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Health24.com | My phlegm is yellow, do I need antibiotics?

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Coughing and wheezing, sniffles and sneezing are all symptoms of a cold, flu or even a sinus infection.

These symptoms may leave you feeling down and lousy. Over-the-counter medication may have not eased the symptoms… Need something stronger?

Well antibiotics may do the trick, but this all depends on what you have. Taking an antibiotic particularly for a cold can be a problem, thanks to the common misconception that antibiotics can treat all types of infections.

According to a survey done by the World Health Organization, two thirds of South Africans think that antibiotics are effective for colds and flu. 

Antibiotics are only active against bacteria. Colds and flu are caused by viruses against which antibiotics have no effect. The more antibiotics you use, the higher your chances of developing resistant bacteria.

Cold vs. flu 

There’s a difference between a cold and flu.

Yes, they’re both respiratory illnesses but are caused by different viruses. Upper respiratory infections like colds and influenza are caused by a virus.

Antibiotics only kill bacteria. With viruses, you generally need a vaccination to prevent them and antiviral medication to treat them.

Your doctor can prescribe this for you and will help you figure out if it’s a viral or bacterial infection. In essence, antibiotics will kill both good and bad bacteria and leave your body even more vulnerable to infections.

Phlegm 101 

When you have a cold, you may produce yellow phlegm. This doesn’t need antibiotics. 

Yellow phlegm: Your body is fighting off an infection or virus or you could be getting sick. 

Green phlegm: Your immune system is fighting back the infection. If the colour persists for more than a week or you develop a fever, check with your doctor.

So, do you need an antibiotic? 

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, antibiotics can do more harm than good.

Remember, taking antibiotics increases your risk of developing an antibiotic resistance infection later; which is a result of taking antibiotics for the wrong reasons and when they haven’t been prescribed to you.

They also kill the healthy bacteria in the gut, allowing more harmful bacteria to grow in its place. Your doctor will prescribe antibiotics if he thinks it’s necessary.

This will be followed with either a short- or long-term course of your antibiotic intake and clear instructions to finish your course regardless of if you’re feeling better.

Treat a bacterial infection right away

  • Act quickly. Begin treatment at the first sign of infection.
  • Change your diet. Eliminate sugar that could feed pathogenic bacteria.
  • Get two times as much good bacteria in your diet (probiotic foods). This will build up a healthy immune response.
  • Get enough rest to boost your immune system.
  • Drink plenty of fluids to help you replace those you’ve lost.

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Natasha Mabuto

Health24.com | Why you shouldn’t consider ‘diet’ or ‘lite’ cold drinks as the better option

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The health risks of sugary drinks, from juice to cold drinks, are well known.

They can lead to overweight and diabetes, stroke and other problems in the brain, including poorer memory and smaller brain volume.

But cold drinks aren’t the answer.

Increased risk of disease

A number of studies have found an association between artificially sweetened beverages and an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, heart attack and other heart-related deaths in women.

The most recent was published earlier this year in the journal Stroke, with researchers suggesting that, even without identifying a specific cause and effect, people should seriously consider the potentially harmful effects of artificially sweetened drinks.

And there’s more.

Brain-altering substance

Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine followed 4 000 people of both sexes over 10 years.

Using MRI tests, they linked just one artificially sweetened cold drink a day to brain changes that can lead to dementia, as well as the type of stroke caused by a blockage in a blood vessel.

These risks were triple those of people who don’t drink cold drinks. It didn’t seem to matter which common artificial sweetener – saccharin, aspartame or sucralose – was consumed.

While some people see diet cold drinks as a way of weaning off regular cold drinks, it may be healthier in the long run to skip this type of transition.

Healthier alternatives

If you like cold drink’s carbonation more than the better option of water, flavor plain seltzer (carbonated water) with a squeeze of your favorite citrus fruit, a few crushed berries or both.

For variety, try freshly grated ginger, chopped mint or a teaspoon of vanilla. Also consider replacing soda with a glass of milk – you’ll get important protein and a shot of calcium in the bargain.

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HealthDay

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Health24.com | How to recognise when your ageing parents need help

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Sometimes it’s obvious when older parents need outside help – like when they’re having difficulty managing numerous chronic illnesses or losing mobility and unable to maneuver well even at home. But mental problems may not be as easy to spot.

