When Those Scary Sock Indentations Don’t Mean Edema
Discovering you may have edema, thanks to worrisome indentations in your skin caused by socks, is pretty unnerving.
That’s because edema can be caused by problems with the heart or kidneys. (more…)
Just What IS “Cloudy” Urine? Its Appearance and Color
The term “cloudy urine” comes up often on medical sites, but there’s no description of just what this is.
It’s open to subjective interpretation. To some people it can mean a milky colored urine.
To others it may bring to mind a cloudy color, kind of grey-like.
And to other people it can mean a murky quality to their light orange urine – the orange being from dehydration.
“Cloudy” is an overly broad term.
“Cloudy urine refers to urine that is not clear but uniformly opaque, like a cloud,” says Jenepher Piper, a family practice nurse practitioner for Maryland Family Care for 25+ years and a former nurse with Home Care Nurse for Johns Hopkins Home Care.
You may still be able to see through this type of excrement if it’s in a clear plastic cup.
It may also be cloudy enough or solid-looking enough that you would not be able to see your finger on the other side of the plastic cup.
“Cloudy urine doesn’t imply any change from typical urine color, light to dark yellow,” says Piper.
In other words, the murkiness can be present in any color on the urine spectrum, from clear/pale yellow to medium yellow to dark yellow to yellow-orange to light orange to orange (these colors are determined by hydration levels).
Urologic Oncologist’s Description of Cloudy Urine
“‘Cloudy’ urine can describe a wide variety of urine,” says Michael Herman, MD, director of urologic oncology at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, NY.
“It can range from urine that is just slightly translucent to flakes of sediment in the urine to urine that looks almost milky it is so cloudy.”
There are many causes of the so-called cloudy urine, and some of the non-cancerous causes can still be serious.
Patients suffering from conditions such as coronary artery disease, obesity and diabetes turn to Nurse Practitioner Piper to help them best manage their overall health.
Dr. Herman’s interests include reducing the over-diagnosis and over-treatment of prostate cancer by utilizing the latest biomarkers and imaging techniques. He is at the forefront of treatment and research of urologic cancers.
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/Andrew Safonov
Very Watery Eyes in the Morning: Causes & Solutions
Ever awaken with watery eyes? There are three basic causes to this annoying problem.
The first cause of both eyes being watery in the morning will surprise you. (more…)
Top 5 Causes of a 24/7 Headache Include Brain Tumor
If you’re wondering if a 24/7 headache can be caused by a brain tumor, the answer is yes, but there are four other leading causes of a headache that just won’t go away.
If you’ve been suffering from a nonstop or nearly nonstop headache, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it’s only natural to place a brain tumor at the top of the list of possible causes.
Many people’s first thought, about their 24/7 headache, is that it might be a brain tumor.
They google information about this but do not come up with anything reassuring.
Jenepher Piper has been a family practice nurse practitioner for Maryland Family Care for 25+ years and a former nurse with Home Care Nurse for Johns Hopkins Home Care. I asked her what were the top five causes of a 24/7 headache.
Causes of headaches span a wide range of medical domains, from neurosurgery to the ear, nose and throat specialty to neuropharmacology to cardiology and more.
Piper has worked with thousands of patients with all sorts of medical issues—including headaches from a variety of causes.
So according to Piper, here are the top five causes, in descending order, of a 24/7 headache:
Chronic Sinusitis
“Usually a result of uncontrolled allergic rhinitis causing chronic tissue swelling surrounding the nose, ears and throat, leading to blockage of sinus fluids and an increased pressure sensation or headache,” says Piper.
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
This cause will be the farthest thing from many people’s minds, as hypertension typically does not cause symptoms (it’s dubbed “the silent killer” by doctors).
People are taught to associate high blood pressure with an increased risk of stroke, not constant headache.
Piper explains, “Elevated blood pressure causes an increase of spinal fluid in the brain leading to increased intracranial pressure.”
Medication Side Effect
“Any substances leading to fluid retention (NSAIDS, prednisone, hormones) and intracranial pressure,” says Piper.
Medication Misuse/Overuse
“‘Chronic daily headache’ is a common term associated with a type of headache or migraine that has been ineffectively or improperly treated, eventually leading to a ‘medication rebound’ headache, dependent on the presence of chronic substance overuse (caffeine, anti-inflammatories, opiates or even medications developed specifically to treat headache like Imitrex or Maxalt, to name a couple),” explains Piper.
Brain Tumor (Rare)
A brain tumor “occupies space, pressing on vital structures and increasing pressure in the head by backing flow fluid and blood.”
