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For reasons that can’t always be explained, some women experience pain in their external genital area. Called vulvodynia, this term encompasses everything from localized pain at a specific spot, such as on the outer or inner labia, for example, to pain throughout the area. It might feel like burning, aching, rawness, swelling or just irritation, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Although pain in this area is common, when it lasts for three months or more without an infection, skin disorder or other medical condition to explain it, that’s vulvodynia, according to ACOG. The pain can be severe or mild and it can last forever. It’s also treatable, according to a blog post from University of Texas Health Austin. “You know, women don’t often come in saying, I have pain. They say things like, ‘I have burning, irritation, pain during sex at times, pins and needles feeling,” Teresa Reed, a former physician assistant at UT Health Austin, said in the blog post. “When they come in, we rule out all those other things that can cause those conditions. By definition, vulvodynia is the absence of physical findings, it is a musculoskeletal, neuropathic condition.” What is vulvodynia? The National Vulvodynia Association (NVA) describes the condition as “chronic vulvar pain without an identifiable cause.” Although descriptions vary, most women say they have a… read on > read on >

Sticking to a consistent sleeping routine may help keep your arteries clear as you age, new research suggests. Conversely, older adults who slept for a varying number of hours each night and tended to fall asleep at different times were more likely to develop hardening of the arteries, which can lead to heart attack or stroke, the researchers reported. “Sleep is super important to our overall health and well-being, and anything we can do to improve sleep will improve our [heart health] and overall well-being and happiness,” said study author Kelsie Full. She is an assistant professor of medicine in the division of epidemiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. The study wasn’t designed to show how sleep irregularity causes heart disease, but researchers have some theories. “One potential mechanism is that sleep irregularity may lead to a disruption of our circadian function, which can lead to inflammation, a known risk for heart disease,” Full said. (Circadian rhythm is the 24-hour internal clock that controls the release of the hormone melatonin to encourage sleep.) What’s more, irregular sleep patterns may also travel with unhealthy behaviors such as late-night eating, poor diet or lack of exercise, she noted. Her advice? “Set a regular bedtime, and just pay attention to how much you are sleeping each night, and strive for sleep that is as regular… read on > read on >

It’s not always necessary to lower a child’s fever, but parents often do. A new poll from Michigan Medicine found that about one-third of parents reach for fever-reducing medicines too quickly. “Often parents worry about their child having a fever and want to do all they can to reduce their temperature. However, they may not be aware that in general the main reason to treat a fever is just to keep their child comfortable,” said Dr. Susan Woolford, co-director of the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at University of Michigan Health, in Ann Arbor. “Some parents may immediately rush to give their kids medicine, but it’s often better to let the fever run its course,” Woolford said in a university news release. “Lowering a child’s temperature doesn’t typically help cure their illness any faster. In fact, a low-grade fever helps fight off the infection. There’s also the risk of giving too much medication when it’s not needed, which can have side effects.” The poll surveyed nearly 1,400 parents of children aged 12 and under between August and September 2022. The results showed that even though parents recognize the benefits of a low-grade fever for fighting off infection, about one-third would still give their child fever-reducing medication at temperatures below 100.4. Half would do so at a temperature between 100.4 and 101.9,… read on > read on >

Spring sports season will be here soon, so it’s time to get kids ready after a winter break. Sports can teach valuable lessons, including teamwork, good sportsmanship, good communication, preparing for success, handling a loss, time management and the importance of doing your best, according to Henry Ford Health System in Detroit. Pediatrician Dr. Stacy Leatherwood Cannon offers tips for parents to help kids get started safely. First, get a pre-season evaluation, regardless of requirements or your child’s age, she suggested. A doctor can detect any vision issues, joint problems, elevated blood pressure or other concerns that may affect the sports season. If your child was less active in winter, take it slow. Help them work up to increasing amounts of physical activity and teach them to stretch before and after practices and games, Leatherwood Cannon said. Make sure they’re using the right gear, which may include helmets or shin guards, cups, sports glasses for vision issues or sports goggles if there’s a risk of eye damage. Remember sunscreen, even if it’s cloudy outside, she said. Kids should apply it liberally about 30 minutes before play or swimming. Hats, long-sleeved cotton shirts and shade can also provide protection. Nutrition matters. Leatherwood Cannon recommends fueling up with fruits and vegetables to get essential vitamins and minerals. Lean protein helps build muscle, she noted, and both kids… read on > read on >

