Jet Lagged? Lighten Up

November 11, 2005 08:41:11 PM PST

By using light box therapy and the over-the-counter drug melatonin, people can reset their circadian "body clocks" before a journey, according to a U.S. study in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

This approach can also be used to help people with delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS), a condition caused by misalignment between a person's internal clock and the external environment.

This study of 44 healthy adults is the first "to show that melatonin and bright light can both help to advance the circadian clock, and the combination of bright light and melatonin produces a larger phase advance than bright light alone," study senior author Charmane Eastman said in a prepared statement.

Eastman is director of the Biological Rhythms Research Lab and professor of behavioral sciences department at Rush University Medical Center, in Chicago.

"The findings are very practical. A business person could go to a pharmacy and buy 0.5 mg of melatonin over the counter. He or she would also have to buy or rent a light box. Then before flying east, he or she could go to bed and wake up earlier each day while using the light box in the morning and taking melatonin in the evening. If they did this for the number of days equivalent to the number of time zones crossed, they should be completely adjusted to the new time zone before they fly," Eastman said.

"However, even following the schedule for a few days before flying would reduce the jet lag experienced upon arrival at the destination. The more days a person follows this procedure, the less jet lag they will have on landing and the sooner they will adjust and feel no jet lag," Eastman said.

More information

The U.S. National Sleep Foundation has more about jet lag.

Health Tip: The Cause Of Bell's Palsy Is Unknown

Bell's Palsy, an unexplained facial muscle weakness or paralysis that worsens over the course of five days, may cause extreme pain to one side of the face and head.

Here's a list of symptoms associated with Bell's Palsy, courtesy of the Loyola University Health System:

• Loss of feeling in the face.
• Headache.
• Tearing.
• Drooling.
• Loss of taste on the front two-thirds of the tongue.
• Hypersensitivity to sound.
• Inability to close the eye on the affected side of the face.
• Affects the muscles that control facial expressions.

Health Tip: Abscesses Stem From Bacterial Infection

November 11, 2005 08:41:11 PM PST

An abscess can also result from tooth decay, openings in tooth enamel, and a broken or chipped tooth.

According to the National Institute of Health, heres a list of symptoms of an abscess:

• A toothache.
• Pain while chewing.
• Tooth sensitivity.
• Bitter taste in the mouth.
• Foul smell in the mouth.
• Fever.
• Swollen glands, in upper or lower jaw.

The institute recommends prompt treatment of an abscess to reduce complications.