REPORTING POINT 11-05
HEALTH NEWS
“Live healthy...live well”
Dedicated to providing pertinent information on health, fitness, and nutrition to foster a culture of wellness among Southwest Airlines flight crews and their families.
by Larry Kline
SWAPA Voice Mailbox 4337/email: livehealthy-livewell@cox.net
Past issues of “Health News” are available at http://health.theballfamily.org. It includes a search engine; just enter a key word to find past articles. LK
ANOTHER TANNING SALON WARNING - a new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute finds that people who use tanning lights are up to twice as likely to develop common kinds of skin cancer as those who shun them. Contrary to tanning parlor marketing information, it is more harmful to go to the tanning parlor and get a little bit of exposure each day than to get an infrequent sunburn at the beach. 28 million Americans still use tanning parlors each year. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 5/02.
EXERCISE CAN PREVENT COLDS – moderate levels of physical activity are associated with a reduced risk for upper respiratory tract infection, concludes Medicine & Science in Sports & Medicine. This study found that 30 minutes of walking or other moderate exercise most days of the week resulted in a 23 percent lower chance of catching a cold than those who are physically inactive. This reduced risk was most pronounced in the fall season.
Those engaged in highly vigorous workouts, such as running marathons, were associated with temporary immune suppression and a greater risk of upper respiratory infection. Men’s Fitness
FISH STORY – for years, this column touted the benefits of eating fish, including lowering the risk of stroke and heart disease, higher mental functioning in older people, and possibly lowering the risk of prostate cancer. The fat in fish may help relieve the inflammatory symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, and it lowers triglycerides (fats) in the blood.
Fatty fish are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids called omega-3s. Like aspirin, these omega-3s make platelets in the blood less likely to stick together, and they may reduce the process of inflammation. Fish is also a good protein source, relatively low in calories and saturated fat, and rich in B vitamins, iodine, phosphorus, iron, selenium, and zinc.
Fish also contains contaminants, including organochlorine compounds like DDT, PCBs, and dioxin, as well as heavy metals like mercury. Organochlorines are likely to show up in freshwater fish from lakes and local rivers, but they are in the ocean, too. Mercury, more likely to show up in large saltwater fish, can be found in rivers and lakes. These contaminants are just as likely to be present in farmed fish as in wild fish.
These chemicals come from agricultural runoff, animal feedlots, incineration, and many manufacturing processes. Organochlorine use is declining in North America, but they are still accumulating in the environment and in fish. Organochlorine compounds accumulate in fatty tissue and skin so you can avoid a large portion of them by not eating the skin and visible fat.
Mercury is a different problem. Common in the environment, mercury tends to accumulate in the flesh of the fish. The higher a fish is on the food chain, the greater the concentration of mercury. Large predators like swordfish and sharks are most likely to contain high concentration of mercury, as well as mackerel and tuna. Mercury at high levels can cause neurological and vision problems and even death. Lower levels of mercury ingestion may damage the developing nervous system in fetuses, infants, and children. Pregnant or breastfeeding women, women who might become pregnant, and children should limit fish consumption and avoid some species entirely.
Fish is still an excellent food, but with all good things, moderation is the key. Limit consumption to 12 ounces of fish a week, which is two or three servings. Vary your fish intake; sometimes choose shellfish and other kinds of fish, including some canned fish.
Check with the health department in your area before eating freshwater fish caught locally. Smaller non-predatory fish with shorter life spans tend to have lower levels of mercury, including cod, whitefish, pollock, mahi-mahi, ocean perch, halibut, haddock, flounder, sole, and all shellfish.
Do not eat fish or shellfish raw. Cook fish until it turns opaque and flakes when tested with a knife or fork. Some plant foods, flaxseed and canola oil, walnuts, and leafy greens, contain fats similar to the omega-3s in fish. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 7/03.
NUTRITIONAL QUIZ 24 – True or false: Yogurt is as nutritious as milk – often more so.
Answer is below.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? - recent studies have shown that the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) can protect the ear from permanent noise damage. In the hope of developing a pill for preventing hearing loss, the Marine Corp is testing NAC with rifle training. The Marines are taking 900 mgs of NAC (available in health food stores) three times a day, but even a single dose after noise exposure could substantially reduce hearing loss. Men’s Health 1/04.
NUTRITIONAL QUIZ ANSWER: True. Yogurt starts out as milk, fermented by bacteria and added nonfat milk solids to cause thickening. Thus, yogurt has more calcium (300 to 450 milligrams per cup) than milk and more B vitamins. It should be an essential part of a healthy diet if you stick with the nonfat or low-fat kind. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 6/03.
STEAMED IS BEST – Spanish researchers compared microwaving, steaming, and boiling broccoli to evaluate which method best preserved the nutrients and antioxidants of this powerful food. Scientists found microwaving destroyed 97 percent of the vegetable’s flavonoid content while steaming retained all of the flavonoids.
Another related study in Britain revealed that steaming also retains most of broccoli’s folate. You can overcook broccoli in a steamer – it is done when it is bright green. Men’s Health 1/04.
