Lifestyle « Weekly Gravy

(HealthDay News) — About 7 percent of Americans are affected by social anxiety disorder, a mental illness in which a person feels uncontrollable fear during social situations. These instances may range from answering a question in class to talking to a cashier at a grocery store. Often, people with social anxiety disorder are afraid of being humiliated, judged or rejected, says the National Institute of Mental Health. Though the cause of social anxiety is not known, underdeveloped social skills and genetics are thought to contribute. The agency recommends talking with a doctor if you have symptoms of social anxiety. After a diagnosis is made, psychotherapy, medication or both may be part of a treatment plan.

Quality over quantity is an approach that can lead to a better sex life. Studies show that feeling satisfied with the sexual aspect of their relationship is more important to many people than how often they have sex. How can you start to enhance the quality of your sex life? You may be surprised to know that improving intimacy begins before you ever set foot in the bedroom. It’s important to nurture the nonsexual aspects of your relationship to boost marital satisfaction. Acts of tenderness and affection strengthen emotional ties between partners. Feeling secure and loved is a strong foundation for sexual pleasure. Setting the mood for sex itself starts with setting aside time so that you won’t feel rushed and can be at ease with each other and in the moment. Rather than worry about aspects like spontaneity, carve out time for romance when you know that parenting and/or work obligations won’t distract you. This might be at more unusual times, such as very early in the morning when you have far more energy than you did the night before. Sexual satisfaction is very individual. So, open communication with your partner is key to understanding their desires — what turns him or her on — and communicating the same things about yourself. This can be difficult if you feel shy about voicing wants and… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Conversations about sensitive topics can significantly strain relationships, says the American Psychological Association. In fact, about 27 percent of adults agree that the current political climate has caused strain between themselves and family members. To help manage political disagreements, the association encourages you to: Find areas where you agree with the other person. Be open and kind. Avoid polarizing language and personal attacks. Keep calm when tensions rise. Accept that you may not change the other person’s mind. Remember that disagreeing with someone you care about is okay. Know when to end the conversation.

Allergies and asthma can turn Halloween into fright night, so parents must be vigilant. Some fun-sized candy bars have no labels to alert about possible food allergens, such as peanuts, said Dr. Todd Mahr, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. But food allergens aren’t the only potential concerns. “Halloween happens in the fall, so trick or treating involves being aware of fall allergies,” Mahr said in a college news release. Ragweed and other types of pollen can trigger fall allergies. Keep pollen out of your house by leaving shoes at the door, and having children shower, wash hair and change clothes after they’ve been outdoors. Kids who take allergy meds should continue their medications for two weeks after the first frost, Mahr advised. A sudden change in weather can trigger an asthma attack. If it’s cold on Halloween, consider an extra layer under or over the costume for children with asthma. Dry, windy weather is bad for people with allergies, because the wind spreads pollen and mold. Monitor pollen forecasts to see if there will be high levels of pollen in the air on Halloween. If so, consider taking allergy medications. Be cautious about haunted houses if your child has asthma. Fear and other intense emotions can disrupt normal breathing patterns, which can trigger asthma. Many haunted houses also have smoke… read on >

Weight-loss surgery should be more widely used to treat severely obese children and teens, a leading pediatricians’ group says. Severe obesity is a serious and worsening public health crisis among U.S. youngsters, and weight-loss surgery is one of the few effective ways of treating it, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in its new policy statement, published Oct. 27. “Children with severe obesity develop health problems earlier than those with lesser degrees of obesity, including diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, and sleep apnea,” said policy statement lead author Dr. Sarah Armstrong, a member of the executive committee of the AAP Section on Obesity. “While lifestyle changes remain the mainstay of treatment, medical care is unlikely to significantly change the trajectory for most children with severe obesity,” she said in an academy news release. Current rates of severe obesity are 7.9% in children, 9.7% among 12- to 15-year-olds, and 14% among 16- to 19-year-olds, data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey shows. Recent research suggests that weight-loss surgery is safe and effective in youngsters, but significantly underused, according to the AAP. “The last decade of evidence has shown surgery is safe and effective when performed in high-quality centers, with the primary care pediatrician and family in a shared decision-making process,” said Armstrong. “Unfortunately, we see significant disparities in which patients… read on >

