(HealthDay News) — Repetitive strain injury (RSI) stems from prolonged repetitive, forceful or awkward movement of the same muscles, says the University of Michigan. The effects of RSI may include pain, weakness, numbness or poor motor control. To help prevent RSI, the school suggests: Practice good posture. Ensure the chair at your workstation is adjustable. Do not overuse your joints. Take breaks and stretch. Avoid gripping writing utensils tightly. Use proper typing techniques. Keep your wrists straight, let your hands float and don’t strain your fingers.
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Health Tip: The ‘Wall Test’ For Good Posture
(HealthDay News) — Proper posture can prevent pain and injury, says Mayo Clinic. To check if you have proper posture, Mayo suggests the “wall test.” Here’s what it involves: Stand so the back of your head, shoulder blades and buttocks touch the wall. Your heels should be 2 to 4 inches apart. Place a flat hand behind the small of your back. You should be able to slide your hand between your lower back and the wall. If there’s too much space behind your lower back, draw your belly button toward your spine. If there’s too little space behind your lower back, arch your back so your hand can slide behind you. Walk away from the wall while holding proper posture. Return to the wall to check whether you kept the correct posture.
More Teens Learning to Drive in Safer Conditions
Could America’s roads become safer in the future? Maybe. A new online survey involving just over 1,400 participants showed that a growing number of American teens are getting their driver’s license before age 18, which means more of them are learning to drive under supervised conditions. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study released Oct. 21 surveyed teens and young adults aged 18 to 24 to determine when they got their license. The questionnaire was administered over this past summer. The researchers found that nearly 41% of survey participants got their license at or before age 16, and about 60% did so before age 18, an 11% increase since 2012. “The trend for teens to acquire their driver’s license has changed over the past 10 years,” said David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “Many are getting licensed before the age of 18, which means more of Generation Z is learning to drive under the protection of state graduated-driver licensing programs and parental supervision,” Yang added in a foundation news release. In 2012, the United States was just emerging from a recession and many young people said they’d delayed getting their license because their family couldn’t afford the high cost of having an additional driver, the researchers noted. The new study also found that nearly two-thirds of respondents in less urbanized… read on >
Could AI Beat Radiologists at Spotting Bleeds in the Brain?
Computer-driven artificial intelligence (AI) can help protect human brains from the damage wrought by stroke, a new report suggests. A computer program trained to look for bleeding in the brain outperformed two of four certified radiologists, finding abnormalities in brain scans quickly and efficiently, the researchers reported. “This AI can evaluate the whole head in one second,” said senior researcher Dr. Esther Yuh, an associate professor of radiology at the University of California, San Francisco. “We trained it to be very, very good at looking for the kind of tiny abnormalities that radiologists look for.” Stroke doctors often say that “time is brain,” meaning that every second’s delay in treating a stroke results in more brain cells dying and the patient becoming further incapacitated. Yuh and her colleagues hope that AI programmed to find trouble spots in a brain will be able to significantly cut down treatment time for stroke patients. “Instead of having a delay of 20 to 30 minutes for a radiologist to turn around a CT scan for interpretation, the computer can read it in a second,” Yuh said. Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States, and is a leading cause of disability, according to the American Stroke Association. There are two types of strokes: ones caused by burst blood vessels in the brain (hemorrhagic), and others that… read on >
Health Tip: Caring for Shoulder Pain
(HealthDay News) — The shoulder normally has a wide range of motion. But swelling, damage or bone changes can cause pain, restrict the shoulder’s use and significantly impact daily activities, says MedlinePlus. To care for shoulder pain, MedlinePlus suggests: Put ice on the shoulder for 15 minutes on and off. Rest your shoulder for a few days. Slowly return to regular activities. Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to reduce inflammation and pain. Call 911 if you have sudden pressure or a crushing pain in your shoulder, as this can be a warning sign of heart attack.
