Health And Medical Information

Immune Cell Activation in Severe Covid-19 Resembles Lupus

2020-10-10T15:33:00.002+01:00

SARS-CoV-2 (Shown Here in an Electron Microscopy Image)

In severe cases of COVID-19, Emory researchers have been observing an exuberant activation of immune cells, resembling acute flares of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease.

Their findings point towards tests that could separate some COVID-19 patients who need immune-calming therapies from others who may not. They also may begin to explain why some people infected with SARS-CoV-2 produce abundant antibodies against the virus, yet experience poor outcomes.

The results were published online on Oct. 7 in Nature Immunology.

The Emory team's results converge with recent findings by other investigators, who found that high inflammation in COVID-19 may disrupt the formation of germinal centers, structures in lymph nodes where antibody-producing cells are trained. The Emory group observed that B cell activation is moving ahead along an "extrafollicular" pathway outside germinal centers—looking similar to they had observed in SLE.

B cells represent a library of blueprints for antibodies, which the immune system can tap to fight infection. In severe COVID-19, the immune system is, in effect, pulling library books off the shelves and throwing them into a disorganized heap.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, co-senior author Ignacio (Iñaki) Sanz, MD and his lab were focused on studying SLE and how the disease perturbs the development of B cells.

Sanz is head of the division of rheumatology in the Department of Medicine, director of the Lowance Center for Human Immunology, and a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar. Co-senior author Frances Eun-Hyung Lee, MD is associate professor of medicine and director of Emory's Asthma/Allergy Immunology program.

"We came in pretty unbiased," Sanz says. "It wasn't until the third or fourth ICU patient whose cells we analyzed, that we realized that we were seeing patterns highly reminiscent of acute flares in SLE."

In people with SLE, B cells are abnormally activated and avoid the checks and balances that usually constrain them. That often leads to production of "autoantibodies" that react against cells in the body, causing symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes and kidney problems. Flares are times when the symptoms are worse.

Whether severe COVID-19 leads to autoantibody production with clinical consequences is currently under investigation by the Emory team. Sanz notes that other investigators have observed autoantibodies in the acute phase of the disease, and it will be important to understand whether long-term autoimmune responses may be related to the fatigue, joint pain and other symptoms experienced by some survivors.

"It's an important question that we need to address through careful long-term follow-up," he says. "Not all severe infections do this. Sepsis doesn't look like this."

In lupus, extrafollicular B cell responses are characteristic of African-American patients with severe disease, he adds. In the new study, the majority of patients with severe infection were African-American. It will be important to understand how underlying conditions and health-related disparities drive the intensity and quality of B cell responses in both autoimmune diseases and COVID-19, Sanz says.

The study compared 10 critically ill COVID-19 patients (4 of whom died) admitted to intensive care units at Emory hospitals to 7 people with COVID-19 who were treated as outpatients and 37 healthy controls.

People in the critically ill group tended to have higher levels of antibody-secreting cells early on their infection. In addition, the B cells and the antibodies they made displayed characteristics suggesting that the cells were being activated in an extrafollicular pathway. In particular, the cells underwent fewer mutations in their antibody genes than seen in a focused immune response, which is typically honed within germinal centers.

The Nature Immunology paper was the result of a collaboration across Emory. The co-first authors are Matthew Woodruff, Ph.D., an instructor in Sanz's lab, and Richard Ramonell, MD, a fellow in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Emory University Hospital.

Ramonell notes that the patients studied were treated early during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was before the widespread introduction of the anti-inflammatory corticosteroid dexamethasone, which has been shown to reduce mortality.

The team's findings could inform the debate about which COVID-19 patients should be given immunomodulatory treatments, such as dexamethasone or anti-IL-6 drugs. Patients with a greater expansion of B cells undergoing extrafollicular activation also had higher levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6.

Some COVID-19 patients have been given drugs that push back against IL-6, but results have been mixed in clinical trials. Patients with markers of unregulated immune responses may be appropriate candidates for treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs that target the corresponding pathways, Sanz suggests.

Investing in Protective Gear for Health Care Workers Pays Off

2020-10-10T15:28:00.003+01:00

Cumulative HCW mortality as a percentage of total workforce, by strategy.

Providing adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for all health care workers around the world requires an initial investment of billions of dollars, but the returns on that investment could be close to 8000% in productivity gains, according to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Nicholas Risko of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and colleagues.

As COVID-19 spread around the world in early 2020, even resource-rich health systems experienced supply shortages of PPE to protect frontline health care workers. Over 80% of the world's population lives in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where fragile health systems with few resources make health care workers particularly vulnerable to PPE shortages and COVID-19 infection.

In the new study, researchers calculated the cost of providing PPE to all LMIC health systems and used a model to compare the costs and effects of two PPE use scenarios for all LMICs. Data from the World Health Organization COVID-19 Essential Supplies Forecasting Tool was used, as well as estimates of national mortality and hospitalizations that had been previously calculated and published.

The model predicted that an initial global investment of $9.6 billion U.S. could save the lives of roughly 2.2 million health care workers by providing adequate PPE. This comes out to $59 dollars per case averted and $4,309 per life saved. The benefit to society yields $755.3 billion dollars, or about an 8,000% return.

The largest net economic gains would be seen in the East Asia & Pacific region, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, the study shows that scaling up the provision of PPE is a required component of national strategy if the health care workforce is to be protected.

The authors add: "This study predicts the impact of supplying front-line health care workers in low and middle-income countries with protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our central finding is that a small upfront investment will save many lives and provide a substantial economic return, whereas neglecting to protect health care workers risks heavy losses due to illness and death."

Black and Asian Patients Have Increased Risk of Severe Covid-19 at Different Stages of the Disease

2020-10-09T13:20:00.005+01:00

Patients of Black ethnicity have an increased risk of requiring hospital admission for COVID-19, while patients of Asian ethnicity have an increased risk of dying in hospital from COVID-19, compared to White patients, a study has found.

Data analysis published today in EClinicalMedicine, led by researchers at King's College London, with support from the NIHR Guy's and St Thomas' Biomedical Research Centre and the British Heart Foundation (BHF), examines the relationship between ethnic background and the virus SARS-CoV-2.

The study confirms that minority ethnic patients bear a higher burden of the disease than White patients and also finds that Black patients and Asian patients are affected at different stages of the disease.

Professor Ajay Shah, BHF Professor of Cardiology at King's College London and Consultant Cardiologist at King's College Hospital, said: "The finding that Black versus Asian patients are affected in quite different ways, and that significant risk persists even after adjustment for deprivation and long-term health conditions, is striking.

It strongly suggests that other factors, possibly biological, are important and that we may need different treatment strategies for different ethnic groups. For Black patients, the issue may be how to prevent mild infection progressing to severe whereas for Asian patients it may be how to treat life-threatening complications."

Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England and Head of the NIHR, said: "The evidence is now clear that people from Black and minority ethnic groups are more severely affected by COVID-19. This NIHR-supported research shows how different groups are affected, providing important information to help healthcare professionals offer the best possible treatment to minority ethnic patients."

The study analysed data from 1,827 adult patients admitted to King's College Hospital, south-east London, with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19 between 1 March and 2 June 2020.

Researchers analysed mortality in this group, and also compared a subset of 872 admitted patients from inner south-east London with 3,488 matched controls residing in the same region to determine how ethnic background is associated with the need for hospitalisation for severe disease. Of these 872 admitted patients, 48.1% were Black, 33.7% White, 12.6% Mixed and 5.6% were Asian ethnicity.

The analysis showed that Black and Mixed ethnicity patients have a three-fold higher risk of requiring hospital admission once infected with COVID-19 compared to White inner-city residents of the same region. This is only partly explained by comorbidities and deprivation as adjusting for these factors Black patients still have a 2.2 to 2.7-fold higher admission risk. However, in-hospital survival for these patients was not significantly different from White patients.

By contrast, Asian patients did not have a higher risk of requiring hospital admission with COVID-19 than White patients but their in-hospital death rate and need for intensive care unit admission was higher than the other groups.

The researchers observed that the minority ethnic patients were 10-15 years younger than White patients and had a higher prevalence of comorbidities, especially diabetes.

The study suggests that while comorbidities and socioeconomic factors contribute to the impact of COVID-19 on minority communities, there may be an important role for other factors such as biological factors which affect different subgroups in different ways.

The results of this study are likely to be applicable across the whole of London and similar UK cities, but more research is needed to translate to multi-ethnic populations in other countries.

Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation said: "This study provides further evidence that COVID-19 disproportionally affects those whose ethnic background is a minority where they live, as has been seen across the world. Why coronavirus hits people with an ethnic minority background harder, and how to mitigate this, has been complex to address."

She continued: "People from Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic backgrounds more often have heart and circulatory risk factors including high blood pressure and diabetes, and are more exposed to socioeconomic disadvantage, but this study indicates the worse effects of COVID-19 are present even after these are accounted for.

Research is now needed to assess how other structural and behavioural factors may contribute, including occupation, access to health messaging and health care, and differences in the patient journey once people reach hospital. As we see COVID-19 cases rise again in the UK, we must address these disparities with urgency."

Young People Hospitalized With Covid-19 Face Substantial Adverse Outcomes

2020-10-09T13:14:00.002+01:00

While older age is widely recognized as a risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19, younger patients have received less attention as a population vulnerable to adverse clinical outcomes.

Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital analyzed records from 419 hospitals using the Premier Healthcare Database to study the clinical trajectories of 3,222 hospitalized COVID-19 patients aged 18-34. Findings were published as a research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Researchers found that over one-fifth of the patients (21 percent) required intensive care, 10 percent required mechanical ventilation and 2.7 percent died. For comparison, the team wrote, the death rate of those in the same age group hospitalized with heart attacks is approximately half of that figure.

"There was a significant rate of adverse outcomes," said Jonathan Cunningham, MD, a Cardiovascular Medicine fellow at the Brigham and first author on the letter. "Even though a 2.7 percent death rate is lower than for older patients, it's high for young people who typically do well even when hospitalized for other conditions."

Another striking observation for the researchers was that 57 percent of the young people hospitalized for COVID-19 were Black or Hispanic, a finding consistent with other reports about the disproportionate burden the disease has had on these demographics.

Individuals with cardiovascular risk factors were also over-represented among the young people hospitalized: 36.8 percent and 24.5 percent of patients had obesity and morbid obesity, respectively; 18.2 percent of patients had diabetes and 16.1 percent had hypertension. The researchers found that patients who presented these comorbidities were also more likely to experience adverse outcomes.

Patients with morbid obesity, for example, comprised 41 percent of the hospitalized young adults who died or required mechanical ventilation. For individuals with more than one of these conditions, risks for adverse outcomes were comparable to the risks faced by middle-aged adults, aged 35-64, who had none of these conditions, as observed in a study of 8,862 members of this population.

The researchers stress that the dataset, which relies on hospital administrative claims, only lends insight into the adverse outcomes of hospitalized young people.

"We know nothing about the total denominator of patients who got an infection," said corresponding author Scott Solomon, MD, director of noninvasive cardiology in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Brigham. "We think the vast majority of people in this age range have self-limited disease and don't require hospitalization. But if you do, the risks are really substantial."

There was no funding organization for this study. Cunningham reported grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (T32HL094301) during the conduct of the study. Solomon reported grants from industry outside of the submitted work. A full list of disclosures are available in the paper.

