Walking group: Banish boredom, boost motivation

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20045837

Walking group: Banish boredom, boost motivation

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20045837

Walking group: Banish boredom, boost motivation

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20045837

Immediate radiation when PSA levels spike after prostate cancer surgery helps reduce risk of recurrence

Following surgery to remove a cancerous prostate gland, some men experience a biochemical recurrence, meaning that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has become detectable in their blood. Since only the prostate releases PSA, removing the gland should drop this protein to undetectable levels in the body. Detecting PSA could signify that prostate cancer cells are lingering, and forming new tumors before they can be seen with modern imaging technology. PSA isn’t always reliable for cancer screening, but it is a very sensitive marker of new cancer growth after initial treatment.

Doctors usually treat biochemical recurrence by irradiating the prostate bed, or the area where the gland used to be. Studies have shown that this treatment, which is called salvage radiation, helps to minimize the risk that prostate cancer will return and spread, or metastasize. But when to initiate salvage radiation has been open question, since PSA will also rise if small amounts of benign prostate tissue have been left behind after surgery. Many times, doctors don’t know if biochemical recurrence is really cancer, so they wait to see if the PSA levels will rise any further.

In October, researchers reported that giving salvage radiation as soon as PSA is detected could substantially reduce the risk of metastasis. “We found that early intervention with radiation could potentially improve cure rates,” said Rahul Tendulkar, M.D., a radiation oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic, and the study’s first author. “There’s no need to wait until PSA crosses an arbitrary threshold.”

Tendulkar and his colleagues combined nearly 2,500 post-surgical patients treated with salvage radiation at 10 different academic hospitals between 1987 and 2013. Of those men, 599 had cancers with a low risk of progression, while the others had higher-risk disease that was in some cases spreading into nearby tissues. Some of the men also had positive surgical margins, meaning that cancer cells might still be lurking next to where the prostate was removed.

According to their results, the incidence of metastases at five years following surgery was 9% among men given salvage radiation for PSA levels ranging from 0.01 to 0.2 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). By contrast, the metastasis incidence rate was 15% among men treated for PSA levels of 0.2 to 0.5 ng/mL. Both the American Urological Association and the American Society of Radiation Oncology recommend that salvage radiation be given when PSA levels reach or exceed 0.2 ng/mL. But Tendulkar says that level was defined years ago, before ultra-sensitive methods for detecting PSA became widely available.

“In this newer era of ultra-sensitive PSA testing we didn’t know if giving salvage radiation at lower levels would make a difference or not,” Tendulkar said. “Now we know that it does.”

Tendulkar says the decision to initiate salvage radiation can also be influenced by other factors, such as age, other health problems, and the aggressiveness of the cancer he was diagnosed with.

In an accompanying editorial, Paul Nguyen, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston, MA, and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, wrote that Tendulkar’s study “will become the gold standard” for men considering salvage radiation after surgical treatment for prostate cancer.

But the study doesn’t address an important question: Should men with high-risk cancer consider getting radiation after surgery even before PSA increases are detected? Studies designed to answer that question are now ongoing.

“This important study provides some much needed guidance that comports with my own clinical experience,” said Dr. Marc Garnick, the Gorman Brothers Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and editor in chief of HarvardProstateKnowledge.org. “Patients should be aware that complications such as erectile problems and urinary side effects will likely worsen with salvage radiation.”

The post Immediate radiation when PSA levels spike after prostate cancer surgery helps reduce risk of recurrence appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Charlie Schmidt http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-study-recommends-immediate-radiation-when-psa-levels-spike-after-prostate-cancer-surgery-2016122910868

Walking group: Banish boredom, boost motivation

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20045837

Immediate radiation when PSA levels spike after prostate cancer surgery helps reduce risk of recurrence

Following surgery to remove a cancerous prostate gland, some men experience a biochemical recurrence, meaning that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has become detectable in their blood. Since only the prostate releases PSA, removing the gland should drop this protein to undetectable levels in the body. Detecting PSA could signify that prostate cancer cells are lingering, and forming new tumors before they can be seen with modern imaging technology. PSA isn’t always reliable for cancer screening, but it is a very sensitive marker of new cancer growth after initial treatment.

Doctors usually treat biochemical recurrence by irradiating the prostate bed, or the area where the gland used to be. Studies have shown that this treatment, which is called salvage radiation, helps to minimize the risk that prostate cancer will return and spread, or metastasize. But when to initiate salvage radiation has been open question, since PSA will also rise if small amounts of benign prostate tissue have been left behind after surgery. Many times, doctors don’t know if biochemical recurrence is really cancer, so they wait to see if the PSA levels will rise any further.

In October, researchers reported that giving salvage radiation as soon as PSA is detected could substantially reduce the risk of metastasis. “We found that early intervention with radiation could potentially improve cure rates,” said Rahul Tendulkar, M.D., a radiation oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic, and the study’s first author. “There’s no need to wait until PSA crosses an arbitrary threshold.”

Tendulkar and his colleagues combined nearly 2,500 post-surgical patients treated with salvage radiation at 10 different academic hospitals between 1987 and 2013. Of those men, 599 had cancers with a low risk of progression, while the others had higher-risk disease that was in some cases spreading into nearby tissues. Some of the men also had positive surgical margins, meaning that cancer cells might still be lurking next to where the prostate was removed.

According to their results, the incidence of metastases at five years following surgery was 9% among men given salvage radiation for PSA levels ranging from 0.01 to 0.2 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). By contrast, the metastasis incidence rate was 15% among men treated for PSA levels of 0.2 to 0.5 ng/mL. Both the American Urological Association and the American Society of Radiation Oncology recommend that salvage radiation be given when PSA levels reach or exceed 0.2 ng/mL. But Tendulkar says that level was defined years ago, before ultra-sensitive methods for detecting PSA became widely available.

“In this newer era of ultra-sensitive PSA testing we didn’t know if giving salvage radiation at lower levels would make a difference or not,” Tendulkar said. “Now we know that it does.”

Tendulkar says the decision to initiate salvage radiation can also be influenced by other factors, such as age, other health problems, and the aggressiveness of the cancer he was diagnosed with.

In an accompanying editorial, Paul Nguyen, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston, MA, and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, wrote that Tendulkar’s study “will become the gold standard” for men considering salvage radiation after surgical treatment for prostate cancer.

But the study doesn’t address an important question: Should men with high-risk cancer consider getting radiation after surgery even before PSA increases are detected? Studies designed to answer that question are now ongoing.

“This important study provides some much needed guidance that comports with my own clinical experience,” said Dr. Marc Garnick, the Gorman Brothers Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and editor in chief of HarvardProstateKnowledge.org. “Patients should be aware that complications such as erectile problems and urinary side effects will likely worsen with salvage radiation.”

The post Immediate radiation when PSA levels spike after prostate cancer surgery helps reduce risk of recurrence appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Charlie Schmidt http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-study-recommends-immediate-radiation-when-psa-levels-spike-after-prostate-cancer-surgery-2016122910868

Closer look at marijuana illness CHS and top medical news of 2016

CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook takes a look at a marijuana-related health illness where diagnosis could be often missed: cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS. He also reviews the top medical news of 2016 including the Zika virus and the opioid crisis.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/closer-look-at-marijuana-illness-chs-and-top-medical-news-of-2016/

Walking group: Banish boredom, boost motivation

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20045837

Immediate radiation when PSA levels spike after prostate cancer surgery helps reduce risk of recurrence

Following surgery to remove a cancerous prostate gland, some men experience a biochemical recurrence, meaning that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has become detectable in their blood. Since only the prostate releases PSA, removing the gland should drop this protein to undetectable levels in the body. Detecting PSA could signify that prostate cancer cells are lingering, and forming new tumors before they can be seen with modern imaging technology. PSA isn’t always reliable for cancer screening, but it is a very sensitive marker of new cancer growth after initial treatment.

Doctors usually treat biochemical recurrence by irradiating the prostate bed, or the area where the gland used to be. Studies have shown that this treatment, which is called salvage radiation, helps to minimize the risk that prostate cancer will return and spread, or metastasize. But when to initiate salvage radiation has been open question, since PSA will also rise if small amounts of benign prostate tissue have been left behind after surgery. Many times, doctors don’t know if biochemical recurrence is really cancer, so they wait to see if the PSA levels will rise any further.

In October, researchers reported that giving salvage radiation as soon as PSA is detected could substantially reduce the risk of metastasis. “We found that early intervention with radiation could potentially improve cure rates,” said Rahul Tendulkar, M.D., a radiation oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic, and the study’s first author. “There’s no need to wait until PSA crosses an arbitrary threshold.”

Tendulkar and his colleagues combined nearly 2,500 post-surgical patients treated with salvage radiation at 10 different academic hospitals between 1987 and 2013. Of those men, 599 had cancers with a low risk of progression, while the others had higher-risk disease that was in some cases spreading into nearby tissues. Some of the men also had positive surgical margins, meaning that cancer cells might still be lurking next to where the prostate was removed.

