Dr. Steve: The Ills Of Super Sugary Soda & Scratching That Itch
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7:00am Segment Info:
Ever get your back scratched? It feels so good doesn't it?
Researchers say there's a very good reason for that. It appears that when we're scratched areas of the brain that are associated with pleasure turn on and areas associated with unpleasant emotions or memories turn off. Scratching is not recommended because too much scratching can damage your skin, but a little light scratching on the back or on the scalp can really feel good.
This is all very interesting, but is there a "medical" application to all of this?
MORE INFO & WATCH THE VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
Potentially. There are many people who suffer from pruritis. Which is the sensation of feeling itchy. It's seen most commonly when people have allergic rashes. Many times people scratch so much it damages their skin. Research into this process may be able to help these people.
In other news, you're not a big fan of soda and now there's another reason to stay away from it.
That's right.
A new study finds that drinking sugar-sweetened soft drinks and fructose, which is a type of sugar can increase the risk of gout in men. The report looked at more than 46 thousand men and found those who drank two or more servings of these soft drinks a day were 85 percent more likely to have gout compared to those who had less than one serving per month.
What about diet soda?
Diet soda did not have the same effect. The problem here is the fructose. The same study found that fructose rich fruit juice and fructose rich fruits like apples and oranges also increased the risk. At least with fruits you're getting some other important nutrients. With soda, there's just nothing there that's good for you.
8:00am Ask The Doctor Segment Info:
1. Barbara from Brooklyn asks: What's the best thing for heartburn?
Barbara, the most important thing you need to do if you have heartburn is see your doctor. Many people don't realize it but the feeling of heartburn can come from many different things most importantly heart problems. If you're having frequent heartburn you really need to get checked out because the treatment depends on the cause. If you are diagnosed with heartburn, which doctors call GERD, there are medications that can make it go away completely.
2. Brandy from Newark, New Jersey asks: I just had a baby a month ago, and his skin is peeling. Why is that? What can put on him to help it?
When babies are born their skin is covered with a waxy substance called vernix. As the skin dries the vernix comes off and it appears that the skin is peeling. Babies who are born after their due date usually have a lot of peeling. The skin is not dry. You do not have to put any cream on the skin. You may also little white or yellow bumps on the face called milia or newborn acne. Both of these conditions get better on their own when the spores on the skin open naturally at one to two months of age.
3. Francine from Jamaica, Queens, asks: Does smoking affect anemia?
Francine smoking can elevate the body's level of hemoglobin, which is the substance doctors look for when they're checking for anemia, but it's not a good thing. When you smoke you inhale carbon monoxide. Hemoglobin binds more strongly to carbon monoxide than oxygen to form carboxyhemoglobin. If the hemoglobin is tied up as carboxyhemoglobin it can't carry oxygen. So if you're anemic smoking is actually a bad thing because it affects your body's ability to carry oxygen.
