Being overweight can increase pain sensitivity
The rotund tenor Luciano Pavarotti once said, “The reason fat people are happy is that their nerves are well protected.” As revered as he was, the Italian opera star was way off key when it came to being fat and happy.
As scientists from Ohio State University recently told colleagues at a meeting of the European Pain Federation, as you gain weight you become more pain-sensitive. It’s a result of the bodywide inflammation (cytokines) triggered by excess belly fat, aka visceral fat. That disrupts your immune, respiratory and metabolic organ systems (and just about every other one), plus your gut biome. If you’re obese or overweight, those aches and pains are not all in your head.
A lot of problems start with what you eat; overweight folks who have a low-fiber diet (no whole grains, few vegetables or fruits) are particularly vulnerable. In plain English: The Five Food Felons (all added sugars and sugar syrups, all trans and saturated fats and any grain that isn’t 100 percent whole) can increase pain and inflammation. So if you’re overweight, clear those foods from your plate and start walking. Don’t feel discouraged: Exercise will become less painful the more you do it. Get your doctor’s OK, a pair of good shoes and head out the door. Start with 15 minutes, increase by a few more steps every day — never a few less — with a targeted goal of 10,000 steps daily. Less weight equals less pain. The Fat Tenor has sung.
Say “no” to nail-biting
Nail-biting is an affliction that may indicate you have a condition associated with obsessivecompulsive disorder that’s called body-focused repetitive behavior or pathological grooming.
Experts say nail-biting is a clue that you’re not handling stressful, frustrating, dissatisfying or boring situations effectively and that you’re inclined to create short-term, selfsoothing habits instead of discovering positive ways to make yourself feel better in the long run.
In addition, the American Academy of Dermatology warns that repeated nail-biting can harm the nail bed and lead to abnormal-looking nails. It also can pass bacteria and viruses from your mouth to your fingers, and back again from your nails to your face and mouth.
So how can you stop? Keep a journal that identifies triggers; you’ll begin to see when the urge strikes. Knowing that will help you resist. When you can’t beat the urge, substitute squeezing a stress ball for nibbling. Keep nails short, and consider using a bitter-tasting nail polish to make it unpleasant to put your fingernail in your mouth. Then think about adopting long-term stress-busters, like mindful meditation or yoga. And if you still can’t beat it, cognitive behavioral therapy or holistic psychotherapy may be smart steps.
Q: I have a friend who’s still drinking, even though she knows she’s pregnant. She thinks that a drink here and there doesn’t hurt anything. Doesn’t it cause birth defects? What can I tell her?
Tracy D., Trenton, New Jersey
A: Unfortunately, drinking during pregnancy is more common than you might think. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey found that among pregnant women in the U.S., “the prevalence of any alcohol use and binge drinking in the past 30 days were 10.2 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively.” (And participants may well have underreported their drinking.)
But, back to your friend. You can tell her that for her fetus, there is no known safe level of alcohol consumption, period. If a woman drinks when she’s pregnant, so does the fetus. The alcohol goes right through the umbilical cord. Birth defects due to an alcoholexposed pregnancy are called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs). They include everything from abnormal facial features, such as a smooth ridge between the nose and upper lip, a small head, short stature and low body weight, to poor coordination, and learning and speech difficulties. Fetal death is unusual, but it’s the most extreme result.
Not only should every woman stop drinking as soon as she knows she is pregnant, but she should refrain if there is a chance of pregnancy. That’s because a woman can get pregnant and not know for up six weeks — during that time, a lot of damage can be done to the fetal brain.
So tell your friend that the sooner she stops drinking, the better off everyone will be; fetal brain growth takes place throughout pregnancy. If she’s having a hard time quitting, her problem may be one of addiction, and if so, she needs help now. Go with her to talk to her primary-care provider, her OB-GYN, Alcoholics Anonymous or a local alcohol treatment center; you’ll be a really good friend!