Overactive Bladder? How’s Your Magnesium Depletion Score?
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Overactive bladder (OAB) gets increasingly common after a certain age. This is often put down to “the body is getting older and weaker, so naturally the bladder is too, as are its associated muscles”.,
And while that’s true, it’s not exactly useful, is it? Happily, new science has shone a light on a previously underexamined consideration:
0Mg!
If you have zero magnesium (Mg) in your in body then well, you’re dead, because that’s an essential mineral.
But, low magnesium? That’s just normal. And by “normal” here we do mean in literal sense of: “it’s the statistical norm”, and without implication of “and that’s fine” (because it’s not).
A study looking at data from 28,621 participants aged 20–80 found that each each 1-point increase in magnesium depletion score (MgDS) was linked to 9% higher risk of OAB.
You may be wondering: how do I calculate my magnesium depletion score / do I need a blood test or something?
So, here’s how it’s calculated, step-by-step:
❝The MgDS is a validated clinical index designed to reflect chronic magnesium depletion risk by combining multiple clinical factors known to influence magnesium homeostasis. MgDS calculation includes the following step-by-step criteria:
(1) Diuretic use: Participants using diuretics scored 1 point; no diuretic use scored 0 points.
(2) PPI use: Participants using PPIs scored 1 point; non-users scored 0 points.
(3) Renal function assessment: Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) categories scored as follows: eGFR ≥ 90 mL/min/1.73 m2 scored 0 points; eGFR ≥ 60 and < 90 mL/min/1.73 m² scored 1 point; eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² scored 2 points.
(4) Alcohol consumption: Heavy alcohol use (defined as > 2 drinks/day for men and > 1 drink/day for women) scored 1 point; other consumption levels (never, former, mild, moderate) scored 0 points.❞
Or more simply, start with a score of zero, and then…
- Do you use diuretics? If so, add 1 point
- Do you use PPIs? If so, add 1 point
- How are your kidneys?
- Great = add 0 points
- Neither amazing nor terrible = add 1 point
- Terrible = add 2 points
- Multiple units of alcohol per day? Add 1 point
If unsure how to guesstimate your kidney health, check out: Are your Kidneys Ok? Detect Early To Protect Kidney Health (Here’s How)
Now, in the bullet points above we’ve simplified the alcohol a bit (men typically have a little more wiggle-room there than women, but it’s not something that should be counted on, and as for the eGFR scores, we’ve gone for a “make an educated guess” analog in lieu of the lab test that’d be needed for that one. However, even a ±2 inaccuracy in your score due to guessing on that will still give you a general idea of which end of the scale you’re on, and it also means…
In practical terms:
- Do you use diuretics? If so, consider whether that’s best for you
- Do you use PPIs? If so, consider whether that’s best for you
- Are you neglecting your kidneys? If so, consider being more attentive to them
- Are you drinking regularly? If so, consider not doing that
Now, we are not the boss of you, and also some of those are things for conversations between you and your doctor (especially the first two).
But it does provide a good guideline for reference, and possible things to improve!
To read the paper in full, see: Association between magnesium depletion score and overactive bladder among U.S. Adults using data from NHANES 2005–2018
You can also, of course, regardless of your magnesium depletion score, enjoy magnesium-rich foods and/or take supplemental magnesium.
Note: this association does not prove causality. For example, it could be that OAB and MgDS are both caused by the same third thing, or it could be that the OAB causes the high MgDS. However, since most people are deficient in magnesium, supplementation is rarely a bad idea anyway.
So, with that in mind:
But: Which Magnesium? (And: When?) ← it makes a difference! Especially as the most widely-sold kind of magnesium (magnesium oxide, which is cheapest) is barely usable by the human body. The article we’ve just linked to discusses the pros and cons of alternatives magnesium glycinate, magnesium citrate, magnesium lactate, and magnesium gluconate. Choose wisely!
And if you’re relying on diet, do be aware of: Foods Linked To Urinary Incontinence In Middle-Age (& Foods That Avert It)
Want to do more?
Check out these previous articles of ours:
Pelvic Floor Exercises (Not Kegels!) To Prevent Urinary Incontinence
and
Keeping Your Kidneys Happy: It’s About More Than Just Hydration! ← important at all ages, but especially relevant after 60
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Twice-Baked Stuffed Potatoes
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Packed with protein and fiber and dosed with healthy spices, these tasty treats can be enjoyed hot as they are, or cold as part of a salad dinner.
