Study: Breast X-Ray Usually Not Painful
Women who don’t undergo mammography, an X-ray technique to detect early stages of breast cancer, sometimes say they fear pain during the procedure.
A new survey, however, suggests that concern is usually groundless. In a report in this month’s Archives of Internal Medicine, 49% of 1,847 women who underwent mammographies said they experienced no discomfort while 39% said they experienced only mild discomfort. About 1% reported severe discomfort and another 1% said they felt moderate pain. The rest of the women’s responses fell in the middle of the spectrum. “No woman recorded that she experienced ‘severe pain that would make her reconsider ever having a mammogram again,’ ” wrote the researchers.
More likely to experience discomfort were women who had experienced breast tenderness in the three days before the screening. For that reason, the researchers advise women who experience extreme cyclical breast tenderness to avoid mammograms during that time.
In an editorial accompanying the journal article, Dr. Richard Gold, professor of radiological sciences at the UCLA School of Medicine, urged women to educate themselves about mammograms. “The consumer should ask the radiologic technologist to explain the procedure to her and tell her about compression,” said Gold. “Ask how long the pressure will be applied.” He said technologists can reduce potential for discomfort by warming the platform on which the breast is placed with a heating pad before the examination.
In the Chips
“Natural” potato chips are a staple at many health food stores. But just how healthy are they?
In some ways, healthier than traditional chips, nutritionists say. The notable differences: Natural chips often contain less salt and are made with unpeeled potatoes. Traditional chips may be fried in a highly saturated oil such as coconut or palm while “natural” chips are fried in a polyunsaturated oil such as sunflower or safflower.
Unpeeled potatoes provide more fiber, said Marilyn Magaram, an Encino registered dietitian, “although potato chips (in general) are not a great source of fiber.”
Traditional and natural chips pack lots of calories. A 1-ounce serving of chips averages 150 calories, according to Al Rickard of the Snack Food Assn.
Conquering Fears
When home alone for short periods, a few children--even those considered old enough to fend for themselves--become frightened and carried away with mental images of burglars, monsters and other bad guys.
Parents can help children control those fears by teaching them imagery, said Lizette Peterson, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Missouri at Columbia who recently published a research paper on the topic.
After giving children a reality base--”The doors and windows are locked; you’re safe”--she suggests teaching them to imagine themselves in scenes to their liking, such as relaxing in front of the fireplace or frolicking at the beach.
Using imagery keeps the brain too busy to register anxiety, Peterson said. Parents can also prepare children for short stints alone by “walking through” scenarios such as how to leave the house during a fire, how to fix a snack and how to respond to knocking on the door, she added.
Knowing Your Oats
Register another vote for the healthful effects of oat bran.
When two UC Irvine researchers compared the cholesterol-lowering effects of oat bran muffins with muffins made of wheat or mixed wheat and oat bran, they found that the cholesterol levels of subjects who ate oat bran muffins dropped by more than 5%. Their low-density lipoprotein, the so-called bad cholesterol, declined 8.7%. No changes were noted in the cholesterol levels of the subjects who ate the other types of muffins.
Based on the study of 72 medical school students, reported in this month’s Western Journal of Medicine, researchers Kurt V. Gold, a UC Irvine medical student, and Dr. Dennis Davidson, an associate professor of cardiology at the UC Irvine College of Medicine, suggest that taking 2 rounded tablespoons (about 17 grams) of oat bran a day can reduce cholesterol in young, healthy people.
