Staying Healthy Archive

Ask the doctors

Q. Should pregnant or breastfeeding women and their children use sunscreen?

A. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that people avoid applying sunscreen to the skin of babies younger than 6 months of age, and instead shield them from the sun, keeping them in the shade as much as possible. It's also a good idea to protect them from the sun using clothing, hats, and sunglasses.

Simple everyday objects can result in cuts, bruises, and broken bones.

 Image: © fotokostic/Getty Images

Everyday objects from pet supplies to kitchen appliances may seem innocuous, but they can cause injuries, including bone breaks, cuts, and burns. Doctors who treat these injuries often see some common themes. We asked Dr. Tamara Rozental, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School, about what injuries she frequently sees from common items — and ways to stay safe.

Dog leashes

"I see many injuries from dog leashes. People often get tangled and pulled over," Dr. Rozental says. In other instances, fingers get bent, broken, or crushed when people get their hand stuck in the leash and the dog pulls.

Research we're watching

The FDA is warning consumers not to buy in to the idea that a pill can protect your skin from the sun.

In a statement issued May 22, FDA officials said they've found companies selling pills that are labeled as dietary supplements and that claim to protect skin from the sun.

Do you sometimes feel like the Energizer Bunny with a weak battery? You start out strong, but by midafternoon you're starting to flag.

We all get tired from time to time, but fatigue tends to become more common as we get older. Assuming your doctor has ruled out medical causes for persistent fatigue, there are a few basic steps you can take to feel more energetic day to day.

No one wants to be have to go to a hospital, but there are times when it's unavoidable. Having some advance knowledge about the hospital experience may help you feel more comfortable in the event you or someone you know has to go to the ER or be admitted.

Moving throughout the day offers big benefits for your long-term health.

 Image: © Paul Bradbury/Getty Images

There's an old saying: "If you want to stay moving, you have to get moving." But for a lot of us, that's easier said than done.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says we've become a nation of sitters, and our increasingly sedentary lifestyle has become America's primary health crisis, especially for older adults.

On call

 Image: © Fertnig/Getty Images

Q. I'm 65 years old and have never had any bone health issues. Should I get a bone density test?

A. Bone density testing is a specialized x-ray technique used to diagnose osteoporosis (thin bones), a condition that increases the lifetime risk of fracture by six times in men.

In the journals

Can higher protein intake build more muscle in older men? Not according to a study in the April 2018 JAMA Internal Medicine.

The researchers randomized 92 men, average age 73, into four groups. One group followed a daily diet containing 0.8 grams (g) of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight, the daily Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for all adults, and a weekly placebo injection; another consumed 1.3 g/kg and the placebo injection; a third consumed the 0.8-g/kg diet, but also received a weekly 100-mg injection of testosterone, and the fourth group ate a 1.3-g/kg diet and got a weekly testosterone injection. (The testosterone was included to see if higher protein increased the hormone's muscle-growing effect.)

In the journals

A higher intake of dairy foods, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese, is associated with higher bone density, especially in the spine, in older men, according to a study published online March 30, 2018, by the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

Men in their 50s do not experience the rapid loss of bone mass that women do in the years following menopause. However, by their late 60s, they lose bone mass at the same rate as women. These changes can increase their risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

Research we're watching

There's a lot of buzz these days about how gut bacteria affect your health, but those might not be the only body microbes that matter. The population of bacteria in your mouth may also play a role in your risk of various diseases. And researchers recently found that alcohol consumption could influence your oral bacteria.

A study published online April 23 by Microbiome found that people who had one or more alcoholic drinks a day had more harmful bacteria in their mouths than nondrinkers. The researchers found types of bacteria that have been linked to gum disease, cancer, and heart disease.