Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/HZEdnMcBC_c If you’re trying to resist the siren song of alcohol, a juicy steak, or a huge chunk of cheesecake, that task will be far easier if your memory is clear, you aren’t fatigued, and you are not otherwise under stress.  This conclusion stems from a study of Welch participants recently published in the journal Psychological Science. Their data shows that the ability of our mind’s executive function to help us avoid giving into drug, food, or other temptations is impaired if we literally have much on our minds.  That load includes an abundance of information uppermost in our minds or an abundance of demands on our attention.  The byword is prepare, prepare, prepare.  If temptation is just ahead, clear the decks of your mind by relaxing or distracting so that you may properly confront and cope. Poppy Watson, Daniel Pearson, Michelle Chow, Jan Theeuwes, Reinout W. Wiers, Steven B. Most, Mike E. Le Pelley. Capture and Control: Working Memory Modulates Attentional Capture by Rewar

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/jwYD2vhtFZU A dog at home to welcome a newborn will reduce that baby’s chances of developing skin allergies or wheezing by about half.  These are the findings of a University of Wisconsin’s pediatric department. Researchers there followed 275 at-risk children born to parents with an allergy history over a 3 year period.  Those exposed to dogs just after birth were 56% less likely to develop atopic dermatitis and 48% less likely to develop wheezing. The reasons for this phenomenon remain under study.  Meanwhile, if there is a family history of allergy, this result gives you one more reason to invite a dog into your family. https://www.pediatrics.wisc.edu/featured-stories/allergies #Dogs #allergy #wheezing #atopicdermatitis

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/_xRxrqp7p5I A child who hates food with texture, rejects hot or cold foods, has very limited food preferences, or holds food in his or her mouth for extended periods are likely prime candidates for autism screening.   Studies at Penn State’s psychiatry department of some 2,000 children demonstrate that unusual eating behaviors are present in 70% of children with autism spectrum disorders.  These odd eating habits are 15 times more common in autistic kids compared with their neurotypical peers. The lesson is that kids who consistently eat differently from their sibs and peers should be given the benefit of an early autism diagnosis.  If you child refuses anything grittier than baby food or wants to live on bacon alone, make certain that their pediatricians speak with you about referring them for testing and any necessary early intervention. Susan Dickerson Mayes, Hana Zickgraf. Atypical eating behaviors in children and adolescents with autism, ADHD, other disorders, and typical devel

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/-D4k4d_lERs Exercise will not only trigger needed weight loss, but it triggers better brain metabolism and executive brain function  for the overweight and obese.  A study from Germany’s University of Tübingen shows that an 8 week exercise program improves the brain’s insulin sensitivity and blood flow to brain regions critical for motor control and managing rewards. The study focused on 22 overweight or obese adults who generally avoided exercise but participated in the 2 month organized walking and cycling program.  The subjects had brain scans before and after the exercise program. Those participants who demonstrated the best improvements in their brain function also lost the most belly fat.  In general, though, the relatively short program only began the process of serious weight loss. Exercise is excellent medicine for your body.  Urge your children to exercise by setting a good example.  Then you and they should exercise regularly during what will certainly be a longer, health

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/m2k9SRjKqGA We know that too much blue light at night leads to poor sleep quality, but those tv and phone LED screens could also be triggering your craving for sweets.  This is the conclusion of a Dutch study in a mouse model from the Universities of Strasbourg and Amsterdam. After only one hour of nighttime exposure to LED blue light, the experimental animals chose a sugary rather than a balanced diet the following day and their glucose tolerance diminished.  This  study indicates that repetitive exposure to images at the blue end of the spectrum will drive snacking on sugary foods and interfere with our bodies’ abilities to process that extraneous sugar by increasing insulin resistance leading to diabetes. You can fight this tendency by using a setting on your iPhone called Night Shift and comparable TV screen settings that warm the screen colors from blue to orange.  Don’t be a slave to advertisers who may be using blue images to drive you to your junk food cabinet. Society for t

