Heavy Earrings-A Harmful Fashion Accessory?
They’re definitely in style—but according to doctors—heavy earrings can be a dangerous fashion accessory from which more and more women are seeking surgery.
At first, patients with tears in their earlobes from wearing heavy earrings are told to simply stop wearing them in order to let the lobe heal on its own, but often that doesn’t work.
“Just removing the earring often times does not allow the hole to close because that has become a mature tract,” says Richard Ha, plastic surgeon on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. “Fortunately, there’s a relatively simple solution to the problem.”
According to plastic surgeons, it’s becoming more and more popular for patients to get their lobes surgically repaired.
“It’s a pretty simple procedure actually. It probably takes about 30 minutes to an hour in the office under local anesthesia,” explains Dr. Ha.
After the tear is fixed, it will need several weeks to completely heal.
Surgical repair of torn earlobes can vary between $300 and $1,500 depending on how severe the tear is and whether or not you need one or both earlobes done.
If you love wearing heavy earrings—but don’t want to end up needing surgery one day—you may want to consider using some of the over-the-counter earlobe support products to help prevent tears.
What Does the Label on Your Chicken Really Mean?
Buying chicken these days is not like it used to be. With labels like “100 percent natural,” “organic,” “grain-fed,” and “free range,” many consumers don’t really know what they’re buying.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)—“100 percent natural” means the poultry doesn’t contain artificial ingredients like preservatives. But experts warn—there are no guarantees.
“100 percent natural—remember—no inspections are done. So we don’t know if those claims are really true,” says Shannon Wallace, R.D., registered dietitian with Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas.
Chicken labeled as “organic” must meet much stricter standards. Inspections are conducted and organic chicken cannot contain artificial ingredients, hormones or antibiotics. But are those really harmful to consumers?
“The USDA does not make any claims that organically produced food is any safer or more nutritious than conventionally produced food,” adds Wallace.
Another popular chicken label—“grain fed.” This is supposed to mean the chicken was not fed animal by-products, but just like “100 percent natural” and “free range,” there is no outside monitoring for this claim.
And probably the most confusing label of them all—“free range.” Chicken labeled as “free range” is supposed to be leaner, but again, experts warn the claim can be deceiving.
“Free range does not always mean that the animal has been in an open area its whole life. It may only mean they were in a restricted area and let out into that open area one time during their life,” says Wallace.
So what should you shop for in chicken?
“If you would like to have a healthy diet—trimming the fat or buying leaner cuts of meat is always important. And the research is still out regarding these other issues of hormones and antibiotics,” says Wallace.
Don't Take a Vacation From Your Diet
Eating out can be a treat. But on vacation, you’ll likely find yourself eating out three times a day for a week or more—so you need to find ways to work healthy choices into your trip. Elizabeth Schaub, R.D., dietitian at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano, offers these ideas:
- Order from the appetizer menu, where portions are the right size.
- Limit the amount of bread and chips you eat before the meal.
- Look at the menu online before you go out and decide ahead of time what you want. You’re more likely to make healthy choices if you make a decision before you’re hungry.
- Choose baked, broiled or grilled options instead of fried or breaded.
- Estimate your portions to track how much you are eating—an ounce is about the size of four dice and 3 ounces of meat is similar to the size of a deck of cards.
- Ask for dressings, toppings and sauces on the side.
- On your salad, choose vinaigrette-based salad dressings over creamy.
- Drink low- or no-calorie water, iced tea or black coffee rather than soft drinks. It’s easy to drink a lot of calories without realizing it.
- Avoid the high-carbohydrate continental breakfast. Pack nuts, fruits and yogurt for breakfast instead.
- Be realistic—don’t plan to lose weight on vacation. Maintaining your weight is a better goal.
- Don’t give up. If you have an unhealthy breakfast, you can still make healthier choices at lunch and dinner.
- If you want a treat, go for it. Share it with one or more people if possible. Often, how much you’re eating is a bigger problem than what you’re eating.
Play it Safe: How to Prevent and Treat Common Sports Injuries
When the weather is nice, sports beckon. But before you strap on water skis or start a full-on sprint to home plate, get yourself ready. Keeping injuries at bay can keep you on the field, or on the water, for the full season.
Marcus Roux, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie, says he recommends stretching, light weight-lifting and light cardio workouts beginning two to three months ahead of time.
“Get the muscle groups going prior to strenuous activity,” says Dr. Roux. “Get your muscles in shape and your body weight down. Don’t just get off the couch and start playing tennis, golf or softball. A year-round regimen will help prevent muscle tears and pulls, as well as tendonitis.”
Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself facing a sports injury. Here are some of the most common:
Problem: Rotator cuff tear
Cause: Less elasticity in muscles and tendons as we age makes tears more likely, especially when coupled with overhead throwing activities such as those in softball or football.
Treatment: For a partial tear, rest, oral anti-inflammatories, ice and range-of-motion activities, as well as strengthening the injured tendon groups. For a complete tear, surgery—often minimally invasive or arthroscopically—to anchor down the torn tissue.
Recovery time: Up to nine months
Problem:Tendonitis
Cause: Overuse or repetitive strain
Treatment: Modifying your activity, moist heat, stretching and oral anti-inflammatories
Recovery time: Three to six weeks. Returning to activity too soon can cause tendonitis to reappear
Problem: Pulled muscle
Cause: Stretching a muscle too far, causing small tears
Treatment: Rest, ice, medication to keep down swelling and gentle stretching
Recovery time: From a few days to several weeks, depending on severity
Problem: Cartilage and ligament tears in the knee
Cause: Traumatic injury or age-related degeneration
Treatment: Minor cartilage tears may be manageable; most ligament tears will require surgery if you want to return to the activities you enjoyed. Surgery almost always can be performed with minimally invasive techniques.
Recovery time: Six to eight weeks for daily activity; eight to 12 weeks for sports