According to their results, the incidence of metastases at five years following surgery was 9% among men given salvage radiation for PSA levels ranging from 0.01 to 0.2 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). By contrast, the metastasis incidence rate was 15% among men treated for PSA levels of 0.2 to 0.5 ng/mL. Both the American Urological Association and the American Society of Radiation Oncology recommend that salvage radiation be given when PSA levels reach or exceed 0.2 ng/mL. But Tendulkar says that level was defined years ago, before ultra-sensitive methods for detecting PSA became widely available.

“In this newer era of ultra-sensitive PSA testing we didn’t know if giving salvage radiation at lower levels would make a difference or not,” Tendulkar said. “Now we know that it does.”

Tendulkar says the decision to initiate salvage radiation can also be influenced by other factors, such as age, other health problems, and the aggressiveness of the cancer he was diagnosed with.

In an accompanying editorial, Paul Nguyen, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston, MA, and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, wrote that Tendulkar’s study “will become the gold standard” for men considering salvage radiation after surgical treatment for prostate cancer.

But the study doesn’t address an important question: Should men with high-risk cancer consider getting radiation after surgery even before PSA increases are detected? Studies designed to answer that question are now ongoing.

“This important study provides some much needed guidance that comports with my own clinical experience,” said Dr. Marc Garnick, the Gorman Brothers Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and editor in chief of HarvardProstateKnowledge.org. “Patients should be aware that complications such as erectile problems and urinary side effects will likely worsen with salvage radiation.”

The post Immediate radiation when PSA levels spike after prostate cancer surgery helps reduce risk of recurrence appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Charlie Schmidt http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-study-recommends-immediate-radiation-when-psa-levels-spike-after-prostate-cancer-surgery-2016122910868

Walking group: Banish boredom, boost motivation

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20045837

Immediate radiation when PSA levels spike after prostate cancer surgery helps reduce risk of recurrence

Following surgery to remove a cancerous prostate gland, some men experience a biochemical recurrence, meaning that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has become detectable in their blood. Since only the prostate releases PSA, removing the gland should drop this protein to undetectable levels in the body. Detecting PSA could signify that prostate cancer cells are lingering, and forming new tumors before they can be seen with modern imaging technology. PSA isn’t always reliable for cancer screening, but it is a very sensitive marker of new cancer growth after initial treatment.

Doctors usually treat biochemical recurrence by irradiating the prostate bed, or the area where the gland used to be. Studies have shown that this treatment, which is called salvage radiation, helps to minimize the risk that prostate cancer will return and spread, or metastasize. But when to initiate salvage radiation has been open question, since PSA will also rise if small amounts of benign prostate tissue have been left behind after surgery. Many times, doctors don’t know if biochemical recurrence is really cancer, so they wait to see if the PSA levels will rise any further.

In October, researchers reported that giving salvage radiation as soon as PSA is detected could substantially reduce the risk of metastasis. “We found that early intervention with radiation could potentially improve cure rates,” said Rahul Tendulkar, M.D., a radiation oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic, and the study’s first author. “There’s no need to wait until PSA crosses an arbitrary threshold.”

Tendulkar and his colleagues combined nearly 2,500 post-surgical patients treated with salvage radiation at 10 different academic hospitals between 1987 and 2013. Of those men, 599 had cancers with a low risk of progression, while the others had higher-risk disease that was in some cases spreading into nearby tissues. Some of the men also had positive surgical margins, meaning that cancer cells might still be lurking next to where the prostate was removed.

According to their results, the incidence of metastases at five years following surgery was 9% among men given salvage radiation for PSA levels ranging from 0.01 to 0.2 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). By contrast, the metastasis incidence rate was 15% among men treated for PSA levels of 0.2 to 0.5 ng/mL. Both the American Urological Association and the American Society of Radiation Oncology recommend that salvage radiation be given when PSA levels reach or exceed 0.2 ng/mL. But Tendulkar says that level was defined years ago, before ultra-sensitive methods for detecting PSA became widely available.

“In this newer era of ultra-sensitive PSA testing we didn’t know if giving salvage radiation at lower levels would make a difference or not,” Tendulkar said. “Now we know that it does.”

Tendulkar says the decision to initiate salvage radiation can also be influenced by other factors, such as age, other health problems, and the aggressiveness of the cancer he was diagnosed with.

In an accompanying editorial, Paul Nguyen, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston, MA, and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, wrote that Tendulkar’s study “will become the gold standard” for men considering salvage radiation after surgical treatment for prostate cancer.

But the study doesn’t address an important question: Should men with high-risk cancer consider getting radiation after surgery even before PSA increases are detected? Studies designed to answer that question are now ongoing.

“This important study provides some much needed guidance that comports with my own clinical experience,” said Dr. Marc Garnick, the Gorman Brothers Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and editor in chief of HarvardProstateKnowledge.org. “Patients should be aware that complications such as erectile problems and urinary side effects will likely worsen with salvage radiation.”

The post Immediate radiation when PSA levels spike after prostate cancer surgery helps reduce risk of recurrence appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Charlie Schmidt http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-study-recommends-immediate-radiation-when-psa-levels-spike-after-prostate-cancer-surgery-2016122910868

Immediate radiation when PSA levels spike after prostate cancer surgery helps reduce risk of recurrence

Following surgery to remove a cancerous prostate gland, some men experience a biochemical recurrence, meaning that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has become detectable in their blood. Since only the prostate releases PSA, removing the gland should drop this protein to undetectable levels in the body. Detecting PSA could signify that prostate cancer cells are lingering, and forming new tumors before they can be seen with modern imaging technology. PSA isn’t always reliable for cancer screening, but it is a very sensitive marker of new cancer growth after initial treatment.

Doctors usually treat biochemical recurrence by irradiating the prostate bed, or the area where the gland used to be. Studies have shown that this treatment, which is called salvage radiation, helps to minimize the risk that prostate cancer will return and spread, or metastasize. But when to initiate salvage radiation has been open question, since PSA will also rise if small amounts of benign prostate tissue have been left behind after surgery. Many times, doctors don’t know if biochemical recurrence is really cancer, so they wait to see if the PSA levels will rise any further.

In October, researchers reported that giving salvage radiation as soon as PSA is detected could substantially reduce the risk of metastasis. “We found that early intervention with radiation could potentially improve cure rates,” said Rahul Tendulkar, M.D., a radiation oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic, and the study’s first author. “There’s no need to wait until PSA crosses an arbitrary threshold.”

Tendulkar and his colleagues combined nearly 2,500 post-surgical patients treated with salvage radiation at 10 different academic hospitals between 1987 and 2013. Of those men, 599 had cancers with a low risk of progression, while the others had higher-risk disease that was in some cases spreading into nearby tissues. Some of the men also had positive surgical margins, meaning that cancer cells might still be lurking next to where the prostate was removed.

According to their results, the incidence of metastases at five years following surgery was 9% among men given salvage radiation for PSA levels ranging from 0.01 to 0.2 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). By contrast, the metastasis incidence rate was 15% among men treated for PSA levels of 0.2 to 0.5 ng/mL. Both the American Urological Association and the American Society of Radiation Oncology recommend that salvage radiation be given when PSA levels reach or exceed 0.2 ng/mL. But Tendulkar says that level was defined years ago, before ultra-sensitive methods for detecting PSA became widely available.

“In this newer era of ultra-sensitive PSA testing we didn’t know if giving salvage radiation at lower levels would make a difference or not,” Tendulkar said. “Now we know that it does.”

Tendulkar says the decision to initiate salvage radiation can also be influenced by other factors, such as age, other health problems, and the aggressiveness of the cancer he was diagnosed with.

In an accompanying editorial, Paul Nguyen, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston, MA, and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, wrote that Tendulkar’s study “will become the gold standard” for men considering salvage radiation after surgical treatment for prostate cancer.

But the study doesn’t address an important question: Should men with high-risk cancer consider getting radiation after surgery even before PSA increases are detected? Studies designed to answer that question are now ongoing.

“This important study provides some much needed guidance that comports with my own clinical experience,” said Dr. Marc Garnick, the Gorman Brothers Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and editor in chief of HarvardProstateKnowledge.org. “Patients should be aware that complications such as erectile problems and urinary side effects will likely worsen with salvage radiation.”

