Why Exercise Is Good for Digestion | Health and Burn Weight
You need exercise for a healthy lifestyle, but did you know that it can also improve your digestion? Watch the video to learn how to stimulate your gut, boost your immune system, and even relieve constipation andbloating. May 30, 2015 at 02:15AM
Health Benefits of Drinking Water | Health and Burn Weight
Water is the most important nutrient you need, and is essential for digestive health. Watch the video to learn how drinking water helps keep you more regular, and can even help you lose weight. May 30, 2015 at 02:15AM
Why Stress Can Cause Digestive Problems | Health and Burn Weight
Stress can cause problems for your gut, ramping up acid production in the stomach and exacerbating irritable bowel syndrome. Watch the video to learn how high levels of stress can affect your digestive health. May 30, 2015 at 02:15AM
6 Things Your Looks Say About Your Health | Health and Burn Weight
Got lackluster locks? Or a scaly patch on an elbow? Your body may be trying to tell you something. "There are huge links between how we appear on the outside and what's happening inside," says Ramsey Markus, MD, associate professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Even the most common beauty woes, like brittle nails and a dull complexion, can hint at issues beneath the surface. Give yourself a once-over for these six superficial signs you should see your doctor.
If you have: Thick, dark facial or body hair
It might mean: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). "We're not talking about a few wispy strands," says Zoe Stallings, MD, a family physician at Duke Medicine in Durham, N.C. "This is a thick coat of 'I have sideburns that tweezers can't handle' hair." It tends to sprout in places where men grow hair (like the cheeks, chin, chest and back) and may be due to elevated levels of male sex hormones—a common symptom of the endocrine disorder PCOS, which can increase your risk of infertility and diabetes. Ask your doc for a blood test. Birth control pills and lifestyle changes like losing excess weight (even just a few pounds) can reduce symptoms. Your MD might also prescribe a steroid to help correct the hormone imbalance or a cream that inhibits the growth of facial hair. Another option: talking to your dermatologist about laser hair removal. "The pro is that it's effective," Dr. Stallings says. "The con is the price." Each session costs around $300, though some insurance plans will cover the treatment.
If you have: A brittle nail
It might mean: Fungus. It's disgusting but true—your nail bed is a perfect home for fungi. "They like having a warm, moist layer of skin to feed off," Dr. Markus explains. When a parasite moves in, your nail may start to split or crumble at the edges. A derm might prescribe medication. It may also help to limit exposure to moisture by wearing gloves to do the dishes or changing socks after a workout.
If the nails on both hands are brittle, you can probably blame overzealous hand washing; a supplement could do the trick. Vitamins containing keratin, in particular, improve nail strength, according to a 2014 study.
Related: Lifestyle Changes to Look Younger
If you have: A scaly red patch
It might mean: Psoriasis. This rash isn't just a skin problem. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder that can crop up at any age and is linked to inflammation throughout the body (experts are unsure if psoriasis causes inflammation or vice versa). Lesions—typically on the scalp, elbows and knees—are a common symptom, but moderate to severe psoriasis is also connected to cardiovascular disease, according to a longitudinal study published last fall. Fortunately, "your risk of heart attack goes down when you treat a more severe case of psoriasis," says Jennifer Chen, MD, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Stanford School of Medicine. See your derm: A variety of oral and topical meds, as well as phototherapy, can reduce outbreaks.
If you have: Persistent acne
It might mean: A hormonal imbalance. Breakouts aren't just for teens and tweens. "Acne may recur during perimenopause," Dr. Chen explains. As estrogen and progesterone levels drop, your hormonal balance can tip toward testosterone, which triggers a surge in the production of pore-clogging oil. "Like menopause itself, this acne varies in duration and intensity," Dr. Chen says, though the pimples often appear on the jawline. The good news, Dr. Chen says: "We have great medications to prevent acne. You just have to be proactive about it."
If you have: Dry, blotchy skin
It might mean: An omega-3 deficiency. "As we age, our sebaceous glands produce less oil that lubricates skin," says Valori Treloar, MD, co-author of The Clear Skin Diet. Omega-3 fatty acids help keep your complexion healthy-looking in part because they protect dry skin from developing inflammation. If you have a deficiency, your skin may become itchy and blotchy, Dr. Treloar says. Eat plenty of foods rich in omega-3s, like walnuts, flaxseed and cold water fish. Still worried you're not getting enough? Consider taking a fish oil supplement.
If you have: Thinning hair
It might mean: Hypothyroidism. When your thyroid gland is underactive, too many of your hair follicles go into resting mode. As strands naturally shed, they aren't replaced, and "women start to notice that their scalp is showing," Dr. Stallings says. Synthetic hormones and other remedies can help. Another possible culprit: low estrogen. For women in menopause, a B complex multi with collagen may restore thinning tresses, Dr. Stallings says. If you've just had a baby (another cause of an estrogen dip), don't fret: Your hair's volume should return to normal by the time your little one is six months old.
Related: 18 Style Mistakes That Age You
May 29, 2015 at 02:15AM
If you have: Thick, dark facial or body hair
It might mean: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). "We're not talking about a few wispy strands," says Zoe Stallings, MD, a family physician at Duke Medicine in Durham, N.C. "This is a thick coat of 'I have sideburns that tweezers can't handle' hair." It tends to sprout in places where men grow hair (like the cheeks, chin, chest and back) and may be due to elevated levels of male sex hormones—a common symptom of the endocrine disorder PCOS, which can increase your risk of infertility and diabetes. Ask your doc for a blood test. Birth control pills and lifestyle changes like losing excess weight (even just a few pounds) can reduce symptoms. Your MD might also prescribe a steroid to help correct the hormone imbalance or a cream that inhibits the growth of facial hair. Another option: talking to your dermatologist about laser hair removal. "The pro is that it's effective," Dr. Stallings says. "The con is the price." Each session costs around $300, though some insurance plans will cover the treatment.
If you have: A brittle nail
It might mean: Fungus. It's disgusting but true—your nail bed is a perfect home for fungi. "They like having a warm, moist layer of skin to feed off," Dr. Markus explains. When a parasite moves in, your nail may start to split or crumble at the edges. A derm might prescribe medication. It may also help to limit exposure to moisture by wearing gloves to do the dishes or changing socks after a workout.
If the nails on both hands are brittle, you can probably blame overzealous hand washing; a supplement could do the trick. Vitamins containing keratin, in particular, improve nail strength, according to a 2014 study.
Related: Lifestyle Changes to Look Younger
If you have: A scaly red patch
It might mean: Psoriasis. This rash isn't just a skin problem. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder that can crop up at any age and is linked to inflammation throughout the body (experts are unsure if psoriasis causes inflammation or vice versa). Lesions—typically on the scalp, elbows and knees—are a common symptom, but moderate to severe psoriasis is also connected to cardiovascular disease, according to a longitudinal study published last fall. Fortunately, "your risk of heart attack goes down when you treat a more severe case of psoriasis," says Jennifer Chen, MD, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Stanford School of Medicine. See your derm: A variety of oral and topical meds, as well as phototherapy, can reduce outbreaks.
If you have: Persistent acne
It might mean: A hormonal imbalance. Breakouts aren't just for teens and tweens. "Acne may recur during perimenopause," Dr. Chen explains. As estrogen and progesterone levels drop, your hormonal balance can tip toward testosterone, which triggers a surge in the production of pore-clogging oil. "Like menopause itself, this acne varies in duration and intensity," Dr. Chen says, though the pimples often appear on the jawline. The good news, Dr. Chen says: "We have great medications to prevent acne. You just have to be proactive about it."
