STORY TIPS FROM THE UCSD SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND UCSD HEALTHCARE
SLEEPING PILLS - Getting a good nights sleep may prove hazardous to your health if you use prescription sleeping pills every night, according to a new study from researchers at the UCSD School of Medicine. Men and women who used prescription sleeping pills daily were nearly 30 percent more likely to die within the six-year follow-up period than those who didn't take pills, according to UCSD sleep specialist Dr. Daniel Kripke. AOverall, the hazard associated with taking sleeping pills at least 30 times a month was similar to the hazard of smoking one to two packs of cigarettes per day,@ he said. Kripke added that people often take sleeping pills to help them function better and work better the next day. The preponderance of evidence shows that people who rely on sleeping pills perform worse, have more accidents and experience more difficulty at work, he said. (NS)
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PAIN AND SENIORS -- Many seniors believe that pain is a normal part of growing older and that they must learn to live with it. Not true, says Dr. Mark Wallace, director of the UCSD Pain Clinic. Chronic pain can be treated successfully, but the key to success is communication. Older patients rarely tell their doctors they're experiencing pain, and people with Alzheimer's may find it difficult to communicate their problem. Physicians should ask their patients if they fall often or are eating regularly, and other questions that may reveal clues about whether a patient is experiencing pain. There are a number effective pain medications available, says Wallace, but it is important to remember that older patients are more sensitive to pain medications than their younger counterparts. He also says physicians should consider alternatives such as physical therapy, and behavioral techniques like biofeedback or psychotherapy if depression causes or increases pain. (EC)
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Media contacts: (619) 543-6163, Nancy Stringer [email protected], Eileen Callahan ([email protected])
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