link stringlengths 72 143 | answers list | question_id int64 2 32.4k | license stringclasses 3 values | question_title stringlengths 15 167 | tags list | question_body stringlengths 47 7.49k | score int64 -5 112 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1504/why-didnt-smallpox-develop-resistance-to-its-vaccine | [
{
"answer_id": 1522,
"body": "<p>To answer this question, first it might be useful to talk about how a vaccine actually works: basically, through introducing dead or relatively harmless (attenuated) versions of a virus or bacteria (or more recently, synthetic virus-like particles meant to mimic the outside ... | 1,504 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Why didn't smallpox develop resistance to its vaccine? | [
"vaccination",
"resistance"
] | <p>Antimicrobial resistance is common. Why didn't smallpox develop resistance to its vaccine? Why was smallpox eradicable?</p>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1544/how-to-deal-with-winter-blues | [
{
"answer_id": 3603,
"body": "<p>This answer is based on the fact that you have been in a region with less sunlight for several years and continue to suffer. It therefore focuses on Seasonal Affective Disorder, which you may or may not have. </p>\n\n<p>Seasonal affective disorder is an actual illness, and a... | 1,544 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | How to deal with winter blues | [
"depression",
"mental-health"
] | <p>I suffer from severe winter blues. It starts around January and by March, I am at my wits end. I come from a tropical climate and the sever cold and lack of sunlight makes me just want to go crazy.<br>
I have been living in Toronto for past 8 years.</p>
<p>Always taking a vacation to an exotic place is not possible. What are some things I can do? If I try to get used to winter sports, will it help? I am 34, quite fit but I tried skiing and it was so cold.</p>
<p>I don't want to become a couch potato watching tv for 4 - 5 months of the year. What are some things I can do?</p>
<p>This year I bought a 10,000 lux light bulb, will it help?</p>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1589/how-does-sleeping-chest-side-down-hurt-the-spine | [
{
"answer_id": 25834,
"body": "<blockquote>\n<p>I do not feel any pain when I sleep chest-side down other than pain on my neck, but this is only because I have to turn my face to one side, and this can be fixed if I buy a special pillow (something used at a massage shop).</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>In any medic... | 1,589 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | How does sleeping chest-side down hurt the spine? | [
"sleep",
"spine",
"position",
"lumbago-low-back-pain",
"wrinkles"
] | <p>I do not know the correct English term for the position, so I will just refer it to as "chest-side down". The following CNN page seem to call it the "stomach position", and they say it is the worst position to sleep.</p>
<p>They have listed the shortcomings of that position, but there is no detailed explanation. I do not feel any pain when I sleep chest-side down other than pain on my neck, but this is only because I have to turn my face to one side, and this can be fixed if I buy a special pillow (something used at a massage shop).</p>
<p>Is it really true that it causes back pain? We are mammals and almost all mammals live and sleep chest-side down. Dogs, for example, seem to love to rest their chest and head laid down on the floor. Do we have some special spines that need to be rested chest-side up, unlike other mammals?</p>
<p>And secondly, how does it cause more wrinkles than sleeping chest-side up?</p>
<p>Source:
<a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/19/healthiest.sleep.position/" rel="noreferrer">http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/19/healthiest.sleep.position/</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Bad for: Avoiding neck and back pain, minimizing wrinkles</p>
<p>The scoop: "Stomach-sleeping makes it difficult to maintain a neutral position with your spine," Shannon explains. What's more, the pose puts pressure on joints and muscles, which can irritate nerves and lead to pain, numbness, and tingling.</p>
</blockquote>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/2003/alternative-to-caffeine-same-effects-different-chemical | [
{
"answer_id": 3031,
"body": "<p>There is a substance similar to caffeine - theobromine, found in cocoa. They are chemically similar, and have some similar effects*:</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/kwZcm.png\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/kwZcm.png\" alt=\"enter imag... | 2,003 | Alternative to caffeine - same effects, different chemical | [
"medications",
"caffeine"
] | <p>I seem to have a problem with caffeine. I tend to experience a lot of the negative effects, like diuresis, extreme hunger suppression and paranoia, at two or three cups of coffee, while I don't experience the positive effects, like alertness and focus, without drinking as many as five or six cups. Are there chemicals with similar effects, but that aren't caffeine?</p>
| 12 | |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/3152/does-menthol-have-therapeutic-effect-on-sore-or-inflamed-muscles-and-tendons | [
{
"answer_id": 3157,
"body": "<p>There is evidence of analgesic effects of menthol in scientific literature. It has been studied in humans and has shown to be <strong>superior to ice in delayed onset muscle soreness</strong>; in a placebo-controlled, triple-blind, cross-over clinical study <strong>menthol-b... | 3,152 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Does menthol have therapeutic effect on sore or inflamed muscles and tendons? | [
"pain",
"muscle"
] | <p>I use a gel for muscle pain after sport. Its active ingredients are listed as ibuprofen and levomenthol. The amount of menthol is sufficient to feel quite a lot of numbbness/burning for maybe half an hour after application. </p>
<p>The ibuprofen is clear. But I was wondering about the menthol. Does it have any direct physiological effect on the sore muscles and tendons? Is there evidence that it has synergies with the ibuprofen or that it is helpful for the same complaints? Is there a medical indication for having this combination instead of making a gel with ibuprofen only? </p>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/3265/what-are-effective-lifestyle-modifications-for-people-with-gastric-acid-reflux | [
{
"answer_id": 3271,
"body": "<p>It sounds like you know that some lifestyle modifications have been shown to be beneficial with patients who have mild to moderate GERD and that these interventions are typically preferable to pharmacological intervention. Right on!</p>\n\n<p>The definitive information on m... | 3,265 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | What are effective lifestyle modifications for people with gastric acid reflux? | [
"gastroenterology",
"lifestyle",
"gerd-acid-reflux",
"heartburn"
] | <p>As many as 7% of Americans suffer from heartburn every day, and many more suffer it at least weekly. In the "old days", people with heartburn were advised to eat smaller meals, drink less alcohol, smoke less, eat less "spicy foods", avoid chocolate, coffee, acidic (e.g.citrus) drinks, and more; for symptomatic relief, antacids were prescribed. In the case of <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hiatal-hernia/basics/definition/con-20030640">hiatal hernias</a>, elevation of the head of the bed was the most common recommendation.</p>
<p>Now we have proton pump inhibitors that lower gastric acid secretion, which takes care of the symptoms of a large number of sufferers, not to mention newer drugs affecting lower esophageal pressure, etc. But drugs are not without side effects.</p>
<p>In this age of evidence-based medicine, what lifestyle modifications have been shown to really help gastric acid reflux symptoms or GERD? </p>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/3312/tpo-thyroid-peroxidase-antibodies-reference-range-change | [
{
"answer_id": 3320,
"body": "<p>Reference ranges vary by labs. <a href=\"http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2086819-overview\">In some assays</a>, 35 IU/mL is still considered the upper limit of normal. The reason for the dramatic difference in reference ranges is the detection limit of the assay itself... | 3,312 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | TPO (Thyroid Peroxidase) Antibodies - reference range change | [
"thyroid",
"test-results",
"thyroperoxidase-tpo"
] | <p>A couple years ago (end of 2013) the reference range for TPO antibodies (TPOAb) was <35 IU/ml but now it's <9 IU/ml. That's a huge change (almost 4x). Does anyone know why it changed by so much and if somewhere between 9 and 35 is actually not that bad?</p>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/3355/what-does-eye-power-6-means-and-how-close-to-blindness-is-it | [
{
"answer_id": 3388,
"body": "<p>Your units of measure are likely \"<a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dioptre\">diopters</a>.\" If someone needs glasses for <em>reading</em> (because the person is far sighted), then they would be given an prescription with a <strong>+</strong>[digit], and note that e... | 3,355 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | What does eye power -6 means and how close to blindness is it? | [
"eye"
] | <p>One of my friends went to an eye specialist for checkup and the doctor told him that his eye power changed from <code>-6</code> from <code>-4.5</code>. He is really very upset and doesn’t want to discuss anything on this. I can understand that -6 means the vision is in very poor state but don’t have any idea how much worse it is. </p>
<ol>
<li>Could someone explain me how what eye power <code>-6</code> means in respect to <strong>closeness of blindness</strong>? </li>
<li>What can be the minimum negative eye power and maximum positive eye power of an eye?</li>
</ol>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/3397/is-rest-necessary-recommended-or-unnecessary-in-a-mild-m%c3%a9ni%c3%a8res-episode | [
{
"answer_id": 13249,
"body": "<p>The short answer: I haven't come across anything that states that patients with a mild Meniere's episode should rest on principle even if they're feeling well enough to perform activities. So, I think it would be up to the patient's own judgement about what they are comfort... | 3,397 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Is rest necessary, recommended, or unnecessary in a mild Ménière's episode? | [
"hearing",
"fatigue",
"dizziness",
"vertigo",
"menieres-disease"
] | <p>During a full-blown Ménière's episode, the patient can basically do nothing, so the question does not even occur. But what about mild events in a patient with a Ménière's diagnosis? </p>
<p>I am asking about a situation where the patient feels some symptoms (some dizziness, a change in hearing loss) but can still do most activities. Should the patient rest during such a period, and if yes, how much rest is good? </p>
<p>I could imagine a few different scenarios: </p>
<ul>
<li>All activity during such an episode is damaging, or preventing healing of existing damage, and should be avoided even if it does not cause discomfort</li>
<li>The body "knows" when the activity is damaging, and discomfort is a good way to judge how much to do</li>
<li>There is no lasting damage or episode prolonging due to activity. The patient can decide how much discomfort he is willing to endure without fearing any side effects. </li>
<li>There is no lasting damage through activity, and complete rest can be detrimental, e.g. by making the patient more sensitive/susceptible to future events. </li>
</ul>
<p>Which scenario comes closest to the truth? How can a patient decide on his activity level? What signs are there that there is too much or too little activity? </p>
<p>Also, if activities should be reduced: is there a difference between types of activities? Is an activity which relies on listening or balance worse than an activity which does not rely on them (e.g. listening to a lecture vs. taking a walk vs. sitting in a chair and reading)? Also, is an activity which is known to be irritating to either hearing (e.g. being around persistent noise) or balance (e.g. being driven in a car on a mountain road with many turns) worse than other kinds of activity? Are physical and mental activities similarly good/bad during such episodes, or is there a difference?</p>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/3545/why-is-it-a-bad-idea-to-re-heat-drinking-water | [
{
"answer_id": 3547,
"body": "<p>Water isn't pure H<sub>2</sub>O; there are all kinds of dissolved substances in it: minerals, chemicals, etc. This is why scientists use only distilled water in experiments (often twice-distilled).</p>\n\n<p>Some impurities will boil off (some volatile organic compounds, for... | 3,545 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Why is it a bad idea to re-heat drinking water? | [
"water",
"lifestyle"
] | <p>Out of laziness sometimes I re-heat the water in kettle we use to make formula milk for our daughter, but the health visitor said it's a bad practice to re-boil water over and over. Any specific reason for that? </p>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/4169/how-is-pain-measured | [
{
"answer_id": 4196,
"body": "<p>Please note that the pain scale is usually used to evaluate the <em>efficacy of treatment</em>. As long as the pain is responding to treatment, there need not be objectivity <em>per se</em>. </p>\n\n<p>Was it a '7' on arrival? is it a '2' after a couple of doses of an analge... | 4,169 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | How is pain measured? | [
"pain",
"diagnostics",
"practice-of-medicine"
] | <p>Patients are often asked to rate their level of pain. Usually, I have found that these questions come without instructions as to what constitutes the maximum on this scale (maximum pain you can imagine? maximum pain you ever felt?). </p>
<p>What are ways pain can be quantified in these situations? Are there any "objective" (as objective as this can be) measures to help patients with this? </p>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/4949/is-it-possible-to-have-a-smile-on-the-face-after-death | [
{
"answer_id": 31080,
"body": "<p>At the moment of death, contrary to what may common assumption, rigor mortis does not set in; at the moment of death „flattency“ sets in, which is relaxation of muscles, not fixation or arrested motion of muscles.</p>\n<p>See <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigo... | 4,949 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Is it possible to have a smile on the face after death? | [
"death",
"rigor-mortis",
"smile-smiling"
] | <p>A lot of novels state that a person died with a smile on the face, or how relatives/friends notice a smile on the face that remains even after death. </p>
<p>Is such a thing anatomically possible? Will a smile or any other expression be retained by the muscles at/after death? (without external assistance from say a mortician) </p>
<p>And which expression is most common at death? (once skin and muscles die, after death, during rigor and after rigor passes, when undisturbed) </p>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/5148/splitting-pills-in-half | [
{
"answer_id": 5149,
"body": "<p>Yes, it's true, or at least it might be true for any given pill. In the US, the FDA specifically approves splitting of pills only when the manufacturer plans for it by including it in their drug approval application. By including it in their application the FDA will require ... | 5,148 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Splitting pills in half | [
"medications",
"prescription"
] | <p>Sometimes a physician will instruct the patient to reduce the dosage of a prescription medication by 50%.</p>
<p>Obviously, if the tablet has an enteric coating, or is in a special encapsulation (such as with medications like Pristiq), it should not be split in half.</p>
<p>But what about other medications? Can they be split in half?</p>
<p>I have heard that, unless the pill is scored, the patient should not split the pill in half. The reasoning I have always been provided is that the active ingredient in the pill may not be evenly distributed.</p>
<p>Is this true? Or is it a way to sell more medications and increase profits?</p>
<p>Is there any scientific (or even anecdotal) evidence regarding this?</p>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/5179/how-can-one-protect-themselves-from-toxic-substances-released-from-fatty-tissue | [
{
"answer_id": 14479,
"body": "<p>Alas, you cannot protect yourself from these toxic substances once they are in your body. Further, as currently phrased this question is awfully broad. We have managed to produce a gigantic amount of different harmful substances and covering them all in this answer is reall... | 5,179 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | How can one protect themselves from toxic substances released from fatty tissue during weight loss? | [
"toxicity",
"weight-loss"
] | <p>It is well-known that obesity is associated with many health risks and obese persons are advised to follow a healthy diet and increase physical activity to lose weight and improve their overall health.</p>