The post Immediate radiation when PSA levels spike after prostate cancer surgery helps reduce risk of recurrence appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Charlie Schmidt http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-study-recommends-immediate-radiation-when-psa-levels-spike-after-prostate-cancer-surgery-2016122910868

Brazilian therapy dogs

The Support Hospital of Brasilia, Brazil has special brands of therapists: About 60 dogs come weekly to visit patients

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/brazilian-therapy-dogs/

"A bit of the sadness goes away": Brazilian hospital offers therapy dogs

Therapy dogs bring comfort to people who have advanced-stage cancer, live with chronic disease or are recovering from trauma

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/support-hospital-of-brasilia-therapy-dogs/

Mayo Clinic Minute: Make a health investment

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCEimPhG7R0

Infectious Diseases A -Z: Looking to the future

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPM2ulSHRk0

Walking group: Banish boredom, boost motivation

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20045837

Why New Year’s resolutions fail… and how to make them stick

These expert tips could help you actually achieve your New Year’s resolutions

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-new-years-resolutions-fail-and-how-to-make-them-stick/

Johns Hopkins begins payouts to women secretly filmed by gynecologist

Payouts in the case of a Baltimore gynecologist who secretly videotaped his victims may be as high as $26,000

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/women-who-said-they-were-secretly-filmed-to-get-up-to-26k-johns-hopkins-nikita-levy-baltimore/

Walking group: Banish boredom, boost motivation

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20045837

Immediate radiation when PSA levels spike after prostate cancer surgery helps reduce risk of recurrence

Following surgery to remove a cancerous prostate gland, some men experience a biochemical recurrence, meaning that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has become detectable in their blood. Since only the prostate releases PSA, removing the gland should drop this protein to undetectable levels in the body. Detecting PSA could signify that prostate cancer cells are lingering, and forming new tumors before they can be seen with modern imaging technology. PSA isn’t always reliable for cancer screening, but it is a very sensitive marker of new cancer growth after initial treatment.

Doctors usually treat biochemical recurrence by irradiating the prostate bed, or the area where the gland used to be. Studies have shown that this treatment, which is called salvage radiation, helps to minimize the risk that prostate cancer will return and spread, or metastasize. But when to initiate salvage radiation has been open question, since PSA will also rise if small amounts of benign prostate tissue have been left behind after surgery. Many times, doctors don’t know if biochemical recurrence is really cancer, so they wait to see if the PSA levels will rise any further.

In October, researchers reported that giving salvage radiation as soon as PSA is detected could substantially reduce the risk of metastasis. “We found that early intervention with radiation could potentially improve cure rates,” said Rahul Tendulkar, M.D., a radiation oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic, and the study’s first author. “There’s no need to wait until PSA crosses an arbitrary threshold.”

Tendulkar and his colleagues combined nearly 2,500 post-surgical patients treated with salvage radiation at 10 different academic hospitals between 1987 and 2013. Of those men, 599 had cancers with a low risk of progression, while the others had higher-risk disease that was in some cases spreading into nearby tissues. Some of the men also had positive surgical margins, meaning that cancer cells might still be lurking next to where the prostate was removed.

According to their results, the incidence of metastases at five years following surgery was 9% among men given salvage radiation for PSA levels ranging from 0.01 to 0.2 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). By contrast, the metastasis incidence rate was 15% among men treated for PSA levels of 0.2 to 0.5 ng/mL. Both the American Urological Association and the American Society of Radiation Oncology recommend that salvage radiation be given when PSA levels reach or exceed 0.2 ng/mL. But Tendulkar says that level was defined years ago, before ultra-sensitive methods for detecting PSA became widely available.

“In this newer era of ultra-sensitive PSA testing we didn’t know if giving salvage radiation at lower levels would make a difference or not,” Tendulkar said. “Now we know that it does.”

Tendulkar says the decision to initiate salvage radiation can also be influenced by other factors, such as age, other health problems, and the aggressiveness of the cancer he was diagnosed with.

In an accompanying editorial, Paul Nguyen, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston, MA, and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, wrote that Tendulkar’s study “will become the gold standard” for men considering salvage radiation after surgical treatment for prostate cancer.

But the study doesn’t address an important question: Should men with high-risk cancer consider getting radiation after surgery even before PSA increases are detected? Studies designed to answer that question are now ongoing.

“This important study provides some much needed guidance that comports with my own clinical experience,” said Dr. Marc Garnick, the Gorman Brothers Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and editor in chief of HarvardProstateKnowledge.org. “Patients should be aware that complications such as erectile problems and urinary side effects will likely worsen with salvage radiation.”

The post Immediate radiation when PSA levels spike after prostate cancer surgery helps reduce risk of recurrence appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Charlie Schmidt http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-study-recommends-immediate-radiation-when-psa-levels-spike-after-prostate-cancer-surgery-2016122910868

Staying Trim, Strong May Cut Incontinence Risk

But for women in study, these factors only helped with one type of incontinence

From: http://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/news/20161230/staying-trim-strong-may-cut-risk-of-urinary-incontinence?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Many misuse over-the-counter sleep aids

A new report finds the non-prescription drugs are taken for periods far longer than their intended use

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/many-misuse-over-the-counter-sleep-aids/

Weight Loss Tips You Haven’t Heard Before

Follow these 11 doable strategies, all backed by research, to reach your goals.

From: http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/features/weight-loss-tips-you-havent-heard-before?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Pot May Restrict Blood Flow to Brain: Study

It's too early to say if this contributes to mental decline, Alzheimer's expert says

From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20161230/pot-may-restrict-blood-flow-to-brain-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Could Anemia Cause Hearing Loss?

Iron deficiency might keep ear cells from getting oxygen they need, study suggests

From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20161229/could-anemia-cause-hearing-loss?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Walking group: Banish boredom, boost motivation

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20045837

Weight Loss Surgery Linked To Gastro Issues

Stomach problems, food intolerance plagued many patients even 2 years after procedure, study found

From: http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/news/20161229/gastro-issues-may-be-downside-to-weight-loss-surgery?src=RSS_PUBLIC

The best foods to fuel a workout

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/the-best-foods-to-fuel-a-workout/art-20269958

Alcohol during the holidays: 4 ways to sip smarter

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/alcohol-during-holidays/art-20270845

Make over your mindset to make time for your health

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/make-over-mindset-make-time-for-health/art-20270844

What are your sleep busters?

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/what-are-your-sleep-busters/art-20269864

Walking group: Banish boredom, boost motivation

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20045837

Make over your mindset to make time for your health

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/make-over-mindset-make-time-for-health/art-20270844

Sleep: The foundation for healthy habits

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep-the-foundation-for-healthy-habits/art-20270117

Healthy holiday habits: How to get back on track

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/healthy-holiday-habits-how-to-get-back-on-track/art-20270846

Alcohol during the holidays: 4 ways to sip smarter

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/alcohol-during-holidays/art-20270845

Set your purpose, reach your goals

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/set-your-purpose-reach-your-goals/art-20269956

Fitness ideas for the entire family

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/fitness-ideas-for-the-entire-family/art-20267398

How to sleep well during time changes

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep-during-time-changes/art-20270839

What are your sleep busters?

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/what-are-your-sleep-busters/art-20269864

Immediate radiation when PSA levels spike after prostate cancer surgery helps reduce risk of recurrence

Following surgery to remove a cancerous prostate gland, some men experience a biochemical recurrence, meaning that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has become detectable in their blood. Since only the prostate releases PSA, removing the gland should drop this protein to undetectable levels in the body. Detecting PSA could signify that prostate cancer cells are lingering, and forming new tumors before they can be seen with modern imaging technology. PSA isn’t always reliable for cancer screening, but it is a very sensitive marker of new cancer growth after initial treatment.

Doctors usually treat biochemical recurrence by irradiating the prostate bed, or the area where the gland used to be. Studies have shown that this treatment, which is called salvage radiation, helps to minimize the risk that prostate cancer will return and spread, or metastasize. But when to initiate salvage radiation has been open question, since PSA will also rise if small amounts of benign prostate tissue have been left behind after surgery. Many times, doctors don’t know if biochemical recurrence is really cancer, so they wait to see if the PSA levels will rise any further.

In October, researchers reported that giving salvage radiation as soon as PSA is detected could substantially reduce the risk of metastasis. “We found that early intervention with radiation could potentially improve cure rates,” said Rahul Tendulkar, M.D., a radiation oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic, and the study’s first author. “There’s no need to wait until PSA crosses an arbitrary threshold.”

Tendulkar and his colleagues combined nearly 2,500 post-surgical patients treated with salvage radiation at 10 different academic hospitals between 1987 and 2013. Of those men, 599 had cancers with a low risk of progression, while the others had higher-risk disease that was in some cases spreading into nearby tissues. Some of the men also had positive surgical margins, meaning that cancer cells might still be lurking next to where the prostate was removed.

According to their results, the incidence of metastases at five years following surgery was 9% among men given salvage radiation for PSA levels ranging from 0.01 to 0.2 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). By contrast, the metastasis incidence rate was 15% among men treated for PSA levels of 0.2 to 0.5 ng/mL. Both the American Urological Association and the American Society of Radiation Oncology recommend that salvage radiation be given when PSA levels reach or exceed 0.2 ng/mL. But Tendulkar says that level was defined years ago, before ultra-sensitive methods for detecting PSA became widely available.

“In this newer era of ultra-sensitive PSA testing we didn’t know if giving salvage radiation at lower levels would make a difference or not,” Tendulkar said. “Now we know that it does.”

Tendulkar says the decision to initiate salvage radiation can also be influenced by other factors, such as age, other health problems, and the aggressiveness of the cancer he was diagnosed with.

In an accompanying editorial, Paul Nguyen, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston, MA, and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, wrote that Tendulkar’s study “will become the gold standard” for men considering salvage radiation after surgical treatment for prostate cancer.

But the study doesn’t address an important question: Should men with high-risk cancer consider getting radiation after surgery even before PSA increases are detected? Studies designed to answer that question are now ongoing.