The rareness of a brain tumor causing a constant headache is relative to the likeliest cause of this troubling symptom. That’s why it ranks at the bottom of the five.
So many more people suffer from the first four conditions that, from that perspective, the brain tumor IS rare.
However, among brain tumor patients, headache occurs in about 50 percent, says the American Brain Tumor Association.
Early on in a new-onset 24/7 headache that’s caused by a brain tumor, there MAY be no other symptoms.
But soon enough, there will be other symptoms, and they can run the gamut, but the more common ones are seizures, visual disturbances, cognitive changes, vomiting, nausea and weakness. It also won’t usually respond to common pain remedies.
A brain tumor headache also is usually worse in the morning. But honorable mention for a possible cause of an ongoing headache is sleep apnea.
The sleep apnea headache, like the brain tumor one, is typically worse upon awakening in the morning.
Patients suffering from conditions such as coronary artery disease, obesity and diabetes turn to Nurse Practitioner Piper to help them best manage their overall health.
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: ©Lorra Garrick
Sources:
abta.org/brain-tumor-information/symptoms/headaches.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/basics/symptoms/con-20020286
Causes of Both Legs Aching After Standing a Few Minutes
If both of your legs begin aching after you’ve been standing for only a few minutes, and this keeps happening, there are four likely causes, and one is serious. (more…)
Can You Gain Fat Drinking a Lot of Water?
Many people actually wonder if drinking large amounts of water on a recurring basis can cause you to gain fat.
Certainly, drinking a lot of water over a short period of time can make you feel bloated and heavy in the middle.
Maybe this is what causes some people to wonder if fat cells can be made bigger by water intake.
Water contains zero calories. It’s the stuff that doctors urge people to drink a lot of for weight loss, yet people think it could ADD fat too.
Where did the idea ever come from that drinking “too much” water can cause one to gain fat? Who knows, but here is some data…
If you drink way too much water, you’ll get what’s called water intoxication. It can be life threatening, and in fact, people have died from this.
If you drink 16 ounces of water all at once, your weight will be 16 ounces heavier than what it was prior.
That’s water weight, even if you feel bloated and even if you can see your belly sticking out a little more (from the fluid).
“NO, you cannot gain fat by drinking water,” says Susan L. Besser, MD, with Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, and Diplomate American Board of Obesity Medicine and board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.
Dr. Besser continues, “You may gain weight, temporarily (water weight), but as soon as you get rid of the extra water, the weight goes away. Water has NO CALORIES; it can’t be converted to fat (or anything else).”
The more water you drink, the more you must urinate. Your body is very efficient at managing water intake – up to a point.
Death, not Fat, by Water
There are rare cases in which a person drinks enormous amounts of water over a very short period of time and dies because of this.
No matter how much water you drink, it will have zero effect on your fat cells, in that it will not increase the volume of fat.
Drinking a ton of water will not indirectly cause fat gain, either.
But what makes someone drink enough H20 to die?
One such case was a high school football player who felt that drinking two gallons of water would alleviate his cramps.
Another was a woman who drank two gallons as part of a radio station contest.
A third person was a college man who drank too much water during fraternity initiation.
Excess water as in these cases causes cells to swell with fluid, which can lead to swelling in the brain and then brain death.
No amount of water causes fat gain.
Have you ever heard of a doctor or nutritionist telling a skinny person who wants to gain weight to drink more water?
Dr. Besser provides comprehensive family care, treating common and acute primary conditions like diabetes and hypertension. Her ongoing approach allows her the opportunity to provide accurate and critical diagnoses of more complex conditions and disorders.
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: ©Lorra Garrick
Sources:
cbsnews.com/news/georgia-teen-dies-from-drinking-too-much-water-gatorade/
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyponatremia/basics/definition/con-20031445
Does Sitting with Bad Posture Actually Cause Belly Fat?
The fat cells in your belly will not get bigger from bad sitting posture.
In order for the fat cells in your belly to increase in size and give you a bigger stomach, you would have to take in MORE calories than you are burning.
It’s that simple.
Bad posture including when sitting does not slow one’s metabolism—it does not stunt your ability to burn the food you eat.
Bad sitting posture does not cause fat to accumulate in the so-called fat cells – not the ones in your stomach and not the ones in your thighs, hips or elsewhere.
Now, improper sitting posture can cause low back pain or even a strain in a back muscle.
But the accumulation or addition of fat in the belly goes back to that simple formula:
Calories In vs. Calories Out
Multiple things influence this formula. For example, there are medications that are associated with weight gain.
There are medical conditions that can cause fat gain such as low thyroid.
