News Roundup: Do Concussions Increase PTSD Risk?; Earlier Exposure To Eggs, Nuts May Help Allergies

NPR: Concussions May Increase The Risk Of PTSD
There's growing evidence that a physical injury to the brain can make people susceptible to post-traumatic stress disorder. Studies of troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan have found that service members who suffer a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury are far more likely to develop PTSD, a condition that can cause flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety for years after a traumatic event. (Hamilton, 9/26)

The Washington Post: Giving Babies Eggs And Peanuts May Prevent Later Allergies To Those Foods
Having kids eat eggs and peanuts early in life may reduce their risk of developing allergies to these foods later, a new analysis suggests. Researchers analyzed information from nearly 150 studies involving more than 200,000 children. These studies looked at exactly when certain foods were introduced to children during their first year of life. (Rettner, 9/23)

WBUR: More Women Choose Custom-Made Hormone Therapy; Influential Docs Worry About Potential Harm
The term "bioidentical hormone" doesn't really have a standard definition. In general, it's taken to mean hormones that have the same chemical and molecular structure as hormones produced in the human body. These days, there are FDA-approved versions of bioidentical hormones, and there are alternative, custom-prepared varieties — like the one Foster uses — made in specialized "compounding" pharmacies. Studies show that up to a million or more women take the custom-made hormone medications, and the number is increasing. But the trend frustrates and even alarms many doctors because custom-compounded varieties aren't FDA approved, nor do they carry labels detailing the risks and possible side effects of all types of hormone therapy. (Zimmerman, 9/23)

The Washington Post/Stateline: Some Cities Are Taking Another Look At LED Lighting After AMA Warning
If people are sleepless in Seattle, it may not be only because they have broken hearts. The American Medical Association issued a warning in June that high-intensity LED streetlights — such as those in Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, Houston and elsewhere — emit unseen blue light that can disturb sleep rhythms and possibly increase the risk of serious health conditions, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. (Ollove, 9/25)

Kaiser Health News: It’s In The Water: The Debate Over Fluoridation Lives On
Many people take for granted the addition of fluoride into public drinking water systems that aims to prevent tooth decay. It’s a seven-decade-old public health effort. But it’s not nearly as universally accepted as one might think. At least seven cities or towns across the country debated it just this summer. (Tan, 9/26)

Los Angeles Times: Got Kidney Stones? Try Riding A Roller Coaster To Dislodge Them
Just ask any one of the 300,000 Americans who, in any given year, develop kidney stones: What if the excruciating pain of passing one of those little devils could be prevented by strapping yourself into a make-believe runaway mine train, throwing your hands in the air and enduring G-forces as high as 2.5 for about three minutes? Would you do it? (Healy, 9/26)

Miami Herald: A Popular New Treatment For An Old Case Of Lice
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 6 million to 12 million infestations occur each year in the United States among children 3 to 11. Lice are white, sesame seed-sized parasites that attach themselves to hair and feed on blood. They can live on hair found on the head, body and in the pubic area. If allowed to reproduce, a proliferation of lice will cause an itching sensation that can only be stopped once the lice and their eggs — called nits — are removed. (Hsieh, 9/23)

The Washington Post: The Hot Hype And Cold Reality Of Cryotherapy. Does It Freeze Your Pains Away?
A new ice age is here. And it’s making amazing promises of pain-free joints and sculpted abs. Cryotherapy – a freezing treatment turned piping-hot health trend – is being hyped by spas across the country, many of which sprang up within the last year. (Lauerman, 9/23)

Mercury News: UCSF: Human Cell Transplants Treat Mice With Spinal Cord Injury
Researchers have successfully transplanted healthy human cells into mice with spinal cord injuries, bringing the world one step closer to easing the chronic pain and incontinence suffered by people with paralysis. The research team did not focus on restoring the rodents’ ability to walk; rather, it helped remedy these two other debilitating side effects of spinal cord injury. If successful in humans, the findings could someday ease the lives of those with these distressing conditions, said Dr. Arnold Kriegstein, co-senior author of the study and director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UC San Francisco. (Krieger, 9/23)