What Is a Neuropathy?
Ann writes, "What is a Peripheral Neuropathy?"
Answer: A neuropathy is a disease of the nerves; when it is in the brain or spinal cord, it's a central neuropathy; when it involves nerve that runs out into an arm or leg, its a peripheral neuropathy. Think of a nerve as an electric wire- if the insulation on the wires gets stripped away or super hot, the electricity doesnt flow well through the wire. Thats what happens with a neuropathy- something messes up the smooth flow of electricity or impulses, through the nerve.
There are a lot of things that can cause a neuropathy: injury, swelling, pinching (as in carpal tunnel syndrome), medication side effect, or more commonly, some disease that makes the nerves angry, The most common diseases that can do that include diabetes and thyroid disease, but there are many, many more illnesses that can trigger a peripheral neuropathy.
So when we see a patient who have numbness, tingling, weakness, etc., we will usually start with a battery of blood tests to see if we can quickly pin down a cause. And as you might expect, whatever the cause of the nerve problem, the best way to treat it is to treat the underlying problem and let the nerve heal. For example, if it's thyroid thats the cause- fixing the thyrid condition with medication usually gets the nerve working again.
Dave
How Does A Special Diet Prevent Seizures?
Frank writes: Can you comment on the recent study on high ketone diets preventing epilepsy in children?
Answer: It's called the ketogenic diet, and has been around since the 1920's, bringing with it lots of controversy. But a new study from England of 145 children whose seizures were uncontrolled by medication or surgery finds the ketogenic diet, some cases, completely relieved seizures within days.
Scientists aren't exactly sure how it works but the thinking is if you can force the body to burn fat as fuel instead of carbs and sugars, it relieves the inflammation in the brain that triggers seizures. This is not a simple low carb diet; its a NO carb diet- extremely strict which forces the body into a state of ketosis. Ketosis is an condition where we see waste products build up in the bloodstream, and in everyday medical practice is most commonly associated with severe diabetes or dehydration.
Bottom line however, this strict diet appeared to work in some children who failed at every other conventional treatment in the books. If anyone is stuck in a bad , uncontrollable situation- this might be worth asking your neurologist about, especially since a respected medical journal published the result (It come out in the medical journal "Neurology" in June.)
Dave
What Can I Eat If I Have Diverticulitis?
Carol from Centennial says she has diverticulitis and has been told to stay away from nuts, seeds, and whole grains. She wants to know:: "Is white rice safe to eat, and if so, can it be instant or have to be regular?"
Answer: Actually Carol, either kind of rice is probably OK. In fact, the advice about avoiding nuts, seeds, and grains may be outdated. According to the Mayo Clinic, there is no scientific evidence that eating a nut-less diet, etc, may prevent attacks of diverticulitis.
A little background- diverticul-OSIS is a condition where you get little pockets or outpouches in the lining of the intestines. The fear for years was nuts, grains, and seeds might get stuck in one of these pockets, causing inflammation, infection, and diverticul-ITIS.
Yet according to Mayo, this old advice may not be the best advice. Their advice is avoid those foods if you think they trigger attacks- otherwise you are ok to eat what you wish. As always, ask your doctor. Dave
How Long Do Germs Live?
Rita from Lakewood writes: "How long do germs live on a surface?"
Answer:
Studies show anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours,depending on the germ and the conditions. (So that doorknob you just grabbed and was touched by some guy with a cold yesterday might still get you.)
In general, flu germs live longer than cold viruses. All germs tend to survive longer on moist than dry surfaces. Non porous surfaces tend to be more germ friendly than porous ones, i.e. plastic, metal, and wood make better germ incubators than fabrics, paper, and skin.
The biggest problem with germs is you can't see them. don't know who deposited them, and how long they have been there.
You can see why we say wash your hands frequently, even when healthy.
Does Daycare Prevent Leukemia?
Cindy from Aurora writes:
I heard about a study that claims putting a child in daycare keeps them from getting leukemia. Is leukemia common and how would daycare help? I have two children in daycare.
Answer:
I saw that same study- it comes out of England and is actually a review of 14 studies looking for a link between daycare and immunity. According to the review, the earlier a child has social contact with lots of other kids, the stronger their immune systems and the less likely they are to get something called Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia- the most common child leukemia- which affects about 30 children out of every one million. I think its too early and too simple to say: put your child in daycare to cut their risk of cancer... but a lower risk may be a unexpected benefit. By the way, daycare did not prevent leukemia, it lowered the risk by 30%.--Dave
Does Eating Slowly Help You Lose Weight?
Jennifer from Denver writes:
Does eating slowly help you lose weight? I always hear you need to chew slowly and put the fork down betwen bites. I don't think it makes any difference- at least for me.
Answer: Jennifer, I think you've just exposed a medical myth. The advice to eat slowly has been around for almost 40 years, yet there's little scientific evidence to back it up. The idea is if you take your time when you eat, you'll eat less and lose weight. The trouble is research shows it doesn't take 10-15 minutes for the stomach to signal the brain it's full- it's more like 60 minutes. the only reason to eat more slowly is to enjoy your food as well as avoid heartburn. It's advice I need to take myself... I've been a food gobbler since internship and can eat a full meal in less than 3 minutes. Not good.
-- Dave