Hard, Cold Facts About Frostbite

(HealthDay News) -- When the weather outside is frigid, do you know how to protect yourself from frostbite?

"It takes only minutes for exposed skin to become frostbitten if the temperature falls below 20 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind is blowing at 20 miles per hour or more," Dr. Taizoon Baxamusa, spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, said in a news release issued by the academy. "Your hands, fingers, feet, toes and ears are especially susceptible, so you need to take special care protecting them."

Frostbite can cause permanent damage, causing long-term chronic pain and sensitivity to cold or numbness. In extreme cases, amputation may be necessary.

The academy offers these tips and precautions to avoid frostbite:

Dress appropriately, wearing light, loose layers with a top shell of water-repellent (not waterproof) fabric. Take special care to protect your head, hands and feet. Watch for exposed skin, such as the neck or where your glove meets the sleeve.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine and nicotine. They leave the skin more prone to thermal injury.
If you get wet, get indoors immediately and change clothes.
If any part of your feels numb, get inside immediately. Pay special attention to your toes, fingers and ears.
If you suspect you have frostbite, seek medical attention immediately. Frostbite areas may look white, gray or waxy and feel numb, hard or frozen.

If you can't get help right away, seek a warm area, rest, and elevate the injured area. Warm the area or use wet heat (never hot bath or dry heat, which can cause scalding or burning) for at least 30 to 45 minutes until sensation returns. Do not rub injured areas and cover any blisters with a sterile or clean cloth.

More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about cold-weather safety.

Preterm Births Linked to Infection of Amniotic Fluid

(HealthDay News) -- Infections of amniotic fluid are more common than previously believed and may be a major cause of premature births, says a study led by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine.

About 12 percent of all births in the United States are premature, and the frequency of premature birth is increasing.

The Stanford researchers analyzed amniotic fluid from 166 women in preterm labor (113 went on to deliver their infants prematurely) and found that 15 percent of the samples contained bacteria or fungi, compared to previous estimates of 10 percent. Some of the bacteria and fungi found in the samples hadn't been suspected of playing a role in preterm delivery.

Women with the highest degree of amniotic fluid infection were most likely to deliver more premature, sicker infants, the researchers said.

"To find that this amniotic compartment, which we have traditionally viewed as somewhat sacrosanct, is infected significantly more often than we thought is a little shocking," senior author Dr. David Relman, a professor of infectious disease and of microbiology and immunology, said in a Stanford news release.

The study was published in the Aug. 26 issue of the journal PLoS-ONE.

"If we could prevent these infections in the first place, or detect them sooner, we might one day be able to prevent some of these premature births," study first author Dr. Dan DiGiulio said in the news release.

The researchers are now conducting a larger study of amniotic fluid collected through routine amniocenteses at about the 20th week of pregnancy to determine if infections can be detected before the onset of preterm labor. The findings may help lead to new methods of prevention or treatment.

More information
The U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has more about premature labor and birth.

Checking Yourself Can Help Stop Cancer

Skin, Breasts, Testicles Can Be Checked At Home
Shiloh Woolman, Staff writer

Four months before the November election, Republican Sen. John McCain found a strange mole during a regular skin cancer screening.
A doctor removed the spot and, on July 29, reported that the presumptive Republican nominee for president was fine. No cancer was found this time. But on three previous occasions, McCain's mole biopsies have turned up melanoma.

"If you ever have any slight discoloration, please go to your dermatologist or your doctor and get it checked out as soon as possible," McCain said, as reported by the Associated Press.

Skin-cancer checks are just one of the big three screenings you can and should do at home, experts say. Continue Reading >>

Health Tip: Prevent Heartburn

(HealthDay News) -- Foods that trigger heartburn in many people include chocolate, fatty and spicy foods, and dairy products.

Avoiding foods and beverages that trigger your symptoms is paramount, but you can also do other things to prevent the onset of heartburn, the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse says:

• If you are overweight, come up with a plan to lose those extra pounds.
• Don't smoke.
• When you lie down, make sure your head is about 6 inches higher than your feet.
• Don't lie down for at least two hours after you eat.
• Take an antacid.

Lots of Sex May Prevent Erectile Dysfunction

(HealthDay News) -- Frequent sexual intercourse may cut down on a man's chances of developing erectile dysfunction, Finnish researchers report.

"This is the same as any other part of the body. It's what we in vascular surgery refer to as the 'use it or lose it' concept," said Dr. Hossein Sadeghi-Nejad, an associate professor of urology at UMDNJ New Jersey Medical School Hackensack University Medical Center. "Sexual activity will promote maintenance of normal erectile function down the line."

The report was published in the July issue of The American Journal of Medicine.

In the study, led by Dr. Juha Koskimaki, from Tampere University Hospital's Department of Urology, researchers collected data on 989 Finnish men aged 55 to 75 years old.

The researchers found that men who said they had sexual intercourse less than once a week had twice the risk of developing erectile dysfunction, compared with men reporting having sexual intercourse once a week.

Among men who had sexual intercourse less than once a week, there were 79 cases of erectile dysfunction per 1,000 men. That number dropped to 32 cases per 1,000 among men who said they had sexual intercourse once a week, and it dropped even further, to 16 per 1,000, among men who said they had sexual intercourse three or more times a week, the researchers reported.

The frequency of morning erections was not associated with the incidence of moderate erectile dysfunction, the researchers noted.

However, the development of complete erectile dysfunction could be predicted from the frequency of morning erections. Among men with less than one morning erection a week, the risk of developing erectile dysfunction was 2.5-fold greater than among men who had two to three morning erections per week.

"Regular intercourse has an important role in preserving erectile function among elderly men, whereas morning erection does not exert a similar effect," Koskimaki said in a statement. "Continued sexual activity decreases the incidence of erectile dysfunction in direct proportion to coital frequency."

Sadeghi-Nejad said there is a scientific basis for this finding, and it also has implications for rehabilitation of patients after prostate cancer treatment.

"What is very hot these days is what we can do to rehabilitate people who develop erection problems after prostate cancer surgery or radiation therapy," Sadeghi-Nejad said. "Anything you can do to increase oxygenation in the penis will help get patients back to normal."

If one can naturally engage in behaviors that increase blood flow to the penis, it will have a positive effect in preventing erectile dysfunction, Sadeghi-Nejad said.

Sadeghi-Nejad noted that the study only addressed intercourse, and not masturbation. "This is essentially the same concept," Sadeghi-Nejad said. "Anything you can do to bring blood to the penis is beneficial," he added.

More information
For more about sexual dysfunction, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Health Tip: Help Prevent Headaches

(HealthDay News) -- Headache have a variety of causes and triggers, but stress is a common factor in many types of headache.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions to lessen stress and reduce your chances of a headache:

Get plenty of sleep every night.

• Maintain a healthy diet, including staying away from junk food.


• Don't smoke.


• Get plenty of regular exercise.


• Stretch your neck, shoulders and upper body frequently. This is particularly important if you work all day at a desk or computer.


• Maintain good posture.


• Practice meditation, yoga or deep breathing techniques.