Does your water lose something on the bedstand overnight?

Is is safe to sip from the glass out overnight?  How about the bottle in the car?  The pitcher on the porch?  I mean, it's only water, right?  Well, turns out that there are a variety of factors that could spoil that special sip, and here is a little article from the Reader's Digest website where I was asked to expound on the topic.  Have a look, then take a drink!

Is It Bad to Drink Water that’s Been Sitting Overnight—or Longer?

Doctor, Doctor -- It hurts when I do that!

While our bodies seem able to take abuse in so many ways, there are little injuries that cause pain out of proportion to their sizes.  When one of our more sensitive areas is hurt, one often wonders just what makes that part of the body so sensitive.  Here is a little article that delves into the why and how of some of those painful areas.

The Most Painful Everyday Injuries -- And Why They Hurt So Much

Can you aid sleep without a sleep aid?

Lots of people, perhaps more than half, have trouble sleeping.  The huge industry in over the counter sleep aids, and the push by many at the doctor's office for prescription sleeping pills, speaks to that need.  But do you always need a pharmacologic assist to sleep?  Here is an article with lots of suggestions, including mine, from the NBC website, on how to get a good night's sleep without resorting to pills.

16 Ways to Get a Better Night's Sleep — Without Popping a Pill

Summer or Winter - Colds are Colds

The question of whether summer colds are worse than winter colds hinges on the definition of a “cold.”  In this little article from MEL Magazine, a rather different periodical indeed, I was asked about one health writer’s view that other viruses join the party in summer colds.  I try to take a more balanced view in this piece, entitled:

Summer Colds Aren’t Really Any Worse Than Winter Colds

Different strokes for millennials

A study in scientific American examined a disturbing rise in strokes, brain attacks that can lead to serious disability or death. Obesity, smoking, and lack of exercise have been identified as some of the risk factors. Here is a brief interview from WJZ-TV, our local CBS affiliate, that highlights this issue.

New Research Shows Increase In Strokes For Millennials

How Ya Gonna Get Off At Your Stop When You're Sawing Wood?

The predicable, routine ride on the subway seems to breed a population of people who, seemingly, can get on the train, sit down, fall asleep, and wake at the right stop.  Training?  Not really sleeping?  Incredible time sense?  There are all kinds of theories, and this article from the New York Magazine looks at some, with my input on some medical thoughts.

How a Napping Subway Commuter’s Brain Knows When It’s Their Stop

And this is not just a United States phenomenon, as the UK Metro site picked up the story and ran an abridged version:

Metro.co.uk version of the story

1 in 10 have this deadly disease - do you?

Current estimates are that one tenth of the world's population suffers from obesity.  This is not just being a bit overweight, this is being overweight enough to seriously impact your health.  From diabetes to heart attacks, strokes to knee replacements, obesity impacts essentially every aspect of your health.  Here is an article from the Self.com website that takes a brief look at the issue.  If there is interest in more information, I would be happy to append this article with some more on the topic, just ask!

1 in 10 People in the World Is Now Considered Obese

Iron - Too Little or Too Much is a problem

Here is a little segment done for WBAL-TV, our local NBC affiliate, about the problem with iron deficiency as well as having too much iron.  People are commonly taking supplements, and the point here is to check with your physician to find out if you really need extra iron or, in some cases, may have too much in your system already.  And, by the way, although directed at women, this applies equally well to men, also!

Too Much Iron Could Be Problematic For Women