Anybody who’s tried to concentrate on work while suffering a headache knows that pain compellingly commands attention–which is how evolution helped ensure survival in a painful world. Now, researchers have pinpointed the brain region responsible for pain’s ability to affect cognitive processing. They have found that this pain-related brain region is distinct from the one involved in cognitive processing interference due to a distracting memory task. Ulrike Bingel and colleagues at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf published their discovery in the July 5, 2007 issue of the journal Neuron. To search for the region responsible for pain’s ability to usurp attention, the researchers asked volunteers to perform a cognitive task involving distinguishing images, as well as a working memory task involving remembering images. The researchers asked the volunteers to perform the tasks as they experienced different levels of pain caused … Read more

BOSTON – Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) have found that patients who suffer from chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), a long term viral or bacterial sinus infection, can find relief from symptoms which include nasal obstruction, discolored nasal drainage, loss of smell, facial pressure or pain, fatigue and headache, through endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), a noninvasive outpatient procedure. In addition, study results suggested that ESS helps reduce dependence on antibiotics and antihistamines to mange these symptoms. CRS is a debilitating form of sinusitis whose symptoms can lead to substantial physical and emotional impairment. According to the Sinus and Allergy Health Partnership (SAHP), approximately 31 million Americans are believed to have a sinus infection each year with approximately 20 million Americans experiencing CRS at some point during their lifetime. Sinusitis is more prevalent than arthritis and hypertension and, when chronic, sinusitis … Read more

Eight glasses a day? More or less? The amount of water we need to drink each day can vary. The August issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource lists factors that can increase the need for fluid, including: Increased physical activity Hot and humid weather Dry indoor air and high altitudes, which reduce moisture in the air Having an illness, particularly one accompanied by fever, vomiting or diarrhea   Data show that women who are adequately hydrated consume about 2.7 liters (91 fluid ounces) of total water a day. Since food typically accounts for about 20 percent of fluid intake, this means drinking roughly 2.2 liters (74 ounces or about 9 cups) of beverages a day. While drinking water is often the best way to replace lost fluids, other liquids including milk, tea, soup, fruit juice and sports drinks also are … Read more