“This important study provides some much needed guidance that comports with my own clinical experience,” said Dr. Marc Garnick, the Gorman Brothers Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and editor in chief of HarvardProstateKnowledge.org. “Patients should be aware that complications such as erectile problems and urinary side effects will likely worsen with salvage radiation.”

The post Immediate radiation when PSA levels spike after prostate cancer surgery helps reduce risk of recurrence appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Charlie Schmidt http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-study-recommends-immediate-radiation-when-psa-levels-spike-after-prostate-cancer-surgery-2016122910868

A look at "broken heart" syndrome

Many believe it was no coincidence that Debbie Reynolds died the day after the death of her daughter Carrie Fisher. Medical experts say "broken heart syndrome" is real, and CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook found one family who experienced a similar loss.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/a-look-at-broken-heart-syndrome/

Melanoma Rates Rise in South, Midwest

Local sun-safety campaigns may be key to progress against the deadly skin cancer, researchers say

From: http://www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/news/20161229/melanoma-rates-rise-in-some-states-fall-in-others?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Cells dripped into brain help man fight deadly cancer

Hospital says the novel treatment helped his immune system attack the disease, shrinking his tumors dramatically

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cells-dripped-into-the-brain-help-man-fight-deadly-cancer/

Making Mayo's Recipes: Lemon Pudding Cake

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wZQbdNruYQ

An Energizing 10-Minute Morning Yoga Routine

Stretch your body, center your mind, and boost your energy with this beginner-friendly flow.

From: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/10-minute-morning-yoga-routine?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Fish Oil For Moms May Cut Kids' Asthma Risk

High doses linked to 30 percent drop in children's odds of developing the airway disease, study finds

From: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/news/20161229/fish-oil-during-pregnancy-may-cut-kids-asthma-risk?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Could Debbie Reynolds have died of a broken heart?

Daughter Carrie Fisher died just the day before; Reynolds’ son Todd Fisher said it was “just too much” for their mother

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/could-debbie-reynolds-have-died-of-a-broken-heart-day-after-carrie-fisher/

Siri and Alexa's future: Health and emotional support?

Ahead of CES 2017, experts weigh the potential of giving voice assistants more health awareness

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/siri-and-alexas-future-health-and-emotional-support/

A 10-Minute Workout to Strengthen Your Whole Body

Start your day with this quick body weight routine from WebMD's chief medical editor Michael Smith, MD.

From: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/body-weight-workout-video?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Men Don't Know About Risks to Fertility: Survey

It's not commonly known that factors such as obesity, laptop use on lap can affect sperm counts

From: http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/news/20161228/men-dont-know-about-risks-to-fertility-survey-finds?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Millions of Americans may be misusing over-the-counter sleep aids

Lisa Gill from Consumer Reports joins CBSN to discuss their findings on some of the most popular over-the-counter sleep aids and the dangers many Americans could face from misusing them.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/millions-of-americans-may-be-misusing-over-the-counter-sleep-aids/

Which Habits Really Help You Avoid Colds and Flu?

While some precautions can help you stay healthy, others are a waste of time.

From: http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/which-habits-really-help-you-avoid-colds?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Immediate radiation when PSA levels spike after prostate cancer surgery helps reduce risk of recurrence

Following surgery to remove a cancerous prostate gland, some men experience a biochemical recurrence, meaning that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has become detectable in their blood. Since only the prostate releases PSA, removing the gland should drop this protein to undetectable levels in the body. Detecting PSA could signify that prostate cancer cells are lingering, and forming new tumors before they can be seen with modern imaging technology. PSA isn’t always reliable for cancer screening, but it is a very sensitive marker of new cancer growth after initial treatment.

Doctors usually treat biochemical recurrence by irradiating the prostate bed, or the area where the gland used to be. Studies have shown that this treatment, which is called salvage radiation, helps to minimize the risk that prostate cancer will return and spread, or metastasize. But when to initiate salvage radiation has been open question, since PSA will also rise if small amounts of benign prostate tissue have been left behind after surgery. Many times, doctors don’t know if biochemical recurrence is really cancer, so they wait to see if the PSA levels will rise any further.

In October, researchers reported that giving salvage radiation as soon as PSA is detected could substantially reduce the risk of metastasis. “We found that early intervention with radiation could potentially improve cure rates,” said Rahul Tendulkar, M.D., a radiation oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic, and the study’s first author. “There’s no need to wait until PSA crosses an arbitrary threshold.”

Tendulkar and his colleagues combined nearly 2,500 post-surgical patients treated with salvage radiation at 10 different academic hospitals between 1987 and 2013. Of those men, 599 had cancers with a low risk of progression, while the others had higher-risk disease that was in some cases spreading into nearby tissues. Some of the men also had positive surgical margins, meaning that cancer cells might still be lurking next to where the prostate was removed.

According to their results, the incidence of metastases at five years following surgery was 9% among men given salvage radiation for PSA levels ranging from 0.01 to 0.2 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). By contrast, the metastasis incidence rate was 15% among men treated for PSA levels of 0.2 to 0.5 ng/mL. Both the American Urological Association and the American Society of Radiation Oncology recommend that salvage radiation be given when PSA levels reach or exceed 0.2 ng/mL. But Tendulkar says that level was defined years ago, before ultra-sensitive methods for detecting PSA became widely available.

“In this newer era of ultra-sensitive PSA testing we didn’t know if giving salvage radiation at lower levels would make a difference or not,” Tendulkar said. “Now we know that it does.”

Tendulkar says the decision to initiate salvage radiation can also be influenced by other factors, such as age, other health problems, and the aggressiveness of the cancer he was diagnosed with.

In an accompanying editorial, Paul Nguyen, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston, MA, and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, wrote that Tendulkar’s study “will become the gold standard” for men considering salvage radiation after surgical treatment for prostate cancer.

But the study doesn’t address an important question: Should men with high-risk cancer consider getting radiation after surgery even before PSA increases are detected? Studies designed to answer that question are now ongoing.

“This important study provides some much needed guidance that comports with my own clinical experience,” said Dr. Marc Garnick, the Gorman Brothers Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and editor in chief of HarvardProstateKnowledge.org. “Patients should be aware that complications such as erectile problems and urinary side effects will likely worsen with salvage radiation.”

The post Immediate radiation when PSA levels spike after prostate cancer surgery helps reduce risk of recurrence appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Charlie Schmidt http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-study-recommends-immediate-radiation-when-psa-levels-spike-after-prostate-cancer-surgery-2016122910868

Spinning out of control: Vertigo

Vertigo isn’t just a catchy song by the band U2, but is also a common symptom that has multiple potential causes. Although most people think that vertigo has to involve a spinning sensation, vertigo is actually the sensation that one is moving or that one’s surroundings are moving in the absence of any actual movement. To understand vertigo, one must understand that our sense of balance comes from multiple different systems in the body.

A balancing act: processing system inputs

There is your visual system, which tells you where your body is in space and time in relation to your surroundings. There is the sensory system, which allows your feet to send information to your brain about the terrain you are walking on. A third system, the vestibular system, often goes unappreciated in day-to-day life, but can cause havoc when not working properly. The vestibular system is composed of structures in your inner ear that function like a carpenter’s level.

Like a level, when the device is tilted in one direction or another, the bubble moves indicating imbalance. Similarly, during head and body movements, the inner ear transmits information regarding movement or balance to the brain. When there is a mismatch between the visual, sensory, or vestibular systems, people can at times have balance issues. Those balance issues can include vertigo.

Medications for the treatment of vertigo are used to target structures in the brain that process these at times conflicting signals. Antihistamines like dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), and meclizine (Antivert) can be useful treatments for vertigo. Anticholinergic medications like scopolamine can be particularly useful, as it comes in a patch form, which can be applied just prior to entering a situation where motion sickness can be anticipated.

Shipwrecked

One of the most common manifestations of vertigo occurs when someone travels on a boat. While on a boat, particularly when not standing on the deck, your visual system indicates that there is not much movement, and your surroundings appear still. The vestibular system (inner ear), on the other hand, is telling your brain that there is back and forth rocking movement, which naturally occurs with sea travel. The result is that one part of the brain is registering movement while the other part of the brain is registering no movement. This mismatch leads to vertigo, nausea, and at times vomiting, which is commonly known as seasickness.

Unfortunately, when people feel seasick many go below deck to lie down, which makes the problem worse. The best remedy for seasickness is actually to go above the deck, and look at the motion of the water or off at the horizon. By doing this, the visual system perceives the motion that the vestibular system perceives, which can alleviate the sense of imbalance. For many who have experienced seasickness, the symptoms can persist for hours to days after getting off the boat. Another place where such balance mismatches frequently occur is when transitioning onto or off of an escalator.

