Alcohol is a toxic, addictive drug that can be very damaging to health. Alcohol products, mainly beer, spirits and wine can be marketed without reference to alcohol in the advertising. Alcohol is consumed without restraint or regard for its health consequences.
Today, we celebrate the incredible strength and resilience of women across Ireland. At Blackrock Health Womens Health Centre, our commitment to you is 365 days a year.
We support women at every stage of life and health journey, from preventive care to specialised treatments. Your health is our priority.
Let’s empower each other and prioritise our health, every single day!
Today marks #InternationalWomensDay, a time to consider progress, harness the power of collective action & stand in solidarity. While many celebrate, we also hold space for those facing conflict, injustice & the ongoing struggle for equalityhttp://bit.ly/IWD2026#GiveToGain#IWD2026
Distract your mind: One effective way to drive out intrusive or negative thoughts is with distraction. Go for a walk or dig in your garden. Lose yourself in a riveting book or a challenging puzzle. Turn on a favorite song and escape into the melody. A 10-minute break from your… pic.twitter.com/ZO7sSOmBAv
How Long To Breastfeed: What the Guidelines Say and What To Consider
Recommendations encourage breast milk exclusively for baby’s first six months and continuing to provide human milk until age 2 and beyond
How and what you feed your baby is probably one of the most basic — and yet deeply personal — decisions you’ll face when you become a parent.
You’ll hear things like “breast is best.” As in, breastfeeding (chestfeeding) is the absolute best way to nourish your baby.
And then you’ll hear the retort, “fed is best.” Meaning breast milk (human milk) and formula are both fine. As long as your baby is getting nutrients in their belly, all is well.
Then come the opinions on how long you should breastfeed. (You’re still breastfeeding? You gave up on nursing already? You fed your baby formula?)
It can feel like there’s no right way to do it. And there’s some truth to that.
Because what works for one family may not be feasible for another. But that’s OK.
Breast milk can provide certain benefits that formula can’t mimic. But breastfeeding, especially for long periods of time, might not work for everyone. Or you may have been given the impression that you’ve continued providing human milk long after others think you “should.”
No one should feel guilt, shame or otherwise crummy about how they feed their baby. Let’s face it, mom guilt is tough enough as it is.
So, we talked with board-certified breastfeeding medicine physician Heidi Szugye, DO, about breastfeeding recommendations.
How long to breastfeed
Science shows that if you can give your baby human milk (either your own or a donor’s), it has its benefits. And the longer, the better, experts recommend.
12 months to 24 months (and beyond): Mostly solid foods with some human milk, as mutually desired by parent and child.
Previous recommendations called for providing breast milk until age 1. But these newer guidelines (implemented in 2022) are based on the understanding that human milk has benefits that continue long after baby’s first birthday. And they help to remove stigmas associated with people who choose to extend breastfeeding into toddlerhood.
“These recommendations are a call to action for everyone, and that includes hospitals, pediatricians and all physicians that are taking care of families,” Dr. Szugye states. “We want to make sure our practices and policies are set up to support people who choose to breastfeed beyond the first year of their child’s life.”
Think of the guidelines as the best-case scenario. If it works for you, your family, your child, your body and your life to breastfeed for two years or longer, you’re doing a great thing. And there’s no reason to stop until you and your child are ready.
If it doesn’t work for you, that’s OK, too. Your worth as a parent and your love for your child can’t be measured in ounces of milk.
Benefits of extended breastfeeding
The recommendations are based on research showing that human milk has some big benefits. And those perks continue for as long as you continue to supply it.
“Breastfeeding offers tremendous benefits — from custom-made nutrition and increased immunity to protecting you against some forms of cancer. And those benefits don’t go away as your baby ages,” Dr. Szugye shares. “We have more and more data supporting that there are benefits to breastfeeding for more than one year when possible.”
Breastfeeding can offer both you and your baby some big benefits:
Benefits for lactating parents
Benefits for baby
Lower risk of developing conditions like Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
Decreased risk for ear infections, respiratory infections, gastrointestinal illnesses, SIDS, leukemia, diabetes, obesity, asthma and eczema.