<p>However, adipose (fatty) tissue accumulates lipophilic toxic substances, such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polychlorinated_biphenyl" rel="noreferrer">poly chlorinated biphenyls</a> (PCBs) and other <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistent_organic_pollutant" rel="noreferrer">persistent organic pollutants</a> (POPs). <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11093288" rel="noreferrer">Studies</a> have shown that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Body weight loss increases plasma and subcutaneous adipose tissue concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and PCBs in obese subjects.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Furthermore, the review on <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3569688/pdf/ehp.1205485.pdf" rel="noreferrer">Toxicological Function of Adipose Tissue: Focus on Persistent Organic Pollutants</a> cites research to support the claim that plasma concentrations of POPs increase with weight loss, and cites animal studies which have shown that weight loss promotes POPs redistribution to other lipid rich tissues, such as the brain and the liver. This implies that losing weight, especially rapidly, could have toxic effects on the patient.</p>
<p>My questions are:</p>
<ul>
<li>If we stipulate that a person is losing weight <em>gradually</em>, are there any protective/precautionary measures they could take, to protect themselves from harmful effects of toxic substances stored in their adipose tissues, which are released on losing weight?</li>
<li>Is there a way to promote POPs excretion instead of redistribution, and how can this be achieved?</li>
</ul>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/5597/brushing-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast | [
{
"answer_id": 5609,
"body": "<p>Yes. The acid in the food can harm the enamel and brushing it to soon can remove it. So wait at least 30 minutes, brush before or avoid acidy foods.</p>\n<p>Brushing abrasion of softened and remineralised dentin: an in situ study\nT Attin et al. Caries Res. Jan-Feb 2004<a hr... | 5,597 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Brushing teeth before or after breakfast | [
"dentistry",
"hygiene",
"oral-health"
] | <p>Usually in the morning I brush my teeth after breakfast. But my dentist told me that it's better not brush them right after eating food, because eating makes them soft.</p>
<p>So now I brush my teeth before breakfast. Is this the correct procedure?</p>
<p>PS. Just found <a href="http://www.mertondental.co.uk/blog/when-should-i-brush-my-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/" rel="noreferrer">this article</a>, the author has the same opinion.</p>
<p>Just want to get a additional confirmation.</p>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/9210/what-can-you-learn-from-the-parts-of-the-name-of-a-drug | [
{
"answer_id": 9211,
"body": "<p>Stems and affixes tell you the class of drug (and sometimes other properties). Drugs in the same class work in a very similar way, so therefore you can tell what other drugs it's related to.</p>\n\n<p>This is a massive list: <a href=\"https://druginfo.nlm.nih.gov/drugportal/... | 9,210 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | What can you learn from the parts of the name of a drug? | [
"medications"
] | <p>I've noticed that many drugs have names that end in the same syllables:</p>
<ul>
<li>umab</li>
<li>fenib</li>
<li>tinib</li>
</ul>
<p>For example, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dabrafenib" rel="noreferrer">Wikipedia on Dabrafenib</a> lists a number of similar drugs at the bottom of the page that end with syllables like these. </p>
<p>What do they signify?</p>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/11458/effects-of-masturbation-on-health | [
{
"answer_id": 11676,
"body": "<h2>Short Answer</h2>\n\n<p>Masturbating does not decrease fertility or sex drive</p>\n\n<h2>Long Answer</h2>\n\n<p>Historically, masturbation was discouraged for a variety of reasons including the thought that it lead to mental health problems. However, that was disproved. ... | 11,458 | Effects of masturbation on Health | [
"reproduction",
"masturbation",
"sociosexual-behavior",
"infertile",
"conceive-conception"
] | <p>I have heard that there can be adverse effects from masturbation, such as difficulties with having children and/or decreased sex drive.</p>
<p>Can masturbating actually decrease my fertility or sex drive? </p>
| 12 | |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/16564/should-we-always-eat-something-before-taking-pain-killers | [
{
"answer_id": 16571,
"body": "<p>Ibuprofen and Aspirin <a href=\"https://www.whocc.no/atc_ddd_index/?code=M01AE&showdescription=no\" rel=\"noreferrer\">are both non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)</a>. These NSAIDs can be differentiated into selective NSAIDs and non-selective NSAIDs. </p>\n\... | 16,564 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Should we always eat something before taking pain killers? | [
"pain",
"practice-of-medicine"
] | <p>When buying pain killers in the pharmacy (no doctor prescription), sometimes I'm told to take the pain killers only after eating something, sometimes they say it doesn't matter, and most of the times they say nothing at all. </p>
<p>Is there a global recommendation about this? Should we eat before taking pain killers, or not? And more importantly, why should we consume painkillers on an empty stomach or vice versa? Many times when in pain, there's also no appetite so it's not trivial task to eat before taking them.</p>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/20878/2019-novel-coronavirus-ncov-lifetime-outside-an-organism | [
{
"answer_id": 20930,
"body": "<p>Since it seems unlikely that these data are available already from the novel virus, I'll refer to other coronavirus strains associated with outbreaks, the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severe_acute_respiratory_syndrome-related_coronavirus\" rel=\"noreferrer\">SARS... | 20,878 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | 2019 Novel Coronavirus (nCoV) lifetime outside an organism | [
"virus"
] | <p>How long will it remain potent outside an organism?</p>
<p>I'm thinking in the context of if it can survive a couple of weeks or a month in the mail for the recipient to get infected.</p>
<p><strong>Edit:</strong></p>
<p>I tried looking at the WHO's page dedicated to the virus, have not found anything pertaining to my question in the PDFs there (maybe I overlooked something, I guess I'm just lacking the proper keyword to use for the search)</p>
<p>I tried looking at the coronavirus Wikipedia page and have not found anything there.</p>
<p>I did find somewhere that a flu virus would typically not remain potent for more than 14 days outside of an organism, but I'm not sure if this applies to all viruses. </p>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/24425/why-isnt-covid-19-just-called-sars-2-isnt-it-a-second-sars | [
{
"answer_id": 24427,
"body": "<p>Disease are officially named by the WHO, while viruses are by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV).</p>\n<p>The WHO has stated</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>From a risk communications perspective, using the name SARS can have unintended consequences in terms of... | 24,425 | Why isn't COVID-19 just called SARS-2? Isn't it a second SARS? | [
"covid-19",
"sars-cov-2"
] | <p><a href="https://www.who.int/ith/diseases/sars/en/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is a disease caused by SARS-CoV—the "SARS CoronaVirus"</a>.</p>
<p>We now have a second disease caused by a second coronavirus, which we call SARS-CoV-2.</p>
<p>So why is the disease named COVID-19 now, instead of SARS-2 (or SARS-19 if you wanted the year)?</p>
| 12 | |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/31219/why-does-the-world-health-organization-still-treat-covid-19-as-a-pandemic-when | [
{
"answer_id": 31221,
"body": "<p>In general, a <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandemic\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">pandemic is a disease</a> that is spread across a large area. It is not based on case rates or anything similar, but rather on its global spread and potential threat to people. For ... | 31,219 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Why does the World Health Organization still treat COVID-19 as a pandemic, when it is now reportedly causing fewer deaths than influenza? | [
"covid-19",
"pandemic"
] | <p>Supposedly the World Health Organization is the top authority worldwide for public health. One would hope that they base their decisions on empirical data and not beliefs. However, from my perspective, they appear to be treating COVID-19 and influenza differently. In particular, according to their own figures, now COVID-19 is causing fewer deaths worldwide than influenza.</p>
<p>According to, <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/who-covid-cases-and-deaths-falling-nearly-everywhere-1.5938228" rel="nofollow noreferrer">WHO: COVID cases and deaths falling nearly everywhere</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In its latest weekly update on the pandemic, the U.N. health agency
said confirmed cases dropped 12% to more than 3 million and reported
deaths declined 22% to about 7,600.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>That makes it around 1086 deaths per day worldwide. I have found other sources with similar figures.</p>
<p>And according to WHO, <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/13-12-2017-up-to-650-000-people-die-of-respiratory-diseases-linked-to-seasonal-flu-each-year" rel="nofollow noreferrer">up to 650 000 people die of respiratory diseases linked to seasonal flu each year</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The new figures of 290 000 – 650 000 deaths are based on more recent
data from a larger, more diverse group of countries, including lower
middle income countries, and exclude deaths from non-respiratory
diseases.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The average of that is 470,000, which makes it around 1288 deaths per day.</p>
<p>Now, the <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/who-covid-cases-and-deaths-falling-nearly-everywhere-1.5938228" rel="nofollow noreferrer">first article</a> also states:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Still, he warned that the pandemic was not yet over and urged caution,
even as many countries have dropped their coronavirus protocols and
segued into trying to live with the virus.</p>
<p>"The perception that the pandemic is over is understandable, but
misguided," the WHO chief said. "A new and even more dangerous variant
could emerge at any time, and vast numbers of people remain
unprotected."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This last statement doesn't seem to clarify anything. A new and more dangerous influenza variant could also emerge, and most people aren't vaccinated for influenza. Also, new COVID-19 variants which appeared after the original were <em>less</em> lethal, not more. Case fatality rates have dropped continuously since the pandemic started, and the latest strain has been far less lethal than the original.</p>
<p>How is this situation different than influenza then? Does the World Health Organization have some objective parameter to determine that COVID-19 is still a pandemic and influenza is not?</p>
<p>Why does the World Health Organization still treat COVID-19 as a pandemic, when according to their own figures it is now causing fewer deaths than influenza?</p>
| 12 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/100/how-exact-are-the-times-for-how-long-to-wait-between-pills | [
{
"answer_id": 206,
"body": "<p>Good question though a broad one! </p>\n\n<p>Well, it all depends on the 'pill' or 'medicine' you are on. Different medicines have different <a href=\"http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/nmp/sonet/rlos/bioproc/halflife/\">half-lives</a>. And 'half-life' is the factor that mostly deci... | 100 | How exact are the times for how long to wait between pills? | [
"medications",
"dosage"
] | <p>A 120mg pill of Sudafed (Pseudoephedrine hydrochloride), for example, lasts for 12 hours. You are not supposed to take another Sudafed pill before the 12 hours are up.</p>
<p><strong>How exact is this 12-hour limit?</strong> Do i have to wait at least exactly 43200 seconds between pills? How much leeway is there? Could i take the second pill a few minutes (5? 10? 30?) before the time is up?</p>
<p>Note that Sudafed is used as an example here. The same should apply to any other drug with a time limit.</p>
| 11 | |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/113/is-using-urine-to-clean-a-wound-better-than-non-sterile-water | [
{
"answer_id": 156,
"body": "<p>It depends</p>\n\n<p>Extended contact of urine on skin will cause skin irritation and eventual breakdown. On the other hand, that water may contain flesh eating bacteria.</p>\n\n<p>This is a situation of a lesser of two evils. Each wound is different and the causes numerous. ... | 113 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Is using urine to clean a wound better than non-sterile water? | [
"wound-care",
"first-aid"
] | <p>I have heard that if you are in the wilderness and need a sterile fluid to rinse a wound, urine is an acceptable choice. </p>
<p>Sometime ago this topic came up while discussing emergency treatment. It was suggested that as urine is a sterile fluid it would be a good choice for rinsing an open wound. </p>
<p>Where good means less likely for an infection to set in as if it would if the wound was not rinsed OR if the wound was rinsed with ground or another non-sterile water source. </p>
<p>Does using urine helps in this regad?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/271/which-nuts-are-best-to-snack-on-for-a-high-fibre-diet | [
{
"answer_id": 277,
"body": "<p>Nuts and legumes are an excellent source of fiber.<sup><a href=\"http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/high-fiber-foods/art-20050948\">1</a></sup> <sup><a href=\"http://www.webmd.com/diet/top-10-sources-of-fiber\">2</a></sup> If you'r... | 271 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Which nuts are best to snack on for a high-fibre diet? | [
"diet",
"fibre",
"nuts",
"snacks-snacking-snack"
] | <p>I'm trying to maintain a high-fibre diet, and I understand that snacking on nuts regularly is a good way to do this. At the moment, I tend to snack on Brazil nuts, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, and pecan nuts. Do some nuts have a higher fibre percentage than others? Which are the best for a high-fibre diet?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/276/what-are-the-risks-of-vitiligo-and-how-should-i-keep-myself-safe | [
{
"answer_id": 278,
"body": "<p>There is no cure for vitiligo, but there are treatments that may reduce the discoloring in your skin and possibly even restore skin color. The main treatments used by doctors are either restoring the skin to normal color, or bleaching the skin, so that all of the skin is an ... | 276 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | What are the risks of vitiligo, and how should I keep myself safe? | [
"dermatology",
"vitiligo"
] | <p>I have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitiligo">vitiligo</a>, and have done for the last couple of years. I am not worried about how it looks, and I know about camouflage makeup - I chose not to use it.</p>
<p>I am concerned, however, about the risk of sunburn and possibly other illnesses caused by that (for example, some skin cancers).</p>
<p>I would like to know what extra precautions I have to take to keep myself safe - other than the basics that everyone does of suncream if it is sunny.</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/347/is-constantly-using-oily-moisturizer-bad-for-your-skin | [
{
"answer_id": 354,
"body": "<p>Your skin will not make enough protective lipids regardless of whether you use moisturizer or not. With your skin, it's actually better if you use it every day, at least on areas where you get eczema.</p>\n\n<p>Eczema (or Atopic Dermatitis) is an incompletely understood skin ... | 347 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Is constantly using oily moisturizer bad for your skin? | [
"dermatology",
"eczema",
"moisturize",
"oil-of-skin"
] | <p>I have eczema and as a result I have to use moisturizer to reduce the dryness. </p>
<p>I heard that coconut oil is pretty good. I tried it and indeed it helped. But I was told that I shouldn't use it constantly since my skin will gradually produce less of its natural oil because it has a replacement, and therefore I depend more on moisturizer. </p>
<p>Is that true?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/384/is-there-a-proven-way-to-test-if-im-susceptible-to-the-placebo-effect | [
{
"answer_id": 415,
"body": "<p>No, there isn't, not in any meaningful way.</p>\n\n<p>\"The placebo effect\" is an umbrella term, used primarily in the media/pop science. That isn't to say it isn't real or valid, but it covers outcomes from a great many different studies.</p>\n\n<p>In drug trials, the effec... | 384 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Is there a proven way to test if I'm susceptible to the placebo effect? | [
"scientific-method",
"placebo",
"stress"
] | <p>I know there are tests to check if a single drug is useful or useless by arranging groups of people where half receive the actual drug and half receive the placebo, but those are testing the drug, not the patient.</p>