'No reason' for Egg Freezing 10-Year Storage Limit

2020-09-30T13:42:00.000+01:00

The 10-year limit for storing eggs frozen for social reasons could be scrapped to give people concerned about declining fertility more time and options, says a UK ethics body.

Nuffield Council on Bioethics says consumers also need more data on costs and success rates to inform choices.

It criticises methods used by some companies to sell the service.

The government is assessing the 10-year rule. Eggs or sperm frozen for medical reasons can be stored for longer.

The Nuffield team says research suggests women can feel under pressure to freeze their eggs to avoid regrets later in life, and it is important that marketing strategies do not exploit these anxieties.

Some services have used Prosecco-fuelled marketing events and computer algorithms to target women online with adverts, says Nuffield.

Egg freezing paid for by companies as an employment benefit is another cause for concern.

While some may view it as a workplace "gender equaliser" with positive effects on women's salaries, it might also push women to delay motherhood to show commitment to their career, says the team.

Egg-freezing: What's the success rate?

The NHS only funds egg freezing for medical reasons, not social ones.

Someone who has their eggs frozen for medical reasons - in advance of cancer treatment, for example - can apply to have them stored for up to 55 years.

Nuffield says there appear to be few arguments against increasing the storage limit for social egg freezing.

Dr John Appleby, lecturer in medical ethics at Lancaster University, said: "The UK's 10-year egg freezing rule for social egg freezing is not fit for purpose and this briefing highlights how we have very little reason for maintaining it any longer."

Sarah Norcross, from the assisted conception debate group Progress Educational Trust, said: "With more women than ever choosing to freeze their eggs, it is time for the law to be changed."

Frances Flinter, Nuffield Council member and emeritus professor of clinical genetics at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, said: "It's vital for women thinking about freezing their eggs to be able to make informed choices.

"To do this, they need easy access to data on their chances of success across various stages of the process - from freezing and thawing eggs, to having a live birth. But they also need clinics to be frank about the process, and about what is known and unknown about egg freezing."

Egg Freezing Facts

According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, around a fifth of IVF treatments using a patient's own frozen eggs result in the birth of a baby, based on figures for 2017.

Not all eggs survive thawing. If they do, the chance of a live birth depends to a large extent on the age of the woman when the eggs were collected, with success more likely for those under 35.

The average cost of having eggs collected and frozen for social reasons is £3,350, with additional £500-£1,500 costs for medication.

Storage costs are extra and tend to be £125-£350 per year.

Jet Suit Paramedic Reaches Stricken Hikers in Seconds

2020-09-30T13:06:00.000+01:00

Arriving as quickly as possible to the site of a medical emergency is a critical goal for any paramedic. It may be easy enough in urban and even rural areas, but when someone is stuck high up a mountain there are often no expedient options. Drones may offer help in certain cases, such as delivering external defibrillators for bystanders to use, but nothing can replace having a professional medic onsite.

England's Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), which operates in areas where people go hiking through remote terrains, is now testing a jet suit as a way to get paramedics quickly to just about anywhere. The regions covered by GNAAS are very hilly, rocky, and mostly lacking trees. Helicopters can fly around but landing is often a big challenge because of the uneven surfaces.

The organization partnered with Gravity Industries, a company that develops jet suits, to test out the technology for emergency medical applications and as seen in the following video, there's clearly a great deal of potential.

In the experiment, "stricken" individuals were located about a 25 minute hike up a hill. Using the jet suit, a paramedic was able to reach them in less than two minutes, easily landing nearby on a rocky surface.

The jet suit used has five turbines that generate more than 1,000 horsepower. It can reach 85 miles per hour and can be powered using either jet fuel or diesel.

Here's a video showing how a jet suit paramedic would assist a medical emergency:

Covid-19 Vaccine Trial Shows Promise for Elderly

2020-09-30T12:11:00.000+01:00

“These findings could have profound significance if the protection afforded by vaccination among older adults is stronger than that of young adults because older adults are a very important target population for which we are targeting for protection with vaccination,” Chen says.

The purpose of the first phase was to assess safety and determine the most effective dose. Side effects seen in the first study included fatigue, chills, headache, muscle soreness, and pain at the site of the shot.

No placebo shots were given. Instead, recipients received two doses of either 25 micrograms or 100 micrograms given 4 weeks apart. The higher dose generated more antibodies in both groups. It also generated more side effects, including swelling and muscle soreness that lasted several days in some participants.

About 4 weeks after the 25-microgram shots, younger participants made an average antibody concentration of 323,945, while those ages 71 and up made an average concentration of 1,128,391 antibodies. After the 100-microgram shots, those ages 56-70 made an average concentration of 1,183,066 antibodies, compared to 3,638,522 in the older group.

The antibody responses measured in the study don’t necessarily mean that people are protected from infection. Researchers won’t know whether vaccination is protective until the end of the phase III trial, which is underway. But they are an encouraging sign.

“We were happy to see that the 100-microgram dose generated similar antibodies to those observed in 18- to 55-year-old recipients of the vaccine,” says Evan Anderson, MD, an associate professor of pediatric infectious disease at Emory University School of Medicine. The results from the younger adults were reported in an earlier study.

It’s not clear why this vaccine appears to generate such strong antibody responses, even among the elderly. “We don’t understand exactly why these immune responses in the older adults were still robust,” he says.

The study authors write that the antibody responses seen after the second dose of the vaccine are similar to those observed in patients who had recovered from COVID-19 and who had donated their blood for convalescent plasma. But they also note that right now, we don’t have a reliable biomarker that can tell us when someone is adequately protected against the virus.

The results were published today in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Most Newborns of COVID-19-Infected Moms Fare Well

2020-09-30T12:02:00.001+01:00

Babies born to mothers with COVID-19 only rarely suffer from effects of the virus, a new study suggests.

These newborns generally do well in the six to eight weeks after birth, but more are admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) if their mothers had COVID-19 in the two weeks before delivery.

Of more than 200 babies studied, complications including preterm birth and NICU admission didn't differ among mothers with and without COVID-19. No pneumonia or lower respiratory infections were reported through 8 weeks of age.

"The babies are doing well, and that's wonderful," said lead author Dr. Valerie Flaherman, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

"When coronavirus first hit, there were so many strange and unfortunate issues tied to it, but there was almost no information on how COVID-19 impacts pregnant women and their newborns. We didn't know what to expect for the babies, so this is good news," Flaherman said in a university news release.

Of 263 infants, 44 were admitted to a NICU, but no pneumonia or lower respiratory tract infections were reported. Among 56 infants assessed for upper respiratory infection, this type of infection was reported in two babies born to COVID-19-positive mothers and one born to a COVID-19-negative mother.

According to senior study author Dr. Stephanie Gaw, "Overall, the initial findings regarding infant health are reassuring, but it's important to note that the majority of these births were from third-trimester infections." Gaw is an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at UCSF.

Two infants born to mothers who tested positive in the third trimester had birth defects. One had heart, kidney, lung and vertebral abnormalities. The other had facial, genital, kidney, brain and heart issues.

One mother who tested negative delivered an infant with gastrointestinal, kidney and heart issues, the researchers noted.

The findings were published online Sept. 22 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Cold vs. Flu: How to Tell the Difference

2020-02-01T21:27:00.001+00:00

Is it a cold or the flu? The sooner you know what you have, the better you'll treat it.

Cold vs. the Flu: Does It Matter?

Over-the-counter drugs and chicken soup help both, right? Not so fast.

It's important to learn which kind of illness you're dealing with. That's because the flu can have serious complications, like lung infection pneumonia. It can even be deadly. Flu treatments work best within 48 hours of the time symptoms start. Prescription antiviral drugs may cut the time you're sick.

Flu: Comes on Fast and Furious

If you feel like you've been hit by a truck, it's probably the flu. Symptoms like sore throat, fever, headache, muscle aches, congestion, and cough tend to come on suddenly. Colds are usually less intense and include a runny or stuffy nose. The flu gets better over 2 to 5 days, but you might feel run-down for a week or longer. Colds come on slowly and last up to 10 days.

Fever: Usually Means Flu

While some people may get a slight fever when they have a cold, most don't. If you have the flu, you'll probably run a temperature of 100-104 F. Children's flu fevers tend to be higher. Kids may also be more likely to have a fever with the common cold.

Flu: Fatigue Can Last for Weeks

You likely start off feeling extremely tired and achy all over. That fatigue and weakness may last for up to 3 weeks - or even longer in seniors and people with long-term (chronic) diseases or a weak immune system. With a cold, you usually feel bad for just a few days.

Colds and Flu: Both Can Cause Headaches

Still, a headache that comes along with a cold, like other symptoms that result from the virus, tends to be milder than one caused by flu.

Coughs: Sign of Both Colds and Flu

Colds and flu are respiratory illnesses, which affect your airways, so both can cause coughing.

Pneumonia is a lung infection that can be a complication of the flu. Call your doctor if you have a persistent cough, fever higher than 102 F and chills, a hard time breathing, shortness of breath, or chest pain when you cough.

Earaches: Can Come From Colds or Flu

Congestion from either ailment can make your ear pressure rise. This affects the eustachian tube, which connects your throat to your middle ear. It can cause dull ear pain, hearing loss, and the sensation of “popping” in your ears. It usually goes away with your other symptoms.

See your doctor if the earache lasts longer than your sickness or you feel sudden, strong pain. You may have an ear infection that needs treatment.

Colds: Often Start With a Sore Throat

This early symptom tends to last for 1 to 2 days. A runny and stuffy nose is also common. Sore throats come with the flu, too. But if you have it, you'll probably be tired and have other symptoms that come on all at once.

Stuffy Nose: May Mean a Cold

Unless you're also feverish, very achy, and just plain zapped of energy, you likely have a cold - although many people with the flu also say they have a stuffy nose and sneezing.

Both colds and the flu can lead to sinus infections. In addition to thick yellow or green nasal discharge, sinus infections can cause headaches and pain in the forehead, cheeks, and nasal bridge. The pain usually gets worse with sudden head movement or strain. Sometimes, you can get a secondary bacterial infection that needs antibiotic treatment.

Flu Swab Tests Can ID Flu Fast

The quickest and best way to know which illness you have is to get a test at your doctor's office.

By taking a nasal or throat swab, your doctor can often tell if you have the flu virus, usually within 30 minutes or less. If the test shows you have the flu and your symptoms started within the last 48 hours, your doctor may suggest antiviral medicine to help you recover faster.

Flu: Start Antiviral Drugs ASAP

These medications can make you feel better and shorten your illness by 1 to 2 days - especially if you start them within 2 days of getting sick. Over-the-counter products can also lessen some symptoms like a cough and congestion. Read labels and instructions carefully so you understand what the meds do and how to take them.

Colds: OTC Drugs Can Ease Symptoms

Drugstore medicines like decongestants, cough suppressants, and antihistamines can help congestion, coughing, and nasal symptoms. Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen can treat pain or a headache.

Read the active ingredients and warnings on all product labels. Many cough and cold medicines have the same ingredients, so you could accidentally overdose unless you're careful. Don't give aspirin to a child under 18. Using it to treat the flu has been linked to a condition called Reye's syndrome in kids.

