Health and Nutrition News, Latest Headlines Source

Monday, September 26, 2016

Riding a roller coaster may have surprising health benefit

Researchers find amusement park ride may help patients pass kidney stones – and don't worry, you don't have to ride the really scary kind

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/roller-coaster-rides-can-help-pass-kidney-stones-study-finds/

Is Morning Sickness a Good Thing?

Women who experienced nausea, vomiting had 50 to 75 percent lower risk of pregnancy loss, study finds

From: http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20160926/morning-sickness-pregnancy?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Healthy Diet as Teen, Less Weight Gain as Adult

Study suggests food choices made at 15 may establish long-term eating habits

From: http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20160926/teen-diet-weight-gain?src=RSS_PUBLIC

At White House Conference, USDA Commits New Funds for Tribal Community Development

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26, 2016 – At the 8th Tribal Nations Conference hosted today by President Barack Obama in Washington, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack underscored the Administration's support for tribal communities with $9 million in new funds to support community development and education. Since 2009, under Vilsack, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested more than $3 billion in economic development efforts for Native Americans.

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/09/0205.xml&contentidonly=true

Just say no to Narcan? Heroin rescue efforts draw backlash

Some people are expressing frustration about rescuing addicts who often immediately resume using drugs

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/just-say-no-to-narcan-heroin-rescue-efforts-draw-backlash/

Should FDA Have Power to Recall Beauty Products?

The FDA doesn’t have the authority to recall beauty products or to test a product for safety until someone complains. Congress has stepped in with proposals to boost its authority.

From: http://www.webmd.com/beauty/news/20160926/should-fda-have-power-to-recall-beauty-products?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Drug shows promise for hair loss condition

Researchers say a bone marrow drug called Ruxolitinib could help patients regrow hair lost due to the autoimmune condition alopecia areata. WCBS-TV's Dr. Max Gomez reports.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/drug-shows-promise-for-hair-loss-condition/

Why morning sickness during pregnancy may be a good sign

New research looks at the risk of pregnancy loss and finds a curious connection

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pregnancy-morning-sickness-nausea-vomiting-miscarriage-rate/

The Hatch Rules for USDA Employees

From: USDA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_UDRhwbpuc

How to Capture Elbow Range of Motion

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nel6qYjCHlM

HPI: Endodontists showing "definitive signs" in post-recession recovery

Compared to general practitioners and other specialists, endodontists and pediatric dentists are the only dentists to see "definitive signs of post-recession income recovery," according to a Sept. 19 ADA Health Policy Institute research brief.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/september/hpi-endodontists-showing-definitive-signs-in-post-recession-recovery

Smile Champion Awards recognize Give Kids A Smile supporters

The executive director of a local dental society in Oregon and 3M are the 2016 recipients of the Smile Champion award.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/september/smile-champion-awards

When do you really need antibiotics for that sinus infection?

It was February, and clinic was teeming with respiratory infections of all kinds: mostly the common cold, but also bronchitis, pneumonia, and sinus infections. The first patient on my schedule was a healthcare provider with “? sinus infection” written down as her main issue.* She’d had about two weeks of nasal and sinus congestion which she blamed on a viral upper respiratory infection (URI, also known as the common cold). Her two young kids had been sick with colds all winter, so she wasn’t surprised to have these symptoms, along with endless postnasal drip and a cough.

Her congestion had improved a bit at one point, and she thought that she was finally getting better. But then, the day before her appointment, she awoke with throbbing pain between her eyes, completely blocked nasal passages, and, more concerning to her, green pus oozing from her left tear duct. She had body aches, chills, and extreme fatigue. “Do I maybe need antibiotics?” she asked.

Most sinus infections don’t require antibiotics

Ah, sinus infections. The New England Journal of Medicine recently published a clinical practice review of acute sinus infections in adults, that is, sinus infections of up to four weeks. The need for an updated review was likely spurred by the disconcerting fact that while the vast majority of acute sinus infections will improve or even clear on their own without antibiotics within one to two weeks, most end up being treated with antibiotics.

It is this discrepancy that has clinical researchers and public health folks jumping up and down in alarm, because more unnecessary prescriptions for antibiotics mean more side effects and higher bacterial resistance rates. But on the other hand, while 85% of sinus infections improve or clear on their own, there’s the 15% that do not. Potential complications are rare, but serious, and include brain infections, even abscesses.

But sometimes, they do…

So how does one judge when it is appropriate to prescribe the antibiotic? There are several sets of official guidelines, which are all similar. When a patient has thick, colorful nasal discharge and/or facial pressure or pain for at least 10 days, they meet criteria for antibiotic treatment. If a patient has had those symptoms, but the symptoms seemed to start improving and then got worse again, then even if it’s been less than 10 days, they meet criteria for antibiotic treatment. (That’s referred to as a “double-worsening” and is a common scenario in bacterial sinus infections.)

The authors, however, also suggest that doctors discuss “watchful waiting” with patients and explain that most sinus infections clear up on their own in one to two weeks, and it’s a safe option to hold off on antibiotics. The symptoms can then be treated with a cocktail of over-the-counter medications and supportive care, like nasal saline irrigation, nasal steroid sprays, decongestants, and pain medications.

Of course, many patients expect and demand antibiotics, and even those who are open to watchful waiting may hear about the rare but possible complications of things like, oh, brain abscess, and opt to treat.

In the case of my patient above, she met criteria for treatment. She weighed the watchful waiting option against the potential risks of antibiotics, and chose the prescription. I can tell you from very close follow-up that she improved quickly, though in truth, we will never really know if she would have gotten better anyway.

*This is a real case, details recalled as accurately as possible, based on my own experience as a patient with a sinus infection, originally posted here.