Short Takes
Usable news + tips   

What’s in a word?

Physiatrist:  A medical doctor who specializes in  physical and rehabilitation medicine. Physiatrists evaluate and treat stroke survivors and people who have cerebral palsy or injuries or diseases related to the muscles, tissue, nervous system and bones. NSAIDs and ovulation Heard that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen might be sabotaging your attempts to get pregnant? The jury is still out. On the one hand, Health Canada’s ibuprofen guidelines say the drug “may impair fertility and is not recommended in women attempting to conceive.” Why? The medication may delay or prevent the egg from being released from its follicle  in the ovary. But Dr. Roger Pierson, director of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, is skeptical. “A number of studies hypothesize about the possible effects of painkillers on ovulation, but we didn’t get those results in our research,” he says. In his study, 40 healthy volunteers took one or two 400-milligram doses of ibuprofen a day. “These normal doses didn’t affect ovulation.” Talk to your doctor if you take NSAIDS and wish to conceive. Photo by iStockphoto

Let’s talk about sex

Illustration by Connie Morris

When you borrow your teen’s iPod, you may discover more than you bargained for. In a study published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers interviewed 1,461 male and female adolescents twice over several years. Youth who listened to music that used degrading terms such as ho at the beginning of the study were more likely to have sex at an earlier age and to engage in other activities such as oral sex by the end of the study. In contrast, listening to non-degrading lyrics (for example, “I’m dreamin’ day and night of makin’ love”) had no impact on sexual behaviour. You can put those tunes to good use, says the Ottawa-based Canadian Federation for Sexual Health. It suggests that parents use music and movies as “teachable moments” to spark those oh-so-awkward conversations about sexual behaviour and responsibility.

The caregiver’s caregiver

This year, 40,000 to 50,000 Canadians will return home from the hospital after having a stroke — which means that thousands of loved ones will be acting as caregivers during their recovery. Caregivers can go to www.strokerecoverycanada.com to download a free guide that’s packed with everything from info on nutrition, depression and medication drug coverage to caregiver survivor stories. “It is important that caregivers maintain both their physical and mental health so that they can continue to provide support for the stroke survivor at home,” notes Dr. Kate Stolee, an Ottawa physiatrist (see “What’s in a Word?”).

Paws for thought

Millions of Canadians count dogs among their best friends. But even the gentlest pooch will bite under the right circumstances, and kids under age 10 are the most frequent targets of their teeth. Take this quiz to test your canine smarts and brush up on the best ways to avoid dog bites. For more tips and activities, go to www.dogsandkids.ca. Answer true or false A strange dog is the most dangerous kind of dog. When you see a dog, it’s OK to hold out your hand and let him sniff it. If a dog is barking and growling, you should look him in the eye and say, “No!” then turn and quickly walk away.

Photo by Eric Isselée/iStockphoto

Answers

1. False According to the Canada Safety Council, children are bitten most often in or near their home by a family dog or one belonging to a friend, relative or neighbour. (Still, it’s wise to avoid petting stray dogs.)
2. True Ask the dog’s owner for permission, then slowly approach the dog from the front with your hand out and your palm up.
3. False  You should slowly move backwards or sideways and keep the dog in view, without staring at him.

Broken hearts

You know that diet, exercise and family history all play roles in heart disease, but did you know that mental trauma can, too? A study from Harvard University in Boston found that military veterans who had higher levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also had higher levels of coronary heart disease. PTSD stems from a psychologically traumatic event usually involving violence. In other PTSD research, a recent study from the University of Georgia School of Social Work in Atlanta showed that 15% of social workers (who hear terrible stories on a frequent basis) meet the criteria necessary for a diagnosis of PTSD. If you are struggling to cope with difficult memories and images, speak to your physician about treatment options.

Better knees, please

People — especially younger ones — scheduled to have a knee replacement should discuss their expectations with their surgeons beforehand, say researchers at the Hamilton Arthroplasty Group in Hamilton, Ont. They found that patients who complained about the alignment of their knees after arthroplasty were also likely to be unhappy about their range of motion and pain level, even though by those measures they were similar to patients who were satisfied with their new knees. “More replacements are being done on younger people, who may have higher expectations,” explains Dr. Mitch Winemaker, an orthopaedic surgeon and senior author of the study. “Doctors should explain to patients that they’re trying to achieve an alignment that will have the most longevity.”

