Recently by Elizabeth Johnson
You may not feel comfortable following your doctor online, but what about using the Internet for support? It may be good for your health.
Based on recent studies, online health support programs, interventions and reminders are increasing in popularity, reliability and impact:
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Based on recent studies, online health support programs, interventions and reminders are increasing in popularity, reliability and impact:
- Heart attack survivors and cardiac patients who participated in an online and phone-based support program lowered their blood pressure and cholesterol levels, were more likely to quit smoking and one-third less likely to die than those who did not participate.
- Smokers who used computer-based smoking cessation programs were nearly twice as likely to successfully quit than those who did not, based on 22 clinical trials.
- One in five excessive drinkers who used an online self-help program were able to lower their levels of alcohol intake, according to a Dutch study.
- Half of the users of online psoriasis support groups believed that the quality of their lives had improved, and two in five reported a lessened severity of their psoriasis.
- Through a program developed by Kaiser Permanente, individuals who received weekly reminder emails about their health goals, including eating more fruit and vegetables and exercising more, improved their health significantly.
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Show off your moves in the Arthritis Foundation's Let's Move Together campaign, which promotes regular exercise for individuals with arthritis. Simply record your exercise routine and submit the video to their site. It doesn't matter if you run, walk, swim, cycle, lift weights, practice yoga or even dance -- just move your body -- because "regular physical activity can help minimize the pain and stiffness of arthritis," according to Scott Walters, vice president of the Arthritis Foundation. In addition to lessening existing arthritis pain, regular moderate exercise can help prevent arthritis by promoting mobility, weight control and muscle strength. Low-impact exercises such as walking, tai chi, yoga or aquatics may most benefit those with arthritis rather than high-impact exercises like running. Before beginning a new exercise routine, consult with your physician about the best exercises for you.
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Backpacks, binders, books--and surgical face masks? With the school year's approach comes increased fears of the spread of H1N1 (swine flu), particularly since it is expected to hit young, healthy people and schools.
But hold off on bulk purchases of face masks.
In preparation of the approaching school year, the Obama administration is also currently finalizing guidelines that would reduce the federal government's role in deciding H1N1-caused school closures. With a goal of minimizing illness and limiting social and academic disruption, these guidelines are expected to keep schools open as much as possible while also keeping the student body safe.
The CDC recommends that people with H1N1 remain home for seven days after symptoms begin or until symptom-free for at least 24 hours. To avoid infection, wash your hands and avoid touching your eyes, nose and ears.
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But hold off on bulk purchases of face masks.
In a study of face masks and seasonal flu (not H1N1) conducted by the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong, researchers found that sick patients who washed their hands frequently with soap and water, and wore a surgical face mask as much as possible within the first 36 hours of showing flu symptoms were at a decreased risk of spreading the flu. These results may have the same impact on H1N1. Wearing a face mask is not generally recommended by the CDC. Only individuals who are at a "very high risk of flu complications" (such as someone who is pregnant and a caregiver of someone with H1N1) should wear face masks, according to the CDC.
In preparation of the approaching school year, the Obama administration is also currently finalizing guidelines that would reduce the federal government's role in deciding H1N1-caused school closures. With a goal of minimizing illness and limiting social and academic disruption, these guidelines are expected to keep schools open as much as possible while also keeping the student body safe.
The CDC recommends that people with H1N1 remain home for seven days after symptoms begin or until symptom-free for at least 24 hours. To avoid infection, wash your hands and avoid touching your eyes, nose and ears.
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But a little thing like that won't keep the powerful U.S. tanning bed industry from trumpeting the safety--even the health benefits--of lying down while powerful lights pummel your body with carcinogenic UV rays. "The UV light from a tanning bed is equivalent to UV light from the sun, which has had a group 1 classification since 1992," says Dan Humiston, president of the Indoor Tanning Association, which has "always emphasized the importance of moderation when it comes to UV light from either the sun or a tanning bed."
