PINK EYE IS NOT THAT BAD

It's "Pink Eye" season, as well as flu season. Like most terms for diseases, "Pink Eye" is a term that gets batted around freely, and usually inaccurately. Let's clear up this concept a bit.

WHAT IS PINK EYE?
Pink eye is better known as "infectious conjunctivitis," a contagious infection of the eye which is fortunately very benign. There are strange varieties of this in the developing world, but here in the U.S. there are just 2 main types. Both cause the eye or eyes to be red, painful, itchy, sensitive to light, and sometimes full of mucus and pus. Pink eye lasts weeks. If your eyes are itchy, watery, or bothersome intermittently for months or years, you don't have pink eye, you have eye allergies.
THE 2 TYPES OF PINK EYE:
1. Viral conjunctivitis- this accounts for more than 90% of cases of pink eye. There is no cure, you just have to suffer for 2-4 weeks until it goes away. Most people, including doctors, incorrectly think that you need antibiotic eye drops to treat this. You don't. Antibiotic eye drops for viral pink eye will either do nothing, or make your eyes burn more.
2. Bacterial conjunctivitis- this causes about 5-10% of cases of pink eye. It usually affects just one eye, and is not quite as contagious to others. This type of pink eye gets gradually worse without treatment with antibiotic drops, and it DOES NOT go away on its own.
HOW DO YOU TELL VIRAL PINK EYE FROM BACTERIAL PINK EYE?
Fortunately, it's not that hard. Bacterial pink eye (the one that requires antibiotic drops) produces large amounts of white or yellow pus in the eye, so that in the morning the eye is crusty and initially hard to open. It's quite painful, and while it can be in both eyes, it's usually just in one eye. It also progresses; each day it gets more red, more painful, and there is more pus. So if you think you have bacterial pink eye, see your doctor!
By contrast, the common viral pink eye is very annoying, but does not get worse day by day. It can be painful and irritating, and it easily spreads to the other eye. It can also produce a lot of mucus in the eye, but this is usually clear mucus that is sticky in the morning and more "runny" the rest of the day. It's not white or yellow mucus. NO eye drops will shorten the duration of viral pink eye.
HOW DOES PINK EYE SPREAD?
1. Bacterial: infected body secretions have to actually get into your eye to give you bacterial pink eye. Babies can get it just from being born, via contact with vaginal bacteria (all babies are usually given a dose of eye ointment at birth to prevent this). But you can probably get it from the saliva, snot, or eye secretions of your child, spouse, or friend. So if someone you're in close contact with probably has bacterial pink eye, see your doctor if your eye starts bothering you.
2. Viral: viral pink eye is very contagious. It almost seems to spread via "ESP" or perhaps through the "fabric of the universe." It's possible that it can travel on water vapor in the air, and just "land on" your eye. It certainly can be spread by close contact with infected people, especially if you happen to rub your eye. If your child has viral pink eye, I suggest you simply get some sunglasses and assume you'll have it within the week.
HOW DO YOU TREAT PINK EYE?
1. Bacterial: get some antibiotic drops from your doctor; most eye doctors and optometrists can write a prescription for these as well. Put a cold, wet towel over your closed eye for 10 minutes periodically- it can be very soothing. Take ibuprofen or naproxen for the pain. You'll be better soon.
2. Viral: you can try anti-inflammatory drops such as Naphcon, Zaditor, Ophcon, or Visine; they usually don't help much. A lubricating drop such as "Artificial Tears" is probably more helpful. Use a cool compress on your eye or eyes when you have time. Wear sunglasses. Try some ibuprofen or naproxen. Rest. You won't be better that soon, but there are worse diseases to have.
WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE PINK EYE, BACTERIAL OR VIRAL:
-Don't wear contact lenses
-Don't swim in chlorinated pools (not dangerous to do, just painful)
-Don't handle other people's small children
-Don't get eye surgery
-Don't ask your doctor for narcotics (we know it doesn't hurt that bad)

THE FLU SHOT: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Yes, it's almost flu season again. That means it's the season when many people will start spreading various myths, inaccuracies, untrue stories, and other nonsense about the flu shot and why they don't get it. I don't care that much- people are free to skip out on getting flu shots if they want to. I just want you to know the facts about it, so that you can make an INTELLIGENT choice as to whether or not you want the flu shot. I'll give you the facts via a format I like, the common "Frequently Asked Questions" or FAQs.