Hand-Washing Is Key

Wash your hands well so you don't spread the flu to other people. Use soap and warm water. Rub your hands together for 20 seconds. Don't forget the areas between your fingers and around your nails. Rinse and dry thoroughly. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers also work.

Wash often during cold and flu season, especially after you cough, sneeze or blow your nose. Can't find a tissue? Sneeze or cough into your elbow instead of your hands.

Get Vaccinated

Get a flu shot. It's made from proteins found on versions of last year's flu. It helps your body be ready to recognize and fight when you're exposed to the real thing. The flu vaccine can't give you the flu!

The flu shot is very important for children older than 6 months, pregnant women, adults 50 and older, and people with long-term (chronic) illnesses or weak immune systems.

Some years, you can get a nasal mist version of the vaccine.

Is Swine Flu (H1N1) Still a Threat?

The swine flu pandemic officially ended in 2010. Vaccines protect against the swine and seasonal cases of flu, which share many of the same symptoms: cough, sore throat, fever (although not everyone with the flu gets a fever), and body aches.

What Can Go Wrong With Your Feet As You Age

2020-02-01T21:17:00.003+00:00

By the time you hit your 50s, your feet have been supporting you for a good long time. See how all those years of stress can lead to pain and problems.

Fat Pad Atrophy

Getting older often can bring on extra weight and fat. But the one place you can lose padding is in your feet. That's bad because you need the cushioned layer to protect your tootsies from daily pounding. You may feel pain in the ball of your foot and heel. Shoes with cushions or custom-made foam shoe inserts called orthotics may help. Or your foot doctor may suggest another treatment like filler injections to replace the fat pad.

Morton's Neuroma

This is a very common foot condition. As many as one in three people may have it. Symptoms include pain in the front part of your foot or a feeling like you're walking on a rock or a marble. It happens way more often in older women and in those who wear high heels or shoes with a tight toe box. Switching footwear, shoe pads, and massage may help. If your pain gets severe, your doctor may suggest steroid shots or surgery.

Cracked Heels

Mature skin makes less oil and elastin, which leaves it drier and less supple. Without regular care, your heels may harden, crack, or hurt. Being overweight worsens the problem. Special creams called keratolytics help slough off the tough top layer. Follow up with a pumice stone to remove dead skin. Apply moisturizing lotion every day. If your heels get swollen and red, talk to your doctor. You may need a prescription ointment.

Plantar Fasciitis

Got pain on the bottom of your heels? This condition is the No. 1 reason for it. The plantar fascia is a long ligament that runs along the sole of your foot and supports your arch. Repeated stress, like jogging, or even everyday strain can irritate it, causing pain and stiffness. If you have high arches or are overweight, you may be more prone to this problem. Rest, ice, over-the-counter pain meds, and calf muscle stretches can help.

Ingrown Toenails

Sometimes, the side of a nail (usually on the big toe) grows into the skin. It can happen at any age, but it's more common in older folks. Your toe may swell, hurt, and get infected. Sweaty feet, being overweight, and diabetes all add up and raise your chances for an ingrown toenail. To prevent it, avoid cutting your toenails too short or wearing tight shoes. In severe cases, your doctor may have to remove the nail root.

Osteoarthritis

By the time you reach your 50th birthday, your feet may have trekked 75,000 miles or more. All that wear and tear or a previous injury can lead to osteoarthritis. It happens when cartilage, a flexible tissue that prevents friction, breaks down. That lets bone rub against bone. Most people who get it are over 65.

Flat Foot

Many babies are born with flat feet, but more than 80% outgrow it. Some adults get flat feet because of an injury or things like obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Tendons that support your arch get damaged and flatten your feet. It can hurt. A giveaway is that your feet jut out, so most of your toes are visible from behind your leg. Normally, you'd see only the fourth and fifth toes. Orthotics, physical therapy, braces, and surgery can help.

Achilles Tendinitis

The Achilles is the tendon you use to flex your foot when you climb stairs or go up on your toes. Age and lowered blood supply can weaken the tendon. Your heel or the back of your ankle may hurt. Rest, icing, and medication can help fight the swelling. Don't ignore the problem. You could need surgery for serious tears.

Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Diabetes can damage your nerves so that you may not feel small cuts or wounds. Your feet also might tingle, feel numb, or have jabbing pain. Foot ulcers can start as something small like a blister, but then get bigger and infected. They're a major cause of amputations in people with diabetes. Keep blood sugar controlled, and check your feet often. See a doctor right away if you see anything odd.

Gout

This painful form of arthritis is most common in middle-aged men. It happens when a waste product called uric acid collects as crystals, often in the big toe. It can swell, stiffen, and hurt a lot. Your doctor may prescribe medicine to ease the swelling. You may feel better in about a day. Exercise, eat less red meat and shellfish, go easy on alcoholic beverages and sugary foods, and drink lots of fluids to help prevent future attacks.

Bunions

These are painful bony lumps that grow along the inside of your foot at the joint where your big toe meets your foot. Bunions grow slowly as the big toe angles inward. Tight, narrow, shoes like high heels may worsen them. That's why bunions appear much more often in women. They can run in families, too. Icing, special pads, and shoes that aren't too tight help. Your doctor might suggest surgery in serious cases.

Bone Spurs

You might mistake these smooth bony growths for bunions. With bunions, the bones are out of place. Bone spurs, on the other hand, are growths at the edge of the bones of your foot, often at your heel, mid-foot, or big toe. If they get big enough, they'll push on nearby nerves and tissues and will hurt. Osteoarthritis or a strained tendon or ligament can cause these growths, which are more common as you age, especially after age 60.

Bursitis

Small fluid-filled sacs, called bursae, help cushion your joints, bones, and tendons. Repeated motion or friction from shoes can make them swell. In the foot, your toes or heel might get red, swollen, and painful. Ice, padding, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen can help. Severe cases may need a corticosteroid shot or even surgery.

Hammertoe

It's an abnormal bend in the middle joints of your toe. It's usually your “second” toe, next to the big one. But it also can affect the third, fourth, and fifth toes. You'll notice an unusual shape, and you may have some pain when you move it, as well as corns and calluses from the toe rubbing against your shoe. Your doctor can treat it with special footwear, pain meds, and sometimes surgery.

Claw Toe

This kind of misshapen foot is similar to hammertoe. But instead of just the middle joint, claw toes also affect the joints closest to the tips of your toes. Your toes curl and dig straight down into the floor or the soles of your shoes. Claw toes grow stiffer with age. If you can move them, try strengthening exercises like picking up a marble or piece of paper with your toes.

Stress Fractures

For women, the hormone changes that come with menopause can lower your bone density (osteoporosis) and make it easier to fracture bones, including those in your feet. Men may also get more brittle bones as they age. A stress fracture needs several weeks of rest to heal. You'll want to strengthen your bones with exercise, diet, and perhaps also medication. Ask your doctor about the risks, benefits, and what would help you the most.

Fungal Infections

Less elastic skin and weaker immunity can invite more fungal infections in seniors. The sole of your foot may scale and itch. If it's not treated, the infection can spread to your toenails. Treatment includes antifungal creams and sometimes pills. Fungus is hard to kill, so use your medication for as long as directed. Tip: Don't smear cortisone creams on the rash. They weaken the skin's defenses and worsen the infection.

Warning Signs of Heart Failure

2020-01-30T23:04:00.000+00:00

It happens when the heart can't pump enough blood and oxygen to your body. Your heart can compensate for a while, but eventually, you'll need to get treated.

A Visual Guide to Heart Failure

What Is Heart Failure?

The name doesn't mean your heart stops. It just doesn't work as well as it should. It happens when the heart can't pump enough blood and oxygen to your body. It may be because the heart muscle has been weakened. But there are also other things that may cause the heart to work less efficiently than it should. The heart can compensate for a while, but eventually, you'll need to get treated.

What Causes It?

Your heart can begin to fail as you age, but the condition can affect young people, too. Most people with it had a related problem first. It could be high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, a heart attack, a birth defect of the heart, or a disease that strikes the blood-pumping muscle.

Lung disease can lead to heart failure, too. Obesity, diabetes and sleep apnea have also been linked to it.

Symptom: Shortness of Breath

It's one of the first red flags you may notice, especially after you're active. It can also happen when you're at rest once heart failure gets worse. Sometimes you may feel short of breath when you're lying down or sleeping. That's because the heart can't keep up with the blood flow back to it from the lungs. When that happens, fluid leaks into the lungs. That will make it harder to breathe.

Symptom: Fatigue

If your heart isn't pumping properly, the brain takes blood from less-important areas of the body - like the muscles in your limbs - to the brain and other vital organs. That can make your arms and legs feel weak. You may feel tired doing everyday things like climbing stairs or walking across the room. You can also get light-headed.

Symptom: Nagging Cough and Wheeze

This is another sign that your heart is struggling, and that blood returning to it from the lungs is backing up. That means fluid gets in your lungs. Sometimes, the cough can bring up white or pinkish mucus. Let your doctor know if you have it.

Symptom: Swelling and Weight Gain

Fluid can back up in tissues, too. This can cause your feet, ankles, legs or belly to swell. The kidneys, since they have less blood to work with, may not get rid of sodium as well. That would cause more fluid to stay in your tissues. Talk with your doctor right away if you have persistent swelling or sudden weight gain.

Symptom: Nausea

You may have that - or you might just feel full as if you can't eat anymore. Either way, that can lead to a lack of appetite. This happens because your digestive system isn't getting enough blood and oxygen.

Symptom: A Racing Heart

It's a common warning sign. When your heart doesn't pump enough blood, your body knows. It can make up for this in a few ways:

• By adding muscle to your heart to push more strongly
• By enlarging your heart so it can stretch and snap back better
• By making your heart beat faster

Symptom: Confusion

You may seem confused or sluggish. You might be disoriented, or you might start forgetting things. When other organs aren't working well because of a lack of blood, it affects the amount of some things (like sodium) in the blood. This can affect your brain.

Tips to Prevent Heart Failure

You can lower your odds of getting the condition. Make sure to eat well and exercise. If you smoke, quit. If you're carrying a few extra pounds, do what you can to lose them. If you're already at high risk, or your heart already is damaged, your doctor can help lower your risk with medicine. It's important that you and your doctor work as a team.

Heart Failure Treatment

There's usually no cure for the problem, but it can be treated. Typically, that plan will include things like exercise and a low-sodium diet. Your doctor may ask that you weigh yourself daily to make sure you're not keeping too much fluid. You'll also need to keep track of how much fluid you eat or drink each day. There'll be medicine to take. You'll also likely need to manage stress and avoid caffeine. Your doctor might also recommend surgery to implant devices to help your heart, too.

Living With Heart Failure

It doesn't have to rule your life. Focus on what you can do with your condition, not what you can't do. You may have to choose what's most important and skip some of the other things. You may have to rest up, too.

Read Also: A keto Diet That Can Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease

What Your Nails Say About Your Health

2020-01-30T22:57:00.001+00:00

Though many nail problems are harmless, a touch of white here, a rosy tinge there, rippling, or other defects may be a sign of disease elsewhere in your body. See what secrets your nails might reveal.

Nails and Health: Read the Signs

Did you know your nails can reveal clues to your overall health? A touch of white here, a rosy tinge there, or some rippling or bumps may be a sign of disease in the body. Problems in the liver, lungs, and heart can show up in your nails. Keep reading to learn what secrets your nails might reveal.