Tempted to believe him? Couldn't swing that Maui getaway this year but want to look great? Inspired by Sarah Palin's tan? Don't be fooled: Tanning beds are really, really, really bad for you. Consider:
- Individuals who use tanning devices before age 30 are at a 75 percent increased risk of skin melanoma -- the most dangerous form of skin cancer, causing about 8,650 deaths a year in the US alone.
- "Frequent tanners using new high-pressure sunlamps may receive as much as 12 times the annual UVA doses compared to those they receive from sun exposure" says Deborah S. Sarnoff, MD, vice president of The Skin Cancer Foundation. In the Foundation's response to the IARC's announcement, she refers to tanning beds as coffin beds.
- "Many tanning beds emit UVA rays, which don't burn but penetrate to the deeper layers of skin, increasing the risk of DNA damage and skin cancer," says Jessica Wu, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles and an expert for EverydayHealth.com.
- According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, tanning beds increase not only your risk of melanoma but also premature aging, eye damage, direct injury to blood vessels, collagen breakdown, age spots,and oh yes, basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers.
"Sitting in the sun is less dangerous than a tanning bed," says Dr. Wu. "At least at the beach, after a certain amount of time your skin burns, and you go indoors." Even moderate exposure can cause permanent damage, she warns.
That doesn't make the sun safe, of course. While vitamin D is a good thing, you can get it with just a few minutes in a sun, as well as through dietary sources, such as fish and low-fat milk. And there's no such thing as a safe tan--unless it comes from a bottle.
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- Living by the highway when you're pregnant might lower it. According to a recent study, high fetal exposure to common urban pollutants, such as car emissions and coal smoke, may lead to lowered intellectual development of your child. You can prevent this high exposure by avoiding tobacco smoke, keeping a clean and well-ventilated home, and eating fruits and vegetables during pregnancy to counteract the air's free radicals. And if you can see a coal plant from your window (and you've got the bucks)--move!
- Breastfeeding might raise it. Children who were exclusively breastfed for at least three months scored higher on IQ tests and ranked higher on cognitive development levels of thinking, learning and memory at age 6 compared to children of the same age who were not breastfed. The reason for this difference is still unclear, though it may be attributed to nutrients in the mother's milk or the physical contact between the mother and child.
- Summer lowers it. Kids forget stuff over the summer--including how to think--which can cause IQ to go down, according to Psychology Today. That's particularly true for kids whose summers are the least academically oriented. So if your kids are little, read to them this summer. And if they're bigger, make them read to you.
- If you're poor, a great home and school environment can boost it. For kids in middle- and upper-income families, genes determine much of IQ--they already have an enriched environment so they can reach their IQ potential. But research by psychologist Eric Turkheimer at the University of Virginia finds that in poor households (a median income of $22,100 in 1997 dollars), environmental factors were more powerful than genetic influences in boosting IQ. In fact, studies show that when kids are adopted from impoverished backgrounds into middle-class homes their IQ goes up. A great home environment in a poor home or a great early-education program may make a difference. So researchers are now trying to figure out how to enrich the learning environment for low-income kids.
- If your kid prefers vegetables, he or she might be smarter. Children with high IQs are more likely to become vegetarians by age 30. A study reported in the British Medical Journal found that the study participants who are vegetarian as adults recorded five IQ points above average at age 10. This study may partly explain why those with high IQs have lower risks of heart disease and obesity rates on average.
My parents are big on character development. Any time I attempted to whine about a little difficulty in my life, they would quickly remind me that "it builds character."
One of my favorite topics to whine about was being a "walker." From elementary to high school all my classmates seemed to be bused to school, but for those of us who lived close enough, we were "walkers."
As a walker, I got drenched when I forgot my umbrella and when the area was hit with remnants of a hurricane, slipped down icy sidewalk ramps and watched my hair freeze after aquatics class in the winter, and sweated through hot and humid days in the summer, all while lugging around a heavy backpack.
But somewhere in all of this "character-building" walking, I came to enjoy it. I came to enjoy the time spent outside and the way it made me feel alive. So now I grab every chance I can to be a walker. With a commute that consists of a drive to a parking garage, a train and then 18 blocks to my building -- my favorite part is the 20-minute walk from the train station to work.
