New research has found yet another way that the current levels of air pollution is impacting our health, this time by disrupting our sleep.
Presented at the ATS (American Thoracic Society) 2017 International Conference, the findings suggest that high levels of air pollution not only affect heart health, breathing, and lung function, as found in previous studies, but also sleep quality.
For the new research the team analyzed data from 1,863 participants with an average age 68, who were taking part in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) and both of MESA’s Sleep and Air Pollution studies.
The study looked at the effects of two of the most common air pollutants — NO2, a traffic-related pollutant gas, and PM2.5, or fine-particle pollution — and estimated exposure to air pollution at each participant’s home both one year and five years into the study.
Participants wore a wrist device for a seven-day period to measure their sleep and activity, and calculate “sleep efficiency” — a measure of the percentage of time in bed spent asleep vs. awake.
After finding that 25 percent of participants had a sleep efficiency of 88 percent or less, the team decided to look at whether exposure to pollution was impacting the sleep of this low efficiency group.
The group was divided into four according to levels of pollution, with the team comparing those who experienced the highest levels of pollution with those who experienced the lowest levels.
After taking into account various factors including age, body mass, obstructive sleep apnea, race/ethnicity, income and smoking status, the results showed that those exposed to the highest levels of NO2 over five years had an almost 60 percent increased chance of having low sleep efficiency compared to those with the lowest NO2 levels.
Those exposed to the highest levels of small particulates (PM2.5) had a nearly 50 percent increased chance of having low sleep efficiency.
Lead author Martha E. Billings, commented that, “We thought an effect was likely given that air pollution causes upper airway irritation, swelling and congestion, and may also affect the central nervous system and brain areas that control breathing patterns and sleep.”
However, she also added that further research is needed in order to look at an association between sleep and other air pollutants not included in this study, as well as how pollutants may disrupt sleep patterns. Another possibility is that it is traffic noise rather than pollutants that is contributing to poor sleep quality.
“There may be acute sleep effects to short-term exposure to high pollution levels as well, but we lacked the data to study that link,” added Dr. Billings.
From depression and daytime sleepiness to difficulty concentrating, new Australian research suggests that women are more sensitive than men to the effects of sleep disorders in their daily lives.
Researchers at the SleepGP clinic in Coolangatta, Australia, set out to investigate how men and women may be affected differently by sleep disorders in their day-to-day lives.
Scientists studied 744 patients, who received sleep-related healthcare from seven private general practices in Australia between 2013 and 2015. They were assessed via several sleep-related tests, including the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and other questionnaires.
The scientists found that women were more likely to have sleep disorders associated with daytime sleepiness (49% compared to 36.9 % for men). Women were also more likely to report an increased burden of symptoms linked to sleepiness.
The study found that women were more likely to feel excessively tired or depressed, have difficulty concentrating or remembering things, and have more trouble sleeping at night.
In addition, male snoring was more likely than female snoring to force bed partners to sleep in different rooms.
The study results are published in the May 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
The coming Memorial Day weekend marks the official start of the summer travel season, but whether you stay healthy or get sick may depend on the preparations you make before you leave, a top expert says.
“Just like you make preparations for a trip you also need to prepare ahead of time so you don’t spoil your vacation by getting sick during your trip or when you get home,” Dr. Brent W. Laartz tells Newsmax Health.
“When you’re on vacation you need to be observant of the conditions that could harm you,” says Laartz, author of the book “How to Avoid Contagious Diseases.”
Travel-related ailments can range from the very serious, like Ebola and malaria, to milder, self-limiting ones like a diarrheal illness. But even diarrhea can spoil a holiday, Laartz notes.
He learned this firsthand while vacationing in Costa Rica years ago. Although Laartz doesn’t know whether it was the goat cheese sandwich or lobster salad he ate, he became sick shortly after returning home.
“This definitely opened my eyes to the dangers of travel,” says Laartz, an infectious disease specialist practicing in Safety Harbor, Fla.
Digestive ailments are much more common now that Americans are becoming more adventurous in their travel planning, he says.
