A few weeks ago an 8-year old patient stumped me with a wonderfully refreshing question: is it bad to crack your knuckles? Well, these common-sense questions aren’t taught in medical school, so I dug around and found the answers. First, from the Naked Scientists Discussion Forum is a description of what actually makes the popping sound:
The reason that joints “crack” is that when you pull on them, or put the joint into a certain position, the pressure drops within the synovial fluid that lubricates the joint.
There’s been quite a shift in official recommendations regarding the popular PSA blood test. As most men know, this is by far the most popular screening test for prostate cancer. The problem, as I’ve mentioned before, is that the PSA test is not only poor at finding real cancers, it’s also bad at creating many falsely positive tests.… Read the rest
There’s been a lot of recent press regarding plastics and their possible effects on health. Many parents know about the 2007-8 recalls of baby bottles made of polycarbonate plastic Bisphenol A (BPA). This was mostly in response to newer studies, including a review in JAMA, showing an association (but not causation) between BPA exposure and increased risk in heart disease and diabetes, among other diseases.… Read the rest
Are you aware that certain plants can act as natural air purifiers? Indoor air pollution is a serious problem in many communities, especially in cities. But there are also issues with indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde or varnishes that can also cause problems.… Read the rest
Every once in a while, children and adults feel a lot of pressure or pain in their ears, and thick wax clogs their ear canal and needs to be removed. Doctors can try to scoop or rinse it out, but many over-the-counter drops can soften it up.… Read the rest
Air pollution is a growing problem in many urban areas. Many people may not realize that over the last five years there is a lot of new research proving more serious health effects at lower levels than we had previously thought.… Read the rest
Are you aware that certain plants can act as natural air purifiers? Indoor air pollution is a serious problem in many communities, especially in cities. But there are also issues with indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde or varnishes that can also cause problems.… 
Air pollution is a growing problem in many urban areas. Many people may not realize that over the last five years there is a lot of new research proving more serious health effects at lower levels than we had previously thought.…