Podcast #14  

Welcome to edition number 14 of Your Health. We hope that by listening to this program, you can do a better job of keeping yourself and those you care about healthy.  And we try to make it a little easier to navigate the health care landscape.  I'm Neal Linkon, Aurora's manager of Web Communications. If you have any specific questions we can help you with or want to suggest topics for future editions, please let us know at internet@aurora.org.

In this edition, we'll talk about the many advantages of computer assisted robotic knee replacement surgery. We'll dig into the science to see if it's really true that eating carrots can help your eyesight. And we'll talk about what you should know – and what you can do about – sunburn.

In an earlier edition of Your Health we talked about robotic surgery for your heart.  But the technique is getting terrific results for other things, too, such as knee replacement. We spoke with Dr. Michael Dussault, an orthopedist who works at clinics in Burlington and Lake Geneva, and he explained why robotic surgery is so much better.

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Ask your doctor if robotic surgery is right for you.  And to learn more about Dr. Dussault, go to www.Aurora.org/dussault.

Did your mother ever threaten that you will need glasses if you didn't eat your carrots? Well, although you may have eaten your carrots, her motivational tactics were questionable. If you were following a generally balanced diet, then those extra carrots had no affect on your vision. The connection does make sense, though. Carrots contain beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A, and vitamin A is important for healthy eyesight. However, only a small amount is needed to maintain good vision. Foods that are high in beta-carotene and vitamin A will only impact your vision if your body is deficient in vitamin A.

Standard, well-balanced diets generally contain a sufficient amount of vitamin A, and eating more carrots will not make a big enough difference to affect eyesight. The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics from 1988-1994, found that most Americans take in the amount of vitamin A recommended by the Institute of Medicine.

The Recommended Dietary Allowances -- or RDAs -- for vitamin A are as follows:

• 3000 IU (International Units)–adult males (age 19+)
• 2310 IU–adult females (age 19+)
• 2000 IU–children (age 9-13)

More recent data collected from 1999-2000 found that the average adult continues to get enough vitamin A, taking in around 3300 IU per day.

Healthful, well-balanced diets contain a variety of sources of vitamin A, examples include:

• ½ cup of boiled carrot slices–13,418 IU
• 1 cup of canned, chunky vegetable soup–5820 IU
• ½ cup of peas–1050 IU
• 1 cup of whole milk–249 IU

Dark-colored fruits and vegetables -- like carrots -- contain ingredients that are converted to vitamin A in the body. However, when your body has enough vitamin A, this conversion slows down. No benefits or risks are associated with eating extra carrots, although over-consuming beta-carotene can turn your skin orange or yellow. This is not considered bad for your health, but probably isn't what you had in mind.

People with vitamin A deficiency, are at risk for night blindness and can benefit from eating foods rich in vitamin A, like carrots. Studies have shown that eating carrots and other foods containing beta-carotene and vitamin A can improve vision for people with vitamin A deficiency and subsequently poor vision.

A recent study investigated the effect of providing nightblind, pregnant women with vitamin A, some in supplement form and others in foods like carrots or liver. The subjects were compared to women who could see normally at night and had no deficiency in vitamin A. After receiving treatment six days per week for six weeks, nearly all of the nightblind women reported full recovery, their vision approaching the level of the non-nightblind pregnant women.

Recent studies in developed countries have shown that older adults, who are at risk for age-related muscular degeneration, or AMD, may benefit from a diet rich in antioxidants including beta-carotene. A study conducted in the Netherlands from 1990-2004 found that antioxidant-rich foods may slow the onset of macular degeneration. According to the study, consuming high amounts of beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, and zinc was associated with a substantially reduced risk of AMD in elderly patients.

However, it is important to note that the high levels of beta-carotene that produced such results were obtained from vitamin and mineral supplements, and it would be very difficult to reach the same level of intake by eating lots of carrots. Also, there is no evidence that excessive carrot consumption prevents macular degeneration or other diseases affecting vision at any age.