“People are traveling to places they never did before and, inspired by TV shows like ‘Bizarre Foods,’ they are eating the local food. But farming practices in these places may differ and also the foods may not be inspected like they are in the U.S.,” he says.
Also, people also may come into contact with bacteria and parasites, as well as mosquito-borne viruses that can be lurking in tropical destinations, he adds.
“There are a lot of different ways that you can get sick, so your best strategy is to prepare ahead of time and to be careful while you’re traveling,” he adds.
Here are Laartz’s tips:
Before you go:
Plan ahead. If you’re planning to go abroad, check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Travel Alert Notices while you are drawing up your itinerary. You can find it at www.cdc.gov.
Get medical advice. If you’re going abroad, visit a Travel Medicine Clinic, or a doctor specializing in travel about a month beforehand so you can receive any necessary vaccines.
Check the internet. If you’re going abroad, check out the “Traveler’s Health” page at www.cdc.gov. But even if you’re staying in the U.S., check out the state health department websites for any of the places you plan to visit. The Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses, while more common abroad, also are in the U.S.
While you’re traveling:
Don’t drink the water, even in the shower. Don’t drink the local water and, when you shower, avoid ingesting any water and don’t wipe your mouth with the towel provided by a hotel. Water in some countries has been known to carry parasites and toxins that cause disease.
Put a layer between your feet and the floor. Use flip flops on your feet in the shower, and if you must be barefoot, put a towel down on the floor. Parasites can enter the skin of your feet and travel to different parts of the body. For the same reason, never walk barefoot in any area of a foreign country, including your hotel room.
Bring your own peeler. Only eat fruit that you can peel such as bananas, apples and oranges. Fruits are sometimes wiped down with dirty rags, which could ultimately lead to diarrhea, E coli, or salmonella. Avoid melons, as sometimes they are injected with unsanitary water to make them weigh more.
Cole slaw is a no-go. Coleslaw contains mayonnaise. Mayonnaise-based foods may have not been well refrigerated, and may contain toxins that could cause food poisoning.
Hit up the to-go window. If you are concerned about the sanitation of a restaurant, order the food to go. That Styrofoam box may be cleaner than the plate or fork in the restaurant. Dishwashers in restaurants may not use water hot enough to kill bacteria and viruses.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offers these additional tips:
Avoid tanning. Limit sun exposure when the heat is intense and use adequate amounts of sunscreen. Choose an SPF of 15 or higher, apply at least one ounce of sunscreen (about the size of a golf ball) and follow label directions on reapplying.
Check your meds. Make sure you have enough of your medications for your trip, check for special instructions (some may make you more sensitive to sunlight, for example), and keep your medications with you when flying.
Be careful with contact lenses. Make sure your lenses are prescribed by an eye care professional and skip colored or decorative lenses sold in shops or on the boardwalk.
Think twice about tattoos, even henna ones. Getting a tattoo can cause serious health risks. When it comes to henna, this dye is not FDA-approved for use on the skin, and its use has caused problems in some people.
Stay hydrated and eat healthy. When you spend a late afternoon at the beach (remember sunscreen) bring water and drink even before you feel thirsty. But beware of ice or tap water in places where the water isn’t safe to drink. Try to make healthy food choices. If you’re at a buffet, you can follow the dietary guidelines, for instance, by first filling your plate with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and then adding the protein source.
Physical therapy is a highly effective treatment option for whiplash, especially when coupled with other treatments and medicines, such as bracing. With whiplash, the soft tissues in your neck become damaged or injured, but a physical therapist can help restore the individual’s original movement and proper function of those tissues.
Physical therapy can include both passive and active treatments. Passive treatments help unwind your body as well as you. As you don’t have to actively participate, they are called passive. Most likely, you’re experiencing severe pain because of whiplash, which means you will probably start as your body heals with passive treatments and/or adapts to the pain. But the aim of physical therapy would be to get into active treatments. All these are in order for your spine has better support healing exercises that reinforce your body.