If you have: Dry, blotchy skin
It might mean: An omega-3 deficiency. "As we age, our sebaceous glands produce less oil that lubricates skin," says Valori Treloar, MD, co-author of The Clear Skin Diet. Omega-3 fatty acids help keep your complexion healthy-looking in part because they protect dry skin from developing inflammation. If you have a deficiency, your skin may become itchy and blotchy, Dr. Treloar says. Eat plenty of foods rich in omega-3s, like walnuts, flaxseed and cold water fish. Still worried you're not getting enough? Consider taking a fish oil supplement.
If you have: Thinning hair
It might mean: Hypothyroidism. When your thyroid gland is underactive, too many of your hair follicles go into resting mode. As strands naturally shed, they aren't replaced, and "women start to notice that their scalp is showing," Dr. Stallings says. Synthetic hormones and other remedies can help. Another possible culprit: low estrogen. For women in menopause, a B complex multi with collagen may restore thinning tresses, Dr. Stallings says. If you've just had a baby (another cause of an estrogen dip), don't fret: Your hair's volume should return to normal by the time your little one is six months old.
Related: 18 Style Mistakes That Age You
May 29, 2015 at 02:15AM
4 Habits That Set You Up for Good Luck | Health and Burn Weight
When Anna Z. moved to Chicago¸ one of the first things she did was join a meet-up group for Arabic speakers. "I love trying new things¸" she explains. "I saw this group and thought¸ 'Why not?'" As luck would have it¸ the organizer was born and raised in Fez¸ Morocco¸ the city where Anna lived when she was learning the language. The two struck up a conversation¸ and today they're happily married with a little boy.
Some people might say that kismet led Anna to her future husband within a week of landing in a new city. But Anna's openness to life's quirky possibilities put her in the right place at the right time to create her own fate.
Contrary to what most of us have always believed, luck isn't some mysterious, ephemeral force. "There are huge chance factors that affect what happens to us, of course," says Richard Wiseman, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Hertfordshire in England and author of The Luck Factor. "But to a very large extent, we are responsible for much of the good fortune that we encounter."
And some folks tend to be naturally skilled at spotting good fortune around every turn. To learn how those "lucky" souls do it, Wiseman and other experts have been studying the constellation of traits that separate them from the self-proclaimed unlucky. Their research suggests that four habits in particular can help us all catch a few more breaks.
Related: Fight Aging: 6 Secrets to Staying Young
Expect good things
The first rule of lucky people? They feel lucky, which tilts the scales of serendipity in their favor. But the reason has nothing to do with hocus-pocus, says Wiseman, who has spent 15 years researching folks' perceptions of their fate: "People who count themselves lucky expect the best outcomes, and their expectations become self-fulfilling prophecies."
Researchers at New York University discovered this effect among lovesick undergraduates. In the study, students who believed that they would get a date were significantly more likely to win over the object of their desire.
The simple explanation is self-assurance. If you believe that you'll do well—whether you're trying to impress a crush or pitching a project—you're more motivated to persist until you reach your goal. Feeling lucky might even help you win the door prize at a charity dinner: The more optimistic you are about your chances, the more raffle tickets you'll probably buy (and the more likely you'll be to buy tickets at the next event, despite losing in the past).
Not a Pollyanna by nature? You might want to pick up a rabbit's foot—seriously! Experiments have shown that lucky charms can actually work, by boosting a person's confidence. In a 2010 study at the University of Cologne in Germany, superstitious subjects were asked to play a memory game; people who got to keep their talismans while they played scored higher than those who played without their jujus.
The researchers observed the same phenomenon among golfers who were told that they were playing with a lucky ball: The belief that they had a supernatural edge led them to putt significantly better than golfers in a control group.
Donald Saucier, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Kansas State University, encourages following any (harmless) ritual that makes you feel better when you're nervous, from rubbing a lucky penny to donning special undies: "These optimistic gestures are good at creating comfort—and that can help you perform better."
The key, he says, is coupling your hopeful expectations with action. "If you think luck is going to take care of you entirely, you'll do less to design your own destiny," he explains. "But if a superstition helps you manage your emotions so you can focus on the problem at hand, that's awesome."
Related: 12 Counterintuitive Health Tips
Court chance
Another reason good fortune seems to find certain people is that they make themselves easy to find, says Tania Luna, a researcher at Hunter College in New York City and author of the new book Surprise: Embrace the Unpredictable and Engineer the Unexpected. "Lucky people court chance by breaking routine, saying yes more often and meeting people beyond their circle," she notes.
Indeed, Wiseman has learned that lucky people cultivate lots of friends and acquaintances. In one study, he showed hundreds of participants a list of common last names and asked them to indicate if they were on a first-name basis with at least one person who had each surname. Of the subjects who considered themselves lucky, nearly 50 percent ticked eight names or more. Only 25 percent of unlucky people could do the same.
"Lucky people talk to lots of people, attract people to them and keep in touch," Wiseman says. "These habits result in a 'network of luck,' creating potential for fortuitous connections."
But if striking up small talk with strangers isn't your style, you can still create that advantage, Luna says: "Reach out to an old friend you haven't seen since high school. Or invite a colleague to join you at a new lunch spot. The idea is to move outside your comfort zone."
Colleen Seifert, PhD, a cognitive scientist and a professor at the University of Michigan, echoes Luna's advice to get out of your everyday rut, which could mean attending a conference, for example, or volunteering at a political fundraiser—even signing up for scuba-diving lessons. "Throwing a little chaos into your life opens you up to a chance encounter," she explains. That person could end up being your soul mate, future business partner or just someone you chat with for five minutes and never see again. But that's OK. The goal is to stay open to possibilities.
Look for silver linings
Here's a novel way to boost your success: Find the value in bad luck. Even if something doesn't turn out the way you wanted, consider that it may be a blessing in disguise, Luna says.
"When you reframe a situation in your mind, your brain actually processes it differently," she explains. For a study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Luna showed kids emotionally intense images—like a dog growling and a boy crying—while measuring the activity in their brains. Then she showed them the same images again and offered a reassuring explanation for each, like "This dog is defending a little girl" and "This boy has just been reunited with his mom." The participants' brains exhibited a dramatic drop in activity in the amygdala—the part of the brain that processes fear. "It was like they were seeing completely different photos," she says.
Lucky people reframe negative experiences in a similar way. When they hit a stumbling block, they're more likely to transform it into a positive event, Wiseman says, which helps them maintain their optimism and continue taking chances. "They have an uncanny ability to cope with adversity," he says, "and even thrive in spite of it."
To build that type of resilience, Luna recommends facing your next setback with a series of questions that will help you move forward: What's one bright side effect? What have I learned from the experience? What do I want now? And how can I get it?
"Lucky people know that with uncertainty comes opportunity," Luna says. "Fortunately for everyone else, shifting how you perceive things is a trainable skill." The more quickly you can bounce back from a blow, the sooner you'll be able to spot your next big break, and the more likely you'll be to go for it.
Related: How Healthy Is Your Home State?
Trust your gut
Elizabeth B. remembers her luckiest moment as if it happened yesterday: She was driving home to New York from her parents' house in Pennsylvania a few years ago when something told her to stop and buy a lotto ticket. "I never, ever play the lottery," she says, "but the idea popped into my head and I listened." After she pulled over, a terrible accident occurred just ahead on the road: "A pickup had crossed into my lane and crashed into a guardrail. If I hadn't stopped, my car would have been totaled."
Maybe Elizabeth's pit stop was an incredibly fortuitous fluke. Or maybe her intuition had warned her to get away from an erratic driver approaching in the distance.
She can't be sure. But what scientists do know is that we process far more visual information and other sensory details than we consciously realize, which sometimes leads to instincts we can't explain.