<p>My question is regarding a test for the opposite (a single patient with a group of pills, from which half would be the actual drug and half would be placebos) It sounds like I just answered my own question, or at least I designed the base experiment, but my question is not on the logic of such experiment, <strong>the real question is, are there any serious studies like the one I just described</strong>?</p>
<p>I'm aware that knowing I'm testing myself may spoil the whole point. So if you can't be unaware of the fact that you are being tested, you can introduce some entropy to the timing of real dosage vs placebo. <strong>So maybe a machine-assisted test?</strong> A machine would give me pills, some days it would be the real formula, some other days it would be a placebo. Every day I'd have to measure the effects, so it would have to be a pill with immediate but temporal effects, something not crucial for my well being, a drug I don't really need, like a muscle relaxant (e.g. Carisoprodol, maybe?) and I would have to <em>measure</em> the results, maybe with electrodes or anything that register actual measurement and not just my biased perception; "<em>I feel relaxed</em>" is not very scientific. </p>
<p>I find it funny, but also interesting. Has science found a <strong><em>proven</em></strong> way to self-test on placebo effect?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/457/gamekeepers-thumb-long-term-healing | [
{
"answer_id": 487,
"body": "<p>\"Gamekeeper's thumb\" - named because of the <em>chronic</em> injury incurred when rabbit keepers broke rabbits' necks between the base of the thumb and index finger - has more recently been referred to as \"skier's thumb\", now the most common <em>acute</em> mechanism of th... | 457 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Gamekeeper's thumb - long term healing | [
"pain",
"tendinopathy",
"tendinitis",
"hand"
] | <p>I hurt the base of my right thumb about a year ago. The immediate area swelled up, so I saw a doctor soon after who diagnosed it as gamekeeper's thumb. I wore a splint for a two weeks and everything was great after taking it off.</p>
<p>However, I recently aggravated it again. It isn't painful most of the time, but sometimes clicks when flexing the entire range of motion (the same way as it did originally after the injury).</p>
<p>What's the best thing I can do now to re-heal (hopefully better) the injury?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/508/how-much-cinnamon-is-too-much | [
{
"answer_id": 684,
"body": "<p>The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment has established a tolerable daily intake (TDI) of <strong>0.1 mg coumarin per kg body weight</strong>, but also advises that higher intake for a short time is not dangerous. <a href=\"http://www.bfr.bund.de/en/faq_on_coumarin_i... | 508 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | How much cinnamon is too much? | [
"nutrition",
"diet"
] | <p>Cinnamon is touted to have many health benefits - <a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266069.php">helping fight fungi, helping lower blood sugar, helping with lipid management, helping fight Alzheimer's</a> - <a href="http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/12/30/cinnamon-offers-health-benefits-but-also-carries-serious-risks/">but it also has a limit</a>. Ignoring whether the health claims are valid (I mostly am interested in the taste, although the supposed circulation boost would be nice), what is a good daily limit for cinnamon intake?</p>
<p>The closest I've seen to an answer was not more than 6 grams a day, 5 days a week (will cite when I find that again), with a warning to not take cinnamon daily as there needs to be a detox period. I would think a smaller dose would allow for a continuous usage. Also, keep in mind, the chemical thought to be the toxin in cinnamon that is linked to liver failure, coumarin, is much higher in cassia cinnamon than Ceylon cinnamon. Details on both would be nice.</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/516/time-intervals-between-blood-donations | [
{
"answer_id": 519,
"body": "<p><a href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3486820/\" rel=\"nofollow\">The only known significant long-term risk of blood donation is iron deficiency.</a> Immunity (which you asked about) is primarily mediated by <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_blood_c... | 516 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Time intervals between blood donations | [
"blood-donation",
"donor"
] | <p>What interval should blood donors wait between donations, and what are the risks involved in donating with shorter intervals than recommended? </p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/582/does-sleeping-position-affect-health | [
{
"answer_id": 1702,
"body": "<p>I am focusing on one important health issue with respect to sleep position. Obstructive sleep apnea or apnoea (OSA) is a common condition where person has excessive snoring and disturbed sleep at night. These persons may also have headaches in the morning, daytime sleepiness... | 582 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Does sleeping position affect health? | [
"sleep",
"position"
] | <p>I've heard that the sleeping position of a person affects his health in many ways. Is this true, and if so, in what way does it affect a person and which is the best position to sleep in?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/597/are-there-health-benefits-associated-with-avoidance-of-gluten | [
{
"answer_id": 599,
"body": "<p>There are two main reasons why foods are made (or advertised) as gluten free. In short it is partially to meet the needs of a small but growing group of people who are allergic to gluten and also to catch people who are taking part in the gluten free fad.</p>\n\n<p>The main r... | 597 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Are there health benefits associated with avoidance of gluten? | [
"nutrition",
"diet",
"benefits",
"gluten",
"celiac-disease"
] | <p>Some people have <a href="http://celiac.org/celiac-disease/what-is-celiac-disease">celiac disease</a> and are instructed to avoid eating gluten, a protein found in certain grains. However, food manufacturers market gluten-free products to the general public as if gluten was detrimental for everybody. Are there proven health benefits of avoiding gluten for those without celiac disease? </p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/631/aed-on-infants-risks-of-using-adult-pads | [
{
"answer_id": 708,
"body": "<p>Adult pads have a larger area. And they provide more energy. The higher energy is needed because most adults have more body mass than children. </p>\n\n<p>Lower energy is more suitable for children. <a href=\"http://www.aedbrands.com/blog/2012/07/30/do-you-really-need-pediatr... | 631 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | AED on infants: risks of using adult pads | [
"first-aid",
"cpr"
] | <p>Until a couple of years ago, in case of cardiac arrest, first-aid guidelines (in France at least) were instructing not to use an AED on infants (< 1 yo), even with pediatric pads or with an energy dose reducer. </p>
<p>Nowadays, it is more and more recommended to use an AED on infants<sup>1</sup>. Preferably using pediatric pads, and even with adult pads should no pediatric pads or reducer be available:</p>
<ul>
<li>What the French guidelines say:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Children and infants</strong>
<br/>Defibrillation should be performed using appropriate devices (pediatric pads, energy dose reducer...). Should no suitable AED be available, an "adult" AED may be used. The pads are in this case applied to the center of the chest for one, and to the center of the back for the other. </p>
</blockquote>
<p><sup><br />The above is a translation I made. The original text is:</sup></p>
<blockquote>
<p><sup><strong>Chez l’enfant ou le nourrisson</strong></sup>
<sup><br/>La défibrillation doit être réalisée avec des appareils adaptés (électrodes enfants, réducteur d’énergie...). En l’absence d’un DAE adapté, un DAE «Adulte» peut être utilisé. Les électrodes adultes sont alors positionnées en avant au milieu du thorax pour l’une et au milieu du dos pour
l’autre.</sup> </p>
</blockquote>
<p><sup>Source: "<a href="http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/content/download/36645/277100/file/PSC1_version%201.1.1.pdf" rel="noreferrer">PRÉVENTION ET SECOURS CIVIQUES de niveau 1</a>", French Ministry of Interior</sup></p>
<ul>
<li>What the Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis, US, say:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>Use the small pads meant for infants. If these are not available, use the adult pads. When applying the adult pads, make sure the pads don’t touch each other. If it looks like the pads will touch, apply one pad to the center of the baby’s chest. Apply the other pad to the center of the baby’s upper back. </p>
</blockquote>
<p><sup>Source: "<a href="http://www.fairview.org/healthlibrary/Article/116208EN" rel="noreferrer">CPR And Automated External Defibrillator (12 Months Or Younger)</a>", Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis</sup></p>
<p>What is the precise drawback of using adult pads? Is the AED likely to harm the infant<sup>2</sup>, or is it likely to miss shockable rhythms (and therefore fail to deliver required shocks)<sup>3</sup>, or even both?</p>
<hr>
<p><sup>1- The Ministry of Interior of France, the Fairview Health Services (Minneapolis, US), <a href="http://www.lifesavingsociety.com/media/100282/98pushhardpushfastinsert2011.pdf" rel="noreferrer">The Life Saving Society</a> (Toronto, CA) do. The <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600" rel="noreferrer">Mayo Clinic</a> doesn't.</sup></p>
<p><sup>2- As the recommended dose is 2-4 J/Kg (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2938491/" rel="noreferrer">Defibrillation in children</a>, Pubmed, 2010 Jul-Sep)</sup> </p>
<p><sup>3- Found no reference, just wondering whether the nature of the pads would lead to a calibration problem impairing the rhythm detection process.</sup> </p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/652/what-is-the-health-danger-of-frying-past-a-smoking-point | [
{
"answer_id": 3352,
"body": "<p>The worst components of fats and oils from health point of view are <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">\"trans fats\"</a>. These are unsaturated fatty acids with one or more trans configuration double bonds. MUFA (monounsaturated ... | 652 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | What is the health danger of frying past a smoking point? | [
"diet",
"oil",
"cooking"
] | <p>What are the health risks of cooking/frying with healthy oils past their <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point">smoke point</a>?</p>
<p>I've heard that the oil is decomposed and toxin are formed. How does that affect our health when we eat fried foods?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/694/what-are-the-cures-for-gray-hair | [
{
"answer_id": 19722,
"body": "<p>The study did not investigate the causes of, or possible treatments of, grey hair. However, the research focused on vitiligo, specifically looking at segmental vitiligo (<a href=\"https://www.nhs.uk/news/medication/no-evidence-of-cure-to-prevent-hair-going-grey/\" rel=\"nof... | 694 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | What are the cures for gray hair? | [
"treatment-options",
"hair",
"stress",
"hydrogen-peroxide",
"scalp"
] | <p>As we know hair turns <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_hair_color#Gray_and_white_hair" rel="nofollow noreferrer">gray or white hair</a> due to a lack of pigmentation and melanin.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-05/new-cream-returns-natural-color-white-hair" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This article</a> and study from <a href="http://www.fasebj.org/content/23/7/2065.full" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2009</a> and <a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/foas-gha050313.php" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2013</a> suggest that accumulation of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_peroxide" rel="nofollow noreferrer">H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub></a> is due to oxidative stress which can affects human hair color leading to low serotonin and melatonin levels.</p>
<p>So it seems that elevated amounts of hydrogen peroxide can be the main cause of gray hair. Therefore removing/dissolving hydrogen peroxide from hair follicles (under the scalp) and hair shafts would help to reverse going gray from age. Is that correct?</p>
<p>I'm asking for interpretation of above studies. If so, does it mean we've already a cure for gray hair? What are these cures?</p>
<p>So far I've heard about depo-melanin containing some acid which could potentially dissolving hydrogen peroxide under the scalp to prevent gray hair and this is what they claim:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Depo-melanin is a 100% drug free hair serum that is formulated with the main ingredients of pseudocatalase and catalase, which is scientifically proven to prevent gray hair.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Is that true? Does it mean we've the cure for gray hair? Or there are any other cures?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/696/what-is-food-poisoning | [
{
"answer_id": 702,
"body": "<p>Food poisoning is something of a catch-all term for any one of a number of infections caused by microbial contamination of food - it should be noted that it is not necessarily just bacterial contaminants. For example, Norovirus is actually the most common food-borne pathogen ... | 696 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | What is food poisoning? | [
"salmonella"
] | <p>I don't understand what food poisoning is. I've heard that it's something to do with too much bacteria that produce toxins in the body:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Food poisoning is a common...and sometimes life-threatening problem for... people... throughout the world. People <em>infected with food-borne organisms</em> may... have symptoms ranging from mild intestinal discomfort to severe dehydration and bloody diarrhea. Depending on the <em>type of infection</em>, people can even die as a result of food poisoning</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is associated with, <a href="http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/food-poisoning">for example</a>, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli O157:H7, Listeria, botulism, and norovirus.</p>
<p>If that's the case, then wouldn't it just be called an infection instead of food poisoning?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/715/are-otc-pain-medications-safer-than-prescriptions | [
{
"answer_id": 716,
"body": "<p>As a medical professional I find this very important question. No, OTC drugs are not any safer than drugs needing prescriptions. They are more dangerous.</p>\n\n<p>The rationale for this statement is that always when patients are given a prescription, a detailed dosing guidel... | 715 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Are OTC pain medications safer than prescriptions? | [
"neurology",
"medications",
"migraine"
] | <p>Are pain medications that I can buy Over the Counter (OTC) any safer than prescriptions I receive from a doctor to manage pain? </p>
<p>For example, I have migraines. There are several OTC medications advised for migraines:</p>
<ul>
<li>Acetaminophen/Paracetamol</li>
<li>Aspirin</li>
<li>Ibuprofen</li>
<li>Naproxen</li>
</ul>
<p>While my headache specialist has prescribed several other medications for my pain:</p>
<ul>
<li>Imitrex (and other triptans) </li>
<li>Midrin</li>
<li>Prochlorperazine</li>
<li>Cambia</li>
<li>Anaprox</li>
</ul>
<p>Are the OTC pain medications safer? Why are some pain medications OTC and others only available by a prescription?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/780/do-professional-massages-have-any-health-benefits-or-do-they-merely-feel-good | [
{
"answer_id": 784,
"body": "<p>As a pragmatic approach I would suggest the following. Back pain and neck pain are the most common reasons why people seek for massage therapy. Most common reason for back and neck pain are muscle spasms. They are painful which cause more spasm a so a vicious circle is ready.... | 780 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Do professional massages have any health benefits or do they merely feel good? | [
"massage"
] | <p>Are there any studies that support some type of health benefit associated with receiving a massage of any type?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/825/is-it-normal-to-feel-your-heart-beat-in-your-chest | [
{
"answer_id": 865,
"body": "<blockquote>\n <p>Is it normal for a person to at times feel their heart beat in their chest without actually placing their hand on their chest, while at other times not be able to...? </p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Yes, this is normal.</p>\n\n<p>Normally, people do not feel their h... | 825 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Is it normal to feel your heart beat in your chest? | [
"cardiology"
