11/08/17

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Public health experts call for new approach in fighting drug addiction

Tom McLellan and Gary Mendell -- two men dedicated to ending opioid crisis -- say that substance abuse treatment needs a makeover

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/opioid-epidemic-drug-addiction-treatment-new-approach-tom-mclellan-gary-mendell/

Student undergoing radiation publicly shamed for using handicapped spot

"Reminder that you have no idea what's going on in people's lives," the young woman responds

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/student-undergoing-radiation-treatments-publicly-shamed/

Infectious Diseases A-Z: Antibiotics in animals

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK0scVA4Jms

EPA approves bacteria-infected insects to kill mosquitoes

Lab-grown mosquitoes armed with bacteria could be the key to killing off insects that transmit dangerous viruses such as Zika

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/epa-approves-bacteria-infected-insects-to-kill-mosquitoes/

IUDs may have a surprising health benefit

The contraceptive device may reduce a woman's risk of a certain type of cancer, new research suggests

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/iuds-may-have-a-surprising-health-benefit/

Brain Beats Brawn in Quest for Energy

The brain gets priority over muscles when both are competing for energy, a new study finds.

From: https://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20171108/brain-beats-brawn-in-quest-for-energy?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Does Your Brain Know When You’re Dead?

Researchers say that after your heart stops, your brain functions for about another 20 seconds before it shuts down as well.

From: https://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20171108/does-your-brain-know-when-youre-dead?src=RSS_PUBLIC

ADA asks Congress to provide fair and equal treatment for dental practices in House tax bill

As Congress works to finalize tax reform legislation, the ADA is requesting the tax treatment of S Corporations in the current House bill be extended to all dental practices which are organized as pass-through entities or S Corporations.

From: By Jennifer Garvin http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/november/ada-asks-congress-to-provide-fair-and-equal-treatment-for-dental-practices-in-house-tax-bill

East Carolina University dean receives UNC's public service award

The University of North Carolina Board of Governors announced Nov. 3 it awarded Dr. Gregory Chadwick, dean of East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine, with this year's top faculty honor.

From: By Kimber Solana http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/november/east-carolina-university-dean-receives-uncs-public-service-award

IUDs may have a surprising health benefit

The contraceptive device may reduce a woman's risk of a certain type of cancer, new research suggests

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/iuds-may-have-a-surprising-health-benefit/

Does Your Brain Know When You’re Dead?

Researchers say that after your heart stops, your brain functions for about another 20 seconds before it shuts down as well.

From: https://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20171108/does-your-brain-know-when-youre-dead?src=RSS_PUBLIC

#DearDiabetes: LaShawn McIver

Dear Diabetes,

I will never forget the day I was introduced to you. I met you through a friend of the family and then later found out you already knew several members of my family. At first, I thought you and I would become close friends too, until I realized your relationship came at a price. You have burnt so many bridges over the years with the havoc you have caused my family and friends. Blindness, kidney failure, stroke, amputations, heart disease, discrimination, you name it!

So, I made a decision…it stops with me. I am severing all ties with you as of today. I am focusing on doing the things in my power to stop you and am reversing the trend in my family. I am choosing to eat healthier. I know you run in my family, but I plan to outrun you by becoming more fit. I am going to advocate to ensure the lawmakers in our country know exactly who you are, what you are capable of and how THEY can help stop you.

So, I know this may be a tough pill to swallow, but it’s over. Please don’t try to contact me because I won’t be answering.

I choose life. I choose family. I choose good health.

Sincerely yours,
LaShawn McIver, MD, MPH
SVP, Government Affairs & Advocacy, American Diabetes Association

From: American Diabetes Association http://diabetesstopshere.org/2017/11/08/deardiabetes-lashawn-mciver/

Is This Year's Flu Shot as Weak as Last Year's?

Last year's shot was only 20 percent to 30 percent effective because it was grown in eggs, according to the authors of a new report.

From: https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20171108/is-this-years-flu-shot-as-weak-as-last-years?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Maine Voters Support Medicaid Expansion

Vote is considered a rebuke to state's governor and President Donald Trump.

From: https://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/news/20171108/maine-voters-support-medicaid-expansion?src=RSS_PUBLIC

ADA asks Congress to provide fair and equal treatment for dental practices in House tax bill

East Carolina University dean receives UNC's public service award

#DearDiabetes: LaShawn McIver

Dear Diabetes,

So, I know this may be a tough pill to swallow, but it’s over. Please don’t try to contact me because I won’t be answering.

I choose life. I choose family. I choose good health.

Sincerely yours,
LaShawn McIver, MD, MPH
SVP, Government Affairs & Advocacy, American Diabetes Association

From: American Diabetes Association http://diabetesstopshere.org/2017/11/08/deardiabetes-lashawn-mciver/

Is This Year's Flu Shot as Weak as Last Year's?

Last year's shot was only 20 percent to 30 percent effective because it was grown in eggs, according to the authors of a new report.

