Study: THIS Common Pre-Marathon Habit Could Cause Serious Side Effects

It's been a scary week for marathon runners; it feels weird to write anything marathon-related right now without addressing that first. But once we take a step back, we know that, ultimately, running is still good for us -- more likely to do our bodies good than to do them harm. Now, however, a new study shows a potential danger that many marathoners face every time they toe the line. And it's due to a common pre-race ritual -- one that I've definitely done, and you probably have, too!

So what should we NOT be doing before a race? Popping painkillers. Everyday OTCs like aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen can cause serious side effects when paired with endurance sports, says the study, published today in the online journal BMJ Open -- serious enough to affect your performance, or even land you in the hospital.

When German researchers surveyed nearly 4,000 runners after a local marathon and half marathon, 49 percent of respondents said they'd popped pain meds beforehand in hopes of a pain-free race. But overall, the medicated runners were five times more likely to suffer complications during or after the event, including stomach cramps, cardiovascular problems, gastrointestinal bleeds, blood in their urine, and joint and muscle pain.

Those who took medication were slightly less likely to drop out of the race due to muscle cramps -- but more likely to drop out because of GI distress (which, if you ask me, is worse than a little knee pain). Nine of them also ended up in the hospital for kidney failure, bleeding ulcers, or heart attacks, compared to none of the non-medicated runners. Taking more than the recommended dosage -- as 43 percent of ibuprofen users in the study did -- raised the risk of side effects significantly.

Painkillers prevent the formation of prostaglandins, hormone-like substances involved in the body's inflammatory process. But, the authors say, prostaglandins also protect the body under extreme stress (e.g. marathon running), and without them, we're at risk for more serious injury.

Bottom line? Use pain meds sparingly, and only when you really need them. And if you're relying on them to get through your workouts, talk to your doctor about a safer, longer-term solution. Stay safe out there, runners!

Do you ever pop pain meds before a run? Will this change your mind about it? Tweet us at @amandaemac and @SELFmagazine.

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Image Credit: Arthur Belebeau

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Did Men's Yen for Younger Women Cause Menopause?

Study found bias may have sidelined older women sexually, prompted changes that led to infertility

By Barbara Bronson Gray

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, June 13 (HealthDay News) -- Can women blame men for menopause?

They may have a case, according to new research that suggests it was men's interest in mating with younger females that gave evolutionary rise to menopause by sidelining older women from reproduction.

Menopause -- when a woman stops getting menstrual periods and can't become pregnant -- is unique to humans and its cause is still unknown, explained study author and evolutionary biologist Rama Singh. "We accept as a given the idea that older women tend to be unable to reproduce," but Singh said this is actually an "evolutionary puzzle."

It has long been thought that menopause is what causes women, primarily in their early 50s, to stop being able to get pregnant, but the researchers found evidence that things could actually have occurred the other way around. In other words, infertility may have been the cause, not the effect, of menopause in early humans.

There are at least 10 theories of why menopause occurs, according to the researchers, including ideas based on the fact that women are living longer and depleting the number of eggs in their ovaries, to what is called the "grandmother hypothesis." That idea holds that menopause allows older women to provide childcare that contributes to the survival of their grandchildren, making them more fit or valuable to the human tribe.

But Singh's research, published online June 13 in the journal PLOS Computational Biology, suggests something altogether new.

"This paper is saying that men have played the major or dominant part in choosing mates," said Singh, who is a professor of population genetics and evolution at McMaster University, in Canada. "Somewhere along the line in our evolutionary history, males did not mate randomly but preferred young women because they are more attractive."

Going way back in human history, people reproduced all their lives, explained Singh. While it's possible that some women may have experienced menopause 30,000 years ago, now 100 percent of women experience it. "Menopause is an evolutionary phenomenon," he said.

The scientists found that the development of menopause seems to have done nothing to improve the chances of human survival over time, but rather occurred because women of a certain age weren't finding mates, and thus reproductive ability was unnecessary for them.

Yet Singh pointed out that if women long ago had been the ones choosing younger mates, older men would have been the ones losing their fertility, not women.