For instance, is Dad’s forgetfulness – his misplacing house keys or missing appointments – normal ageing or a sign of something more serious, such as dementia?

Look for clues

It can be hard to judge the severity of problems if you live far away and speak infrequently. But even if you live close by, you might not realise the cumulative effects of gradual changes.

Maybe it’s time to visit your parents and look for clues. Be aware of these specific warning signs and what they could signal:

  • Food that’s rotting in the refrigerator or an empty fridge are signs of not eating properly.
  • Dirty clothes and linens can signal they’re neglecting their personal hygiene.
  • Piles of unopened mail including “past due” bills could indicate that they’re no longer able to handle finances.
  • Conversation difficulties, from repeating the same story or asking the same question over and over, can be signs of memory loss.

Next steps include accompanying your parent to a doctor’s appointment so that you can bring up these issues. You can also ask about cognitive (or mental) assessment tests, suggest experts at the Family Caregiver Alliance. One test, called SAGE, is self-administered and can be done online.

Based on test results, a long-range strategy might include helping Mom or Dad with paying bills, food shopping and tending to their personal care. These tasks can be done by you or a trusted caregiver.

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Health24.com | Optimists get better and longer sleep than pessimists

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Skimping on sleep could impact your overall health and wellbeing. According to a previous Health24 article, adequate sleep, which is a recommended 6–8 hours for adults, will also improve your vital functions and body weight.  

Yet, several health and lifestyle factors are standing in the way of getting a good night’s sleep for millions of adults across the globe.

But, if you’re always looking on the sunny side, you’re likely to sleep better and longer. That’s according to a new study that was published recently in the journal Behavioral Medicine, led by University of Illinois social work professor, Rosalba Hernandez.       

The study sample included more than 3 500 adults aged between 32 and 51. Participants were asked to rate, on a five-point scale, how much they agreed with positive statements such as “I’m always optimistic about my future”, and negatively worded sentences such as “I hardly expect things to go my way”. After determining their levels of optimism, the scientists then studied participants’ sleep quality and duration in order to assess how easy it was for them to drift off at night.

The survey also assessed their symptoms of insomnia, difficulty falling asleep and the number of hours of actual sleep they obtained each night. The study builds on previous research that has suggested that optimists have better cardiovascular health.

A ‘public health concern’

A subset of the participants were part of an ancillary sleep study based in Chicago. They wore activity monitors for three consecutive days, and data on their sleep duration, percent of time asleep and restlessness while sleeping were collected.

It was found that in individuals with greater levels of optimism were more likely to get 6–9 hours of sleep. They were also 74% less likely to have insomnia and reported less daytime sleepiness. 

A 2016 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that about one in three US adults fail to get adequate sleep, escalating their risk of many chronic diseases. South Africans also fare badly when it comes to getting quality shut-eye, with only 27% getting the recommended eight hours of sleep every night. 

Insufficient sleep is linked to several leading causes of death, including heart disease and certain cancers, as well as premature ageing and negative effects on metabolism, notes Health24.

Hernandez said the lack of healthy sleep is a public health concern, and that “dispositional optimism – the belief that positive things will occur in the future – has emerged as a psychological asset of particular salience for disease-free survival and superior health”.

The researchers hypothesise that positivity can impact stress levels in a good way, allowing optimists to sleep soundly.

“Optimists are more likely to engage in active problem-focused coping and to interpret stressful events in more positive ways, reducing worry and ruminative thoughts when they’re falling asleep and throughout their sleep cycle,” Hernandez explained.

While the results indicate a significant and positive association between optimism and better-quality sleep, Hernandez suggested that the findings should be interpreted cautiously as only limited work has examined whether optimism is associated with better quality sleep.

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Compiled by Zakiyah Ebrahim

Health24.com | How the timing of meals can influence heart attack recovery

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When you eat during the day could influence your chances of surviving a heart attack, a new study finds.

Specifically, skipping breakfast and eating dinner late in the evening were associated with poorer recovery and increased risk of death, scientists report.