I explained this concept to one of my patients who is an avid fisherman as he complained about his wife, who frequently gets seasick. After providing the advice, he said, “Dr. Mathew, your care has been life-changing. As a thank you, you must join me on my boat some day.” I replied, “Thank you for the offer, but I am horrible at fishing.” He said, “Oh really, why is that?” I replied, ‘’Because it is difficult to catch any fish when you are holding two cocktails.” He chuckled, and proceeded to tell me about how he often catches mackerel, which other fishermen call inedible, advising him to throw it back in the water. He ignores their advice and keeps the mackerel, noting, “My wife loves that greasy fish.” I then asked him, “Is fishing a religious experience for you?” He said, “No doctor, why do you ask?” I then shrugged my shoulders and said, “Holy mackerel?” As he tried to hide a smile, he indicated that he was not amused. I then said, “Like the mackerel, I guess I should have thrown that bad joke overboard”, which caused him to laugh out loud. Apparently, the post-punch line was a bigger hit than the actual punch line.

The post Spinning out of control: Vertigo appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Paul G. Mathew, MD, FAAN, FAHS http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/spinning-out-of-control-vertigo-2016122710919

Mayo Clinic Minute: Dont wait on losing weight

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyn61UxXhPI

Disabled Children Face Bullying Throughout School Years

More must be done to teach them how to respond to aggression, researcher says

From: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20161228/disabled-children-face-bullying-throughout-school-years?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Risks of over-the-counter sleep aids

A Consumer Reports survey reveals people may be taking over-the-counter sleep aids too often. Eighteen percent of sleep aid users took them on a daily basis, and 41 percent used them for a year or longer. Required labels on those products urge users to see their doctor if insomnia lasts for more than two weeks. Consumer Reports' Lisa Gill joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss the survey.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/risks-of-over-the-counter-sleep-aids/

Could broken heart syndrome have caused Debbie Reynolds' death?

Hollywood icon Debbie Reynolds died Wednesday, just one day after daughter Carrie Fisher's death. Her son, Todd Fisher, told E! News: "She was under a lot of emotion and stress from the loss [of Carrie] and it's pretty much what triggered this event." CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss how loss can have impact on a person's health.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/could-broken-heart-syndrome-have-caused-debbie-reynolds-death/

Spinning out of control: Vertigo

Vertigo isn’t just a catchy song by the band U2, but is also a common symptom that has multiple potential causes. Although most people think that vertigo has to involve a spinning sensation, vertigo is actually the sensation that one is moving or that one’s surroundings are moving in the absence of any actual movement. To understand vertigo, one must understand that our sense of balance comes from multiple different systems in the body.

A balancing act: processing system inputs

There is your visual system, which tells you where your body is in space and time in relation to your surroundings. There is the sensory system, which allows your feet to send information to your brain about the terrain you are walking on. A third system, the vestibular system, often goes unappreciated in day-to-day life, but can cause havoc when not working properly. The vestibular system is composed of structures in your inner ear that function like a carpenter’s level.

Like a level, when the device is tilted in one direction or another, the bubble moves indicating imbalance. Similarly, during head and body movements, the inner ear transmits information regarding movement or balance to the brain. When there is a mismatch between the visual, sensory, or vestibular systems, people can at times have balance issues. Those balance issues can include vertigo.

Medications for the treatment of vertigo are used to target structures in the brain that process these at times conflicting signals. Antihistamines like dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), and meclizine (Antivert) can be useful treatments for vertigo. Anticholinergic medications like scopolamine can be particularly useful, as it comes in a patch form, which can be applied just prior to entering a situation where motion sickness can be anticipated.

Shipwrecked

One of the most common manifestations of vertigo occurs when someone travels on a boat. While on a boat, particularly when not standing on the deck, your visual system indicates that there is not much movement, and your surroundings appear still. The vestibular system (inner ear), on the other hand, is telling your brain that there is back and forth rocking movement, which naturally occurs with sea travel. The result is that one part of the brain is registering movement while the other part of the brain is registering no movement. This mismatch leads to vertigo, nausea, and at times vomiting, which is commonly known as seasickness.

Unfortunately, when people feel seasick many go below deck to lie down, which makes the problem worse. The best remedy for seasickness is actually to go above the deck, and look at the motion of the water or off at the horizon. By doing this, the visual system perceives the motion that the vestibular system perceives, which can alleviate the sense of imbalance. For many who have experienced seasickness, the symptoms can persist for hours to days after getting off the boat. Another place where such balance mismatches frequently occur is when transitioning onto or off of an escalator.

I explained this concept to one of my patients who is an avid fisherman as he complained about his wife, who frequently gets seasick. After providing the advice, he said, “Dr. Mathew, your care has been life-changing. As a thank you, you must join me on my boat some day.” I replied, “Thank you for the offer, but I am horrible at fishing.” He said, “Oh really, why is that?” I replied, ‘’Because it is difficult to catch any fish when you are holding two cocktails.” He chuckled, and proceeded to tell me about how he often catches mackerel, which other fishermen call inedible, advising him to throw it back in the water. He ignores their advice and keeps the mackerel, noting, “My wife loves that greasy fish.” I then asked him, “Is fishing a religious experience for you?” He said, “No doctor, why do you ask?” I then shrugged my shoulders and said, “Holy mackerel?” As he tried to hide a smile, he indicated that he was not amused. I then said, “Like the mackerel, I guess I should have thrown that bad joke overboard”, which caused him to laugh out loud. Apparently, the post-punch line was a bigger hit than the actual punch line.

The post Spinning out of control: Vertigo appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Paul G. Mathew, MD, FAAN, FAHS http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/spinning-out-of-control-vertigo-2016122710919

Spinning out of control: Vertigo

Vertigo isn’t just a catchy song by the band U2, but is also a common symptom that has multiple potential causes. Although most people think that vertigo has to involve a spinning sensation, vertigo is actually the sensation that one is moving or that one’s surroundings are moving in the absence of any actual movement. To understand vertigo, one must understand that our sense of balance comes from multiple different systems in the body.

A balancing act: processing system inputs

There is your visual system, which tells you where your body is in space and time in relation to your surroundings. There is the sensory system, which allows your feet to send information to your brain about the terrain you are walking on. A third system, the vestibular system, often goes unappreciated in day-to-day life, but can cause havoc when not working properly. The vestibular system is composed of structures in your inner ear that function like a carpenter’s level.

Like a level, when the device is tilted in one direction or another, the bubble moves indicating imbalance. Similarly, during head and body movements, the inner ear transmits information regarding movement or balance to the brain. When there is a mismatch between the visual, sensory, or vestibular systems, people can at times have balance issues. Those balance issues can include vertigo.

Medications for the treatment of vertigo are used to target structures in the brain that process these at times conflicting signals. Antihistamines like dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), and meclizine (Antivert) can be useful treatments for vertigo. Anticholinergic medications like scopolamine can be particularly useful, as it comes in a patch form, which can be applied just prior to entering a situation where motion sickness can be anticipated.

Shipwrecked

One of the most common manifestations of vertigo occurs when someone travels on a boat. While on a boat, particularly when not standing on the deck, your visual system indicates that there is not much movement, and your surroundings appear still. The vestibular system (inner ear), on the other hand, is telling your brain that there is back and forth rocking movement, which naturally occurs with sea travel. The result is that one part of the brain is registering movement while the other part of the brain is registering no movement. This mismatch leads to vertigo, nausea, and at times vomiting, which is commonly known as seasickness.

Unfortunately, when people feel seasick many go below deck to lie down, which makes the problem worse. The best remedy for seasickness is actually to go above the deck, and look at the motion of the water or off at the horizon. By doing this, the visual system perceives the motion that the vestibular system perceives, which can alleviate the sense of imbalance. For many who have experienced seasickness, the symptoms can persist for hours to days after getting off the boat. Another place where such balance mismatches frequently occur is when transitioning onto or off of an escalator.

I explained this concept to one of my patients who is an avid fisherman as he complained about his wife, who frequently gets seasick. After providing the advice, he said, “Dr. Mathew, your care has been life-changing. As a thank you, you must join me on my boat some day.” I replied, “Thank you for the offer, but I am horrible at fishing.” He said, “Oh really, why is that?” I replied, ‘’Because it is difficult to catch any fish when you are holding two cocktails.” He chuckled, and proceeded to tell me about how he often catches mackerel, which other fishermen call inedible, advising him to throw it back in the water. He ignores their advice and keeps the mackerel, noting, “My wife loves that greasy fish.” I then asked him, “Is fishing a religious experience for you?” He said, “No doctor, why do you ask?” I then shrugged my shoulders and said, “Holy mackerel?” As he tried to hide a smile, he indicated that he was not amused. I then said, “Like the mackerel, I guess I should have thrown that bad joke overboard”, which caused him to laugh out loud. Apparently, the post-punch line was a bigger hit than the actual punch line.

The post Spinning out of control: Vertigo appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Paul G. Mathew, MD, FAAN, FAHS http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/spinning-out-of-control-vertigo-2016122710919

Stomach illness stemming from marijuana use on the rise

In states where marijuana is legal, doctors are seeing increase in a violent illness that causes severe abdominal pain and vomiting. Dr. Jon LaPook reports on the little-known illness that is treated with hot showers or baths.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/stomach-illness-stemming-from-marijuana-use-on-the-rise/

Little-known illness tied to smoking weed on the rise

For unclear reasons, the nausea and vomiting from cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome relieved by hot showers or baths

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mysterious-illness-tied-to-marijuana-use-on-the-rise-in-states-with-legal-weed/

Why some women still get acne as adults

20 to 40 percent of adults continue to experience breakouts beyond their teen years

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/acne-women-skin-risks/

Spinning out of control: Vertigo

Vertigo isn’t just a catchy song by the band U2, but is also a common symptom that has multiple potential causes. Although most people think that vertigo has to involve a spinning sensation, vertigo is actually the sensation that one is moving or that one’s surroundings are moving in the absence of any actual movement. To understand vertigo, one must understand that our sense of balance comes from multiple different systems in the body.

