Diseases & Conditions Archive

In the journals

"Smell training" could help treat certain smell disorders, suggests a study published online Nov. 19, 2020, by the journal The Laryngoscope. Two common types of smell disorders are phantosmia, in which you smell an odor that isn't there, and parosmia, in which you smell strange and often unpleasant odors — for example, cinnamon smells rotten. Both disorders are believed to occur because of damage to the smell pathways (nerves that carry information from the nose to the brain), usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection. They also may result from a head injury or smoking.

The study enlisted 153 people who had experienced changes in their ability to smell after recovering from a viral infection, such as a cold or the flu. They were tested for how well they could smell a variety of odors. Smells related to phantosmia and parosmia also were identified. The people then received smell training kits that consisted of random odors as well as ones linked to their phantosmia or parosmia.

Ask the doctors

Q. I eat a lot of shellfish and recently developed gout in my knee. Did my diet cause the condition?

A. As you probably know, gout is a painful form of arthritis that occurs when high levels of a waste product called uric acid build up in the body. It can settle into joints, where it forms sharp crystals that can trigger inflammation, redness, and pain. Your diet may have aggravated the condition, but didn't cause it.

About one in five people has high levels of lipoprotein(a), a fatty particle linked to premature heart disease.

Most people probably haven't heard of lipoprotein(a), although that's not surprising. Cardiologists have known for years that having high levels of these fatty particles circulating in the bloodstream poses a risk to the cardiovascular system. But there wasn't much they could offer in terms of therapy, so widespread testing for lipoprotein(a) — also known as Lp(a) — didn't make sense.

Recent progress means the landscape may soon be shifting. Earlier research showed that injectable cholesterol-lowering drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors, such as evolocumab (Repatha) or alirocumab (Praluent), may lower Lp(a) by up to 25%. Until last year, however, it wasn't clear whether that reduction actually helped people with high Lp(a).

If you've had a stone, the problem is likely to recur — but it doesn't have to. Use these strategies for prevention.

The pain associated with kidney stones has been described by some as more excruciating than childbirth. Kidney stones are small, hard stones, formed when high levels of minerals in your urine start to crystallize in your kidneys, forming a pebble-like mass. The pain comes when these stones migrate from your kidneys through the ureters, which are the narrow tubes that carry urine from your kidneys into your bladder.

"Kidney stone pain is not subtle," says Dr. Gary Curhan, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. It typically starts in the flank, at the side of the lower back. Sometimes if the stone moves, the pain migrates to the front of the body.

Ask the doctors

Q. My friend was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia, but it seems like she might be imagining her symptoms. Is fibromyalgia a real condition?

A. The short answer to your question is yes. Fibromyalgia is a real condition that affects some four million Americans. It's a chronic pain syndrome that experts believe may be caused by a malfunctioning nervous system. Researchers using magnetic resonance imaging to examine the brains of people with fibromyalgia have found abnormalities in the part of the brain that processes pain signals from the body. It appears that this part of the brain is essentially boosting the intensity of normal pain signals, potentially causing the body to feel pain without a physical cause.

Q . I've started to notice a slight shakiness in my writing hand. Is this just normal aging or should I get my shaky hands checked out?

A. If the shakiness is sudden or recent, you should talk to a doctor. It may be nothing serious—for example, just a reversible side effect from a medication or from too much caffeine. However, tremors could be an early sign of a more serious condition, like Parkinson's disease. In that case, you could benefit from early diagnosis and starting treatment.

On call

Q. I want to avoid another kidney stone attack. What's your advice about diet, coffee, tea, and alcohol?

A. The foods you eat and the amount of fluid you drink can contribute to some types of kidney stones. Certainly, you can help prevent recurrent kidney stones by paying attention to your fluid and food intake.