] | <p>Is it normal for a person to at times feel their heart beat in their chest without actually placing their hand on their chest, while at other times not be able to (even though the pulse is strong, regular and consistent in both instances) or is this potentially a symptom of a cardiovascular disease?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/902/what-is-rock-salt-is-it-helpful-for-diabetics | [
{
"answer_id": 1112,
"body": "<p>Rock salt is no different from sea salt or table salt, chemically speaking, as all of them consist of nearly-pure sodium chloride (NaCl) </p>\n\n<p>The UK Consensus Action on Salt and Health organisation has <a href=\"http://www.actiononsalt.org.uk/news/surveys/2011/gourmet%... | 902 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | What is rock salt? Is it helpful for diabetics? | [
"nutrition",
"diabetes",
"food-safety"
] | <p>I am a type-2 diabetic on oral medications (not insulin). On the recommendation of a relative, I started using rock salt in my food. Now, I have few questions on consumption of rock salt.</p>
<ol>
<li>Primarily, I was told that rock salt will cut down on my sodium. Is that correct?</li>
<li>I was told that alternatives to common salt are heavy in potassium, which is bad, especially for diabetics as they might suffer from kidney related diseases. Is that true in the case of rock salt?</li>
<li>What is the composition of rock salt? Does it contain iodine? I am not sure about other countries, but iodine is a common element found in all salts sold in India, as Indians are found to be deficient in iodine, and salt is the cheapest way to get iodine to the population.</li>
</ol>
<p>Here's an <a href="http://www.greencart.in/shop/Organic-Tattva-Rock-Salt---Natural-500-gm-Pouch-cid-316-pid-7180-product" rel="noreferrer">example</a>.</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/957/what-are-the-different-eyesight-measures-and-how-are-they-related-to-each-other | [
{
"answer_id": 1003,
"body": "<p>First of all, one has to distinguish between <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_acuity\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><strong>visual acuity</strong></a> (VA), which is a measure for the maximal possible resolution your eye-brain-system can achieve, and the <a href=... | 957 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | What are the different eyesight measures and how are they related to each other? | [
"eye",
"optometry"
] | <p>While searching about laser surgery for my myopia, I came across different system to measure the quality of individuals' eye sight. When speaking about quality of eyesight, I am referring to the classic test where one has to read smaller and smaller symbols (usually letters or numbers).</p>
<p>I found four different measures:</p>
<ol>
<li>One is a scale from 0 to 1.0+, where the average/normal eyesight is 1.0. People can be above but I don't know how much higher than average.</li>
<li>Another scale from 0 to 20+, the average between 20. I guess that this one is proportionally related to the first one.</li>
<li>I saw negative integers (like -5,-2) sometimes, but I didn't understand how they work exactly. I guess they measure how bad your eyesight is compare to average.</li>
<li>My optometrist used dioptries. </li>
</ol>
<p><strong>My question</strong>: what are the (most used) measure of the quality eyesight and how do they relate to each other?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/987/natural-ways-to-quit-smoking | [
{
"answer_id": 5197,
"body": "<p>Natural Ways to quit Smoking</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://www.caring.com/articles/10-simple-tricks-to-stop-smoking\" rel=\"nofollow\">Candy and Gum.</a> Sucking candy or chewing gum can occupy your mouth and time much the same as cigarettes. Even <a href=\"http://stopc... | 987 | Natural ways to quit smoking | [
"smoking",
"nicotine",
"tobacco",
"breaking-habits",
"cravings"
] | <p>I have been smoking for the past three years and I have decided to quit smoking cold turkey. It has been three days now!</p>
<p>I am used to smoking during breaks. The craving is the worst every time I even think about locking my computer screen. I have stopped taking breaks these days, but I can't work either. It is really disrupting things and I don't want to get back to smoking yet!</p>
<p>I don't want to go on gums or patches. Is there something else that I can try? I am hoping some breathing exercises could help. Someone suggested eating chocolate or bananas helps. YEating in general is helping - I feel if I smell things (like chocolate or banana or cookies or anything) then the craving subsides. I want to know more about healthy natural ways of staying clean.</p>
| 11 | |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1072/what-is-the-relation-between-the-sensation-of-being-full-and-the-ability-to-fall | [
{
"answer_id": 1087,
"body": "<blockquote>\n <p>...I don't think this is the same as the effect you get on thanksgiving.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Actually, it probably is, and soon some people will be able to get that same sleep-inducing effect in the form of a pill.</p>\n\n<p>Your sleepiness after a meal ... | 1,072 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | What is the relation between the sensation of being full and the ability to fall asleep? | [
"nutrition"
] | <p>I struggle with insomnia. Sometimes if I'm not able to fall asleep, one of the best ways to resolve this is to munch until I feel full, and I get so sleepy that I almost can't make it to the bedroom without passing out. The meal would be less than only 500 calories, so I don't think this is the same as the effect you get on thanksgiving.</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1076/narrow-pure-androgen-secreting-adrenocortical-adenoma | [
{
"answer_id": 15226,
"body": "<p>These patients were all female, and the tumors are described as exceedingly rare. Were you looking for males?</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14668717\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14668717</a></p>\n\n<blockquote>... | 1,076 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | "Narrow" Pure Androgen-secreting Adrenocortical Adenoma | [
"cancer",
"endocrinology",
"tumors",
"androgen"
] | <p>I was looking for a case report or example to match something I've come across that I thought highly unlikely to the point of being untrue. That is a adrenocortical adenoma (AA) was functional but solely producing testosterone in a male. The patient (pt) reports no steroid or recreational drugs (tox comes up clean). Endocrine panel only shows highly elevated testosterone. AA was detected in imaging. </p>
<p>I'm less specifically interested in the individual case, but can provide more details if needed (I was only an ID consult ).</p>
<p>My understanding is that functional AA are already rare, and that when they do produce hormones, it tends to be several (a broad array of over production). Has anyone heard of or can find a case report of a functional AA producing a narrow spectrum or single hormone? I understand that pure androgen-secreting tumors are <a href="http://www.hindawi.com/journals/crie/2013/356086/">rare</a> to begin with, but even then multiple androgens are often produced.</p>
<p>I found <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20956912">this case</a> but I'm trying to track down more details on it before I use it as a reference.</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1154/what-is-the-mechanism-of-eczema | [
{
"answer_id": 19330,
"body": "<p><strong>TLDR:</strong> The pathogenesis of eczema is multifactorial, but broadly follows a process of genetic (or epigenetic, in the case of the early gut microbiome) dysregulation relating to barrier integrity proteins like filaggrin with corresponding changes in the skin ... | 1,154 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | What is the mechanism of eczema? | [
"dermatology",
"immune-system",
"digestion",
"eczema"
] | <p>I'm trying to link the <strong>signs and symptoms</strong> of eczema (especially atopic dermatitis) to its <strong>causes</strong>. In short, what is the mechanism of the disease?</p>
<p>In <a href="https://health.stackexchange.com/a/354/99">an answer of another question about eczema</a>, @anongoodnurse has said (bolded words added by me):</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Signs and symptoms:</strong> Eczema (or Atopic Dermatitis) is an incompletely understood skin disorder, in which the normal skin barrier function (permeability) is compromised, allowing the skin to dry out more than normal skin.</p>
<p><strong>Causes:</strong> The cause of the dryness in AD is thought by some to be <strong>(1)</strong> a deficiency of a naturally occurring fatty substance in the skin called ceramide. Others believe it's <strong>(2)</strong> an abnormal or missing protein which causes the skin barrier to be compromised, allowing allergens and irritants to cause immune responses more easily, triggering the itch/chronic inflammation (this might explain the response seen with topical steroids).</p>
</blockquote>
<ol>
<li><p>If the cause is a deficiency of ceramide, what causes this cause? <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceramide" rel="noreferrer">Ceramides are a family of waxy lipid molecules</a>, so exactly which chemical is produced? Is it because the skin produces another kind of ceramide which has lower quality, or it does not produce enough?</p>
</li>
<li><p>If the cause is an abnormal or missing protein, what causes this cause? What protein it is? Is that something related to T cells (recognising antigens) or B cells (producing antibodies)? Is it a skin problem or an immune system problem?</p>
</li>
<li><p>Also, I heard from many sources that this is an immune system problem. And the source of this problem is the gut. <a href="http://preventdisease.com/news/15/030615_All-Disease-Begins-In-The-Gut.shtml" rel="noreferrer">They quote Hippocrates: "All disease begins in the gut"</a><em>.</em> Is that true? Will just eating healthy food, adding more probiotics, and applying moisturizer help the skin effectively?</p>
</li>
</ol>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1222/can-effervescent-multivitamin-tablets-cause-teeth-problems | [
{
"answer_id": 8963,
"body": "<p>Couldn't find any articles directly looking at effervescent tablets and dental problems, so I took a more broad look and searched for citric acid's effect on teeth.</p>\n\n<p>The combination of citric acid and sodium bicarbonate are routinely used in effervescent tablets des... | 1,222 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Can effervescent multivitamin tablets cause teeth problems? | [
"dentistry",
"side-effects",
"micronutrients",
"oral-health"
] | <p>I somehow stumbled upon this article: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1255998/Revealed-How-fizzy-vitamin-supplements-wreck-teeth.html" rel="noreferrer">Revealed: How fizzy vitamin supplements can wreck your teeth</a>. Certainly, Daily Mail is probably not a very reliable source. But when I searched in <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=effervescent+multivitamin+teeth" rel="noreferrer">Google Scholar</a> and
<a href="https://books.google.com/books?q=effervescent+multivitamin+teeth" rel="noreferrer">Google Books</a>, it seems that there are more serious sources which study correlation between usage of effervescent tablets and some problems with teeth. For example, the book Dental Erosion: From Diagnosis to Therapy (edited by Adrian Lussi) <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=-l0ROzorSREC&pg=PA115" rel="noreferrer">mentions</a> link between use of effervescent tablets and tooth erosion.</p>
<p>Could somebody more knowledgeable tell me more about this? Specifically, I want to ask:</p>
<ul>
<li>Are effervescent tablets really bad for teeth health? Or is it ok assuming I do not use them too much?</li>
<li>Are only some of the effervescent tablets on the market problematic? If yes, how can I choose some which do not cause teeth problems.</li>
<li>If they are bad, is it still ok to use them if I brush my teeth right after using them?</li>
</ul>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1279/are-platelet-donations-needed-more-than-whole-blood | [
{
"answer_id": 3908,
"body": "<p>I don't know if anyone can give a definite answer as to why <em>these</em> folks so badly wanted you to donate platelets over whole blood, but there are many possible reasons.</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Platelets give you more bang for your buck.</strong> According to <a href=... | 1,279 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Are platelet donations needed more than whole blood? | [
"blood",
"blood-donation"
] | <p>A few months ago I showed up to donate blood and said I was willing to do any type of donation. I ended up getting dragged into donating platelets instead, which I admit I hadn't even realized was an option. I'm trying to donate platelets more, now that I realize I can do it in between whole blood donations. I admit I find the whole process far more annoying than whole blood.</p>
<p>However, what I find odd is how I've gotten far more pressure to come back to donate platelets than I ever did donating whole blood. The first time they clearly pushed me into donating platelets over whole blood even when I really didn't know anything about it. I just went along to help out however they wanted me to.</p>
<p>This last time I showed up and told them that I thought I was due to donate whole blood. If so, I wanted to donoate whole blood since I didn't have time for platelets. However, I agreed to donate platelets if I wasn't due for whole blood. Again they seemed very eager to get me to donate platelets, to the point of seeming being really disappointing when I ended up donating whole blood.</p>
<p>It's inconvenient, to say the least, to loose so much time multiple times a month. I'm happy to do it to help, but I'd at least like to have an idea of exactly how much I am helping when I do it.</p>
<p>So, is there a reason they seem so eager to get platelet donations? Would it do more good to never donate whole blood and only ever do platelets? Can anyone give me an estimation of how much good a platelet donation does <em>on average</em> (not the best case, but the average case of each donation from a B+ donor)?</p>
<p>To try to make this easier, I finally sat down and tried to answer another question of mine: <a href="https://health.stackexchange.com/questions/1289/how-many-lives-are-saved-from-one-donation-of-blood/3909#3909">How many lives are saved from one donation of blood?</a> See my answer to it.</p>
<p>The numbers are not guaranteed by me; I am a layman who doesn't really know much about the medicine behind the statistics I looked up. However, it may give an answer some basis for comparison of the two options <em>IF</em> any of my numbers are right.</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1284/eating-fast-food-every-single-day | [
{
"answer_id": 1303,
"body": "<p>I have eaten McDonalds for lunch every (week) day for the past 2+ years, I can tell you it has nothing to do with weight gain or loss.</p>\n\n<p>For the vast majority of people, losing and gaining weight is <strong>all about calories</strong>; nothing else. Genetics plays a ... | 1,284 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Eating fast food every single day | [
"diet"
] | <p>Is it theoretically possible to eat fast food from McDonald's or various other fast food restaurants every single day and still maintain or even lose weight.</p>
<p>What I am saying is, if you eat fast food everyday say at lunch time and if you count your calories every day, made sure you were not going over your calorie limit by eating something small for breakfast and dinner, like oats in the morning, and getting your servings of fruit and vegetables for dinner, and get regular exercise, going to the gym, not sitting down for too much, drinking plenty of water. Will you still get fat?</p>
<p>My thinking is from what I know is weight lost is dependent on how many calories you put into yourselves and how many you burn off. So if your energy input is high and output is low, then you gain weight and vise versa for losing weight, regardless of carbs/protein/fat content, although fat contains higher energy per gram compared to carbs and protein so it is easier to go over your limit by eating fat. </p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1756/should-all-persons-with-diabetes-get-statins | [
{
"answer_id": 1759,
"body": "<p>In short, no. It is important to understand the meaning of risk and the balance of possible harm caused versus positive effect made by an intervention.</p>\n<p>Patients with diabetes have higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) but not all patients with diabetes has CVD... | 1,756 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Should all persons with diabetes get statins? | [
"diabetes",
"heart-disease"
] | <p>Statins are cholesterol lowering agents that are given to almost all patients with past episode of heart attack, angina, angioplasty or coronary bypass surgery (CABG). Since persons with diabetes are prone to heart disease, they are also often prescribed statins. Should all patients with diabetes be given statins? Thanks for your insight.</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1809/aspirin-for-prevention-of-heart-attacks | [
{
