Health/Fitness « Weekly Gravy

After suffering through a cold, many people still have a persistent cough — but why? According to Dr. Jonathan Parsons, director of the Asthma Center at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, here are some reasons for a continuing cough: Coughing is protective. It removes irritants from the lungs and protects the airway. The cough might be due to an upper respiratory tract infection. Even after the infection is gone, you may still have some inflammation in the lungs. Coughing can be worse at night. “For some patients, their cough is so severe that it disrupts their sleep to the point where they aren’t getting any sleep at all, which impacts their ability to function during the day. In that situation, you might consider taking a cough suppressant with codeine to blunt the cough reflex and assist with sleep,” Parsons said in a center news release. A cough that lasts more than three weeks may be a chronic condition. If you’re still coughing and feeling sick after three weeks, then you should see a doctor. Causes of a chronic cough include: Uncontrolled allergies, Uncontrolled asthma, Side effects of medicine, Acid reflux. Persistent cough might be a symptom of a serious illness. “If you’re coughing up blood, spiking fevers or have significant shortness of breath associated with the cough, you need to be evaluated quickly. You… read on >

Regular bedtimes and adequate sleep during childhood may contribute toward a healthy weight in the teen years, a new study finds. The study included nearly 2,200 kids in 20 U.S. cities. One-third of them had consistent, age-appropriate bedtimes between ages 5 and 9, according to their mothers. Compared to that group, those who had no bedtime routine at age 9 got less sleep and had a higher body mass index (an estimate of body fat based on height and weight) at age 15, according to the Penn State study. “Parenting practices in childhood affect physical health and BMI in the teenage years. Developing a proper routine in childhood is crucial for the future health of the child,” study co-author Orfeu Buxton said in a university news release. Buxton is director of the Sleep, Health and Society Collaboratory at Penn State. “We think sleep affects physical and mental health, and the ability to learn,” he added. The findings highlight the importance of educating parents about children’s bedtimes. Several factors should determine bedtimes. They include what time the child must get ready for school, how long it takes to get there and the school’s start time, according to the researchers. “Giving children the time frame to get the appropriate amount of sleep is paramount,” Buxton said. Bedtime should be set to give the child an adequate amount… read on >

If you’re thinking about making some health-related resolutions for 2019, the American Medical Association (AMA) has some suggestions. “This is the perfect time of year for each of us to consider our personal goals, and how we can make positive health choices in the coming year,” said AMA President Dr. Barbara McAneny. “We encourage everyone to prioritize their long-term health by making small lifestyle changes now that can have a lasting effect in improving their health,” she added in an AMA news release. The association offers some tips that can make a big difference in your health: Learn your risk for type 2 diabetes: Take a self-screening test at DoIHavePrediabetes.org. If you’re at risk, the website lists steps that can help you prevent or delay development of the blood sugar disease. Get regular exercise: Adults should get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity activity. Know your blood pressure: Get high blood pressure under control to help prevent heart attack or stroke. Eat a healthy diet: Cut down on processed foods, especially those with added salt and sugar, as well as sugar-sweetened beverages. Drink more water. Help prevent antibiotic resistance: If you’re prescribed antibiotics, take them exactly as directed. Remember: Antibiotics aren’t effective against viruses, including those that cause colds and flu. Limit alcohol and tobacco:… read on >

How highly you rate your health could predict how likely you are to catch a cold — and, even more important, how healthy you’ll be in later years. Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh asked 360 healthy adults to rate their health as excellent, very good, good, fair or poor — and then exposed them to a virus that causes the common cold. Overall, about one-third developed colds. While none said “poor” and only a few said “fair,” those who rated their health as “fair,” “good” or even “very good” were more than twice as likely to develop a cold as those who described it as “excellent.” What makes people give themselves a high health rating independent of indicators like their medical records or a doctor evaluation? Such factors include following positive lifestyle habits like regular exercise, having a strong social network and feeling a high level of emotional well-being. People who fit the bill are less likely to get sick and more likely to live longer, the researchers found. Conversely, people who think of their health as poor tend to have a poor health trajectory as they age. On the subject of warding off the common cold, a separate study done at Carnegie Mellon along with researchers at the University of California, San Francisco found that just one extra hour of sleep can… read on >

(HealthDay News) — A change in your nails may be no cause for concern, but certain changes should be taken seriously, the American Academy of Dermatology says. The academy suggests visiting a dermatologist at the first sign of: A dark streak. This could be a sign of melanoma skin cancer. A nail lifting up. This could be a sign of a fungal infection, psoriasis, injury from an aggressive manicure or injury from cleaning under your nails. Redness and swelling around a nail. You probably have an infection. Greenish black color. You probably have an infection. Pitting nails. These may be triggered by psoriasis, atopic dermatitis or alopecia. Yellow nails. These could be a sign of lung disease or rheumatoid arthritis. Deep grooves or gaps. These could be triggered by chemotherapy, an injury or major stress. Curved nails. These can be hereditary or a sign of lung, heart, liver or stomach disease.

