June, 2012

Trying to lose weight, but can’t put your phone down long enough to get started? Now there’s no excuse. Electronic food diaries are all the rage and a recent study found they work.

University of Pittsburgh researchers studied the effects of electronic food diaries on 210 overweight or obese adults. The results show people who tracked their food electronically more then 60 percent of the time lost more weight over two years. People who did it the old fashioned way – writing their food diary on paper – saw similar results.

“Basically, what it showed was that there were positive results when people used it 60 percent or more of the time,” says Laura Jeffers, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic who did not take part in the study.

Jeffers suggests you should use what works best for you, whether it’s paper or your smart phone.

For an interview with Laura Jeffers, please contact Joe Milicia, milicij2@ccf.org, 216.636.5873.

One thing many people hate about summer is getting a bug bite. Some of them even have the potential to make us sick. Dr. Lara Danziger-Isakov, an expert on infectious diseases at Cleveland Clinic, says mosquito bites can be a problem if you don’t leave them alone.

“Mosquito bites can get super infected, so if they go from being a little bit red and swollen to being larger red and swollen, having any kind of yellowish drainage or crusting over them, or they appear to be getting warmer and larger, you really should let someone know,” says Dr. Danziger-Isakov.

Fever and muscle weakness are also signs that a bug bite might be getting the best of you, says Dr. Danziger-Isakov.

For an interview with Dr. Danziger-Isakov, please contact Joe Milicia, milicij2@ccf.org, 216.636.5873.

Summer is heating up again this week, making conditions right for a potential heat emergency.

“When the temp is very high it inhibits your body’s ability to dissipate heat, and especially when it’s humid as well because our main mechanism to get rid of heat is through sweating,” says Dr. Tom Waters, an emergency room doctor at Cleveland Clinic. “When it’s very hot and humid we’re not very efficient at getting rid of heat, so both of those two conditions can predispose a person to a heat emergency.”

Warning signs of a heat emergency can include a general sick feeling, nausea, a headache and confusion. Dr. Waters says it’s important to watch for warning signs and get help.

For an interview with Dr. Waters, please contact Joe Milicia, milicij2@ccf.org, 216.636.5873.

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Social media connects people, but can it also drive couples apart?

A recent survey in the United Kingdom blames Facebook for nearly one-third of all divorces. While this may or may not be valid, more couples point to what they see on their spouse’s profile page as evidence.

“I think social media really draws people to give too much information, and until people experience the consequences of this, it may be hard for some people to really pull back,” says Scott Bea, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist in Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Psychiatry and Psychology.

For an interview with Dr. Bea, please contact Joe Milicia, milicij2@ccf.org, 216.636.5873.

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One thing many people hate about summer is getting a bug bite. Some of them even have the potential to make us sick. Dr. Lara Many people prepare for summer by hitting the tanning bed so they can go to the beach with a little color.

But Jennifer Lucas, MD, a dermatologist in the Cleveland Clinic Dermatology & Plastic Surgery Institute, says there’s more than one reason to avoid tanning beds altogether.

She says tanning beds may:

• Increase your risk for skin cancer
• Suppress your immune system
• Cause problems with your eyes
• Prematurely age your skin

“Frankly, we all want to look younger,” Dr. Lucas says. “Why do people tan? Because they want to look good, so the more exposure you get, the more photo-aging or damage you do to your skin.”

For an interview with Dr. Lucas, please contact Joe Milicia, milicij2@ccf.org, 216.636.5873.

• Find out more on this topic from Cleveland Clinic’s HealthHub

A new study finds that how fast you walk later in life may be a sign that thinking problems are ahead.

University of Portland researchers studied 93 people age 70 or older who lived alone. Results show people with non-memory mild cognitive impairment were nine times more likely to be slow walkers than moderate or fast walkers.

Dr. Ronan Factora, who did not take part in the study, but is a geriatrician at Cleveland Clinic, says “If you find that your walking is slower or someone else tells you you’re walking a lot slower than usual, you’ve been slowing down over the years, that’s something to tell your doctor and that may be a clue, an indicator that you really should look a little more deeply, is there something going on with cognitive functioning?”

For an interview with Dr. Factora, please contact Joe Milicia, milicij2@ccf.org, 216.636.5873.

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Lots of people will tell you that their arthritis will flare up either before or after it rains. Although there isn’t a lot of evidence between sore joints and damp weather, rheumatologists get the question a lot. Dr. Elaine Husni is a rheumatologist at Cleveland Clinic.

“Some people believe that when you drop in barometric pressure, your air pressure, that sometimes your tissues can swell, and when your tissues swell in an already inflamed joint sometimes that can push against muscles and nerves in the area and make appear more painful,” says Dr. Husni.

What we know for sure is that weather does not cause arthritis or make it worse; it just may alter the symptoms a bit for the day, says Dr. Husni. Many of her patients say that the warm weather actually makes their joints feel better, so summer offers them a little relief.

For an interview with Dr. Husni, please contact Joe Milicia, milicij2@ccf.org, 216.636.5873.

Kidney stones are very painful and send an estimated half a million people into the emergency room every year. But simple changes to your diet and lifestyle can decrease your risk of developing one. Carolyn Snyder, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic, says the first thing you can do is pay attention to what you are eating.

“By consuming excess sodium and processed foods, canned foods, lunch meats, fast foods, you are putting yourself at risk,” says Snyder.