Lucky people listen to those hunches, Wiseman says. His research shows that 80 percent of them use their intuition as a guiding rod in their careers, and 90 percent trust their gut in personal relationships.
"Intuitive feelings are faster than normal forms of thinking," explains Karla Starr, an expert in the psychology of luck and the author of an upcoming book on the subject. They often hit you on a visceral level before your consciousness catches up.
A study by the U.K.'s Medical Research Council demonstrated the power of these subtle physical signals. Researcher Barnaby Dunn, PhD, asked his subjects to play a game, turning over cards from four decks, while he monitored their heart rates. What the folks didn't know was that the game was rigged: Two of the decks were stacked with high-value cards, and two were stacked with bad cards.
After just a few rounds, the players' heart rates dipped when they went near the high-value decks—indicating that their bodies had identified the difference in the decks before their minds suspected a thing.
The trick to tapping into that sixth sense is trusting your instincts. Wiseman has found that lucky people are more apt to do activities that help them tune in to their inner voice, like meditating and taking walks.
A gut check can improve your luck in another way, too, Starr says: "It can help you act more decisively." In other words, a hunch about your fate may be just the bump in confidence you need to reach for the stars—and make them align.
May 29, 2015 at 02:15AM
Some people might say that kismet led Anna to her future husband within a week of landing in a new city. But Anna's openness to life's quirky possibilities put her in the right place at the right time to create her own fate.
Contrary to what most of us have always believed, luck isn't some mysterious, ephemeral force. "There are huge chance factors that affect what happens to us, of course," says Richard Wiseman, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Hertfordshire in England and author of The Luck Factor. "But to a very large extent, we are responsible for much of the good fortune that we encounter."
And some folks tend to be naturally skilled at spotting good fortune around every turn. To learn how those "lucky" souls do it, Wiseman and other experts have been studying the constellation of traits that separate them from the self-proclaimed unlucky. Their research suggests that four habits in particular can help us all catch a few more breaks.
Related: Fight Aging: 6 Secrets to Staying Young
Expect good things
The first rule of lucky people? They feel lucky, which tilts the scales of serendipity in their favor. But the reason has nothing to do with hocus-pocus, says Wiseman, who has spent 15 years researching folks' perceptions of their fate: "People who count themselves lucky expect the best outcomes, and their expectations become self-fulfilling prophecies."
Researchers at New York University discovered this effect among lovesick undergraduates. In the study, students who believed that they would get a date were significantly more likely to win over the object of their desire.
The simple explanation is self-assurance. If you believe that you'll do well—whether you're trying to impress a crush or pitching a project—you're more motivated to persist until you reach your goal. Feeling lucky might even help you win the door prize at a charity dinner: The more optimistic you are about your chances, the more raffle tickets you'll probably buy (and the more likely you'll be to buy tickets at the next event, despite losing in the past).
Not a Pollyanna by nature? You might want to pick up a rabbit's foot—seriously! Experiments have shown that lucky charms can actually work, by boosting a person's confidence. In a 2010 study at the University of Cologne in Germany, superstitious subjects were asked to play a memory game; people who got to keep their talismans while they played scored higher than those who played without their jujus.
The researchers observed the same phenomenon among golfers who were told that they were playing with a lucky ball: The belief that they had a supernatural edge led them to putt significantly better than golfers in a control group.
Donald Saucier, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Kansas State University, encourages following any (harmless) ritual that makes you feel better when you're nervous, from rubbing a lucky penny to donning special undies: "These optimistic gestures are good at creating comfort—and that can help you perform better."
The key, he says, is coupling your hopeful expectations with action. "If you think luck is going to take care of you entirely, you'll do less to design your own destiny," he explains. "But if a superstition helps you manage your emotions so you can focus on the problem at hand, that's awesome."
Related: 12 Counterintuitive Health Tips
Court chance
Another reason good fortune seems to find certain people is that they make themselves easy to find, says Tania Luna, a researcher at Hunter College in New York City and author of the new book Surprise: Embrace the Unpredictable and Engineer the Unexpected. "Lucky people court chance by breaking routine, saying yes more often and meeting people beyond their circle," she notes.
Indeed, Wiseman has learned that lucky people cultivate lots of friends and acquaintances. In one study, he showed hundreds of participants a list of common last names and asked them to indicate if they were on a first-name basis with at least one person who had each surname. Of the subjects who considered themselves lucky, nearly 50 percent ticked eight names or more. Only 25 percent of unlucky people could do the same.
"Lucky people talk to lots of people, attract people to them and keep in touch," Wiseman says. "These habits result in a 'network of luck,' creating potential for fortuitous connections."
But if striking up small talk with strangers isn't your style, you can still create that advantage, Luna says: "Reach out to an old friend you haven't seen since high school. Or invite a colleague to join you at a new lunch spot. The idea is to move outside your comfort zone."
Colleen Seifert, PhD, a cognitive scientist and a professor at the University of Michigan, echoes Luna's advice to get out of your everyday rut, which could mean attending a conference, for example, or volunteering at a political fundraiser—even signing up for scuba-diving lessons. "Throwing a little chaos into your life opens you up to a chance encounter," she explains. That person could end up being your soul mate, future business partner or just someone you chat with for five minutes and never see again. But that's OK. The goal is to stay open to possibilities.
Look for silver linings
Here's a novel way to boost your success: Find the value in bad luck. Even if something doesn't turn out the way you wanted, consider that it may be a blessing in disguise, Luna says.
"When you reframe a situation in your mind, your brain actually processes it differently," she explains. For a study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Luna showed kids emotionally intense images—like a dog growling and a boy crying—while measuring the activity in their brains. Then she showed them the same images again and offered a reassuring explanation for each, like "This dog is defending a little girl" and "This boy has just been reunited with his mom." The participants' brains exhibited a dramatic drop in activity in the amygdala—the part of the brain that processes fear. "It was like they were seeing completely different photos," she says.
Lucky people reframe negative experiences in a similar way. When they hit a stumbling block, they're more likely to transform it into a positive event, Wiseman says, which helps them maintain their optimism and continue taking chances. "They have an uncanny ability to cope with adversity," he says, "and even thrive in spite of it."
To build that type of resilience, Luna recommends facing your next setback with a series of questions that will help you move forward: What's one bright side effect? What have I learned from the experience? What do I want now? And how can I get it?
"Lucky people know that with uncertainty comes opportunity," Luna says. "Fortunately for everyone else, shifting how you perceive things is a trainable skill." The more quickly you can bounce back from a blow, the sooner you'll be able to spot your next big break, and the more likely you'll be to go for it.
Related: How Healthy Is Your Home State?
Trust your gut
Elizabeth B. remembers her luckiest moment as if it happened yesterday: She was driving home to New York from her parents' house in Pennsylvania a few years ago when something told her to stop and buy a lotto ticket. "I never, ever play the lottery," she says, "but the idea popped into my head and I listened." After she pulled over, a terrible accident occurred just ahead on the road: "A pickup had crossed into my lane and crashed into a guardrail. If I hadn't stopped, my car would have been totaled."
Maybe Elizabeth's pit stop was an incredibly fortuitous fluke. Or maybe her intuition had warned her to get away from an erratic driver approaching in the distance.
She can't be sure. But what scientists do know is that we process far more visual information and other sensory details than we consciously realize, which sometimes leads to instincts we can't explain.
Lucky people listen to those hunches, Wiseman says. His research shows that 80 percent of them use their intuition as a guiding rod in their careers, and 90 percent trust their gut in personal relationships.