A balancing act: processing system inputs

There is your visual system, which tells you where your body is in space and time in relation to your surroundings. There is the sensory system, which allows your feet to send information to your brain about the terrain you are walking on. A third system, the vestibular system, often goes unappreciated in day-to-day life, but can cause havoc when not working properly. The vestibular system is composed of structures in your inner ear that function like a carpenter’s level.

Like a level, when the device is tilted in one direction or another, the bubble moves indicating imbalance. Similarly, during head and body movements, the inner ear transmits information regarding movement or balance to the brain. When there is a mismatch between the visual, sensory, or vestibular systems, people can at times have balance issues. Those balance issues can include vertigo.

Medications for the treatment of vertigo are used to target structures in the brain that process these at times conflicting signals. Antihistamines like dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), and meclizine (Antivert) can be useful treatments for vertigo. Anticholinergic medications like scopolamine can be particularly useful, as it comes in a patch form, which can be applied just prior to entering a situation where motion sickness can be anticipated.

Shipwrecked

One of the most common manifestations of vertigo occurs when someone travels on a boat. While on a boat, particularly when not standing on the deck, your visual system indicates that there is not much movement, and your surroundings appear still. The vestibular system (inner ear), on the other hand, is telling your brain that there is back and forth rocking movement, which naturally occurs with sea travel. The result is that one part of the brain is registering movement while the other part of the brain is registering no movement. This mismatch leads to vertigo, nausea, and at times vomiting, which is commonly known as seasickness.

Unfortunately, when people feel seasick many go below deck to lie down, which makes the problem worse. The best remedy for seasickness is actually to go above the deck, and look at the motion of the water or off at the horizon. By doing this, the visual system perceives the motion that the vestibular system perceives, which can alleviate the sense of imbalance. For many who have experienced seasickness, the symptoms can persist for hours to days after getting off the boat. Another place where such balance mismatches frequently occur is when transitioning onto or off of an escalator.

I explained this concept to one of my patients who is an avid fisherman as he complained about his wife, who frequently gets seasick. After providing the advice, he said, “Dr. Mathew, your care has been life-changing. As a thank you, you must join me on my boat some day.” I replied, “Thank you for the offer, but I am horrible at fishing.” He said, “Oh really, why is that?” I replied, ‘’Because it is difficult to catch any fish when you are holding two cocktails.” He chuckled, and proceeded to tell me about how he often catches mackerel, which other fishermen call inedible, advising him to throw it back in the water. He ignores their advice and keeps the mackerel, noting, “My wife loves that greasy fish.” I then asked him, “Is fishing a religious experience for you?” He said, “No doctor, why do you ask?” I then shrugged my shoulders and said, “Holy mackerel?” As he tried to hide a smile, he indicated that he was not amused. I then said, “Like the mackerel, I guess I should have thrown that bad joke overboard”, which caused him to laugh out loud. Apparently, the post-punch line was a bigger hit than the actual punch line.

The post Spinning out of control: Vertigo appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Paul G. Mathew, MD, FAAN, FAHS http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/spinning-out-of-control-vertigo-2016122710919

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): First aid

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600

Skin cancer trend in one region defies national stats

Fewer cases in these states suggest skin cancer prevention programs may be having an effect

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/skin-cancer-melanoma-trend-in-northeast-defies-national-statistics/

Your brain on alcohol, and more science for New Year's

Experts explain why drinking makes you drunk, and how to avoid – or at least cope with – a hangover

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/your-brain-alcohol-science-for-new-years-drinking-hangover/

Official: Ban the lie that is the "vegan" meat label

In Europe, vegetable-based products cannot be labeled as cheese and milk, but what about meat?

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/german-official-vegan-vegetarian-meat-labels-misleading/

Food Aversions During Pregnancy

A lot of women have pregnancy cravings, but there’s also a flip side: food aversions.

From: http://www.webmd.com/baby/features/pregnancy-food-cravings-aversions?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Diabetes Takes Biggest Bite Out of U.S. Health Care Spending

Top 5 diseases, conditions accounted for $437 billion in 2013

From: http://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/20161228/diabetes-takes-biggest-bite-out-of-us-health-care-spending?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Why Acne Can Strike Women After the Teen Years

Study suggests diet, stress and family history may play a role

From: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/acne/news/20161227/why-acne-can-strike-women-after-the-teen-years?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Mayo Clinic Minute: The link between diabetes and pancreatic cancer

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leTwVcukRBg

How Carrie Fisher helped fight stigma of mental illness

The 60-year-old actress and writer was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in her twenties and became a powerful advocate for mental health

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/carrie-fisher-bipolar-disorder-addiction-mental-health-stigma/

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): First aid

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600

Health Care Spending for U.S. Kids Jumped 56 Percent in Less Than 20 Years

Preventive services in childhood create healthier adults, researcher says

From: http://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/20161227/health-care-spending-for-us-kids-jumped-56-percent-in-less-than-20-years?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Spinning out of control: Vertigo

Vertigo isn’t just a catchy song by the band U2, but is also a common symptom that has multiple potential causes. Although most people think that vertigo has to involve a spinning sensation, vertigo is actually the sensation the one is moving or that one’s surroundings are moving in the absence of any actual movement. To understand vertigo, one must understand that our sense of balance comes from multiple different systems in the body.

A balancing act: processing system inputs

There is your visual system, which tells you where your body is in space and time in relation to your surroundings. There is the sensory system, which allows your feet to send information to your brain about the terrain you are walking on. A third system, the vestibular system, often goes unappreciated in day-to-day life, but can cause havoc when not working properly. The vestibular system is composed of structures in your inner ear that function like a carpenter’s level.

Like a level, when the device is tilted in one direction or another, the bubble moves indicating imbalance. Similarly, during head and body movements, the inner ear transmits information regarding movement or balance to the brain. When there is a mismatch between the visual, sensory, or vestibular systems, people can at times have balance issues. Those balance issues can include vertigo.

Medications for the treatment of vertigo are used to target structures in the brain that process these at times conflicting signals. Antihistamines like dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), and meclizine (Antivert) can be useful treatments for vertigo. Anticholinergic medications like scopolamine can be particularly useful, as it comes in a patch form, which can be applied just prior to entering a situation where motion sickness can be anticipated.

Shipwrecked

One of the most common manifestations of vertigo occurs when someone travels on a boat. While on a boat, particularly when not standing on the deck, your visual system indicates that there is not much movement, and your surroundings appear still. The vestibular system (inner ear), on the other hand, is telling your brain that there is back and forth rocking movement, which naturally occurs with sea travel. The result is that one part of the brain is registering movement while the other part of the brain is registering no movement. This mismatch leads to vertigo, nausea, and at times vomiting, which is commonly known as seasickness.

Unfortunately, when people feel seasick many go below deck to lie down, which makes the problem worse. The best remedy for seasickness is actually to go above the deck, and look at the motion of the water or off at the horizon. By doing this, the visual system perceives the motion that the vestibular system perceives, which can alleviate the sense of imbalance. For many who have experienced seasickness, the symptoms can persist for hours to days after getting off the boat. Another place where such balance mismatches frequently occur is when transitioning onto or off of an escalator.

I explained this concept to one of my patients who is an avid fisherman as he complained about his wife, who frequently gets seasick. After providing the advice, he said, “Dr. Mathew, your care has been life-changing. As a thank you, you must join me on my boat some day.” I replied, “Thank you for the offer, but I am horrible at fishing.” He said, “Oh really, why is that?” I replied, ‘’Because it is difficult to catch any fish when you are holding two cocktails.” He chuckled, and proceeded to tell me about how he often catches mackerel, which other fishermen call inedible, advising him to throw it back in the water. He ignores their advice and keeps the mackerel, noting, “My wife loves that greasy fish.” I then asked him, “Is fishing a religious experience for you?” He said, “No doctor, why do you ask?” I then shrugged my shoulders and said, “Holy mackerel?” As he tried to hide a smile, he indicated that he was not amused. I then said, “Like the mackerel, I guess I should have thrown that bad joke overboard”, which caused him to laugh out loud. Apparently, the post-punch line was a bigger hit than the actual punch line.

