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(HealthDay News) — If you aren’t getting enough sleep, you’ll probably feel very tired during the day. And you may not feel alert and refreshed when you wake up. While everyone has a sleepless night now and then, chronic lack of sleep can lead to a host of medical problems and should be discussed with your doctor, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says. Here is the agency’s list of issues you should mention to your physician: How long you’ve had trouble sleeping and how often it occurs. How long it typically takes you to fall asleep, how often you wake up at night, and how long it takes you to fall back asleep. Do you snore loudly or wake up gasping or feeling out of breath? Do you feel refreshed when you wake up, or are you tired? How often you doze off or have trouble staying awake during everyday tasks, especially driving.

Forget what a hot chili pepper can do to your stomach: A new case report suggests that eating some of the hottest ones may give you a headache that can send you to the emergency room. A young man was taking part in a hot chili pepper eating contest and ate a particularly potent type called the Carolina Reaper, according to doctors from Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, N.Y. Some call the Reaper the world’s hottest chili pepper. The man immediately suffered dry heaves and over the next several days experienced intense neck pain and headaches, each of which lasted just a few seconds. After finally seeking emergency care, the man was tested for a number of neurological conditions, but all the results came back negative. However, a CT scan revealed that several arteries in the man’s brain had narrowed, leading to a diagnosis of thunderclap headache due to reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS). The syndrome doesn’t always have an obvious cause, but can occur as a reaction to certain prescription medications or illegal drugs, according to the report in the April 9 issue of the journal BMJ Case Reports. The researchers said this is the first such case linked with eating hot chili peppers, but they noted that consuming cayenne pepper has long been associated with a sudden narrowing of the coronary artery and… read on >

Staying physically fit can help ward off heart trouble, even if your genetics put you at higher risk for clogged arteries, a new, large study suggests. The researchers looked at nearly 500,000 middle-aged and older adults and found those with higher fitness levels were less likely to develop heart disease over six years. And that was true even for people who carried gene variants that raise the odds of heart problems. That does not mean exercise erases the effects of genes, the researchers added. But if you do have a genetic vulnerability to heart disease, you’re better off being physically fit. “It’s likely that if you try to improve your fitness level through exercise, you’ll benefit,” said senior researcher Dr. Erik Ingelsson, a professor of medicine at Stanford University in California. How much, or what type, of exercise is “enough”? The study cannot answer those questions, Ingelsson said. His team did not test any particular exercise regimens. The researchers looked at how people’s fitness levels — gauged during a stationary bike workout — correlated with their risk of developing heart disease over the next six years. They found that regardless of the genes people carried, higher fitness levels meant a lower risk of heart trouble. Among the one-third of people at highest genetic risk, those with the highest fitness levels were 49 percent less likely… read on >

Whether you want to lose weight, maintain your weight or just eat healthily, you need to know about protein. Protein in the foods you eat helps build and maintain your bones, muscles and skin. However, you need to consume protein every day because your body doesn’t store it the same as it stores carbohydrates and fats. Most adults should eat 5 to 7 ounces of protein daily, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Knowing the best sources of protein can boost your health as well as help you feel more satisfied on fewer calories. But, you need to choose carefully. Seafood is an excellent source of protein. Your options are many, with dozens of types of protein-rich fish and shellfish to try. Aim to eat a five-ounce serving at least twice every week. And, for even more benefits, try to include fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and trout. Omega-3s can help reduce risk factors for heart disease, such as cholesterol and blood pressure. Chicken and turkey are great protein foods, too. For the healthiest approach, remove the skin before eating. Keep in mind, too, that breast meat has less fat — and therefore fewer calories — than dark meat. Including particular vegetables on your menus will ensure you get even more protein. Try beans and peas — kidney, pinto,… read on >

Science says you can get your coffee buzz without fear of cancer, so experts say you can forget that recent controversial California law. Last Wednesday, a Los Angeles judge ruled that coffee shops such as Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts must caution customers that coffee contains acrylamide — a potential cancer-causing chemical that forms as a byproduct of roasting. Acrylamide is also found in fried foods such as french fries, and in cigarette smoke. Finding on behalf of the plaintiff, the Council for Education and Research on Toxics, Judge Elihu Berle said that coffee companies failed to prove that the amount of acrylamide in coffee was safe — or that coffee has health benefits. But Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, said coffee lovers still have grounds to stick with the beverage. The judge’s decision may follow the law, Lichtenfeld said, but it stands in opposition to the science on the subject. “To me, this whole issue is really much more legal than medical,” he said. In large quantities, acrylamide is a known cancer-causing chemical according to results from tests with rodents, Lichtenfeld explained. Based on these tests, acrylamide is also likely carcinogenic in humans when consumed in large amounts, he said. However, the key issue is dosage. “There is no good human evidence to show the amount of acrylamide… read on >

Toned abs don’t just look great, they’re also vital for good posture and avoiding lower back pain. But there’s a limit to how far the exercises known as crunches will go toward getting you those six-pack abs. These exercises create definition, but they won’t get rid of belly fat, according to a report in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. That goal needs the one-two punch of exercise to firm muscle and diet to reduce fat. That being said, crunches belong in a core workout — that’s one targeting all the muscles in your torso. When it comes to crunches, working smarter is more important than doing hundreds of them. To intensify ab workouts: Increase the number of reps per set. Increase the number of sets. Shorten resting time between sets. Increase the angle of exercises. Wear ankles weights. Hold a weight plate against your chest. Here are specific pointers to improve the effectiveness of the most popular exercises. For the basic crunch, lie on your back, knees slightly bent, feet flat on the floor and hip distance apart. Breathe in, then exhale as you tighten your abs and lift your head and shoulders toward the ceiling. Do not curl up toward your knees. Hold briefly, then slowly return to the starting position, inhaling as you lower yourself to the floor. Start with 10… read on >