"Intuitive feelings are faster than normal forms of thinking," explains Karla Starr, an expert in the psychology of luck and the author of an upcoming book on the subject. They often hit you on a visceral level before your consciousness catches up.
A study by the U.K.'s Medical Research Council demonstrated the power of these subtle physical signals. Researcher Barnaby Dunn, PhD, asked his subjects to play a game, turning over cards from four decks, while he monitored their heart rates. What the folks didn't know was that the game was rigged: Two of the decks were stacked with high-value cards, and two were stacked with bad cards.
After just a few rounds, the players' heart rates dipped when they went near the high-value decks—indicating that their bodies had identified the difference in the decks before their minds suspected a thing.
The trick to tapping into that sixth sense is trusting your instincts. Wiseman has found that lucky people are more apt to do activities that help them tune in to their inner voice, like meditating and taking walks.
A gut check can improve your luck in another way, too, Starr says: "It can help you act more decisively." In other words, a hunch about your fate may be just the bump in confidence you need to reach for the stars—and make them align.
May 29, 2015 at 02:15AM
5 Sleep Problems Nobody Talks About | Health and Burn Weight
You drift off at night like a newborn baby yet can't recall the last time you woke up truly refreshed. It may not seem that weird: "People tend to assume that because our modern lives are so hectic, nobody feels rested," says Meir Kryger, MD, a professor at the Yale School of Medicine. But the reality is, you might have a sleep disorder and not even know it. There are a handful of problems that can cheat you out of quality slumber, leaving you more tired in the morning than you were when you went to bed. Find out what could be going on between your sheets and how to catch more restorative z's, starting tonight.
Sleep Problem No. 1: You snore like a saw
Those snuffle-snorts mean that your slack tongue and throat muscles are narrowing your airway, possibly due to the shape of your soft palate or any extra weight you're carrying.
Although you're likely to wake up if you get short of breath, it may not be for long enough to remember. Some people wake dozens or even hundreds of times a night—a disorder known as sleep apnea that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and possibly osteoporosis, according to a new study in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. "Those repeated awakenings are as disruptive as someone pinching you every two minutes all night long," says Safwan Badr, MD, chief of the division of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit.
Sleep aid: If you rarely wake up feeling bright-eyed, see a specialist to get checked for sleep apnea.(Three to 9 percent of women between the ages of 30 and 70 suffer from it.) If you have the condition, a CPAP machine and mask can help by keeping your pharynx open with a steady stream of air.
To quiet your snore, avoid rolling onto your back—a position that makes your airway more likely to collapse. Rachel Salas, MD, associate professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, suggests this little trick: Sew a tennis ball into the pocket of a sweatshirt and wear it backward to bed.
RELATED: 14 Reasons You're Always Tired
Sleep Problem No. 2: You grind your teeth
Do you wake up with a sore jaw or get chronic headaches? If so, you may be gnashing your ivories overnight. All that clenching can cause enough pain to interfere with your shut-eye (not to mention wear down your enamel). Experts believe that teeth grinding, which about 16 percent of us do, is associated with anxiety—though an abnormal bite and antidepressants can also play a role.
Sleep aid: A dentist will fit you with a mouth guard. If you're clamping down because you're overwhelmed and overloaded, find a healthier way to manage stress, urges Michael A. Grandner, PhD, an instructor in psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. "It's also crucial to spend plenty of time winding down before bed so you drift off in a calm, relaxed state," he adds.
RELATED: 11 Signs You're Sleep Deprived
Sleep Problem No. 3: Your body clock is off
Not even drowsy until the wee hours? Delayed sleep-phase syndrome (DSPS) is the technical term for this disorder, which afflicts 10 percent of people who seek help for insomnia. It involves a biological glitch that prevents your body from making melatonin (the sleep hormone) until 12 a.m. or later. A prime sign you've got DSPS: You've been a night owl since high school. The syndrome is common among teenagers and sometimes persists into adulthood. If you're not squeezing in at least seven hours of z's a night, you're at greater risk of high blood pressure and diabetes. What's more, a recent study published in Cognitive Therapy and Research found that people who nod off late (and get less sleep as a result) tend to experience more negative thoughts.
Sleep aid: Begin by improving your sleep hygiene. Cut back on caffeine. Avoid tech and television starting 90 minutes before bedtime. Create a soothing wind-down routine. And get some sun first thing in the morning to help reset your body's 24-hour rhythm. "In 80 percent of cases, these strategies lead people to conk out earlier," Dr. Badr says. If they don't do the trick, a specialist may prescribe synthetic melatonin, as well as light therapy with a medical lamp to use in the morning.
RELATED: 20 Things You Shouldn't Do Before Bed
Sleep Problem No. 4: Your legs feel jittery at night
That creepy-crawly feeling—aptly called Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)—troubles as many as 1 in 10 people and is thought to be linked to a dysfunction in the way the brain processes the neurotransmitter dopamine. However, in some cases it suggests a nutritional deficiency, Dr. Kryger notes: "With people who have low iron, there seems to be overactivity in parts of the brain that results in an urge to move the legs."
Sleep aid: Ice packs, warm packs, massages, a bath—any of these remedies might help, says David N. Neubauer, MD, associate professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine: "Different things seem to work for different people."
Also, talk to a sleep doc about trying an RLS drug. Be sure to mention your current prescriptions because some meds (including certain antidepressants) reduce dopamine activity. Get your iron levels checked, too, Dr. Gardner advises: "Sometimes a supplement is the only treatment necessary."
Sleep Problem No. 5: You sleepwalk—and even sleep eat
For reasons that aren't completely understood, somnambulists are partially aroused in the night—often from the deepest stage of slumber (called slow-wave)—and proceed to wander around the house. The behavior, which may affect up to 4 percent of the population, appears to run in families and is more likely to occur with sleep deprivation. Another trigger: taking zolpidem (one of the most popular sedatives), according to Robert S. Rosenberg, DO, author of Sleep Soundly Every Night; Feel Fantastic Every Day.
Additionally, 1 to 3 percent of people who experience such a zombie-like state actually raid the kitchen. Called sleep-related eating disorder, this condition often strikes women on a diet, who go to bed hungry.
Sleep aid: Benzodiazepines (aka tranquilizers) can sometimes help, and so does getting more sleep. As long as your nocturnal adventures don't involve anything risky (like, for example, baking cookies), you may not need medication, Rosenberg says: "Just make sure you safety-proof your home by clearing out clutter and stowing away sharp objects." If you're a nighttime roamer, let your partner know that the ideal approach is to gently lead you back to bed.
RELATED: Best and Worst Foods for Sleep
May 29, 2015 at 02:15AM
Sleep Problem No. 1: You snore like a saw
Those snuffle-snorts mean that your slack tongue and throat muscles are narrowing your airway, possibly due to the shape of your soft palate or any extra weight you're carrying.
Although you're likely to wake up if you get short of breath, it may not be for long enough to remember. Some people wake dozens or even hundreds of times a night—a disorder known as sleep apnea that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and possibly osteoporosis, according to a new study in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. "Those repeated awakenings are as disruptive as someone pinching you every two minutes all night long," says Safwan Badr, MD, chief of the division of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit.
Sleep aid: If you rarely wake up feeling bright-eyed, see a specialist to get checked for sleep apnea.(Three to 9 percent of women between the ages of 30 and 70 suffer from it.) If you have the condition, a CPAP machine and mask can help by keeping your pharynx open with a steady stream of air.
To quiet your snore, avoid rolling onto your back—a position that makes your airway more likely to collapse. Rachel Salas, MD, associate professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, suggests this little trick: Sew a tennis ball into the pocket of a sweatshirt and wear it backward to bed.
