While herbal supplements have risen in popularity over the past few years – touted for everything from their health benefits to weight loss properties – a new study highlights the importance of consulting your doctor before consuming any natural remedies.

According to Chicago researchers, herbal supplements such as acai berry, cumin, herbal tea, turmeric and long-term use of garlic may negatively impact chemotherapy treatment for cancer patients.

The researchers warned that the popular supplements may intensify or weaken the effect of chemotherapy drugs and in some cases, may cause a toxic, even lethal reaction.

“With the growth of the Internet, patients have better access to information about alternative products and often turn to dietary and herbal supplements to treat their illness because they think they’re natural and safe,” said June McKoy, MD, study researcher.

“What people don’t realize is that supplements are more than just vitamins and can counteract medical therapies if not taken appropriately,” McKoy explained.

Currently, more research is needed to understand which supplements interact with chemotherapy drugs and the extent of those interactions. The researchers encouraged that patients openly communicate with their doctors about supplement use.

“Patients need to tell their doctors what medications they are taking – including vitamins and supplements – to avoid any possible interaction,” said McKoy.

Herbal supplements can interact with chemotherapy drugs in a number of different ways. Some interfere with the metabolism of drugs, making them less effective, while others, such as the long-term use of garlic, may increase the risk of bleeding during surgery.

Prior studies have indicated that 50 percent of patients undergoing chemotherapy did not inform their doctors they were taking supplements.

“Some believe it’s not important, while others are uncomfortable admitting they are pursuing alternative therapies,” said McKoy. “The truth is, integrative approaches can be beneficial for cancer patients, but it’s important to take these approaches at the right time and under the supervision of your doctor.”

According to the results of a new study, use of a vaginal probiotic called LACTIN-V may decrease the rates of recurrent urinary tract infections among women.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs), a common problem in women, cost an estimated  $2.5 billion per year to treat in the United States.  The infections recur frequently in approximately 2 to 3 percent of all women.

Researchers believe depletion of a certain bacteria in the vagina may be associated with recurrent UTIs, meaning that replenishing the bacteria may be beneficial.

To test the theory, researchers administered either LACTIN-V or a placebo once a week to young women with a history of UTIs over a period of 10 weeks.

The results indicated that LACTIN-V may significantly reduce the rate of UTIs in women who are prone to infection.  Researchers hope that someday the treatment may replace long-term antimicrobial preventative treatments.

The study was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

If your child has Autism you’ve likely become quite familiar with the physicians in your area- pediatricians, developmental pediatricians, neurologists, etc. Hopefully you’ve found doctors you are comfortable with and whose advice you trust. Though your doctor may be the expert in her field, you are the expert on your child and it is important you share some information with the doctors, nurses, and staff working with your child.

Be prepared

Visit the doctor’s office without your child prior to your appointment. Check out the toys and books in the waiting room (Anything your little one may want to hoard?); take a look in the bathroom (Is there an automatic hand dryer or automatic flush system that bothers so many children on the spectrum?); and of course, say hello to the nurses (Briefly introduce yourself so you have a familiar face next time you’re there). Knowing as much about the people and the facility as possible will help you generate strategies and supports to make your child’s visit go smoothly.

Wait time

If you are working on increasing the time your child can wait appropriately, share this information with the receptionist. Maybe you need to walk in the hallways and she can call your cell phone when the doctor is ready for you. Be honest about your child’s challenges so you get your appointment started on the right foot.

Sensory needs

Your child may have sensitivity to lights, sounds, and textures so inform the doctor and nurses of any issues you foresee. Think about Band-Aids, cotton swabs, or tongue depressors that your child may not want to touch. Think about the volume of music in the office. Think about the bright, fluorescent lights. Explain your child’s needs and ask if they could lower the music while you’re there or turn on just one light in the examination room. Simple modifications go a long way.

Who’s the boss?

If your child needs to have blood drawn, a strep throat culture taken, or any other procedure that may cause discomfort or pain, be clear with your doctor about who should talk to your child. If the doctor, nurse, and you are all trying to talk with your child while he is frightened, he will miss the message and all that language will probably escalate his behavior. If you’re in the lead, ask your doctor what steps he is going to take so you can prepare your child. You may need to bring pictures or a written schedule to help your child understand what’s happening. One person should be guiding your child through the process then everyone can praise him when he’s done!

Written by Jennifer Cerbasi, a special education teacher at a public school in New Jersey and owner of The Learning Link, LLC. Exclusive to AskDrManny.com.

According to a new study, doctors don’t intervene as often as they should when it comes to weighty issues, Health.com reported.