Pale Nails

Very pale nails can sometimes be a sign of serious illness, such as:

• Anemia
• Congestive heart failure
• Liver disease
• Malnutrition

White Nails

If the nails are mostly white with darker rims, this can indicate liver problems, such as hepatitis. In this image, you can see the fingers are also jaundiced, another sign of liver trouble.

Yellow Nails

One of the most common causes of yellow nails is a fungal infection. As the infection worsens, the nail bed may retract, and nails may thicken and crumble. In rare cases, yellow nails can indicate a more serious condition such as severe thyroid disease, lung disease, diabetes or psoriasis.

Bluish Nails

Nails with a bluish tint can mean the body isn't getting enough oxygen. This could indicate a lung problem, such as emphysema. Some heart problems can be associated with bluish nails.

Rippled Nails

If the nail surface is rippled or pitted, this may be an early sign of psoriasis or inflammatory arthritis. Discoloration of the nail is common; the skin under the nail can seem reddish-brown.

Cracked or Split Nails

Dry, brittle nails that frequently crack or split have been linked to thyroid disease. Cracking or splitting combined with a yellowish hue is more likely due to a fungal infection.

Puffy Nail Fold

If the skin around the nail appears red and puffy, this is known as inflammation of the nail fold. It may be the result of lupus or another connective tissue disorder. Infection can also cause redness and inflammation of the nail fold.

Dark Lines Beneath the Nail

Dark lines beneath the nail should be investigated as soon as possible. They are sometimes caused by melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer.

Gnawed Nails

Biting your nails may be nothing more than an old habit, but in some cases, it's a sign of persistent anxiety that could benefit from treatment. Nail-biting or picking has also been linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder. If you can't stop, it's worth discussing with your doctor.

Nails Are Only Part of the Puzzle

Though nail changes accompany many conditions, these changes are rarely the first sign. And many nail abnormalities are harmless - not everyone with white nails has hepatitis. If you're concerned about the appearance of your nails, see your doctor or a dermatologist.

Read Also: Boost Mental Health & Reduce Depression With Custom Keto Diet

Surprising Things That Raise Your Blood Pressure

2020-01-29T01:15:00.002+00:00

Salt, worry, and anger aren't the only things that can spike your blood pressure. See what else might be bumping your numbers up.

Surprising Things That Raise Your Blood Pressure

The Bigger Picture

You've probably heard to watch the amount of salt you eat, especially if you're concerned about your blood pressure. That's because it makes your body hold on to water, putting extra stress on your heart and blood vessels. Salt - and worry, and anger - aren't the only things that can raise your blood pressure. Although temporary "spikes" aren't necessarily a problem, numbers that remain high over time can cause serious damage.

Added Sugar

It may be even more important than salt in raising your blood pressure, especially in a processed form like high-fructose corn syrup. People with more added sugars in their diet see a significant rise in both their upper and lower numbers. Just one 24-ounce soft drink causes an average 15-point bump in systolic pressure (the top number, or the pressure during a heartbeat) and 9 in diastolic (the bottom number, or the pressure between beats).

Loneliness

This isn't just about the number of friends you have - it's about feeling connected. And being stressed or depressed doesn't fully explain the effect. It also gets worse with time: Over 4 years, the upper blood pressure of the loneliest people in a study went up more than 14 points. The researchers think an ongoing fear of rejection and disappointment and feeling more alert about your safety and security may change how your body works.

Sleep Apnea

People with sleep apnea have higher odds of getting high blood pressure and other heart problems. When your breathing is repeatedly interrupted while you're sleeping, your nervous system releases chemicals that raise your blood pressure. Plus, you're getting less oxygen, which could damage blood vessel walls and make it harder for your body to regulate your blood pressure down the road.

Not Enough Potassium

Your kidneys need a balance of sodium and potassium to keep the right amount of fluid in your blood. So even if you're eating a low-salt diet, you could still have higher blood pressure if you're not also eating enough fruits, veggies, beans, low-fat dairy, or fish. While you may think of bananas as the go-to source, broccoli, water chestnuts, spinach, and other leafy greens are better to get potassium if you're watching your weight.

Pain

Sudden, or acute, pain ramps up your nervous system and raises your blood pressure. You can see this effect when you put one hand in ice water, press on your cheek or fingernail, or get an electric shock to your finger.

Herbal Supplements

Do you take ginkgo, ginseng, guarana, ephedra, bitter orange, or St. John's wort? These and others can raise your blood pressure or change how medications work, including drugs to control high blood pressure.

Thyroid Problems

When this gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormone, your heart rate slows, and your arteries get less stretchy. Low hormone levels also might raise your LDL "bad" cholesterol, another thing that can stiffen arteries. Blood moves through hard vessels faster, pushing on the walls and raising the pressure. Though not as common, too much thyroid hormone can make your heartbeat harder and faster, which will also bump up your numbers.

You Have to Pee

Systolic pressure went up an average of about 4 points, and diastolic, 3 points, in a study of middle-aged women who hadn't gone to the bathroom for at least 3 hours. Men and women of different ages saw similar effects. High blood pressure becomes more likely as you age, so you need to get accurate readings. An empty bladder could be one way to help do that.

NSAIDs

All nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, can raise your numbers - whether you're healthy or you already have high blood pressure. Though the average rise is only a few points, there's a wide range, which means it could affect some people much more than others.

Your Doctor's Office

You might see a difference if you compare readings during an appointment to the numbers you get at home. Named for the traditional garb of medical professionals, the "white coat effect" is the rise in blood pressure - up to 10 points higher for systolic (the upper number) and 5 for diastolic (the lower number) - that can happen simply because of where you are. The bump is likely due to nerves or anxiety.

Decongestants

Ingredients like pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine can narrow your blood vessels. That means the same amount of blood has to squeeze through a smaller space, like a crowd pushing through a hallway. These drugs can also make blood pressure medications less effective. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you choose over-the-counter products for sinus problems and colds that are safer if you have high blood pressure.

Dehydration

When your body's cells don't have enough water, your blood vessels tighten up. This happens because your brain sends a signal to your pituitary gland to release a chemical that shrinks them. And your kidneys make less pee, to hang on to the fluid you do have, which also triggers tiny blood vessels in your heart and brain to squeeze more.

Hormonal Birth Control

Pills, injections, and other birth control devices use hormones that narrow blood vessels, so it's possible your blood pressure will go up. It's more likely to be a problem for women who are older than 35, overweight, or smokers. You may want to keep an eye on your blood pressure, checking every 6-12 months. A lower dose of estrogen may keep your numbers closer to normal.

Talking

It happens whether you're young or old and no matter where you are. The higher your resting blood pressure, the higher the numbers go when you start speaking. And the effect lasts for a few minutes. It seems the subject and emotional content of what you're saying matters more than the fact that you're moving your mouth.

Antidepressants

Medicines that target brain chemicals like dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin - including venlafaxine (Effexor), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclic antidepressants, and fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem) - can change not only your mood but also your blood pressure. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) might raise it if you're also taking lithium or other drugs that affect serotonin.

Read Also: A keto Diet That Can Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease

Here's How Long Food Lasts in the Fridge

2020-01-29T01:03:00.002+00:00

Not all germs make food smell or taste bad. Learn how to tell when raw and cooked foods go from being a little past their prime to potentially deadly.

When to Toss Food Out

The Sniff Test

This is safer than tasting something to decide if it's past its prime, but it's not foolproof. Not all germs make food smell or taste bad. It's best to label and date food in your fridge and freezer so you know how long you've had it. If there's any question, toss it: "When in doubt, throw it out."

Mayonnaise

This includes any sauce or salad - coleslaw, potato salad, aioli - made with mayo. Throw it away if it's been out for more than 8 hours. And "out" in this case means a temperature higher than 50 F. The same goes if it's passed the "use by" date on the jar.

Butter

Heat, light, and air will turn it rancid, which gives it a sour, unpleasant smell and taste. Fresh from the store, it'll be good in your fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can freeze it for up to 9 months if it's wrapped well in plastic. If you need to soften it, it's fine to leave it on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes.

Milk

Bacteria grow quickly in milk, so throw it out if it smells bad or it's out of the refrigerator for more than a couple of hours. It'll keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or longer - go by the expiration date. You can freeze it for up to 3 months, but it'll lose its smooth texture.

Cheese

Hard kinds like cheddar can stay good a long time. Just toss them if they start to get moldy. Others are also safe for a while after their "sell by" date. If they're medium-firm, like mozzarella or Muenster, they can last months. Cream cheese is good for 2 to 3 weeks, but soft cheeses like cottage cheese and ricotta only last about 10 days.

Cooked Meat

Keep cooked chicken or beef in the fridge and use it within 5 days. Ham can be OK for up to 2 weeks. But it's important to take care when you prepare any kind of meat: Wash your hands with soap and hot water after handling raw meat or fish, and throw away any food that touches the juices. Use different cutting boards and utensils for other food.

Uncooked Beef

It should be good for 3 to 5 days in the fridge, but throw it out after that. If it's vacuum-sealed, that might give you a few more days. Frozen solid, it stays safe for many months, though flavor and texture may go slowly downhill. Follow this freezer guide:

Roasts: 6 to 12 months
Steaks and chops: 4 to 6 months
Stew meats: 3 to 4 months

Fresh Ground Beef

It's natural for it to turn slightly brown - that doesn't necessarily mean it's gone bad. But it doesn't last as long as whole cuts of beef: 1 to 2 days is all you get in the fridge. Part of the problem is that any bacteria on the surface of the meat gets mixed in when it's ground. In the freezer, it'll keep 3 or 4 months.

Pork

Fresh quality cutlets, steaks, or roasts are pink and firm. They should last 3 to 5 days in the fridge, though that can be a good deal longer if it's vacuum-sealed. It freezes well for about 6 months.

Uncooked Chicken

Whole, in pieces, boneless, or ground, it's best to use or freeze it within 2 days. If you freeze it, defrost it in the fridge for a day or so. You can safely refreeze it if you don't use it, but that might change the taste and texture. Follow these guidelines for freezer time:

Whole chicken: 12 months
Parts: 9 months
Ground chicken: 3 to 4 months
Giblets (organs): 3 to 4 months

Turkey

The skin should look cream-colored when you buy it. The raw meat just below it can range from pink to bluish. These colors can be different, depending on the amount of fat. Like chicken, it's only safe in the fridge for 1 or 2 days. A whole bird freezes well for about a year before it starts to lose flavor. Once frozen, it'll take about 1 day for every 5 pounds of turkey to defrost in the refrigerator.

Deli Meats

The first rule is to follow any guidelines or expiration dates on the package. Hot dogs should last about a week in your refrigerator after you open them, 2 weeks unopened. Lunchmeat lasts 3 to 5 days once it's opened, 2 weeks unopened. Freezing any of these keeps them safe from bacteria, but quality starts to drop after 1 or 2 months.

Eggs

These can last 3 to 5 weeks if they're uncooked in the shell in the refrigerator. They don't freeze well whole, whether raw or cooked, but you can beat the yolks and whites together and put the sealed liquid in the freezer. Dishes made with eggs, like casseroles, pies, and quiches should last 3 to 5 days in the fridge or a month or two in the freezer.