RELATED: 14 Reasons You're Always Tired
Sleep Problem No. 2: You grind your teeth
Do you wake up with a sore jaw or get chronic headaches? If so, you may be gnashing your ivories overnight. All that clenching can cause enough pain to interfere with your shut-eye (not to mention wear down your enamel). Experts believe that teeth grinding, which about 16 percent of us do, is associated with anxiety—though an abnormal bite and antidepressants can also play a role.
Sleep aid: A dentist will fit you with a mouth guard. If you're clamping down because you're overwhelmed and overloaded, find a healthier way to manage stress, urges Michael A. Grandner, PhD, an instructor in psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. "It's also crucial to spend plenty of time winding down before bed so you drift off in a calm, relaxed state," he adds.
RELATED: 11 Signs You're Sleep Deprived
Sleep Problem No. 3: Your body clock is off
Not even drowsy until the wee hours? Delayed sleep-phase syndrome (DSPS) is the technical term for this disorder, which afflicts 10 percent of people who seek help for insomnia. It involves a biological glitch that prevents your body from making melatonin (the sleep hormone) until 12 a.m. or later. A prime sign you've got DSPS: You've been a night owl since high school. The syndrome is common among teenagers and sometimes persists into adulthood. If you're not squeezing in at least seven hours of z's a night, you're at greater risk of high blood pressure and diabetes. What's more, a recent study published in Cognitive Therapy and Research found that people who nod off late (and get less sleep as a result) tend to experience more negative thoughts.
Sleep aid: Begin by improving your sleep hygiene. Cut back on caffeine. Avoid tech and television starting 90 minutes before bedtime. Create a soothing wind-down routine. And get some sun first thing in the morning to help reset your body's 24-hour rhythm. "In 80 percent of cases, these strategies lead people to conk out earlier," Dr. Badr says. If they don't do the trick, a specialist may prescribe synthetic melatonin, as well as light therapy with a medical lamp to use in the morning.
RELATED: 20 Things You Shouldn't Do Before Bed
Sleep Problem No. 4: Your legs feel jittery at night
That creepy-crawly feeling—aptly called Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)—troubles as many as 1 in 10 people and is thought to be linked to a dysfunction in the way the brain processes the neurotransmitter dopamine. However, in some cases it suggests a nutritional deficiency, Dr. Kryger notes: "With people who have low iron, there seems to be overactivity in parts of the brain that results in an urge to move the legs."
Sleep aid: Ice packs, warm packs, massages, a bath—any of these remedies might help, says David N. Neubauer, MD, associate professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine: "Different things seem to work for different people."
Also, talk to a sleep doc about trying an RLS drug. Be sure to mention your current prescriptions because some meds (including certain antidepressants) reduce dopamine activity. Get your iron levels checked, too, Dr. Gardner advises: "Sometimes a supplement is the only treatment necessary."
Sleep Problem No. 5: You sleepwalk—and even sleep eat
For reasons that aren't completely understood, somnambulists are partially aroused in the night—often from the deepest stage of slumber (called slow-wave)—and proceed to wander around the house. The behavior, which may affect up to 4 percent of the population, appears to run in families and is more likely to occur with sleep deprivation. Another trigger: taking zolpidem (one of the most popular sedatives), according to Robert S. Rosenberg, DO, author of Sleep Soundly Every Night; Feel Fantastic Every Day.
Additionally, 1 to 3 percent of people who experience such a zombie-like state actually raid the kitchen. Called sleep-related eating disorder, this condition often strikes women on a diet, who go to bed hungry.
Sleep aid: Benzodiazepines (aka tranquilizers) can sometimes help, and so does getting more sleep. As long as your nocturnal adventures don't involve anything risky (like, for example, baking cookies), you may not need medication, Rosenberg says: "Just make sure you safety-proof your home by clearing out clutter and stowing away sharp objects." If you're a nighttime roamer, let your partner know that the ideal approach is to gently lead you back to bed.
RELATED: Best and Worst Foods for Sleep
May 29, 2015 at 02:15AM
12 Reasons Why Dehydration Is Bad for Your Body | Health and Burn Weight
Being dehydrated can make you tired, grumpy, prone to weight gain, and more. May 21, 2015 at 02:15AM
Washington, D.C., Ranked Fittest US City | Health and Burn Weight
The American College of Sports Medicine found Washington, D.C. to be the fittest city in the country. Check out this video to see which other cities huffed and puffed their way to the top, which fell behind pace—and what went into the judging criteria. May 21, 2015 at 02:15AM
Why This Summer May Be The Worst For Allergy Sufferers | Health and Burn Weight
Pollen levels will be extremely high this season, an effect that is being called a "pollen tsunami." Here's what you need to know about the onslaught of allergens and how to relieve your itchy eyes and stuffy nose. May 15, 2015 at 02:15AM
A Meditation for Morning Intention | Health and Burn Weight
By Sonima
A great way to start your day. Take a few moments when you first wake to set a direction for your day with this guided meditation from Sonima.com. May 14, 2015 at 02:15AM
A great way to start your day. Take a few moments when you first wake to set a direction for your day with this guided meditation from Sonima.com. May 14, 2015 at 02:15AM
What I Learned About Myself When I Started Surfing | Health and Burn Weight
The summer I started taking surf lessons, I got caught in a powerful current. It pulled me down the beach until I was 15 yards from a shallow reef. If I stopped paddling, I would end up on the rocks, but my arms had turned to jelly and I could barely catch my breath. As I panicked, my instructor appeared beside me. "Grab my leash!" he shouted. I did, and he towed me to safety.
I was 31 and had recently moved to New York City for a fresh start after the end of a long relationship. Surfing was yet another adventure in my life—although after that experience, I stuck to baby waves, staying close to shore where my feet could touch the bottom. Some days, when the surf was rough, I'd just sit on the beach and watch others floating atop the swells.
I loved surfing more than any other activity I'd tried. The cold water against my skin, the weightlessness of my legs dangling off my board, the only sound a rhythmic hush: The ocean made me feel alive and fully immersed in the present.
But I couldn't shake my jitters. It wasn't just the power of the waves; I also worried about what might lurk beneath them. As Hunter S. Thompson wrote, "Civilization ends at the waterline. Beyond that, we all enter the food chain, and not always right at the top."
Related: The 10 Most Slimming Vacations
Facing the Current
My anxiety was seeping into dry land, too. Overwhelmed by job pressures and life in the big city, I kept my head down and tried to blend in. I hardly knew my co-workers and spent most evenings hanging with my dog.
In search of a confidence boost, I headed off solo to Sayulita, a dusty fishing village on Mexico's Pacific side, where a women-only surf camp called Las Olas offers a week of coaching on the local breaks. The first morning, as I joined the other 10 "campers" on the beach, I wondered what I'd gotten myself into. I've never been great at small talk and meeting new people; I'm more of a watchful, slow-to-warm-up type. But, as I reminded myself, the very reason I came was to get out of my comfort zone.
Once we were suited up, our instructors led the group into mellow rollers and critiqued us as we windmilled to catch waves, popped up on our boards and tumbled. Falling is a given, they assured us—it's how you get better.
Within a few days, we graduated to bigger swells. We kept wiping out and paddling back, all the while cheering each other on. At night we bonded over fresh fish and cervezas in local taquerias. Our group spanned three decades in age, yet that didn't matter. I found myself opening up to these women who got the same chest flutter at the sight of a perfect curl, and it felt good to connect.
Taming the Beast
On our last day, we took a boat to a reef off a wild stretch of coast. My surfing had improved: I paddled more efficiently and felt more in control. But as I jumped into the water, a familiar unease sank in. I knew that the physics of reef breaks produces heavier waves. Paddling to the takeoff zone, I pictured a rogue monster lifting me and pounding my body onto the coral. I sat up, tears in my eyes.
