Author: Jane Farrell

Is It A Sore Throat – or Strep?

If you’re not sure whether you’ve got strep throat – or just a sore throat – the experts at the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have some answers.
Sore throats, which can be either mild or severe, have a variety of causes. Some of them, the CDC experts say, include viruses, bacteria, allergens, irritants, post-nasal drip and fungi. But whatever the reason, the result is the irritating and painful condition known as sore throat.
Most cases will heal without treatment. But others, including strep throat, may need antibiotics.

Chili Peppers and Colorectal Tumors

Capsaicin, a substance already known to relieve pain associated with shingles, may also ultimately reduce the risk of colorectal tumors, according to new research.

Investigators from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine said that capsaicin, which is the active ingredient in chili peppers, activates a receptor on the intestinal cells of mice. Their findings were published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Don’t Get Fooled by Poison Ivy

If you think you know what poison ivy looks like, think again. Poison ivy can take the form of a vine, shrub or ground cover. It has leaves that are shiny and leaves that are dull. Its edges can be smoothed or notched.
So how can it be recognized and avoided? The old phrase “leaves of three,” let it be” is a good way to do it, says Lou Paradise, president and chief of research of Topical BioMedics, Inc., makers of Topricin.

Loud Noise Can Affect Your Brain

A lot of loud noise may do more than damage your hearing: It actually alters the way the brain processes speech, neuroscientists say.

Researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas said that could eventually lead to difficulty in distinguishing speech sounds hearing loss. The investigators’ findings were published in the journal Ear and Hearing.

Complicated Grief: When Sorrow Is Overwhelming

Losing a loved one is one of the most distressing and, unfortunately, common experiences people face. Most people experiencing normal grief and bereavement have a period of sorrow, numbness, and even guilt and anger. Gradually these feelings ease, and it’s possible to accept loss and move forward.

For some people, feelings of loss are debilitating and don’t improve even after time passes. This is known as complicated grief. In complicated grief, painful emotions are so long lasting and severe that you have trouble accepting the loss and resuming your own life.

A Non-Invasive Procedure That Helps Heart Patients

A minimally invasive procedure can significantly reduce the likelihood of heart disease-related deaths among adults with atrial fibrillation.

A long-term study from the University of Michigan’s Frankel Cardiovascular Center found that the procedure, catheter ablation, helps atrial-fibrillation patients lower their risk of dying from a heart attack or heart failure.

Watch: Fish Oil for Traumatic Brain Injuries?

Here’s another addition to our Third Age video collection. Press play to start learning.

A Computer That Can “See” You

Someday, your computer may have “glasses” to help you see the screen – not the other way around, according to researchers developing the technology.

Scientists from the University of California, Berkeley, are developing computer models to compensate for a person’s visual impairment. When fully developed, these vision-correcting displays enable users to see words and pictures on a screen clearly without eyeglasses or contact lenses.

9 Ways to Tame Your Chronic Pain

When it comes to chronic pain, there’s usually a limit to how much relief medications and procedures can bring. That’s where changes to your daily life can help bridge the gap. Cleveland Clinic pain and wellness specialists Daniel Leizman, MD, and Mladen Golubić, MD, PhD, offer nine “pain wellness” tips to make sure you’re following for maximum pain management.

Take deep breaths. The average adult takes eight to 16 breaths per minute. Slowing that down to five or six deep breaths that really fill your lungs will help you relax, which can lessen your discomfort.

Investigators Discover a Glucose-Controlling Enzyme

Researchers have zeroed in on a neural mechanism that is key to sensing and controlling blood glucose levels.

The investigators, from the Yale School of Medicine, said that the finding could eventually lead to new treatments for diabetes.

Watch: Can You Sunburn in The Car?

Here’s another addition to our Third Age video collection. Press play to start learning.

Restarting Your Sex Life

Normal aging brings physical changes in both men and women. These changes sometimes affect the ability to have and enjoy sex. A woman may notice changes in her vagina. As a woman ages, her vagina can shorten and narrow. Her vaginal walls can become thinner and also a little stiffer. Most women will have less vaginal lubrication. These changes could affect sexual function and/or pleasure.

Mobile Health Apps Need More Oversight

Although people often assume that mobile health apps have been “approved,” in fact there is very little oversight of the multibillion-dollar industry, according to health-law researchers.

How to Fight Prediabetes

Type 2 diabetes is one of the most serious chronic illnesses in existence; it puts people at risk for everything from heart and kidney disease to amputation of limbs. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), it is shockingly widespread 29.1 million Americans have the illness. And the ADA estimates that 86 million more Americans have prediabetes, a condition that indicates a high risk of developing the illness.

Here, from the federal National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse and the ADA, is what you need to know about prediabetes:

Exposure To Nighttime Light Could Be Dangerous for Breast-Cancer Patients

The breast-cancer drug tamoxifen is useless if a patient is exposed to even dim overnight light, according to a new study. But it can become effective during the same period in combination with the hormone melatonin.

Researchers from Tulane University School of Medicine published the study in the journal Cancer Research. It is the first study to show that melatonin, which regulates sleep and wake cycles, is essential to tamoxifen’s success in treating breast cancer. But melatonin doesn’t work if it’s shut off by exposure to light at night.

Alcohol and Aging

Although we often associate drinking too much with younger people (parties, bars, spring break vacations), alcohol abuse is a problem at any age. And while it’s true that younger people drink more than older people, alcohol abuse presents some age-specific issues for seniors. Here, from the SeniorHealth division of the National of Health (NIH), is an explanation of the damaging effects, and how you or a loved one can get help if it’s needed.

The Latest Approach to Anti-Aging

Instead of fighting chronic diseases one by one as they develop, researchers suggest, medicine should focus instead on preventing several of these illnesses at once. That approach, the investigators say, could help extend healthy lifespans.