Health/Fitness « Weekly Gravy

You might think of seeing a skin specialist for cosmetic procedures, to freshen skin or to get rid of lines. But do you recognize the signs of problems that need the attention of a skin doctor? Here are some of the most common skin conditions and their warning signs. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. With millions of new cases diagnosed each year, report any suspicious new moles or a change in an existing mole. Do a monthly visual check of your skin using mirrors for hard-to-see areas using the “A-B-C-D-E” test. A mole is worrisome if it: Is Asymmetrical Has a Border with ragged edges Has Color that’s uneven Has a Diameter larger than a pencil eraser Is Elevated or raised Another common — and persistent — skin problem is acne, with its clogged pores and pus-filled pimples. Breakouts can affect people well into their adult years. For acne that doesn’t improve with drugstore products, see a dermatologist not only to clear up skin, but also to avoid permanent scars. Because acne can affect self-esteem, don’t let your kids suffer with it. Acne may not harmlessly just run its course. Constant redness anywhere on the face can be a sign of rosacea. You might see thin blood vessels and pimples but not the blackheads of acne. A… read on >

Spring break may mean sun and fun for lots of college kids, but it doesn’t mean they can forget about contact lens care, experts say. Your risk of eye infections increases if you wear contacts and do things such as sleep in them, shower or swim with them in, and not wash your hands before handling them — all of which are more likely to happen when you’re busy enjoying your spring break. The American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Academy of Optometry and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer the following contact lens safety tips for travelers: Pack a spare pair of glasses. Take out your contact lenses before jumping into the water at a beach or pool. Take your contact lenses out before bed, even if you’re up late. Bring enough contact lens supplies with you on your trip. Don’t top off by adding new solution to old. Never wear contact lenses that were not prescribed to you, especially decorative lenses sold at souvenir shops. Always wash your hands with soap and water before touching your contact lenses. Remove your contact lenses and call an eye doctor immediately if you experience redness, pain, tearing, discharge or swelling of your eyes, as well as increased light sensitivity or blurred vision. “Most people don’t think of contact lenses as a medical device, but… read on >

To take calcium or not to take calcium, that is still the question. In a new study that contradicts earlier research, investigators found that adding calcium to your diet will not raise your risk of a common age-related eye disease. That disease, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness among Americans aged 65 and older. In the new research, a team from the U.S. National Eye Institute analyzed data from more than 4,700 people in the United States who were followed for an average of 10 years as part of a study on age-related eye disease. None of the participants had AMD at the start of the study. As participants got older, those with the highest intake of calcium from their diet or supplements actually had a lower risk of developing late-stage AMD than those with the lowest calcium intake, the findings showed. The study was published March 21 in JAMA Ophthalmology. “Although the findings suggest that high calcium intake may be protective, the jury is still out on whether people should alter their calcium intake to prevent the onset or progression of AMD,” said lead investigator Dr. Emily Chew. She is director of the division of epidemiology and clinical applications, and deputy clinical director at the eye institute. Chew noted that the apparent protective effect of calcium could… read on >

Maybe you rush around with work and activities during the day, then settle in for a large, relaxing meal in the evening. But new research says the later in the day you eat, the more weight you’re likely to pack on. That’s the takeaway from a week-long study involving 31 overweight and obese patients, mostly women. “We evaluated meal and sleep timing in patients with overweight/obesity at the beginning of a weight loss trial, before participants started the intervention,” said lead author Dr. Adnin Zaman, an endocrinology fellow at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Her team found that “eating later into the day was associated with a higher body mass index (BMI) and greater body fat.” BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. For the study, participants were enrolled in a weight-loss trial comparing daily calorie limits to time-restricted feeding. In other words, once the trial launched, they could only eat during certain hours of the day. Ninety percent of the participants were women. Their average age was 36. A week before the study, they were outfitted with electronic devices to monitor their activity and sleep. They also were asked to snap cellphone photos of everything they ate. The photos were time-stamped using an app called MealLogger. Zaman and colleagues did not define which hours would amount to… read on >

