Millions of people think they have a food allergy, and millions of people actually do — but maybe not so many as you (or they) think. Writing in the JAMA Network, researchers surveyed more than 40,000 adults about whether they thought they were allergic to particular foods and, if so, what kinds of symptoms they experienced.
They determined that a person was food-allergic if those symptoms included things like chest pain, throat tightening or hives. Mere gastrointestinal distress didn't count.
The scientists reported that 19 percent of adults believed they had a food allergy, but only 11 percent actually did. Their advice: Persons who think they have a food allergy should be tested.
Body of Knowledge
Fingernails grow at 0.02 inches per week, four times faster than toenails. This translates to 0.0028 inches in a day or 0.000119 inches per hour. The middle fingernail grows fastest; the thumb slowest. Entirely besides the point: The Pacific Plate — one half of what makes the San Andreas Fault — is moving northwest at roughly 3 inches per year, three times faster than your fingernails grow.
Stories for the Waiting Room
The American Academy of Pediatrics is urging physicians to screen women for depression during and after pregnancy. Maternal depression is one of the most common conditions that can occur during and after pregnancy. It often goes undiagnosed.
Doc Talk
Ptosis: Drooping of the eyelid
Phobia of the Week
Agyiophobia: Fear of crossing busy streets
Number Cruncher
A large order of Arby's curly fries (100 grams) contains 300 calories, 150 from fat. It has 16.7 grams of total fat, 26 percent of the recommended total fat intake for a 2,000-calorie diet.
It also contains 0 cholesterol; 676 milligrams of sodium (28 percent); 35.2 grams of total carbohydrates (12 percent); 3.8 grams of dietary fiber; 0 sugar; and 3.3 grams of protein.
Never Say "Diet"
The Major League Eating record for chicken wings (long form) is 182 in 30 minutes, held by Joey Chestnut. It was a tough contest. Competitors did not hand Chestnut the victory, though the chickens did — in their own way.
Best Medicine
A brief history of medicine:
2000 B.C.: Here, eat this root.
A.D. 1000: That root is heathen. Say this prayer.
A.D. 1850: That prayer is superstition. Drink this potion.
A.D. 1940: That potion is snake oil. Swallow this pill.
A.D. 1985: That pill is ineffective. Take this antibiotic.
A.D. 2019: That antibiotic doesn't work. Here, eat this root.
Observation
"Getting fit is all about mind over matter. I don't mind, so it doesn't matter." — "Mr. Lazy's Guide to Fitness" by Adam Hargreaves and Andrew Langley
Medical History
This week in 1998, a new glue called Dermabond, able to replace painful stitches, won unanimous approval from a Food and Drug Administration advisory board and was subsequently approved for market — a first. The manufacturer said Dermabond could seal off certain wounds quickly: A doctor simply pressed a cut's edges together and painted the glue across the top. Proper medical application required skill and practice; the glue was not available for home use, but it was a chemical cousin of do-it-yourself Krazy Glue (too toxic to repair cuts).
Med School
Q: What is the average life span of a taste bud?
a) 7 to 10 days
b) 1 month
c) 1 year
d) Lifetime
A: a) 7 to 10 days
Curtain Calls
In 1834, the Scottish botanist David Douglas died when he fell into a pit trap and was trampled by a wild bull, also entrapped.
To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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