HEALTH TRENDS

Cell phones may be making men impotent

A recent study is revealing that men who cling to their cell phones are more likely to have problems in the bedroom. Researchers found that men who hold their cell phones for more than four hours a day are significantly more likely to experience erectile dysfunction compared to those who use their phones for less than two hours.

Researchers noted that more studies are needed to understand how cell phones affect human health. The latest study involved 20 men who had experienced problems with erectile function in the half year before the study, and 10 healthy men with no history of impotence.

Researchers said that there were no significant differences in age, weight, height, and smoking habits between the two groups. Men in both groups also had similar levels of total testosterone, and spent a similar amount of time talking on their phones.

Researchers noted that the biggest difference was the length of time men carried "switched-on" cell phones in their pockets or hands.

The findings revealed that men who suffered from impotence carried their cell phones for a "significantly longer time" than the healthy men in the control group. Men in the impotence group held their phones for 4.4 hours a day, compared to those in the healthy group who carried their phones for 1.8 hours a day.

"This prospective pilot study showed that there may be a relation between cell phone usage and erectile dysfunction (ED)," lead author Badereddin Mohamad Al-Ali and his team wrote in the study.

"Men with ED use their phones longer than men without ED, [and] men who have ED carry their switched-on cell phones significantly longer than men who do not have ED."

He added, "Our study showed the total time of exposure to the cell phone is much more important than the relatively short duration of intense exposure during phone calls."

High cavity rate in children, says ADA

The American Dental Association (ADA) is suggesting that parents inculcate the habit of brushing teeth in their children with fluoride toothpaste as soon as their first tooth comes in. This new guidance increases the use of fluoride toothpaste for young children.

To help prevent decaying of teeth, the recommendation is that parents use a daub of fluoride toothpaste (or an amount about the size of a grain of rice) for children younger than three years old and a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste for children three to six years old.

"For half a century, the ADA has recommended that patients use fluoride toothpaste to prevent cavities, and a review of scientific research shows that this holds true for all ages," Dr Edmond Truelove, chairman of the ADA's Council on Scientific Affairs, said in a news release.

The suggestion comes after a latest review published in the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) revealed that brushing with "fluoride toothpaste had statistically significant benefits on preventing decay and cavities."

The ADA also encourages parents to make their child visit the dentist when the first tooth appears, or no later than the child's first birthday.

Approximately 16 million children in the United States alone are afflicted by tooth decay, according to the statistical figures released by the ADA. They also found a significant increase in the number of dentist visits by pre-school children with multiple cavities.

Mouthwash use linked to oral cancer

New research is suggesting that people rinsing with mouthwashes more than three times a day have a greater chance of developing mouth and throat cancer.

Dr David Conway, a senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow Dental School in the United Kingdom, said people should not routinely use a mouthwash, but instead stick to brushing and flossing.

Poor oral health - one of the reasons people regularly use the rinses - also plays a part in cancer risk, he added.

The research supports an Australian study in 2009, which said there was 'sufficient evidence' that mouthwashes containing alcohol contribute to an increased risk of the disease, because they allow cancer-causing substances to penetrate the lining of the mouth more easily.

In the latest study, in the journal Oral Oncology, University of Glasgow researchers and European colleagues assessed 1,962 cancer sufferers and 1,993 healthy people in 13 centres across nine countries.

Those with poor oral health, including people with dentures and persistently bleeding gums, were at greater risk, they found.

The study set out to identify risk factors for oral cancers affecting the mouth and larynx, as well as oesophageal cancer of the gullet.

Dr Conway said, "I would not advise routine use of mouthwash, full stop. There are occasions and conditions for which a dentist could prescribe a mouthwash - it could be that a patient has a low salivary flow because of a particular condition or medicine they are taking. But for me, all that's necessary in general is good regular brushing with a fluoride toothpaste and flossing, combined with regular check-ups by a dentist."