The post Spinning out of control: Vertigo appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Paul G. Mathew, MD, FAAN, FAHS http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/spinning-out-of-control-vertigo-2016122710919

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): First aid

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600

Don’t tolerate food intolerance

Who hasn’t eaten something that did not agree with them? But when your stomach issues become more frequent and severe, you might have a bigger digestion problem called food intolerance. Food intolerances occur more often as you age since your digestion naturally becomes slower and your body produces fewer enzymes needed to break down food. “This allows more time for bacteria to ferment in the GI tract and lead to digestive distress,” says Evagelia Georgakilas, a registered dietitian and nutritionist with Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Over time, you also may become more sensitive to particular foods, chemicals, or additives.  Some examples include sulfites found in wine, dried fruits, and canned goods, or foods flavored with monosodium glutamate (MSG). However, the most common food sensitivities are lactose and gluten. With lactose intolerance, your body can’t break down the sugar lactose in dairy products because your gut contains reduced levels of the intestinal enzyme lactase.

People with gluten sensitivity have trouble digesting gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. (This is different than Celiac disease, an immune disease in which consuming gluten damages the lining of the small intestine.)

Track possible food intolerance with a food diary

Common symptoms of food intolerance include nausea, diarrhea, cramps, and stomach pain, but also may involve other issues like vomiting, heartburn, headaches, and irritability or nervousness.

Food intolerance is often tricky to pinpoint because you may be able to eat small amounts of a problem food without having any reaction. Instead, symptoms may only appear after you eat a large portion of the food, or eat it frequently.

The best way to identify problem foods is with a food diary. Write down what you eat for every meal, including individual foods and portions. Then list any symptoms that occur afterwards and rate their level of intensity on a scale of one to 10, with one being no reaction to 10 being the most severe.

Maintain your diary for two weeks to a month, and then review. “You should be able to find a connection between foods and common symptoms,” says Georgakilas.

How to ease the discomfort of food intolerance

Once you pinpoint one, or several, potential problem foods, eliminate them from your diet. After a few days, add only one food back into your diet and monitor your reaction. “If your symptoms return, you’ve found the offending food,” says Georgakilas.

Eliminating the problem food from your diet is the easiest move, but here are some other strategies to consider:

Reduce serving sizes. Sometimes you can still enjoy your favorite foods by reducing the amount, says Georgakilas. “For instance, if you have an intolerance of excessive fructose, you may discover that a half-cup of fruit may not cause any problems,” she says.

Make adjustments. Your food intolerance may be a cumulative effect. For instance, pizza might cause you problems, but it may be the result of certain ingredients, or combinations. “You may be able to tolerate the cheese and tomatoes on their own, but together they create the perfect storm,” says Georgakilas. Try to eliminate specific ingredients one at a time, and then experiment with eliminating certain combinations until you find the right balance.

Also, if the problem food is a source of vital nutrients, make sure you find an adequate replacement. “Cutting out gluten foods like wheat can rob your diet of fiber and B vitamins,” says Georgakilas. Switch to gluten-free bread, or increase your intake of gluten-free grains like quinoa, sorghum, teff, millet, and buckwheat. For lactose intolerance, drink almond or coconut milk to ensure you get enough calcium and protein.

The post Don’t tolerate food intolerance appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Matthew Solan http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/dont-tolerate-food-intolerance-2016122310829

Can you really "catch up on sleep" over vacation?

“People of all ages tend to underestimate how sleep-deprived they are," one expert says

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sleep-catch-up-on-weekends-vacation-holidays/

Does Legalizing Pot Spur Kids to Try It?

In 2 states studied, teens downplayed harms after recreational pot legalized; use increased in 1 state

From: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20161227/does-legalizing-pot-spur-kids-to-try-it?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Sexual Relationships When You're HIV-Positive

HIV doesn't have to come between you. Get tips for good sex and a healthy relationship with your partner when one (or both) of you is HIV-positive.

From: http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/features/sex-intimacy-hiv?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Living Longer and Aging With HIV

Although HIV makes it more complicated, you can live well into middle age and beyond. Find out how HIV will affect you as you get older and how to plan ahead.

From: http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/features/hiv-and-aging?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): First aid

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600

Heart failure drug shows promise in first human trial

Experimental treatment aims to repair damaged cells and improve heart function

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/heart-failure-drug-shows-promise-in-first-human-trials/

Wiser, But Fatter, by Graduation

Study finds 10-pound weight gain is about average for college students

From: http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20161226/wiser-but-fatter-by-graduation?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Mayo Clinic in Florida

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1kycJSBI2I

Mayo Clinic Minute: Popping a healthier snack

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_9p3EnqNes

Infectious Diseases A-Z: Top public health threats

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNKd0tBu54M

Spinning out of control: Vertigo

Vertigo isn’t just a catchy song by the band U2, but is also a common symptom that has multiple potential causes. Although most people think that vertigo has to involve a spinning sensation, vertigo is actually the sensation the one is moving or that one’s surroundings are moving in the absence of any actual movement. To understand vertigo, one must understand that our sense of balance comes from multiple different systems in the body.

A balancing act: processing system inputs

There is your visual system, which tells you where your body is in space and time in relation to your surroundings. There is the sensory system, which allows your feet to send information to your brain about the terrain you are walking on. A third system, the vestibular system, often goes unappreciated in day-to-day life, but can cause havoc when not working properly. The vestibular system is composed of structures in your inner ear that function like a carpenter’s level.

Like a level, when the device is tilted in one direction or another, the bubble moves indicating imbalance. Similarly, during head and body movements, the inner ear transmits information regarding movement or balance to the brain. When there is a mismatch between the visual, sensory, or vestibular systems, people can at times have balance issues. Those balance issues can include vertigo.

Medications for the treatment of vertigo are used to target structures in the brain that process these at times conflicting signals. Antihistamines like dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), and meclizine (Antivert) can be useful treatments for vertigo. Anticholinergic medications like scopolamine can be particularly useful, as it comes in a patch form, which can be applied just prior to entering a situation where motion sickness can be anticipated.

Shipwrecked

One of the most common manifestations of vertigo occurs when someone travels on a boat. While on a boat, particularly when not standing on the deck, your visual system indicates that there is not much movement, and your surroundings appear still. The vestibular system (inner ear), on the other hand, is telling your brain that there is back and forth rocking movement, which naturally occurs with sea travel. The result is that one part of the brain is registering movement while the other part of the brain is registering no movement. This mismatch leads to vertigo, nausea, and at times vomiting, which is commonly known as seasickness.

Unfortunately, when people feel seasick many go below deck to lie down, which makes the problem worse. The best remedy for seasickness is actually to go above the deck, and look at the motion of the water or off at the horizon. By doing this, the visual system perceives the motion that the vestibular system perceives, which can alleviate the sense of imbalance. For many who have experienced seasickness, the symptoms can persist for hours to days after getting off the boat. Another place where such balance mismatches frequently occur is when transitioning onto or off of an escalator.

I explained this concept to one of my patients who is an avid fisherman as he complained about his wife, who frequently gets seasick. After providing the advice, he said, “Dr. Mathew, your care has been life-changing. As a thank you, you must join me on my boat some day.” I replied, “Thank you for the offer, but I am horrible at fishing.” He said, “Oh really, why is that?” I replied, ‘’Because it is difficult to catch any fish when you are holding two cocktails.” He chuckled, and proceeded to tell me about how he often catches mackerel, which other fishermen call inedible, advising him to throw it back in the water. He ignores their advice and keeps the mackerel, noting, “My wife loves that greasy fish.” I then asked him, “Is fishing a religious experience for you?” He said, “No doctor, why do you ask?” I then shrugged my shoulders and said, “Holy mackerel?” As he tried to hide a smile, he indicated that he was not amused. I then said, “Like the mackerel, I guess I should have thrown that bad joke overboard”, which caused him to laugh out loud. Apparently, the post-punch line was a bigger hit than the actual punch line.

The post Spinning out of control: Vertigo appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Paul G. Mathew, MD, FAAN, FAHS http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/spinning-out-of-control-vertigo-2016122710919

Heart Failure Drug Shows Promise in First Human Trial

Cimaglermin appears to strengthen cells and improve heart function, researchers report

From: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/heart-failure/news/20161227/heart-failure-drug-shows-promise-in-first-human-trial?src=RSS_PUBLIC

'Emotional Hangover' Is Real and Affects Future Experiences: Study

Emotion-provoking events prime the brain to remember things more effectively, researchers find

From: http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20161226/emotional-hangover-is-real-and-affects-future-experiences-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): First aid

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600

Don’t tolerate food intolerance

Who hasn’t eaten something that did not agree with them? But when your stomach issues become more frequent and severe, you might have a bigger digestion problem called food intolerance. Food intolerances occur more often as you age since your digestion naturally becomes slower and your body produces fewer enzymes needed to break down food. “This allows more time for bacteria to ferment in the GI tract and lead to digestive distress,” says Evagelia Georgakilas, a registered dietitian and nutritionist with Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Over time, you also may become more sensitive to particular foods, chemicals, or additives.  Some examples include sulfites found in wine, dried fruits, and canned goods, or foods flavored with monosodium glutamate (MSG). However, the most common food sensitivities are lactose and gluten. With lactose intolerance, your body can’t break down the sugar lactose in dairy products because your gut contains reduced levels of the intestinal enzyme lactase.

People with gluten sensitivity have trouble digesting gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. (This is different than Celiac disease, an immune disease in which consuming gluten damages the lining of the small intestine.)