Fish

Keep it on ice in the fridge. When fresh, whole fish have clear and rounded eyes, not flat or cloudy. Skin is shiny and springy to the touch with no milky slime. Filets should smell fresh and mild and have no darkness or drying at the edges. Toss fish that looks lifeless, feels mushy or smells. Wrap any you don't cook within 2 days in plastic or foil and freeze it.

Shellfish

Bad shellfish can cause serious illness, so don't take any chances. Ideally, you should buy shrimp, scallops, or lobster tails the day you're going to use them. If live, they should close when you flick them with a fork or finger. Toss oysters, clams, and mussels with cracked or broken shells, and throw away anything that seems dead or stuck in the open position.

Produce

Common sense is the rule here. Sometimes you can cut away bruised or faded bits of fruits and vegetables. But if it looks - or smells - too far gone, it probably is. Wash all your produce right before you eat it, and if you dry it, make sure to use a clean towel. Store it in the fridge, especially if it's prepackaged. Toss any that comes into contact with juices from raw meat, poultry, or seafood.

Read Also: A One-Time Flat Belly Quick-Fix Solution

Are Brain Supplements Worth the Money?

2020-01-29T00:46:00.003+00:00

Brain Supplements That Do and Don't Work

Take a Pill, Protect Your Memory?

"Improves memory." "Sharpens focus." These are just some of the claims you may see on the supplements that 25% of adults over age 50 are taking to try to keep their brains healthy. Do these products work? It's often unclear, as the FDA doesn't require makers to prove the supplements are effective, as long they don't make any claims about specific diseases. Here's what experts do - and don't - know about some of these popular items.

B Vitamins

B vitamins like B6, B12, and B9 (folic acid) all play a role in brain health. But unless you're low on them or pregnant (folic acid is a must to prevent birth defects), a supplement is unlikely to help. If you're at high risk for Alzheimer's, ask your doctor. Some research shows that people at high risk might benefit from B supplements. But most others should stick with food sources like leafy greens.

Caffeine

Caffeine pills and powders aren't a good idea, because of the risks if you overdose. But you can enjoy coffee guilt-free, as long as it doesn't worsen your sleep or make you jittery. Some might be good for your brain. It's a stimulant that helps perk you up, plus it promotes energy by blocking brain receptors for a chemical called adenosine.

L-theanine

A natural amino acid, L-theanine seems to have potential for improving mental performance, especially when combined with caffeine. That said, most studies have been small, such one in 2019 that included 30 people. Until there's more research, a safe bet is to drink green tea: It naturally contains both L-theanine and caffeine, as well as antioxidants that may help your mental and physical well-being in other ways.

Omega-3s

The traditional Mediterranean diet, which includes omega 3-rich-fish, is linked to a lower risk of dementia. But can omega-3 supplements help? So far, large studies (including one sponsored by the National Institutes of Health) haven't proved that. One possible exception: People with the APOE4 gene mutation, which is tied to Alzheimer's, might benefit if they start taking the supplements early enough, a 2017 review shows.

Vitamin E

This antioxidant combats free radicals, including those that may damage brain cells. But large studies aimed at finding out whether vitamin E supplements can protect against dementia haven't yielded great results, though at least one study found that they might slow the worsening of Alzheimer's in people who already have it. For now, experts say most healthy people should stick with food sources like nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils.

Ginkgo Biloba

Although it's a staple in traditional Chinese medicine, modern research has found that ginkgo supplements probably won't protect your memory. Although some studies have suggested there might be benefits, the most well-designed trials - notably the Ginkgo Evaluation Memory study that included 3,000 older adults - showed that ginkgo doesn't prevent or slow dementia.

Ginseng

Often used along with ginkgo, ginseng is another popular supplement that hails from Asia. As with ginkgo, some studies have suggested that ginseng might be a potent brain booster. But the evidence didn't hold up when scientists homed in on the best-quality research: A review of several trials concluded there's "no convincing evidence" that ginseng will protect your mental skills.

Curcumin

Found in turmeric (an ingredient in curry powder), curcumin has been hailed for its antioxidant powers. Does it help explain why Alzheimer's rates are lower in India? A UCLA study found that people who took curcumin fared better on memory tests and had less buildup of abnormal proteins in their brains. But this study only included 40 people, and other research hasn't found this result, so more studies are needed.

CDP-choline

In Europe, CDP-choline isn't sold as a dietary supplement. Instead, it's a prescription drug. According to researchers who reviewed 14 studies, there's decent evidence that it can benefit memory in elderly people who already have memory problems. But whether it can prevent them in healthy people isn't clear. Ask your doctor if you're thinking of trying it.

What About Combos?

Many memory supplements aren't sold as single ingredients. Though some ingredients might work well together, combined supplements are harder to study and could be risky. Supplements may cause side effects, and the risk rises with the number you take. Mixing them with prescription drugs can be risky, too. Review all the drugs and supplements you're taking (or considering) with your doctor or pharmacist, so they can tell you what's safe.

Food First

While certain supplements might help in some cases, most healthy people don't need pills to stay sharp. Eating a diet that's rich in vegetables, berries, whole grains, and fish (key parts of the so-called MIND diet) is a way to support brain health as you age. Staying physically active, getting enough sleep, taking care of any medical conditions you have, keeping up your social connections, and challenging your mind by being a life-long learner can make a big difference, too. And it's good for the rest of your body.

Read Also: Boost Mental Health & Reduce Depression With Custom Keto Diet

Sudden Health Issues After You Hit 50

2020-01-26T23:35:00.000+00:00

Aches and pains you didn't worry about when you were younger could be a sign of bigger problems now.

One Minute You're Fine...

When you're past 50, some ailments can announce themselves suddenly and painfully. And aches and ouches you might not worry much about when you're younger could be a sign of bigger problems in middle age.

Heart Attack

This is the big one: 735,000 people have one every year. A 50-year-old man has a 1 in 2 chance of getting heart disease at some point. The most common signs are chest pain, shortness of breath, and pain in your back, shoulders, or neck. You might also feel sweaty, dizzy, or like you're going to throw up. Your risk is lower if you're at a healthy weight, don't smoke, and get regular exercise.

Stroke

This is when blood doesn't get to parts of your brain like it should, and those brain cells start to die. Get help right away if you have sudden weakness or numbness in your face, arms, or legs, you lose your bearings or get confused, and have trouble speaking. You can lower your odds if you keep your blood pressure in check, eat a low-cholesterol diet, manage your stress, exercise, and quit smoking.

Aneurysm

Many of the lifestyle changes you make to lower your risk of heart disease and stroke can make you less likely to have this as well. An aneurysm happens when the wall of an artery gets weak and bulges outward. If that wall gives way, it can lead to serious internal bleeding or a stroke. Symptoms can include pain, nausea, dizziness, clammy skin, and a rapid heartbeat.

Gallstones

These are hardened chunks of bile, a fluid that helps your body get rid of waste. They get stuck on the way out of your gallbladder, a small organ below your liver. They can range in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball and can cause severe pain in your upper belly or behind your belly button. You're more likely to get them if you're obese, have diabetes or Crohn's disease, or don't exercise.

Acute Pancreatitis

Sometimes, gallstones can set this off. It's inflammation of the pancreas, which makes enzymes and hormones like insulin that help with digestion. It causes severe stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and a fever, and can be life-threatening. Seek medical help immediately if you have these symptoms. It also can be caused by heavy drinking, high levels of calcium, or a kind of fat called triglycerides.

Broken Bones

These can happen at any age, but your bones may become brittle as you get older and be more likely to break. A loss of bone is known as osteoporosis, and it's especially common in older women. Calcium and vitamin D can help slow it or stop it from getting worse, and certain drugs can help you keep bone, or even help you rebuild it.

Vertigo

If you suddenly find yourself dizzy, you might have vertigo. It can happen if tiny crystals in your inner ear, which help you control your balance, get moved around. You're more likely to get it as you get older, probably because the crystals aren't held in place as well. Your doctor can treat it with a series of head movements that move those particles back into place.

Detached Retina

Your retina is a light-sensitive layer in your eye that tells your brain what you see. If it pulls away from the outer wall of your eye, it won't get oxygen and other things it needs. You might see floating specks or flashes of light. You can permanently lose your eyesight, so see a doctor right away. It's more common in people who are very nearsighted or have had cataract surgery or other eye diseases.

Kidney Stones

These are hard clumps, usually made of calcium, that form in your kidneys. They often pass harmlessly out of your body, but larger ones can be extremely painful and cause bleeding or infections or block the flow of urine. They're more common in men than women. You can help prevent them by drinking plenty of fluids every day. Water is best.

Pneumonia

People over 50 are at higher risk of the kind of pneumonia caused by bacteria, not the one caused by a virus. Called pneumococcal pneumonia, it can be life-threatening. Older people are more likely to get it because your body's immune system gets weaker as you age. But there is a vaccine for it, and the CDC recommends them for everyone over 65.

Spinal Stenosis

This develops slowly, but it can make itself known suddenly. It happens when the channel in your backbone that holds your spinal cord and other nerves narrows, usually because of arthritis. The nerves can be pinched or squeezed, causing pain, numbness, or cramps in your lower back or neck. It can be treated with drugs or physical therapy, or, in some cases, surgery.

Gout

This condition shows up as a sudden pain and swelling in one of your joints, often a big toe. It's a form of arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid in your body. If you take certain medications for high blood pressure, eat red meat and shellfish, or drink alcohol, you're at higher risk. The soda sweetener, known as fructose also raises your risk, and so does obesity.

Pulmonary Embolism

This is when a blood clot gets stuck in a blood vessel in one of your lungs. Your chances of having one go up after age 50, and it can be serious, so get medical help fast if you have chest pain, sudden shortness of breath, and dizziness. You also can have a cough that may even bring up some blood, leg pains, and clammy or bluish skin. The blood clot often starts in your leg, so an early sign might be swelling or pain in one of your calves.

Your risk goes up if you've had heart disease or recent surgery, or you were in a cramped position (like in an airplane or car) for a long stretch of time.

Read Also: A keto Diet That Can Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease

How to Quiet Your Mind

2020-01-26T23:15:00.003+00:00

When it seems impossible to stop the thoughts pinging through your head, these simple actions can help you feel more relaxed and clear-headed.

Breathe

We do this all the time, but to use your breathing to find stillness, be more careful and conscious about it. Pay attention to the rhythm. If you take short, quick breaths, try to move toward slower, deeper ones. Put your hand on your belly: You should feel it rise and expand as you draw air in, and fall as you let it out. Shoot for about six breaths a minute.

Watch Fish Swim

People with home aquariums say they feel calmer, more relaxed, and less stressed when they gaze at their fish, and science backs it up. It isn't just the water, although that alone helps. A study using a tank hundreds of times larger found that the more types of marine life that were added, the happier people got. Heart rates and blood pressures dropped, too.

Exercise

Just 5 minutes of aerobic exercise, like a brisk walk, could start to calm your mind. It releases endorphins - chemicals that make you feel good and can help improve your mood, focus, and sleep. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can give you a big dose of them in a short time. After warming up, alternate 20- to 30-second bursts of pushing yourself hard (like doing sprints, squats, or fast weightlifting) with equal amounts of rest.

