YET ANOTHER old wives’ tale. . . Feed a cold. Starve a fever.

Posted on February 18, 2014 by drlesliegreenberg

Incorrect.

It’s important to eat whether you have a cold or a fever.  Your body continues to need nutrients to boost your immune system (allowing you to fight off the virus that is causing your illness).

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Old wives’ tale. . . Caffeine stunts growth.

Posted on February 14, 2014 by drlesliegreenberg

Not true.

Height is not impacted my caffeine intake.  Caffeine does not have any medical benefits, so certainly limiting caffeine for children is prudent.  Caffeine is a drug, just like alcohol, and affects children differently than adults since they don’t process medications as adults do.

Coffee or energy drinks are discouraged.  These frequently contain caffeine AND large amounts of fat and calories.  This can also lead to weight gain and cavities.

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Old wives’ tale. . . Spicy food causes ulcers.

Posted on February 11, 2014 by drlesliegreenberg

Wrong.

Spicy food will not CAUSE an ulcer, but if you have an ulcer spicy food will really make you hurt.

Most ulcers are caused by bacteria in the stomach called helicobacter pylori or by high doses or prolonged use of medications like ibuprofen.  If you have an ulcer,  it’s best to avoid smoking, alcohol, caffeine.. and to talk to your doctor.

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In what AGE patient is the shingles vaccine the most cost effective?

Posted on February 3, 2014 by drlesliegreenberg
flickr.com/photos /lavid/ 01793987

flickr.com/photos /lavid/ 01793987

Because the effectiveness of the shingles vaccine appears to decrease over time it is suggested that the vaccine be given once… after age 60.

This is based on the Long-term Persistence Study done by the pharmaceutical company Merck.  The study found a gradual decrease in vaccine effectiveness 6-7 years after vaccination.

Other interested study numbers were that vaccinating with shingles vaccine in patients aged 50-59 would prevent 20,000 shingles cases annually.  But, vaccinating in the patients  60s would prevent 26,000 cases and in the 70s, 21,000 cases.

I agree with their rationale and will suggest shingles vaccine after age 60.

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Let’s discuss an old wives’ tale. . . should you gargle salt water for a sore throat?

Posted on January 29, 2014 by drlesliegreenberg
flickr.com/ photos/ imakeguernsey/ 5359794790

flickr.com/ photos/ imakeguernsey/ 5359794790

This works!

Gargling with salt water eases symptoms of cold and flu because of the way that saline works.  Saline draws excess fluid out of inflamed tissues (and loosens mucus!).

A recent study by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine suggested gargling with salt water decreases the chance of an upper respiratory infection by 40%.  This is  cheap, easy to do, AND effective method to combat a common winter cold symptom.

Posted in General Medicine- Adults, infections, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Let’s discuss an old wives’ tale. . . should you gargle salt water for a sore throat?

Want your winter skin to look more radiant?

Posted on January 16, 2014 by drlesliegreenberg
flickr.com /photos /cuppini/ 11139007263

flickr.com /photos /cuppini/ 11139007263

Do not visit a tanning salon for a winter pick-me-up.  Tanning beds are bad news.  The beds use bulbs that produce mostly UVA light– a type of radiation that encourages pigment production by damaging skin’s deeper layers.  UVA exposure sharply increases the risk of melanoma (a deadly form of skin cancer).  Did you know that the World Health Organization classified tanning beds as human carcinogens?

Instead, consider using a gentle body scrub or exfoliator.  This will eliminate flakiness and will allow the skin to absorb lotion easier.   A thick lotion, called an emollient, can also help your skin look smoother.   Self-tanning lotion or spray is a safe option.

Hope this helps.

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Low testosterone

Posted on January 13, 2014 by drlesliegreenberg
flickr.com/ photos /kevharb /4097634204/

flickr.com/ photos /kevharb /4097634204/

If  you have watched ANY sports on television, you must have been barraged by ads about “Low T.”   The advertisers are eluding to low testosterone.

Testosterone is the male hormone that is responsible for sexual libido and the ability to achieve a significant erection in men.  If testosterone levels are low, sexual health is most noticeably affected: decreased sexual libido and erectile dysfunction.  Other symptoms of this may be mood changes, fatigue, sleep disturbances, loss of muscle or bone mass, and lack of motivation.

To diagnose low testosterone, a history and physical exam are paired with lab work.

