Post-traumatic stress disorder has long been considered a psychological illness, but a new study describes how PTSD leaves behind physical indicators throughout the body.

In analyses of blood samples from active-duty soldiers and veterans deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, researchers found molecules activated by inflammation, oxidative stress, metabolic dysregulation and impaired blood vessels.

These molecules may be involved in ailments as varied as wound healing, cardiovascular problems and mental distress. "PTSD is coming to be seen as a systemic disorder rather than as a purely psychological illness," the authors wrote.

Body of Knowledge

An enduring dogma of childhood is never to swallow gum because it's indigestible and, to be more specific, will clog up your plumbing or sit in the bottom of your stomach for at least seven years. There's both truth and falsity here.

What's true is that the substances that give gum its rubbery, endlessly chewable consistency — such as elastomers, waxes, resins and fillers — are largely immune to the body's various digestive powers, from your teeth and saliva to your stomach's hydrochloric acid to pancreatic enzymes and bile.

What's false is that gum never leaves the body. Like other indigestible materials, such as fiber, it sticks around only long enough to be excreted.

Get Me That, Stat!

In 2017, the U.S. government agreed to pay disability benefits totaling more than $2 billion to veterans who had been exposed to contaminated drinking water while assigned to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina between 1953 and 1987.

You've probably seen or heard the ubiquitous commercials by legal firms trawling for clients.

Eight diseases were covered, including several kinds of cancer and Parkinson's disease.

The link to Parkinson's was presumed, but not proved. A new study draws a firmer connection, comparing Marine veterans who lived at Camp Lejeune with those based at Camp Pendleton in California between 1975 and 1985.

Among the 340,000 Marines studied, the risk of Parkinson's was 70% higher at Camp Lejeune, where the water was contaminated with the solvent trichloroethylene, used in dry cleaning and many home-cleaning products.

Study authors warn that exposure to trichloroethylene was and continues to be widespread, possibly involving millions of people worldwide.

Stories for the Waiting Room

Adam Rainer (1899-1950) is the only known person in recorded history to qualify as both a dwarf and a giant.

In 1917, when Rainer was 18 years old, he attempted to enlist in the Austro-Hungarian army but was turned away due to stature. He stood just over 4 feet tall. A decade or so later, he topped the height chart at 7 feet, 1 inch, having grown an average of 3 inches per year from age 21 to 31.

The cause was a dysfunction of his pituitary gland, which suddenly began secreting excessive amounts of growth hormone.

Rainer's condition is known as acromegaly, and it resulted in severe anatomical deformities, including spinal problems. In 1930, at the age of 31, doctors removed a pituitary tumor, hoping to halt his growth. It slowed, but he still added 7 more inches of height between 1932 and 1950.

Rainer was likely still growing when he died from complications of a perforated intestine. He's not the tallest man documented in history (8 feet, 11 inches), but Rainer does hold the Guinness World Record for most variable stature.

Doc Talk

Phaeochromocytoma — a collection of dark-colored cells, describing a tumor on the adrenal gland

Phobia of the Week

Anatidaephobia — fear of ducks watching you (it's those beady little eyes)

Best Medicine

Nurse: "That cut looks terrible. Do you want me to stitch it up?"

Patient: "No, thanks."

Nurse: "Fine, suture self."

Observation

"Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's difficult."— Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

Medical History

This week in 1904, the first edible ice cream waffle cone was reportedly sold by Charles Menches at the St. Louis World's Fair. Others make similar claims, but Menches actually has a patent. OK, it's not exactly medical history, but don't you feel better just knowing this? Consider this the cone of science.

Med School

Your doctor says you have a case of intussusception. What is it?

a) A severe headache caused by extreme confusion

b) A part of your intestine folding in on itself

c) A chronic cough due to lung fluid buildup

d) A psychological disorder resulting in frequent histrionics

Answer: b) Intussusception is a condition where part of your intestine folds in on itself, usually between the lower part of the small intestine and the beginning of the large intestine. It often causes severe intestinal pain and requires immediate medical attention. It's very rare.

Epitaphs

"Here lies One whose Name was writ in Water." — Poet John Keats' tombstone (1795-1821). Keats' short life (he died of tuberculosis) was fraught with discouragement and sickness, perhaps fueling these disillusioned words. His work, however, lives on.

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.

Photo credit: Quinten de Graaf at Unsplash