“There are a lot of immunologic factors and components to human milk,” Dr. Szugye says. “One big advantage to human milk is that you pass antibodies to the baby. So, if you’re exposed to a respiratory illness or GI illness, those antibodies are passed on to the baby and then that makes them less likely to get sick. And if they do get sick, it’s less severe. It’s almost like a built-in immunity.”
Keeping up milk supply for the long haul
Some people can make enough milk to breastfeed for as long as they and their babies choose. But some don’t. At least not without taking some steps to keep it up.
If you suspect your supply is dwindling as your child gets older, there are ways to help promote more milk production if you want.
“Many people notice their supply drop and mistakenly assume it won’t return,” Dr. Szugye notes. “But if you want to continue to breastfeed, there are options that could help.”
If a supply boost is in order, you can try:
Nursing more often — Add sessions as long as your child will nurse. If you’re away from them during the day, try early evenings, mornings or weekends.
Pumping strategies — An extra session or several short “power pumping” sessions (think five to 10 minutes throughout the day) for several days in a row can trigger your body to make more milk.
Breast massage and compression — Easy-to-learn techniques can improve drainage when nursing or pumping.
Take care of yourself — Reduce stress, rest when possible, hydrate and eat a balanced diet with an extra 500 calories a day to support breastfeeding.
Not an ‘all-or-nothing’
If two or more years of breastfeeding seems daunting, remember that you have options.
For starters, giving your child human milk doesn’t always mean latching them to your breast and nursing. That’s just one way to do it. Pumping milk and putting it in a bottle, cup or spoon are also options.
And you may find that a donor bank could be a route to explore if you don’t lactate or if you have concerns about a low milk supply. Donor milk is pasteurized, screened for drugs, medications and infections, and tested for bacterial contamination before it’s stored and made available for purchase.
“Reach out to your pediatrician or women’s healthcare provider if you’re interested in obtaining donor milk. You may need a prescription from a healthcare provider,” Dr. Szugye suggests.
Remember, too, that any amount of human milk can be a benefit. If keeping up with your baby’s breastfeeding demands becomes too high a burden, there are alternatives.
Some parents may find that supplementing with formula (or other foods and milk after baby turns 1) can help give your child some human milk, while keeping up with their nutritional needs — and not burning yourself out in the process.
“It’s not an all-or-nothing thing,” Dr. Szugye reassures. “Any amount of human milk you can give is a benefit. If it doesn’t work for you to constantly supply human milk, that’s OK. We’re all just doing our best.”
If breastfeeding is going well for both you and your child, there’s no reason to give it up until you’re both ready to.
Feeding a baby is tough work, no matter how you do it. And chances are, you’re doing a fantastic job.
An avulsed tooth (knocked-out tooth) is a tooth that’s knocked out of its socket and, often, out of your mouth. Healthcare providers may call this dental avulsion.
Avulsed teeth are a type of dental trauma and require immediate treatment. If this happens to you or someone else, you may be able to save the tooth by putting it back in the socket right away. This is reinsertion or replantation. If you can’t put the tooth back, keep it moist and contact your dentist for an emergency appointment or go to an emergency room.
Are avulsed teeth common?
It’s a common issue. Every year, more than 5 million people in the U.S. have their teeth knocked out (avulsed). Most avulsed teeth involve your incisors. These are the teeth at the front of your mouth in your upper and lower jaw. While anyone can have a tooth knocked from their mouth, this issue mostly occurs in kids ages 7 to 11.
Symptoms and Causes
What are the symptoms of an avulsed tooth?
Symptoms of a tooth avulsion may include:
A gap in your mouth where your tooth used to be.
Mouth pain.
Bleeding.
What causes avulsed teeth?
It takes a lot of force to knock a tooth out of your mouth. The most common ways tooth avulsion happens are:
Falls.
Bicycle accidents.
Injuries from participating in contact sports like football, hockey, lacrosse, rugby and martial arts.