The process of natural selection favors the most fit, so women who are most likely to reproduce are protected, explained Singh. Natural selection is the gradual, non-random process through which biological traits become either more or less common, due to the way reproduction occurs, Singh explained.

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Social Toll of Hearing Loss Could Be Cause for Alarm

Higher rates of hospitalization, illness and depression for seniors reported in study

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) -- Straining to catch the gist of conversations is frustrating enough, but a new study shows that seniors with hearing loss are also at increased risk for hospitalization, illness, injury and depression.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 1,100 American men and women aged 70 and older with hearing loss, and found that over a four-year period they were 32 percent more likely to have been admitted to the hospital than more than 500 adults with normal hearing.

Hearing-impaired seniors were also 36 percent more likely to have prolonged stretches (more than 10 days) of illness or injury and 57 percent more likely to have extended episodes (more than 10 days) of stress, depression or bad mood, according to the study, published online June 11 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"Hearing loss may have a profoundly detrimental effect on older people's physical and mental well-being, and even health care resources," said study senior investigator Dr. Frank Lin, an otologist and assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health.

"Our results underscore why hearing loss should not be considered an inconsequential part of aging, but an important issue for public health," Lin said in a Hopkins news release.

Hearing deficits can lead to social isolation, which in turn contribute to physical and mental declines, Lin said.

Hearing loss affects as many as 27 million Americans over age 50, including two-thirds of men and women aged 70 years and older, according to Lin.

The study doesn't prove that being hard of hearing directly leads to other health problems, but it does show an association between the two. And health policymakers need to consider the broader health impact of hearing loss when making decisions for older people, study lead investigator Dr. Dane Genther, a resident in otolaryngology/head and neck surgery, said in the news release.

Genther's recommendations: expanded Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for hearing-related health care services, wider installation of hearing loops in various facilities, and more accessible and affordable approaches for treating hearing loss.

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HPV transmission during oral sex a growing cause of mouth and throat cancer

Posted June 04, 2013, 3:40 pm

Actress Angelina Jolie recently went public with her double mastectomy to prevent breast cancer. Governor Chris Christie told us his reasons for gastric bypass surgery. And now actor Michael Douglas is shining the spotlight on the human papilloma virus (HPV)—the number one cause of mouth and throat cancer. In an interview published in The Guardian newspaper in London, Douglas mentioned that his own throat cancer could have been brought on by oral sex, a common way to become infected with HPV.

There are about 200 different strains of HPV. Some cause common warts when they invade the skin. Others are the cause of sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States.

HPV transmitted by sexual contact often doesn’t become active enough to cause symptoms. When it does become active, it tends to invade mucous membranes, such as those covering the lining of the vagina, cervix, anus, mouth, tongue, and throat. An HPV infection can cause warts in and around these tissues.

Most people sexually exposed to HPV never develop symptoms or health problems, and most HPV infections go away by themselves within two years. But the infection can persist and cause long-term problems. These include cervical cancer in women, penis cancer in men, and in both sexes some cancers of the anus and oropharyngeal cancer (cancer in the back of throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils).

In the past, oropharyngeal cancers were mostly linked to smoking or alcohol abuse. Today, oropharyngeal cancers related to smoking and alcohol are on the decline while those caused by HPV are rising dramatically. Some experts predict that HPV-caused mouth and throat cancers will become more common than cervical cancer by 2020.

Sexual contact, including oral sex and deep kissing, can transmit HPV from one person to another. The likelihood of contracting oral HPV is directly associated with number of sexual partners a person has had.

There are a few ways to prevent HPV-related oral cancer, depending on your age.

Pre-teens, teens, and young adults of both sexes can get vaccinated against HPV. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that young women get vaccinated against the virus to prevent cervical cancer. The CDC also recommends the vaccination for young men for two reasons: to help prevent its transmission to women, and to help prevent some of the 7,000 HPV-related cancers that occur in men each year. The two available vaccines provide excellent protection against sexually transmitted HPV.

Vaccination won’t help older people (those beyond their early 20s) or the millions of people already infected with HPV. The use of condoms can prevent the spread of the virus during penile-vaginal, penile-anal, or penile-oral sex. The use of a dental dam (a thin piece of latex) can help prevent the spread of the virus during oral-vaginal sex.