Track possible food intolerance with a food diary

Common symptoms of food intolerance include nausea, diarrhea, cramps, and stomach pain, but also may involve other issues like vomiting, heartburn, headaches, and irritability or nervousness.

Food intolerance is often tricky to pinpoint because you may be able to eat small amounts of a problem food without having any reaction. Instead, symptoms may only appear after you eat a large portion of the food, or eat it frequently.

The best way to identify problem foods is with a food diary. Write down what you eat for every meal, including individual foods and portions. Then list any symptoms that occur afterwards and rate their level of intensity on a scale of one to 10, with one being no reaction to 10 being the most severe.

Maintain your diary for two weeks to a month, and then review. “You should be able to find a connection between foods and common symptoms,” says Georgakilas.

How to ease the discomfort of food intolerance

Once you pinpoint one, or several, potential problem foods, eliminate them from your diet. After a few days, add only one food back into your diet and monitor your reaction. “If your symptoms return, you’ve found the offending food,” says Georgakilas.

Eliminating the problem food from your diet is the easiest move, but here are some other strategies to consider:

Reduce serving sizes. Sometimes you can still enjoy your favorite foods by reducing the amount, says Georgakilas. “For instance, if you have an intolerance of excessive fructose, you may discover that a half-cup of fruit may not cause any problems,” she says.

Make adjustments. Your food intolerance may be a cumulative effect. For instance, pizza might cause you problems, but it may be the result of certain ingredients, or combinations. “You may be able to tolerate the cheese and tomatoes on their own, but together they create the perfect storm,” says Georgakilas. Try to eliminate specific ingredients one at a time, and then experiment with eliminating certain combinations until you find the right balance.

Also, if the problem food is a source of vital nutrients, make sure you find an adequate replacement. “Cutting out gluten foods like wheat can rob your diet of fiber and B vitamins,” says Georgakilas. Switch to gluten-free bread, or increase your intake of gluten-free grains like quinoa, sorghum, teff, millet, and buckwheat. For lactose intolerance, drink almond or coconut milk to ensure you get enough calcium and protein.

The post Don’t tolerate food intolerance appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Matthew Solan http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/dont-tolerate-food-intolerance-2016122310829

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): First aid

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600

Find meaning in the small things

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/find-meaning-in-the-small-things/art-20269949

How to break the busy cycle

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/how-to-break-the-busy-cycle/art-20269953

Cold medicines for kids: What's the risk?

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/cold-medicines/art-20047855

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): First aid

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600

Find meaning in the small things

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/find-meaning-in-the-small-things/art-20269949

How to break the busy cycle

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/how-to-break-the-busy-cycle/art-20269953

Don’t tolerate food intolerance

Who hasn’t eaten something that did not agree with them? But when your stomach issues become more frequent and severe, you might have a bigger digestion problem called food intolerance. Food intolerances occur more often as you age since your digestion naturally becomes slower and your body produces fewer enzymes needed to break down food. “This allows more time for bacteria to ferment in the GI tract and lead to digestive distress,” says Evagelia Georgakilas, a registered dietitian and nutritionist with Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Over time, you also may become more sensitive to particular foods, chemicals, or additives.  Some examples include sulfites found in wine, dried fruits, and canned goods, or foods flavored with monosodium glutamate (MSG). However, the most common food sensitivities are lactose and gluten. With lactose intolerance, your body can’t break down the sugar lactose in dairy products because your gut contains reduced levels of the intestinal enzyme lactase.

People with gluten sensitivity have trouble digesting gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. (This is different than Celiac disease, an immune disease in which consuming gluten damages the lining of the small intestine.)

Track possible food intolerance with a food diary

Common symptoms of food intolerance include nausea, diarrhea, cramps, and stomach pain, but also may involve other issues like vomiting, heartburn, headaches, and irritability or nervousness.

Food intolerance is often tricky to pinpoint because you may be able to eat small amounts of a problem food without having any reaction. Instead, symptoms may only appear after you eat a large portion of the food, or eat it frequently.

The best way to identify problem foods is with a food diary. Write down what you eat for every meal, including individual foods and portions. Then list any symptoms that occur afterwards and rate their level of intensity on a scale of one to 10, with one being no reaction to 10 being the most severe.

Maintain your diary for two weeks to a month, and then review. “You should be able to find a connection between foods and common symptoms,” says Georgakilas.

How to ease the discomfort of food intolerance

Once you pinpoint one, or several, potential problem foods, eliminate them from your diet. After a few days, add only one food back into your diet and monitor your reaction. “If your symptoms return, you’ve found the offending food,” says Georgakilas.

Eliminating the problem food from your diet is the easiest move, but here are some other strategies to consider:

Reduce serving sizes. Sometimes you can still enjoy your favorite foods by reducing the amount, says Georgakilas. “For instance, if you have an intolerance of excessive fructose, you may discover that a half-cup of fruit may not cause any problems,” she says.

Make adjustments. Your food intolerance may be a cumulative effect. For instance, pizza might cause you problems, but it may be the result of certain ingredients, or combinations. “You may be able to tolerate the cheese and tomatoes on their own, but together they create the perfect storm,” says Georgakilas. Try to eliminate specific ingredients one at a time, and then experiment with eliminating certain combinations until you find the right balance.

Also, if the problem food is a source of vital nutrients, make sure you find an adequate replacement. “Cutting out gluten foods like wheat can rob your diet of fiber and B vitamins,” says Georgakilas. Switch to gluten-free bread, or increase your intake of gluten-free grains like quinoa, sorghum, teff, millet, and buckwheat. For lactose intolerance, drink almond or coconut milk to ensure you get enough calcium and protein.

The post Don’t tolerate food intolerance appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Matthew Solan http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/dont-tolerate-food-intolerance-2016122310829

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): First aid

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600

Find meaning in the small things

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/find-meaning-in-the-small-things/art-20269949

How to break the busy cycle

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/how-to-break-the-busy-cycle/art-20269953

Cold medicines for kids: What's the risk?

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/cold-medicines/art-20047855

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): First aid

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600

Don’t tolerate food intolerance

Who hasn’t eaten something that did not agree with them? But when your stomach issues become more frequent and severe, you might have a bigger digestion problem called food intolerance. Food intolerances occur more often as you age since your digestion naturally becomes slower and your body produces fewer enzymes needed to break down food. “This allows more time for bacteria to ferment in the GI tract and lead to digestive distress,” says Evagelia Georgakilas, a registered dietitian and nutritionist with Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Over time, you also may become more sensitive to particular foods, chemicals, or additives.  Some examples include sulfites found in wine, dried fruits, and canned goods, or foods flavored with monosodium glutamate (MSG). However, the most common food sensitivities are lactose and gluten. With lactose intolerance, your body can’t break down the sugar lactose in dairy products because your gut contains reduced levels of the intestinal enzyme lactase.

People with gluten sensitivity have trouble digesting gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. (This is different than Celiac disease, an immune disease in which consuming gluten damages the lining of the small intestine.)

Track possible food intolerance with a food diary

Common symptoms of food intolerance include nausea, diarrhea, cramps, and stomach pain, but also may involve other issues like vomiting, heartburn, headaches, and irritability or nervousness.

Food intolerance is often tricky to pinpoint because you may be able to eat small amounts of a problem food without having any reaction. Instead, symptoms may only appear after you eat a large portion of the food, or eat it frequently.

The best way to identify problem foods is with a food diary. Write down what you eat for every meal, including individual foods and portions. Then list any symptoms that occur afterwards and rate their level of intensity on a scale of one to 10, with one being no reaction to 10 being the most severe.

Maintain your diary for two weeks to a month, and then review. “You should be able to find a connection between foods and common symptoms,” says Georgakilas.

How to ease the discomfort of food intolerance

Once you pinpoint one, or several, potential problem foods, eliminate them from your diet. After a few days, add only one food back into your diet and monitor your reaction. “If your symptoms return, you’ve found the offending food,” says Georgakilas.

Eliminating the problem food from your diet is the easiest move, but here are some other strategies to consider:

Reduce serving sizes. Sometimes you can still enjoy your favorite foods by reducing the amount, says Georgakilas. “For instance, if you have an intolerance of excessive fructose, you may discover that a half-cup of fruit may not cause any problems,” she says.

Make adjustments. Your food intolerance may be a cumulative effect. For instance, pizza might cause you problems, but it may be the result of certain ingredients, or combinations. “You may be able to tolerate the cheese and tomatoes on their own, but together they create the perfect storm,” says Georgakilas. Try to eliminate specific ingredients one at a time, and then experiment with eliminating certain combinations until you find the right balance.

Also, if the problem food is a source of vital nutrients, make sure you find an adequate replacement. “Cutting out gluten foods like wheat can rob your diet of fiber and B vitamins,” says Georgakilas. Switch to gluten-free bread, or increase your intake of gluten-free grains like quinoa, sorghum, teff, millet, and buckwheat. For lactose intolerance, drink almond or coconut milk to ensure you get enough calcium and protein.

The post Don’t tolerate food intolerance appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Matthew Solan http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/dont-tolerate-food-intolerance-2016122310829