Breathe. Trust. Stay calm. This was the moment I'd been waiting for. This was where I would find my guts. When a hump formed behind me, I went for it, and as I stood I could hear the ladies hooting and hollering from the boat.
Like all good break-throughs, this one came with an epiphany: I will always be humbled by the ocean, just as I will always be reserved around strangers and cautious in new situations. There was no sense in fighting my nature, I realized. For me, the trick to being brave is riding out my fears.
Soon after I got home, I decided to drive to the end of Long Island to Ditch Plains, one of the best breaks on the eastern coast. I had watched serious surfers here but never worked up the nerve to get in. Now I paddled out. As I turned to face the horizon, I saw a wave set beginning to rise. Breathe.
Related: 7 Must-Pack Vacation Items
So you want to try a surf vacation?
Domestic and international surf camps and schools abound; browse listings at surfcamps.com and surfertoday.com. If you're a beginner, consider a camp that offers individual lessons and promises consistent, gentle waves. (Try Corky Carroll's in Nosara, Costa Rica; Nancy Emerson's in Oahu, Hawaii; or the one our editor attended, Las Olas in Sayulita, Mexico.) Bringing your ride? JetBlue has one of the cheapest fees—just $50 a board. Since the size of waves varies by season, research your destination and desired travel month; check out surfline.com.
May 14, 2015 at 02:15AM
I was 31 and had recently moved to New York City for a fresh start after the end of a long relationship. Surfing was yet another adventure in my life—although after that experience, I stuck to baby waves, staying close to shore where my feet could touch the bottom. Some days, when the surf was rough, I'd just sit on the beach and watch others floating atop the swells.
I loved surfing more than any other activity I'd tried. The cold water against my skin, the weightlessness of my legs dangling off my board, the only sound a rhythmic hush: The ocean made me feel alive and fully immersed in the present.
But I couldn't shake my jitters. It wasn't just the power of the waves; I also worried about what might lurk beneath them. As Hunter S. Thompson wrote, "Civilization ends at the waterline. Beyond that, we all enter the food chain, and not always right at the top."
Related: The 10 Most Slimming Vacations
Facing the Current
My anxiety was seeping into dry land, too. Overwhelmed by job pressures and life in the big city, I kept my head down and tried to blend in. I hardly knew my co-workers and spent most evenings hanging with my dog.
In search of a confidence boost, I headed off solo to Sayulita, a dusty fishing village on Mexico's Pacific side, where a women-only surf camp called Las Olas offers a week of coaching on the local breaks. The first morning, as I joined the other 10 "campers" on the beach, I wondered what I'd gotten myself into. I've never been great at small talk and meeting new people; I'm more of a watchful, slow-to-warm-up type. But, as I reminded myself, the very reason I came was to get out of my comfort zone.
Once we were suited up, our instructors led the group into mellow rollers and critiqued us as we windmilled to catch waves, popped up on our boards and tumbled. Falling is a given, they assured us—it's how you get better.
Within a few days, we graduated to bigger swells. We kept wiping out and paddling back, all the while cheering each other on. At night we bonded over fresh fish and cervezas in local taquerias. Our group spanned three decades in age, yet that didn't matter. I found myself opening up to these women who got the same chest flutter at the sight of a perfect curl, and it felt good to connect.
Taming the Beast
On our last day, we took a boat to a reef off a wild stretch of coast. My surfing had improved: I paddled more efficiently and felt more in control. But as I jumped into the water, a familiar unease sank in. I knew that the physics of reef breaks produces heavier waves. Paddling to the takeoff zone, I pictured a rogue monster lifting me and pounding my body onto the coral. I sat up, tears in my eyes.
Breathe. Trust. Stay calm. This was the moment I'd been waiting for. This was where I would find my guts. When a hump formed behind me, I went for it, and as I stood I could hear the ladies hooting and hollering from the boat.
Like all good break-throughs, this one came with an epiphany: I will always be humbled by the ocean, just as I will always be reserved around strangers and cautious in new situations. There was no sense in fighting my nature, I realized. For me, the trick to being brave is riding out my fears.
Soon after I got home, I decided to drive to the end of Long Island to Ditch Plains, one of the best breaks on the eastern coast. I had watched serious surfers here but never worked up the nerve to get in. Now I paddled out. As I turned to face the horizon, I saw a wave set beginning to rise. Breathe.
Related: 7 Must-Pack Vacation Items
So you want to try a surf vacation?
Domestic and international surf camps and schools abound; browse listings at surfcamps.com and surfertoday.com. If you're a beginner, consider a camp that offers individual lessons and promises consistent, gentle waves. (Try Corky Carroll's in Nosara, Costa Rica; Nancy Emerson's in Oahu, Hawaii; or the one our editor attended, Las Olas in Sayulita, Mexico.) Bringing your ride? JetBlue has one of the cheapest fees—just $50 a board. Since the size of waves varies by season, research your destination and desired travel month; check out surfline.com.
May 14, 2015 at 02:15AM
Babies After 40: The Hidden Health Risks of Mid-Life Pregnancy | Health and Burn Weight
From Health magazine
After years of struggling with repeated miscarriages and fertility treatments, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), Joanna Brody was thrilled when she finally conceived on her own at the age of 43—even considering the increased risk of health problems associated with pregnancy after age 40. Still, the former marathon runner was in good health and exercised throughout her pregnancy, which was uneventful.
But two days after returning home from the hospital after her daughters birth (she also had a 6-month-old adopted son), she woke up feeling like she couldnt breathe. “I thought I was having a panic attack due to the stress of taking care of two infants while building a new home,” Brody, now 45, recalls.
The next day, when she couldnt catch her breath walking up a flight of stairs, she rushed to the emergency room. There, doctors discovered that her lungs were filled with fluid, a sign of peripartum cardiomyopathy, a potentially fatal condition that occurs when theres damage to the heart, resulting in a weakened heart muscle that cant pump blood efficiently. While it occurs in only about 1 in every 1,300 deliveries, its most common in older women, especially those, like Brody, who are over the age of 40.
The number of women giving birth into their 40s and 50s and beyond is at record highs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2007, 105,071 women aged 40-44 gave birth, the highest rate since 1968; the birth rate for women 45 to 54 was 7,349, an increase of 5% in just one year.
“The numbers have really skyrocketed over the last two decades, as research has increasingly shown that older women are able to carry pregnancies and deliver babies safely,” says Mark Sauer, MD, chief of reproductive endocrinology at Columbia University Medical Center and a leading researcher in this field.
Success stories
Theres no official data on how many American women over the age of 54 successfully give birth each year, although there have been plenty of news reports of women in their late 50s and early 60s who have conceived via donor eggs. While older moms have long been the source of biblical legend (think of Sarah, who is said to have given birth to her husband Abrahams son Isaac at the jaw-dropping age of 90), right now the oldest documented birth mother in the world is Omkari Panwar, a 70-year-old Indian woman who gave birth to 2-pound twins in 2008 via emergency cesarean section.
But the United States has had its share of 60-plus new moms, too, including Frieda Birnbaum of Saddle River, New Jersey, who in 2007 at age 60 set the record for the oldest woman in the country to give birth to twins. (A 62-year-old, Janise Wulf, gave birth to a singleton in 2006.)
