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Of Mice And Men: Tips To Improve Male Fertility

January 26th, 2010 by DrCharles in Better Health Network, Health Tips

Tags: Conception, Family Medicine, Fertility, Infertility, Male, NPR, Obstetrics And Gynecology, Sperm, Sperm Count, Tips, Urology

Today NPR ran a story about fierce competition and cooperation among mouse sperm cells trying to fertilize an ovum. Apparently spermatozoa from the same male will often clump together, wiggling their flagella in a collective swim that accelerates the group faster towards an egg. In the race to be the first sperm to fertilize an egg this team approach (with sperm of a feather flocking together) may confer an evolutionary advantage. Solo-swimmers move more leisurely. The research and cool video presented on NPR were of sperm from the promiscuous deer mouse.  Such murine sperm “behavior” may not be as evolutionarily needed in (usually) less promiscuous humans. Yet the idea of sperm cooperation, fitness, and competition in a microscopic steeplechase is fascinating. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at The Examining Room of Dr. Charles*

Mythbusters For Moms: Dr. Rahul Parikh (Salon.com) And Dr. Val Discuss Top Pediatric Misconceptions

January 25th, 2010 by Dr. Val Jones in Audio, Better Health Network, Expert Interviews, Health Tips

Tags: Allergy And Immunology, Batman, Diptheria, Fever Phobia, Fevers, Food Allergies, Health News Reviews, Huffington Post, Joker, Mythbusters For Moms, Oprah, Peanuts, Pediatrics, Polio, Rahul Parikh, risus sardonicus, Salon.com, Teething, Tetanus, Vaccines

Since mainstream media is feeding parents a constant stream of health information that is often inaccurate and poorly vetted (just ask Gary Schwitzer), I thought it would be helpful to create a new series at Better Health: Mythbusters for Moms. Now, I know that moms aren’t the only ones who will benefit from “straight talk” from healthcare professionals, but the alliteration was simply irresistible.

Our first guest of the series is Dr. Rahul Parikh. Rahul is a board-certified pediatrician who works at Kaiser Permanente’s Walnut Creek Medical Center in California. Prior to becoming a pediatrician, Rahul completed a degree in molecular biology at UC Berkeley, and his medical degree at Tufts in Boston.

Online, Rahul is perhaps best known for his columns, featured at Salon.com. There he takes a critical look at media misinformation about health and science, and has spoken out against misleading content promoted by Oprah Winfrey and the Huffington Post.

You may listen to an audiocast of our conversation here (or read a short transcript below):

[Audio:https://getbetterhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/rahulparikhmfm.mp3]

Read more »

Tweens Want The Latest Gadget, But Enjoy Simple Toys Longer

January 22nd, 2010 by Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips

Tags: Creativity, Gadgets, iPod, iTouch, Parenting, Pediatrics, Psychology, Toys, tweens

My daughter really wants an iTouch. She’s 12…a tween. We heard nothing about this until recently when a friend was over who happened to have been given one for a holiday gift. It turns out that many of her friends have them now so she feels like iPods are suddenly passe.

Instead of asking us for one or concocting a plan to put it on her next birthday list, she came up with the idea to earn enough money for it by doing chores around the house. Pointing out the amount of chores and likely time frame to sock away $200-300 bucks was not a deterrent, at least not out of the gate. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Gwenn Is In*

How To Get Tar Off Your Skin

January 22nd, 2010 by Paul Auerbach, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips

Tags: beach, beach tar, California, Dermatology, Skin, tar, tar removal

Even though its really cold outside in much of the U.S., it’s sunny in northern California and with a hooded sweatshirt, every day is a beach day! So, after a couple of nice days in the snowy mountains, I headed for the coast. On my first step onto the sand, I was reminded to write about a phenomenon that was called to my attention by a reader last April:

“Coast Guard Seeks Tar Source
By Janine Zúñiga
Union-Tribune Staff Writer

CORONADO — The Coast Guard is investigating the source of sticky tar balls that washed up on Coronado’s shores over the weekend. Emergency crews…worked amid bathing-suit-clad beach-goers, picking up pieces of tar that a city lifeguard first noticed Saturday afternoon. Read more »

This post, How To Get Tar Off Your Skin, was originally published on Healthine.com by Paul Auerbach, M.D..

Each Hour Of Daily TV-Watching Increases Your Risk Of Death

January 22nd, 2010 by Happy Hospitalist in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Research

Tags: Australia, Cardiology, Heart Disease, Internal Medicine, Lifestyle Choices, Risk of Death, Sedentary Lifestyles, Television, TV

If you’ve spent anytime on The Happy Hospitalist in the last two years, you know I am a strong believer in lifestyle as the only solution to an economic disaster we find ourselves in.  One recently reported television health statistic confirms, once again, the strong correlation between lifestyle and early death.

I blogged previously about studies showing an 80% reduction in heart disease, strokes, cancer and diabetes by adhering to lifestyle choices proven to save lives.  America is a nation of couch potatoes.  Everyday I see families, doctors and nurses taking the elevator up on story to the next floor above.   What ever happened to using the stairs for a little self sacrifice?

The television health statistics in this country are alarming.  How many hours a week do Americans spend watching television? 1  How does 31 hours a week sound.  That’s amazing.  I have one or two shows a week that I watch, if I’m lucky. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at The Happy Hospitalist Blog*