Along with the flu, this is the time of year for sinus infections with their make-you-miserable stuffy, runny noses and blocked ears. Most sinus infections are caused by viruses, but bacteria can also be to blame, according to Dr. Jessica Grayson, an assistant professor of otolaryngology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “When people say they have sinus pressure, they may mean nasal congestion,” Grayson said in a university news release. “Bilateral congestion could mean a person has a viral infection or an allergic reaction. Viral infections don’t pick and choose a side.” If your sinus pressure is isolated, you might have a bacterial infection, and that means you need to see a doctor and probably need an antibiotic, she said. Taking too many, though, can have negative effects on the immune system. “With a virus,” Grayson added, “you just have to let it run its course.” But a nasal decongestant like Afrin can help, she said. Grayson recommends using it at night and for no more than three or four days in a row. Use it longer and you run the risk of getting rebound congestion. “This starts a vicious cycle of becoming addicted to using the product,” she said. Using saline irrigation or a neti pot can also help by washing out the nasal passages, Grayson said. For the first few days…  read on >

If you don’t want to be one of the 40 million Americans who get the flu each year, it’s time to roll up your sleeve. Everyone 6 months of age or older should have a flu shot by late October, before flu season begins, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends. Flu puts hundreds of thousands in the hospital each year and last year it claimed up to 61,000 lives, the CDC estimated. Even once the flu season is in full swing, it’s not too late to get protected, experts from Rutgers Medical School said. The vaccine covers both influenza A and B strains, and this year’s shot has been tweaked to account for changes in the virus. “Besides protecting you from common strains of the flu, the vaccine will lessen the severity of symptoms if you contract a strain that was not included,” said Dr. Tanaya Bhowmick, an infectious diseases specialist. “Having the vaccination will stop the virus from infecting others,” especially vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children and those who have an impaired immune system, she explained in a news release from Rutgers Health. Bhowmick added that a nasal spray vaccine, FluMist, can be given to people between the ages of 2 and 49, and it’s as effective as a needle. Her colleague, Dr. David Cennimo, an assistant professor of…  read on >

Chronic migraine headaches plagued Adam Pressley from childhood, and by his 30s they had become a near-daily occurrence. Pressley, 31, had tried everything to stop them: blood pressure drugs, antidepressants, seizure medications, and even quarterly injections of Botox. Then his doctor suggested something surprising, saying plastic surgery could potentially relieve nerve pressure that was contributing to the headaches. “I kind of thought it was crazy, a plastic surgery procedure that could help people with their migraines,” said Pressley, who lives in Clarksville, Tenn. “I was both skeptical and happy at the same time.” The use of nerve-releasing plastic surgery to treat migraine has been around for a couple of decades, and the procedure is becoming more common and more effective, said Dr. Salam Kassis, a plastic surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. Clinical research now indicates that about half of the people who undergo surgery to release entrapped nerves will experience complete relief from migraines, and another 40% will have fewer and less severe headaches, he said. “Over the last 20 years, our percentages have improved dramatically. The success rate is even better than it was a decade ago,” Kassis said. Not all headache experts are sold on the procedure, however. “Certainly, there are some cases where this might be helpful, but it’s not something I generally recommend in my practice,” said…  read on >

In recent years, the number of U.S. adults getting total hip replacements — meaning both a new ball and joint socket — following a hip fracture has soared to an estimated 500,000 annually. That’s nearly three times the rate at which these adults undergo a partial hip replacement, which only replaces the ball of the hip joint. But a new Canadian study that compared the short-term outcomes of both surgeries showed somewhat surprising conclusions. “What we now know is that within two years of having either a total or partial hip replacement, there’s no difference, and possibly more harm, with total replacements,” said lead author Dr. Mohit Bhandari, academic head of orthopedic surgery at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. The global study randomly assigned an estimated 1,500 patients — all of whom were 50 or older with a hip fracture but able to walk independently — to receive either a total or partial hip replacement. Researchers wanted to learn, first and foremost, which group would be more likely to need a secondary hip procedure within two years of follow-up. They also analyzed differences between the two groups with regard to function and quality of life, as well as the development of serious adverse effects. Most differences proved negligible. About 8% of patients in both groups needed to undergo a second hip procedure within 24 months…  read on >

A tuberculosis vaccine commonly used in other parts of the world might reduce a person’s risk of developing lung cancer if given early in childhood, a six-decade-long study reports. The Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine is the only vaccine approved for preventing tuberculosis (TB) — a potentially fatal infectious disease that typically attacks the lungs. Because TB risk is low in the United States, the vaccine isn’t often given to American children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the new study suggests the vaccine may have some positive side effects. “BCG-vaccinated participants had a significant 2.5-fold lower rate of lung cancer,” said study senior author Dr. Naomi Aronson, director of infectious diseases at Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Md. She said lower lung cancer rates persisted in those who received the vaccine no matter where they lived, and whether they smoked, drank alcohol or had tuberculosis. Aronson said BCG affects the immune system somehow and may provide even more benefit in the lungs. The initial study was conducted in 3,000 American Indian and Alaska Native children in the 1930s. If the findings are confirmed in different groups, Aronson said the use of BCG vaccine in childhood “might be considered for risk reduction for lung cancer over a lifetime.” Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, interim chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, reviewed…  read on >

Here’s a compelling reason to keep those dreaded appointments with your dentist: New research suggests that red, tender or bleeding gums could trigger high blood pressure. In a review of 81 studies that included more than 250,000 people, U.K. scientists found that those who had moderate to severe gum disease (periodontitis) had a 22% increased risk for high blood pressure, and those with severe gum disease had a 49% higher risk. “Oral health is closely linked to general health,” explained researcher Dr. Francesco D’Aiuto, head of the periodontology unit at University College London’s Eastman Dental Institute. “Looking after your teeth and gums is often neglected, but [it] should be as important as managing other general health risks,” he added. Among people with periodontitis, systolic pressure (top number) was 4.5 mm Hg higher and diastolic pressure (bottom number) was 2 mm Hg higher, on average, than people without gum disease, the researchers found. In five of the studies analyzed, researchers found that blood pressure dropped when periodontitis was treated. Blood pressure also dropped in patients treated for gum disease who didn’t have hypertension, they added. But whether treating periodontitis really is the cause of a drop in blood pressure isn’t certain, D’Aiuto said, since the study did not prove a cause-and-effect link. “Bad brushing and bacteria accumulation around teeth causes gum bleeding and disease, but also…  read on >