You will need
- 4 large baking potatoes
- 2 cans chickpeas, drained
- 1 can coconut milk
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, or plant-based alternative
- 1 bulb garlic (sounds like a lot, but this is about three cloves per potato; adjust if you want, though)
- 3 tbsp chopped pickled jalapeños
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp onion powder
- Toppings: smoked paprika, finely chopped parsley
Method
(we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)
1) Preheat the oven to 400℉ / 200℃.
2) Wash, prick, and bake the potatoes—the latter being for an hour, or until tender.
3) Remove them from the oven and lower the temperature to 350℉ / 175℃.
4) Cut the potatoes lengthways and scoop out the insides into a food processor, leaving enough in the potato that it can hold its shape.
5) Add the remaining ingredients (except the toppings, and half the chickpeas) to the food processor, and blend until smooth.
6) Stuff the filling back into the potato shells (by simple physics of volume, you’ll have a little more than you need, but make it heaped mounds rather than a flat fill-in, and you can probably use most of it, if not all), add the other half of the chickpeas on top and then finally the paprika dusting, and bake for a further 20 minutes.
7) Serve, adding the chopped parsley garnish.
Enjoy!
Want to learn more?
For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:
- Should You Go Light Or Heavy On Carbs?
- Eat More (Of This) For Lower Blood Pressure
- Level-Up Your Fiber Intake! (Without Difficulty Or Discomfort)
- Our Top 5 Spices: How Much Is Enough For Benefits?
Take care!
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Is thunderstorm asthma becoming more common?
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
When spring arrives, so do warnings about thunderstorm asthma. But a decade ago, most of us hadn’t heard of it.
So where did thunderstorm asthma come from? Is it a new phenomenon?
In 2016, the world’s most catastrophic thunderstorm asthma event took Melbourne by surprise. An increase in warnings and monitoring is partly a response to this.
But there are also signs climate change may be exacerbating the likelihood of thunderstorm asthma, with more extreme weather, extended pollen seasons and a rise in Australians reporting hay fever.
A landmark catastrophe
The first time many Australians heard of thunderstorm asthma was in November 2016, when a major event rocked Melbourne.
During a late night storm, an estimated 10,000 people were rushed to hospitals with severe asthma attacks. With thousands of calls on emergency lines, ambulances and emergency departments were unprepared to handle the rapid increase in people needing urgent medical care. Tragically, ten of those people died.
This was the most catastrophic thunderstorm asthma event in recorded history and the first time deaths have ever occurred anywhere in the world.
In response, the Victorian Department of Health implemented initiatives, including public awareness campaigns and improvements to health and emergency services, to be ready for future thunderstorm asthma events.
A network of pollen monitoring stations was also set up across the state to gather data that helps to predict future events.
A problem for decades
While this event was unexpected, it wasn’t the first time we’d had thunderstorm asthma in Australia – we’ve actually known about it for decades.
Melbourne reported its first instance of thunderstorm asthma back in 1984, only a year after this phenomenon was first discovered in Birmingham in the United Kingdom.
Thunderstorm asthma has since been reported in other parts of Australia, including Canberra and New South Wales. But it is still most common in Melbourne. Compared to any other city (or country) the gap is significant: over a quarter of all known events worldwide have occurred in Melbourne.
Why Melbourne?
Melbourne’s location makes it a hotspot for these kinds of events. Winds coming from the north of Melbourne tend to be dry and hot as they come from deserts in the centre of Australia, while winds from the south are cooler as they come from the ocean.
When hot and cool air mix above Melbourne, it creates the perfect conditions for thunderstorms to form.
Northern winds also blow a lot of pollen from farmlands into the city, in particular grass pollen. This is not only the most common cause of seasonal hay fever in Melbourne but also a major trigger of thunderstorm asthma.
Why grass pollen?
There’s a particular reason grass pollen is the main culprit behind thunderstorm asthma in Australia. During storms there is a lot of moisture in the air. Grass pollen will absorb this moisture, making it swell up like a water balloon.
If pollen absorbs too much water whilst airborne, it can burst or “rupture,” releasing hundreds of microscopic particles into the air that can be swept by powerful winds.
Normally, when you breathe in pollen it gets stuck in your upper airway – for example, your nose and throat. This is what causes typical hay fever symptoms such as sneezing or runny nose.
But the microscopic particles released from ruptured grass pollen are much smaller and don’t get stuck as easily in the upper airway. Instead, they can travel deep into your airways until they reach your lungs. This may trigger more severe symptoms, such as wheezing or difficulty breathing, even in people with no prior history of asthma.
