Faculty Bibliography

People who suffer from digestive problems often feel fatigued and a loss of energy. Lamm and Couzens present some of the typical items that into into the average person's mouth during the course of a day--and the trouble they can cause

A. Indeed. "We are finding more and more factors which can trigger the subsequent appearance of Alzheimer's disease," says Dr. Barry Reisberg, professor of psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine and clinical director of the Aging and Dementia Research Center at the NYU Medical Center. Reisberg notes that external trauma is one of these factors. When any injury - like [Ronald Reagan]'s gunshot wound causes a decreased blood flow to brain- if the person goes into shock, for example, brain cells die as a result. Doctors don't know why, but such brain injury may increase the risk of Alzheimer's. Although Reagan may not have suffered from Alzheimer's while in office, Reagan lost 3,500 cubic centimeters of blood, more than half of his total, thanks to the assassin's bullet lodged an inch from his heart. It is possible the trauma may have contributed to his subsequently developing the disease

AS she readies herself for a possible U.S. Senate run from New York, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, 52, visited with a Manhattan plastic surgeon last week, reportedly to discuss cosmetic eyelid surgery. A. According to Dr. Barry M. Zide, professor of plastic surgery at New York University Medical Center, you are a good candidate for eyelid surgery if you have loose or excess skin that obscures the natural fold of your upper eyelids; if your upper eyelids are constantly puffy; or if you have bags and dark circles under you eyes, or excess skin and wrinkles on your lower eyelids - all of which can be as a result of aging or heredity. Q. What are the risks of eyelid surgery? Complications from eyelid surgery are infrequent, but all surgery, however minor, poses certain risks, including infection and adverse reaction to anesthesia. These should be discussed with your surgeon. Also, be sure to mention all prescription medications and over-the-counter supplements you are taking

After hitting a routine backhand during practice, [Pete Sampras], 28, said he suddenly felt as if he was "stabbed by a knife." He was originally diagnosed with a mild muscle strain, but after a restless night due to the pain, further tests revealed an abnormality in a disc in his lower back, which is believed to be contributing to his agony. The two lowest discs in the spine (one of which Sampras injured) are subject to tremendous forces, sometimes bearing 2,000 to 3,000 pounds per square inch during sporting activities. This kind of stress, the pressure surrounding back muscles normally exert on the discs and the motion of, say, swinging a racket, can all cause a disc to move out of place

People generally take their ears for granted until something goes wrong with them, in which case they panic. The three most common ear problems, wax buildup, airplane ears, and swimmer's ear, are described

Trying to lose weight quickly for an upcoming movie role, actor [MARTIN LAWRENCE], 34, last week went for a jog in suburban Los Angeles, in 100-degree heat with 40 percent humidity, wearing several layers of clothing. He was found unconscious an hour later with a body temperature of 107 degrees. Suffering from heatstroke, Lawrence remained in a coma for three days, his kidneys barely functioning. Doctors now hope he'll make a complete recovery, without any brain, kidney, or cardiovascular damage. If the body temperature rises to 105 degrees or more - as Martin Lawrence's did - that's heatstroke, the most serious of all illnesses caused by heat. If emergency treatment is not begun within two hours, the person can die. Call 911 if you are concerned about someone with dangerous heat-related symptoms

MICHAEL Korda, 65, editor in chief of Simon & Schuster, went out alone for a jog in Central Park and was later found unconscious. After an alert passer-by administered CPR, Korda was rushed to the hospital. It was soon determined that Korda lost consciousness because of a cardiac arrhythmia - an irregular heartbeat causing a sharp reduction in the flow of oxygen-rich blood from his heart to his brain. Fortunately, he was resuscitated without damage

For the 10 percent of Americans fighting allergies, it's also important to make sure you've got the right diagnosis. Allergies occur when people are sensitive foreign matter, usually seasonal pollen or year-round dust mites, which when it gets into the system causes an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nostrils, setting off runny noses and eyes. Nasalchrom inhaler spray, for one, is excellent, but only works if used a week before your symptoms usually start until the end of the season. Antihistamines such as Allegra, Zyrtec or Claritin also ward off allergic reactions if taken early and regularly

For the unlucky, death by lightning comes from the sudden catastrophic disruption to the heart's rhythm, which can speed it up to a deadly pace or stop it altogether. But even when lightning doesn't kill (most people survive), the force of the tens of millions of volts delivered in one one-thousandth of a second can instantly break a person's bones and literally blow the shoes right off a victim. The sudden surge of electricity can also cause severe burns to the skin, singe nerves, blood vessels and thebrain, and cause temporary blindness or deafness. In the aftermath, survivors often suffer depression, memory loss and post-traumatic stress disorder

[Lyn Hester] oversees the MIRTH (Medical Institute for Recovery Through Humor) wing of Integris Health, a hospital in Oklahoma City, where patients receive a written joke with every meal and doctors and staff are encouraged to trade humorous stories with patients. "Laughter is good medicine," says Hester. "It makes people feel good and sometimes they get better quicker, using laughter as part of the healing process." Whoever thought the antics of the Three Stooges or the Marx Brothers could be good for your health? Well, the ancient Greeks built their hospitals next to amphitheaters so the infirm could be entertained, and researchers now understand that laughter can have a powerful effect on health. Scientists at the Loma Linda School of Medicine have discovered that the simple act of laughing stimulatesthe immune system, decreases stress-producing hormones and raises the number and increases the activity of naturalkiller cells in the body, which attack and kill viruses and tumor cells