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Passive Treatments for Whiplash
Deep Tissue Massage: Muscle tension that may grow as a consequence of whiplash is targeted by this technique. The therapist uses direct pressure and friction to try and release the tension in your soft tissues (ligaments, tendons, muscles). This would help them heal quicker.
Hot and Cold Therapies: Through the use of heat, the physical therapist seeks to get more blood to the target area because more oxygen is brought by an increased blood circulation and nutrients to that particular place. Blood can also be needed to remove waste byproducts created by muscle spasms, plus additionally, it helps curing.
Circulation slows, helping lessen pain, muscle spasms, and inflammation. Your physical therapist will switch between hot and cold therapies.
(When you first injure yourself�either in a car crash or in a different injury-inducing event�you can make use of this hot and cold treatment technique at home. Use ice first to bring the inflammation down, and after the first 24 to 48 hours, you can change between ice and heat. The heat can help relax tense muscles, and it will improve circulation to the region that is injured. Increased circulation promotes faster healing. As a reminder, never place ice or heat directly on your own skin�wrap it in a towel, as an example.)
Ultrasound: By raising blood circulation, an ultrasound helps reduce muscle spasms, cramping, swelling, stiffness, and pain. It will this by developing a gentle heat that improves circulation, sending sound waves into your muscle tissues and healing.
Active Treatments for Whiplash
In the active portion of physical therapy, your therapist will teach you various exercises to work on your own strength and range of movement (how easily your joints move). Your physical therapy program is individualized, taking into account your wellbeing and history. Your exercises may not be acceptable for another individual with whiplash and neck pain.
If necessary, you’ll learn how to correct your posture and integrate ergonomic principles into your daily actions. This pose work must help you since youwill have the ability to prevent other types of neck pain that grow from daily living, even once you recover from whiplash.
Overall, the purpose of physical therapy for whiplash patients will be to help increase blood circulation, reduce muscle spasms, and encourage healing of the neck tissues.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Neck Pain and Auto Injury
After being involved in an automobile accident, the sheer force of the impact can often cause whiplash, a common type of neck injury resulting from the sudden, back-and-forth motion of the head against the body due to a car wreck, or other incident. Because of this, many of the complex structures found within the neck, including the spine, ligaments and muscles, can be stretched beyond their normal range, causing injury and painful symptoms.
Conservative treatment for whiplash includes immobilizing the patient’s neck in a well-fitting soft cervical collar; use of pain, anti inflammatory, and muscle relaxant drugs; and physical therapy.
Physical therapy (PT) helps to reduce muscle spasms, increase circulation, and encourage healing. PT can range from the following modalities: damp heat, ice, ultrasound, electric stimulation, and exercise to revive range of movement and build strength. Cervical traction might be included to the treatment strategy if symptoms persist. A cervical traction apparatus that was portable can be used at office or home. Trigger point injections including a local anesthetic may help relieve pain and tenderness.
If symptoms continue for more than 6 weeks, or new symptoms appear the patient’s condition is re evaluated. Extension injuries that are severe can damage the intervertebral discs included. Surgical intervention may in rare cases be required, when an intervertebral disc is influenced.
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Surgical Interventions for Whiplash
Rarely does operation is required by the treatment of whiplash. Surgical intervention is considered in acute cases such as scapular, those presenting consistent neck or shoulder pain. The pain may indicate a rip within an intervertebral disc. Certainly one of these procedures could be performed, when intervertebral disc removal is required:
Discectomy is the surgical removal of the entire piquing intervertebral disc or part.
Microdiscectomy incorporates the usage of a microscope to magnify the surgical field during disc removal.
Percutaneous surgical procedures enable disc removal via a small incision in the trunk. All these are generally not used in the cervical spine (neck) but have been used in the low back. Automated Percutaneous Discectomy is done under radiologic control while a cannula (hollow tube) having a rotating blade breaks up the disk. The disk fragments are subsequently removed by aspiration.
Spinal Instrumentation and Fusion provides long-term stability once the target disk is removed. These processes solidify and join the degree where an intervertebral disc has been damaged or removed. Instrumentation, the employment of medically constructed hardware including rods and screws, can be combined with Spinal fusion (arthrodesis) to permanently join two or more vertebrae.
