Health Headlines - July 19

Health Tip: Pain in the Pearly Whites at Night

It's the middle of the night and your tooth is throbbing. What can you do to relieve the pain until you can get to a dentist?

John Hopkins Health After 50 recommends you:

* Rinse your mouth with warm water.
* Apply an over-the-counter medication containing benzocaine or take aspirin or ibuprofen.
* Use a cold compress on the outside of your cheek.
* Floss around the affected area in case a trapped food particle is causing the pain.

Health Tip: When Driving Alone

If you're a woman who often drives alone, you should take extra precautions, advises the American Automobile Association.

Here are some safety tips:

* Drive with your doors locked and windows rolled up to the three-quarter mark.
* Always have at least half a tank of gas in your car.
* Never park next to a van with no windows.
* Park in areas that will be well-lighted when you return to your car.
* In large parking areas, use landmarks to remember where you parked.
* If you're involved in a fender bender at night or in an isolated area, signal the other driver to follow you and drive to the nearest open business or police station.
* If you suspect you're being followed, drive to the nearest open business for help. Don't drive to your home.
* Don't leave your house keys with your car keys when your car is being serviced.
* If you have car trouble, raise your hood or turn on your flashers. Stay inside your vehicle with the doors locked and use your cell phone to call for help.

In truth, these common sense guidelines are good for everyone's automobile adventures, regardless of gender.

Quitting smoking helps heal chronic gum disease

Smokers are more than 6 times more likely to develop gum disease than non-smokers but kicking the habit can prevent them from losing their teeth prematurely, according to new research published Monday.

Chinese most prone to colorectal cancer in Asia

A study spanning 14 cities across Asia has found the highest incidence of colorectal cancer among ethnic Chinese, a trend which researchers in Hong Kong on Monday blamed on a more westernized diet.

UK health watchdog warns over maternity care risk

Overcrowding, dirty toilets and a shortage of midwives are putting the lives of mothers and babies at risk on British maternity wards, a health watchdog said on Monday.

Clinton takes cheap AIDS drugs to African children

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton hopes his foundation will help treat more than 60,000 children suffering from HIV/AIDS as part of a plan to fight the disease in poor countries, he said.

Scientists find gene defect link to heart disease

Five generations of a family in Dallas, Texas have helped scientists discover a genetic mutation that causes a common birth defect and contributes to heart disease in adults.

Rat race Hong Kong comes to terms with depression

Very few people in Hong Kong recognized depression as an illness until the end of 2003 when popular television actress Victoria Lam openly admitted her condition, which had by then destroyed her career.

More scandals possible after BALCO, scientist says

The scientist whose laboratory helped unravel the BALCO doping scandal that brought global attention to the use of drugs in sport fears there may be more scandals.

FDA approves Cyberonics depression device

A stopwatch-sized device that uses electrical impulses to treat chronic depression won U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, Cyberonics said.

Being smart no guarantee to happiness in old age

Being intelligent is no guarantee of a happy old age, researchers said.

US to rule on Barr contraceptive by Sept.

U.S. regulators will decide by Sept. 1 whether to approve Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s bid to sell the Plan B "morning-after" contraceptive without a prescription, two Senate Democrats said.

Food Fact:
Soy to the world.

Think soy is boring? Edamame just might change your mind. Baby green soybeans are unlike tofu or soy milk in taste, look and feel, but are just as packed with protein and protective soy isoflavones. Edamame are sold frozen in the pod or shucked. Cook for 7 or 8 minutes in boiling water until tender. Serve plain as a snack or add to stir-fries, bean salads or vegetables mixes. A 1/4-cup serving contains about 110 calories and 9 grams of protein.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Huffing, not puffing.

Exercise increases your chances of quitting smoking or cutting back on cigarettes. It also helps you maintain a healthy weight after you've completed a weight loss program, increases muscle strength and endurance, and pumps up the size of your working muscles, which reduces the number of calories converted into body fat.

FAQ of the day:
Can I take a pill to get the benefits of soy food?

In order to get the benefits of soy, a supplement alone won't do. You'll need to eat soy food, for both soy protein and soy isoflavones, to get the full range of health benefits. Pills will just give you the isoflavones. Only soy foods like tofu, tempeh, soy milk and soy protein powder provide both.