu season.

It does seem late in the year for this type of news. But the flu does whatever the flu wants to do. And this year it's starting off late, but its also starting to make up for lost time.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the flu is widespread in 5 states, all in the south except for New York. And although it's not widespread in Colorado yet, we are starting to see more cases right now. The Colorado Department of Public Health reports a gradual increase of hospitalized flu cases statewide. Although it doesn't report the cases most doctors see in the clinic, the ones that get treated at home, I, and other doctors have seen an increase in these types of cases over the last few weeks.

The concern now is that with people coming back from other parts of the country after the holidays and kids going back to school, the flu will start spreading more. So your best bet is to still get the flu shot, especially since it'll protect you from this later than usual flu season. At my Urgent Care clinic, Premier Urgent Care at 8115 Voyager Parkway, we are going to help out by offering free flu shots while limited supplies last. It's at North Academy and highway 83, near I-25. You can call us at 203-3300. My goal is to make sure you stay healthy this late but still active flu season.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Leafy Vegetables & Olive Oil

When it comes to New Year's resolutions having a healthy diet might be at the top of your list. Here are some tips that might help you start off right.

I think everyone knows they need more vegetables in their diet, but how about olive oil?

The surprising thing is just how little of both you need and how much both of these can improve your health.

Italian researchers found that eating just one serving of leafy vegetables a day meant being 40 percent less likely to get heart disease over the 8 years the women in this new study were followed. And just three tablespoons of olive oil daily also gave them this same health benefit. The olive oil can be used in just about anything including salad dressings, combining the two together. Both have plenty of antioxidants and the green leafy vegetables also contain folate and potassium---all of these have been shown to decrease people's risk of heart problems.

So, to make this year a healthier one, try starting off by adding a little bit of both leafy vegetables and olive oil to your daily diet.