THE FLU SHOT: FAQs

Q: Can the flu shot give you the flu?

A: NO. The flu shot is a dead, killed, completely inactive virus. You cannot get an actual flu from the flu shot, even if your immune system is weak or nonexistent. There ARE some live flu vaccines that are given as a nasal spray, but I don't trust these; they haven't been around long enough. They can't give you the flu either if your immune system is normal. Your doctor probably has the good 'ol flu shot for you anyway.

Q: I got the flu and it was just like a bad cold, and I got over it. Why bother getting a shot to prevent this?

A: You didn't have the flu. You had a bad cold. Did you have shaking chills, a fever over 102, severe diarrhea, and body aches that were so bad you couldn't get off the couch for almost 2 weeks? I didn't think so. You had a cold. Stop telling people you had the flu. If you had the flu you'd be begging for the flu shot this year.

Q: Does the flu shot make you feel sick afterwards?

A: Sometimes. It may give you a low-grade fever, MILD body aches, fatigue, and nausea for 1 (one) day. If it gave you these symptoms for longer than that, you either had a cold coming your way already, or you are a hypochondriac (see earlier post about hypochondriasis).

Q: Can't the flu shot give my child autism?

A: No. This question has been addressed in studies that are some of the largest clinical trials in medical history, and time and again, it's been shown that there is NO provable link between ANY vaccine given to children, and autism. But there are much bigger, fancier blogs and web sites than mine that will tell you the opposite. I go with the science, and I believe the scientific studies on this issue (which, by the way, are NOT funded by the drug companies) are conclusive.

The flu shot is safe for kids, and kids don't like having the flu.

Q: Who should get the flu shot?

A: Everyone. I'd say everyone "should" get the flu shot, but I don't push the issue in young, healthy people. Why? Because the flu sucks, but it won't kill those people. I do push the issue in some patients (see next question).

Q: Who REALLY SHOULD get the flu shot?

A: Senior citizens (people over 65), people with diabetes, people with lung diseases such as emphysema or pulmonary fibrosis, people with cancer, heavy smokers, people with heart failure and other chronic heart conditions, and young children (under 5 is "young" in my book but ask your pediatrician since I don't treat kids). Why is it so important? Because for these folks, the flu is a life-threatening illness.

Q: Does the flu shot protect you from the dreaded "bird flu?"

A: No. Unfortunately, modern medicine has absolutely nothing that can prevent or cure the "bird flu." Your best bet is still to avoid frolicking in Asian live poultry markets.

Q: I've heard that the flu vaccine doesn't protect you from all normal flu viruses. Is this true?

A: Yes. Flu viruses mutate every year, which is why the flu vaccine has to be made from scratch every season. Sometimes the flu viruses circulate in greater variety. For example, in 2006 the vaccine was quite good, protecting against over 75% of common flu viruses. Last year, the vaccine was relatively mediocre (60% protection or so at best). Unfortunately, we don't know how effective a given flu vaccine will be until we are well into the flu season.

Q: When should I get the flu vaccine?

A: As soon as your doctor, office, pharmacy, or local clinic has it available.

Q: When is it "too late" to get the flu shot?

A: When there are none left. It's amazing how long flu season lasts- while fall and winter are the worst times, we still see cases well into spring. So if you haven't made it in for a checkup until January and your doctor offers you a flu shot, I recommend you take it.

