This is a fun little story I got from Dr. Nancy Snyderman who files regularly for The Today Show. She says there are some funny bodily quirks we all have from time to time that are usually harmless, but there are some that could be symptoms of a bigger problem that should be investigated further.
So much fun in health headlines today!
Yet another reason to drink green tea.
We all know it’s good for so many things like boosting your immune system and protecting your heart. But now new research suggests it’s also good for your oral health. The green beverage helps prevent cavities because it lowers the acidity of the saliva and it helps control bacteria. It also helps protect the gums with its antiinflammatory properties. And researchers found it only took a five minute rinse with green tea to get these benefits!
What doesn’t kill you make in fact make you stronger. US researchers found people who had experienced hardship before a back injury got around much better than those who had not. It seems to be about perception. Researchers say exposure to hardship does ‘toughen’ people up. The “tougher” patients with back pain had better mobility because they perceived the situation as manageable compared to the other group who perceived their situation as overwhelming.
Here’s an easy way to increase your brain power. Chew some gum! Researchers from a university in New York found chewing gum gives you a 15 to 20 minute window where memory and “information processing speed” improve. So you might want to chew a piece before your next big exam or presentation.
We all know about headaches in Calgary. Often we blame them on the chinooks, but now new research suggests we may need to blame our smartphones. American researchers have linked fatigue and headaches with smartphone use. The study found the devices are uniquely taxing because your eyes fixate on moving images at a close range. The lead researcher suggests people regularly take breaks from their mobile device!!
Does your child sound like a train rumbling down the tracks when she sleeps? Is she hyperactive, irritable and moody during the day? More research shows there is likely a direct link here.
We just lost one hour of sleep because of the time change but sleep experts say our society is more sleep deprived than ever.
I spoke with Sleep Specialist Dr. Adam Moscovitz who says we’re sleeping 20 percent less than our grandparents around the turn of the century and that this is a dangerous turn of events for both society and our health. Take for example, the time change. With just one hour less of sleep, stats show a 10 increase in the rate of car accidents on Canadian roads.
Dr. Moscovitz says we cannot continue to ingore the importance of sleep. He says it’s crucial we get our 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night but that we also get good “quality” sleep. He explains there are 4 stages of sleep. It can take 90 minutes to get into the two final stages of deep sleep. We need at least 15 to 20 percent of our sleep in stage 3 to feel refreshed. And for our memory to work properly we need to hit the final REM stage, or dream stage of sleep where we move memories from short term to long term memory.
If we don’t get this quality of sleep all of our bodily systems are negatively affected… from our heart health, to immune health to contributing to the obesity epidemic.
We are also not productive members of society when we are sleep deprived. This deprivation leads to something called “presenteeism.” This is where we show up at work for example, but we’re not there in body or spirit. So our memory is affected, our ability to concentrate, even our mood is negatively affected.
The good news is there are some simple ways to get a better sleep. And, if you’re really struggling you can talk to your family doctor about a referral to a sleep specialist who can identify and treat your sleep disorder.
Here are Dr. Moscovitz’s recommendations to get a good sleep:
- relax before bed and disengage from daytime activities
- keep a regular schedule, even on the weekends
- avoid caffeine and smoking close to bedtime
- get up out of bed if you can’t sleep to avoid the bedroom becoming a trigger for stress
- don’t nap
Dr. Moscovitz says the bottomline here is that sleep is a crucial part of staying healthy. It is not a place to cut corners.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD is the number 4 killer in Canada. It’s an umbrella term that refers to what we used to call chronic emphysema or chronic bronchitis.
It’s a very serious lung disease and those who live with it are prone to “lung attacks.” This term refers to a sudden worsening of their condition which includes more shortness of breath, more coughing or if they’ve never had a cough before they start and finally more sputum. If a patient is hospitalized for a lung attack, studies show they have a greater risk of dying within the year than someone admitted for a heart attack.
The main problem is patients don’t realize they’re having a lung attack, or they downplay their symptoms and they don’t seek medical attention. I spoke with Respirologist Dr. Stephen Field and he says patients must see their doctors for a lung attack because there is a lot they can do to make sure they don’t have another one. First off, patients need to quit smoking if they haven’t already, they need to enroll in pulmonary rehabilitation programs through the Living Well programs in Calgary and they can also receive medications that will help prevent another attack and generally help them to feel better.