Traffic accidents.
Assaults.
Diagnosis and Tests
How are avulsed teeth diagnosed?
That depends on your situation. If you can place your tooth in its socket, a healthcare provider may check the tooth and then begin treatment. If you bring your tooth to the provider, they may examine your mouth for any other injury before replacing your tooth in its socket. They’ll ask what happened. For example, if your tooth was knocked from your mouth in a hard fall, they may check for signs of head injury, like a concussion.
Management and Treatment
What should I do if a tooth is avulsed?
Avulsed teeth are dental emergencies and require immediate treatment. To save your tooth, try reinserting (replanting) your tooth right away. Teeth treated within 30 minutes to one hour have the best chance of success. Here’s how to do that:
Pick up your tooth by the crown (white chewing surface).
Rinse your tooth with water or milk to remove any dirt. Avoid using soap, and don’t scrub or dry the tooth.
Gently place your tooth back into the socket, root first. Hold your tooth by the crown and avoid touching the root.
Bite on a napkin, gauze or handkerchief to anchor your tooth in place.
Contact a dentist for an emergency appointment so they can check your tooth.
If you can’t reinsert your tooth, store it in milk — not water — until you can see a dentist. Milk is the best protection. But you can also store your tooth in your cheek, tucked against your gum or under your tongue. Saliva pooling in your cheek or under your tongue will keep your tooth wet.
How do dentists treat an avulsed tooth?
If you put your tooth into its socket, your dentist will make sure your tooth is in the right position. They’ll place a splint on your tooth to anchor it to your surrounding teeth.
They’ll follow the same process if they need to reinsert your tooth. They may schedule a root canal if your tooth avulsion leads to an infection in your tooth pulp.
What should I do after my tooth is put back in its socket?
To help protect your tooth after reinsertion, you should:
Consume only soft food and liquids for two weeks.
Avoid foods that are too cold or too hot.
Brush gently with a soft toothbrush after each meal.
Rinse with an antibacterial chlorhexidine mouthwash two times a day for two weeks.
You may develop some of the complications listed below:
Ankylosis: Your replanted tooth may fuse to your alveolar bone and sink into your gum tissue. Your alveolar bone is part of your jawbone. It holds your tooth sockets.
Apical periodontitis: The tissue around your tooth becomes inflamed and tender.
Inflammatory root resorption: If your tooth’s root system breaks down, your tooth will loosen in the socket and may fall out.
Pulp canal obliteration (PCO): This is when you have hard tissue deposits along the walls of the root canal space in your tooth. PCO is usually painless but can lead to pulp necrosis.
What happens if my tooth can’t be replaced in my socket?
If your dentist can’t replace your tooth, they may recommend one of the following treatments:
Partial denture: Dentures are removable oral appliances that replace missing teeth. A partial denture holds artificial teeth. The denture rests on your gums and hooks onto nearby teeth.
Dental bridge: Bridges fill the gap left by your avulsed tooth. They consist of dental crowns that fit over your natural teeth on either side of the gap and artificial teeth that bridge the gap between your teeth.
Dental implant: Dental implants are replacement teeth. They’re permanent metal screws that secure artificial or fake teeth — like dental crowns, dental bridges or dentures — in place.
Outlook / Prognosis
What can I expect if I have an avulsed tooth?
If you or your dentist reinserts your avulsed tooth, you’ll have regular follow-up appointments with your dentist so they can check on your tooth. You may see your dentist a month after treatment and then every three months after treatment for the first year. You’ll have annual checkups for the next five years.
How long do reinserted avulsed teeth last?
A reinserted tooth may stay in place for 10 to 20 years. But the tooth will come loose or fall out at some point during your lifetime. When that happens, you’ll need replacement treatment, like a partial denture, dental bridge or dental implant.
Prevention
Can I prevent an avulsed tooth?
You may not be able to prevent everything that can knock a tooth from its socket and your mouth, like being hit in the face in an accident or during a fight.