Hay fever sufferers often choose the wrong medication for their seasonal sniffles, new research suggests. With flowers, trees and grasses springing back to life, folks with allergies will start to complain of sneezing, runny noses, and watery, itchy eyes. More often than not, though, they’ll head to the allergy aisle of their nearest drug store without advice from a doctor or pharmacist, the new study found. Only 63 percent of people who visit their community pharmacy to purchase treatment for their hay fever have a doctor diagnosis, said study senior author Sinthia Bosnic-Anticevich. “This is despite the fact that a vast majority of them are experiencing moderate to severe hay fever symptoms, which impact on their day-to-day living,” she added. Moreover, 70 percent select their own hay fever medication without consulting the pharmacist. And of those who reported wheezing, only 6 percent chose the correct medication, the study found. “Only 17 percent [choose allergy drugs] appropriately,” added Bosnic-Anticevich, a professor at the University of Sydney in Australia, who specializes in the use of respiratory medicines. It’s estimated that hay fever affects 30 percent of the world’s population, the researchers pointed out. Although this study was done in Australia, Bosnic-Anticevich said she has heard anecdotally from U.S. colleagues that the results would likely be similar if it had been done with American allergy sufferers. So what… read on >

Home exercise equipment has come a long way over the years. It’s a great option if you’re starting a fitness program and don’t want to go to a gym or can’t get to your gym often enough. There’s also the convenience of having your favorite piece of cardio equipment in your home, especially on bad weather days. Whatever your reason, take steps to make sure that the machine is cost effective and that you’re getting all the features you’re used to at the gym or that you’ll need to stay motivated at home. There are different considerations for each type of machine. For instance, for real elliptical movement you need a rear-drive unit with an adjustable incline ramp at the front, the American College of Sports Medicine explains. Less expensive front-drive ellipticals often don’t deliver a natural motion and may not feel comfortable to you. There are equally big differences between electronic stair steppers and manual ones, and between manual and motorized treadmills, for which a 3-horsepower motor is best. Check out the range of built-in speed adjustments. If you’re a beginner, the machine should be able to progress with you; if you’re a seasoned user, it should have enough settings to keep you challenged for the long term. Next, determine what bells and whistles are important to you, such as preset programs, a large… read on >

Headed to a Major League Baseball game? Be prepared to duck and cover. As the 2018 season gets underway, a new study finds that fans’ risk of being struck by a foul ball or flying bat at Major League Baseball (MLB) games is on the rise. Each year, about 1,750 fans are hurt by foul balls at MLB games. That works out to about two injuries for every three games — more common than batters getting hit by wayward pitches, according to Indiana University researchers. The researchers did not examine injuries among the more than 40 million fans who attend minor league games. But fans’ risk of getting hit at MLB games rose as nearly two dozen new stadiums opened since 1992, the study found. The added risk is easy to explain, the researchers said. “Fans today frequently sit more than 20 percent closer to home plate than was the case throughout most of the 20th century,” said study author Nathaniel Grow, an associate professor of business law and ethics at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. “When you combine that with an increase in the speed with which baseballs are being hit into the stands, fans have less time to avoid errant balls or bats heading in their direction,” Grow explained in a university news release. A typical foul ball enters the stands at… read on >

Even though they know it’s dangerous, many American drivers still talk on a cellphone or text while behind the wheel, a new survey finds. In fact, the number of drivers who say they talk regularly or fairly often on their cellphone while driving has actually risen 46 percent since 2013, the pollsters say. More than 2,600 licensed drivers, aged 16 and older, were questioned for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety survey. Nearly 58 percent said talking on a cellphone while driving is a very serious threat to their safety, while 78 percent said texting is a significant danger. Yet nearly half of the respondents said they recently talked on a hand-held phone while driving. And more than one-third had sent a text or email while driving, according to the survey. “With more than 37,000 deaths on U.S. roads in 2016, we need to continue finding ways to limit driving distractions and improve traffic safety,” said David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “The foundation’s work offers insight on drivers’ attitudes toward traffic safety and their behaviors, so we can better understand the issue and identify potential countermeasures to reduce crashes,” he added in a foundation news release. Drivers talking on a cellphone are up to four times more likely to crash, and those who text are up to eight times… read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Health Tip: Speak With Your Doctor if You Aren’t Sleeping Well

One Man Got a Nasty Surprise From World’s Hottest Chili Pepper

Exercise Cuts Heart Risks, Regardless of Your Genes

Here’s How to Pack Protein Into Your Diet

Despite California’s Warning Signs, Coffee Is Still Safe, Experts Say

It’s Crunch Time

Many Pick the Wrong Drugs for Sneezin’ Season

Smart Choices for Your Home Gym

Foul Play: More Baseball Fans Getting Hit By the Ball

Phone-Using Drivers Knowingly Ignore the Danger