THE VARIETIES OF THE SHELLFISH EXPERIENCE

Many people are allergic to shellfish; most of those people, however, can eat regular fish, or "finfish" as they are called in the nutritional literature. One of my dear friends, however, is allergic to "finfish" but not to shellfish, prompting me to look into the health benefits of eating these animals. After all, they sure are tasty!
It turns out that the data are somewhat mixed, but on the whole I can thankfully say: SHELLFISH ARE GOOD FOR YOU, with a few qualifications. In fact, many shellfish are EXTREMELY GOOD FOR YOU! Let's break them down by pros and cons:

1. SCALLOPS: in my literature review, it turned out that scallops were probably the healthiest shellfish out there. While they are not as high in the beneficial omega-fatty acids as some of the other shellfish, they are very high in protein, vitamins, and minerals, and relatively low in cholesterol. I would say with no reservations that if you want to eat shellfish frequently, scallops are the way to go. They are easy to grill, which is another benefit, and they freeze well.
2. CRABS AND LOBSTERS: these are a mixed bag. Believe it or not, these spiny crustaceans actually have the most beneficial omega-fatty acids of all the shellfish. So in terms of their anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, crabs and lobsters are the best shellfish choice. Some problems: First, they are overfished and numbers are declining. Second, they are high in cholesterol, which itself can contribute to heart disease. Balancing out the risk/benefits however, these are still healthier food choices than most animal meats.
3. CLAMS: not a bad food by any means. They are loaded with protein, B vitamins (who knew?) and lots of minerals. They are moderately high in cholesterol, but not as much as most animal meats. They can also be farmed, and for reasons I don't understand farmed shellfish do not seem to cause environmental degredation (the way some farmed finfish do). Of course, all filter feeding shellfish such as clams, mussels, and oysters can cause outbreaks of disease when they feed on toxic algae. But this can be avoided by cooking them.
4. MUSSELS: similar to clams, with a bit more cholesterol but also more minerals.
5. OYSTERS: similar to mussels. Naturally, they are delicious raw. They have a modest amount of cholesterol but also a modest amount of healthy omega-fatty acids. I say: eat them all you want. Yes, you could get food poisoning from them when you eat them raw, but in recent years there have been VERY few reports of food poisoning from oysters. It's fast-food beef and commercial vegetables you need to watch out for in this regard.
6. CRAWFISH (otherwise known as crayfish, crawdads, and mudbugs): nutritionally these are similar to lobsters and crabs, but lack much of the beneficial omega fatty-acids. So they are not as good for you as crabs and lobsters, and they have quite a bit of cholesterol. They are a treat when fresh, but hard to find, so most of you probably don't eat a ton of these anyway. I order them from Louisiana once a year and pig out on them for about a week, and it's fun. But I wouldn't recommend doing that every weekend.
7. SHRIMP: unfortunately, our beloved shrimp round out the bottom of the list, nutritionally. They are a great source of protein and minerals, but they are also the highest in cholesterol of all the shellfish. They do have some anti-inflammatory fatty acids in them, which might offset this a bit. But they don't have much. They are also filling, and filling foods can help reduce calorie intake for people who need to lose weight. I don't think they are a bad choice overall, and the prevalence of shrimp farming has led to less overharvesting of shrimp from the sea. My concern is that if you eat shrimp more than once every 1-2 weeks, they can increase your cholesterol numbers. Personally, I'm going to start eating less shrimp and a lot more scallops.
NOTE: I did not investigate thoroughly the "sustainability" of the above shellfish foods. However, people in the know have told me that "farmed" shellfish are both healthy and neutral to the environment. So unless you know something I don't, go for farmed shellfish and learn how to like scallops if you can.

BACK IN ACTION

I apologize to all 3 of my readers for my prolonged absence. I was at an amazing art festival in the middle of the desert in Nevada, for over a week. There was no internet access there. I was totally out of touch. Blogging was impossible.

