Ten Tips for Better Sleep

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Feeling crabby lately? It could be you aren’t getting enough sleep. Work, household responsibilities and child care can make sleep difficult to come by. Factor in other unexpected challenges such as financial worries, layoffs, relationship issues or an illness, and quality sleep may be even more elusive. You may not be able to control or eliminate all of the factors that interfere with your sleep, but you can create an environment and adopt habits that encourage a more restful night. Try these suggestions if you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep: Go to bed and get up at about the same time every day, even on the weekends. Sticking to a schedule helps reinforce your body’s sleep-wake cycle and can help you fall asleep better at night. Don’t eat or drink large amounts before bedtime. Eat a light dinner … Read more

Alternative Treatments for Pain

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If you experience frequent headaches and the medications you’re taking aren’t working effectively, why not consider natural treatments instead? Since stress is a major cause of and contributor to headaches it makes sense that alternative treatments for them are familiar stress reduction recommendations: biofeedback and relaxation (well documented as effective headache treatments), acupuncture, massage, herbs, and diets (less well documented as effective). Let’s start with biofeedback. Small metal sensors attached to your skin measure muscle tension, brain waves, skin temperature, and other vital signs. Stress, through the fight/flight response, reduces skin temperature by constricting blood vessels while relaxation dilates them, warming the skin.According to the Cleveland Clinic, biofeedback trains you to send blood flow to your brain for headache management. Most studies show that it reduces the frequency and duration of headaches in children and adults and seems equivalent to … Read more

Four Dead in Painkiller Use

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The deaths of two patients prescribed a powerful painkiller as a headache treatment were among four fatalities linked to the recently approved drug, its manufacturer reported Thursday. All four deaths apparently involved improper use of the drug, called Fentora, manufacturer Cephalon Inc. said. The Food and Drug Administration was monitoring the situation, a spokeswoman said. The FDA approved the drug in September for use only by cancer patients already taking morphine or other prescription narcotics for their pain. Fentora contains fentanyl, which is similar to morphine, but far more potent. Besides the two headache patients, the other deaths involved a suicide and a patient administered the drug outside the recommended dosing. “None of the reports were in cancer patients, which leads us to believe they were inappropriate candidates for the product,” Cephalon spokeswoman Candace Steele said. Cephalon reminded doctors and … Read more

Neanderthals had good oral hygiene

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Two molar teeth of around 63,400 years old show that Neanderthal predecessors of humans may have been dental hygiene fans, the Web site of newspaper El Pais reported on Tuesday.The teeth have “grooves formed by the passage of a pointed object, which confirms the use of a small stick for cleaning the mouth,” Paleontology Professor Juan Luis Asuarga told reporters, presenting an archaeological find in Madrid. The fossils, unearthed in Pinilla del Valle, are the first human examples found in the Madrid region in 25 years, the regional government’s culture department said. Neanderthals were predecessors of modern humans who inhabited much of Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia from about 125,000 to 30,000 years ago. “There are two (teeth), perfectly preserved, in which the wear and tear of a human of about 30 years old is perceptible,” a government … Read more

Is Your Dentist Taking Shortcuts?

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Most people think of a routine dental appointment as a checkup for cavities and an opportunity to get their teeth polished for a brighter smile. Indeed, those two items are standard. However, you can give your dental professional an A+ for competence if your dental visit goes beyond the basics. There is growing evidence that chronic bacterial infections of the mouth are linked to a number of life-threatening illnesses. According to the American Academy of Periodontology, “Researchers have found that people with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease as those without periodontal disease.” Periodontal disease is an infection, and all infections are dangerous. Researchers have found that mouth bacteria can be aspirated into the lung to cause respiratory diseases, such as pneumonia. Gum infections may make it more difficult for people who have … Read more