Data from a government health surveys of 5,500 people indicates that one-third of obese people and over half of overweight people are not informed by their doctor that they are overweight.

Doctors may think they are sparing their patients pain or embarrassment, but in light of the obesity epidemic in the U.S., this is a stance many doctors should reconsider – especially since patients seem to take their words to heart.

Researchers said that if a doctor did comment on a patient’s weight, it appeared to make an impression on the patient.  Almost 20 percent of obese people whose doctors hadn’t discussed their weight with them described themselves as “not overweight, while only 3 percent of those whose doctors had addressed their weight did the same.

In addition, obese and overweight people who discussed their weight with doctors were more than twice as likely to have attempted lose weight in the previous year.

Click here to read more from Health.com.

I know, I know.  You’ve heard the warnings.  And you may think, if you’ve made it this far through flu season without getting a flu shot, you should be safe.

I’m going to have to ask you to reconsider.

As the Washington Post reported, flu season isn’t over yet – in fact, it’s just now hitting it’s peak.

“We are right now at the highest level of flu cases we’ve seen all season,” said Keri Hall, director of the office of epidemiology at the Virginia Department of Health.

Though flu season begins in October, the highest number of cases typically occur in February.  As expected, over the past few weeks most areas of the country have observed a rise in the number of flu-related hospitalizations and positive tests for influenza.

And because more people are getting the flu now, it is more likely that you will come into contact with an infected person.

“All the more important for people to get vaccinated,” Hall said.

Many local pharmacies are still offering flu shots.  Check the website for The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to find a location near you.

Click here to read more from the Washington Post.

1. Stand in front of a mirror, shoulders straight, hands on hips. Are your breasts evenly shaped, with no distortion or swelling? Do you see any redness or dimpling, or feel any soreness? Has your nipple changed position or been inverted? If so, tell your doctor.

2. Raise your arms, one at a time, and look for the same changes as in step 1.

3. Check for nipple discharge by gently squeezing each nipple between your thumb and index finger.

4. Now lie down and feel your breasts, using your right hand for your left breast and left hand for your right breast. With the first few fingers of each hand go over the entire surface area of your breast, feeling all of your breast tissue just underneath your skin and again deeper down with a firmer touch. If you locate any lumps or hard spots, notify your doctor.

5. Repeat step 4 while standing, perhaps while you are in the shower; it’s easier to feel what’s under the surface when your skin is wet and slippery.

Once breast cancer is suspected, whether it’s on a diagnostic mammogram or otherwise, other tests will follow—usually a biopsy, because this is probably the only way to make sure you have or don’t have cancer. Biopsies involve removing a small sample of the suspect tissue for further examination under a microscope by a pathologist. Not only do pathologists look for the cancer, they also seek to determine what kind of receptors—estrogen or progesterone—the cancer tissue has. The receptors help determine what type of therapy you will receive for the cancer; there are specific therapies directed at each type of receptor that improve the outcome.

The “stage” or location of the cancer is also determined during the diagnosis. If it’s located in a lobule or duct of the breast, the cancer is at Stage 0. If the tumor is less than 2 centimeters but has not spread beyond the breast itself, it’s Stage 1.

Stage 2 involves tumors that are less than 2 centimeters and have migrated beyond the breast to the lymphatic nodes, or are greater than 2 centimeters and haven’t spread outside the breast.

Stage 3 involves more advanced breast cancers, greater than 5 centimeters, that have spread to the lymphatic nodes under the arm.

Stage 4 is metastatic cancer, meaning that it has spread outside the breast to other organs.

Surgery plays a major role in the treatment by essentially removing as much of the cancer as possible. For the very early stages of breast cancer, the treatment is called a lumpectomy, which is the removal of the tumor and a little bit of normal tissue around the tumor. A lumpectomy is usually combined with radiation therapy.

Partial mastectomies involve removing a larger piece of the breast.

More advanced cancers are treated with modified radical mastectomies, meaning that the entire breast and the lymph nodes are removed. Most women who have total breast removal get reconstructive surgery in order to create a substitute breast mound. Those with high stages of cancer often also receive chemotherapy, with surgery or without surgery, in order to decrease the risk of the cancer’s recurrence, though the side effects of chemotherapy can be considerable.

Similarly, radiation therapy, which uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells, is often used to reduce the risk of recurrence and to kill tumor cells that may be living in lymph nodes. Depending on whether the tumor expressed estrogen or progesterone receptors, patients may also receive hormonal therapy. Patients whose tumors expressed estrogen, for example, may receive an estrogen-blocking drug called tamoxifen for five years after their surgery.