Issue Date: June 1, 2003
Health briefs
Eczema: New treatment helps children
Roughly 10% to 15% of children under age 5 get eczema, the itchy skin rash dermatologists call atopic dermatitis. Corticosteroid creams soothe the symptoms, but safety concerns limit their use in young patients. Now a new class of non-steroid medicines called calcineurin inhibitors turn off the inflammatory cells that cause eczema's characteristic redness and broken skin. New treatment recommendations published in the British Journal of Dermatology suggest using the new medicines at the first sign of eczema and for as long as symptoms last, reserving topical corticosteroids for "acute control" or flare-ups.
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Voice: How you sound reflects your health
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For vocal health
Drink plenty of water to lubricate your vocal cords.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine.
Don't smoke; it injures the vocal cords (so does secondhand smoke).
Talk in normal tones. Prolonged or habitual screaming and shouting are hard on the vocal cords.
Don't overdo clearing your throat. It can injure the vocal cords and leave you hoarse. If you really need to clear your throat often, see your doctor -- you may have acid reflux, allergies or sinus trouble.
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Changes in your voice can be a red flag that something is wrong with your health. It can be something minor, such as a cold, or a more serious condition, such as acid reflux, says Norman D. Hogikyan, M.D., a vocal health specialist at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor.
Watch for these changes: Your voice is uncharacteristically hoarse or raspy; you can't hit notes you normally can sing; your throat is sore, raw or achy; or you sound like you have a cold even if you don't have one. Most voice changes are temporary and will go back to normal on their own, but if a change lasts more than a few weeks, check with your doctor.
Learn more at entnet.org/index2.cfm.
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Liver disease: Curry spice disarms alcohol
A simple spice prevents alcohol-induced liver disease, at least in lab rats, researchers report in the Journal of Physiology. Curcumin, the stuff in turmeric that makes curry yellow, contains a natural anti-inflammatory compound. Previous research showed curcumin could suppress tumor blood vessel growth; this new study showed it prevented alcohol-induced inflammation and tissue death. It's the first ever to show curcumin actually could prevent alcoholic liver disease (ALD) in experiments and could offer new hope for treating people at risk of ALD, the researchers say, but more study is needed before they can say whether curcumin will work on already established ALD.
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Water: It can come from food and beverages, too
If you cringe at the idea of drinking eight glasses of water each day, you'll love this: A new study published in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" found that your body can get the water it needs from other beverages and food. Researchers evaluated 27 men divided into two groups. For three days, one group drank plain water while the other group had no water but did have other liquids and foods that contain water. When hydration was evaluated, both groups came out the same. The lead researcher says not to worry if you don't have access to plain water each day; other liquids and foods can supply it, too.
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Obesity: Breakfast eaters have lower risk
Want a quick, easy way to keep off excess pounds? Eat breakfast. A study presented at a conference of the American Heart Association reports that white women, white men and black men who ate breakfast regularly curbed their appetites and cut their risk of developing insulin resistance syndrome -- a condition that can develop into diabetes -- and obesity by 37% to 55%. (Eating breakfast had no effect on black women's risk.) The study followed nearly 4,000 people for eight years.
-- Peggy J. Noonan
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