While it may seem nothing short of miraculous that cutting-edge IVF technology is enabling older women to get pregnant, experts are concerned about the increased risk of maternal health problems, ranging from cardiac complications to potentially even a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
“A healthy 42-year-old with no medical problems who is in good physical shape and conceives naturally is likely to have just as nice a pregnancy as a woman who is a decade younger,” says Laura Riley, MD, a maternal-fetal-medicine specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and chairwoman of the communications committee of the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. “But there are a fair number of women in their mid-40s getting pregnant through IVF who have a ‘touch of hypertension, are a little overweight, or are prediabetic, and thats where we start running into problems.”
Older women are increasingly at risk for potentially deadly complications. A 2002 University of Southern California study, for example, found that 26% of women ages 50 to 54 suffered from preeclampsia (a life-threatening condition characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine), and 13% developed gestational diabetes (a temporary form of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy)—and that number soared to 60% and 40%, respectively, for those over the age of 55.
While there are no official guidelines from organizations like the American Society for Reproductive Medicine on how old is too old, leading fertility experts and high-risk obstetricians are voicing concerns about this brave new world of peri- and postmenopausal pregnancy.
“The age cutoff at our clinic is 54, based on the research that shows a marked increase in complications in women older than 55,” says Richard Paulson, MD, director of the Fertility Program at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and one of the countrys leading researchers on pregnancy in the peri- and postmenopausal years.
Others are more conservative. “We have an age cutoff in our practice of 44 years of age for someone using her own eggs and 51 years of age in someone using donor eggs,” says Robert Stillman, MD, medical director of Shady Grove Fertility Center, one of the countrys largest fertility clinics, with 15 offices in the Washington, D.C., area. “Weve never had a successful birth in a woman over the age of 44 using her own eggs, and we think its unethical to promote treatments in a vulnerable population where theres not a chance of success. We wont treat women over the age of 51, period, because we believe there are too many risks involved with carrying the pregnancy, both for the mother and for the fetus.”
But many clinics across the United States—including some of the nations leading fertility centers—take women who are well into their 50s. So what are these risks, and what exactly do they mean for older women who are contemplating pregnancy? Here, a look at the biggest dangers.
Istockphoto
The risk of cancer
One cant help thinking of Elizabeth Edwards, who gave birth to two children at ages 48 and 50 after undergoing fertility treatments—and who was diagnosed four years later, in 2004 at the age of 55, with stage II breast cancer. (In 2007, she revealed that her cancer had recurred and was now at stage IV.)
While she has never publicly discussed whether there could be a link between fertility treatments in older moms and subsequent breast cancer, breast cancer experts speculate that the two could be related.
“Its a very unsettled question,” says Julia Smith, MD, PhD, director of the Lynne Cohen Breast Cancer Preventive Care Program at the New York University Cancer Institute. “Every time weve tampered with the natural cycle of reproductive hormones, weve had a problem, as evidenced by research showing a link between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer. As women get older, theyre at increased risk for breast cancer, and Im concerned about giving peri- or postmenopausal women additional sex hormones that could disrupt the natural course of aging of the breast cell.”
Research also shows that older women who have recently given birth are more likely to develop breast cancer in the 15 years following the birth than their peers of the same age who have never had children. One Swedish study followed women after theyd given birth and found that the childbearing women were slightly more likely to be diagnosed with cancer—and women who had their first child after the age of 35 had the highest risk, about 26% higher than women who had never given birth. (This is a transient risk: After 15 years, their odds dropped below that of women who had never given birth.)
“My worry is if an older woman is cooking a really early breast cancer and then is exposed to massive levels of estrogen during her pregnancy, could that accelerate tumor growth?” adds Mary Jane Minkin, MD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Yale School of Medicine. “No ones ever studied it, and its a real possibility.”
The other point of concern: “The minute a woman gets pregnant, we cant screen her for breast cancer. And we cant do a mammogram until shes finished breast-feeding, which could be almost two years later,” Dr. Smith points out. “If shes younger than 40, its not a big issue because her overall risk of breast cancer is so low. But if shes 45 or 50, then Im worried.”
Cancer experts are less concerned about the risks of other types of reproductive cancers among past-40 women undergoing fertility treatments. In fact, a Danish study published in February in the British Medical Journal followed more than 50,000 women who underwent fertility treatments for 15 years and found no increased risk of ovarian cancer among women who took most types of fertility drugs.
The one exception—women who took clomiphene citrate (Clomid) had an increased risk of a type of ovarian tumor called serous ovarian tumors, which may be more influenced by hormones than other tumors, says Louise Brinton, PhD, chief of the Hormonal and Reproductive Epidemiology Branch at the National Cancer Institute. Brintons own preliminary research has found a possible link between Clomid and endometrial cancer, a treatable cancer of the womb. “Many women in their 40s and 50s are using donor eggs, so they wont be taking Clomid, which is an ovulation-inducing drug,” she points out. “But for those women who are, they need to be aware that there may be a link.”
The problem is, many women arent briefed by their doctors on potential long-term risks. “I talk to fertility specialists all the time and bring up my concerns, and they tell me the same thing they tell their patients—they dont have any evidence that it is harmful,” Dr. Smith adds. “But its not a question of not having evidence proving harm—we dont have any evidence proving safety.”
The risk to your heart
The strain of pregnancy, experts say, can be likened to the stress of running a marathon—and the older a woman is, the more likely she is to have complications from it.
Doctors of women in the 40-plus set are most concerned about pregnancy-induced preeclampsia, which generally surfaces in the third trimester. While the incidence of preeclampsia among all moms-to-be is 3 to 4%, that risk increases to 5 to 10% if youre older than 40 and jumps up to 35% if youre past 50. Most reputable fertility clinics require patients over the age of 45, especially those with borderline cholesterol or high blood pressure, to undergo more extensive cardiology screening, like an electrocardiogram (EKG) or a stress test, but “these tests can miss women who have borderline heart disease,” Dr. Stillman says. “Sure, they may be fine playing tennis. But the stress of nine months of pregnancy? Thats the equivalent of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.”
In addition, pregnancy can prompt an earlier onset of health problems that would have otherwise developed later in life. “A 50-year-old woman with borderline high blood pressure who might not develop hypertension until shes 60 may start to have it during her pregnancy,” explains Errol Norwitz, MD, a high-risk OB-GYN at the Yale School of Medicine. And this can set her and her baby up for a host of complications.
Deborah Lake, 50, developed preeclampisa seven years ago (she was 43) while carrying twins, prompting her physician to induce labor. “My blood pressure had always been quite low, but toward the end it began to creep up to the point where my doctor decided to induce me at 36 1/2 weeks,” she recalls. Lake delivered her first daughter, Savannah, vaginally. But her second daughter, Courtney, got stuck in the birth canal, prompting an emergency C-section. Lake was discharged after three days, only to return a few days later when her blood pressure shot up and her whole body swelled, both signs of preeclampsia. “They gave me diuretics, and I peed out about 50 pounds of water weight in three days,” she recalls.
Lake had been trying to get pregnant for almost a decade and finally conceived via donor eggs. “Because of my age and the fact that I was carrying twins, I was so careful—I ate perfectly, I didnt gain too much weight,” she says. “But even that, ultimately, wasnt enough to stave off problems.”
There are also heart concerns after pregnancy. “Most women tend to gain weight with each pregnancy and keep those extra 10 pounds around for a while,” Dr. Minkin says. “That extra weight increases an older womans risk of developing heart disease.”
Progesterone, a reproductive hormone thats given to women during IVF and is also present at high levels during pregnancy, causes both blood pressure and cholesterol to temporarily go up, adds Nieca Goldberg, MD, director of the New York University Womens Heart Center. “This isnt an issue for a healthy woman with no risk factors for heart disease.
But if youre going into pregnancy with borderline high blood pressure or cholesterol, which many older women have, it can pose a serious problem,” she says.
