BT Calgary Blogs

In Health News today, another warning about delaying child bearing.  The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada says waiting until over the age of 32 to have kids increases the risk of infertility, pregnancy complications and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Babies don’t learn how to talk just from listening to you. New research suggests they’re likely reading your lips! Scientists out of Florida Atlantic University say at around 6 months of age babies shift from that intense eye gaze of early infancy to studying mouths when people talk.

And, are you having trouble losing weight? Try changing your dishes. Research published in the in the journal Appetite says people who ate off of red plates ate 40 percent less food.

Half of all women will have one at some point in their lives…. a urinary tract infection also known as a bladder infection.

These infections are very common … in fact, they’re the second most common infection in the body and one of the most common reasons women will go to their family doctor.

A UTI occurs when bacteria travel from the urethra, the short tube that takes urine from the bladder out, up to the bladder. This infection causes some nasty symptoms including a frequent need to pee as well as burning and pain when peeing. The urine may also be cloudy, have blood in it and smell foul.

The most common way a UTI is diagnosed is by going to a family doctor, peeing in a cup, where a urinalysis will determine if there are white blood cells present.  This can usually be done right in the doctor’s office. Antibiotics are most often prescribed and the infection will likely go away.

However, some women will experience recurrent infections…. up to 3 or 4 a year. I spoke with Urogynecologist Dr. Magali Robert about UTIs. She says these women need to have a family doctor so these infections can be tracked. It’s also important to make sure the symptoms aren’t some other kind of issue. Docs should also check for anatomical problems, or whether a woman is able to empty her bladder properly. Docs also need to determine if the patient is clearing the infection each time or whether they’re merely suppressing symptoms and it’s the same infection causing problems.

And for some women, it may not be a question of antibiotics. Dr. Robert says patients approaching menopause are predisposed to UTIs because their estrogen levels are dropping leaving the tissues of the urethra dry and more susceptible to infection. These women may benefit from estrogen therapy.

Young women may benefit from taking cranberries… either supplements or juice. If they find they’re getting UTIs directly related to sex, they may be prescribed antibiotics to take right around the time they’re having sex.

All women will benefit from staying well hydrated says Dr. Robert. She says water helps to flush out the urethra making it harder for bacteria to set up shop.

I do want to point out that men do get urinary tract infections as well… just not as often… only in about 10 percent of cases.

I could write so much more… but if you are getting UTIs make sure you talk openly to your doctor about what will work for you. It may also help to investigate some naturopathic options to help prevent getting another infection.

The countdown is on to Christmas and a lot of people are buying last minute presents, doing last minute party preparations and getting the house ready for guests.

It can be very stressful.

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‘Tis the season for new parents to show off their newborns to visiting friends and relatives. But, we just want to make sure those aunties and uncles are feeling well. That’s because not only is it the holiday season, it’s RSV season. (more…)

Tis the season for the holiday party and often a few too many cocktails. So I thought I’d do some research into hangovers and what you can do to deal with some of those annoying symptoms.

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The human being is not efficient when it comes to reproduction. Even young women only have a 10-15 percent chance of conceiving each month. So let’s be clear, 40 is not the new 30 when it comes to reproduction. By the time women hit 40, there’s only a 2-5 percent chance they’ll get pregnant each month.

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I have interviewed Dr. David Hanley, a specialist in the area of osteoporosis many times over the years. And while we always think of osteoporosis as a disease for little old ladies… in fact, it is not.  One in three women will suffer a fracture in their lives from osteoporosis, one in five men.  And yes, osteoporosis is associated with the normal aging process of the bones. But, we build our bones and the strength of our bones before we’re teenagers!

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This is another story about the amazing medical research underway in our city. University of Calgary Professor Paul Kubes has just won Canada’s Health Researcher of the Year from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the government’s funding arm for health research. This award is one of the most prestigious in the country, giving Kubes and his team half a million dollars!

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It’s the first ever World Prematurity Day. This is a push to help us understand how important it is to prevent pre-term births. Alberta in fact, has the highest rate of premature births in the country – about 9 in every 100 births.

A normal pregnancy is 40 weeks long, any baby born 37 weeks and on is considered full term. Premature babies are those born between 22 weeks and 37 weeks. Seventy percent of premature births happen between 34 and 37 weeks. The earlier a baby is born, of course, the more problems they’ll face. Even in the 34 to 37 week range babies will likely face respiratory problems, central nervous system problems and learning disabilities later in life. Those infants born even earlier are looking at damage to the brain, eyes, gut and lungs. It’s a multi-system impact.

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Tis the season for germs to be floating around that will make us sick. There are a few hot spots in the house that are notorious for bad bugs.

I spoke to Microbiologist, Professor Glen Armstrong from the University of Calgary, and he says yes, there are bad bugs out there but there are also good bugs. And, we need the good bugs to help us fight off the bad bugs. Professor Armstrong also says we have these good and bad bugs living in and on us all the time… on our skin, in our mouths in our intestines.

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