Body Image and Anorexia

Anorexia is a major health problem in teens and it all has to do with body self-image. Clearly, what we’re finding from Hollywood is the message that anorexia is not that bad of a thing…being thin is a wonderful thing. The reality is it is a big problem that has to be dealt with. If you have a child who is too thin, or losing weight and doesn’t really have a good reason for it, talk with them, but get help. It is the psychiatric help that can be essential.

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Dealing with Pressure During the Teenage Years

The teen years are a time of pressure, intense pressure. One of the difficulties with the pressure is the fact that teens are often trying to make other people happy and not even knowing their own identity. That puts them at risk for all sorts of problems. The pressure that arises during the teen years can’t be ignored, nor can it be underestimated. If you have a teen, make sure that you communicate with them. Let them know the stories and issues that are out there, and above all, make sure you take the time to speak with them.

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Causes of Pink Eye

It’s called pink eye. The medical term is conjunctivitis, and when conjunctivitis occurs, it basically causes red or pink eyes. There is an inflammation of the conjunctiva. Antibiotics can be used and it is the topical antibiotic applied directly to the eye that is the most effective at treating pink eye. Pink eye is caused by a virus and it can sometimes be confused with allergy symptoms.

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Over-Consumption of Junk Food Can Trigger Addiction-Like Responses in the Brain

Doctors and researchers have suspected this for quite some time, but a study in rats reported in the journal Neuroscience has found that over-consumption of high-calorie food can trigger addiction-like responses in the brain, and that junk food can turn rats into compulsive eaters in a laboratory setting.  When the researchers regularly offered rats a choice of high-calorie foods such as bacon, sausage, cake, and chocolate in addition to their regular food choices, the animals over-consumed calories and gained weight rapidly.  The study gets even more interesting, the team trained their rats to expect painful foot shocks when seeing a light signal.  Although normal rats stop eating even the most delicious junk food when the light comes on, the obese rats used to the high-calorie diet just keep feeding.  The desire for junk food overcame the fear of pain.

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Sleep More to Weigh Less

If you’re a child, and you want to knock off a few pounds, one of the theories is just get more sleep. That’s a word from a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology which followed more than 68,000 people over a 16-year period. Now, what they found is that researchers who found patients who caught more Z’s each night tend to put less weight on throughout their entire life. It’s a Case Western University research study. Basically, the amount of sleep you’re looking for is independent, and it varies by age.

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ACL Tears

It is called an ACL tear; anterior cruciate ligament.  It's more or less an X-type ligament that actually helps keep the knee together.  If you have an ACL tear as an athlete, it can be a devastating problem.  Many athletes and many people who have ACL tears actually don't feel anything dramatic.  They just hear a pop and then they notice they have some pain.  That's an example of how the ACL actually severs and separates.  It can be a problem but it can be fixed with rehab and lots of conditioning. 

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Exercise and Mental Stimulation Can Improve Memory

Your computer has plenty of memory. Now, a Mayo Clinic study suggests you too may as well if you combine moderate exercise and mental stimulation such as computer use. In the study, people over 70 who engaged in both types of activity had less cognitive decline than those who took part in either exercise or mental stimulation alone. “A sound mind is a sound body” is a statement that’s been around for years, and essentially what this is saying is the truth. Exercise is important as well as diet and also mental stimulation.

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Rebound Headaches

It is called rebound headache.  What happens in rebound headaches is someone takes medications to treat headache and, essentially, they become so used to that medication that when they don't have it, they actually get a headache going through withdrawal without that medicine.  Rebound headache is a common problem, but it is one that is not diagnosed that often for the very reason that many people are not aware that this is an issue.  So, rebound headache is something that doctors often look at and know that it can be a serious issue.

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Long Flights Increase the Risk of Blood Clots

This is the time of year when families are traveling, and with flights to faraway places like Europe and Asia discounted, it’s more affordable than ever to travel the world. That’s why a recommendation by the World Health Organization is so important. They have recommended that passengers on long flights exercise their legs and resist taking sleeping pills. That’s to reduce the risk of potentially fatal blood clots. Although the danger of developing deep vein thrombosis, or DVT’s, in the form of a blood clot in the calves is small, it increases if people are immobile for long periods. The risk is one in 6,000, but that’s one in every 15 sold-out jumbo jets. When you think about it, that’s quite a risk. The important thing is to make sure you get up and walk around and, obviously, talk with your doctor to see if you’re at greater risk.

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Allergies May Be Linked to Depression

There is disturbing news from the University of Maryland.  Researchers have found that seasonal allergies might be associated with mood disorders, including depression.  We've long recognized the association between seasonal allergies and fatigue.  The latest report echoes what scientists found in 1999.  Back then, a study of 7,000 patients found people with hay fever were twice as likely to be diagnosed with major depression.  Why’s this the case?  Well, the latest theory is very technical.  According to researchers at the Association of Allergies and Scientific Analysis of Allergies, chemicals called cytokines are released in the nose during an allergic reaction.  This activates a chemical called indolamine 2, 3-dioxygenase that slows down serotonin production.  It's a chemical in the brain that is linked to depression. 

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