If you’ve been infected with the virus, diagnosing an HPV-related oral cancer as early as possible greatly improves the chance of cure. See your doctor if you have one or more of these symptoms for more than two to three weeks:

A sore in your mouth or on your tongue that doesn’t healPersistent pain with swallowing or sore throatA lump in your neck that persists

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Eyelash Extension Adhesives May Cause Bad Reactions

Eyelash Extension Adhesives May Cause Bad ReactionInfections and allergies from cosmetic procedure can damage eyes or cause swelling, loss of eyelasheshttp://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/article_thumbnails/news/healthday/2013/05/46112.jpgWebMD News from HealthDay

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- For those who aren't born with long, fluttery eyelashes, cosmetic extensions can help achieve that often sought-after look. But eye experts warn that the adhesives used to apply these eyelash extensions can cause allergies and infections.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) warns that among the potential dangers associated with cosmetic eyelash extensions and the adhesives used to apply them are infections of the cornea and eyelid, permanent or temporary loss of eyelashes, and eyelid swelling.

The academy said that a recent Consumer Reports article details the cases of several patients who suffered infections and allergic reactions to formaldehyde-based adhesives used with eyelash extensions.

The AAO said consumers should use caution if they're considering eyelash extensions and offered the following advice:

Only go to an aesthetician who is certified and working at a reputable business.Ensure that adequate hand washing and proper hygiene is practiced by the aesthetician.Ask about the eyelash adhesive ingredients before getting the extensions applied.

People who develop an infection, allergic reaction or other irritation after using eyelash extensions or other eye products should immediately seek medical attention from an ophthalmologist -- a doctor who specializes in the treatment of eye conditions, the experts noted in an AAO news release.

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Shop at JCPenney for a Great Cause

With the launch of Joe Fresh apparel at JCPenney this past weekend, who would think there'd be another awesome reason to hit one of our fave department stores? But while you're buying new summer wardrobe staples, you can also be making a big difference -- that is, through the rest of March. For the next two weeks, JCPenney is inviting customers to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar and donate to Crisis Text Line, a subsection of DoSomething.org.

Crisis Text Line, launching this August, will help bullied teens and those in crisis with a text message hotline available 24/7. Being made fun of at the lunch table? No need to make an awkward call. After all, no one can actually hear a text message, right? So get yourself to your nearest jcp: Not only will you look fabulous in your new clothes, but you'll also be funding an important cause without even flinching.

--Christina Pandolfi

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Image Credit: Courtesy of DoSomething.org

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I’m a nurse with a latex allergy — why do “latex-free” gloves still cause an allergic reaction?

Posted May 23, 2013, 2:00 am

I’m a nurse who is allergic to latex, so I always use latex-free gloves. But I still occasionally break out in hives. Why?

A product may claim to be “latex-free” or state that it “does not contain latex.” But the truth is that no existing tests can show that a product is completely free from latex.

“Natural rubber latex” comes from the sap of the rubber tree. This material is used to make a host of stretchy products, including adhesive bandages, condoms, gloves used in health care and dishwashing, balloons, rubber bands, baby bottle nipples and more.

Natural rubber latex can cause an allergic reaction because it contains proteins that set off some people’s immune systems. A latex allergy usually occurs in people with repeated exposure to natural rubber latex. That’s why they’re more common in health care workers and frequent surgical patients.

Hives or welts are a common allergic reaction to latex exposure. So are swelling, a runny nose and sneezing; red, itchy or teary eyes; headache, sore throat, abdominal cramps; or chest tightness, wheezing or shortness of breath. Sometimes the reaction can cause anaphylactic shock, which can be deadly.

Not everyone who is latex-sensitive has hives or welts. Some people get contact dermatitis, consisting of a skin rash and itching that start one to several days after contact with a latex product. Over time and repeated exposure, contact dermatitis can cause dry, crusted scabs on the skin.