I spoke with COPD patient Janelle Knight about this. She says when she was diagnosed back in 1999 she felt there were many mornings when she wouldn’t make it through the day. Her lung function was at 30 percent and some days she could barely cross the living room floor. After getting the medical attention she needed, however, she saw dramatic increases in her wellness. Today, Janelle’s lung function is at 90 percent and she regularly goes hiking in the mountains at age 77.
It makes sense to get the help you need.
For more information visit:
and
Many children are surviving childhood cancers these days. And these survivors often face certain issues following treatment like infertility. But a new initiative here in Calgary is hoping to change that.
The Regional Fertility Program has a fundraising arm called the Generations of Hope Fertility Assistance Fund. This charitable organization helps eligible families with the cost of fertility treatments. Their latest initiative will help boys to save their sperm prior to cancer treatment so that one day they may be able to father children.
I spoke to Dr. Calvin Greene, the Medical Director of the Regional Fertility Program, who says cancer treatments like chemotherapy, radiation and surgery often render the patient infertile. But for boys, freezing their sperm is a relatively easy way to preserve their fertility. So Generations of Hope is offering families that are financially challenged the opportunity to cover that first sperm sample and storage for a year…something that costs about 500 dollars.
Kris Joyce a clinical oncology social worker says this initiative means there’s one less thing families need to worry about. There are a few factors at play here when a family receives a cancer diagnosis. First off, Kris says the families are obviously traumatized and are trying to process what they’ve heard. Secondly, treatment usually needs to start within a matter of days of diagnosis. So, families have a lot to deal with very quickly. There is also the financial piece of the problem. Many families lose income in these situations when a parent has to quit or take a leave from work to stay at the hospital with the child. Other parents are unable to return to work for emotional reasons. So, having one less financial worry is paramount.
Fertility preservation is offered to boys 14 years of age and older. The boys go the sperm lab at the Regional Fertility Program and provide a sperm sample. That sample is then frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen at -196C. Dr. Greene says that sperm will then be viable forever.
Generations of Hope is having their annual fundraiser “Images of Hope” on March 10th. It’s a silent and live auction at the Hotel Arts. Tickets are $75.
For more information on male fertility preservation and the upcoming fundraiser visit the website:
http://www.generationsofhope.ca/
or
Rosacea is very common. It affects up to 15 percent of the Caucasian population though it’s seen in most ethnicities. The most common kind is often known as “rosy cheeks.” These people flush usually in response to certain triggers like alcohol, caffeine, spicy foods and heat. This frequent flushing often causes broken blood vessels in the skin.
The second kind of rosacea looks a lot like acne, it’s characterized by redness along with pustules.
The final kind of rosacea is the least common and is characterized by the bulbous nose usually found on men.
Rosacea can be very challenging to live with. People who suffer from it often say they feel self-conscious about their appearance which affects their self esteem and confidence. Unfortunately there is no cure for rosacea but the good news is dermatologists can certainly treat the manifestation of the condition.
I spoke with Dermatologist Dr. Greg Storwick about rosacea. He says there’s no reason for people to suffer. For those with the flushing rosacea he says with certain lasers he can take down that flush by 50 to 80 percent. And for those who have the flushing that has caused broken blood vessels, he can use a laser and pretty much get rid of the redness altogether. Storwick says people can also change their lifestyle to avoid their triggers, but he suggests enjoying life and coming in for treatment every couple of years or as needed.
For those with the pustules, Dr. Storwick says these patients would benefit from medical therapy. He suggests oral antibiotics for a few weeks, specifically of the tetracycline family.
Dr. Storwick says while there is no cure for this disease, he says there is no reason to live with the consequences. He also says a little flush is a good thing!
For more information on rosacea, there is a National Rosacea Society out of the States:
More women are likely to die of heart disease than men each year. And heart disease and stroke are one of the leading causes of death for women. Yet many women don’t realize this. That’s why for “Heart Month” I thought it was important to tackle this subject yet again.
