Can vitamins and minerals prevent hearing loss?

About 10 million people in the United States alone?from troops returning from war to students with music blasting through headphones?are suffering from impairing noise-induced hearing loss. The rising trend is something that researchers and physicians at the University of Michigan Kresge Hearing Research Institute are hoping to reverse, with a cocktail of vitamins and the mineral magnesium that has shown promise as a possible way to prevent hearing loss caused by loud noises. The nutrients were successful in laboratory tests, and now researchers are testing whether humans will benefit as well. ?The prevention of noise induced hearing loss is key,? says Glenn E. Green, M.D., assistant professor of otolaryngology at the U-M Health System and director of the U-M Children?s Hearing Laboratory. More »


Incontinence: Millions Suffer Unnecessarily

More than 15 million Americans, primarily women, suffer from incontinence. About 25 percent of females and 15 percent of males over the age of 65 suffer from incontinence. Incontinence is not a disease; rather, it is a symptom that can be caused by a wide range of conditions, such as urinary tract or vaginal infections, constipation, pelvic muscle weakness, diabetes, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson?s disease, some surgeries or even childbirth. It can even be a side effect of some medications. During November?Bladder Health Month?the American Urological Association (AUA) encourages people struggling with incontinence to see a doctor to learn the underlying cause of their incontinence and seek treatment instead of suffering in silence. There are two common types of incontinence: ? Stress incontinence: leaking urine during activities such as walking, aerobics, or even sneezing or coughing. The added abdominal pressure associated with these events can cause urine to leak ? Urge incontinence: the uncontrollable, frequent urge to urinate. These urges come without warning and can lead to embarrassing accidents. Urge incontinence is also referred to as ?overactive bladder? More »









Research Findings in Allergic and Immunologic Diseases Unveiled

Researchers are presenting more than 450 abstracts on investigational findings in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases at the ACAAI Annual Meeting in Seattle, Nov. 6-11. Following are highlights of some key studies in allergy-immunology. ?Prevalence of Oral Breathing and Associated Factors in Patients with Respiratory Allergy.? (Abstract #36: Nov. 10 at 1:45 p.m.) ? Marisol Traviño-Salinas, M.D., Monterrey, Mexico, et al ? Authors report allergic rhinitis and asthma have been associated with craniofacial abnormalities due to their high association with oral breathing. After conducting a complete history and physician examination of 107 patients between 6 and 15 years of age with allergic rhinitis and asthma, they had the parents answer a questionnaire inquiring about snoring, day-time sleepiness and academic performance of their child. Investigators found the prevalence of oral-breathing in patients with respiratory allergies was 29 percent. The children?s increased tendency to snore at night causes them to have day time sleepiness, which impacts their academic performance and quality of life. ?Prehospital Administration of Epinephrine for Anaphylaxis.? (Abstract #42: Nov. 10 at 1:15 p.m.) ? Robert J. Jyde, M.D., Rochester, Minn., et al ? Although there is no universal consensus on the diagnostic criteria for anaphylaxis, authors note that epinephrine is the treatment of choice. Objectives of this investigation are to study the frequency of epinephrine administration for anaphylaxis in patients entering the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system and to determine the outcomes of patients who received pre-hospital epinephrine. Of the 53 patients with anaphylaxis, 8 percent received epinephrine prior to EMS arrival, and paramedics administered epinephrine to 26 percent. Investigators conclude that epinephrine may be underutilized in the pre-hospital management of anaphylaxis.  More »