Having the information to make good food choices and being physically active can help prevent disease, including cancer. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers some tips for Americans who want to improve their nutrition. “Fruits, vegetables and whole grains provide you with nutrients and dietary fiber that can help lower your risk of developing cancer in the long term,” said Amy Bragagnini. She is a registered dietitian nutritionist and oncology nutrition specialist who serves as national spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Eating a variety of foods from all food groups keeps your meals interesting and healthful. Fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruits and vegetables all make your meal preparations easy,” Bragagnini said. She recommends filling half of your plate with fruits and veggies at each meal. “Add fresh berries to your low-fat or fat-free yogurt in the morning. Eat a dark green leafy kale salad for lunch. Stir fry some spinach, broccoli and cabbage to add atop a bed of riced cauliflower for dinner,” Bragagnini suggested. Getting in more legumes — such as beans, peas and lentils — can also add nutrition. She suggests adding black beans to an omelet and using a carrot stick as an edible spoon with hummus for a snack. A big pot of chili or lentil soup can be a healthy dinner. Making sure whole grains… read on > read on >

Natural immunity acquired from a COVID infection provides strong and lasting protection against severe illness if a person becomes reinfected, a new evidence review has concluded. Ten months after a COVID infection, protection against hospitalization and death remains at 89% for Omicron and 90% for earlier variants, according to pooled data from 65 studies conducted in 19 countries. However, protection against reinfection wanes quickly with Omicron, which is the dominant COVID strain at this time, researchers found. After 10 months, a previous case of Omicron provides only 36% protection against a follow-up COVID infection, researchers reported Feb. 16 in The Lancet. The analysis suggests that the level and duration of protection derived from COVID infection is at least on a par with that provided by two doses of the mRNA vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, researchers said. “These findings are not surprising as multiple studies have shown that prior infection confers protection against severe disease, though it may not confer protection against infection in the Omicron era,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore. He was not involved in the research. But because people first infected with the coronavirus run the risk of hospitalization, death and long COVID, researchers concluded that vaccination remains the overall best form of protection against COVID. “The vaccines and… read on > read on >

Researchers may have found a way for coffee-lovers to cut back without suffering symptoms of caffeine withdrawal like headache, fatigue, bad mood and irritability. It’s a cup of decaf. A new study found that people experienced fewer withdrawal symptoms with the substitute. “A convincing cup of decaf has the power to reduce withdrawal symptoms a lot when the person drinking it is unaware it’s decaf. But our study suggests that even if they are aware it’s decaf, their withdrawal still subsides,” said Dr. Llew Mills, a senior research associate at the University of Sydney School of Addiction Medicine, in Australia. For the study, researchers worked with 61 people who said they consumed three or more cups of coffee a day. Each went caffeine-free for 24 hours, and their withdrawal was measured. Participants were then separated into three groups. Two groups were given decaf coffee, and one of those groups was told that it was decaf. The other was deceived into thinking it was regular coffee. The third group was given water. About 45 minutes later, participants were asked to rate their withdrawal symptoms again. “The group we lied to reported a big drop in caffeine withdrawal even though there’s no pharmacological reason why it should,” Mills said. “Because they expected their withdrawal to go down, it did go down.” That’s known as a placebo effect… read on > read on >

