subject: Should Health Tourism Start At Home? [print this page] Meralgia Paresthetica is a disorder caused by pressure on the nerves in the outer part of the thigh. This pressure causes symptoms of numbness, tingling and discomfort. In 2012 doctors are reporting an increasing number of Meralgia Paresthetica cases among women. It seems the increase is caused by wearing skinny jeans. Supposedly, women who wear skinny jeans with high heels are further aggravating the disorder. High heels cause the pelvis to tilt, which puts more pressure on the already stressed nerves in the thigh. It seems skinny jeans are a problem that women need to "size up".
Ear worms are parts of songs that get stuck in our heads and play over and over. They are usually melodically and rhythmically simple. It seems neural circuits in the brain get stuck in a repeating loop. A common method for getting rid of these worms is to listen to a different song. However, in rare cases ear worms can be detrimental to everyday functioning. Then anti-anxiety medication is prescribed to relax the neural circuits - the same medication that's prescribed for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Being able to carry a tune is good, but obviously it can be carried too far.
Kidney stones are almost twice as common now as they were in the early 1900's. According to a study of 12,000 people published in the journal European Urology, 1 in 20 people in the U.S. had kidney stones in 1994. However, between 2007 and 2010 the rate increased to 1 in 11 people. The researchers also discovered people with obesity, diabetes or gout are likelier than healthy people to have kidney stones. Supposedly, they can be prevented by plenty of exercise and a healthy diet; but Americans' sedentary lifestyle and junk food diet is causing a new "stone age".
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. However, a study published in the journal Cancer analyzed medical records of 18,500 people with skin cancer and 178,655 people without. Although nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - like aspirin and ibuprofen - had no effect on the most common type of skin cancer - basal cell carcinoma - their use reduced the risk of squamous cell carcinoma by 15% and malignant melanoma by 13%. In fact, the risk reduction was greatest among long-time and high-intensity users. Inflammatory enzymes feed tumors and NSAID's reduce inflammation. Unfortunately, NSAID's also cause ulcers - so research continues. It's "reresearch".
