February, 2009
Stress Connection
Posted on February 22, 2009 |
You fly past a cop while you’re going 20 miles over the speed limit, or you’re about to give a speech or go on a job interview. All of a sudden, you feel
cramping stomach pain, the need to rush to the bathroom. What gives?
Blame the enteric nervous system (ENS). It’s your gut’s “brain,” and it has its own muscles, nerves and neurotransmitters, which tell the gut to move its contents through the body.
The ENS is always communicating with your brain, sending signals back and forth. But when you’re stressed, there are an abnormal number of signals
firing away. That can lead to discomfort, says Dr. Foxx-Orenstein. The vagus nerve, which runs from the brain to the intestines, is also at play here, says Mehmet C. Oz, MD, director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City and coauthor of the You health books. “There’s a very close connection between your brain and your gut, so it’s not surprising to think that if your brain is overstressed, the same thing is happening through meditation, exercise, deep breathing, yoga, or whatever works for you, may help ease your symptoms.
Make a Small Room Look Big
Posted on February 15, 2009 |
Try these tricks from interior decorators: Aim for three points of light
(say, an overhead fixture and two table lamps). “The eye travels to
light first,” says Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan of apartment therapy.com. “Any space that’s in a shadow is space you don’t have.”
Clear away extra furniture like a desk or cabinets, for more mingling
room, says Chris Seman of the Mr. Handyman franchises. Space out artwork Start at the floor and measure 57 inches up the wall. The center of your art or photo should hang on that mark. Why it works: 57 inches is roughly eye height for most people, which opens up more space above the work, making the room seem taller. Hang a mirror The larger, the better. Position it across from an entryway or a window so that it reflects the natural light.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Posted on February 10, 2009 |
Irritable bowel syndrome IBS is one of the toughest disorders to diagnose
and treat. Your belly aches, you’re bloated, and you have constipation or
diarrhea (or both), but tests show there’s nothing wrong. Is it all in your
head? No. It’s in your gut, and it’s not going away quietly. “Sometimes tests
rule out other possibilities, but increasingly we make the diagnosis based on the patient’s description of symptoms,” says Colin Howden, MD, professor of medicine in the GI division at Northwestern University.
Sometimes IBS begins after an infectious disease like traveler’s diarrhea. Once you’ve been diagnosed, your doctor may suggest dietary changes, such as eating more fiber or taking supplements (increase fiber gradually, since an excess can cause bloating, gas and diarrhea). Keeping a food diary to figure out what triggers symptoms, and then avoiding those foods, helps some people. Doctors may also prescribe antibiotics (to reduce bacteria in the intestinal tract) or probiotics (to shore up healthy bacteria).
Zelnorm, a drug that offered relief to many, was pulled off shelves by its
manufacturer earlier this year after it was found to increase the likelihood of
heart attack and stroke in people with a history of heart disease or those at
risk for the condition. But in July, the FDA said women under 55 with chronic constipation or IBS and no history of heart disease can still get the drug. And there are other medications on the horizon that seem to work in a similar way. Some doctors are prescribing the constipation drug Amitiza as a replacement.
Sleep medicines
Posted on February 1, 2009 |
There are some special problems that may occur while taking sleep medicines. “Sleep-Driving” and other complex behaviors: There have
been reports of people getting out of bed after taking a sleep medicine and driving their cars while not fully awake, often with no memory of the event. If you experience such an event, it should be reported to your doctor immediately, since “sleepdriving” can be dangerous.
This behavior is more likely to occur when Ambien CR is taken with alcohol or other drugs such as those for the treatment of depression or anxiety. Other complex behaviors such as preparing and eating food, making phone calls, or having sex have been reported in people who are not fully awake after taking a sleep medicine. As with “sleepdriving”, people usually do not remember these events.
Memory problems: Sleep medicines may cause a special type of memory loss or “amnesia.” When this occurs, a person may not remember what has happened for several hours after taking the medicine. This is usually not a problem since most people fall asleep after taking the medicine. Memory loss can be a problem, however, when sleep medicines are taken while traveling, such as during an airplane flight and the person wakes up before the effect of the medicine is gone. This has been called “traveler’s amnesia.” Be sure to talk to your doctor if you think you are having memory problems. Although memory problems are not very common while taking Ambien CR, in most instances, they can be avoided if you take Ambien CR only when you are able to get a full night’s sleep (7 to 8 hours) before you need to be active again.
Tolerance: When sleep medicines are used every night for more than a few weeks, they may lose their effectiveness to help you sleep. This is known as “tolerance”.
Sleep medicines should, in most cases, be used only for short periods of time, such as 1 or 2 days and generally no longer than 1 or 2 weeks. If your sleep problems continue, consult your doctor, who will determine whether other measures are needed to overcome your sleep problems. Dependence: Sleep medicines can cause dependence, especially when these medicines are used regularly for longer than a few weeks or at high doses. Some people develop a need to continue taking their medicines. This is known as dependence
or “addiction.”