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/3f5DYU6F4ZA This is Health News You Should Use, the latest medical discoveries and commonsense advice that you can use in a practical way to keep yourself and your family healthy.   Here are this weeks stories : Relieve Your Hot Pepper Heartburn Make A Date - Get A Free Meal CBD Kills Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Your Cell Phone Is Polluted With Bacteria Cheap Home Exercise As Good As Health Club Program The Right Playlist Reduces Your Workout Pain You Can Work Yourself To Death How To Calm Your Anxiety While Waiting Coffee Turbocharges Your Fat Cells To Burn Calories Safe Pain Relief After Tonsillectomy Music Study Improves Academic Performance In Math, Science, and English Our Food Is Too Sweet Vacation Is Literally Good For Your Heart Grapefruit Juice Dangerously Powers Up Certain Drugs Bedroom TVs And Nightlights May Be Fattening Take Some Deep Breaths Before Seeing Your Doctor For show notes and references to for the stories, check out my website at: https://www.drhowardsmith.c

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/P1tlzAik8wY Relaxing yourself before going in that examining room will help you get much more from your visit.  Psychologists at the University of Michigan studied nearly 1500 subjects to determine if interventions that induced more positivity and openness to information would result in a more relaxed and productive health maintenance encounter. The study mimicked a doctor’s visit by exposing the subjects to an array of healthcare information on subjects as diverse as the flu, cancer, HIV, and sexually-transmitted diseases.  Testing and interviews then ascertained how well the participants understood the information given.   Before the so-called “visit,” groups of participants were pre-treated with positivity therapy including meditation, relaxation audios, and breathing exercises.   A control group only listened to documentary information. Those persons who received the relaxation intervention absorbed more of the health information and felt better about the entire experience.  The

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/-EFYrk5NLnM If you love falling asleep with the TV treating you to Law and Order or if you merely leave a light on in the room, you’d better watch that scale.    The NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences studied nearly 44,000 women in the so-called Sister Study of women’s disease.  The researchers questioned the participants about their sleeping habits and compiled physical data including weight at the onset of the study and again 5 years later.   Women who slept with the TV going or a room light on were 17% more likely to gain 11 pounds over the 5 years compared with those who slept in a dark room or at most had a small nightlight burning.  The weight gain was not associated with the reported quality of the participant’ s sleep. The investigators suspect that disruption of the natural day-night cycle or circadian rhythm may be the culprit.  If you must fall asleep to the TV or with a light, use a sleep timer. Yong-Moon Mark Park, Alexandra J. White, Chandra L. J

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/XMWrYblrEB4 Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may cause you to overdose on many popular prescription drugs.  The FDA now repeats its 2017 warning to us and asks us to carefully read the label on any drug you are taking to see if grapefruit can interfere with its function Grapefruit juice blocks the enzyme in the small intestine that normally breaks down drugs causing you to absorb too much of a drug into your system.  And, as always, too much of a good thing isn’t good. The list of affected drugs includes: some statin drugs that lower cholesterol: Zocor (simvastatin), Lipitor (atorvastatin); blood pressure medications such as nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat CC); transplant rejection drugs: cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral); Anxiety drugs: buspirone; steroids: budesonide for IBD (Entocort EC, Uceris); cardiac rhythm controllers: amiodarone (Pacerone, Nexterone). Do speak with your doctor and pharmacist about your medications and grapefruit juice as well as checking the labels and onlin

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/7YWEoizy0y4 Taking frequent vacations is associated with a lower risk of developing the metabolic syndrome, that deadly triad of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.  This welcome news comes from Syracuse University’s Department of Public Health. The study focused on 63 university workers, and the researchers compiled information about their vacations and health status over a 12 month period.  A greater number of vacation days was associated with a lower incidence of metabolic syndrome components.  The risk of full-blown metabolic syndrome diminishes by 25% for each vacation taken. The fact that the US has a  $  declining average life expectancy relative to other industrialized nations may have something to do with the fact that we are the only one of those nations that does not guarantee a paid vacation to workers.   Then too, when U.S. workers do receive paid vacation time, fewer than half take advantage of it and instead take the money. The last word:  hit the road and take that