From: https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20171108/is-this-years-flu-shot-as-weak-as-last-years?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Maine Voters Support Medicaid Expansion

Vote is considered a rebuke to state's governor and President Donald Trump.

From: https://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/news/20171108/maine-voters-support-medicaid-expansion?src=RSS_PUBLIC

OTC painkillers as effective as opioids in ER patients

A new study looked at opioids versus over-the-counter painkillers for treatment in patients with broken bones and sprains

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/otc-painkillers-as-effective-as-opioids-in-er-patients/

Even light drinking may raise cancer risk, doctors warn

Alcohol is directly responsible for 5 to 6 percent of new cancers and cancer deaths worldwide, according to a new warning from a leading group of doctors

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/even-light-drinking-may-raise-cancer-risk-doctors-warn/

OTC painkillers as effective as opioids in ER patients

Even light drinking may raise cancer risk, doctors warn

OTC painkillers as effective as opioids in ER patients

Even light drinking may raise cancer risk, doctors warn

OTC painkillers as effective as opioids in ER patients

Even light drinking may raise cancer risk, doctors warn

Tres Décadas de Esperanza - Three Decades of Hope

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5x8nhOC5lg

We heard you — incontinence affects men too. Here’s what you need to know

As men age, the simple act of urinating can get complicated. Prostate surgery often leaves men vulnerable to leakage when they cough, sneeze, or just rise from a chair. Or the bladder may become impatient, suddenly demanding that you find a bathroom right now. “Thousands of years ago, it was not as much of an issue,” observes Dr. Anurag Das, a urologist at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “There were lots of trees, and you could just find one and go.”

But tricky bladders can be whipped into shape. The first step is a careful assessment of what triggers those difficult moments. Often your doctor can suggest helpful strategies and possibly medication to improve urinary control.

How urinary incontinence works in men

Urinary incontinence means the accidental or involuntary loss of urine from the bladder. Many cases involve slight “dribbling.” The most common types are urge incontinence and stress incontinence. The usual causes of urge incontinence in men are involuntary contractions of the bladder muscles (overactive bladder). This is sometimes related to long-term blockage from an enlarged prostate. “You feel the urge to go but you start leaking before you make it,” Dr. Das says. “It could be a few drips, or it could be a larger amount if you can’t find the bathroom in time.” Many men notice that certain triggers set off their urge incontinence, such as hearing running water, entering a cold room, rising after sitting, or even just inserting the key in your home’s door lock.

Stress incontinence refers to urine leakage that occurs when coughing, sneezing, lifting a heavy object, or other activity. In men, this is usually caused by problems in the rings of muscle, or sphincters, that squeeze closed to seal off the bladder.

“If they are weak or damaged, then coughing, sneezing, running, or jumping can cause leakage,” Dr. Das says. In men, the most common cause of stress incontinence is sphincter damage after prostate surgery. Radiation treatment for prostate cancer can also cause it. The doctor will ask questions to figure out what may be causing the problem and how severe it is. You may be asked to go home and keep a voiding diary, which is a careful record of how often you need to urinate and the circumstances or triggers that lead to leakage.

Here’s what you can do

Depending on the nature of the problem, the following behavior changes and strategies can help:

Avoid beverage triggers. In some men, the bladder becomes very sensitive to certain beverages. Obvious solution: drink less of whatever sets off the urges, whether it’s coffee, tea, soft drinks, or alcohol.

Go on a schedule. Putting yourself on a regular preventive schedule for urinating can also take the pressure off. A typical schedule is to urinate every two to four hours.

Lose weight, if needed. Being overweight can put extra pressure on the bladder and urinary system and make things worse. Losing some weight may reduce urinary urgency.

Use guarding moves. For both urge and stress incontinence, it can help to strategically tighten up the pelvic floor muscles with a regimen of Kegel exercises (these are not just for women). A urologist can instruct you on how to do these properly or refer you to a physical therapist for brief training. For stress incontinence, doing a Kegel exercise helps contain urine when you sneeze or cough. For urge incontinence, it retrains the brain to weaken sudden, strong urinary impulses. “It sends a message to the brain that it’s not the right time to go,” Dr. Das says. “If done on a consistent basis, it’s often helpful for a certain percentage of men.”

Medications?

There is no FDA-approved medication for treating stress incontinence. A variety of options are now available for urge incontinence, however. These medications target the overactive bladder muscles. “The bladder can hold more urine, and you have more time to get to the bathroom,” Dr. Das says.

But urge incontinence drugs must be used with caution, since they can have many side effects. You need just enough in your system but not too much, or it could prevent you from urinating at all. This event, called urinary retention, is a medical emergency and requires immediate medical care. If the underlying problem is an overgrown prostate gland — also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH — the standard drugs for that condition can help with urgency.

The post We heard you — incontinence affects men too. Here’s what you need to know appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Matthew Solan https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/incontinence-affects-men-2017110812706