There are conditions that cause hunger such as diabetes and hypoglycemia.
Some medications increase appetite, too.
All of these factors will cause fluctuations in body weight.
Excessive sitting is associated very strongly with obesity and even slight overweight. The more you sit, the less time you’re walking or exercising!
55158656@N06, CreativeCommons
But sitting POSTURE has absolutely no effect on the rate at which your body burns fat, calories or food. It has NO effect on the size of the fat cells in your belly.
When I was a personal trainer I never told my clients, “You can lose weight by improving your posture when sitting.”
And I never told my clients, “Sit upright rather than slouch, and watch the fat melt away.”
If you sit upright your belly won’t fold in on itself as much, and this will create an instant illusion of a trimmer middle. We all know that!
However, improving your posture when sitting will not speed up your metabolism, though it may make you feel perkier — which can then motivate you to get up and about more often — even hop on that dusty treadmill and stick to an exercise regimen — which can result in a loss of some belly fat.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
What Are New Colorless Moles on Your Face: Fast Growing Cancer?
Those clusters of colorless moles on your face can also occur elsewhere on your body and have people worried that they’re a fast spreading cancer.
They can definitely appear to be colorless moles – the color closely matching the hue of the patient’s surrounding normal skin. (more…)
Should All New Moles or Growths in Middle Aged Be Removed ?
Middle age is that time where you may be discovering odd new growths on your skin and even what appear to be new moles.
Melanoma can take on the appearance of a new mole, and a new mole in middle age is more likely to eventually become melanoma when compared to a new mole in early childhood.
New Moles or Growths in Middle Age
“A new growth could be a mole, but could also be a host of other things,” says Dr. Janet Prystowsky, MD, a board certified dermatologist in New York, NY, with 30+ years’ experience.
“Not everything needs to be removed if you notice it for the first time,” she continues.
“Sometimes you may have a mole that you think is new but is actually rather old.
“However, it’s always best to contact your dermatologist if you notice any changes in your skin.
“On a case by case basis, your dermatologist may decide whether your new growth is something to be concerned about. If so, a biopsy will determine whether some form of surgery is necessary.”
Punch biopsy tools; different sizes for different size growths. Shutterstock/Peter Sobolev
A common new “growth” in middle age is a seborrheic keratosis (above).
These can scare people into thinking they’re melanoma, especially if they grow on the face.
There’s something about the face that tends to make people more nervous than if a new growth is on a leg or arm.
A seborrheic keratosis is a benign barnacle that can be mistaken for a mole or melanoma.
A dermatologist can often make an exact determination after viewing it through a dermatoscope, though there are times when a biopsy is required for a definite diagnosis.
Seborrheic keratoses do not need to be removed unless they are creating a cosmetic issue.
They will never turn into melanoma, though a melanoma can grow inside them by coincidence.
If you’re middle aged and have not yet gotten familiar with the various “growths,” spots or moles on your body and face, it’s time to take inventory so that you know what’s normally there and what is not. People past 40 also often begin getting angiomas on their skin.
In combination with her focus on early skin cancer detection and removal, Dr. Prystowsky provides a wide range of revitalizing and rejuvenating treatments.
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/Andrey_Popov
Can Normal Mole Hurt if Irritated? Or Does Hurting Mean Cancer?
You irritated a mole, perhaps with clothing or scratching over it without realizing it, and it now hurts; does this mean cancer even though it looks normal?
Common moles can get irritated in everyday life. Depending on their location, they can get irritated by being rubbed against by clothing.
For example a bra strap can irritate the same mole on a daily basis.
The result can be an obvious hurting or soreness coming from the mole.
Some people are worried that the degree of this is either predictive of future cancer or melanoma, or that it means that the cancer is already present (though not visible to the naked eye).
Can a perfectly normal mole still hurt if it gets irritated?
“Even a normal mole can hurt if it is irritated,” says Dr. Janet Prystowsky, MD, who’s a board certified dermatologist in New York, NY, with 30+ years’ experience.
“Any skin that is irritated can hurt. However, a mole that appears more irritated than your other moles might be a sign of concern,” especially if there’s no recent history of that mole getting rubbed against by clothing or being scratched over.
Dr. Prystowsky adds, “Also, a chronically traumatized mole increases its risk of becoming a skin cancer.
“Contact your dermatologist if you are concerned. A biopsy will tell you whether your mole is benign or a skin cancer [melanoma].”
In combination with her focus on early skin cancer detection and removal, Dr. Prystowsky provides a wide range of revitalizing and rejuvenating treatments.
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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