DON’T BE A SLACKER – new research published in the Journal of Physiology suggests that even two consecutive days of slacking can affect the body’s sensitivity to insulin, possibly increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and some forms of cancer. This study was conducted with lab animals, but the conclusions may also apply to humans.
The scientists found that only two days of slacking resulted in insulin resistance similar to that found in lifelong sedentary subjects. Doing something active every day is one of the keys to maintaining a healthy, fit body. Health 6/05.
THE WHOLE TRUTH – whole grains reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes, according to a study of nearly 43,000 male health professionals. Men who ate three or more servings a day were 40 percent less likely to develop diabetes over the next 12 years than those who rarely ate whole grains. These foods include whole-grain cereals and breads, oats, and brown rice. Even obese men, who are at greatest risk for diabetes, benefited from whole grains. Refined grain products, such as white bread and pasta, did not reduce the risk, nor did it increase the risk. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 12/02.
GO INDIAN – studies suggest that curcumin, the yellow pigment in curry spice, might help protect against heart disease and cancer and perhaps help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. The research conducted by UCLA suggests that yellow curry spice, a popular ingredient in Indian foods, can protect mice from a disease similar to Alzheimer’s. USA Today 7/13/05.
STILL ON THE FENCE? – about smoking? Consider this: about 1.2 billion people smoke worldwide and half will eventually die from a smoking-related disease. Tobacco smoke is the No. 1 cause of cancer, but it causes an even greater number of premature deaths from heart disease, stroke, and lung disease.
Types of cancer newly linked to smoking include cancers of the stomach, liver, cervix, uterus, and kidney, as well as one kind of leukemia.
Is smokeless safe? Chewing tobacco and dipping snuff cause oral cancers, throat and esophageal cancers, disfigure and discolor the mouth, and harm teeth and gums. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 12/02, University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 5/02.
From the Flight Surgeon:
"NOW DON’T HEAR THIS!"
by Joe Battersby, D.O.
FAA Medical Examiner
(insert picture of Joe here, please-LK)
(Margaret, Joe, and Mary Jane)
(edited for this publication from ”America’s Flyways,” 3/03-LK)
I want to talk this time about a hearing problem we have encountered with
some of our guys from time to time. Before that, I’ve got to tell you about a great
t-shirt I have that I’m able to wear in polite society (one of the few.) It says, “I
Fish-Because the Voices in my head Tell Me to!” Isn’t that great?
OK, back to work with a definition. Tinnitus is a purely subjective sound
that may be described as buzzing, tinkling or ringing. The sounds may be
constant or intermittent. In any case, these sounds are as annoying as hell to say
the least, and in certain circumstances, can point to a serious problem or two.
We’ll assume that your girlfriend’s husband hasn’t punched you in the ear or that
you haven’t been hunting without your ear “muffs.” We’ll talk now about how
some of these noises can originate and what can be done to shut them out.
There are basic areas to consider:
1. Outer ear: parts are the “ear” and the ear canal.
2. Middle ear: parts are the eardrum and three bones that act as a lever system. The first of these connects to the back of the eardrum, which causes it to move toward the other two bones in a system of levers. The end of the last of these bones is connected to a main hearing organ of the inner ear. The three bones connect to the first part of the inner ear.
3. Inner ear: the main structure here is called the cochlea, a special area of which is called the oval window. The window takes the vibrations of the last bone in the lever system and sends them into various areas inside the spiral-shaped cochlea. The various components of the cochlea function as “decoders” – they carry the sound messages, some mechanically and some chemically to the auditory (hearing) nerve, which then are passed from the hearing nerve to various parts of the brain (five) that we know of that refine “sound.” Now there’s a lot more anatomical and physiological definitions that we could discuss, but I just wanted to give you the dope on the basic system regarding “sound.” That’s really all you need to know. I wanted you to understand the structure of the hearing system so that you will have a better idea about how and where your hearing may be attacked by “tinnitus.”
OK, so now you have a picture of the hearing “package.” What would be some of the medical problems that could result in tinnitus? The bad news is that often the cause of tinnitus isn’t very obvious and tinnitus may be brought about by nearly all ear disorders! Here are several: obstruction of the outer and inner ear canals, infections, “freezing” of the three-boned lever system, tumors, poisoning due to drugs, cardiovascular disease, blast injuries and some other factors as well. The list is pretty long. Checking out the causes can involve MRIs, CT scans, blood work, auditory exams and checking out the major blood vessels supplying the head.
So what has all this got to do with your flying? Using a common sense approach if you are lucky enough to find a cause that’s fixable directly, that’s what you do! Failing that, the next act on the program is contacting a super headphone outfit like Sennheiser and see if a masking device can do the trick for you. Again, using common sense, you may not fly nor would you want to if clean interpretation of radio transmissions were not possible. If the tinnitus problem in your case can be resolved, special issuance of medicals can be arranged. In my experience (which is not very extensive in these cases) the problems have been worked out.
Best,
Joe
