Monthly Archives: December 2007
- December 27, 2007
- How does a blood-pressure gauge work?
The blood-pressure gauge, first invented in 1863, tests how well a person’s heart and blood vessels are working. An inflatable cuff is placed around the patient’s arm and pumped up to stop the blood flow. As the pressure in the cuff is released, the blood starts to flow again and a measurement is taken from [...]
- December 20, 2007
- Does coffee help improve memory?
If coffee is good for your memory, shouldn’t Juan Valdez be a Jeopardy champion?
Caffeine is the world’s most widely used stimulant. It has been studied for its relationship to a remarkable number of conditions. When we searched for articles pertaining to coffee or caffeine in a medical database, there were almost twenty thousand references from [...]
- December 16, 2007
- Can you get the flu from a flu shot?
Influenza (the flu) is different from the common cold. Both are caused by viruses and can produce the same symptoms, but the flu is generally much more severe. Most people describe higher temperatures and severe body aches when they have the flu and not a cold.
A flu vaccine contains inactivated viruses (viruses that are killed), [...]
- December 16, 2007
- Why does your skin get so dry in the winter?
Winter is rough enough with the snow and the sleet and the hacking away at ice-encrusted windshields in the dark, frigid mornings. But that dray, chapped, cracked skin just adds insult to injury… or is it injury to insult?
Because the relative humidity – moisture in the air – gets so low in the cold season, [...]
- December 13, 2007
- Will toothpaste get rid of zits?
There are many home remedies for skin aliments, and I’ve seen patients come to the emergency room covered in all sorts of creams and potions. Some common antizit home remedies people try concocting include baking soda, vinegar, coffee grounds, Mercurochrome (a red substance no longer sold in this country), iodine, hemorrhoid cream, sugar, salt, and [...]
- December 11, 2007
- Does human breast milk cure warts?
Here’s one from the June 2004 New England Journal of Medicine. A cream containing an ingredient of human breast milk appears to be an effective treatment for stubborn warts. The key ingredient of the cream is a compound called alpha-lactalbumin-oleic acid. Its Swedish creators have nicknamed the cream HUMLET, for Human Alpha-lactalbumin Made Lethal to [...]
- December 10, 2007
- Where does gas go when you cannot fart?
Some people like to think of their lower gastrointestinal tract as a one-way street. One time during a rectal examination during a trauma, a frightened young man screamed out as the doctor was placing his finger in the man’s rectum, “Whoa, that’s an exit!”
Flatulence follows that same rule. Gas goes out or it simply goes [...]
- December 8, 2007
- Can hot tubs make you infertile?
Heat is damaging to the sperm, and theoretically can affect male fertility to a certain extent. But, there is no clear scientific evidence that implicates hot tubs. There may be a temporary reduction in sperm function after a soak, and prolonged repetitive use could cause problems, but none severe enough to avoid the occasional dip.
Saunas [...]
- December 7, 2007
- Does melatonin work for jet lag?
Here is one for all the world travelers. Melatonin may be an effective solution for your problems with jet lag.
A review of ten studies on the use of melatonin concludes that two to five milligrams of melatonin taken at bedtime after arrival at your destination is effective and may be worth repeating for the next [...]
- December 5, 2007
- Should you put a steak on a black eye?
Ice is hardly as dramatic as a carefully placed porterhouse, but it does the same job. There is no magic in the beef, just cold and a little pressure. Keeping your head elevated and avoiding aspirin or ibuprofen, which can affect the ability of your blood to clot, also helps. The best idea is to [...]
- December 3, 2007
- What is a hickey?
A hickey is a bruise that forms when a person sucks and lightly bites an area on another person’s body, causing the blood vessels under the skin to break. It is also a badge of honor for horny fifteen-year-olds all around the world.
- December 1, 2007
- Why can kids tolerate cold pool better than adults?
It’s a classic scene. The shivering kid with the blue lips and chattering teeth, who vehemently denies that he’s cold and refuses to get out of the pool. Does this mean that children are somehow more capable of enduring cold temperatures than adults? No. What it means is that children will universally resist any suggestion [...]