TODAY'S TOPIC: YET MORE BITE-SIZED HEALTH TIPS!
1. What sort of fish should I eat? Check out this concept: the lower on the food chain, the better. A dude wrote a whole book (a great one) on that. The idea is that the higher you go up the fish food chain, the more MERCURY you are exposed to. What you want is the little fish, the ones that eat plankton, algae, and tiny shrimps, etc. What do I mean? Herring, sardines, and anchovies, especially. Yes, they are not that exciting to most people- so ask me if you want some "exciting recipes" using these fish!
2. Sun protection? Look for SPF 30 sunscreens. Evidence does not support the use of higher SPF lotions for most people. As I sit here with fried, cracked, burnt lips, I am reminded to tell you: don't forget your lips when you are trying to protect yourself! Get an SPF 15 or 30 lip balm, better yet get a few since they are easy to lose.
3. Are eggs unhealthy? No, unless you are allergic to them. In recent studies eggs have come through as perhaps the MOST complete form of protein (meaning essential amino acids) on the planet, at least for humans. The cardiac risks of egg consumption have been vastly overrated, and in fact eggs may have some good fats as well as some unhealthy cholesterol. Doctors in the know are now saying you can have an egg a day and that's probably a good thing. Or save your "egg credits" all week and have a big 4-egg omelette on the weekend!
4. Gary Null is full of shit: weeks ago I was trying to support some of Gary Null's nutritional advice, since the guy knows food. That's before I heard him claim that "I don't wear sunscreen, and I'm in the sun all day. I eat antioxidants, and they protect my skin better than any sunscreen, without the chemicals." First of all, if you've seen Gary Null on TV, you know that his skin actually looks like crap. Second, the above statement is so profoundly misguided that I'm afraid I must abandon any support for anything that guy says. You can eat all the antioxidants you want, and your unprotected skin will still get fried and develop skin cancer. The antioxidants are clearly not slowing down Gary Null's dementia either.
5. Don't waste your money on magnets. There are various wristbands, socks, and other crap with magnets in them to help you relieve pain. If you believe in these, I can't help you. You don't believe in these, do you?
6. Reader question: Is skateboarding exercise? You bet it is! Just wear a helmet, please.
That's all for today, folks; please send me more comments and reader questions!

MORE BITE SIZED TIPS FOR YOUR WEEKEND

As I do every four years, I've been watching the Olympics fairly religiously. This one in Beijing is the best summer Olympics I can recall. I have to commend China, whatever you might feel about them: they have done a hell of a job building facilities and running a fantastic sports extravaganza. I personally could care less how old their gymnasts are. In watching these sports, it's interesting to see the athletes and what sort of shape they are in. I've come to some conclusions about the relative health of athletes, and these conclusions are not just opinions. They are well substantiated by studies of athletes as they age.


THE HEALTHIEST OLYMPIC SPORT: SWIMMING
Why? Simple. Swimming provides good cardiovascular training, the involvement of most if not all muscle groups, and is very low-impact. Swimming injuries are few, far between, and generally minor. Drawbacks: requires a pool and silly clothing. Michael Phelps may be dull as a post, but you can't deny that dude is in good shape.



THE LEAST HEALTHY OLYMPIC SPORT: GYMNASTICS
Why? Gymnastics is not exercise, it's torture. The constant impact on the joints, especially in young girls, combined with anatomically harsh angles and hard falls, is a recipe for poor health. In the best of cases, gymnastics can lead to Olympic medals. In most cases, it leads to recurrent severe injuries and chronic pain. Don't believe me? Consider this: the age range of our Olympic women's gymnastics team is 16-20 years. All of them, with the exception of 1, have already had orthopedic surgery. Ask Mary Lou Retton (my childhood hero) about her hip replacement. Nobody as young as Mary Lou should need a hip replacement. If you have a young daughter who wants to do gymnastics, I suggest you gently but firmly tell them to take up something safer, such as motorcycle racing or BASE jumping.

