For the San Diego Union-Tribune
Body of knowledge
Most people have experienced this kind of situation at some point: those moments when the eyelid suddenly and involuntarily twitches or moves for a few seconds. These symptoms are usually harmless and the exact cause is not known, although stress, lack of sleep and caffeine consumption have been suggested as possible causes.
The reason eyelid twitches are so noticeable is because of the muscle involved: the orbicularis oculi. This eyelid muscle is the fastest-working muscle in the human body, capable of closing an eyelid in less than 100 milliseconds and reopening it in about 200 milliseconds. That’s roughly the same amount of time it takes the human brain to process a single thought.
So when the orbicularis oculi muscle contracts, it actually contracts.
Read on if you want to know what to call these contractions.
Sinister Priory
Nearly 80% of physicians surveyed said the prior authorization process “often or sometimes” causes their patients to abandon treatment. Prior authorization is a cost-control measure used by health insurance companies that requires patients and their physicians to obtain approval from the insurer before care or treatment can begin. Nearly 95% of physicians surveyed by the American Medical Association said prior authorization sometimes, often or always delays patients trying to access care. Nearly 20% of physicians said prior authorization has led to a serious adverse event that required their patients to be hospitalized.
Give me that. Quick!
It’s a modest decline, but good news after years of bad news: Preliminary data from the CDC suggests that drug overdose deaths are down slightly from last year’s peak. The total is still 100,000 per year, with a significant percentage due to fentanyl overdoses.
The decline in deaths was not uniform, falling across much of the eastern half of the United States but rising in the western half.
The mitigating news is that cocaine and methamphetamine-related deaths have increased.
Mark it on your calendar
September is awareness month for blood, ovarian, prostate and childhood cancers, food safety and cholesterol, sickle cell disease, sepsis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, atrial fibrillation, childhood obesity, head lice and the “cure” that seems necessary after a month like this.
Doc discussion
Blepharospasm is an eyelid spasm that causes one or both eyes to close involuntarily. Although benign, it can become chronic and, over time, increase in frequency, making certain tasks more difficult, such as staring contests.
Phobia of the week
Acerophobia – fear of bitterness
Best medicine
Moments before the operation begins, the surgeon tells the patient, “Relax, Jim. This is just a small scalpel incision. There’s no need to panic.”
The patient replies: “Doctor, my name is not Jim.”
The surgeon replies, “I know, my name is Jim.”
Observation
“May this defense uproot lice from the hair and beard.”
— An inscription on a 3,700-year-old lice comb (apparently made from a tusk or bone) discovered in 2016 at an Israeli archaeological site called Lachish, once a Canaanite city. The inscription, written in Sumerian, is the oldest known sentence written in an alphabet.
Medical history
This week in 1978, American scientists announced the production of human-like insulin from a genetically modified strain of E. coli bacteria. The work was a joint effort by research teams at Genentech Inc. and the City of Hope National Medical Center in California.
Normally, the body produces insulin in the pancreas, programmed by certain genes. Scientists synthesized copies of these genes and inserted them into a weakened strain of the gut microbe Escherichia coli.
Self-examination
Q: How many bones are there in the human wrist?
a) 32
b) 8
c) 4
d) 12
A: b) 8
Medical Myths
Walking is a good exercise, but it’s not enough on its own to keep you fit as you age. Walking has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers, as well as the risk of premature death. But it doesn’t address the need to build and maintain muscle mass, which begins to decline gradually after age 30. Experts recommend supplementing walking with at least two 20-minute strength training sessions per week.
LaFee is vice president of communications at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Research Institute.
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