So who is at risk?
You might think asthma is the biggest risk factor for thunderstorm asthma. In fact, the biggest risk factor is hay fever.
Up to 99% of patients who went to the emergency department during the Melbourne 2016 event had hay fever, while a majority (60%) had no prior diagnosis of asthma.
Every single person hospitalised was allergic to at least one type of grass pollen. All had a sensitivity to ryegrass.
Is thunderstorm asthma becoming more common?
Thunderstorm asthma events are rare, with just 26 events officially recorded worldwide.
However there is evidence these events could become more frequent and severe in coming years, due to climate change. Higher temperatures and pollution could be making plants produce more pollen and pollen seasons last much longer.
Extreme weather events, including thunderstorms, are also expected to become more common and severe.
In addition, there are signs rates that hay fever may be increasing. The number of Australians reporting allergy symptoms have risen from 15% in 2008 to 24% in 2022. Similar trends in other countries has been linked to climate change.
How can I prepare?
Here are three ways you can reduce your risk of thunderstorm asthma:
- stock up on allergy medication and set up an asthma action plan with your GP
- check daily pollen forecasts for the estimated pollen level and risk of a thunderstorm asthma event in your local area
- on days with high pollen or a high risk of thunderstorm asthma, spend less time outside or wear a surgical face mask to reduce your symptoms.
Kira Morgan Hughes, PhD Candidate in Allergy and Asthma, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Travel Sickness Relief Without Drugs?
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It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!
Have a question or a request? We love to hear from you!
In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!
As ever: if the question/request can be answered briefly, we’ll do it here in our Q&A Thursday edition. If not, we’ll make a main feature of it shortly afterwards!
So, no question/request too big or small 😎
❝Natural remedies for travel sickness / motion sickness that actually work?❞
First let’s take a brief moment to mention unnatural remedies!
Travel sickness medications are not only not all the same (i.e., they are different drugs from each other), but they’re not even all the same class of drugs, for example cinnarizine and promethazine hydrochloride are both antihistamines but work (as antihistamines) in mostly different ways, and scopolamine/ hyoscine hydrobromide (that’s one drug by two different names) is a muscarinic inhibitor (a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist) that blocks the signals in a third, entirely different way. There are other options too, but those are the most common ones.
We’re not going to recommend one over the others, but we are going to say: if one doesn’t work, you might want to try a different one to see if that works better for you. Our individual physiologies will tend to differ sufficiently that what works well for one person might not be what’s best for another.
Natural remedies
A lot of research in this regard has been done against nausea generally, and not necessarily against motion sickness specifically.
The reason for this is simple: it’s a lot easier to reliably induce other kinds of nausea in a laboratory setting, than it is to reliably induce motion sickness! Therefore, other kinds of nausea are easier to test remedies against.
That said, as a general rule of thumb things that are good against “nausea in general” are also good against nausea from motion sickness.
For example, ginger has been well-studied against nausea (mostly in pregnancy, chemotherapy, or post-operative nausea). If we try to find some of the science most relevant to your query, we find for example:
Clinical Evaluation of the Use of Ginger Extract in the Preventive Management of Motion Sickness
…pretty much concluded “sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t; who knows?”
Ginger for treating nausea and vomiting: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses
…concluded (again, we paraphrase) “this consistently looks good, but the standard of evidence is low; we need better methodology to make declarative statements about it”
Meanwhile, here’s a much more specific, but also small (n=13) study that investigated ginger against motion sickness, and found:
❝Pretreatment with ginger (1,000 and 2,000 mg) reduced the nausea, tachygastria, and plasma vasopressin.
Ginger also prolonged the latency before nausea onset and shortened the recovery time after vection cessation.
Ginger effectively reduces nausea, tachygastric activity, and vasopressin release induced by circular vection.
In this manner, ginger may act as a novel agent in the prevention and treatment of motion sickness.❞
In other words: based on this tiny study at least, it works, but it’s not perfect. It delays the start of nausea, it makes the nausea less severe if it occurs, and it hastens recovery after nausea. It works by calming the stomach, and also by lowering levels of a hormone that is known to promote nausea.
Read in full: Effects of ginger on motion sickness and gastric slow-wave dysrhythmias induced by circular vection
Another natural approach is the use of acupressure, for which the most widely-used and well-researched (although again, most of the research has been for kinds of nausea other than motion sickness) is:
This one’s particularly popular because it can be done with (as the study title there suggests) a wristband, which is more consistent than doing it yourself, and if you are the driver, does not require you to take your hands off the wheel.