Don’t Be Fooled By Foods That Sound Healthy But Aren’t
You probably already realize that adding zucchini or carrots to a cake won’t magically make it low calorie or healthy. But you might not realize that there are many foods that sound healthy but really aren’t. It might seem as though bran muffins are the perfect way to get needed fiber, but the 3 grams in an average bakery offering don’t justify all the white flour, sugar, fat and calories that go along with it. A better breakfast is to mix 2 tablespoons of wheat bran into hot, steel-cut oatmeal and top it with a handful of raisins. Sushi sounds like a great way to enjoy fish, but the ratio of fish to rice — usually white rice — makes the protein portion minuscule (and, ounce for ounce, extremely expensive). Opt for sashimi instead, which is simply slices of raw fish, or ask for brown rice in your rolls. Also, watch the soy sauce — it’s laden with salt — and limit mayonnaise-based spicy sauces that accompany many fancy rolls. What could be bad about hazelnut and dark chocolate spreads? The problem is that sugar and palm oil are the first two ingredients in many popular store brands. If you love the flavor, dip whole roasted hazelnuts into melted dark chocolate as a treat, or whip up your own spread by blending freshly roasted hazelnuts… read on >
The Exercise Effect and Prediabetes
If you’ve been told that your blood glucose is higher than normal and that you have prediabetes, your doctor is likely to first suggest lifestyle steps to stop it from progressing to diabetes. The steps that can have the most benefit are losing weight and improving your diet, which obviously go hand in hand. But studies also show that different types of exercise can play an important part in diabetes prevention as well, especially if you’re overweight. Research done at the University of Michigan and published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that, for overweight people, regular aerobic activity could interrupt the changes in metabolism that set the stage for diabetes. As you’re mapping out a fitness strategy with your doctor, talk about how to incorporate both types of exercise into your life. National guidelines are to get 150 minutes per week of aerobic activity, which could be 30 minutes on each of five days or, for beginners, three chunks of 10 minutes each on five days. Strength training could be done on the two non-aerobic activity days as long as there is a rest period of at least 48 hours between sessions to give muscles time for recovery and growth. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on prediabetes and how to prevent it from progressing.
Health Tip: Understanding Omega-3 Fatty Acids
(HealthDay News) — Omega-3 fatty acids are essential elements that the body doesn’t make on its own, says the Cleveland Clinic. Fish, plants and supplements are among the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids. For people who don’t have a history of heart disease, two servings of fish per week is recommended. Research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids can help improve your cardiovascular health. But don’t overdo it. Consuming three or more grams of omega-3 fatty acids each day can have negative health effects, the clinic says.
Health Tip: Effects of Hunger on the Body
(HealthDay News) — Some 37 million Americans are facing hunger today, says Feeding America. Though hunger is not always apparent, the effects on the mind and body can be devastating. Worrying about where your next meal will come from or the inability to feed your loved ones can adversely affect your mental health. And concentrating in school or at work can prove difficult when you’re hungry. Roaring stomachs can cause crankiness and aggression, which can impact your everyday life, too. Additionally, skipping meals has been associated with chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
A Workout to Protect Your Thumbs
The range of motion of the human thumb makes so many everyday hand movements possible. Whether you’re an athlete gripping sports equipment, a baker whisking egg whites or a do-it-yourselfer hammering a nail, you’d be at a total loss without your thumbs. Yet most people do little to protect these overlooked but essential digits. First, be aware of the common ways you can injure your thumbs. At the top of the list is overuse from texting and playing video games. Putting out your hand to cushion a fall is another cause. So is oxer-extending the thumbs when you’re playing tennis and when you’re skiing, typically when you fall if your hands get caught in your poles. To prevent problems, take steps to avoid overuse injuries and condition your thumbs just as you would any other body part. Give your thumbs a rest from texting by using your index fingers and/or the voice feature on your phone and other gadgets. Do daily stretches to improve range-of-motion and flexibility, like thumb extensions and flexions. With your palm up and fingers together, first extend your thumb out to the side to make a 90-degree angle with your hand, then cross your thumb over your open palm toward the base of your pinkie and hold for 10 seconds. Next, open and close your fingers in a fist. Finally do… read on >