There are many unanswered questions about the long-term safety and impacts of artificial sweeteners in children, a new American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement says. The AAP statement also recommends that the amount of artificial sweeteners should be listed on product labels to help parents and researchers better understand how much children are consuming, and the possible health effects. “Looking at the evidence, we found there’s still a lot to learn about the impact of nonnutritive sweeteners on children’s health,” statement lead author Dr. Carissa Baker-Smith said in an AAP news release. “We need more research into the use of nonnutritive sweeteners and the risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes, especially in children. Considering how many children are regularly consuming these products — which have become ubiquitous — we should have a better understanding of how they impact children’s long-term health,” Baker-Smith said. A group that represents the low-calorie beverage and food industry challenged the AAP’s policy statement. “The Calorie Control Council takes issue with these claims and maintains its longstanding position that, when consumed as part of a healthy and balanced diet, the consumption of [artificial sweeteners] may serve as a tool for managing overall caloric and sugar intake,” said Robert Rankin, president of the council. Artificial sweeteners have been used for more than 60 years. Six are approved as food additives… read on >

Young and middle-aged adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have an increased risk of stroke, new research suggests. For the study, researchers analyzed medical data from more than 1 million veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. They ranged in age from 18 to 60 years and two-thirds were white. Of those, 29% had been diagnosed with PTSD. None had previously suffered a stroke or mini-stroke (also known as a transient ischemic attack, or “TIA”). During 13 years of follow-up, 766 vets had a TIA and 1,877 had an ischemic stroke, which is caused by blocked blood flow to the brain. Veterans with PTSD were 62% more likely to have a stroke, raising the risk more than known risk factors such as obesity and smoking. They were also twice as likely to have a TIA, increasing the risk more than diabetes and sleep apnea. Even after accounting for known stroke risk factors, mental health disorders (such as depression and anxiety) and drug and alcohol abuse, the investigators found that veterans with PTSD were still 61% more likely to have a TIA and 36% more likely to have a stroke than vets without PTSD. The link between PTSD and stroke was stronger in men than in women. In addition, vets with PTSD were more likely to have unhealthy habits — such as smoking and inactivity —… read on >

While fewer straight teens suffer depression than did two decades ago, the same cannot be said for lesbian, gay and bisexual teens. For those teens, depression risk remains much higher than among their straight peers, new research shows, and it is not following a similar downward trend. Each year between 1999 and 2017, Massachusetts-based teens reported on struggles with sustained bouts of depressed moods, such as sadness or hopelessness. Depression was common. Among teens who identified as straight, nearly 3 in 10 said they had felt depressed for two weeks in a row or more back in 1999. By 2017, that number was down about 5 percentage points. However, the numbers were far worse among those who identified as gay or lesbian. In 1999, more than half (51%) indicated being depressed. And that figure remained unmoved nearly 20 years later. (Transgender youth were not included in the survey.) “To our knowledge, this is the first study to be able to look at data across nearly two decades to demonstrate that rates of depressed mood in sexual minority, compared to heterosexual youth, have not improved over time,” said study author Alexandra Bettis. “And this is not surprising, given that we see elevated rates of depression and other mental health problems in sexual minority youth,” added Bettis, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Human… read on >

Many studies have shown that a stable and happy marriage is good for the health of both partners, increasing longevity. But did you know that there’s also a link between one spouse’s happiness and the health of the other? Building on the idea that a happy person is often a healthy person, researchers from Michigan State University and the University of Chicago explored whether a happy outlook could positively affect relationships. After studying nearly 2,000 couples, they found that people with a happy spouse are more likely to report better health over time — above and beyond their own happiness. It may be that a happy spouse offers their partner more TLC than an unhappy one who is often focused more on his or her own needs. A happy partner, especially one who follows a healthy lifestyle including regular exercise and smart food choices, is more likely to motivate their spouse to follow their example and become healthier in the process. Also, a happy spouse is likely to place fewer demands on a partner, reducing the likelihood of unhealthy behaviors like drinking. How can you create a happier environment within your relationship? It’s easier than you might think. Showing affection fosters feelings of well-being. These can be physical demonstrations, like kisses and hugs and holding hands as you sit or walk, as well as verbal… read on >