There are other acupressure methods, but mostly less well-studied, for example: 7 Pressure Points for Nausea ← pop-science article with negligible hard science, but it has diagrams and instructions, which are helpful, even if you only go for the P6 point on the wrist, the one for which there is plenty of science!
Aside from those things, some general advice you probably already know but just in case:
- Have a light bite to eat before travelling (you don’t want to have just eaten a large meal necessarily, but you don’t want an empty stomach either which—counterintuitively—can make nausea worse)
- Stay hydrated (not overhydrated, but enough that you are definitely not dehydrated, which—counterintuitively again—can make nausea worse)
- Eyes front (best if you are driving, but even if you are a passenger, or in some vehicle that you can’t see out the front of, looking forwards is better than looking to the side)
- Ventilate (if possible; recirculated air is not as good as fresh air if available)
- Take breaks (if possible; this may be less of an option if in a plane or boat, for example)
Take care!
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One Critical Mistake That Costs Seniors Their Mobility
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Will Harlow, the over-50s specialist physio, advises what to do instead:
Nose over toes
Often considered the most important test of mobility in later life (or in general, but later life is when it tends to decline) is the ability to get up off the floor without using your arms.
Many seniors, meanwhile, struggle to get out of a chair without using their arms.
Now, sitting in chairs in the first place is not good for the health, but that’s another matter and beyond the scope of today’s article.
If, perchance, you struggle to get up from a chair (especially if it’s low/deep, like many armchairs are) without using your hands, then here’s the way to do it:
- While practicing, cross your arms in front of you, so that you cannot use them.
- Shuffle yourself towards the front of the chair. No, don’t use your arms for this either, do a little butt-walk instead, to get you to the front edge of the chair.
- Lean forwards to position your nose over your toes (hence the mnemonic: “nose over toes”; memorize that!), as this will put your center of gravity where it needs to be.
- Now, push with your feet to rise up and forwards; slowly is better than quickly (quickly may be easier, but slowly will improve your strength and balance).
For more on all of this plus a visual demonstration, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like to read:
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8 Critical Signs Of Blood Clots That You Shouldn’t Ignore
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Blood clots can form as part of deep vein thrombosis or for other reasons; wherever they form (unless they are just doing their job healing a wound) they can cause problems. But how to know what’s going on inside our body?
Telltale signs
Our usual medical/legal disclaimer applies here, and we are not doctors, let alone your doctors, and even if we were we couldn’t diagnose from afar… But for educational purposes, here are the eight signs from the video:
- Swelling: especially if only on one leg (assuming you have no injury to account for it), which may feel tight and uncomfortable
- Warmness: does the area warmer to the touch? This may be because of the body’s inflammatory response trying to deal with a blood clot
- Tenderness: again, caused by the inflammation in response to the clot
- Discolored skin: it could be reddish, or bruise-like. This could be patchy or spread over a larger area, because of a clot blocking the flow of blood
- Shortness of breath: if a clot makes it to the lungs, it can cause extra problems there (pulmonary embolism), and shortness of breath is the first sign of this
- Coughing up blood: less common than the above but a much more serious sign; get thee to a hospital
- Chest pain: a sharp or stabbing pain, in particular. The pain may worsen with deep breaths or coughing. Again, seek medical attention.
For more on recognizing these signs (including helpful visuals), and more on what to do about them and how to avoid them in the first place, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Further reading
You might like to read:
Dietary Changes for Artery Health
Take care!
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I have a stuffy nose. How do I know if it’s hay fever or a cold?
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You’ve been through winter lurgies and escaped the start of spring free of hay fever. Now you wake up with a sniffle you can’t seem to shake.
How do you know if it’s hay fever, a cold, or something else? And how do these two different culprits cause such similar symptoms?
Guido Mieth/Getty Images Hay fever is actually an allergy
Hay fever is an allergic reaction to tiny particles you inhale from “allergens”. These might be pollen, house dust mites, or animal dander (dead skin cells).
Normally, the body won’t respond to these harmless particles. But for some people, the immune system mistakes them for something dangerous.
If you have allergies, your immune system prepares a particular type of antibody, called IgE, to target the culprit allergen.
When you’re next exposed to that allergen, such as grass pollen, your immune system quickly releases chemicals such as histamine, which contributes to an allergic reaction.