But this issue usually happens when people play contact sports where there’s a chance they’ll be hit in the mouth — like football, basketball or hockey. If you play those sports, wearing a mouth guard may protect your teeth.
Living With
How do I take care of myself?
The most important thing is to protect your replanted tooth while it heals:
Leave it be: Your dentist will put a splint on your tooth to keep it in place during healing, so don’t poke at it with your finger or your tongue.
Easy does it: Eat soft foods for at least two weeks, use a soft-bristled toothbrush and be gentle as you brush.
Follow-up: Your dentist will schedule regular follow-up appointments to confirm your replanted tooth is stable. Your dentist will also check for complications.
Protect your teeth: Wear a mouth guard anytime you play contact sports.
When should I see my dentist?
If you have a replanted tooth, you should see your dentist if you experience:
You may want to ask the following questions about your avulsed tooth:
When will I know if the replantation process is successful?
Will I need a root canal?
Additional Common Questions
Why do I need to put an avulsed tooth in milk?
Milk has the best combination of proteins and antibacterial protection to protect your tooth until it’s replaced in your socket.
I only found part of my tooth. Can I put it back into its socket?
Never try to only put part of your tooth back into the socket. See a dentist as soon as you can. They may take a dental X-ray to look for root damage before treating your tooth.
Should an avulsed baby tooth be replanted?
No, it’s not a good idea to reinsert a baby tooth. Reinserting the tooth may lead to issues with the permanent tooth that’ll replace the baby tooth.
What should I do if I can’t find my tooth after it’s knocked out?
You may have swallowed or aspirated (breathed in) your tooth. Swallowed teeth are usually harmless. But breathing in a tooth may cause lung infections like aspiration pneumonia. Tell your provider you may have breathed in your tooth. They’ll do a chest X-ray to make sure your tooth hasn’t gone into your lungs.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
An avulsed tooth is a medical emergency. If you move quickly, you can save your knocked-out tooth. If you’re hit in the mouth and your tooth is knocked from its socket, your first step is to put it back into its socket. Your second step is contacting a dentist for an emergency appointment or going to the emergency room. If you or your dentist can reinsert your tooth, it may stay in place for many years to come.
Multiple cardiac benefits result from frequent consumption of dark chocolates rich in flavanols, including our response to stress.
Recently when talking with my 7-year-old daughter, I asked her what was the best food she could eat for a snack. As the daughter of a cardiologist you may imagine that she would have been taught the enduring virtues of eating fruits and vegetables and how these are the best foods to use as snacks. She told me that my question was easy and replied, “the best snack is chocolate.” I asked her where she learned that and she told me her mother told her so. How can you really argue against that logic?
This question posed to my daughter then led to more investigation during my clinic. I asked many patients informally what were their favorite snacks. Since they were in a cardiologist’s office they would often say some sort of fruit or vegetable and then add they only consume it in a small quantity.
I then would ask, “now what really is your favorite snack?”
I particularly enjoyed the response of a couple in their mid 70s. I have seen both of them both for atrial fibrillation for over 5 years. She said, “my true favorite snack is chocolate.” Then almost immediately after, as if there was a sense of guilt in admitting this, she said, “but chocolate is healthy right? I try to eat dark chocolate.” Her husband laughed at her and said she eats more than dark chocolate. He then replied, “my favorite snack is anything you put in front of me.” In my informal poll of true favorite snacks, chocolate was mentioned in about two thirds of my patients. Most of my patients felt dark chocolate in particular was healthy.
Dark chocolate and other cocoa products have gained a lot of attention worldwide as dietary supplements to improve heath. These products are rich in in flavanols. Flavanols are felt to mediate some of the heart healthy properties of chocolate. Flavanols are also found in many other food sources felt to be heart healthy such as grapes, apples, blackberries, legumes, red wine, and green tea. But of all of these food sources, the relative concentration of flavanols is highest in chocolate. As you may have guessed, dark chocolate contains much higher concentrations of flavanols compared to milk or white chocolate. In some chocolates the production process all but eliminates flavanols.
What Are the Heart and Vascular Benefits of Eating Dark Chocolate?