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/fN_v_Z1pldM When we comment about the taste of our food, the overwhelming conclusion is “it’s TOO SWEET!”  This is the “bittersweet" conclusion from tabulation of almost 400,000 food reviews by Philadelphia’s Monell Chemical Senses Center. The scientists there used artificial intelligence techniques to analyze data about the taste, texture, and smell of nearly 68,000 unique foods posted on amazon.com product reviews.   When it came to discussions of taste, sweet was the word most frequently mentioned appearing in 11% of reviews and 3 times more often than the word “bitter.”  Food was rated as “overly sweet “ 25 times more often than “not sweet enough.” It’s probably no surprise how often products are rated too sweet, since  $   literally tons of fructose syrup is poured into the food we eat.  Try to avoid all that unhealthy sugar by reading food labels. Danielle R. Reed, Joel D. Mainland, Charles J. Arayata. Sensory nutrition: The role of taste in the reviews of commercial food prod

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ZhRZAnOkg7c Taking music instruction and playing an instrument boosts high school students’ scores in their academic courses.  This study of some 112,000 Canadian high school students just published in the Journal of Educational Psychology is a biting indictment of local school boards that frequently vote to eliminate music programs in favor of taxpayer-supported sports. The data also showed that children who learned to play a musical instrument in elementary school and continued to play into high school scored one academic year ahead in all subjects when compared with their non-playing peers.  This superiority in math, science, and literary studies was independent of socioeconomic level, ethnicity, or prior academic performance. Musical training enhances eye-hand-mind coordination, listening skills, and discipline all of which have impact on general academic studies.  Playing in an ensemble perfects the same teamwork skills that derive from sports. If you want your children to exce

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/i340ytno-fs Giving kids ibuprofen, that is Advil or Motrin, rather than acetaminophen, Tylenol, after tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy more than doubles a child’s risk of serious bleeding that requires a return to the operating room.  This conclusion comes from a multi-center study of some 741 children aged 2-18 years coordinated by pediatric ENT specialists at Harvard’s Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary. For years, use of platelet-inhibiting, blood-thinning drugs such as aspirin after tonsil surgery was an absolute no-no.  Then, more recently, ibuprofen and other non-aspirin NSAIDs became available, and they were touted as being safe despite the fact that they too inhibit platelet function, interfere with blood coagulation, and slow healing.  A few small studies suggested that their use was safe after throat surgery. For those of us pediatric surgeons operating on the highly vascular tonsils, recommending any blood-thinning medications made absolutely no sense not matter what

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/2-t7Mb_teLA Drinking coffee will help you lose weight.   A new British study just published in Scientific Reports shows for the first time that the caffeine in coffee triggers a mitochondrial uncoupling protein which in turn increases calorie-burning brown fat cell activity in both cultured cells and in human volunteers.  More brown fat cell tissue versus white fat cells is beneficial since it optimizes both lipid and carbohydrate biochemistry thereby revving up your body’s overall metabolic activity.  And even better news:  the caffeine in chocolate, cocoa, and other caffeinated beverages including tea will also have beneficial effects. So... drink up and slim down! Ksenija Velickovic, Declan Wayne, Hilda Anaid Lugo Leija, etal.  Caffeine exposure induces browning features in adipose tissue in vitro and in vivo.  Scientific Reports volume 9, Article number: 9104 (2019) #Coffee #caffeine #Dieting #brownfat #obesity

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/lAf8hPSrMqw Imagine that you’re waiting for a biopsy report, a job offer, a college or grad school acceptance, or a colonoscopy.  You’re on pins and needles anxious. Just how do you cope?  A new study from UC-Riverside gives you a novel strategy: watching an awe-inducing or heart-tugging movie. The researchers studied a total of 729 subjects all stressed awaiting important test results.  Groups were exposed to various videos including one of an awe-inducing sunrise with orchestral accompaniment, one of cute animals playing, and the third a rather boring documentary about padlock manufacture.  Those who experienced awe reported more positive emotions and significantly less anxiety while waiting than the the subjects who screened the less inspiring selections.   So just what is awe?  The psychologists define it as a “transportive mindset” of the sort often triggered by a tear-jerking movie.  I have a few of those that work every time: It’s A Wonderful Life, Miracle On 34th Street, and