Treatment options include behavioral changes and medication.

  • If obese, weight loss can best help men keep testosterone as testosterone.  The outer fat cells help testosterone change to estrogen (predominant female hormone) so decreasing fat cells help testosterone not convert.
  • Heavy alcohol abusers will benefit by decreasing alcohol consumption.
  • Otherwise there are testosterone replacement forms for both intramuscular injections and topical replacement.  Oral forms of testosterone do not lead to stable blood levels so this is not well tolerated and may cause liver damage.

If you are symptomatic, seek help from your doctor.  Do not self-treat.  There are risks of taking too  much testosterone such as blood clots which can cause heart attack or stroke or prostate problems.

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Seasonal affective disorder. Feeling SAD?

Posted on January 7, 2014 by drlesliegreenberg
.flickr.com/ photos/ bahkubean/ 1287879564

.flickr.com/ photos/ bahkubean/ 1287879564

SAD is major depression with a seasonal pattern. This means that most feel episodes of depression during the fall or winter months.  (Scientists have seen a striking example in Scandinavia where suicide rate doubles in the winter months.)

Symptoms of SAD may include

  • lack of interest in usual activities,
  • loss of appetite,
  • social withdrawal,
  • feelings of guilt, hopelessness, or worthlessness,
  • feelings of anxiety,
  • poor concentration,
  • difficulty falling or staying asleep.

Why does this occur?  In short, this is not fully understood.  Genetics, age and the body’s natural chemical makeup may all play a role.  Our biological clock (circadian rhythm) is disrupted with reduced levels and amounts of sunlight.  Reduced sunlight can cause a decreased level of serotonin (which is a feel-good chemical in the brain).  Melatonin may also decrease–this impacts our ability to get a restful night sleep.

When to see your doctor?  If your symptoms (as listed above) extend beyond a week or two, if you feel hopeless, think about suicide, or use drug/alcohol to help “cope.”

What are treatments?  Light therapy may help the brain chemicals be tricked into thinking it’s spring/summer.  Antidepressant medication may also help.  Counseling is a third way to help.

Don’t brush off that “winter blues” feeling.  Help is available.

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Resolutions? These apps may help you achieve yours.

Posted on January 2, 2014 by drlesliegreenberg
flickr.com /photos /marwamorgan/ 6608959471

flickr.com /photos /marwamorgan/ 6608959471

There are tens of thousands of health-related apps on smartphones.  Some make the smartphone into a type of health-related equipment and others help you manage health-related issues.

I’ll review some of those that help you with issues.

MediSafe: This is an easy-to-use app which provides reminders to patients when they need to take their medicine.  It can also share information with a “med-friend” (think spouse, companion, caretaker).  the app also alerts users when a refill is due.  Cost: free

MyFitnessPal:  Helps users lose weight with many strength training and cardio exercises.  Daily calorie tracking (with more than 2 million food entries in its database) and activity logging are two of its best features.  Cost: free

MyQuitCoach:  Personalizes strategies to help quit smoking.  Users can commit to quitting immediately or decreasing smoking over time.  Cost: free

iTriage: Ideal for travelers and those new to an area find the nearest hospital or urgent care center.  It is location-based and also has the ability to provide estimated wait-time.  Cost: free.

These wellness apps do not provide illness cures but they may improve health by encouraging smarter, healthier lifestyle choices.  Who doesn’t like that?

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Meningitis outbreak!

Posted on December 23, 2013 by drlesliegreenberg

I recently received a call from a patient stating that his child was at a Santa Barbara university and there was an outbreak of meningitis.  Indeed, there have been two meningitis outbreaks–one on the West and the other on the East Coast.   Both outbreaks have been caused by serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis–but two DIFFERENT strains of it!

Interesting!

What does meningitis act like?  Fever.  Headache.  Rash.

Does our routine meningitis vaccine work?  It does work against serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135.  It does not work on serogroup B.  The CDC and the FDA have allowed administration of a  serogroup B meningitis vaccine that is used in European Union and Australia to be given to “certain individuals” in New Jersey as that outbreak  had eight cases over a several-month period.  This is a highly unusual move for the CDC and is discussed further on their website www.cdc.gov.

Our job is to vaccinate per guidelines: one meningitis vaccine at age 11-12 and a booster at age 16 and to watch for symptoms of meningitis.

Take care, everyone!

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