Hyperacusis vs. Hating Loud Noise: Telling the Difference
Does a dislike for loud noise—even a hatred for it—always have to mean that you have hyperacusis or an abnormal sensitivity to sound?
What if someone hates loudness because they are very vigilant about preventing hearing loss? (more…)
One Eye Protrudes More than the Other: Should You Worry?
If one of your eyes has been sticking out or bulging lately, this could be a sign of a brain tumor, eye tumor or sinus tumor.
When an eye protrudes, this is called proptosis. (more…)
Why Don’t Oral Appliances Work As Well As CPAP?
Seems that a mandibular advancement device (MAD) would keep the airway open continuously, yet this oral appliance is no match for CPAP when it comes to obstructive sleep apnea of moderate to severe degree. (more…)
Can a Fit, Trim Athletic Person Have Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
You should never assume that you can’t possibly have obstructive sleep apnea just because you’re lean, buff and compete in triathlons or CrossFit. (more…)
Poop Coming Out when Passing Gas: Causes & Solutions
Do you sometimes have a leak of poop spurt out when you fart?
If gooey poop leaks out only very occasionally when you pass gas, this is nothing to worry about and is probably one of the ways that the human body can be imperfect at times. (more…)
Here’s Why You Poop Right After Meals
Why does it seem that almost every time you have a particular meal such as dinner or lunch, you have to poop immediately after?
Is there really a cause and effect relationship between when you finish a meal and when you have to poop? (more…)
Exercise Can Help Prevent a Massive Stroke; Best Exercises
There’s plenty of studies showing that exercise lowers the risk of suffering from a stroke, but what about outright prevention of a massive or severe stroke? (more…)
Do Really Foul Smelling Farts Mean You’re Not Healthy?
It’s been said (by an unknown number of laypeople) that very stinky farts mean GOOD health.
But can really foul smelling gas mean an illness?
Truth is, the only people seemingly capable of announcing that really bad smelling farts means that a person is healthy are those who have really wicked smelling farts.
It kind of gets them off the hook (or so they think) next time they let a really bad one rip.
The Link Between Stinky Gas and the State of One’s Health
“To my knowledge, such odors bear no signs of ill health,” says Morton Tavel, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, and author of “Health Tips, Myths and Tricks: A Physician’s Advice.”
“Moreover, it’s unlikely that this will be subjected to future scientific analysis, since judgment of odor quality is highly subjective,” adds Dr. Tavel.
Is there really a such thing as nice smelling gas?
The passing of gas has a bad smell (except maybe to the person who’s doing it).
But let’s face it: Sometimes one’s farts reek a lot stronger or “worse” than they usually do. And why does this sometimes happen?
This is related to what a person has eaten.
For instance, if you’ve eaten a food that promotes the release of gas, the odor may be a lot more evil than what you’re used to.
This may occur if you’ve eaten a food with a high amount of inulin.
Inulin is a starchy substance that the “good” bacteria in your gut likes to feed on.
And when the bacteria do this, they release gas. And this can make you pass a lot of gas — that makes anyone near you want to hold their nose.
And we all know that farts smell the worst when they are passed by someone other than yourself.
But whether your health is good, decent or bad, the state of your health will not affect the smell of your gas.
Dr. Tavel’s medical research includes over 125 publications, editorials and book reviews in peer-reviewed national medical journals. He was formerly director of the cardiac rehabilitation program at St. Vincent Hospital in Indiana. mortontavel.com
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/9nong
Can Twitching in the Butt Mean Serious Medical Condition?
The butt has large muscles and when they begin twitching, this is hard to ignore.
“Twitching of various muscles are, in medical lingo, termed fasciculations, which are small, local, involuntary contractions of muscles in any location (usually outside the butt) that may be visible under the skin,” explains Morton Tavel, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, and author of “Health Tips, Myths and Tricks: A Physician’s Advice.”
Common sights for fasciculations are the eyelid, a finger or toe, the arch of the foot, the calf and the front and back of the thigh.
But the butt, though not among the most common locations for twitching, can definitely develop this.
The three main muscles of the buttocks are the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus: the “glutes.”
Causes of Twitching Muscles butt
Dr. Tavel explains, “They arise as a result of spontaneous depolarization [de-charging] of nerve cells causing synchronous contraction of muscle fibers within a single group of these cells.
“Although fasciculations have a variety of causes, the majority are benign.
“They are encountered by virtually all healthy people, though for most, they are quite infrequent.
“In some cases, however, their presence can be rather annoying.”
The top reasons for a twitching muscle are exercise (particularly strenuous or prolonged), anxiety and mineral deficiency.
If your butt has been twitching lately, ask yourself if you recently did any glute-engaging exercise.
Shutterstock/Oleksandr Zamuruiev
More than once, the muscles in my butt were twitching away after I went on a long grueling hike.
The twitching wasn’t noticeable until I settled into a comfortable chair later on that day and began working on my computer. I then felt the fasciculations.
And the truth is, I LOVED them! They felt like the fingers of a deep tissue massager. I enjoyed this built-in massage!
Pathological Cause disease
Dr. Tavel says, “Unusually, they can also be due to disease of the nerve cells, in which case they are persistent and associated with other, more widespread muscular disorders.”
If your only symptom is the twitching in your butt (the type of twitching that you’ve very likely experienced many times with an eyelid), and especially if your rump muscles have very recently carried you through a Zumba class, running, strength training or yoga …
… then you should just relax, empty the fearful thoughts from your head and sleep like a baby.
“If a neurological examination and other tests are otherwise normal, a diagnosis of benign fasciculation syndrome is usually made, and it is best ignored,” says Dr. Tavel.
Dr. Tavel’s medical research includes over 125 publications, editorials and book reviews in peer-reviewed national medical journals. He was formerly director of the cardiac rehabilitation program at St. Vincent Hospital in Indiana. mortontavel.com
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Top image: Shutterstock/Pixelato by Pearl
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