READER QUESTION: FLOURIDE?
A friend of mine recently blew me away by getting a letter published in The Economist, then stumped me with a question about flouride in kids' toothpaste. I'm a big fan of flouride, and I get pissed when I see toothpaste in health food stores marketed as "flouride free." Turns out that it's DIFFERENT FOR KIDS. While flouride is in most toothpaste for school-aged kids, younger kids are supposed to brush their teeth with FLOURIDE FREE toothpaste. This is because flouride hardens the teeth and makes the tooth enamel more permanent. But when kids are still growing their permanent teeth, they don't have hard, permanent enamel established. When you use flouride toothpaste in young kids, especially before age 2, the enamel hardens prematurely on the new teeth as they grow in. The results are not awful, but they can get abnormally bright white spots on otherwise "cream colored" new teeth, and these spots are both noticeable and permanent.
Close to age 2, kids are supposed to have their first dental checkup. That makes it easy to decide when to use flouride. The bottom line is: DON'T use toothpaste with flouride on your kids UNTIL they have had an exam with a dentist and the dentist has told you to start using flouride.
Adults: you need flouride, even if you've never had cavities. That's because it prevents bacteria from infecting the gums, which leads to gum disease and root canals. If you've never had a root canal, you're lucky. The only thing I liked about mine is that I ended up with a sweet gold tooth that only cost $4500!

ORGANIC? PESTICIDE FREE?
If you can afford it, organic produce is probably worth buying. Today, I found a website I just have to tell you about, because it helps you spend your money wisely. This site actually quantifies the amount of pesticide residue on common commercial fruits and vegetables, so that you can choose WHICH to buy organic, if your grocery store or your pocketbook limit your choices. Kudos to: www.foodnews.org for good research and a great website- you can even download a wallet-size list of commercial produce to buy (and to avoid), so that you can take it to the market with you. And the list is surprising.

THE PINNACLE OF FASHION: CAMO

Last night as I sat around the airport for 6 hours waiting for another delayed flight (I can't recall the last time I flew on a flight that was on time), there was a kid sitting across from me and another kid sitting next to me; both were dressed head-to-toe in green camouflage outfits. My first thought was, "right on!" I myself was wearing a more subtle, "mossy oak desert sagebrush" camo shirt in tan, black, and hints of sage green. As I sat around the airport, pretending to read and making mental notes of passengers' poor fashion choices, I counted at least half a dozen people with camouflage clothing. None of them were soldiers, and none of them appeared to be going hunting.

If you haven't purchased camo clothing lately, you should know that the world of camouflage has exploded, much like the world of portable electronics. There are literally hundreds of camo patterns for various uses, and almost all stores, from high-fashion to variety to Army surplus, carry some camo items. You can buy camo sunglasses, watchbands, hats, towels, coolers, dinnerware, tents, shoes, socks, and infant pajamas- and that's just at the Super Target in north Denver. I personally think this is a wonderful thing. Camo, like many great things, was invented for military use (as was the Internet), and I think it's a triumph of civilization when a military invention becomes "demilitarized," and co-opted into peaceful civilian uses.

WHY YOU SHOULD WEAR CAMOUFLAGE CLOTHING

1. If you get a food or wine stain on camo clothing, no one will notice-not even you.

2. If you're into "supporting the troops," you can show your solidarity without all that "sacrificing your life for your country" business.

3. If you're opposed to the military, you can rebel by wearing camo at a peace rally or knitting circle.

4. If you like bird-watching, hunting, or fishing, camo potentially allows you to get closer to wildlife (hint: neon orange is not the best pattern for this use)

5. With all those earth-tones blended together, camo matches almost any other color or fashion accessory.

6. Children everywhere will think you're cool, or at least into dressing like they do.

7. Camo is not "stuck up." It's available everywhere- thus, it's the true "clothing of the people."

8. Camo compels complete strangers to ask you amazingly interesting questions, such as: "bagged any rutting elk on the Western Slope lately?"

9. Matching shoes are readily available. Can you say, "camo Crocs?"

10. Doesn't it sound fun to buy your new fall wardrobe at a store called "Bass Pro Shops?"

IN SUMMARY: Camo has nothing to do with your health. But my friends seem to love it so much when I wear it, that it must just make people happy somehow. Try it: you'll find it strangely compelling.