The big mystery with latex allergy — and most allergies, for that matter — is why it exists. It is our immune system that causes allergies. The immune system is supposed to protect us from dangerous foreign substances and microbes. But latex isn’t dangerous to us — nor are many other things to which people have allergies, such as pollen, house dust or cat dander. Yet the immune system (or, at least, one part of it) overreacts and goes to war. In trying to protect us, it makes us sick.

Synthetic latex is an alternative to natural latex. It doesn’t provoke allergies. You can (and should) use gloves made from synthetic latex. But even that’s not a guarantee, because products made without natural latex can be contaminated with latex proteins during the manufacturing or packaging process.

Since latex is found in so many products, the best you can do is make smart choices based on information on product labels. Use gloves made from synthetic latex and avoid those made with natural rubber latex. When you find a product that doesn’t provoke an allergic reaction, stick with it.

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Fiscal Standoff Could Cause Financial Pain for Health Care

By Barbara Bronson Gray

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Feb. 28 (HealthDay News) -- "Sequestration" is Washington-speak for the approximately $85 billion in annual federal spending cuts mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011. Those cuts were originally set to take effect on Jan. 1, but were delayed in the deal to avert the so-called "fiscal cliff" of tax increases and budget reductions.

But those cuts are set to kick in Friday, with spending reductions coming to a wide range of areas and programs, including health care, defense, education, air travel and agriculture.

Portions of health care and related programs would be somewhat unscathed -- for instance Medicaid, the government-run insurance program for poorer Americans, would be left untouched.

But experts point to three key areas that health-care consumers should be concerned about, not just in the days ahead but as Congressional Republicans and President Barack Obama continue to wrangle over the budget for the next fiscal year starting in October:

Hospitals: Decreases in Medicare reimbursement for hospitals and skilled nursing facilities are set to total nearly $4.5 billion, or about $1.3 million for the average facility. Such cuts are expected to result in layoffs, especially of nurses, who represent the largest percentage of employees in hospitals.Physicians: Medicare payments to doctors could drop by as much as 3 percent to 4 percent, according to some estimates, totaling about $4.1 billion. The reduction in revenue could be the last straw for frustrated physicians who may stop accepting Medicare patients -- who tend to be 65 or older -- or decide to retire a little sooner than they had planned.Research: Federal agencies such as the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are each facing funding cuts of about 5 percent, or about $2.5 billion in all. The reductions could slow FDA reviews of proposed new drugs and medical devices, for example, and curtail some services at the CDC -- such as infection control and immunization. The real impact on research projects, which are typically long-term efforts, is harder to estimate.

While the mandated budget cuts are threatening in the short run, experts said the real challenge lies down the road. For instance, the combination of an increasingly tight federal budget and the growing number of retiring baby boomers could bring the financial challenges facing Medicare -- the government-run insurance program for older Americans -- to a whole new level.

"The real issue that the public should be concerned about is, what do the president and Congress plan to do next [fiscal] year, Oct. 1? They're twiddling their thumbs right now and what we need is a functioning government," said Joseph Antos, a health policy expert with the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C.

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Gel Manicures Durable, But Can Cause Lasting Problems

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Many women like gel manicures because they are durable and long-lasting, but frequent use can cause nail thinning, brittleness, peeling and cracking, and also hide nail disease, an expert warns.

"In general, any manicure left in place for an extended period of time is not a good idea because you are not seeing what is going on underneath the nail polish," Dr. Chris Adigun, an assistant professor of dermatology at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City, said in an American Academy of Dermatology news release.

"As is the case with most things, moderation is the key when it comes to gel manicures," she said. "If you get them regularly, you need to be aware of the possible consequences and see a board-certified dermatologist if a persistent nail problem develops."

It's unclear whether nail brittleness associated with gel manicures is caused by chemicals in the gel nail polish or by the acetone soaks needed to remove the polish. Acetone dries nails and irritates the skin around the nail, Adigun said.

She said women who get frequent gel manicures need to know that the UV light used to cure the gel is a risk factor for skin cancer. Also, photo damage from the UV light can cause cosmetic changes in the skin surrounding nails.

Another potential problem is that nails continually covered in polish hide any problems occurring under the nail, such as an infection or tumor. This could delay diagnosis and treatment, she said.