"answer_id": 1813,
"body": "<p>This is a good and pragmatic question.</p>\n\n<p>Just to give some insight, the benefits of aspirin in <em>high risk patients</em> (with acute or previous vascular disease or some other predisposing condition) are explicitly shown. I recommend reading the freely available <a... | 1,809 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Aspirin for prevention of heart attacks? | [
"heart-disease",
"prevention",
"heart-attack"
] | <p>Aspirin is commonly given to patients with heart disease (angina or heart attack). It has been mentioned that it may also prevent heart attacks. Should normal healthy middle aged or older people also take aspirin to prevent heart attacks? Does it prolong life? Thanks for your insight.</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1870/does-being-optimistic-help-me-to-age-more-slowly | [
{
"answer_id": 5206,
"body": "<p>Being optimistic is not the only factor but people who were prepared for physical losses, and who were nevertheless optimistic, were better able to maintain better physical functioning, and lower depressive symptoms. in the study below it was concluded that ageing well may ... | 1,870 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Does being optimistic help me to age more slowly? | [
"mental-health",
"aging"
] | <p>I read <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/meet-the-superyoung-some-people-just-never-seem-to-look-their-age-why-how-and-can-we-all-do-it-geraldine-bedell-reports-1497594.html">an article</a> that says that the superyoung (people who look at least 10 years younger than they are) are really optimistic and happy people. Is this true? Is there any cause and effect relationship between mental health and biological age? </p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1879/laptops-in-the-dark-and-miscalculating-bats-how-dangerous-is-that-for-rabies | [
{
"answer_id": 1967,
"body": "<p>This event occurred in the US. In the US, enzootic (dog-to-dog) canine rabies virus has been virtually eliminated through vaccination and stray control programs, making wild animals the primary concern.</p>\n\n<p>It is quite true, as @EMT_Jedi stated, that rabies is usually ... | 1,879 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Laptops in the dark and miscalculating bats: how dangerous is that for rabies? | [
"infectious-diseases",
"rabies"
] | <p>A few nights ago, I was using my laptop outside in the dark. Some moths and other insects were flying around in the light it was emitting, but unfortunately I didn't think anything about this from a bat's perspective. </p>
<p>Suddenly (and incredibly silently) something flew into my face, completely blocking my vision momentarily. I thought at first that it was a giant moth, but it was too fast for a moth, and besides, it flew away immediately. But it took a few moments to realize that it was the wing of a flying bat that had basically hit me in the face. I had no scratches, no blood, didn't feel any fluid when it hit me, and I washed myself well.</p>
<p>About 15 years ago, I was exposed to the saliva of a known rabid animal and had completed a post-exposure prophylaxis series of 5 vaccines as well as getting a rabies immune globulin shot, so I wasn't overly concerned.</p>
<p>I know that any significant first exposure to a potentially rabid animal, or a possible rabies-vector (bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes, etc.) merits a visit to an emergency room and immunization. But what about this situation? Are there clear guidelines about post-exposure prevention in people who have been previously immunized?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/3194/can-we-survive-on-liquid-diet | [
{
"answer_id": 15252,
"body": "<blockquote>\n <p>What if I am getting all my nutrition from fluids that includes vegetable and fruit juices, milk etc. Will it effect my body, metabolism, or digestive system in any way?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>What you're describing is something that I did for a several ye... | 3,194 | Can we survive on liquid diet? | [
"nutrition",
"diet"
] | <p>What if I am getting all my nutrition from fluids that includes vegetable and fruit juices, milk etc. Will it effect my body, metabolism, or digestive system in any way?</p>
| 11 | |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/3268/how-does-a-mrsa-test-work | [
{
"answer_id": 3273,
"body": "<p>MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is suspected in the face of any acute staph infection that does not respond to normal antibiotics. Even staph that is more resistant to other antibiotics than it is to methicillin is routinely called MRSA.</p>\n<p>The standa... | 3,268 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | How does a MRSA test work? | [
"infection",
"blood-tests",
"bacteria",
"antibiotics",
"mrsa"
] | <p>Let's assume we have a patient with acute infection. The doctor suspects MRSA. A culture is taken, brought to the lab, and then what? </p>
<p>I'm interested to hear what are the usual steps a laboratory takes to determine the bacterial species and also the subtype. Do they only rely on the way the bacteria look under microscope, do they do some kind of antibody test, or something else? Is there a standard procedure at all, or are there different methods? </p>
<p>Also, the test can come back as "positive", "negative" or "inconclusive" for MRSA. What makes a test "inconclusive"? Does it mean that they tried killing the culture with an antibiotic and only half of it died? </p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/3399/can-ulcer-pain-be-distinguished-from-gallstone-pain | [
{
"answer_id": 10944,
"body": "<p>Even a gastroenterologist may not be able to reliable differentiate between the stomach ulcer and gallstone pain just from history/physical examination.</p>\n\n<p>This is typical (but not obligatory):</p>\n\n<p><strong>Gallstone pain:</strong></p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Sudden onset ... | 3,399 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Can ulcer pain be distinguished from gallstone pain? | [
"pain",
"gastroenterology",
"ulcers",
"gallstone"
] | <p>When referred to a gastroenterologist for intermittent pain in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen (slightly under the rib cage), my friend was told that she probably had an ulcer and the doctor needed to do an endoscopy to confirm. </p>
<p>My friend has gone to two doctors so far regarding intermittent but intense pain in the upper right quadrant of her abdomen (slightly under the rib cage). Her GP considered it to be possibly gallstones and referred her to a gastroenterologist to get an ultrasound and further treatment. The gastroenterologist, however, thought it was most likely an ulcer and that he would need to do an endoscopy.</p>
<p>I'm <em>not</em> looking for an internet diagnosis for her :) Her primary concern is that an ultrasound is less expensive and doesn't involve sedation or require a day of fasting, and she wonders whether the gastroenterologist has chosen a less likely avenue to pursue since he would get paid much more for it. To that end, she wants to know <strong>what symptoms can <em>distinguish</em> the two conditions</strong>, and potentially consult another specialist before undergoing an endoscopy.</p>
<p>These are the symptoms we think we know:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Symptoms of gallbladder issues (<a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Identify-Gallbladder-Disease" rel="noreferrer">1</a>, <a href="http://www.healthline.com/health/gallbladder-problems-symptoms#1" rel="noreferrer">2</a>, <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cholecystitis/basics/symptoms/con-20034277" rel="noreferrer">3</a>, <a href="http://www.drgangemi.com/2012/07/gallbladder-health/" rel="noreferrer">4</a>)</p>
<ul>
<li>Pain in upper right abdomen</li>
<li>Hurts when you push on it</li>
<li>Nausea/vomiting</li>
<li>Constipation, diarrhea, burping, bloating/gas</li>
</ul></li>
<li><p>Symptoms of stomach ulcer (<a href="http://www.healthline.com/health/stomach-ulcer#Symptoms3" rel="noreferrer">1</a>, <a href="http://www.healthxchange.com.sg/healthyliving/SpecialFocus/Pages/Peptic-Ulcers-What-Are-the-Most-Common-Risk-Factors.aspx" rel="noreferrer">2</a>)</p>
<ul>
<li>Pain in upper central abdomen</li>
<li>Pain goes away with antacids (n/a in her case)</li>
<li>Nausea/vomiting</li>
<li>Burping, bloating</li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
<p>Beyond the symptoms, the risk factors appear to be really different:</p>
<ul>
<li>gallstones: <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gallstones/basics/risk-factors/con-20020461" rel="noreferrer">fat, female</a> (true), <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gallstones/basics/risk-factors/con-20020461" rel="noreferrer">high-fat low-fiber diet</a> (true-ish, diet isn't that bad), <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gallstones/basics/risk-factors/con-20020461" rel="noreferrer">diabetes, 60+</a> (n/a)</li>
<li>ulcer: <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peptic-ulcer/basics/risk-factors/con-20028643" rel="noreferrer">smoke, drink</a>, <a href="http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/understanding-ulcers-basic-information" rel="noreferrer">frequent NSAID use, old</a> (n/a)</li>
</ul>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/3598/why-tell-cancer-patients-not-to-seek-information-on-the-internet | [
{
"answer_id": 3664,
"body": "<p>Telling people not to look information up themselves is indeed very strange. Especially a recently diagnosed patient has lots of questions and won't be able to ask all of them at their appointments (questions coming up between appointments, questions from relatives and frie... | 3,598 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Why tell cancer patients not to seek information on the internet? | [
"cancer",
"health-education"
] | <p>A friend, recently diagnosed with cancer, was told by the hospital not to look for information on the internet. Other people I know I have been told the same.</p>
<p>If the ample information had been given, I could - perhaps - understand this advice.</p>
<p>When she asked for advice, this was sketchy and insufficient. So she did look on the internet. And of course found lots of useful information.</p>
<p>So, why would hospitals tell cancer patients not to seek information on the internet?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/3905/lifetime-cancer-risk-for-people-with-healthy-lifestyle | [
{
"answer_id": 3977,
"body": "<p>First of all, your numbers are good, but they depend on when one was born, and are higher for younger people:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>The lifetime risk of cancer increased from 38.5% for men born in 1930 to 53.5% for men born in 1960. For women it increased from 36.7 to 47... | 3,905 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Lifetime cancer risk for people with healthy lifestyle | [
"cancer",
"lifestyle",
"statistics"
] | <p>According <a href="http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerbasics/lifetime-probability-of-developing-or-dying-from-cancer">to this</a>, lifetime cancer risk for males is about 43% and females 38%. </p>
<p>There are many factors that increase cancer risk, like:</p>
<ul>
<li>smoking</li>
<li>drinking alcohol</li>
<li>obesity</li>
<li>lack of physical activity</li>
</ul>
<p>The above figure includes those factors as well. </p>
<hr>
<p>Are there statistics about people with a healthy lifestyle? What is their lifetime risk of developing cancer? </p>
<p>By "healthy" I mean a lifestyle that has <strong>none</strong> of the above risk factors.</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/3986/why-is-the-skin-around-my-genitals-darker-than-the-rest-of-my-body | [
{
"answer_id": 4599,
"body": "<p>Inesophet actually had a good answer there, and I'll expand on that. </p>\n\n<p>Pheomelanins impart a pink to red hue, depending upon the concentration. They are particularly concentrated in the lips, nipples, glans of the penis, and vagina.</p>\n\n<p>Meanwhile, there are tw... | 3,986 | Why is the skin around my genitals darker than the rest of my body? | [
"pigment",
"genitals"
] | <p>I've noticed that the skin around my genitals are a lot darker; think a darker shade of peach against the rest of my body. Of course, I'm well aware the skin around your nipples seems to be just the same color as the skin around my genitals, but I'd like to understand, why is it this way?</p>
<p>Why is the skin around my genitals so much darker than the rest of my body? I'm fairly sure I don't sunbathe naked, and most of the time my privates are being protected by a few layer of clothing, so what could make the pigmentation so much darker than the rest of my body? </p>
| 11 | |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/4024/can-stress-increase-blood-pressure | [
{
"answer_id": 4093,
"body": "<p>tl; dr - The answer is yes, clinically you can react to having your blood pressure (BP) taken by having an abnormally high reading.</p>\n\n<p>What you are describing is called \"white coat syndrome\" or \"<a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_coat_hypertension\">whit... | 4,024 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Can stress increase blood pressure? | [
"blood-pressure",
"cardiology"
] | <p>Whenever I get my blood pressure checked, whether by machine or person, I become extremely stressed. My heart rate then increases quite a bit into the hundreds, usually around 110-120 (my normal is 55-60) and I get a high blood pressure reading, up to 170/70. </p>
<p>Can blood pressure increase from being stressed? </p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/4042/what-are-the-effects-of-routine-and-daily-meditation-and-physical-exercise-on-pr | [
{
"answer_id": 4158,
"body": "<p>I wasn't able to find a study that looked at both meditation and exercise - besides ones about yoga - but I was able to find many that looked at each separately and seemed to indicate that combining the two is simple and effective.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Exercise</strong></p>\n\n... | 4,042 | What are the effects of routine and daily meditation and physical exercise on pregnancy? | [
"exercise",
"obstetrics",
"meditation"
] | <p>There are various studies with supporting data on <strong>what not to do</strong> during pregnancy, with many actions and/or situations that can negatively impact the growing human during pregnancy. </p>
<p>However, I am looking for studies on <strong>what to do</strong>, for achieving more optimal and positive benefits, on a developing human during pregnancy.</p>
<p>To narrow down this question better for this site's format:</p>
<p>I'm interested to know; what are the effects on a developing human during pregnancy, when the mother performs a routine and daily meditation practice, in addition to a daily and routine aerobic and anaerobic physical exercise practice (say most days of pregnancy, like weekdays).</p>
<p>To add context, this can be contrasted to the differences in pregnancy styles, as asked in <a href="https://parenting.stackexchange.com/questions/22056/will-a-mothers-crazy-work-hours-affect-child-development-in-the-womb">this</a> question. Here the mother's priority is stressful work, on most days of pregnancy.</p>
<p>If there are other items that are notable for positive outcomes, please do mention them. </p>
<p>*Note: This is non-religious meditation, with focus on mindfulness, self-awareness, etc.</p>
| 11 | |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/4174/is-water-weight-a-real-thing | [
{
"answer_id": 4257,
"body": "<p>It sounds like what you're talking about is related to <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_retention_(medicine)\" rel=\"nofollow\">water retention</a>, a specialized case of fluid retention, which causes an effect known as edema.</p>\n\n<p>Edema (and thus generaliz... | 4,174 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Is "water weight" a real thing? | [
"weight",
"water",
"weight-loss"
] | <p>I'm told there is such a thing as "water weight" which can explain small fluctuations in weight. However, all mentions of "water weight" I've found have been on dieting websites promoting some miracle weight loss solution that will purge water weight from your body. Given that I'm not in the habit of getting my scientific information from snake-oil salesmen, I'm not sure what the scientific status of the notion is.</p>
<p>What is the scientific status of the notion of "water weight"?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/5189/why-does-caffeine-make-me-sleep-better | [
{
"answer_id": 5191,
"body": "<p><a href=\"http://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-absorption\">Caffeine Absorption</a> <strong><em>Caffeine Capsules - 200mg - 84-120 minutes</em></strong></p>\n\n<p>So maybe you took the caffeine, were already tired so you napped(2 hours or 120 minutes) just as it was ... | 5,189 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Why does caffeine make me sleep better? | [
"medications",
"sleep",
"neurology",
"caffeine",
"sleep-deprivation"
] | <p>I have self-administered around <code>4 mg/kg</code> of caffeine (peroral), and around two hours later I fell asleep, being just a little bit sleep-deprived.</p>
<p>After around five hours of sleep I found myself awake, in awesome mood and I did not want to sleep at all.</p>