Listen to Music

It literally calms the activity in your brain. Fewer neurons fire in your amygdala (the part of your brain that responds to fear), which may lead to fewer signals sent to other parts of your brain. Music is a good thing to try if you're distracted by pain. Listen closely, not just as background. The more you notice, the less you'll dwell on your other thoughts.

Help Someone

It lights up parts of your brain that make you feel pleasure and connection. Doing something nice for someone lowers stress and lessens feelings of loneliness. It may even boost your heart health and immune response. Fun fact: When you spend money on other people, your body releases more endorphins (the same chemicals from exercise) than when you spend on yourself.

Go Outdoors

Being in and around nature often makes people think more clearly and feel more relaxed and refreshed. Your brain doesn't have to work as hard in a greener environment. In one study, after 20 minutes in a park, children with ADHD were able to concentrate better. Spending time outside can also bring down your heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormones, and even muscle tension.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Use the connection with your body to soothe your mind. Pick a body part - foot, leg, mouth, eyes - and tense it for a few seconds. Then release and relax for 10 seconds or so. Notice how that feels different. Switch to another part, and keep going until you've done your whole body. This can also improve sleep and may even ease headaches and stomachaches.

Hang Out With a Dog

Whether it's a member of your family or a therapy dog, a friendly pooch can make you feel less anxious, tense, confused, and restless. When you pet and play with them, it seems to lower levels of stress hormones. One reason could be that your body releases oxytocin, a hormone that plays a role in bonding and trust. (Although not studied as much, cats can calm you, too.)

Guided Imagery

Think of a favorite spot, real or imagined, that makes you calm and happy: perhaps a beach at sunset, a comfy chair in front of a fireplace, or a stream in the forest. Focus on details. Can you smell pine needles, for example? See bubbles in the water? Hear the gurgle and splashing? There are audio recordings and apps that can help you through this process.

Hatha Yoga

This mix of challenging poses and controlled breathing helps you turn your awareness of being in the present moment instead of judging yourself and others. There's also evidence that a regular practice lessens anxiety and takes the edge off your natural stress response. Plus, it's an exercise that builds your strength and flexibility. Go to a class, and you'll get the benefits of socializing with other people, too.

Get Creative

Activities like coloring books, knitting, scrapbooking, and pottery offer an escape for a busy mind. Simple, repetitive actions, especially - like kneading dough - can help you redirect your thoughts and tune out the chatter in your head. Let your inner child play! The key is to enjoy the process and not worry so much about the result.

Take a Break

When you find your mind racing full-speed or spiraling down a rabbit hole, change your focus: stretch, daydream, walk around, get a snack, or chat with a friend. Take at least 5 minutes to recharge and reset. You'll be more centered and clear-headed. If you're going to be working intently, set a timer or use an app to remind you to stop every 90 minutes or so.

Dig in the Dirt

It's not just the great outdoors and the exercise at work here. The soil itself has microorganisms that might help you focus and lift your mood. Gardeners are less depressed and anxious, and they feel more connected to their communities.

Biofeedback

This technique teaches you to control your reactions to stress. Working with a therapist, you're hooked up to a computer that shows your brainwaves. You could track your heart rate, skin temperature, and breathing, too. This lets you see in real-time what happens when you're triggered and when you try to counteract it. Over time, you'll figure out how to calm your body's response on your own.

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Colonoscopy Demystified

2020-01-26T23:05:00.001+00:00

The first thing you should know is that it's not nearly as bad as you may have heard. Here's how to prepare for it and how you'll feel afterward.

What to Expect With a Colonoscopy

What Is a Colonoscopy?

It’s a test of your colon and rectum. Your doctor uses a long, thin tube with a camera on the end to see deep inside your colon. That can help spot small growths called polyps that can become cancerous later. If you’ve had pain, bloody stool, constipation, or diarrhea, a colonoscopy also may show the reason for it.

When Should I Get One?

It’s a good idea to have one if you’re 45 or older to check for colon cancer. If someone in your family has had colon cancer, rectal cancer, or polyps, talk with your doctor about when to have your first screening. They may want you to start earlier.

The Day Before

You need to prep or clean out your colon before the procedure. Your doctor will tell you exactly what to do, but you shouldn’t eat any solid foods the day before your colonoscopy. Drink only clear beverages, like plain tea or coffee without cream, plain water, soda, or broth. And don't eat or drink anything after midnight.

Clear Your Bowels

You’ll also have to get rid of any stool in your digestive tract. Your doctor will give you a laxative to take the day before or the morning of your colonoscopy. Some people may need to use an enema, too. With an empty colon, your doctor can get a clear view of any polyps, bleeding, or signs of cancer.

Change Your Meds

Tell your doctor about every medicine or supplement you take, like baby aspirin, blood pressure drugs, blood thinners, diabetes meds, or iron pills. Your doctor will tell you which drugs to cut back on or skip in the days before your colonoscopy. After your test, you can take your meds or supplements as usual.

The Day of the Procedure

You’ll go to your doctor’s office, clinic, or hospital. Someone will need to go with you and drive you home. You’ll be given medicine to make you sleepy during the test, and you’ll be groggy afterward.

During Your Colonoscopy

You’ll lie on your side, and the procedure will take 30 to 60 minutes. Your doctor will put the tube inside your rectum and up your colon. First, air blown through the tube widens your colon. This makes it easier to see what’s inside. Then your doctor looks for any polyps or other growths that could be cancer. You won’t feel any pain.

Why You Need to Remove Polyps

These small tissue clumps often don’t cause symptoms, but they can lead to blood or pain during bowel movements, diarrhea, or constipation. It’s a good idea to remove them, especially if you have more than one or if any of them are especially large. Those are more likely to be pre-cancer.

Why You May Need a Biopsy

If your doctor sees any tissue changes that might be signs of cancer or pre-cancer, you may need a biopsy. Your doctor will take a small sample of the tissue and send it to a lab to be tested for cancer. If you have issues like blood in your stool or diarrhea, a biopsy also may help your doctor figure out why.

What Happens After Colonoscopy?

You’ll rest in the recovery room for an hour or so. You’ll pass gas to clear the air blown into your colon. It’s normal to have mild cramps or a little blood in your first stool after your colonoscopy. Call your doctor if you bleed a lot when you poop or have severe belly pain.

Are There Any Risks?

The procedure is pretty safe, but some people may have a reaction to the medicine used to make you sleepy. And if your doctor takes a biopsy or removes a polyp, you may bleed from that spot. It’s rare, but a colonoscopy can also cause a small tear in your colon or rectum. Talk to your doctor to get more information about the possible risks.

At-Home Tests for Colon Cancer

If you’ve never had pre-cancer polyps or colorectal cancer, you might talk with your doctor about other options for screening. With these at-home tests, you collect and mail in a stool sample to a lab that looks for blood or DNA linked to colon cancer.

Pros and Cons of Stool Tests

You don’t have to do any prep for an at-home stool test, but they can miss some polyps or signs of cancer. Some also can give you false-positive results. That means the test finds blood, but it isn’t caused by cancer.

CT Scan (Virtual Colonoscopy)

This is a series of X-rays taken from different angles that give your doctor a picture of your colon. Before this test, you’ll prep your bowels and drink a liquid to make polyps easy to see. A virtual colonoscopy may be right for you if you take blood thinners. It’s noninvasive and quick, but it may miss some small polyps.

How Often You Need to Screen

If your colonoscopy results are normal, you should have your next colonoscopy in 10 years. If you have small polyps, you should retest in 5 to 10 years. Large polyps or many polyps mean you may need a colonoscopy more often. If you’re 75 or older, talk with your doctor about whether you need to continue screening.

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Lower Your Chances of Getting of Cancer

2020-01-23T22:26:00.004+00:00

Cancer is the world's leading cause of death, but about 1 in 3 cases can be prevented, according to the World Health Organization.

Lower Your Risk of Cancer

It's the world's leading cause of death, but about 1 in 3 cases can be prevented, according to the World Health Organization. There's no magic pill to keep you from getting cancer, but you can do some things to improve your odds.

Drop the Weight

Nearly 70% of Americans are overweight or obese - and those extra pounds drive up your chances of several types of cancer, including in your esophagus, pancreas, colon, kidneys, and thyroid gland. With fewer people smoking, obesity may pass tobacco as the top preventable cause of cancer. If every adult in the U.S. cut their body mass index (a measure of your body fat) by 1%, it might cut the number of new cases by as many as 100,000.

Read Also: Lose Weight Healthily Using A Customized Ketogenic Diet Plan

Eat Less Red Meat

Along with cured meats like bacon, hot dogs, and lunchmeat, this has been linked to a higher risk of colon and stomach cancers. The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends no more than 18 ounces of these a week, or a little over a pound.

Wear Sunscreen

Harmful rays from the sun can give you more than a sunburn. Ultraviolet radiation can cause skin cancer, the most common kind of cancer in the U.S. And people who spend a lot of time in the sun have a higher risk. Most cases are curable if they're found and treated early, but they can be life-threatening if they spread to other parts of your body. Sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher can help protect you.

Eat More Vegetables

Vegetables and fruits can help stave off a range of cancers in your mouth, throat, windpipe, and esophagus. These foods have things that help your cells prevent damage that may lead to cancer later. You should get at least 2 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables a day.

Don't Count on Supplements

A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains is a better bet than nutritional supplements to lower your risk of cancer. Supplements don't give you the same benefits as whole foods, and they can throw off the balance of other nutrients in your body. Supplements may help with certain conditions, but don't bet on them to prevent cancer.

Cut Down on Sugar

Foods or drinks with a lot of sugar tend to have more calories per ounce. If you have them often, you're more likely to take in more calories than you burn in a day. That can make you gain weight - and possibly increase your risk of cancer. You don't have to skip the sugar entirely, but keep an eye out for things with added sweeteners.

Get Vaccinated for HPV

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is often passed from person to person through sex. It can live in your body for years and you might not even notice. It's the cause of nearly all cervical cancers in women and also can cause cancer of the vagina, penis, anus, mouth, and throat. Girls can get the vaccine between the ages of 9 and 26, and boys from 9 to 21. Using condoms can also lower your chances of getting HPV.

Get off the Couch

People who exercise are less likely to get cancer of the colon, breast, or uterus. When you're up and moving around, your body uses more energy, digests food faster, and prevents a buildup of some hormones that are linked to cancer. Being active also can help head off other health problems like heart disease or diabetes.

Stub Out That Butt

Do you smoke? It causes various kinds of cancer, as well as heart and lung disease. Though the share of Americans who light up regularly has dropped from more than 40% in the 1960s to about 15%, tobacco is still the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the U.S.

Ease off the Sauce

You know which one we mean. Drinking too much alcohol can raise your risk of cancers of the digestive system - your stomach, liver, and colon, among others - as well as breast and throat cancer. It can hurt tissues in your body, damage your liver, and mix with other chemicals to harm your cells. Men shouldn't have more than two drinks a day, and women should limit it to one.

Get a Hepatitis B Shot

People who have the hepatitis B virus are 100 times more likely to get liver cancer, one of the fastest-growing kinds. And those who have chronic liver problems, several sex partners, or share needles to use drugs have a high risk of getting hepatitis B, along with people who work with human blood. But a vaccine can prevent infection. Talk with your doctor about it if you think you're at risk.

Get Screened

The sooner the warning signs of cancer are spotted, the better your odds of recovery. A variety of tests can check for different types, like breast, colon, prostate, or skin. Ask your doctor which of these screenings you should get, and when.