Dangers of breakfast skipping

“Our research shows that the two eating behaviours are independently linked with poorer outcomes after a heart attack, but having a cluster of bad habits will only make things worse,” said study author Dr Marcos Minicucci, from Sao Paolo State University in Brazil.

“People who work late may be particularly susceptible to having a late supper and then not being hungry in the morning,” he noted.

The study included 113 heart attack patients, average age 60, who were asked about their eating habits when being admitted to a coronary intensive care unit.

Those with a pattern of skipping breakfast and eating dinner late in the evening had a four to five times higher risk of death, another heart attack or angina (chest pain) within 30 days after leaving the hospital.

A pattern of breakfast skipping was defined as eating nothing before lunch – other than beverages such as coffee and water – at least three times per week. A pattern of late dinners was defined as having a meal within two hours before bedtime at least three times per week.

Late dinner

Of the patients in the study, 58% were breakfast skippers, 51% were late-night dinner eaters, and 41% did both.

However, the study only found an association and not a cause-and-effect link between eating patterns and cardiac outcomes. It was published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

The patients in the study had a particularly serious type of heart attack called ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

“One in 10 patients with STEMI dies within a year, and nutrition is a relatively inexpensive and easy way to improve prognosis,” Minicucci said in a journal news release.

Previous studies have found that people who skip breakfast and have a late dinner are more likely to have other unhealthy habits such as smoking and low levels of physical activity.

Statins not a panacea

“We also think that the inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and endothelial function could be involved in the association between unhealthy eating behaviours and cardiovascular outcomes,” Minicucci added.

He noted that in the study, patients with unhealthy eating habits and worse outcomes were more likely to have used cholesterol-lowering statins before their heart attack.

“There are some controversies regarding eating habits of patients using statins. Our study suggests that patients with STEMI perceive statins as an alternative path to health benefits. But these drugs should be an addition to healthy eating habits, not a replacement,” Minicucci said.

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Health24.com | Can you really target fat loss to a specific area or is that total B.S.?

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Have you ever wanted to lose weight in a specific area? Like, take away this belly fat, but for all that is good, leave my boobs and butt alone! We’ve all wished for slimmer midsections, thighs or arms, but is it even possible to lose weight in one specific area?

Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but no, there’s no solid scientific evidence to suggest that you can burn wobbly bits on specific areas of your body.

READ MORE: 3 Practical Habit Changes That’ll Help You Lose Weight

“It’s not possible to lose weight in one specific area, so doing 100 crunches will definitely not reduce belly fat. You have to work the entire body to reduce body fat and eating plays a major role in burning said fat,” says trainer and Women’s Health Next Fitness Star, Nomawothi Bafana. “If you do tricep dips, you will shape your triceps slightly, but it honestly will not make a major difference if your body fat is high.”

To understand why targeted fat loss — also called “spot reduction — isn’t possible, we have to understand how fat loss works.

READ MORE: Your Weight Loss Struggles Might Be Genetic, According To Experts

How fat loss works

In a nutshell… it boils down to science.

The fat in our blood is found in the form of triglycerides. Whenever we consume food, our bodies store any calories that aren’t used into triglycerides. Later, hormones release triglycerides for energy between meals. These triglycerides are then broken down into fatty acids and glycerol, which then enter your blood cells.

When exercising, the fatty acids and glycerol from anywhere in your body are used as fuel, not just the body part you’re working on. So, while you can target certain muscle groups, targeting fat loss in a certain area is not realistic.

READ MORE: How To Deal With Loose Skin After Extreme Weight Loss

So, how do I lose fat then?

Since no amount of crunches and sit-ups would burn through just your belly fat, how exactly do you lose weight? The best way to do this is a combination of healthy eating and exercise. Yep, no short cuts or magic formula, just good ol’ hard work.

So instead of doing just 100 crunches a day, aim to do 150 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise a week and mix in some strength training to help with muscle composition.

When it comes to eating, try to find a good balance. There are plenty of weight-loss methods, from intermittent fasting, keto and paleo (the list goes on), so find what works for you. Whatever eating plan you choose, just remember it’s important to give your body adequate calories and nutrients. Good ‘fat-burning’ foods to add to your shopping basket are:

  • Nut butters. These are packed with healthy fat, fibre, and protein, which is a great combo to keep you energised and satisfied.
  • Eggs. Another great source of protein (six grams) and healthy fats (five grams).
  • Avocados. They’re an excellent source of potassium, which helps reduce water retention and bloat.
  • Grapefruit. They’re low in calories and make an excellent snack.
  • Quinoa. Not only will the super grain satisfy any carb cravings, but it is also a good source of protein.