According to a recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, individuals who engage in an active commute (walking or riding a bike to work) appear to be more fit and less likely to be overweight or obese. Additionally, these active commuters have healthier triglyceride levels, blood pressure and insulin levels.
For most adults, meeting physical activity guidelines is as simple as 60 minutes of brisk walking per day. The best news of this study is the confirmation that to be physically active does not mean having to sign up for a gym or become a hardcore fitness buff -- little changes like making your commute an active one can help keep the weight off and keep you healthy.
My parents must have known that walking to school was about more than building character, it was about developing a physically active lifestyle. And now I'm not whining.
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One of my favorite topics to whine about was being a "walker." From elementary to high school all my classmates seemed to be bused to school, but for those of us who lived close enough, we were "walkers."
As a walker, I got drenched when I forgot my umbrella and when the area was hit with remnants of a hurricane, slipped down icy sidewalk ramps and watched my hair freeze after aquatics class in the winter, and sweated through hot and humid days in the summer, all while lugging around a heavy backpack.
But somewhere in all of this "character-building" walking, I came to enjoy it. I came to enjoy the time spent outside and the way it made me feel alive. So now I grab every chance I can to be a walker. With a commute that consists of a drive to a parking garage, a train and then 18 blocks to my building -- my favorite part is the 20-minute walk from the train station to work.
According to a recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, individuals who engage in an active commute (walking or riding a bike to work) appear to be more fit and less likely to be overweight or obese. Additionally, these active commuters have healthier triglyceride levels, blood pressure and insulin levels.
For most adults, meeting physical activity guidelines is as simple as 60 minutes of brisk walking per day. The best news of this study is the confirmation that to be physically active does not mean having to sign up for a gym or become a hardcore fitness buff -- little changes like making your commute an active one can help keep the weight off and keep you healthy.
My parents must have known that walking to school was about more than building character, it was about developing a physically active lifestyle. And now I'm not whining.
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You know the drill: Schedule an appointment, go to the doctor's office, sit in a waiting room, sit in a smaller room, meet with the nurse, wait a little more, and then finally talk to your doctor.This routine, although tried and true, may evolve as technology--specifically social networking--begins to saturate the medical community.
Now consider: Log into Twitter, find your doctor and ask a question about your new prescription--all in 140 characters or less.
Although not applicable for all doctor visits, social networking may increase your access to expert advice, strengthen communication with your doctor and boost your health support system.
Doctors are also turning to Twitter from the operating room to update family members about surgery procedures. Hospitals such as Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO., and Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center in Milwaukee, WI., are among a handful of hospitals now experimenting with social networking to connect patients, doctors and the community.
Stepping forward to help is Hello Health, a secure online, paperless "concierge" practice based in Brooklyn, NY, that uses email, instant messaging and video chat to sustain an online medical dialogue.
As the medical community begins to adopt online social networking tools, the priority must remain high on ensuring patient and doctor privacy, confidentiality and accuracy.
What do you think? Should doctors be tweeting? Should medical advice come to you on your Facebook or Twitter account?
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"If I fall asleep right now, I could get five hours of sleep tonight..." Do thoughts like this cross your mind at night? Are you counting down the hours hoping sleep will come, but it doesn't? Learning to "reframe" thoughts has proven to be an effective strategy for many people with insomnia. Now a new study shows that people may be able to treat their insomnia with cognitive therapy based on online programs.
Insomnia affects approximately one-third of adults. Treatment may be more widely available soon, thanks to a recent study of insomnia treatments conducted by Lee M. Ritterband, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
The study focused on the effectiveness of an Internet invention program, called SHUTi, on 44 adults who had a history of sleep difficulties. This interactive nine-week program guides individuals through a series of behavioral, educational and cognitive techniques using text, graphics, animations, vignettes, quizzes and games.