Lower Blood Pressure. Consumption of cocoa increases nitric oxide, studies show. For a good review of benefits, see Cocoa and Cardiovascular Health. Nitric oxide is a naturally occurring chemical in our bodies. Nitric oxide acts on small receptors in our blood vessels and prompts the vessels to dilate. This process lowers blood pressure. High blood pressure as discussed in many of my prior columns is associated with many types of heart disease including heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and atherosclerosis. High blood pressure is also associated with cognitive decline, dementia, and stroke.
Coronary Artery Health and Stability. As our arteries become diseased from atherosclerosis, plaques grow and over time begin to impair blood flow. If the surface of these plaques becomes disrupted or inflamed the plaques may ulcerate. The body responds to the ulceration by forming a clot in an effort to heal the wound. This process can lead to a heart attack. Cocoa may help stabilize plaques and minimize their risk of rupture by reducing smooth muscle cell proliferation (a process that causes plaques to grow), platelet adhesion (a process that results in clot formation in the artery), and preventing leukocyte adhesion and migration (processes that causes these plaques to become inflamed and unstable).
Lower Cholesterol. People with elevated total cholesterol with increased levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol have a higher risk of cardiac disease, in particular coronary atherosclerosis and heart attacks. Flavanols reduce cholesterol absorption in our gastrointestinal track and also the synthesis of LDL cholesterol, research shows. They may also help raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the part of our cholesterol that is felt to be protective of heart disease, a clinical trial reported. Lower LDL and higher HDL levels after cocoa consumption were seen in people with both normal cholesterol levels to begin with and those with elevated levels that needed treatment. Multiple medications reduce LDL cholesterol, but very few things and essentially no medications raise HDL cholesterol consistently.
Dark Chocolate Changes Our Body’s Response to Stress
My wife often says, “I eat chocolate when I am stressed.” As I mentioned in a prior column, stress and our response to it can be a very potent risks of heart disease. In this regard, what if chocolate can improve how we respond to stress?
This brings me to the newest study regarding dark chocolate that I found very interesting. When we are stressed our body signals out chemicals that raise our blood pressure and help us fight the stressor. These chemicals or hormones are stored in the brain (pituitary gland), the adrenal glands, and other parts of the nervous system. A rececent study looked at how the body responded to stress by measuring these chemicals (cortisol, epinephrine, adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH], and norepinephrine) in 31 men consuming dark chocolate (“Noir 72 percent”; Chocolat Frey AG, Buchs/Aargau, Switzerland) versus 34 men that received a placebo chocolate that did not contain flavanols. The men then underwent a significant stress.
The stress was a 5-minute mock job interview and then a 5-minute mental arithmetic task in front of an audience. It is probably easy for most of us to imagine feeling very stressed if we had to try to solve a complex math problem in our head in 5 minutes while others watched, or we had to receive an intense job interview.
What these researchers found about the effect of chocolate was significant. Those men consuming dark chocolate had lower levels of cortisol and epinephrine after the stress. Although their brain response to stress was similar (ACTH levels were identical in both groups) the body’s response to the brain signals of stress was blunted. In particular, the response of the adrenal gland, which produces cortisol, was much less. Less released cortisol and epinephrine with stress is important as these are strong stimulants of the heart and blood vessels. With repetitive stress over time, both the heart and blood pressure have be negatively effected. Finally, since the body response was less significant, men consuming dark chocolate reported having less feelings of stress during the process.
My daughter was right, dark chocolate or chocolate rich in flavanols is a healthy food choice. The benefits of dark chocolate need to be carefully considered with the calories consumed, but in general there are multiple heart-related advantages with frequent consumption. In addition, as my wife mentioned to me, dark chocolate also may help you deal with stress, not only how you perceive it mentally, but also how your body responds to it.
Wearing glasses doesn’t make your eyes weaker. Your eyes are already headed in that direction anyway, thanks to age. Glasses are one of our best tools to help you see more clearly. 👓🤓 pic.twitter.com/YToLhFOmuu
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