Whiplash Recovery
Throughout the recovery phase, the aim is really to help the patient resume normal activities at their pre-injury level.
The guidelines set forth by the spinal doctor and/or physical therapist should be followed. A house exercise plan is a key to rebuilding strength and increasing range of movement. It might be essential to continue physical therapy and modalities (e.g. damp heat) for a period of time.
Post operative pain or discomfort should be anticipated. Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) enables the patient to control their pain without hospital staff assist. PCA is eventually replaced by oral drug.
The individual could be encouraged to get up and walk the following day. Activity improves healing and circulation.
Physical therapy is added post-operatively empowering the individual to develop flexibility, strength, and increase range of motion. Physical therapy is generally continued on an outpatient basis for an amount of time. Furthermore, the therapist provides the patient with a customized home exercise program.
Prior to release in the hospital, the patient is given written directions and prescriptions for essential drugs. The individual ‘s care remains during follow-up visits with their spinal surgeon.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Neck Pain and Auto Injury
After being involved in an automobile accident, the sheer force of the impact can often cause whiplash, a common type of neck injury resulting from the sudden, back-and-forth motion of the head against the body due to a car wreck, or other incident. Because of this, many of the complex structures found within the neck, including the spine, ligaments and muscles, can be stretched beyond their normal range, causing injury and painful symptoms.
In addition to ramping up my mileage during my training for the Tokyo Marathon, I also focused on eating well. And experts say that’s a smart strategy. “Fueling your body for maximum performance starts long before your actual marathon,” says Annamarie Poluha, a nutritionist and the Wellness Coordination Manager at ASICS America. “The most critical component outside of training and nutrition is to ensure that your body is optimized.” In other words, you want your body chemistry to work for you, rather than sabotage you. So what is the right nutritional balance?
In a perfect world, Poluha recommends that marathoners-in-training work with a functional medicine doctor, who will run blood and other tests then prescribe micronutrients to enhance digestion and levels of absorption, as well as reduce inflammation. Going it alone? Just remember that “sustained energy is always achieved through a blood sugar-balanced and anti-inflammatory diet and consistent sleep,” she says.
Keep these 6 nutrition strategies in mind to avoid hitting the infamous wall and power through to the finish line:
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Eat the BEST carbs
Carb-loading in the form of bagels and pasta is a thing of the past. The new thinking: Focus on the quality of carbohydrate. The ultimate carbohydrates to eat in the months, weeks, and days leading up the race are sweet potatoes, brown rice, and quinoa. These power picks are also easy to digest. During your race, your body burns between 150 to 300 carbohydrate calories an hour. One gram of carbohydrates yields four calories, so when you’re carbing up the night before the race, the ideal range is 38 to 75 grams, Poluha says.
Using high-quality fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado will ensure proper digestion, allowing your body to perform at its best. Avoiding fats altogether, on the other hand, will simply cause you to be hungry too soon. Too much fat will slow your digestion, which in turn will lower your energy and output.
Don’t forget protein
Egg whites and fish are easiest to digest, however chicken breast will ‘hold’ you a bit longer while red meat may slow down digestion.
Get the mix right
While training, aim for power meals and snacks with a ratio of 55-60% carbohydrates, 25-30% protein, and 10-20% fat.
They play a critical role in regulating your body’s water balance while exercising: Proper levels of these electrolytes allow your muscle cells to retain the appropriate amount of water. But you lose electrolytes when you sweat, which will impair your performance. Solution: Sip a sport drinks with sodium in it (an example is “Endurolytes Fizz” by Hammer Nutrition).
Fuel up throughout your run
Shoot for 6-10 ounces of fluid every 2 to 3 miles. If it’s a hot day, you’ll need to take in a bit more. You should start drinking early and not wait until you are thirsty or feel dehydrated (at that time it may already be too late). Recommended sources of fuel: Sport drinks, energy gels, and chews. One final tip from Paluha: “If you need or want to dilute your energy gels and chews, use water and not a sports drink—combined it will yield too much sugar for your digestive system to handle.” And who wants to run to the bathroom?