<p>It was not a one-time thing, I did notice it before, but this is the first time it really caught my attention. <strong>What is even happening here?</strong></p>
<p><sup>P. S. Plase notice I drink a lot of coffee, so there might or might not be a slight tolerance. I do not have any sleep-related health issues. I have zero education in subject areas. Also, excuse me for my English.</sup></p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/5234/current-theories-on-ice-vs-heat-for-injuries | [
{
"answer_id": 5565,
"body": "<p>There is only marginal evidence of RICE (rest, ice, elevation and compression) improving recovery in injuries. </p>\n\n<p>For example, in a <a href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14754753\" rel=\"nofollow\">review of 22 studies of ankle injuries</a>, ice and elevation ... | 5,234 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Current Theories on Ice vs. Heat for injuries | [
"pain",
"treatment",
"injury"
] | <p>So I will preface this by saying I've heard a couple of things that I will list out for legibility:</p>
<ul>
<li>"Ice should be used for Acute injuries and Heat for Chronic injuries"</li>
<li>"Ice restricts blood flow therefore slows healing while Heat enhances blood flow and immune response."</li>
</ul>
<p>For the sake of argument lets say an Acute Injury is defined by the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>Sharp well-defined pain upon using or pressing area</li>
<li>Constantly present</li>
<li>Possible bleeding/bruising</li>
<li>Occurred within the past week</li>
</ul>
<p>Lets also say a Chronic Injury is defined as:</p>
<ul>
<li>Dull pain upon using or pressing area that becomes sharp with prolonged agitation</li>
<li>Lasting longer than a week</li>
<li>Comes and goes depending on activity</li>
<li>No bleeding/bruising present</li>
</ul>
<p>Looking at such cases what has research shown is the most effective way of tackling such injuries? I would guess that they are treated differently seeing as they are considered different types of injury. </p>
<p>If two patients sprained their left ankle in the exact same manner I imagine the one who sprained his yesterday will be treated differently than the one still experiencing problems from a month old sprain.</p>
<p>Since this is something that does cover a broad spectrum of issues I will coalesce it into four relatively specific questions of what I am looking for.</p>
<p>Are there studies/data showing that:</p>
<ol>
<li>Heat improves healing response for injuries, while Cold reduces it.</li>
<li>Icing acute injuries gives better outcome than heating or doing nothing at all.</li>
<li>Heating chronic injuries gives better outcome than icing or doing nothing at all.</li>
<li>The RICE method is truly effective.</li>
</ol>
<p>For simplicity sake consider the question of this post to be: "Are there any conventional theories/study/data that prove whether Ice or Heat is better for injury treatment?"</p>
<p>EDIT: For clarity I should note I am not asking if pain is reduced but the underlying issue causing the pain. I am looking for studies/data showing what is the best <em>treatment</em> for enabling recovery.</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/5676/is-changing-toothpaste-brand-harmful-for-teeth | [
{
"answer_id": 10440,
"body": "<p>You can find more information <a href=\"http://www.cochrane.org/CD007868/ORAL_comparison-between-different-concentrations-of-fluoride-toothpaste-for-preventing-tooth-decay-in-children-and-adolescents\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">here</a> about this issue:</p>\n\n<blockquot... | 5,676 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Is Changing Toothpaste brand harmful for teeth? | [
"dentistry",
"toothpaste"
] | <p>There are so many <a href="http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/weighing-your-toothpaste-options" rel="noreferrer">variations</a> available in the market to choose from as far as toothpaste brands and categories are concerned. </p>
<p>Should you go for tartar control? Fluoride? or Both? And don't forget to think about whitening toothpastes or formulas with all-natural and Herbal ingredients.</p>
<p>This <a href="http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/weighing-your-toothpaste-options?page=2" rel="noreferrer">article</a> says following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>With so many options and combinations available, you can try different
brands, varieties, and flavors to find the best toothpaste for you.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>What will happen if someone tries new and different brand of toothpastes, say after every month?</p>
<p>Or it is better to stick to only a specific brand?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/11729/anorgasmia-with-ssri-and-snri-prescriptions | [
{
"answer_id": 15360,
"body": "<p>First of all, <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anorgasmia\" rel=\"noreferrer\">anorgasmia</a> can be either a primary effect caused by depression itself, along with decreased libido. But then it may also be a side-effect of the medication itself, adding to the underl... | 11,729 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Anorgasmia with SSRI and SNRI prescriptions | [
"sex",
"antidepressants"
] | <p>I am adding to the beginning of this question the caveat that I am not asking this for me or anyone in particular. I am studying counselling and have come across this issue whilst researching and it lead me to try and work out what options are available when helping those who come to me with sexual dysfunctions.</p>
<p>Whilst Higgins, et al. (2010) highlights the problem with sexual dysfunctions whilst prescribed Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs), I am going to split my question in parts for easier answering. This question will be concerning <a href="http://www.personalconsult.com/pubabstracts/viagrassri.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">anorgasmia</a>. Sexual dysfunction is a common side effect of antidepressants and can have significant impact on the person’s quality of life, relationships, mental health, and recovery.</p>
<p>Higgins et al points out that</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The sexual problems reported range from decreased sexual desire, decreased sexual excitement, diminished or delayed orgasm, to erection or delayed ejaculation problems. There are a number of case reports of sexual side effects, such as priapism, painful ejaculation, penile anesthesia, loss of sensation in the vagina and nipples, persistent genital arousal and nonpuerperal lactation in women. The addition of sildenafil (Viagra) will improve erectile dysfunction in men (Rudkin, et al., 2004)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>but what about anorgasmia?</p>
<p>The side effects don't seem to be rare from my research online and many patients are not even told to look for it. If a man has premature ejaculations, the side effect of anorgasmia usually helps that nicely, but if it already takes long enough, it might take even longer.</p>
<p>Higgins et al. also points out that with adjunct treatment (introducing another drug to counteract side-effects), clients treated with bupropion SR showed a significantly greater improvement in desire and frequency of engaging in sexual activity; and in a systematic review of medication switching strategies for managing sexual dysfunction, switching from SSRI to non-SSRI antidepressants may produce varying individual responses, and although the sexual dysfunction may recede, the depressive illness may reassert itself.</p>
<p>So has there been any studies which anyone knows of which definitively help with the problem of anorgasmia whilst taking SSRI or SNRI medication?</p>
<hr>
<h2>References</h2>
<p>Higgins, A., Nash, M., and Lynch, A. M. (2010). <em>Antidepressant-associated sexual dysfunction: impact, effects, and treatment</em> In: Drug, Healthcare and Patient Safety Vol.2: pp 141-150<br>PMCID: <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3108697" rel="nofollow noreferrer">PMC3108697</a> DOI: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2147%2FDHPS.S7634" rel="nofollow noreferrer">10.2147/DHPS.S7634</a></p>
<p>Rudkin L, Taylor M, Hawton K. (2004). <em>Strategies for managing sexual dysfunction induced by antidepressant medication</em> In: Cochrane Database of Systematic reviews 18(4): pp 1465-1858<br>PMID: <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15495050" rel="nofollow noreferrer">15495050</a> DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003382.pub2" rel="nofollow noreferrer">10.1002/14651858.CD003382.pub2</a></p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/13418/does-fasting-inhibit-healing | [
{
"answer_id": 14398,
"body": "<p><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting#Medical_application\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Fasting has some medical applications</a>. Among them is <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preoperative_fasting\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><em>pre</em>-operative fasti... | 13,418 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Does fasting inhibit healing? | [
"nutrition",
"fasting"
] | <p>Fasting stresses the body. Whereas the body may normally rely on fats, proteins and carbohydrates from food, during a fast extending beyond a few days the body is forced to consume fats in place of the formerly named, and meet its carbohydrate needs through gluconeogenesis.</p>
<p>But in all my research, a question I haven't been able to answer is what about protein? Namely, the body really doesn't use protein for energy, but for rebuilding tissues, essentially a constant, slow healing process. <strong>Without a supply of amino acids, is proper healing inhibited while fasting?</strong></p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/13518/active-ingredient-of-durex-intense-orgasmic-gel-that-should-cause-arousal | [
{
"answer_id": 13520,
"body": "<h2>TL;DR</h2>\n\n<p><strong>Your gel does not contain an active ingredient that causes arousal.</strong></p>\n\n<p>The antifreeze agent propylene glycol will be perceived as an increase in body temperature, where-ever applied, which is supposed to turn one on.</p>\n\n<p>Most ... | 13,518 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Active ingredient of Durex Intense Orgasmic Gel that should cause arousal? | [
"sexuality",
"lubrication",
"sexual-arousal"
] | <p>The gel contains these ingredients:</p>
<p>Aqua, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Aroma, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide</p>
<p>Which of these should be the "active ingredient"?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/13678/does-vaping-affect-your-lungs | [
{
"answer_id": 17441,
"body": "<blockquote>\n <p>I have done plenty of research and have found people only talking about E-Cigarettes, leaving me in confusion about if vapes without any nicotine contain harmful substances for your lungs. (I am not talking about E-Cigarettes, which I believe is a vape with ... | 13,678 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Does 'vaping' affect your lungs? | [
"smoking",
"nicotine",
"smoke-inhalation",
"e-cigarette-vape"
] | <p>I feel as if the question to "vapes" is unclear whether or not if it is bad for your lungs. I have done plenty of research and have found people only talking about E-Cigarettes, leaving me in confusion about if vapes <em>without</em> any nicotine contain harmful substances for your lungs. (I am <strong>not</strong> talking about E-Cigarettes, which I believe is a vape <em>with</em> nicotine.)</p>
<p>In conclusion. If you decide to use a vape, <em>without</em> any nicotine, the question still lingers as to if it is still harmful to your lungs. Is it still causing damage?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/13926/is-a-hyperventilationhypoventilation-breathing-exercise-wim-hof-method-more-l | [
{
"answer_id": 14117,
"body": "<p>Hyperventilation can lead to reduced oxygen transport to cells. As a result, ineffective breathing patterns can cause cell and tissue hypoxia, chronic inflammation, immunosuppression, and many other negative effects caused by low body-oxygen levels and hypocapnia (reduced C... | 13,926 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Is a hyperventilation+hypoventilation breathing exercise (Wim Hof Method) more likely to prevent or promote cancer? | [
"cancer",
"breathing",
"oxygenation",
"ph-levels",
"hypoxia"
] | <p>Apart from exposure to cold, the core element of the Wim Hof Method is a breathing technique, which alternates between hyperventilation and hypoventilation (apparently similar to Tummo meditation). It consists of repeating the following steps for 3-4 times:</p>
<ul>
<li>Hyperventilation for 30 deep, strong breaths.</li>
<li>Breath hold after an exhalation for as long as possible.</li>
<li>Inhalation followed by another breath hold for ~10 seconds.</li>
</ul>
<p>The exercise seems to have a profound effect on human physiology, which has been discovered in
<a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/111/20/7379.full.pdf" rel="noreferrer"><em>Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans</em></a>.
The focus of the experiment was to study the immune response after administration of an endotoxin while performing the breathing exercise.
The study revealed the following physiological reactions (see also <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/suppl/2014/04/30/1322174111.DCSupplemental" rel="noreferrer">videos in the supplementary material</a>):</p>
<ul>
<li>Increases epinephrine levels.</li>
<li>Suppresses immune response, i.e., decreased pro-inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8) and increased anti-inflammatory mediators (IL-10).</li>
<li>Blood pH: Increases from ~7.4 to over ~7.7 during hyperventilation (respiratory alkalosis); falls back to ~ baseline during breath retention.</li>
<li>Oxygen saturation: At 100% during hyperventilation; temporarily drops to ~50% during the breath hold.</li>
<li>Arterial pCO2: Decreases from a baseline of ~4.5 kPa to below 2 kPa during hyperventilation. The breath hold recovers pCO2 but not fully to baseline level, which is why the minimum pCO2 seems to decrease with each hyperventilation.</li>
<li>Arterial pO2: Increases from a baseline of ~16.5 to kPa over 22 kPa during hyperventilation. During the breath hold pO2 can fall below 4 kPa, and the minimum seems to become lower with each repetition. pO2 stays slightly elevated post exercise.</li>
</ul>
<p>Looking at these physiologic reactions, I'm wondering how performing this exercise on a daily basis would affect the development of cancer?
I am a scientist, but not in the field of medicine or health, so it is difficult to make sense these effects.
Naively, I would think that some of the reactions like the more alkaline blood pH and a more efficient immune system should be beneficial for preventing cancer.
Also, a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5266177/" rel="noreferrer">2017 study</a> has found positive effects of breath training on respiratory cancer.
On the other hand, the exercise involves states of low oxygenation during both:</p>
<ul>
<li>Hyperventilation: As a result of the low carbon dioxide levels, haemoglobin binds oxygen (Bohr effect), leading to reduced tissue oxygenation.</li>
<li>Breath hold: The low oxygen saturation and arterial pO2 probably means that the body is in a temporary state of generalized hypoxia at the end of the breath hold.</li>
</ul>
<p>A quick research on the connection between oxygenation/hypoxia and cancer seems to indicate that hypoxia is something that should be avoided by all means, because it promotes malignant progression and metastasis, and increases resistance to therapy and mortality (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumor_hypoxia" rel="noreferrer">Wikipedia</a>, <a href="http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.org/content/9/suppl_5/10.full" rel="noreferrer">2004 article</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17440684" rel="noreferrer">2007 article</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/oncsis/journal/v5/n1/full/oncsis201550a.html?foxtrotcallback=true" rel="noreferrer">2016 article</a>).</p>
<p>Is it possible for an experienced health scientist to put these observations into perspective? I.e., would you recommend (or advise against) a cancer-prone person to do such an exercise from a purely theoretical point of view?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/16613/why-should-we-finish-antibiotic-treatments-in-order-to-prevent-antibiotics-resis | [
{
"answer_id": 16618,
"body": "<p><a href=\"https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tuberculosis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351256\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Mayo Clinic</a> on the example of tuberculosis:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Stopping treatment too soon or skipping doses can allow the bacteri... | 16,613 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Why should we finish antibiotic treatments in order to prevent antibiotics resistance? | [
"immune-system",
"antibiotics"
] | <p>I understand bacteria can mutate and develop resistance against antibiotics, but I do not understand how finishing an antibiotics treatment prevents this.
