Also: Housecall #3: Cancer, diabetes back pain Sex and the modern man Cancer: Progress in detection and treatment Health Briefs: The latest advances Past Housecalls from this series: Housecall #1: Heart disease Housecall #2: Arthritis. Asthma. Migraines.

Health briefs: The latest advances
Migraines, hormones, ulcers and more

Vision: New non-laser fix for farsightedness
A fast, painless new procedure that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration this spring corrects farsightedness without lasers or scalpels. Instead, conductive keratoplasty (CK) uses radio waves to reshape the cornea. CK can be done in the doctor's office in less than three minutes, says Robert Maloney, M.D., director of the Maloney-Seibel Vision Institute in Los Angeles. Anesthetic drops numb the eye, then a probe transmits rings of radio waves to the cornea, causing bits of collagen in the eye to tighten like a belt. That tightening reshapes the cornea. Immediately after CK is complete, Maloney says, people can "sit up and can read a book or read a watch."

Migraines: Prevent them with a dental appliance
A dental appliance called the NTI recently won FDA approval as a remedy for migraine and tension headaches. In studies, 82% of migraine sufferers had 77% fewer headaches when they wore the NTI, says Chris Kammer, a Madison, Wis., dentist and headache expert. The NTI can be made in a dentist's office in 15 to 20 minutes and costs $600 to $800. More than 28 million Americans suffer from migraines.

Cancer: New test doubles accuracy of Pap smear
A new test called PapSure boosts the 41% accuracy of Pap smears, the traditional cervical cancer screen, to a stunning 92%. After a standard Pap smear, the cervix is swabbed with a mild vinegar solution, then examined using a disposable chemiluminescent light called a Speculite and a 6-power magnifier. Abnormal cells are immediately visible as white spots. PapSure will add slightly to the cost of a Pap test, says Groesbeck Parham, a gynecologic oncologist at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. But, he notes, "it costs a whole lot more to try to treat cervical cancer," and even with treatment, "women still die." To learn more, visit papsure.com or call 1-888-727-7873.

Kids' eyes: Computer vision syndrome
Mastering computer skills is an important part of a child's education, but it comes at a price. Kids who stare at computer screens for long hours are at higher risk for developing focusing and eye coordination problems, a recent study found. The tipping point appears to be three hours of "constant computer use" a day, reports study author Pia Hoenig, chief of the Binocular Vision Clinic at the University of California at Berkeley. Less computer time had no harmful effect. To protect children, Hoenig recommends "proper ergonomics, frequent breaks, varied visual activities, and regular and complete eye examinations that include the focusing and eye-coordination skills."

Plastic surgery: No bandages or bleeding
A new biological glue called fibrin sealant completely eliminates the need for bandages or drains and helps speed healing for plastic surgery patients, according to John A. Grossman, a plastic surgeon with offices in Denver and Beverly Hills, Calif. Grossman conducted a study using fibrin sealant on 105 patients, who had 128 facial procedures. When skin was lifted, the sealant was painted onto raw tissue under the skin, then the skin was held in place for three minutes to bond. Patients healed more quickly, with less pain and no swelling or bruising.

Congestive heart failure: First new drug in more than a decade
People who have congestive heart failure (CHF) can't get enough air and are constantly fatigued because their overworked hearts can't pump enough oxygenated blood to their tissues. Nearly 5 million Americans have CHF; about 1 million CHF patients are hospitalized each year when their condition rapidly deteriorates. The FDA recently approved the first new drug in more than 10 years for the treatment of acute CHF. In trials with 489 participants, patients who were given Natrecor improved in 15 minutes, and 24 hours later they still felt better than the control groups.

Hormones: Advice for men and women
If your hormones are out of whack, you'll feel run down, moody, depressed, fat and flabby. You'll crave sweets and find your sex life is shot. Meanwhile, clogged arteries, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and cancer may develop. So says Erika Schwartz, author of The Hormone Solution (Warner Books, $13.95). She says hormones define a person and play a big role in health and happiness, so "talk to your doctor about testing to find out what your true hormone level is." If you need hormone replacement, she says, avoid chemical formulas and over-the-counter "natural" remedies. Best bet: Ask the doctor for prescription-grade micronized testosterone, progesterone, etc., to be mixed by a pharmacist in cream form. Schwartz says hormones are absorbed better through skin.

Monitors: Shirt takes your vital signs
When you need a diagnostic test, your doctor soon may hand you a smart shirt instead of a lab address. LifeShirt Systems, a new wearable diagnostic device by VivoMetrics of Ventura, Calif., measures more than 30 cardiopulmonary functions using sensors embedded in a lightweight (8-ounce), washable garment. The shirt zips for a snug fit that keeps the sensors in place. As the "first non-invasive, continuous ambulatory monitoring system," it gives an unprecedented view of what happens in a body under normal, everyday conditions. One major use: at-home diagnostics of sleep disorders.

Ulcers: Infection starts early
We think of ulcers as an adult's disease, but a new study from Baylor College of Medicine reports that H. pylori, the ulcer-causing bacteria, infects most people before age 10. Once any of the 224 boys and girls in the study became infected, they stayed infected through their teen and early adult years, says Hoda Malaty, the study's lead author. Until science comes up with an ulcer-preventing vaccine, practice good sanitation, especially with frequent hand-washing, she says. In addition to causing ulcers, H. pylori causes chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers and stomach cancer.

X-rays: How to keep them handy
In a perfect world, all our medical records would be well organized, easy to access, up to date and available whenever we needed them. But expensive X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, mammograms and other scans are preserved for only five to seven years (archive requirements vary by state). After that, they're recycled or destroyed. But RadVault (www.radvault .com), a Hayward, Calif., company, offers digital storage of medical scans and records that can be transmitted over the Internet (encrypted for safety), then saved to a hard drive or burned onto a CD, making medical records easy to access.

By Peggy Noonan

Also:
Housecall #3: Cancer, diabetes back pain
Sex and the modern man
Cancer: Progress in detection and treatment
Health Briefs: The latest advances

Past Housecalls from this series:
Housecall #1: Heart disease
Housecall #2: Arthritis. Asthma. Migraines.