Just aim to burn more calories than you consume, and your body fat should start decreasing.

This article was originally published on www.womenshealthsa.co.za

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Chandré Davids

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Health24.com | How the build-up of proteins in the heart often goes undiagnosed, even though it’s potentially fatal

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A potentially fatal build-up of abnormal proteins in the heart and other organs is being delayed in its diagnosis and undertreated – despite new drugs that can combat it, a new study suggests.

Although the condition, known as transthyretin amyloidosis, is still perceived as rare, advances in imaging techniques have led to greater awareness. Increasingly, it’s being recognised as a cause of heart failure in older adults, with autopsy studies showing these proteins in the hearts of 25% of the elderly.

Poor quality of life

A study published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation looked at data from 1 034 patients who had different types of amyloidosis in the United Kingdom between 2001 and 2017. Amyloidosis happens when abnormal proteins join and attach to organs, tissues, nerves and other places in the body, disrupting normal function.

Researchers found both hereditary and acquired amyloidosis are associated with a “markedly poor quality of life at the time of diagnosis” and many patients cycle in and out of the hospital before the disease is ever detected. The typical patient visited a hospital an average of 17 times in the three years leading up to a diagnosis.

The study also found that patients with a gene variant of the disease – mostly those of Afro-Caribbean ethnicity – typically have worse heart and kidney symptoms when they’re diagnosed and a poorer chance of survival.

Dr Julian D. Gilmore, the study’s lead author, said the results underscore the need for medical professionals to get better at detecting and treating amyloidosis.

“Our aim is to slow or stop the progression of this potentially fatal condition. But without specific treatment, patients invariably get worse,” said Gilmore, a professor at the National Amyloidosis Centre at University College London.

“Nobody really knows what the prevalence of this disease is, but the referrals we are getting are increasing pretty dramatically year after year. There’s no sign of that slowing down.”

Condition often misdiagnosed

Dr Mathew Maurer, a cardiologist who was not involved in the research, called it an important study that could convince doctors to consider the disease with the gravity it deserves. “The first issue is that it’s no longer rare – it’s common.”

In 2017, Maurer was lead author of a report in Circulation that concluded the condition “is often misdiagnosed and the delayed diagnosis has significant consequences for patients”. That report surveyed more than 500 patients with the disease and found the average time from initial symptoms to diagnosis was two years.

That lag time could shrink in the future. In the past, amyloidosis could only be diagnosed by a heart biopsy, but it can now be more easily detected with bone scans and a cardiac MRI, Maurer said.

“We have to leverage these imaging techniques early and avoid new amyloid from getting into the heart so we can meaningfully change outcomes for patients. And to do that, we have to get doctors to start thinking about this every day,” said Maurer, director of the Cardiac Amyloidosis Program at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center.

Both Maurer and Gilmore said they were encouraged by two new drugs that seem to be successful in battling amyloidosis: tafamidis (Vyndaqel), which was approved in May by the US Food and Drug Administration, and AG10, which is currently being tested in clinical trials.

Gilmore said he’d like to see a future study that compares tafamidis with AG10, as well as a study that examines which drug might be best combined with other drugs.

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Health24.com | How does meth trigger heart disease? New research offers clues

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Autopsies have uncovered new insight into how the illegal drug methamphetamine harms the heart.

Preliminary findings presented at an American Heart Association meeting, in Boston, suggest that meth triggers a build-up of tough protein fibres known as collagen in the heart muscle.

Collagen build-up

Previous autopsy studies have noted injury to heart cells, scarring and enlargement of the heart muscle in meth users.

In this study, Louisiana State University (LSU) researchers compared autopsy results from meth users and non-users in order to learn how the drug causes heart enlargement and heart failure.