Results of this study show a 73 percent success rate of "no severity of insomnia" among individuals who had suffered from moderate insomnia for over 10 years. Furthermore, all patients maintained their sleep improvements six months after the study's completion.
The cognitive behavioral therapy utilized in this program is a psychological treatment that is used to identify disruptive behaviors and thoughts that may inhibit sleep. Cognitive behavioral therapy is recognized as one of the most effective treatments for insomnia.
"The reason these results are so encouraging is that they suggest that some people can improve their sleep through self-help methods," says co-investigator of the study, Frances P. Thorndike, Ph.D., who is an assistant professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
Study participants were also encouraged to practice good sleep habits, such as:
- Avoid reading and watching television in the bedroom
- Avoid eating or drinking too close to bedtime
- Stop daytime napping
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Couples who are trying to conceive now have even more reason to have sex...every day.Daily sex, in fact, improves the quality and health of men's sperm, according to new research by Dr. David Greening of Sydney, Australia. Of 118 men with above-average sperm DNA damage, the research found that the quality of sperm increased significantly after the men were told to ejaculate daily for seven days.
Greening stated that the higher sperm quality is likely due to the sperm's decreased exposure to potentially damaging molecules in the testicular ducts. "It seems safe to conclude that couples with relatively normal semen parameters should have sex daily for up to a week before the ovulation date," he said.
Based on this research, couples trying to conceive should no longer abstain from sex as ovulation nears--as was commonly debated among doctors and couples.
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Does your visit to the doctor's office wear everyone's patience thin? You might not be aware of some bad habits that can make your visit more painful than necessary...for both you and your doctor. After all, doctors report that 15 percent of patient visits are "difficult."
According to a Medpage/ABC News article, here are the top six bad habits you may want to check at the door when you check in:
- You + Doctor + A Crowd. Bringing a support system to the doctor's office is fine, but make sure the crowd does not hinder you and your doctor's communication and ability to discuss symptoms, results, concerns and plans.
- Withholding Information. Doctors ask questions for a reason--it is never worth the risk to lie to your doctor about anything, including what medications, herbal supplements and/or drugs you take.
- Stopping Your Meds. When it comes to medications, it's all a science...a delicate science that should never be altered without your doctor's approval. Stopping your medications, changing your prescriptions or altering your dosages are decisions that you and your doctor need to make together.
- The Easy Way Out. Doctors understand that recommendations to change lifestyle are difficult prescriptions, but achieving overall good health is entirely more beneficial than trying to treat the problems that arise from bad lifestyle habits.
- Requesting Unnecessary Drugs. According to a recent study in Archives of Internal Medicine, more than one in three doctors say that the most difficult patient is the one who insists on unnecessary drugs. Educating yourself about your health is a valuable step in forming a strong doctor-patient relationship--but stonewalling yourself against a doctor's advice can possibly negatively impact your own health.
- Demanding Unnecessary Tests. Quantity is not key in medical tests. Demanding unnecessary tests and procedures can lead to complications or poor outcomes. Instead, discuss your thoughts about additional testing with your doctor.
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Consumers are being urged to stop using Zicam Cold Remedy nasal gel and related products (Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs for adults and kids) because they may permanently damage the user's sense of smell, according to an FDA warning issued today. Zicam products contain the element zinc, an ingredient that may
permanently damage the nerves in the nose that are needed for smell. The FDA has received 130 reports of loss of smell from consumers who have used Zicam's over-the-counter products.
Categorized as a homeopathic product, Zicam Cold Remedy was not required to receive formal FDA approval prior to its launch. Matrixx Initiatives, the manufacturer of Zicam products, has not issued a formal recall yet. But now that the product's safety has been called into question, Matrixx will be required to obtain FDA approval for Zicam products in order to remain on the market.
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Categorized as a homeopathic product, Zicam Cold Remedy was not required to receive formal FDA approval prior to its launch. Matrixx Initiatives, the manufacturer of Zicam products, has not issued a formal recall yet. But now that the product's safety has been called into question, Matrixx will be required to obtain FDA approval for Zicam products in order to remain on the market.
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