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/EQ7EgP1MNSM It’s an old saw, but a French study just published in the journal Stroke puts yet another black mark next to the concept of overwork.  Working long hours, defined as 10 hours a day for at least 50 days a year will increase your risk of stroke by 29%.  If you consistently work long hours for 10 or more years, your risk of a stroke rises to 45%. You’re probably saying, “I’ll bet those statistics are for old people.”  You’d be wrong.  The study tabulated data from nearly 144,000 people aged 18 to 69 years, and the risk of stroke for those working the long hours over a 10 year period was greater if the individual was under the age of 50.   The risks were lower among farmers, business owners, professionals, and managers suggesting that the stress of having less control over your work life may well be a key factor.  We should all take these results to heart and play as hard as we work. Marc Fadel, Grace Sembajwe, Diana Gagliardi, Fernando Pico, Jian Li, Anna Ozguler, Johannes

Vidcast:  tps://youtu.be/KAKxzmjoacw So you’re out of shape and finding your body toning workout impossibly grueling.  A  Canadian study just published in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise shows that listening to upbeat music as you work up that sweat will sweeten your experience. Music is a known dissociative influence that distracts you from the consequences of exercise including sore muscles and heavy breathing.  The investigators exposed a group of 24 exercisers to each of 3 different audio experiences: upbeat, swinging music, a non-musical podcast, or no sound.   The subjects demonstrated better performance and reported a more enjoyable experience when they were “sweatin’ to the oldies” or any fast-paced tunes.  Their heart rates also increased as though the fast music was almost serving as a heart metronome. So create a swinging playlist to accompany your exercise, and those many minutes of seeming physical torture will fly on by. Matthew J. Stork, Costas I. Karageorghis, Kathleen A. Martin G

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/HHJZs5YRDXU You know you should exercise but you don’t have the time or money for a health club.  A British study just published in the Journal of Physiology shows that you can keep fit with three 20 minute home sessions a week using high intensity training and virtual but not direct supervision. The researchers studied some of the toughest cases, 32 obese adults at risk for significant heart disease participating in one of three exercise regimens for 3 months.  The data showed that that those subjects using the three weekly 20 minute self-directed high intensity home exercise programs without the use of equipment showed the same benefits as those in a professionally supervised high intensity training program at a gym or a more leisurely 150 minutes a week moderate intensity home training program.  The benefits of all programs included reduced cardiovascular disease risk, better glucose metabolism, and improved body composition. This study supports use of inexpensive structured home

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/dzrI4PAJc3E A Brazilian study just presented last week at the American Society for Microbiology reminds us just how contaminated our cell phones can be.  Forty percent of the phones carried by university students were infested with antibiotic-resistant Staph Aureus.  Even more frightening but not surprising is that fact that the majority of such phones were in the hands of nursing students risking spread to their patients. This is nothing new as previous studies over the past years have demonstrated E. coli bacteria, influenza viruses, and a raft of other contaminants on phones.  One study proved that your phone was at least 10 times dirtier than your toilet seat.   Your own phone is unlikely to make you sick, but it can spread bug to others if they touch it or via tables on which it is placed. Microbiologists recommend decontaminating your phone at least once a day with disinfectant wipes, a foam hand sanitizer, or a UV smartphone sanitizer and charger. American Society for Microbi

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/QAUrV6t24sc The non-psychoactive component of weed may be one way to control menacing supergerms that are no longer sensitive to our strongest antibiotics.  Australian microbiologists presented their exciting findings at last week’s meeting of the American Society For Microbiology. Studies of topical CBD as treatment for a variety of skin conditions revealed that this agent can kill antibiotic-resistant Staph Aureus, known as MRSA, and antibiotic-resistant Strep Pneumoniae or Pneumococcus.  The CBD could also kill bacteria hiding in biofilms, those mucus layers that typically sequester nasty bacteria permitting them to evade many antibiotics. CBD is already used for treatment of epilepsy and thought to be helpful for management of anxiety, pain, and inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.  It may soon be added to our infectious disease-fighting toolbox as well. American Society for Microbiology. "Cannabidiol is a powerful new antibiotic." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 23 June 2019.