The study included 32 chronic users, average age 38, who died from a meth overdose, gunshot or stab wounds, hanging, blunt force injury, or sudden heart or lung problems. Their autopsies were compared with five non-users who died suddenly from gunshot, hanging, blunt force injury or blood clots in the lungs.

Besides noting the collagen build-up in meth users, researchers found similar levels in mice exposed to meth. They also saw indications that meth may cause structural changes in heart muscle by inhibiting a specific receptor in the heart. This suggests a possible way to prevent meth-caused heart damage, they noted.

“We found methamphetamine has profound harmful effects on the cardiovascular system and results in irreversible damage to the heart, raising the risk of a heart attack, sudden cardiac arrest and heart failure,” study co-lead author Chowdhury Abdullah said in a heart association news release. Abdullah is a postdoctoral fellow at LSU’s Health Sciences Center in Shreveport.

Further studies needed

“Rehabilitation centres for methamphetamine users should routinely monitor heart function and look for signs of heart failure, since early detection of heart problems could prevent further deterioration of the heart muscle. Monitoring should continue even after people have quit using the drug,” Abdullah said.

Researchers couldn’t determine how structural changes in the users’ hearts might affect blood tests and heart function.

Study senior author Shenuarin Bhuiyan, an assistant professor of pathology and translational pathobiology at LSU, added that researchers “need to further study cardiac function and biochemical blood parameters in methamphetamine users, and compare them to those in other substance users and in non-substance users.”

Research presented at meetings is typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

About 1.6 million Americans reported using methamphetamine in 2017.

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Health24.com | New DNA blood test may help guide breast cancer treatment

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Could the DNA from a patient’s breast tumour help doctors spot whether stray cancer cells are still in her blood?

That’s what a small, new study suggests is possible. If the findings are replicated in a larger study, such a test might help determine whether a treatment is working or not. It also has the potential to reduce unnecessary additional treatments for breast cancer.

No surgery needed

Now, women may have chemotherapy before surgery to destroy cancer cells. If the chemotherapy works well, it’s possible a woman might not even need surgery, the researchers explained.

Senior study author Dr Muhammed Murtaza, from the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in Phoenix, said about one-third of women who have surgery after chemotherapy show no signs of residual cancer. This suggests that the surgery might not have been needed. But right now, there’s no way to say for sure whether there are any remaining cancer cells in the blood without performing surgery.

Murtaza said the researchers hoped to create a test that could be performed before and after chemotherapy to predict which women need surgery and who might not need the additional procedure.

Along with study lead author Bradon McDonald from TGen, the researchers developed a personalised test dubbed TARDIS that could detect circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) using just a vial of blood.

CtDNA is DNA fragments that are shed from the tumour site and then circulate in the blood, the study authors explained.

Helpful for guiding treatment

The test is individualised using DNA from a piece of the tumour taken when the breast cancer is first diagnosed.

“From when we receive a tumour sample at the time of diagnosis, the turnaround time [to create the personalised test] takes about three to four weeks,” Murtaza said. And, once the test is created, it can be used repeatedly to look for ctDNA in that particular woman.

The study team used the test on 33 women, aged 40 to 70, with breast cancer, Murtaza said. Their cancers were diagnosed as stage one to three, and none of the women had cancer that had spread to other parts of their body (metastasised). The women were followed for several months – from diagnosis until the time they had surgery to remove their tumour.

For women who responded well to chemotherapy, the new test showed a 96% decrease in ctDNA. Those who still had evidence of breast cancer only showed a 77% decrease, suggesting that the test will be helpful for guiding the cancer treatment.

The new approach was 100-fold better at detecting ctDNA than past approaches at doing so, the researchers said.

Economical test

“It’s feasible now to accurately monitor treatment response in early-stage breast cancer patients, and we’re on our way to accurately predicting residual disease in these patients,” Murtaza said.

It’s too early to speculate on what this test might cost, Murtaza noted. The development of the test is time-consuming at first, but because the test can be used repeatedly, it would likely be considered economical.

Michael Melner, senior scientific director of the Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry of Cancer Program at the American Cancer Society, said the study is “very interesting, but we don’t yet know if it will pan out”.

Melner said the test’s ability to accurately detect ctDNA is exciting. If other research teams can replicate the findings, the test might be an important step forward, he added.

The findings were published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

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