High quality chondroitin sulfate is just as effective as a widely prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (celecoxib) for the treatment of painful knee osteoarthritis, and possibly safer.
That’s the key finding of a new study, published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, comparing the popular supplement and the prescription medicine.
The researchers have called for chondroitin sulfate’s use in long-term treatment, especially for older people (among who osteoarthritis is common), due to its effectiveness and safety.
Usually treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and paracetamol, osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint condition that causes pain, loss of function, and often some degree of disability. It is the most common form of joint disease, and it affects between 20 million and 27 million Americans alone.
Unfortunately, the long-term use of NSAIDs can be risk, with studies showing they can cause increased risk for heart attack and other serious side effects. Because of this, researchers have been looking to find effective and safe alternatives to the NSAIDs that are commonly prescribed for osteoarthritis pain.
For the new study, 604 European osteoarthritis sufferers were randomly assigned to receive one of the two treatments and monitored for six months. One third were given one 800 mg tablet of chondroitin sulfate, another third received 200 mgs of celecoxib (Celebrex, and additional 205 were given two placebo dummy pills.
While pain was reduced and joint function improved in all three treatment methods throughout the six months, the results significantly greater after six and three months in patients treated with chondroitin sulfate or celecoxib. What’s more, there were no significant overall differences in effectiveness of either active treatment, both of which were highly rated by patients.
“This compelling benefit-risk profile, in light of the known clinical risks associated with chronic usage of NSAIDs and paracetamol underscores the potential importance of pharmaceutical grade [chondroitin sulfate] in the management of knee [osteoarthritis],” the researchers said, “especially in the older population requiring long-term treatment.”
The researchers noted that the chondroitin sulfate should be considered as the first option for treatment of this condition.
A diet rich in fiber can help reduce knee pain, and the risk of developing painful osteoarthritis, according to a first-of-its-kind study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
The findings, which draw from two different long-term studies, add to the list of health benefits of a fiber-rich diet, including reductions in blood pressure, weight, inflammation, and blood glucose.
The first study, known as the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI), tracked the health of nearly 5,000 older Americans with or at risk of developing the immune disorder, also known as degenerative joint disease or “wear and tear” arthritis, beginning in 2004. The intent of this study was to use the data collected to determine potential risk factors for this condition.
The second, known as the Framingham Offspring cohort study, tracked more than 1,200 adult children of the original Framingham Heart Study, which began in 1971.
Both studies used a questionnaire to determine the dietary fiber intake of each participant, finding that the average person’s intake was between 15 and 19 grams of fiber daily.
Analysis of the results of both studies found that eating more fiber is associated with a lower risk of painful knee osteoarthritis.
Those in the OAI study who ate the most fiber had 30 percent lower risk, while high-fiber diets were linked with a 61 percent reduced risk in the Framingham research group. Additionally, eating more fiber was linked with a significantly lower risk of worsening knee pain.
“These data demonstrate a consistent protective association between total fiber intake and symptom-related knee [osteoarthritis] in two study populations with careful adjustment for potential confounders,” the researchers concluded.
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PUSH-as-Rx � is leading the field with laser focus supporting our youth sport programs.� The�PUSH-as-Rx � System is a sport specific athletic program designed by a strength-agility coach and physiology doctor with a combined 40 years of experience working with extreme athletes. At its core, the program is the multidisciplinary study of reactive agility, body mechanics and extreme motion dynamics. Through continuous and detailed assessments of the athletes in motion and while under direct supervised stress loads, a clear quantitative picture of body dynamics emerges. Exposure to the biomechanical vulnerabilities are presented to our team. �Immediately,�we adjust our methods for our athletes in order to optimize performance.� This highly adaptive system with continual�dynamic adjustments has helped many of our athletes come back faster, stronger, and ready post injury while safely minimizing recovery times. Results demonstrate clear improved agility, speed, decreased reaction time with greatly improved postural-torque mechanics.��PUSH-as-Rx � offers specialized extreme performance enhancements to our athletes no matter the age.
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