Thirsty? Don’t ignore the urge. Take a big drink of water - not soda, juice, tea or coffee. These drinks are loaded with sugars, calories and some even have caffeine, a diuretic that makes you expel water and does the opposite of why you’re hoping to do: hydrate.
People continually underestimate the importance of water but it is essential to good health. I am constantly amazed when I see children attending sports practices and games without a water bottle - it’s important that both parents and children understand how important it is to keep your body hydrated. To start with, 70% of your body is water. Your bones are 25% water, your brain is 75% water and your blood is 83% water. Now consider this, water is a primary component of every single cell in your body and involved in every bodily function - making repairs, increasing immunity, helping your muscles contract, eliminating waste, regulating body temperature, lubricating joints, metabolizing fats and carrying oxygen and nutrients to your cells. When you’re dehydrated you’re depriving yourself of the ability to perform at your best.
And it’s not just sweating that causes you to lose water - you lose water when exhaling or going to the bathroom and when you have a fever, vomit or have diarrhea.
Dehydration means you’re losing more water than you’re taking in. Common signs of dehydration include feeling thirsty, dizzy or weak; dark-colored urine; dry mouth; confusion; heart palpitations; feeling sluggish; having swollen hands or feet; or being unable to sweat. If you do not drink enough water on a daily basis (whether you’re exercising or not) you may
- feel groggy
- not maintain its muscle tone
- have kidneys that underperform
- be more likely to get kidney stones or bladder infections
- become constipated
- have more frequent bladder infections
- suffer more headaches
- have dry and itchy skin
- not metabolize fats as well
- have trouble regulating your body temperature.
If you become severely dehydrated your blood pressure can fall, you can suffer seizures, coma or swelling of the brain.
Just how much water do you need? A good way to estimate is take your weight in pounds and divide it by two. That indicates how many ounces of water you should shoot for each day. If you want 120 pounds, that’s 60 ounces.
Finally, consider hydrating before exercise and outdoor activity. Your body has a bit of a delayed reaction - you don’t get thirsty when your body first needs water. That means by the time you’re feeling thirsty, your body is already suffering.
As a child, many of us were told about the dangers of stepping on a rusty nail. “Step on one and you could get lockjaw” was what I was told. For that reason, many of us assume that tetanus is caused by a cut or scratch from a metallic object. In fact, tetanus - an infection of the nervous system - is caused by a bacteria commonly found in soil, feces or saliva called Clostridium tetani (C. tetani). Thus it’s the dirt on the rusty nail, not the rust that carries the threat of tetanus. It should also be noted that dirty needles, such as those used for tattooing or piercing, can carry the C. tetani bacteria.
The biggest risk for tetanus is from deep puncture wounds or cuts that aren’t properly cleaned. Wounds that are on the face or head also tend to be more dangerous. A person becomes infected when the spores of the C. tetani bacteria enter the wound and release a neurotoxin that causes muscle spasms. This toxin can then travel throughout your body via the lymph or blood system and create more muscle spasms. Tetanus can be fatal.
Tetanus is often called lockjaw because muscle spasms in the jaw are generally the first symptom. This can lead to pain or stiffness in the neck, shoulders and back, as well as make it difficult to swallow. As the neurotoxin spreads, so do the spasms. If the spasms become severe enough they can tear muscles or cause fractures. Symptoms usually appear within a week to four weeks.
If you have suffered a deep cut or wound that you think may put you at risk for tetanus, contact your physician. Even if you have been vaccinated a booster shot may be necessary. Immunization for tetanus is believed to protect you for 10 years.
Summer means travel. And for many of you that can mean motion sickness - be it travel by plan, train or automobile. It can even happen to people at an IMAX theatre. You may feel nauseous, dizzy, sweaty and uncomfortable. For most people the symptoms vanish once the offending motion stops - in other words, once you get off the plane or out of the car. But for some people the symptoms can last for a few days. This condition is called “mal d’embarquement.”
Just why do people suffer from motion sickness? Well, your body is constantly balancing a variety of sensations - signals from your inner ear, your skin, your eyes and your central nervous system. When these systems receive different messages, you can start to feel sick. One of the best examples is reading a book in the car. Your eyes - focused on the page - tell your body that you are stationary. But the fluid in your ears is telling your body a different story - a story of motion.
What can you do to prevent motion sickness?
- Don’t pick a window seat in an airplane. If you are seated by the window, don’t look out.
- Don’t read a book while in a car. Opt to sit in the front seat or drive.
- Get on the deck of the boat and take a good look around you. Watching the horizon will help.
- Don’t pick a backward facing seat on the train. Forward is best.
Certain medications can also help prevent motion sickness. The key is taking them well in advance of the motion. Antihistamines (such as Dramamine or Meclizine) or a scopolamine skin patch can prevent motion sickness. The skin patch is placed behind the ear and should be applied about four hours in advance of getting in the car, boat or plane. Some people also find that ginger ale helps an upset stomach, or even rolling down the window in the car. Experiment and see what works for you.
Finally, some people can actually teach their bodies to tolerate the conflicting sensory signals that make them motion sick. So, if you like reading in the car but start to feel woozy, try to extend your reading time a little longer each time. Eventually, your body may tolerate reading in the car.
Having difficultly grasping objects? Perhaps you’ve noticed painless knots, or a thickening of tissues, in your palm near the base of your fingers. Or that some of your fingers have become difficult to straighten. If so, you may have developed Dupuytren’s contracture.
Dupuytren’s contracture is a condition that develops slowly, usually over a period of years that causes the connective tissues within the hand to thicken and pull your fingers into a bent position. While the ring and pinky fingers are most commonly affected, any of your fingers may be affected on either hand.
While this condition is usually painless, it can make it difficult for the affected person to grasp objects, to shake hands, straighten the fingers or place a hand into confined spaces - such as gloves.
Research indicates that Dupuytren’s contracture does run in families and most often affects men of Northern European descent over the age of 50. Alcoholics and smokers are also more likely to be affected perhaps because of damage done to blood vessels. Diabetics are also at higher risk for the condition.
Other treatment options include:
- Needling -a needle is inserted to puncture the cord.
- Enzyme injections of Xiaflex -this enzyme softens the thickened cord. The doctor then manipulates the hand to try and “break” the cord.
- Surgery - the affected or scarred tissue is removed.
If you begin to experience symptoms of Dupuytren’s contracture, see your physician. Early intervention with heat, physical therapy and stretching may help in slowing the progression of the condition.
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