In my simple thought process, when an individual bacterium has a mutation with antibiotics resistance, the antibiotics do not work on it. So whether I take 1 antibiotics pill or finish the whole treatment would not kill this bacterium, leaving it able to multiply later.</p>
<p>I am guessing the actual situation is either one of these things: </p>
<ul>
<li>The immune system itself, relieved of pressure by most bacteria being dead, kills the bacteria that developed resistance. Important note here would be that if the immune system is completely shut down, perhaps finishing an antibiotics treatment would actually INCREASE resistance as only the bacteria with resistance would survive. So I suppose this theory is wrong.</li>
<li>Even individual bacteria only developed resistance which is not the same as immunity and bombarding it with antibiotics for multiple days still (usually) means that the bacterium dies.</li>
</ul>
<p>Does that make sense or is there a thing I'm overlooking here?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/23029/does-ivermectin-treat-covid-19-coronavirus-infection | [
{
"answer_id": 25237,
"body": "<p>Yes. Prevents it too. 100% in some studies, but not others, but then, the vaccines aren't proven stop it 100%, and ivermectin's safety profile is far superior.</p>\n<p>What's established/true has changed a lot since this question was asked and initially answered.</p>\n<h2... | 23,029 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Does Ivermectin treat COVID-19 coronavirus infection? | [
"medications",
"covid-19",
"coronavirus"
] | <p>Does the anti-parasitic Ivermectin work in actual human studies versus the Petri dish in vitro studies, when treating coronavirus COVID-19 infection? And if so, is it safe in humans?</p>
<p>An <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166354220302011" rel="noreferrer">in vitro study</a> was done.</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/27511/is-there-any-identified-policy-australia-is-doing-to-successfully-control-the-co | [
{
"answer_id": 27513,
"body": "<h1>From an Australian perspective</h1>\n<h2>Policy</h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Restrictions\n<ul>\n<li>The governemnt, especially at a state level, is willing to halt the entire functions of the area, in the hope that restrictions don't have to be enforced for as long as a result</li>\n<... | 27,511 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Is there any identified policy Australia is doing to successfully control the covid-19 pandemic and have no deaths, other countries aren't using? | [
"covid-19"
] | <p>According to,</p>
<p><a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/australia/" rel="noreferrer">Australia COVID</a></p>
<p>Australia had 3 deaths for covid-19 in the last 8 months, and they succesfully controlled the pandemic at least 9 months ago, 3 months before starting vaccinations. Nowadays they barely have 26.9 vaccine doses administered per 100 persons, when countries who are suffering or starting to suffer another wave like United Kingdom and Israel have a rate of 110.76 - 123.29 doses per 100 persons respectively, with near 50% and 60% of the population fully vaccinated, when Australia only has 4,3% as of 24/06/2021</p>
<p>Is there any identified policy Australia is doing to successfully control the covid-19 pandemic the other countries aren't using?</p>
| 11 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/57/can-a-banana-peel-cure-a-plantar-wart | [
{
"answer_id": 14108,
"body": "<p>Based on my medical knowledge and a literature search, I cannot find evidence to suggest that banana peels are a superior treatment for warts. I saw only one nearly 40-year-old study on PubMed, Warzawer-Schwarcz L. \"Treatment of plantar warts with banana skin.\" Plast Rec... | 57 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Can a banana peel cure a plantar wart? | [
"immune-system",
"natural-remedy",
"placebo"
] | <p>I have a large plantar wart (a wart on the bottom of my foot). It's been resistant to freezing and acid. My dermatologist said I just need to wait until my immune system is ready to get rid of it, and I could try placebo treatments like putting a banana peel on it if I wanted.</p>
<p>I thought he was joking until I recently found out that the <a href="http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/warts">banana peel cure is considered a real home remedy.</a> Is there any scientific evidence that it works?</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/58/wound-precautions-in-public-facilities | [
{
"answer_id": 64,
"body": "<p>As a rule of thumb: anywhere that blood is coming out, you should be assuming that pathogens can be transferred in. In this situation I would smear with antibiotic ointment and wrap with sterile gauze every day (and after every shower) until the cracking-and-bleeding-with-m... | 58 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Wound precautions in public facilities? | [
"wound-care",
"hygiene"
] | <p>I bicycle quite a bit, and recently had a crash where I have some fairly extensive road rash on my hip, knee, calf and shoulder area. While most are fairly scabbed over, the ones on my shoulder and knee tend to crack and bleed with movement.</p>
<p>What are the precautions I need to take when going to work and/or the gym? I want to protect myself against infection, but I also don't want to leave a gory trail behind me either.</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/75/is-it-possible-to-reverse-the-skin-cell-damage-caused-by-sunlight-by-taking-appr | [
{
"answer_id": 394,
"body": "<h1>No</h1>\n<p>Skin damage is irreversible. The only thing you can do is make sure your skin is not damaged in the first place.</p>\n<hr>\n<p>Skin damage is caused by a variety of factors, but by far the most important one for most people is UV exposure. The primary source of U... | 75 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Is it possible to reverse the skin cell damage caused by sunlight by taking appropriate vitamins? | [
"dermatology",
"micronutrients"
] | <p>Of course it is said that vitamins C and E are good for skin, but I would like to know if it is actually possible to reverse any of the skin cell damage i.e. <em>sunburn, skin aging, melanoma</em> caused by sunlight through some vitamin?</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/78/are-there-proven-natural-treatments-to-kill-acne-causing-bacteria | [
{
"answer_id": 1127,
"body": "<p>Before I answer, I have to say that I disagree with several claims stated/implied in your question:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><p>antibiotics or any treatment cannot be simply replaced by another; many factors have to be taken into account, such as the type and severity of acne, the mic... | 78 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Are there proven natural treatments to kill acne-causing bacteria? | [
"dermatology",
"treatment-options"
] | <p>I ask about natural options that specifically kill bacteria in acne. These options should be interchangeable with conventional antibiotics. Medicine such as topical retinoids don't answer this question, although they help reduce acne, they don't directly kill the bacteria:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/acne/topical-retinoid-medications-for-acne" rel="noreferrer">[Source:]</a> Topical retinoids work by unplugging clogged pores, allowing other topical medicines such as antibiotics to enter the hair shaft and fight underlying infection. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Please exclude controversial medicines<br>
(eg benzyl peroxide, <a href="http://scholar.google.ca/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0,5&q=benzoyl+peroxide+cancer" rel="noreferrer">which is claimed to promote cancer</a>). </p>
<p>Footnote: I ask this because <a href="http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20110914/study-antibiotic-ointments-may-spread-of-mrsa" rel="noreferrer">topical antibiotics cause antibiotic resistance</a>.</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/97/does-co2-laser-treatment-work-well-with-acne-scars | [
{
"answer_id": 98,
"body": "<p>CO2 laser treatments work by vaporizing the damaged skin cells. After the procedure, you will need to take medication to reduce swelling in your eyes, but you can also ease the swelling by elevating your head when sleeping. You will be itchy for 12-72 hours after the procedure... | 97 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Does CO2 laser treatment work well with acne scars? | [
"dermatology",
"laser"
] | <p>Several dermatologists says that CO2 laser treatment is still the best solution for acne scars. Does CO2 laser treatment provide a smooth skin or just mitigate these scars? What are the side effects of this treatment? </p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/223/e-cigarette-making-liquid-vs-buying-liquid | [
{
"answer_id": 15147,
"body": "<p><strong>NOTE: I have no affiliation to any companies mentioned below and I am not advocating one company over another for any particular product.</strong></p>\n\n<p><strong>Links to products on sale are for examples only</strong></p>\n\n<p>There are many places including <... | 223 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | E-cigarette. Making liquid vs. buying liquid | [
"smoking",
"e-cigarette-vape"
] | <p>I see more and more e-cigarette users around me making their own liquid instead of buying industrial products already assembled. They use exactly the same components (glycerin, propylene glycol, flavour, and optionally nicotine) as the industry, and they decide to do that for various reasons: taste, fun, money, and even health for some. </p>
<p>This health reason is the one that makes me ask a question here:</p>
<p>I have the impression that DIYing liquid is actually unsafe. Because there is more dust in a regular room than in a laboratory, and also because the bottles, pipes, etc, used for making/storing the liquid are unlikely to be as clean as those used in professional laboratories. </p>
<p>This being said, I might be wrong or missing something. And I can't find any serious reference regarding this issue, to make my mind. </p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/359/how-far-should-i-go-to-avoid-antiboitics | [
{
"answer_id": 368,
"body": "<p>How refreshing to see someone with this attitude! Kudos.</p>\n\n<p>Doctors have been so long accustomed - and accosted - to prescribe unnecessary antibiotics (you wouldn't believe some of my experiences<sup>***</sup>) that sometimes on a borderline case, they'll just write ou... | 359 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | How far should I go to avoid antiboitics? | [
"prescription",
"antibiotics"
] | <p>We know (or should know) that the overuse of antibiotics is causing a rise in "superbugs" that are resistant to them.<br>
This means that we should avoid using them when we don't need to, for example, in soaps and similar products.</p>
<p>How far should we be going to avoid using them?<br>
For example, are there occasions when even prescribed antibiotics should be avoided?</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/521/pulmonary-diseases-and-oxygen-therapy | [
{
"answer_id": 535,
"body": "<p>The basic idea is that <strong>people with pulmonary diseases that involve chronic hypoventilation rely on mild hypoxia to stimulate respiration.</strong></p>\n\n<p>To understand this, consider a basic homeostatic feedback loop that controls respiratory drive. During a breath... | 521 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Pulmonary diseases and oxygen therapy | [
"first-aid",
"oxygenation",
"pulmonology"
] | <p>The <a href="http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/fr/Le-ministere/Securite-civile/Documentation-technique/Le-secourisme/Les-textes-reglementaires" rel="nofollow noreferrer">team first aid guidelines in France</a> say that for an adult victim, a saturation (SpO2) below 94 triggers the administration of 9L/min of oxygen using a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-rebreather_mask" rel="nofollow noreferrer">non-rebreather mask</a>. We first aid guys are not doctors, so we strictly apply this rule before reporting to the medical control.</p>
<p>However, I noticed that when the victim is known or suspected<sup>1</sup> to have certain pulmonary diseases<sup>2</sup>, we are instructed to reduce the oxygen flow to 2L/minute or so, even if the SpO2 is still low<sup>3</sup>. This happens either when we contact the medical control or when a doctor arrives on the scene by request. </p>
<p>I find this interesting, so the following questions: </p>
<ul>
<li>Is there a precise pulmonary diseases list that require oxygen therapy to be handled that way ? </li>
<li>Why could a high O2 flow be deleterious for these particular diseases and not others?</li>
</ul>
<p>This is just curiosity. I mean by this that I won't try to anticipate should such a case occur again in the future: it's only up to the doctor to order an oxygen flow that doesn't appear in the first-aid guidelines.</p>
<hr>
<p>Footnotes:</p>
<p><sup>1</sup> We don't determine that by ourselves, a doctor does.</p>
<p><sup>2</sup> Not completely sure of what kind. Thanks to <a href="https://health.stackexchange.com/users/169/anongoodnurse">@anongoodnurse</a>'s heads-up I could determine that some of them were diagnosed or suspected COPDs, and some of them unknown to us (we were just not told what was precisely diagnosed or suspected).</p>
<p><sup>3</sup> The doctor can instruct us to do this, even if not according to the first-aid guidelines, as he/she has a higher competence.</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/541/does-bed-type-have-an-effect-on-sleep-quality | [
{
"answer_id": 543,
"body": "<p>This seems like a common sense type of question (why don't you sleep on the floor when there's a sofa available, and why don't you sleep on a sofa when there's a comfortable bed available?), and it turns out it is.</p>\n\n<p>According to a small study done recently in a sleep... | 541 | Does bed type have an effect on sleep quality? | [
"sleep"
] | <p>People naturally have varied preferences for bed firmness / angle / temperature, but is there any evidence that a soft bed improves sleep quality?</p>
<p>Spending ~8 hrs a day on a soft cushion (instead of some leaves or animal furs) is a recent development in human evolution, but this practice has been widely adopted, seemingly to no ill effect.</p>
<p>Of course, any sleeping arrangement that makes it difficult to get to sleep or to stay asleep is inferior. But supposing that I can easily acclimate myself to sleeping on the bare floor, or on a $10K mattress, is there any reason to choose one over the other?</p>
| 10 | |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/545/first-aid-measures-for-a-snake-bite | [
{
"answer_id": 550,
"body": "<p>These are the steps that you want to take:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>If you can see the snake, be prepared to describe it. <strong>DO NOT</strong> attempt to catch it. If you can get a quick picture with a camera/cell phone, do so.</li>\n<li>Get the person out of biting distance of th... | 545 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | First aid measures for a snake bite | [
"first-aid",
"venom"
] | <p>If a person is bitten by a snake, what first aid measures should be taken to prevent the venom from spreading all over the body until the proper medical help arrives?</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/633/can-toxins-accumulate-in-the-liver | [
{
"answer_id": 638,
"body": "<p>Detoxification is one of the primary functions of the liver. When you ingest something, if it is absorbed, it enters the portal vein which delivers the blood directly to the liver. There, the liver metabolizes, \"detoxifies\", excretes, synthesizes, and stores.</p>\n\n<p><str... | 633 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Can toxins accumulate in the liver? | [
"liver",
"toxicity"
] | <p>There are many articles and products that claim that toxins (pollutants from the environment, chemicals from pesticides, heavy metals from drinking water, etc.) can accumulate in the liver and cause adverse health effects. Many times, a "liver detox" is recommended to help the liver clear out these toxins.</p>
<p>Some examples:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If you inhale or ingest something toxic then the toxins enter your circulation and head directly to your liver. [...] If your liver cannot do its job well or has been inundated with too much work (toxic exposure, illness, etc), then toxic levels rise in your blood and this is considered a significant stress by your body as these toxins can irritate vital organs like your heart, brain, and kidneys as they remain in the circulation too long.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>(from article <a href="http://www.wellnessresources.com/health_topics/detoxification/liver.php">Liver Detox: Get Rid of Toxins</a>)</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If “the norm” for you is constant misery and dis-ease, it may be an indication that your body and liver are overloaded with function-impeding toxins. In such instances, the best course of action is to take inventory of your lifestyle to remove the sources of toxins and complement that lifestyle change with a liver cleanse using all-natural, organic methods.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>(from blog post <a href="http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/symptoms-of-liver-toxicity/">Symptoms of Liver Toxicity</a>)</p>
<p>There seems to be some vagueness here. In at least in these two examples, the "toxins" aren't specified. My question is: Is there any validity to these claims? Can harmful compounds bioaccumulate in the liver?</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/650/cold-sores-why-do-we-get-them-on-the-lips | [
{
"answer_id": 651,
"body": "<p>Fever blisters, or cold sores, are an infection with the type 1 or Type 2 herpes simplex virus (HSV-1, HSV-2). The herpes simplex virus usually enters the body through a break in the skin around or inside the mouth and travels into the nerve for the lip. It's been estimated t... | 650 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Cold sores: why do we get them on the lips? | [