Ways to Improve Your Circulation

2020-01-23T22:19:00.003+00:00

Your body holds about 60,000 miles of blood vessels. When your circulation is poor, it slows or blocks the blood flow. The cells in your body can't get all the oxygen and nutrients they need. Here's how to keep things moving smoothly.

Why You Need Good Blood Flow

It's hard to believe, but your body holds about 60,000 miles of blood vessels. Along with your heart and other muscles, they make up your circulatory system. This network of roadways carries blood to every corner of your body. But when your circulation is poor, it slows or blocks the blood flow. That means the cells in your body can't get all the oxygen and nutrients they need.

Signs of Poor Circulation

When your limbs can't get enough blood, your hands or feet may feel cold or numb. If you're light-skinned, your legs might get a blue tinge. Poor circulation also can dry your skin, turn your nails brittle, and make your hair fall out, especially on your feet and legs. Some men may have trouble getting or keeping an erection. And if you have diabetes, your scrapes, sores, or wounds tend to heal slower.

Snuff Out Tobacco

Nicotine is the active ingredient in cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco. It harms the walls of your arteries and thickens your blood so much, it can't get through. If you smoke, quit. It can be hard to stick with it, but your pharmacy or doctor's office can help.

Control Your Blood Pressure

If it's too high, it can cause arteriosclerosis, a condition that hardens your arteries and can help choke off blood flow. Aim for 120 over 80 or less, but ask your doctor about the best numbers for your age and health. Check your reading at least once a month. You can buy a home blood pressure monitor or use a kiosk at your pharmacy.

Gulp It Down

Blood is about half water. So you need to stay hydrated to keep it moving. Aim for 8 glasses of water a day. You'll need to drink more if you exercise or if it's hot outside.

Stand Up at Your Desk

Sitting for hours at a time isn't great for your circulation or your back. It weakens leg muscles and slows the blood flow in your legs, which could cause a clot. If you're a desk jockey at work, consider a standing desk instead. It may take a little while to get used to, but getting on your feet works the valves in your leg veins, sending blood up to your heart.

Relax and Twist

Yoga is a low-impact exercise that can jump-start your blood flow. When you move, it brings oxygen to your cells. When you twist, it sends blood to your organs. And upside-down positions shift blood from the bottom half of your body up to your heart and brain.

Hit the Wall (in a Good Way)

Not a yogi? When your ankles or feet swell, try the legs-up-the-wall yoga pose. Also called viparita karani, it's an easy way to send your blood in the other direction. Lie on the floor or on a yoga mat, with your left or right shoulder close to the wall. Turn your body so you can put your feet up, and scooch your bottom against the wall. Stretch your arms out on the floor with palms down for balance.

Pump It Up

Aerobic means "with oxygen." So when you run, bike, walk, swim, and do similar exercises, you take in more oxygen and move it to your muscles. This gets your blood pumping, makes your heart stronger, and lowers your blood pressure. Set a goal to exercise for 30 minutes, 5 to 7 days a week. Break it up into small chunks if needed. If you walk, know that moderate to intense speeds - at least 3 miles an hour - offer the best health benefits.

Cop A Squat

This form of strength training not only gets your blood pumping, it also helps lower your blood sugar and helps with back pain. Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides. Now slowly bend at your hips and knees, but keep your back straight, like you're sitting in a chair. As you return to the starting position, bend your arms for balance.

Compress Your Socks

Put your wardrobe to work. Compression socks put a bit of squeeze on your legs so your blood doesn't hang around too long. Instead, it'll move back up to your heart. Ask your doctor which length and amount of pressure are best for you.

Eat More Plants and Less Meat

Let's face it: There's no downside to a balanced diet. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Stay away from saturated fats that can be found in red meat, chicken, cheese, and other animal sources. Steer clear of too much salt. That will help keep your weight in a healthy range and your cholesterol and blood pressure in check - and your arteries clear.

Brush Your Body, Not Just Your Hair

Sweep your blood in the right direction. Take a body brush with stiff, flat bristles and stroke on your dry skin. Start with your feet and work your way up, using long motions on your legs and arms. Make circles on your belly and lower back. Dry brushing also gets rid of dry skin. Do it every day, right before your shower.

Sip or Soak

It's a temporary fix, but a bath is a great way to kick-start your circulation. Warm water makes your arteries and veins open a bit wider, letting more blood through. Hot water or tea does the trick as well.

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Surprising Signs of Chronic Inflammation

2020-01-22T17:34:00.001+00:00

Balance problems, muscle weakness, diarrhea, and more: Inflammation affects your body in some unexpected ways. See below what chronic inflammation might be doing to you.

Here are Signs of Chronic Inflammation You May Not Expect.

Balance Problems

Chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs) cause your body to overreact and, in some cases, attack itself. In multiple sclerosis, for example, your body's immune system attacks nerve coatings. That makes it harder for nerve signals to get through. You may feel dizzy or off-balance, especially when you walk.

Insulin Resistance

Insulin helps control the sugar level in your blood. Inflammation could affect how well your insulin works. It's not yet clear exactly why.

Insulin resistance can lead to high blood sugar. That can damage your nerves and blood vessels. It could also lead to diabetes. You might have tingling feet, or you could be more thirsty and tired. You might not have symptoms. Your doctor can help you discover what's going on.

Muscle Weakness

Sometimes your immune system mistakenly attacks and inflames your muscles (your doctor may call it myositis). This could start to break down muscle fiber and make you weaker. It usually happens slowly, most often in your torso, shoulders, and hips. In some cases, you might find it hard to do simple things like walk, bathe, and swallow.

Diarrhea

Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, has two main forms: ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. In both cases, your immune system overreacts and inflames your colon and small intestine. Diarrhea is one thing that can happen. Others are nausea, joint pain, fever, and skin rashes.

Lower Back Pain

In ankylosing spondylitis, chronic inflammation typically attacks the spine. Sometimes, it hits your hips, neck, knees, or chest. You might have pain and stiffness in your lower back, especially in the morning. In serious cases, you could have a loss of motion. Talk to your doctor if you notice any symptoms. Early treatment can help you manage your condition better.

You're Always Tired

It's one of the typical signs of long-term inflammation and a common sign of inflammatory diseases like fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Talk to your doctor if you have a sudden drop in energy. It could be a sign of an underlying illness. It may be treatable, too.

Livedo Reticularis Rash

This purplish, marbled rash looks webbed like lace. Inflammatory conditions (like lupus and antiphospholipid syndrome) can cause it. You'd usually get this on your arms and legs. You might notice it more in the cold.

There's not much you can do to treat the rash itself, but your doctor may be able to treat the problem that causes it. Your rash might go away on its own. Talk to your doctor if it doesn't or if you notice nodules or sores.

Hardening of the Arteries (Arteriosclerosis)

If you're gaining body fat or you spend a lot of time taking in foreign substances like cigarette smoke, your body will respond with inflammation. This can cause fatty plaque to build up on the inside walls of your arteries. Known as arteriosclerosis, it's the main cause of heart attack and stroke. Only your doctor can tell if you have hardening of the arteries.

Read Also: A keto Diet That Can Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease

Blood Clotting

Inflammation from trauma, surgery, or diseases like antiphospholipid syndrome and IBD can cause your blood to clot too much (called hypercoagulation). This might cause swelling and could bring on more serious things like stroke, heart attack, or pulmonary embolism. It is not always easy to spot hypercoagulation, and your doctor might take some time to figure out what's causing it. Drugs called anticoagulants can help.

Dry Eye

It's a common symptom of inflammation. One condition, Sjogren's syndrome, affects your salivary glands and your tear glands. You might notice a gritty or burning feeling in your eyes, swelling in your salivary gland, and dryness in your nose and throat. Your doctor can prescribe medication to help ease your symptoms and keep away serious complications like vision loss and dental problems.

Brain Issues

Your memory and your ability to think are likely to take a hit if your body shows signs of inflammation. Scientists continue to study the link. Early findings suggest that inflammation may contribute to Alzheimer's disease and other conditions that cause dementia. This is especially true in older adults. Healthy eating plans like the Mediterranean diet seem to ease inflammation and might keep your brain sharp for longer.

One Night of Bad Sleep May Raise Alzheimer's Risk

2020-01-22T17:16:00.002+00:00

Poor sleep has been linked to the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and now a new study suggests a possible reason why.

A small group of young, healthy men deprived of just one night of sleep had higher blood levels of tau protein than when they had a full and uninterrupted night of rest, researchers reported in a study published online Jan. 8 in Neurology.

"This is interesting as an accumulation of the protein tau is seen in the brains of individuals afflicted by Alzheimer's disease, or most common forms of dementia," said senior study author Dr. Jonathan Cedernaes, a senior researcher at Uppsala University in Sweden.

The researchers did not find any similar increase in amyloid-beta, another brain protein long linked to Alzheimer's, the Swedish researchers said.

The new findings come as Alzheimer's research has started to shift its focus towards tau as a more important cause of brain damage associated with the disease.

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Another group of researchers recently reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine that they can predict with reasonable accuracy which brain regions will wither and atrophy in Alzheimer's by identifying the places where tau protein "tangles" have accumulated.

Tau is a protein found in normally active neurons, and it is typically cleared from the brain rapidly, Cedernaes said.

But in Alzheimer's patients, tau sticks together to form tangles that linger in the brain.

For this latest study, researchers recruited 15 men with an average age of 22, all of whom said they regularly get seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night.

The researchers observed each man through two sets of two-day sleep cycles. In the first cycle, they got two good nights of sleep, but in the second cycle, they were deprived of sleep for one night.

The men had an average 17% increase in tau levels in their blood after a night of sleep deprivation, compared to an average 2% increase in tau levels after a good night of sleep, the findings showed.

Health Benefits of Coffee and Tea

2020-01-22T16:04:00.003+00:00

Aside from water, they're the most enjoyed beverages around the world. And they may help guard against diabetes, stroke, and these other problems.

Common Ground

Both coffee and tea have things in them that may help your health, and they're an excuse to get together with a friend - that can be good for you, too.

Coffee Basics

The beans grow on flowering trees found in more than 50 countries around the world, including the U.S. (Hawaii). They're roasted and ground, then boiled, dripped, steamed, or soaked to make coffee, depending on where you live and how you like it.

Tea Basics

More than two-thirds of the world's people drink this beverage, which is made from the leaf of a bush called Camellia sinensis. You typically steep the leaves in steaming hot water for a few minutes then serve the tea hot or over ice.

Green, Oolong, Black: What's the Difference?

Tea makers dry and crush the leaves to bring out their oils, then they might expose them to air for a while, depending on the kind of tea they want to make. This is called “fermentation” - it's a chemical reaction that affects the flavor of the leaves and turns them brown.

The longer they're exposed, the more caffeine they have. Green tea uses leaves that haven't been fermented at all, which is why it has almost no caffeine. Oolong uses leaves that have been fermented for a time, while black tea leaves are fermented the longest.

Free Radicals

These chemicals can damage your cells and lead to disease and illness. Your body makes them when it turns certain foods into energy and when sunlight hits your skin. You also can get them from things you eat and drink. Tea and coffee help your body fight free radicals with chemicals of their own called antioxidants.

