Women and Migraines November 24, 2008

   In this week’s health alert, we discuss a debilitating problem that affects millions of Americans – migraine headaches. And did you know migraines hit women more often than men? 18 million women, in fact, and most of them star getting migraines when they reach puberty. If you’ve never had one of these headaches, you probably know someone who has. Migraines are characterized by an extreme sensitivity to light, sound, and smell. Many sufferers also have nausea. This is a bad combination of symptoms when you’re trying to work, raise a family, or interact with people in any way.

Because it affects women so much more than men, researchers wanted to examine what about women triggers these headaches. They discovered migraines revolve around our central nervous system and a woman’s pubescent brain is prone to these headaches because it is senstitive and filled with hormones. Other triggers, a change in a woman’s internal environment, such as an extreme rise in blood sugar, stress, or a change in sleep patterns. Look also for headaches triggered by food additives, it’s been known to happen.

Knowing more about migraines helps researchers find ways to stop them. Current medicine can attack the nerve pathways migraines travel on, sparing someone from suffering. The focus now is on preventing them altogether.  One predictor, that seems benign, is yawning and fatigue. Most migraines are preceded by both. Identifying the signs and stopping a migraine before it starts may be the next step in freeing people from these horrible headaches.

Hand Veins November 20, 2008

  In this week’s health alert we talk about turning back time — on your hands. It may seem funny to think about spending money to make your hands look younger, but other than your face, they can give away your age quicker than any other part of you. As we age, the skin on our hands becomes thinner and we lose some of the fat and muscle surrounding our bones, which can make our veins bulge.

  A procedure that can reverse this aging process is called sclerotherapy. A doctor injects a non-toxic chemical solution directly into the veins in your hand. The solution inflames the inner lining of the veins, stopping blood flow. Over time, large veins should become less visible and small veins should disappear. And don’t worry. There are plenty of other vessels deep under your skin to keep blood flowing to your hands. Risks include infection or allergic reaction to the solution, swelling, or redness and bruising near the injection site.

If you’re willing to pay, up to $2800 dollars for both hands, you likely will see results. The women we talked to who had the procedure felt virtually no pain and were pleased with how it looked even right after the injection. Keep in mind, many insurance companies don’t cover this type of cosmetic procedure.

  If you’ve been embarrassed by aging hands, sclerotherapy may be a way for you to turn back the hands of time.

Teeth Whitening November 10, 2008

    In this week’s health alert we look at the popular teeth whitening trend.  You essentially have three options: over the counter methods, trays you get from the dentist, and in-office whitening treatments.  The cost increases with each option, over-the-counter being cheapest (under $50), trays from the dentist next ($300-$600), and in-office treatments the most expensive (up to $800). But with price comes better, longer lasting results.

       If you choose to pick up a whitening treatment at the grocery store, keep in mind you’ll need to be consistent and it will take more than one treatment to see results. This is especially true if your teeth are stained from coffee, tea, wine, medications, or smoking.  The take home trays are a dentist favorite. You have specially made trays that fit your mouth, filled with a whitening gel, that you wear at bedtime. The initial costs are high because you have to get the trays made but after that you just have to pay for the gel ($35-$70). The more expensive option of in-office whitening or ‘zoom’ treatment gives the best results and it’s instant. The dentist will use an ultraviolet light to blast away the stains and whiten your teeth. None of these treatments is forever. Teeth whitening requires maintenance and persistence.

     The side effect you may experience with all options is tooth and gum sensitivity. With the ‘zoom’ treatment it can be especially painful, but the good news is, it will go away. Dentists say it’s important not to overdo it if you choose to go the over-the-counter route, you can damage your gums and have extreme tooth pain.

     See your dentist if you’re ready for whiter, brighter teeth to see what’s best for your smile.

Lapbanding November 3, 2008

   We feature a breakthrough weight loss procedure in this week’s health alert. You may have seen ads for it as it is gaining in popularity. It’s called lapbanding and basically a giant rubber band is placed around your stomach to limit the amount you can eat. The procedure to place the band in the stomach used to take five or six incisions but now an Atlanta doctor has streamlined it to just one small incision.  The woman we featured in our story had been overweight most of her life and was tired of it. Like so many of us who try to lose weight she found diets disappointing and ultimately unsuccesful. Because she was in good health otherwise she was a good candidate for lapbanding. She has lost 40 pounds and hopes to lose even more. She told us the band makes it difficult to overeat and if you do, you feel sick. Now, its important to note that you must stick with a limited food intake for this to work. The procedure can undo itself if you overdo it.

    The best thing about this procedure is that you lose the weight slowly, which is healthier for your body and gives you the best chance of keeping the weight off.  It’s working for the woman we featured. It may work for you. As with any surgery, there are risks, and like I mentioned, it can fail if you don’t stay focused on the task of losing weight. But it is becoming a more popular  technique that gets people started on the path to losing weight.