I spoke with cardiologist Dr. Anne Gillis about this subject. She says women experience heart disease differently from men. They’re often not aware of the problem, they tend to underestimate their symptoms and even their perception of their symptoms may differ from men. For example, Dr. Gillis says the number one symptom of a heart attack is chest pain. But women are much more likely than men to delay seeking medical help. Now, why, is unclear. Dr. Gillis suggests they may not feel pain as intensely, they may dismiss their pain because they focus instead of the care of the family or they may even have a higher threshold for pain than men. This same difference between the genders is found when it comes to atrial fibrillation or heart rhythm disorders. Women often ignore their symptoms, or don’t describe the symptoms as clearly or concisely to their physician as a man would.
Women are also physiologically different from men so they experience heart disease differently. Dr. Gillis says women are less likely to develop heart disease prematurely because of the protective effect of estrogen. However, when women go through menopause and their estrogen decreases they are at similar risk to men for the disease.
Treatment may also be different for men and women. Yes, there is a standard protocol for treating heart disease. But some women may not tolerate drugs the same way as men…nor may the dosages be appropriate for them. And, Dr. Gillis says there is data to suggest that women are undertreated after a heart attack. For example, after a heart attack a patient is at risk of sudden death due to a fatal rhythm disorder. And women are less referred for preventative therapies like a defibrillator. Again, it’s unclear why. Are the doctors not understanding the benefit for female patients? Or are female patients less likely to pursue follow up care?
Regardless, women need to understand their risk factors for heart disease.
The risk factors we can control:
- smoking – ie. don’t smoke. (women are smoking more than men these days than men)
- high blood pressure and high cholesterol – know your numbers!
- obesity
- diabetes
- physical inactivity
The risk factors we can’t control include getting older, our genes and our gender. However, Dr. Gillis says if you know heart disease runs in your family make sure you talk to your doctor about preventative therapies that may work for you. And of course, everything in moderation. Eat well, exercise and ultimately, know your risk.
For more information on heart disease and women… the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation is a great resource.
It’s Heart Month. And there are many things you can do to protect your heart which we will discuss throughout the month. Today we’re going to talk about the best foods to keep your heart healthy.
First up, fish. This is all about eating omega three fatty acids or “good fat.” Omega 3s permeate the arteries and make them more flexible and they also reduce plaque build-up in the arteries. Good fat also helps to reduce blood pressure and prevent inflammation. It even helps maintain a regular heartbeat. Doctors usually recommend eating fish at least twice a week. Good examples include salmon, tuna and pollock.
Next, whole grains. Whole grains contain the entire kernel, where refined grains have been milled to remove the bran and germ. Removing those two items takes out the iron, fibre and B vitamins. You want to eat fibre because it acts like a brillo pad in your arteries, scrubbing out the bad cholesterol before it has a chance to stick around. Examples include oatmeal, whole grain bread and cereal and brown rice.
Legumes. Now you want to avoid canned beans here. We’re talking about fresh beans like black beans, kidney beans, edamame or soy beans and chick peas. These lovely little legumes contain no cholesterol, lots of fibre and protein and are fat free. A good example would be to swap out your beef burger for a soy option or eat some hummus.
Nuts. They are a great source of good fat. So again, they help boost your good cholesterol, which takes the bad cholesterol to the liver so it can get filtered out of the body. Nuts are also packed with flavonoids which are antioxidants that also raise your good cholesterol. Your best choices for your heart are almonds and walnuts. Just make sure they’re not covered in salt or sugar. Eat them raw and only a handful a day.
Alcohol. Yes, that’s right. Though there are many conflicting studies on this, many doctors will agree one glass of red wine is good for the heart. Alcohol makes the blood less likely to clot, and those clots can clog the arteries in the heart. It also boosts your good cholesterol and helps reduce the “c-reactive protein.” This protein is sign your arteries are inflamed. Again, let’s make this very clear. Alcohol in moderation which means one glass for the ladies, two for the men. And red wine is best. Doctors do say if you don’t already drink, do not take it up as a way to protect the heart.
Those are the top five heart healthy foods. Now, there are some bonus foods you can eat to protect your heart. Consider putting back some blueberries, spinach, flaxseed and all those high in colour veggies.
In the coming weeks, I”ll be speaking with cardiologist Dr. Ann Gillis about women and heart disease. Stay tuned for that conversation!!
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.