FRIDAY, Feb. 17, 2023 (HealthDay News) – Sen. John Fetterman is being treated for clinical depression at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. “While John has experienced depression off and on throughout his life, it only became severe in recent weeks,” Fetterman’s chief of staff Adam Jentleson said in a statement. The Pennsylvania Democrat checked himself into the hospital on Wednesday night, Jentleson added. Fetterman survived a near-fatal stroke last year while he was campaigning for the Senate seat he now holds. Just last week, the first-term senator was hospitalized at George Washington University Hospital after feeling lightheaded during a Senate Democratic retreat. At that time, Fetterman was in the stroke unit for two days, where he underwent various tests including an MRI. He had not suffered an additional stroke. On Monday, he was evaluated by Congress’ attending physician Dr. Brian Monahan, who recommended he receive inpatient care at Walter Reed, in Bethesda, Md. “John agreed, and he is receiving treatment on a voluntary basis,” Jentleson said. The senator missed votes on Wednesday and Thursday night, CNBC News reported. Fetterman’s transition to the Senate in January has been made more difficult because of his stroke recovery, the Times reported. He previously served as Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor. His wife, Gisele Fetterman, asked for privacy. “After what he’s been through in the past year, there’s probably no… read on > read on >

If you spend hours a day scrolling on your smartphone or tablet, you might get “tech neck.” “Humans are upright creatures, and our bodies aren’t designed to look down for long periods of time, which puts extra pressure on the cervical spine,” said Dr. Kavita Trivedi, associate medical director of the Spine Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Americans spend about five hours a day on their cellphones and more on laptops and computers, Trivedi noted in a university news release. As a result, people can experience muscle stiffness, joint inflammation, pinched nerves, arthritis, and even bone spurs or herniated discs. A typical adult head weighs 10 to 12 pounds. Bending it at a 45-degree angle increases the force on the neck to nearly 50 pounds. “With repetition, that force can strain or injure the facet joints that connect our vertebrae,” Trivedi said. “When that happens, the surrounding muscles naturally tighten up to protect nearby nerves, which leads to inflammation, pain and knots in your neck — what is often referred to as tech neck.” Nonsurgical treatments for these injuries include medication and physical therapy, trigger point and steroid injections, nerve blocks and minimally invasive techniques such as radiofrequency ablation. Radiofrequency ablation is a procedure where radiofrequency waves are delivered to certain nerves, with the goal of interrupting pain signals to the brain.… read on > read on >

Young American children are not getting enough fruits and vegetables, but they are consuming too many sugary drinks, a new state-by-state government report shows. To come to that conclusion, the survey questioned the parents of more than 18,000 children between the ages of 1 and 5 about their kids’ eating habits. “This is the first time we’ve had state-level estimates on these behaviors,” senior study author Heather Hamner, a senior health scientist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told CNN. “It’s a really good time to think about the programs and policies that states have in place and areas where they can continue to work and improve to make the nutrition environment the best it can be for our young children.” Almost half of kids did not eat even one single vegetable every day, the report published Feb. 17 in the CDC publication Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found. In Louisiana, 64% of kids didn’t eat a daily veggie. About one-third of children overall did not have fruit each day. In Louisiana, that was half of all children. Young kids in Vermont ate the most fruits and vegetables. Meanwhile, about 57% of kids overall had at least one sugary beverage each week. In Mississippi, that was nearly 80%. In Maine, it was 38.6%. “Compared with children living in food-sufficient households, those living… read on > read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Vulvodynia: What It Is, Symptoms, Treatment & More

Bad Sleep Can Raise Heart Risks for Seniors

Many Parents Too Quick to Give Fever Meds to Kids: Poll

Getting Your Child Ready for Spring Sports

Dine Your Way to Lower Cancer Risk

Prior COVID Infection Brings Strong, Long-Lasting Immunity: Study

Kicking the Coffee Habit But Scared of Withdrawal? Try Decaf

Sen. John Fetterman Enters Hospital for Treatment of Clinical Depression

Scrolling, Staring at Screens Could Give You ‘Tech Neck’

Young Kids Eating Too Few Greens, Drinking Too Much Soda