Histamine and other inflammatory substances that are released inflame the lining of your nose, eyes and throat. This causes sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, itchy eyes, feeling drained and having trouble concentrating.
Histamine irritates the nerves in your nose, eyes and sometimes your throat or skin, causing the itch. It’s your body’s false alarm, thinking it needs to protect you.
A blocked or runny nose can make breathing at night difficult, affecting your sleep, leaving you tired the next day.
How the body defends against a viral attack
When you catch a cold, viruses enter your body via inhaled droplets or aerosols, landing onto your nose or throat. The viruses use the coating on their surface to attach and enter the cells lining your nose and throat.
That is where a cold virus can replicate, and burst the infected cells to spread and infect more cells in the vicinity. This causes the release of molecules that signal to other immune cells to come to the infected area, and fight the viruses.
During the fight, chemicals including histamine (yes, similar to a hay fever response) and other chemical mediators are released, causing symptoms such as a stuffy, runny nose, sore throat, sneezing and, sometimes, a fever.
Many respiratory viruses can cause cold symptoms: common cold viruses (rhinoviruses), coronaviruses (the non-SARS kind), adenoviruses and more significant ones such as the flu (influenza), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID (caused by SARS-CoV-2).
So how can you tell the difference?
While hay fever and cold viruses share some overlapping symptoms, one of the main differences is that, ironically, hay fever doesn’t actually cause a fever, but a cold- or flu-like virus sometimes does.
Other cold or flu symptoms not commonly seen with hay fever could include a sore throat, muscle aches and pains (particularly influenza), and cough with thick mucus (known as sputum).
However, if hay fever is associated with asthma, you might also have a cough and feel breathless.
Feeling itchy – and itchy eyes in particular – is a prominent symptom of hay fever not commonly seen with colds.
Colds don’t usually cause itchy eyes. Mart Production/Pexels Duration and triggers for symptoms can also be a clue. Cold or flu symptoms may resolve within a week or two, with the season typically peaking during winter.
Hay fever symptoms may last for the duration of the spring to summer pollen season (seasonal hay fever), or whenever the person is exposed to the particular allergen that triggers them.
What do you need to watch out for?
Untreated hay fever can have significant impacts on quality of life and performance at work and school. Symptoms can persist for months and recur yearly with allergen exposure, particularly grass pollen.
If hay fever occurs alongside uncontrolled asthma, serious complications such as asthma attacks, may require hospitalisation.
Thunderstorms during high pollen counts can also cause “thunderstorm asthma”, even if you’ve never had asthma before.
Cold viruses usually resolve on their own with rest, fluids and pain relievers such as paracetamol.
However, influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV can cause complications for those with compromised immune systems, young children, pregnant women, older people and those with underlying lung diseases. Complications can include pneumonia (severe lung infection), bronchitis/bronchiolitis (inflamed airways) and even death, so early health care can be crucial.
Why you might get both at the same time
Being exposed to allergens can weaken the immune response in the cells lining your airways. This makes it harder for your body to fight off respiratory viruses, meaning colds can last longer and feel worse.
High levels of airborne pollen have been linked to more hospital admissions for asthma in boys infected with rhinovirus (a cold virus) and even to rises in SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) cases.
Pollen carries a variety of bio-molecules, each of which can directly affect the cells lining our respiratory tract, and possibly facilitate respiratory viral infection.
However, other studies suggest hay fever might actually be a protective factor against severe COVID. This highlights how complex the relationship is between pollen, our immune system and respiratory viruses.
What should we do to control symptoms of allergy?
The best way to treat hay fever symptoms is with a nasal steroid spray, or a steroid spray combined with an antihistamine. Oral antihistamines aren’t as effective at controlling underlying inflammation as nasal steroid sprays.
Reducing or minimising exposure to allergens where possible can be useful, in Australia, daily pollen information can provide an alert on high pollen days.
Testing and further allergy treatment such as immunotherapy may be available with an allergy specialist. Immunotherapy is the process of “desensitising” the immune system so it’s less likely to over-react to triggering allergens.
If you also have asthma, see your doctor to review and update your treatment plan and preventer inhaler every year.
Janet Davies, Respiratory Allergy Stream Co-chair, National Allergy Centre of Excellence; Professor and Head, Allergy Research Group, Queensland University of Technology; Joy Lee, Respiratory Allergy Stream member, National Allergy Centre of Excellence; Associate Professor, School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, and Saeideh Hajighasemi, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Queensland University of Technology
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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