Health Tip: Spotting a Tremor

(HealthDay News) - A tremor is an uncontrolled, involuntary, rapid movement of a muscle, and can be caused by a medication or certain conditions such as Parkinson's disease.

Here are common signs of tremor, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

• Frequent, uncontrolled shaking of the hands, eyelids, head, arms or muscles.
• Shaking on one side of the body, or with a different severity on each side of the body.
• Shaking that occurs occasionally, intermittently or temporarily rather than constantly.
• Nodding or quivering of the head.
• Shaking that stops during sleep.
• Worsening of shaking symptoms during stress.
• A shaking or quivering sound to the voice.

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Health Tip: Your Teething Baby

(HealthDay News) -- A baby's first set of teeth usually starts to emerge at about 6 months of age. While discomfort and irritability are common in teething babies, other symptoms may be warning signs of another problem.
Here are some basics that parents should know about teething, courtesy of the American Dental Association:

• Irritability, fussiness, drooling, and loss of appetite are common symptoms of teething.
• Diarrhea, rash, and fever are not caused by teething, and should be evaluated by a doctor.
• Small cysts near erupting teeth are common and harmless.
• Tender gums may be soothed with a teething ring, pacifier, or a cream that helps numb the gums.
• Gums can also be massaged with a clean finger or damp piece of gauze.

Genetic Cause of Rare Immune Disorder Discovered

(HealthDay News) -- The genetic cause of Job's Syndrome -- a rare disorder of the immune system and connective tissue -- has been identified by U.S. researchers.

People with the disorder suffer boils, inflamed skin, bone abnormalities, teeth deformities and cyst-forming pneumonias. There have been fewer than 250 reported cases of the disease -- named for the Biblical figure Job who had painful sores over his entire body -- which was first described in 1966.

The disease is also called Hyper IgE Recurrent Infection Syndrome.

"The genetic origins of this disease have been a mystery since it was first identified decades ago.

These results may lead to new diagnostic tests and new treatments to help patients afflicted with Job's Syndrome," study co-author Dr. James M. Musser, co-director of the Methodist Hospital Research Institute in Houston, said in a prepared statement.

In this study, conducted at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, Musser and his colleagues identified mutations in the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) gene as the cause of Job's Syndrome.

The researchers made the discovery using molecular and bioinformatics tools. Bioinformatics uses math and computers to interpret the huge amount of data involved in molecular and genetic analysis.

"Although this is a rare disease, the novel strategies we developed can be applied to many other genetic diseases of unknown cause," Musser said.

The study is in the Sept. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

More information
The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia has more about Job's Syndrome.

Bone Implants: Layered Approach Seems Stronger

Currently, calcium phosphate cements (CPCs) — water-based pastes of powdered calcium and a phosphate compound that form hydroxyapatite, a material found in natural bone — are used for reconstructing or repairing skeletal defects, but only in bones that are not load-bearing such as those in the face and skull.

Macropores built into the CPCs make it easier for new bone cells to infuse and, eventually, solidify the implant. Until this happens, however, the macropores leave the implant brittle and susceptible to failure.

In the September 2007 issue of Biomaterials, Hockin Xu and colleagues from the American Dental Association Foundation (ADAF) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) describe a unique approach for providing the strength needed to help an implant better survive its early stages.

First, a macroporous CPC paste is placed into the area needing reconstruction or repair. Then, a strong, fiber-reinforced CPC paste is layered onto the first CPC to support the new implant.

Once new bone has grown into the macroporous layer and increased its strength, the absorbable fibers in the strong layer dissolve and create additional macroporous channels that promote even more bone tissue ingrowth.

This method mimics the natural bone structure in which a strong layer, called cortical bone, covers and strengthens a weaker, macroporous layer, the spongy bone. The two pastes used in the layered CPC method harden in the bone cavity to form an implant that for the first time has both the porosity needed for bone growth and the integrity required for reconstruction or repair of load-bearing bones such as jaws.

Source: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Coming Soon: Pain-Free Dentistry

(HealthDay News) -- The phrase "no pain, no gain" may someday not apply to the dentist's office, according to a team developing a drill-free cavity treatment.

The technique may be available to dentists and their relieved patients in the future, say University of Missouri-Columbia inventors.

They're working on a non-thermal plasma brush that uses a low-temperature chemical reaction to disinfect and prepare cavities for filling.

In typical (and often painful) cavity repair, the dentist drills away the affected area and then makes a filling to restore the tooth's shape. The vibration and noise can be very uncomfortable for many patients.

"Successful development of the plasma brush could replace the painful and destructive drilling currently practiced in dentistry," Hao Li, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at University of Missouri-Columbia, said in a prepared statement.

The brush will operate without the heat and vibrations that cause the pain and discomfort associated with the current procedure. The researchers say it will also be silent.

"Plasma treatment would be a painless, nondestructive and tissue-saving way to care for and treat cavities because it relies on chemical reactions instead of heat or mechanical interactions," Qingsong Yu, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Missouri-Columbia, said in a prepared statement. "The chemical bonding between teeth and fillings that the plasma treatment would create would be much stronger than dentists currently get with drills or laser techniques," Yu added.

Yu and Yixiang Duan, a scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, have filed two U.S. patent applications for the brush.

The researchers also promise that the brush will alter the tooth's surface, creating a stronger bond with the filling.

More information
To learn more about cavities and their current treatments, visit the University of Maryland Medical Center

Health Tip: When Your Taste Buds Sour

(HealthDay News) -- Taste impairments can be caused by anything that affects the way the brain processes your sense of taste, including smoking, a vitamin deficiency, a drug, or even the common cold.

Here are other common causes of taste problems, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

Aging.
Strep throat or flu.
An injury to the mouth, nose, or head.
Gingivitis (gum disease).
Conditions such as Bell's Palsy, Sjogren Syndrome, or pharyngitis.
Dryness of the mouth.
An infection in the nasal passages, sinusitis or nasal polyps.

Health Tip: Some Must Be Extra Careful With OTC Drugs

(HealthDay News) -- Some people should be very cautious about taking any medications, even those sold over the counter. The American Academy of Family Physicians says the following groups of people should check with their doctor before taking any drug or supplement:
Pregnant women, and women who are trying to get pregnant.

• Women who are breast-feeding.
• Children.
• Older adults.
• People with health conditions.
• People taking any other medication, whether prescription or over the counter.

Health Tip: Help Prevent Medical Errors

(HealthDay News) -- Medical errors can occur when doctors don't have all of the information they need from a patient, including a comprehensive list of medications the patient takes, patient symptoms, and advice the patient has received from other doctors.

To reduce your risk, follow these suggestions from the American Academy of Family Physicians:

Give each of your doctors a complete list of every drug and supplement you take -- including prescriptions, OTCs, supplements, vitamins and herbs. Update this list at least once a year.

Make sure your doctor knows all of your allergies and adverse reactions to medications or substances.

Ask questions about your medications before you start taking them.

Have your doctor write prescriptions legibly and clearly to avoid errors at the pharmacy.

Make sure your doctor or pharmacist gives you written information about potential side effects.

Make sure each of your doctors has a complete medical history.