Stories from the Emergency Room plus answers to your medical and health related questions

Everyone seems to be worried about whether the destruction of the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan will affect California or the United States.

So far the answer is no.

Trace amounts of radiation from Japan have been found in the U.S. But experts from several agencies have concluded that there is no health risk. These agencies include the California Department of Health, the American Nuclear Society, U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other similar bodies.

Our state’s health department has been testing the air. They say the trace amounts of radiation detected from Japan were ten thousand times below any amount that would be damaging to humans. The reality is, the amount of radiation from Fukushima is negligible compared to the background radiation we’re exposed to every day from the sun, medical tests, household gadgets, or flying in an airplane.

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Did you know that Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death and disability in the United States and the main cause of serious disability? Do you know the warning signs and what to do? Consider these 5 signs that individually or together may be symptoms of a stroke.

First – Difficulty walking: stumbling, dizziness or loss of coordination.

Second – Unclear speaking and understanding: confusion, slurred words or not finding the right words to explain what is happening.

Third – Paralysis or numbness on one side of your body or face. Your mouth may droop when you try to smile.

Fourth – Vision problems: sudden blurred, blackened, or double vision in one or both eyes.

Fifth – Sudden and severe Headache that may include vomiting, dizziness or confusion

If you or someone you know is having these signs, call 911 and seek medical help immediately. Treatment is available, but time is crucial.

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All of us forget things, especially as we grow older.

Should we worry?

If we lose our glasses, or our keys, or can’t think of words we should know, that’s probably just mild forgetfulness. No problem.

But if it’s worse, it might be mild cognitive impairment. With this, you can function, but tend to forget things much more than others in the same age group. This could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s.

Serious memory loss can indicate dementia. It’s serious if you:

Keep asking the same questions

Get lost in places you know well

Can’t follow simple directions

Stop eating, bathing, and start doing things that aren’t safe.

These symptoms could be from Alzheimer’s disease, or vascular dementia. Evaluation by a physician is key.

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News Alert!

Everything Bad For You is Now Good

Great news! All of my former guilty pleasures have turned out to be health foods. Instead of fearing that my addiction to dark chocolate, coffee and red wine is leading me to premature death, I am in fact increasing my life span, and reducing my chance of many horrible diseases. Yes!

Take coffee. I cannot function in the morning until I’ve had a large cup, sometimes two. I’ve always felt bad about this, knowing that I am dependent on the tasty black liquid, and its stimulant effects. My family understands that each morning during the pre-coffee phase, I will be unable to communicate effectively, beyond some basic grunting noises. I shuffle around, scratching and muttering while the beans are grinding and the water is percolating. I have felt badly about this, and I admit I am weak and powerless against the mighty bean. But recent evidence demonstrates that coffee drinkers have lower rates of dementia, parkinsons disease, diabetes, colon cancer, liver disease, and even dental decay! This is the best news ever! It completely justifies my total lack of willpower. I don’t even need to consider quitting coffee. In fact, after reading these studies, I might just increase my daily coffee intake by a cup or two!

As if this wasn’t good enough, another serious weakness has proven instead to be a strength. Dark chocolate, that silky smooth gift from above, is also good for you!

It’s true! Dark chocolate is loaded with anti-oxidants, plant phenols, and epicatechin which improve health and lower blood pressure. Yay! Studies also might have mentioned that moderation is the key to dark chocolate, but I was cramming fistfuls of Lindt truffles in my mouth by the time I read that part, and the article got smeared.

Okay, so by now all of us are thinking this news is too good to be true. Coffee and dark chocolate!? Impossible. But it gets better. As if to prove that God is in fact truly benevolent, my 3rd favorite thing is also healthy. Red wine. Oh yes, red wine is loaded with anti-oxidants, and one glass a day can have a positive effect on cholesterol, blood pressure, prevention of cancer, and heart disease.

So now that everything that used to be bad is good, I can’t help wondering–What’s next? Will researchers discover that Cheetoes make you smarter? Will sitting on the couch watching SportsCenter stop baldness? I’m not sure, but I’m not taking any chances. Sometimes you just can’t afford to wait for the research to happen.

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