During World War II, the British Royal Air Force invented the myth tying carrots to clear, sharp vision as a way to explain the sudden increase in Nazi bombers being shot down. A disinformation campaign spread the rumor that British fighter pilots were eating carrots to improve their vision, when in reality the British had a new radar system they wanted to keep secret from Germany. The story caught on though, and it remains popular to this day. But although there is a grain of truth to the claim, most people will not experience positive changes in their vision from eating carrots unless they have a vitamin A deficiency.

Spend too much time outdoors and while you'll get a nice dose of vitamin D, you also could get a good sunburn. Most sunburn is a first-degree burn that turns the skin pink or red. Prolonged sun exposure can cause blistering, which is a second-degree burn. Sunburn never causes a third-degree burn or scarring. Typically, the pain and swelling starts at 4 hours, peaks at 24 hours, and improves after 48 hours.

If somebody with a bad sunburn has passed out, is difficult to awaken or acting confused, or is very weak or unable to stand, call 911 right away.

While not quite as serious, you should still call your doctor if you feel weak or very sick, if blisters are present on your face, if a large blister more than 1/2 inch wide is present , if you are unable to look at lights because of eye pain, if the pain is severe, or if the burn looks infected. That could include draining pus, red streaks or increasing tenderness after the second day. Call your doctor within 24 hours if you just have a lot of small blisters.

If you or somebody you know gets a case of sunburn, you can try ibuprofen.  That's in Advil or Motrin. The adult dosage is 400 mg every 6 hours.  If anti-inflammatory agents such as ibuprofen are begun within 6 hours of sun exposure and continued for 2 days, they can greatly reduce your discomfort. If you can't take ibuprofen, use acetaminophen, or Tylenol, instead.

Do not take ibuprofen if you have stomach problems, kidney disease, are pregnant, or have been told by your doctor to avoid this type of anti-inflammatory drug. Do not take ibuprofen for more than 7 days without consulting your doctor.  Do not take acetaminophen if you have liver disease.

You also can try a steroid cream. Apply 1% hydrocortisone cream as soon as you notice the sunburn, and then three times a day. If used early and continued for 2 days, it may reduce swelling and pain.  If you don't have any, use a moisturizing cream until you can get some.

Some other things you can try include applying a cool compresses to the burned area several times a day to reduce pain and burning. For larger sunburns, give cool baths for 10 minutes. Add 2 oz. baking soda per tub. Avoid soap on the sunburn.

Drink extra water on the first day to replace the fluids lost into the sunburn and to prevent dehydration and dizziness.

For broken blisters, trim off the dead skin with a fine scissors. Why? These hidden pockets can become a breeding ground for infection. Apply antibiotic ointment, such as Bacitracin, to the raw skin under broken blisters. Reapply twice daily for 3 days. But leave intact blisters alone. The intact blister protects the skin and allows it to heal.

Most sunburn pain usually stops after 2 or 3 days.  Skin flaking and peeling usually occur 5-7 days after the sunburn.

To avoid sunburn, apply sunscreen to areas that can't be protected by clothing. Generally, an adult needs about 1 oz of sunscreen lotion to cover the entire body. You should reapply the sunscreen every 2-4 hours. You should also reapply after swimming, exercising, or sweating. A sunscreen with a rating of SPF 15 to 30 should be used. Sunscreens with ratings higher than 30 provide minimal additional protection.

You also can take Vitamins C and E, which have anti-oxidant properties. That means they help prevent sun damage to cells in your skin. Taking vitamins C and E by mouth may partially reduce the sunburn reaction. The adult dosage of vitamin C is 2 grams by mouth once a day. The adult dosage of vitamin E is 1000 IU by mouth once a day.

Remember, prevention is the key. Remember to reduce sun exposure and use sunscreens.

That will pull the curtain down on this edition of Your Health. Thanks for joining us. I'm Neal Linkon, and we love hearing from you. Drop us a line at internet@aurora.org.