Move of the month

Sole consideration

Ouch! If your first steps out of bed in the morning cause foot pain, you may have plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the plantar fascia, a tough band of tissue that extends from the heel to the ball of the foot. “This is the most common type of heel and arch pain,” says Dr. Mario Turanovic, an Edmonton  podiatrist and president of the Alberta-based Canadian Podiatric Medical Association. Try these two pain tamers. While seated, roll your foot over a can or bottle to loosen the plantar fascia. “A bottle with vertical ridges, like a good old-fashioned Coke bottle, works well,” says Turanovic. Stand facing a wall about two feet away. Place the toes of your left foot three to four inches up the wall, keeping the heel firmly on the floor. Bend your left knee toward the wall until you feel a gentle stretch on your sole and the back of your leg. Hold 30 seconds. Repeat five times each per foot.

Illustration by Viorika Prikhodko/iStockphoto

Scour power

When you’re making your grocery list, add these top 20 sources of antioxidant compounds, ranked in a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Antioxidants are natural compounds that inhibit oxidation — think of oxidation as a kind of internal rusting. And they help repair damage done to cells by pollution, stress and poor nutrition, explains Geneviève O’Gleman, a registered dietitian in Laval, Que. “Have a variety of colourful foods on your plate,” she says. “The more colours, the more antioxidants.”

Red beans rule! the top 20 antioxidant foods

Fast fact

87 — percentage of Canadian plastic surgery patients who are between
the ages of 35 and 50.

— Medicard Finance, Inc., 2003

You ask, we answer

WICKED WHICH OF THE WEST

Which is more harmful, marijuana or alcohol? I am 17 and say alcohol is worse, but my parents say marijuana.

The problems caused by these drugs in Western society are proof that both can be harmful. But in a recent ranking of 20 dangerous drugs, a U.K. study publsihed in the medical journal The Lancet placed alcohol fifth and cannabis 11th. Tobacco came in ninth. The researchers worked with addiction experts and police to assign each drug a harm score on a scale of 0 (no risk) to 3 (extreme risk). Riskiness was assessed according to three factors: the physical damage it causes users, its ability to induce dependency and the effects of its use on families, communities and society. Heroin topped the list at 2.7, while ecstasy came in at 1.1. Alcohol scored 1.9, tobacco 1.7 and cannabis 1.3. The difference between 1.9 and 1.3 is not very much. Both pot and alcohol can have toxic effects and negative social consequences.

MENACE FROM THE DEEP

My 18-year-old son is allergic to fish, molluscs and crustaceans but wants to enroll in chef's school. Is this safe?

“It may be possible for him to avoid frequent contact with seafood allergens, but it’s still risky even if he does not directly touch these foods,” says Dr. André Caron, an allergist and immunologist in Laval, Que. Although some seafood-allergic patients are not at all, or only slightly, bothered by the odour of raw seafood or the fumes from cooking it, others develop red itchy eyes and respiratory symptoms such as a runny nose and/or asthma-like wheezing when exposed to airborne allergens. “It would be difficult for an allergic person to work in a setting where these foods are prepared even if he does not touch them. Patients can still have very severe reactions,” he says.

Photo by iStockphoto

If the skin does make contact with these items, an allergic person can experience
cutaneous reactions at the site of exposure, including swelling, redness and rash. “So it would be necessary to wear gloves at all times to avoid contact.” There is still a risk that traces of these foods will accidentally be brought near the mouth and perhaps ingested, thereby triggering a more severe allergic reaction. “Given the range of exposure, if he were my son, I would try to persuade him to study something else,” Caron advises.

A VICIOUS CYCLE

I love to ride my bike, but lately I feel excruciating pain in my tailbone if I cycle longer than 15 minutes. I am a 54-year-old woman. Could I have osteoporosis?

“The cause of tailbone pain, or coccydynia, can be complicated as it may result from direct pressure on the tailbone or pressure referred from the spine, the colon, the rectum or local nerves,” says Dr. Julia Alleyne, medical director of Sport C.A.R.E. at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. “Your physician should determine if your pain is a symptom of other conditions such as sciatica, shingles or bowel disorders — or a direct result of trauma or overuse.”

Ensure that your bicycle seat is not tilting you backwards too far and that it has adequate cushioning and shock absorption. There are many new seat designs that reduce tailbone pressure, such as a split seat that cushions each buttock to avoid putting pressure on the tailbone. You can also modify your attire with padded cycling shorts to absorb some of the bumps. The best cycling position is leaning slightly forward to reduce buttock pressure and allow the gluteal muscles to contract and give you better propulsion power.

Treatment can also include using a tailbone-sparing doughnut-shaped cushion for everyday sitting and taking physiotherapy for mobilization and exercise techniques. Oral anti-inflammatory drugs may help, too. If these fail, you might require cortisone injections.

The tailbone is not a common site for osteoporosis; the lumbar spine is far more usual. But if you have not had a test for osteoporosis, arrange to have one. “Screening normally starts at age 50,” says Alleyne. 

— Diana Swift