"herpes"
] | <p>At the end of a bout of flu or fever, I often get a cold sore on my lip area. Why there?</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/689/are-there-any-hazards-associated-with-changing-sleep-schedules-shift-work | [
{
"answer_id": 706,
"body": "<p>It is difficult to know if your friend will experience adverse health affects associated with shift work, as everyone has different levels of tolerance for the effects of shift work. Shift work however has been shown to increase the risk of some adverse health effects. The ... | 689 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Are there any hazards associated with changing sleep schedules (shift work)? | [
"side-effects",
"sleep",
"sleep-cycles"
] | <p>One of my friends works on rotational shifts (if she works a week during the day, another week she needs to work during the night). Her sleeping cycles are changing continuously. Will this cause any health problem in the near future? Are there any long term health problems that can occur associated with this?</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/744/can-a-young-person-with-hemochromatosis-have-normal-iron-levels | [
{
"answer_id": 15581,
"body": "<p>If the person is a HFE homozygote, or a compound heterozygote, then they need to be monitored yearly for signs of iron overload. Iron overload occurs more quickly if there is concurrent alcohol use and iron consumption eg. using iron cooking pots.</p>\n\n<p>In the asymptom... | 744 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Can a young person with hemochromatosis have normal iron levels? | [
"genetics",
"iron",
"age",
"organ-damage"
] | <p>Hemochromatosis is a genetic disease that results in the body absorbing too much iron, leading to excessive iron in the body which can lead to organ damage.</p>
<p>Symptoms of hemochromatosis tend to occur after age 40, however, early iron overload may have no symptoms even though organ damage is occurring.</p>
<p>My question relates to how iron levels change in a patient with hemochromatosis over time. Specifically, if iron studies are done in a young patient under age 25 and return a normal result, can we conclude the young person doesn't have hemochromatosis, or is it possible that they still have the disease and if we test them again in 10 years their iron levels will have increased?</p>
<p>If it is possible for a patient with hemochromatosis to have normal iron levels at a young age, is it possible for organ damage resulting from the disease to occur before iron levels are outside normal range or only after this?</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/783/multi-parameters-monitors-pediatric-vs-adult-mode | [
{
"answer_id": 5509,
"body": "<p>Using this monitoring device on children in adult mode would not give wrong results.</p>\n\n<p>I can see two reasons for using a different mode:</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>Normal values for pulse and BP are different between adult and pediatric patients (see <a href=\"http://www.nhlbi... | 783 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Multi-parameters monitors: pediatric vs. adult mode | [
"pediatrics",
"biological-parameter",
"emergency"
] | <p>We often use a <a href="http://www.smiths-medical.com/catalog/multi-parameter-monitors/advisor/advisor-vital-signs-monitor.html" rel="nofollow">multi-parameters monitor</a> to monitor the victim's pulse, SpO2 and blood pressure<sup>1</sup>.</p>
<p>When using these devices on children, we have to switch them to 'pediatric mode' first. And for blood pressure we have to install a pediatric cuff of course. </p>
<p>But when monitoring the victim's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse#/media/File:Pulse_evaluation.JPG" rel="nofollow">pulse</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphygmomanometer#/media/File:Sphygmomanometer%26Cuff.JPG" rel="nofollow">BP</a> manually, we do the same way for adults and children - not speaking about infants here as we actually don't take their pulse <a href="http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/infant-pulse-checking-demonstration-5345445.jpg" rel="nofollow">exactly the same way</a>. Simple saturometers, on their side, are more than frequently said "both pediatric and adult"<sup>2</sup> without having to switch from a mode to another<sup>3</sup>.</p>
<p>So I'm wondering: would using such a multi-parameter monitoring device on children in adult mode give wrong (over or underestimated) values for pulse, sat and/or BP? (So could be dangerous for childrens' health as information would be bad). </p>
<p>I spent quite a lot of time searching without finding.</p>
<hr>
<p><sup>1 - These devices are also able to monitor ventilation and do 3 or 5-leads ECG using some optional peripherals, but we don't use these features. We take the ventilation visually and we simply don't do ECG.</sup></p>
<p><sup>2 - <a href="http://www.amperordirect.com/pc/c-pulse-oximeter/choice-finger-oximeter-md300c63.html" rel="nofollow">Here is an example</a>, and <a href="http://www.nonin.com/Finger-Pulse-Oximeter/Onyx-Vantage-9590" rel="nofollow">here is another</a>.</sup></p>
<p><sup>3 - Not always though. <a href="http://www.drivemedical.com/b2b/index.php/pediatric-pulse-oximeter-2574.html" rel="nofollow">Some are specialized</a>.</sup> </p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/787/how-do-i-determine-reputable-health-information | [
{
"answer_id": 804,
"body": "<p>Great question! There are actually a number of resources out there that answer this question. <a href=\"http://www.cps.ca/documents/position/guiding-parents-health-information-internet\">Here</a> is a very dry (but unbiased) answer from the Canadian Paediatric Society written... | 787 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | How do I determine reputable health information? | [
"research"
] | <p>Like many people, I use the internet and various online resources to search for questions that I have about my personal diet, fitness and health regimens/questions.</p>
<p>However, often I run across information that seems correct, but I'm not quite sure of. Often these have what appear to be scientific studies backing them, but when I do a little more investigation, I find other studies directly refuting the claims of the first study.</p>
<p>Add to this there are many sites promoting their own slant on things, such as Dr. Oz, <a href="http://foodbabe.com/">The Food Babe</a> (Who is often directly contradicted by <a href="http://www.scibabe.com/">The Science Babe</a>), Mark's Daily Apple, and so on and so forth.</p>
<p>How can I compare differing sources of information to make the best informed choices for my own health?</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/802/how-does-the-body-develop-an-allergy-during-a-lifetime | [
{
"answer_id": 7127,
"body": "<p>From the MayoClinic, it isn't clear why adult allergies develop:\n<a href=\"http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/food-allergy/expert-answers/food-allergy/faq-20058483\" rel=\"noreferrer\">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/food-allergy/expert-answers/food... | 802 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | How does the body develop an allergy during a lifetime? | [
"allergy",
"allergen"
] | <p>I've heard about people who weren't allergic to peanut butter or pollen previously in their lives, but suddenly develop an allergy to that substance. What is the mechanism behind an allergy "suddenly" appearing later in life?</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/814/how-long-after-quitting-smoking-to-expel-tar-from-lungs | [
{
"answer_id": 12953,
"body": "<p>It is a misconception that you will start to cough up tar after smoking cessation. I can imagine why you would think that - after all, cigarettes contain tar and that has to have gone into your lungs, so it has to come out, right?<br>\nWhat happens is that you breathe in fi... | 814 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | How long after quitting smoking to expel tar from lungs? | [
"smoking",
"lungs"
] | <p>I quit smoking over a year ago, before that, i used to smoke up to a maximum of 9 cigarettes a day. However, up until now, I did not cough up tar, only clear sticky mucus comes out. </p>
<p>I want to know when will I expel tar from my lungs, if so then how? </p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/837/what-is-the-earliest-research-indicating-tobacco-products-are-addictive-and-or-h | [
{
"answer_id": 873,
"body": "<p>It very much depends on what you mean by evidence, but if you're talking about major studies that produced meaningful results that actually captured people's attention, <a href=\"http://smm.sagepub.com/content/7/2/87.short\" rel=\"noreferrer\">it was a series of case-control ... | 837 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | What is the earliest research indicating tobacco products are addictive and/or harmful to the users health? | [
"research",
"addiction"
] | <p>Tobacco usage in the US (and the world) has impacted the lives of many. It's use and health risks has been the subject of much discussion, controversy and legal action.</p>
<p>What is the earliest research indicating tobacco products are addictive and/or harmful to the users health?</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/913/taking-supplements-space-out-my-vitamin-a-and-the-others | [
{
"answer_id": 915,
"body": "<p>Unless you're doing something stupid like eating polar bear liver, <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypervitaminosis_A\" rel=\"noreferrer\">hypervitaminosis A</a> is the result of long-term overconsumption: taking one supplement in the morning and one in the evening is... | 913 | Taking Supplements - space out my Vitamin A? And the others? | [
"micronutrients"
] | <p>Each day I take a multi-vitamin and a cod liver oil tablet (along with creatine and L-Glutamine). Both of these tablets claim to contain 100% RDA (Recommended Daily Amount) of Vitamin A. I take these last thing at night (except the creatine which is before/after workout).</p>
<p>I believe that too much Vitamin A is not good for you, and going above the RDA by twice as much of anything probably isn't a good idea. But there is no way to avoid it as both capsules have 100% RDA.</p>
<p>Am I risking damaging my kidneys by giving them too much Vitamin A to process in one go? Should I take the cod liver oil in the morning, and the multivitamin in the evening? Or vice-versa?</p>
| 10 | |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/948/does-having-more-muscles-influence-blood-pressure-measurement | [
{
"answer_id": 959,
"body": "<p>There is evidence that a muscular arm will produce a higher systolic reading if the wrong sized cuff is applied.</p>\n\n<p>There are two measurements in a blood pressure reading, the systolic and the diastolic. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) is the first number in a readin... | 948 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Does having more muscles influence blood pressure measurement? | [
"blood-pressure",
"blood",
"measurement"
] | <p>As stated in the title, do we have any evidence that having a big muscular arm influence BP measurement?</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/956/how-long-will-it-take-to-show-the-signs-of-pregnancy-after-intercourse | [
{
"answer_id": 971,
"body": "<p>Assuming pregnancy takes place, the only reliable sign that a woman is pregnant is cessation of her menstrual period. If she's late, urine tests are a reliable way to confirm pregnancy, especially if the woman has irregular periods.</p>\n\n<p>Up to 50% of women will not exper... | 956 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | How long will it take to show the signs of pregnancy after intercourse | [
"sex",
"sexuality",
"conceive-conception",
"pregnancy-test",
"obstetrics"
] | <p>How long will it take to show the signs of pregnancy after having intercourse without using any birth control method? Please assume the couple as fertile. </p>
<p>Ex:- Nausea with or without vomiting, Increased urination, Food aversions or cravings, Fatigue</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/981/does-it-become-harder-to-lose-weight-as-you-age | [
{
"answer_id": 1011,
"body": "<p>In general, it is the <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_metabolic_rate\">basal metabolic rate (BMR) of the organism</a> which in a person who doesn't exercise more than average, consumes <a href=\"http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/82/5/941.full\">most of the calor... | 981 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Does it become harder to lose weight as you age? | [
"nutrition",
"diet"
] | <p>In general, the average person will experience worsening metabolism with age. What makes it harder to lose weight for someone who is 40 versus say 20 assuming that the only difference is their age?</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1019/is-hydrogen-peroxide-therapy-drinking-it-safe | [
{
"answer_id": 1051,
"body": "<p>Ingestion of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), especially very high strength H2O2, can be very dangerous and can cause some serious health risks and possibly even death. </p>\n\n<p>A United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announcement made in 2006<sup><a href=\"http://www.... | 1,019 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Is hydrogen peroxide therapy (drinking it) safe? | [
"cancer",
"toxicity",
"hydrogen-peroxide",
"detox-purge"
] | <p>I've found <a href="http://drinkh2o2.com/#hydrogen-peroxide-therapy">some sites</a> which claim that drinking hydrogen peroxide is "very" healthy for detoxification of the body. But these sites lack credible references.</p>
<p>As far as I remember from secondary school, oxygen is very reactive and can cause lungs cancer. I was searching for publications about "hydrogen peroxide therapy", but I haven't found anything. I also searched <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/">here on NCBI</a> — Is that a reliable place for searching such topics?</p>
<p>Is it safe to drink hydrogen peroxide according as these sites claim? Are there any more-credible publications about it?</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1020/what-is-the-physiological-process-that-would-cause-one-to-void-more-than-once-in | [
{
"answer_id": 1026,
"body": "<p>In healthy patients, a circadianic rhythm of urine excretion <a href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17335055\">has been observed</a>. In average, it depends <a href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17335055\">on age, sex and total (consumed) fluid volume</a>. Sever... | 1,020 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | What is the physiological process that would cause one to void more than once in the morning? | [
"sleep",
"urinary-system"
] | <p>I have observed that drinking a full glass of water prior to sleeping leads to urination in the morning, as would be expected.</p>
<p>However, I have also observed that some people urinate more than once in the morning, often just an hour after the first full void.</p>
<p>I theorize that:</p>
<ul>
<li>The individual drank more than the bladder can hold, thus the body held onto the excess water until there was more room in the bladder before producing more urine.</li>
<li>The body retains water overnight for some reason, and begins to move it to the bladder after one wakes up.</li>
</ul>
<p>What is the physiology of urination that yields this pattern?</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1166/how-to-detect-cancer-in-general | [
{
"answer_id": 1175,
"body": "<blockquote>\n<p>Thus far, more than 20 different tumor markers have been characterized and are in clinical use... There is no “universal” tumor marker that can detect any type of cancer.</p>\n<p>[L]imitations to the use of tumor markers[:] ...noncancerous conditions can cause ... | 1,166 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | How to detect cancer in general? | [
"cancer",
"blood-tests",
"diagnostics"
] | <p>Can a common blood test spot cancer in general? Or is it necessary to take some specific tests for each kind of cancer?</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1248/is-there-evidence-that-lowering-blood-pressure-via-medication-is-decreasing-mort | [
{
"answer_id": 1257,
"body": "<p>Yes, mortality benefits for blood pressure medicine have been demonstrated in trials.</p>\n\n<p>Let me just preface this by saying this was much harder to find than I was expecting. Questioning the benefit of blood pressure reduction is medical heresy, so you'd think you wou... | 1,248 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Is there evidence that lowering blood pressure via medication is decreasing mortality? | [
"blood-pressure"
] | <p>Higher than average blood pressure is likely associated with higher mortality, but is there any study that showed that lowering it with medication is beneficial?</p>
| 10 |
https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/1283/nasal-congestion-on-wakeup-in-healthy-individuals-vs-vasomotor-rhinitis-suffere | [
{
"answer_id": 15369,
"body": "<p>Let's first clarify that \"<strong>vasomotor rhinitis (VMR) otherwise known as non-allergic rhinitis</strong>\" is the non-allergic reaction (NAR), which can be similar in symptoms to the allergic reaction (AR), but not the same.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Vasomotor rhinitis... | 1,283 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Nasal congestion on wakeup in healthy individuals vs. vasomotor rhinitis sufferers | [
"sleep",
"breathing",
"oxygenation",
"nasal-congestion",
"vasomotor-rhinitis"
] | <p>How common is it for healthy individuals to wake up with one nostril congested to the point where there is no airflow through that nostril, and respiration takes place solely through the other nostril?*</p>
<p>Is this symptom more common in vasomotor rhinitis sufferers?</p>
<p><sup>*You can easily test this condition yourself by placing the back of your palm under your nostrils, exhaling slowly, normally, and with one nostril pinched, and sensing the difference in air flow.</sup></p>
| 10 |
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