One of your New Year’s resolutions should be to be good to your skin, and dermatologists have 10 ways to help. “All the stresses and excesses of the holidays can leave your skin in bad shape, which makes you feel low, too,” said Dr. Megan Rogge, an assistant professor of dermatology the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. “At the start of a new year, we all want to look great,” she added in a university news release. “The good news is that with a little extra time and effort, or sometimes just breaking bad habits, you can change your skin condition for the better.” Here’s how: Chill out: Stress can cause many skin problems and make some worse. So try to relax. “Acne, psoriasis, eczema, and certain types of hair loss all get worse when you’re feeling stressed. Unfortunately, these are the four most common complaints of my patients,” Rogge said. Yoga or meditation can help you decompress, but even simple breathing exercises can make a difference, she said.” Give your diet a makeover: A healthy diet not only helps control weight, it also will make your skin look better. Dr. Rajani Katta, a clinical professor of dermatology at UT, urges her patients “to eat more foods rich in antioxidants, especially fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, since they’ve been shown to help… read on >

Alcohol. It’s a fixture at New Year’s parties, but it’s also is a calorie guzzler — one drink can eat up 10 percent or more of a dieter’s daily allotment, depending on how fanciful the beverage is. And there are other ways booze can undermine your wellness efforts. The calories in every gram of alcohol have no nutritional value, so you’re also missing out on the vitamins and minerals you get from food calories. What’s more, heavy drinking can affect your metabolism and lead your body to store fat, hampering muscle development, the American Council on Exercise reports. Despite its initial feel-good effect, alcohol is actually a depressant, negatively affecting brain function, balance and hand-eye coordination. It can leave you feeling sluggish while ramping up your appetite, causing you to eat hundreds of unwanted calories, often unhealthful “bar food.” But the news isn’t all bad. As with most consumption, it comes down to moderation — that’s a max of one drink a day for women and two for men. To avoid overdoing it on booze: Know the standard drink sizes so you can account for the correct number of calories. Never drink on an empty stomach — food helps to slow down alcohol’s effects. Have a sip of water between sips of alcohol to make the drink last longer. Set daily and weekly goals for… read on >

(HealthDay News) — PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy is a relatively new treatment for pain, the American Association of Orthopaedic Medicine says. It has shown promise, the association says, for treating ailments including osteoarthritis of the knee, shoulder, hip and spine; rotator cuff tears; chronic plantar fasciitis; and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. The association explains how the therapy works: Doctors draw a sample of the patient’s blood and place it in a centrifuge where it will be spun at high speeds to separate the platelets from other blood components. The concentrated platelets are then injected back into the point of injury to jump-start the healing process. The platelets initiate repair and attract the critical assistance of stem cells. The injections take about 2 hours and can be done in a doctor’s office. Up to three PRP injections may be given within six months. Improvement may be seen within a few weeks. Ultrasound and MRI images have shown tissue repair after PRP therapy.

Being in tune with the present moment — called mindfulness — can relieve stress and make you an actor rather than a reactor, a wellness expert says. Focusing on what’s happening right now allows people to notice things they might otherwise miss, said Dr. Timothy Riley. He is an assistant professor in the family and community medicine department at Penn State Health. That might sound simple enough. But being engaged in the present moment, on purpose and non-judgmentally, can be a challenge, he said. “Being aware of physical sensations, thoughts and emotions — both pleasant and unpleasant — can help us choose how to respond, rather than simply react,” Riley said in a Penn State news release. Each individual’s upbringing and genes have programmed how they approach situations, he explained. A person’s automatic reactions can be spot on — or not. “You walk by Starbucks, see a cookie and you have an emotional response,” he said. “You want the cookie. Then may come guilt for wanting a cookie.” If you’re mindful, you see the cookie, are aware of your emotional response, and you can let it be without judgment, Riley added. “It puts you in this observer stance where we can witness what is happening without getting wrapped up in it,” he said. “It gives you a bit of space.” That moment can help you… read on >