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.
Why do we gain weight as we age? There are several reasons - and not all of them are fully understood. But researchers are studying several aging factors that affect weigh gain as we age:
- Slower metabolism
- Loss of muscle cells
- Muscle cells that don’t repair as easily
- Changes in hormone levels that account for the loss of muscle fiber
- Worn out muscle cells that don’t burn calories as effectively as they once did
Bottom line? Your weight may have stayed steady over the last 30 years, but the number of optimally functioning muscle cells has not. Chances are, the percentage of muscle in your body is lower at 60 than it was at 30. And that can lead to weight gain or even contribute to diabetes - lower muscle mass means your body has to work harder to regulate glucose metabolism.
Exercise is important at any age. And Baby Boomers are a growing market at the local gym. According to an International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) survey, gym membership among the 55-plus group in the United States jumped from 1.5 million in 1987 to 9.9 million in 2007.
Today, doctors and researchers are taking concussions in children more seriously. Researchers have found that young brains don’t recover from concussions as quickly as they originally thought. And they’ve found that children’s brains are also more susceptible to second-impact syndrome in which the brain can suffer grievous injury as a result of suffering another blow to the head shortly after a first blow.
The problem remains - kids are still returning to the playing field too quickly after experiencing a head injury. The causes are many - parents may not know any better, athletes may hide their symptoms, and coaches may not be aware of the seriousness of concussions.
According to a report in Time magazine, a study found that from 2005 to 2008, 41% of athletes with concussions returned to the field too soon - and that can make them vulnerable to second-impact syndrome. While the American Academy of Neurology recommends that an athlete whose initial concussion symptoms last longer than 15 minutes be benched until he or she is symptom-free for a week - the study found that 16% of high school football players who lost consciousness during a concussion returned to the field the same day.
It certainly is. While most people diagnosed with pneumonia eventually develop a symptomatic cough - not all of them do. Symptoms of pneumonia can vary widely.
For instance, one woman recently had a cough for weeks. When she went to her physician she was initially diagnosed with bronchitis. She had aching lungs, and a racking cough that was so bad she injured the intercostal muscles between her ribs, but the physician did not hear fluid in her lungs. She was also fever-free. A week later, after the original antibiotics didn’t improve her condition, she was given a chest x-ray that came back abnormal. A subsequent CT scan revealed she had pneumonia in both lungs. A stronger course of antibiotics eliminated the pneumonia.
One of the more inconvenient injuries people experience is “tennis elbow” - pain felt from the outside of the elbow and down the forearm (if the pain is experienced on the inside of your elbow, it is known as “golf elbow”). It can make the simplest things, like turning a doorknob, using a screwdriver, opening a jar, brushing your teeth, lifting a fork, or swinging a racket uncomfortable and difficult.
Despite its name, tennis elbow is most often caused by repetitive everyday actions in one’s life - the repeated contraction of the forearm muscles used to straighten and raise your hand and wrist. Think of carpenters, mechanics, assembly line workers or landscapers who use their arms and hands in a repetitive manner each day. These repetitive motions can inflame or tear the tendons that attach the forearm muscle to the outside bone of the elbow. The result is pain that is exacerbated when you have to move your wrist or squeeze your hands.
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