Peripartum cardiomyopathy, which Joanna Brody had, is also a potential danger among this group of moms. While Brody emerged unscathed, this condition can cause heart failure—which leads to death in 25 to 50% of cases, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Another huge worry: gestational diabetes, a temporary form of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. It almost always goes away after delivery, but it can be a harbinger of diabetes later in life and puts women at risk for delivering a too-large baby (macrosomia).
Though the overall rate of gestational diabetes is 3%, it rises to 7% in women older than 40 and 20% in women older than 50. But while risk factors like a family history of diabetes, borderline blood sugars, being overweight, or having had gestational diabetes in an earlier pregnancy all increase your chances of getting it, many older women with none of these end up developing this dangerous condition.
Not surprisingly, because over-40 women are more at risk for a variety of health problems, their C-section rate is significantly higher than that of younger moms. Almost a third of all women in the United States deliver via C-section, but almost 50% of women having their first child between 40 to 45 and almost 80% in women ages 50 to 63 undergo the procedure.
“Older women have older uteruses, which tend to not contract as well, which can result in abnormal labor” and lead to a C-section, explains Robin Kalish, MD, director of clinical maternal-fetal medicine at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City.
Istockphoto
The risk of placental problems
While placental problems are relatively rare during pregnancy, the risk shoots up once you hit the big 4-0. If you get pregnant past that age, you have a 10-fold increased risk, compared with women younger than 30, of placenta previa—a dangerous condition in which the placenta does not move up and away from the opening of the uterus during pregnancy; this can cause severe vaginal bleeding and activate premature labor. The main reason? An older uterus is less hospitable to the drastic bodily changes of pregnancy.
“The uterus is required to grow from the size of a small pear to a huge watermelon in nine months, which requires an enormous level of blood flow,” Dr. Stillman says. “Vascular disease is ubiquitous as people age, whether its in the heart or in the vagina, and it gets more and more difficult as a woman gets older for her uterus to keep up with the rapid growth of pregnancy.”
Lauren B. Cohen, a New Jersey lawyer who is the second oldest woman in the United States to give birth to twins, at age 59, spent two months in the hospital before giving birth to her twins at 31 1/2 weeks due to complications from placenta percreta, an incredibly rare condition in which the placenta actually breaks through the walls of the uterus and attaches to another organ such as the bladder.
“My doctors said my uterine walls had been weakened, due to age, a past C-section, and the stress of carrying twins,” Cohen explains. During the C-section, she hemorrhaged so much from her placenta that she required a transfusion of 33 units of blood. The twins—born two months premature at just over 3 pounds each—have suffered no long-term health problems, but they have developmental delays.
The risk to baby
Babies born to over-40 women like Cohen are not only more likely to be born early but also more likely to have birth defects. One Columbia University study found that 2.9% of women older than 40 have babies with birth defects, compared with 1.7% of all women younger than 35. Of these, cardiac issues are the most common: Another study found that heart defects were four times more common in infants of women over 40, compared with those age 20 to 24.
“It could have something to do with egg quality or with the fact that older women may have undiagnosed and untreated diabetes or hypertension, which could affect growth and contribute to birth defects,” explains Randy Fink, MD, a high-risk OB-GYN in Miami.
What women must know
While modern medicine is now able to get you pregnant into your fourth, fifth, or even sixth decade, it cant guarantee a smooth and safe road to delivery. There are undeniable health risks to pregnancy in the peri- and postmenopausal years, risks that often arent revealed to the plus-40 women hoping to get pregnant. If youre in your 40s and considering pregnancy, its critical to be proactive and get a thorough screening to rule out hidden heart disease or diabetes.
“All women in this age group need to get their blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels checked, as well as an EKG,” before trying to get pregnant, Dr. Goldberg says. While a borderline or high level on any of these tests doesnt necessarily rule out pregnancy, youll need to undergo even more detailed tests such as an echocardiogram, which uses sound waves to “see” any potential damage done already to your heart.
Women with risk factors for breast cancer—such as having a family history of the disease—should also think carefully before proceeding, Dr. Smith advises. Most women over the age of 45 are automatically referred to a high-risk practice. If youre not, make sure you get a recommendation for a good one.
The bottom line: It is possible to have a baby in midlife. But before you proceed, its essential to understand the potential dangers to you and your baby.
“Even if a woman passes all the screening tests with flying colors, shes still more at risk for health complications,” stresses Miriam Greene, MD, an OB-GYN at New York University Langone Medical Center. “And we just dont know what the long-term health effects are going to be of all these added hormones on their bodies. If an older woman decides she wants to get pregnant, thats her decision. But she should have her eyes wide open and make sure shes fully aware of all the potential risks.” May 08, 2015 at 02:15AM
Is Your Fertility Window Closing? | Health and Burn Weight
Women in their 30s and early 40s have new options for gauging whether theyre still fertile: Doctors-office and at-home tests supposedly can estimate the number of viable eggs in their ovaries. There is a booming market for this kind of ovarian-reserve testing. In the United Kingdom, a private company associated with the University of Sheffield is even selling a mail-in blood test (its not yet available in the United States).
How they work: The U.K. test and also some U.S. fertility-clinic tests measure levels of Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and other substances called inhibin B and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which are present when egg-producing follicles are growing. Higher hormone levels suggest more fertility. Another test uses ultrasound to count the follicles with developing eggs. And the most common test measures FSH along with one form of estrogen. These tests, individually or in combination, may be able to tell if your ovaries are functioning normally.
Experts say: All this science has some flaws. Knowing that your ovaries are still working isnt the same as knowing how many viable eggs you have—or predicting the future. Even positive results dont mean you can count on a big window. At the same time, negative results dont mean youre out of luck.
“These tests cant tell you the prognosis a year from now,” says Marcelle Cedars, MD, director of the reproductive endocrinology division at the University of California, San Francisco. “Id hate to see people make important life decisions based on the results.”
Bottom line: Ultimately, age is still the most important factor when it comes to fertility prediction, says Mark Perloe, MD, medical director of Georgia Reproductive Specialists in Atlanta. If youre in your early 40s, the odds are against getting pregnant without help, no matter what the tests say. The odds are much better in your late 30s or younger. In short, the tests may be encouraging or discouraging, but they cannot accurately determine how much time youve got left for motherhood. May 08, 2015 at 02:15AM
How they work: The U.K. test and also some U.S. fertility-clinic tests measure levels of Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and other substances called inhibin B and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which are present when egg-producing follicles are growing. Higher hormone levels suggest more fertility. Another test uses ultrasound to count the follicles with developing eggs. And the most common test measures FSH along with one form of estrogen. These tests, individually or in combination, may be able to tell if your ovaries are functioning normally.
Experts say: All this science has some flaws. Knowing that your ovaries are still working isnt the same as knowing how many viable eggs you have—or predicting the future. Even positive results dont mean you can count on a big window. At the same time, negative results dont mean youre out of luck.
“These tests cant tell you the prognosis a year from now,” says Marcelle Cedars, MD, director of the reproductive endocrinology division at the University of California, San Francisco. “Id hate to see people make important life decisions based on the results.”
Bottom line: Ultimately, age is still the most important factor when it comes to fertility prediction, says Mark Perloe, MD, medical director of Georgia Reproductive Specialists in Atlanta. If youre in your early 40s, the odds are against getting pregnant without help, no matter what the tests say. The odds are much better in your late 30s or younger. In short, the tests may be encouraging or discouraging, but they cannot accurately determine how much time youve got left for motherhood. May 08, 2015 at 02:15AM
Feliratkozás:
Bejegyzések (Atom)