Adigun offered the following tips for getting gel manicures:

Pay attention to your nails and allow them to regrow and repair. Consider getting gel manicures only occasionally to decrease the risk of problems.When getting gel manicures, wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen on your hands to minimize damage caused by exposure to UV light during the curing process.Tell the manicurist not to push or manipulate the cuticle because that will increase the risk of inflammation and infection and also dry out the nail.Use traditional nail polish instead of gel nail polish if you have recurring nail problems, or if you have an allergy to acetone, which is used to remove gel manicures.Rehydrate your nails several times a day with a moisturizing product, such as petroleum jelly, to combat brittleness, thinning and chipping.When removing gel nail polish, do not chip it with other nails or tools.Soak only the nails, not the whole hand or fingers, in acetone while nail polish is being removed. This will help prevent skin irritation. If you get gel manicures frequently, consider buying finger wraps that expose only the nails and protect surrounding skin.If you notice any unusual changes to the nails, see a dermatologist.

More information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more about nail-care products.

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Exposure to light at night may cause depression, learning issues, mouse study suggests

Nov. 14, 2012 — For most of history, humans rose with the sun and slept when it set. Enter Thomas Edison and colleagues, and with a flick of a switch, night became day, enabling us to work, play and post cat and kid photos on Facebook into the wee hours.

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According to a new study of mice led by a Johns Hopkins biologist, however, this typical 21st-century scenario may come at a serious cost: When people routinely burn the midnight oil, they risk suffering depression and learning issues, and not only because of lack of sleep. The culprit could also be exposure to bright light at night from lamps, computers and even iPads.

"Basically, what we found is that chronic exposure to bright light -- even the kind of light you experience in your own living room at home or in the workplace at night if you are a shift worker -- elevates levels of a certain stress hormone in the body, which results in depression and lowers cognitive function," said Samer Hattar, a biology professor in the Johns Hopkins University's Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.

Published in the Nov. 14 advance online publication of the journal Nature, the mice study demonstrates how special cells in the eye (called intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, or ipRGCs) are activated by bright light, affecting the brain's center for mood, memory and learning.

But the study involved mice, so why are we talking about humans? Hattar offers some insight: "Mice and humans are actually very much alike in many ways, and one is that they have these ipRGCs in their eyes, which affect them the same way," he said. "In addition, in this study, we make reference to previous studies on humans, which show that light does, indeed, impact the human brain's limbic system. And the same pathways are in place in mice."

The scientists knew that shorter days in the winter cause some people to develop a form of depression known as "seasonal affective disorder" and that some patients with this mood disorder benefit from "light therapy," which is simple, regular exposure to bright light.

Hattar's team, led by graduate students Tara LeGates and Cara Altimus, posited that mice would react the same way, and tested their theory by exposing laboratory rodents to a cycle consisting of 3.5 hours of light and then 3.5 hours of darkness. Previous studies using this cycle showed that it did not disrupt the mice's sleep cycles, but Hattar's team found that it did cause the animals to develop depression-like behaviors.

"Of course, you can't ask mice how they feel, but we did see an increase in depression-like behaviors, including a lack of interest in sugar or pleasure seeking, and the study mice moved around far less during some of the tests we did," he said. "They also clearly did not learn as quickly or remember tasks as well. They were not as interested in novel objects as were mice on a regular light-darkness cycle schedule."

The animals also had increased levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that has been linked in numerous previous studies with learning issues. Treatment with Prozac, a commonly prescribed anti-depressant, mitigated the symptoms, restoring the mice to their previous healthy moods and levels of learning, and bolstering the evidence that their learning issues were caused by depression.

According to Hattar, the results indicate that humans should be wary of the kind of prolonged, regular exposure to bright light at night that is routine in our lives, because it may be having a negative effect on our mood and ability to learn.

"I'm not saying we have to sit in complete darkness at night, but I do recommend that we should switch on fewer lamps, and stick to less-intense light bulbs: Basically, only use what you need to see. That won't likely be enough to activate those ipRGCs that affect mood," he advises.

This study was supported by a grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

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