Heat or ice for pain?
Cleveland Clinic offers these tips to keep in mind when deciding between ice or heat for aching muscles and joints. Whether you’ve pulled a muscle in your calf or back, it’s best to start off with ice to ease inflammation and numb the pain. Only after the inflammation resolves is it a good idea to switch to heat; this can help relieve any muscle stiffness at the injury site. Tendinitis? Ice is the preferred method, as it can ease the inflammation and help numb the pain. And for acute injuries, avoid heat, because extra heat can increase inflammation and delay proper healing.
Yep, smoking causes wrinkles
Nicotine, other chemicals in cigarettes, smoking behaviors and other factors may contribute to wrinkles and premature aging of the skin, reports Mayo Clinic. Here’s why: 1) Nicotine causes blood vessels to narrow, reducing oxygen flow and nutrients to skin cells; 2) a number of chemicals trigger molecular events that remodel or damage structures necessary for skin elasticity and health; 3) repetitive squinting and lip pursing contribute to lines around the mouth and eyes; and 4) heat and un-inhaled smoke may dry and damage the surface of the skin. These same factors may also result in decreased ability of the skin to repair wounds, such as cuts or scrapes. The damage to skin from smoking can’t be reversed. But quit smoking now and you will no longer accelerate the problem and may prevent worsening of the damage.
Virtual care skyrockets
The number of virtual services used by Anthem’s affiliated Medicare Advantage members in March through May 2020 was 136 times greater than in the same months the year before, increasing from 4,400 to 600,000. Mental health conditions and substance use disorders comprised the largest group of primary diagnoses treated virtually, with year-over-year growth in services of more than 5,000%.
Digital solution for alcohol use disorder
Swedish pharmaceutical and digital therapeutic company Orexo launched a digital solution for alcohol use disorder called vorvida, with the help of Accenture’s INTIENT Patient platform, reports Healthcare IT News. Once it gathers the user’s consumption information, vorvida helps manage their alcohol use by assisting in recognizing habits, changing thought patterns, adjusting everyday consumption and preparing for the future. The system adjusts over time through weekly questionnaires about mood and usage. Digital interventions for alcohol use disorder are becoming more common and are typically effective in decreasing consumption, according to a report from the National Library of Medicine.
Breastfeeding good for babies’ dental health
Children who were exclusively breastfed for six months were less likely to have dental disease, according to data presented at the virtual American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo, reports Healio Primary Care. Researcher Nastocia Bafford, MPH, a fellow at Nemours Children’s Health System, and colleagues studied the association between exclusive breastfeeding and the risk for dental disorders in 24,655 children aged six months to five years whose parents or guardians had completed the National Survey of Children’s Health in 2011 or 2012. Results showed that children who were breastfed exclusively for six months were 28% less likely to have dental tooth decay, cavities or toothaches than children who were never breastfed.