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Your Health transcript -- Edition 19Welcome to edition number 19 of Your Health. We try to offer information and resources to help you and your loved ones stay healthy. In this edition, we'll learn about a new treatment for prostate cancer patients. With fall approaching, we'll find out if there's real science behind the theory that changes in the weather can make your joints ache. And we'll look at cold sores and what you can do about them. Among men in the U.S., prostate cancer is the most common form of the disease, not counting skin cancers. Approximately 221,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed each year. 1 man in 6 will get prostate cancer. So any news about effective treatments is worth sharing. That's why our Robin Barry spent a few minutes with Dr. Matt Anderson, a urologist practicing mostly in the Oshkosh area, about something called “seed therapy.” <Interview transcript not available> To learn more, go to www.Aurora.org/brachy. We're rapidly getting to that time when the leaves turn and the mercury starts to drop. For many people, the flare-up of an arthritic knee or shoulder appears to signal these kinds of changes in the weather, or they hint that a storm is imminent. The belief that achy joints accompany a weather change is so widespread, in fact, that it has just about been accepted as reality. Many doctors listen to patients complain that they experience stiff or aching joints before, during, or after changes in temperature, barometric pressure, or humidity. Yet, in spite of the widespread belief in a connection between aches and pains and inclement weather, medical researchers have come up with little evidence to support it. Changes in the weather such as barometric pressure, humidity and temperature could theoretically affect the synovial fluid that lines and lubricates the joints if, for example, they had a chemical effect on the fluid which somehow increased inflammation (which causes pain). However, there is no conclusive evidence that supports this theory. Since at least the mid-1800s, a number of medical, and so-called bio-meteorologic research studies have been carried out in an effort to establish a connection between health and changing weather conditions. The results of these studies have been varied. Based primarily on a compilation of patient anecdotes, increased barometric pressure in fair weather conditions has been associated with increased joint pain. Conversely, other studies have shown a relationship between increased joint pain and decreased barometric pressure, usually in stormier weather. Still other studies have suggested that changing weather conditions can cause immediate pain in some patients and delayed pain in others. It is important to note that because most studies on this subject have been based on anecdotal reports rather than carefully designed observational studies, their conclusions don't constitute reliable scientific evidence. Furthermore, many doctors claim that the wide variety of arthritic conditions and sheer complexity of atmospheric variability makes coming up with meaningful connections between joint pain and weather conditions next to impossible. There is also a psychological aspect to this belief. What are the chances that the connection between health and the weather is simply coincidental? Is it possible that arthritis sufferers link their stiff and achy joints to changes in the weather as a way of explaining an otherwise mysterious worsening of their condition? Some doctors suggest that patients who observe weather conditions when they experience pain may pay little or no attention to the weather when they don't have any pain. Furthermore, there is no definitive evidence that moving to a warmer or drier climate provides a cure for aching joints. Some doctors report that many patients claim that the pain disappears for a while, only to return a few months later. In spite of researchers' failure to find a meaningful connection between weather changes and health, some doctors consider their patients' unwavering belief that changing barometric pressure is responsible for their aches and pains to be proof enough. This notion is innocent enough as long as it doesn't interfere with their patients' motivation to change the things they actually can control. Anticipation of a favorable weather forecast is no substitution for exercise, weight loss and medication when necessary. Anybody who has had a cold sore, sometimes referred to as a fever blister, knows they are a pain. They are typically a cluster of painful tiny small bumps or blisters on the outer lip. Typically, there are 3-5 blisters within a ½ inch area. The small blisters often rupture and form 1 big sore. Cold sores are recurrent painful blisters on the outer lip caused by the Herpes simplex virus, usually Type I. Approximately 80% of the adult population has had herpes simplex at some point in their lives. The very first episode of infection can present as sores on the inside of the mouth, often with a fever and feeling sick. More commonly, people have no symptoms at all during the first episode. After the first episode of Herpes, the virus stays hidden in a facial sensory nerve. It can be reactivated by sun exposure, fever, friction, trauma, menstrual periods, stress or physical exhaustion. Such recurrences occur in 20% of the adult population. Typically, the symptoms are confined to the lip and there is no fever. This is a self-limiting illness that resolves without any treatment in 7 -10 days. If you are looking for an over-the-counter remedy, there are creams that can help. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about them. Your doctor can prescribe a cream that you use four times daily. It is, however, more expensive than over-the-counter remedies. Available oral anti-viral medications may provide some modest benefit, shortening symptom duration by 1 day and reducing symptoms. However, the research is not conclusive and such treatment is not standard practice. You will need to discuss this with your physician. If you feel weak or very sick, have sores on the eye, eyelids or the tip of nose, or if there is a red streak or red area spreading from the cold sore, call your doctor right away. Call your doctor the next business day if you are HIV positive, are undergoing cancer chemotherapy, have had a recent organ transplant or splenectomy, or are undergoing chronic steroid therapy. Also call if you have new sores occurring in another area. You should also call your doctor if cold sores are a recurrent problem, and you want a prescription medicine to prevent future outbreaks, or if the outbreak lasts longer than 10 days. Herpes from cold sores is contagious to other people. Don't pick or rub the sore. Don't open the blisters. And wash your hands frequently. The cold sores are contagious until dry (approximately 5 days). Most cold sore sufferers note a tingling in the lip before the sore appears. Patients are also contagious during this time period. Avoid spreading the virus to someone's eye by kissing or touching; an eye infection can be serious. Also avoid sharing drinking glasses, eating utensils, or razors. The pain typically subsides over 4-5 days and the sores typically heal over a 7-10 day period. On average, patients note recurrences 2-3 times per year. Since cold sores are often triggered by exposure to intense sunlight, use a lip balm containing a sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher). Remember to call your doctor if the sores look infected as evidenced by spreading redness, if the sores occur near or in the eye, or if they last longer than 10 days. To learn more or to get help with other common illnesses and injuries, go to www.Aurora.org/HouseCalls. Thanks for listening to Your Health. We hope you found it useful. We're always eager to hear from you, so please let us know what's on your mind or how we can help by sending us an email at internet@aurora.org. I'm Neal Linkon, and thanks for joining us. To listen to this podcast
Your Health, Edition 19 (11:12)
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