For people who carry too much weight and suffer from migraines, dropping some pounds might help ease their pain, new research shows. “When people lose weight, the number of days per month with migraine decreases, as does pain severity and headache attack duration,” said lead researcher Dr. Claudio Pagano. He is associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Padova in Italy. Pagano’s team looked at data from 10 different studies that included 473 migraine patients in total. The analysis showed that weight loss was associated with large declines in migraine frequency, duration, pain and disability. The benefits were similar whether reductions in weight were achieved through weight-loss surgery or changes in diet and exercise, and were similar in kids and adults. How overweight you were to begin with didn’t seem to matter, however. Improvements in migraine were not tied to either the original level of obesity or the overall amount of weight loss, Pagano’s group reported. The findings were to be presented Saturday at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, in New Orleans. The bottom line is that “if you suffer from migraine headaches and are obese, losing weight will ameliorate the quality of your family and social life, as well as your work and school productivity. Your overall quality of life will greatly improve,” Pagano said. “Weight loss in adults and children with… read on >

Ever had a bad spasm from bending down to pick up your child or tie your shoes? Keeping your core muscles — the workhorses that stabilize your spine — flexible with a stretching routine can help prevent this common occurrence and protect your back in general. The Pelvic Tilt targets your lower back and your abdominals. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet about hip-width apart. Flatten and then press your lower back into the floor. You’ll feel your hips tilt forward. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds and repeat five times. The Side Stretch helps your back and sides become more limber. In a standing position, extend your right arm above your head. Put your left hand on your hip. Slowly bend to the left without twisting or jerking. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds and repeat five times. Then repeat the sequence on the other side. The Back Arch stretches hips and shoulders as well as your back. Stand up straight, legs shoulder width apart. Support your lower back with both hands and bend backwards. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds and repeat five times. As a reminder, never bounce when stretching. This can cause muscles to tighten and lead to injury. Ease into every stretch with a slow, steady movement. Stop if any stretch feels uncomfortable. You should feel slight… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Children often visit the pediatrician for skin rashes. From viruses to allergies, rashes have a multitude of causes. To ease discomfort, KidsHealth tells parents: Do not rub the skin. Pat it dry after a bath or shower. Do not scratch or scrub the skin. Leave the rash exposed to air.

(HealthDay News) — Treating acne scars starts by consulting a dermatologist. To get the most out of the consultation, the American Academy of Dermatology suggests answering these questions before seeing a doctor: Why do I want to treat my scars? How do I want to look? What can I afford to spend? How much downtime can I afford?

You’ll find plenty of nutrient-enriched flavored waters on grocery shelves, but are they any better for your diet than a glass of water with a squeeze of lemon? Many drinks promise health benefits, from more energy and better exercise performance to a stronger immune system. The latest fad is alkaline water, with claims that its manipulated pH has health benefits. But none of the claims of enhanced water products have been substantiated with serious research. In fact, Coca-Cola, parent company of Vitaminwater, voluntarily agreed in 2016 to remove claims from its labels to end a lawsuit brought by the Center for Science in the Public Interest seven years earlier. Drilling down into what’s inside the bottle brings up other concerns. Some products contain unnecessary nutrients. For example, most people who perform average amounts of exercise don’t need to replace electrolytes the way athletes do, and don’t need enhanced “sports” waters and other drinks, but there’s no science to support that either. Other products contain excessive amounts of some nutrients. Among 46 drinks tested in one study, most had at least one nutrient in excess of the daily required amount. Yet other than vitamin D, most Americans aren’t lacking in vitamins, and getting an abundance of certain nutrients can pose health risks. Of greater concern, whether you’re limiting calories to lose weight or want to eat… read on >

Think of it as another example of a refined palate. The ability to make speech sounds such as “f” and “v” is due to diet-led changes in humans’ bite, researchers say. The range of speech sounds people can make was generally thought to be fixed since modern humans appeared about 300,000 years ago, but this new study challenges that theory. The findings suggest that sounds such as “f” and “v” — common in many modern languages — are a relatively recent development linked to humans’ eating habits. The teeth of adult humans used to meet in an edge-to-edge bite in order to cope with harder and tougher foods. As softer foods became available, the overbite that had previously disappeared by adulthood remained, with upper teeth slightly in front of lower teeth, the researchers explained. This enabled the emergence of a new class of speech sounds called labiodentals, now used in half of the world’s languages. These sounds are made by touching the lower lip to the upper teeth, as when pronouncing the letter “f.” “In Europe, our data suggests that the use of labiodentals has increased dramatically only in the last couple of millennia, correlated with the rise of food processing technology such as industrial milling,” said study co-first author Steven Moran, a linguist at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. “The influence of biological… read on >