SUPERFOODS TO MAKE YOU LIVE LONG TIME

Last night I was watching PBS and there were some shows featuring Gary Null, PhD. For those of you who don't know Gary Null, he's basically a health food guru who believes that aging, cancer, heart disease, depression, and most other ailments are caused in part by unhealthy food; and that these processes can be reversed by changing the diet.
I think you have to take Gary Null with a grain of salt, or spirulina, to some degree- some of his statements, or rather about 50% of them, are conjecture, and not supported by science. But overall, I think he's still a positive force, because the other 50% of what Gary Null says is pretty accurate. What impresses me is that he's been talking about the wonders of nuts, honey, berries, peppers, and other nutrients for over 30 years- and every year there are more studies in the medical literature showing benefits of these food. If Gary Null is 50% correct today, he might be 60% correct next year, and so on. On balance, I think he is worth checking out.
Last night's show was on Gary Null's 15 "Superfoods for Optimum Health." Let's see if I can remember them all:
GARY NULL'S SUPERFOODS FOR OPTIMUM HEALTH:
1. Garlic
2. Onions
3. Carrots
4. Shitake Mushrooms
5. Whole grains
6. Beans and legumes
7. Oranges
8. Peppers
9. Ginger
10. Blueberries
11. Apples
12. Bananas
13. Leafy greens such as kale, collards, and spinach
14. Almonds
15. Soy products
Damn, I have a good memory. That's Gary Null's list of what are, in his opinion, the healthiest foods out there for reversing aging and preventing disease. I have to agree, it's a fairly good list. I just think it needs a few additions. So let's increase Gary Null's list up to a combined list of 20 foods, to provide a bit more variety:
DR. TOFUHEAD'S ADDITIONAL SUPERFOODS
16. Walnuts
17. Small fishes (sardines, anchovies, herring)
18. Grapes, including wine
19. Olive oil
20. Fresh herbs, such as: oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary, marjoram, parsley, cilantro, tarragon, etc.
Are you seeing a pattern here? I am. You can distill this food list down a bit to a more simple concept: A HEALTHY DIET IS PRIMARILY VEGETARIAN, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. Think "Mediterranean." Gary Null waxes poetic on how healthy the food is in coastal Italy. I'd have to add Greece as the country I've been to with the healthiest food. Everything you've seen above is abundant in Mediterranean diets.
OTHER RELATED ISSUES AND QUESTIONS:
1. To cook or not to cook? Contrary to what you might hear from "raw food" experts, Gary Null and I are in agreement that you can cook these superfoods with little impact on their nutritional value. And if you cook them in healthy oils such as olive, canola, safflower, or walnut, you can enhance their nutritional impact.
2. What about meat? I personally don't think a healthy diet has to be devoid of meat. I do agree with Gary that commercial meats are full of preservatives, hormones, antibiotics, and pathogenic bacteria, as well as fat. But nowadays, there are great alternatives. In short,
HOW TO MAKE YOUR MEAT HEALTHY:
-Buy free range, hormone-free meat when possible.
-Stick to lean meats. These include skinless chicken breasts, turkey "white meat," and lean cuts of "the other white meat," i.e. pork. Lean pork cuts include pork tenderloin, pork chops, and ham. Some beef cuts like flank steak, strip steak, and beef tenderloin are fairly lean as well. Buffalo is another good choice.
-Avoid preserved meat with sodium nitrates, nitrites, and sodium benzoate. Even if you like salami and sausage, you can get these without the preservatives. But you might need to go to a health food store.
-Keep your portions small. Avoid the 22-ounce T-bone steak.
3. What about dairy? Gary Null is just plain wrong when he states that dairy products cause "mucus." He should know better- that myth was debunked years ago. I think dairy is fine, just keep your cheese portions on the small side and choose less fatty cheeses such as mozzarella, feta, and goat cheeses when possible. If you drink milk, choose hormone-free organic milk if you can afford it.
4. Should I get a juicer? I think juicers are wonderful, and they are a great way to get many servings of fruits and vegetables at one time. You lose some of the fiber, but few of the nutrients, when you have juice as opposed to whole fruits and veggies. I'm going to do a whole blog on juice and juicers soon, so more on that later-
Any questions?