One thing to add to your diet to cut your risk of stone development is water. Snyder says drinking 100 ounces of water a day will help. She also recommends adding a dairy serving to every meal.

For an interview with Carolyn Snyder, please contact Joe Milicia, milicij2@ccf.org, 216.636.5873.

Flip-flop season is here! But just because this is the perfect weather for them doesn’t mean you should wear them everywhere you go. Dr. Brian Donley, a foot and ankle surgeon at Cleveland Clinic, says flips-flops are fun and fashionable but not for everyday use.

“They can be damaging because they don’t provide support and protection to your foot. And they also do not provide support to the arch to allow you to support your foot as you go on your normal walking cycle,” says Dr. Donley.

Flip-flop wearers typically experience heel and arch pain if they wear them too long. Dr. Donley says the best place for flip-flops is the poolside or at the beach. It’s also recommended that you throw away flip-flops that are worn and torn, and when shopping for a new pair, avoid those with soles that freely bend or twist.

For an interview with Dr. Donley, please contact Joe Milicia, milicij2@ccf.org, 216.636.5873.

An estimated 20 million people in the United States suffer from depression. But their list of treatment options may be growing.

One study compared face-to-face therapy to telephone-administered cognitive behavioral therapy among 325 depressed people. The results show 33 percent of people who participated in face-to-face therapy discontinued treatment, while only 21 percent of people who participated in the telephone therapy dropped out.

“Telephone psychotherapy and face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy were equivalent, in terms of their effect on depression,” said Scott Bea, a psychologist at Cleveland Clinic who did not take part in the study. “Both worked, both worked pretty well, but what is interesting is when the treatment ends, do patients retain their gains? Do they continue to maintain better mood states? In the case of the telephone therapy, they don’t do as well.”

Dr. Bea says whether it’s by telephone or though the help of technology, remote therapy sessions have a place in psychotherapy.

For an interview with Dr. Bea, please contact Joe Milicia, milicij2@ccf.org, 216.636.5873.

The American Academy for Pediatrics recommends women breastfeed their babies for at least six months.

But a new study finds that two-thirds of mothers who intend to exclusively breastfeed for three months or more are not meeting their intended goal.

Researchers at the centers Disease Control and Prevention interviewed nearly 1,500 mothers. Results show 85 percent of mothers planned on breastfeeding their babies for three months or more, but only 32 percent of the mothers reached that goal. In fact, 15 percent gave up before they even left the hospital.

“Moms really need a lot of support in the hospital. They’re going to need education, support from lactation consultants, and modifying the environment to make it as fit to breastfeeding as possible,” says Dr. Kim Giuliano, a pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital who did not participate in the study

For an interview with Dr. Giuliano, please contact Joe Milicia, milicij2@ccf.org, 216.636.5873.

“Chemobrain” is the name given to the mental cloudiness patients experience during and after chemotherapy treatment.

Dr. Halle Moore, an oncologist at Cleveland Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Institute, led a new study that uses electroencephalogram, or EEG, to monitor the changes in brain activity of women while they were receiving chemotherapy treatments.

Results show mental and physical fatigue during treatment corresponded to significant changes in brain activity patterns. Dr. Moore says this type of testing may one day become a better way to measure how brain function is altered with chemotherapy.

For an interview with Dr. Moore, please contact Joe Milicia, milicij2@ccf.org, 216.636.5873.

Kids are getting ready to put down their backpacks and hit the pool. Dr. Lara Danziger-Isakov, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, says there are several things you can do to keep your child healthy this summer:

• Never put pool water in your mouth.
• Stay out of the pool if you are sick with diarrhea.
• Shower before and after swimming.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, recreational water illnesses are caused by contaminated water in things like swimming pools, water parks, lakes, rivers or oceans. They also can be caused by chemicals in the water.

Cryptosporidium, or “crypto,” is one of the most frequent causes of waterborne disease among humans in the United States. It’s the germ that causes diarrhea and can survive for days, even in properly chlorinated pools.

For an interview with Dr. Danziger-Isakov, please contact Joe Milicia, milicij2@ccf.org, 216.636.5873.

Can a crossword puzzle really help keep your mind sharp?

Dr. Dylan Wint, a brain health expert at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, says anything that keeps your mind active, whether it’s a crossword puzzle or crafts, will benefit the brain.

Dr. Wint says the mind benefits from all sorts of new activities. He recommends choosing ones that interest you.

“It’s probably best to do what will keep your brain engaged in activity, so don’t do something that you hate because you think it will protect the brain,” says Dr. Wint. “Find something that you like, that’s a new thing to do, and try to do that.”

For an interview with Dr. Wint, please contact Joe Milicia, milicij2@ccf.org, 216.636.5873.

Did you know that one in two women will break a bone due to poor bone health? Although there are several ways to treat osteoporosis, some of what you read or hear may leave you confused.

Dr. Chad Deal says the most common questions he gets from patients with osteoporosis are about hip fractures or osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) that may be related to using a type of long-term osteoporosis medicine called bisphosphonate therapy. Bisphosphonates help prevent the loss of bone and have been shown to reduce risk of fractures from osteoporosis in patients who have already suffered a break. Dr. Deal says these medicines do carry some risk for certain people, but for many the reward outweighs the risk.

Dr. Deal says if you’re concerned about your medicine, talk to your doctor before you stop taking it. If discontinued, you could be setting yourself up for a break down the road.

For an interview with Dr. Deal, please contact Joe Milicia, milicij2@ccf.org, 216.636.5873.