Type 2 Diabetes

Both tea and coffee are linked to a lower chance of getting this condition, which affects how your body uses blood sugar (glucose) for fuel. Coffee has lots of a certain antioxidant that helps keep your blood sugar lower and more stable - the main challenge of diabetes. And antioxidants from tea may help your body process sugar in your blood.

Parkinson's Disease

Coffee and tea may help against this serious disease, which attacks the nerve cells in your brain and makes it hard for you to move. Some studies suggest that caffeine can ease early symptoms of Parkinson's, while others show that drinking coffee and tea might help protect your brain from it in the first place.

Heart Disease

Doctors once thought people with this should cut down on tea and coffee, because of the caffeine, but now it seems they may protect you from it. In one study, people who drank 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day were less likely to have a buildup of calcium in the vessels that bring blood to your heart muscle. That could mean a lower chance of heart disease.

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Liver Disease

This is another organ that probably benefits from your morning cup of joe. Drinking 3 or more cups of coffee a day may lower your odds of having chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and liver cancer - and it may be an alternative medicine for people who have those issues. Coffee has more than 100 different chemical compounds in it, and scientists are trying to figure out what they do and how they might work together to help your liver.

Stroke

This happens when blood is cut off from a certain area of your brain, and a cup of coffee or tea a day might lower your chances of having one. This may be because coffee can ease inflammation and help control your blood sugar levels. And drinking black tea is linked to lower blood pressure, which can make you less likely to have a stroke.

Cancer

Coffee and green tea might help prevent breast and prostate cancers, while all kinds of tea may protect you against the kinds of cancer that affect the ovaries and stomach. Researchers think antioxidants in tea, including ones called polyphenols, are to thank for this.

Alzheimer's Disease

This disorder attacks your brain's nerve cells (neurons) - it can cause memory loss and changes in thought patterns and behavior. Coffee has antioxidants that may help protect neurons, and green tea has some that may help prevent the clusters of proteins believed to cause the disease.

Gallstones

These are tiny pieces of hardened cholesterol and other substances that form in your gallbladder - a small pear-shaped organ near your belly that helps with digestion. They can sometimes cause serious pain and health problems if they're not treated. But coffee can lower your chances of getting them because it helps move fluid through your gallbladder and makes the cholesterol less likely to crystallize into gallstones.

Weight Loss

If you drink low-calorie beverages like coffee and tea instead of sugary ones, you may find it's easier to lose weight. They can give you a satisfying pick-me-up with almost no calories. Of course, that doesn't work if you add a bunch of sugar and cream - so stick with the basic brew.

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Don't Overdo It

Despite the health benefits of coffee and tea, too much caffeine can make you anxious or irritable and make it hard to sleep. It also can make you less able to hold onto calcium, which can lead to bone fractures (calcium keeps bones strong). Talk with your doctor if you have questions about how much is too much for you.

The Truth About Mail-In DNA Tests

2020-01-21T02:02:00.000+00:00

Dozens of companies offer them, and they can be done with a sample of your saliva or a swab of your cheek. The catch is, you may learn "facts" about yourself that aren't quite factual.

Lots of Info and Some Confusion

If you're curious about where your ancestors came from or concerned about diseases you might be likely to get, mail-in DNA tests make it easy to get some answers. Dozens of companies offer them, and they can be done with a sample of your saliva or a swab of your cheek. The catch is, you may learn "facts" about yourself that aren't quite factual.

Myth: Predict Chances of Disease

These tests look for information in your genes that shows you might be more likely to get a specific disease, such as Alzheimer's or cancer. But they can't tell if you'll end up getting it. They can't even really tell you your chances of it. Other things, like your lifestyle or habits, affect your risk of getting diseases, too.

Myth: Cover All Conditions

The field of genetics is growing quickly, but only so many tests are available. So while you may get information about certain conditions, you might not get any about a less common disease you're concerned about.

Myth: Map Your Family Tree

Each company has its own database of samples from people who live in different areas of the world, and they match yours against the others in the database. So your results won't include everyone who's been tested - they'll only include people who've been tested by the company you choose.

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Myth: Same Info for Siblings

Everyone gets 50% of their DNA from each parent, but what's in each half can be different. So it's totally possible that you got more of your mom's European DNA and your sister got more of her Asian DNA. Add your dad to the mix, and things get scrambled further. Just as siblings don't always look alike, their DNA might not look alike, either.

Myth: Nutritional Needs

Some testing companies offer personalized advice on dietary supplements based on your test results. Some even try to sell them to you. But no studies show that genetic tests can give you useful information about those or dietary choices.

Myth: Effects of Toxins

Not everyone who smokes gets cancer, and some DNA testing companies suggest that the reason for that is in your genes. It may be, at least in part, but there's no strong science that proves genetic tests can tell you how well your body handles certain things in the environment.

Myth: Insurance Rates

Laws are in place to protect you from being denied health insurance or charged more for it. But those laws don't apply to life insurance, disability insurance, or long-term care insurance. That means it's possible your genetic test results could be used by the companies that sell these types of insurance.

Myth: Government Regulations

Most of these tests are made privately and can be sold to you without any proof that they work as advertised. That may soon change, though. The FDA is coming up with guidelines for genetic tests.

Myth: All Tests Are the Same

While no testing company can guarantee that the information it gives you is 100% accurate, some are better than others. If you decide to try at-home DNA testing, look for one that meets the U.S. standards called Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), and check to see if the tests have been approved by the FDA.

Myth: Personal Info

Read the fine print. Most companies make an effort to keep personal data "private," but that can mean different things. Make sure you understand what data they're collecting and who will see it.

Myth: Harmless Fun

At-home DNA tests can be entertaining, even if they're not always accurate. But they can cause stress, too. Sometimes genetic tests reveal not-so-happy surprises, like a family member not being related to you or the possibility that you'll get a certain condition. You might talk with a genetic counselor before deciding whether to get tested. And if you decide to do it, the counselor can help you understand the results.

Causes of Stiff Joints and How to Find Relief

2020-01-21T01:51:00.001+00:00

Why Are My Joints So Stiff? What Can I Do?

As you get older, your joints may not move as freely as they used to. It sounds a little crazy, but the best thing you can do is keep on trucking. See how to treat the most common sources of stiff joints.

You're Getting Older

As you age, your cartilage - the spongy material that protects the ends of your bones - begins to dry out and stiffen. Your body also makes less synovial fluid, the stuff that acts like oil to keep your joints moving smoothly. The result: Your joints may not move as freely as they used to. It sounds a little crazy, but the best thing you can do is keep on trucking. Synovial fluid requires movement to keep your joints loose.

It's Morning

When you're asleep and still for several hours, the fluid that helps your joints move easily can't do its job. That's why you wake up with knees or hands that are stiff and swollen. To make it better, try to move around more during the day.

Osteoarthritis (OA)

A joint is a place where two bones meet. The end of each bone is covered in a layer of rubbery stuff called cartilage. This keeps them from rubbing together. But cartilage can wear away over time or after an injury. When it's gone, the bones hit one another, and sometimes, tiny pieces break off. The result is a stiff, swollen, painful joint.

Treating Osteoarthritis

Your first move might be to do fewer things that bother the joint in question. Over-the-counter drugs can help with pain and swelling. If they don't, your doctor might inject stronger treatments directly into problem areas. You can wrap joints to protect them and stop overuse, but this could weaken your muscles, so don't overdo it. Some people need surgery, but it's rare. Your doctor will discuss these treatments plus others, such as physical therapy and losing weight, with you.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

Your immune system is supposed to protect you from outside germs. Sometimes, it attacks the lining of your joints instead (your doctor will call this the synovium). RA is most likely to affect your wrist or finger joints, but it can show up anywhere in your body. It often causes constant pain and stiffness. Sometimes, it stays in the background and only flares up now and then.

Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis

Doctors treat RA with medications that slow or stop the disease process. You might hear yours call them DMARDs, which stands for disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. The goal is for you to have no signs of inflammation in your body. Your doctor will refer to this as this remission. Along with drugs, you can also take care of yourself - eat well, rest when you need to but keep moving, and take good care of your joints.

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Other Type of Arthritis

OA and RA are the most well known, but other types also affect your immune system and result in stiff joints:

Ankylosing spondylitis: This type mostly affects your spine, but it can make your hips, hands, or feet feel stiff.
Gout: The first sign of this build-up of uric acid in your body is often a searing pain in your big toe.
Infectious arthritis: It often starts with an infection somewhere else in your body that travels to one big joint, like your hip. Your doctor might call it septic arthritis.
Psoriatic arthritis: People with psoriasis or family members who have it are most likely to get this type. Signs include swollen fingers and pitted nails.

A Change in the Weather

Did your grandma say she knew when a storm was coming because her joints ached? She was right. Doctors aren't sure why, but joint pain seems to get worse when the weather changes. It's most common when the air pressure (the weather forecaster will call it barometric pressure) falls. That typically happens just before a storm.

Fibromyalgia

This chronic condition causes joint and muscle pain, along with sleep, mood, and memory problems. Scientists think your brain takes normal pain signals and makes them worse. They aren't sure what causes it, but it often follows an illness, surgery, or intense stress. It doesn't damage your joints the way arthritis does, though.

Treating Fibromyalgia

There's no cure, but over-the-counter meds should ease your pain. Your doctor might prescribe other medications. A physical therapist can teach you special exercises to help. You might also try a relaxation technique like deep breathing or a gentle exercise like yoga or tai chi. They'll help you stretch and strengthen your muscles and tendons.

Joint Injury

The two most common types are both forms of inflammation. They usually result from overuse or misuse of a joint over time:

Bursitis involves the bursae, fluid-filled sacs that act as cushions between your bones and other moving parts.

Tendinitis affects the tendons that attach your muscles to your bones.

Treating a Joint Injury

These conditions are easy to treat. You'll likely make a full recovery. The first thing to do is give that joint rest and take over-the-counter pain medication. Your doctor will probably give you a splint to wear and tell you to put ice on it. She might show you some exercises to do, too. If that doesn't help, she could inject a stronger drug straight into the bursa or tendon to manage pain and swelling.

Exercise

The more you move your joints, the less likely they are to get stiff. A little afternoon gardening or a walk around the block can help. You'll strengthen the muscles that support your joints, keep your bones strong, improve your balance, and burn calories. Start slow, so you don't get hurt. Talk to your doctor first if even gentle exercise makes the stiffness worse.

Heat Therapy

If your joints are extra stiff in the morning, try a hot shower or bath. It'll get more blood flowing to the area, which loosens things up. You can also buy moist heat pads from the drugstore or make your own. Toss a washcloth into a freezer bag and microwave it for 1 minute. Wrap it in a towel and leave it on the area for 15-20 minutes.

Cold Therapy

Ice down an achy joint. It narrows blood vessels, which slows blood flow to the area and eases swelling. You can use a store-bought cold pack, or try a bag of frozen veggies instead. Put it on the area, but use a towel to protect your skin. Don't do it for more than 20 minutes at a time. If you really want to chill a problem joint, try an ice bath.

See the Doctor Right Away If;

• You're in extreme pain.
• You've been injured.
• The joint looks deformed.
• You can't use it.
• It swells suddenly.

Make a Doctor's Appointment If;

• Your joints are tender or hard to move.
• The skin is red or warm to the touch.
• Joint symptoms last more than 3 days or happen several times a month.