Brant Sanderlin, bsanderlin@ajc.com

AJC Reporter Craig Schneider would like to hear your story. Craig can be reached at 404-526-5463, or at cschneider@ajc.com.

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AJC Special

While a recent survey shows that Georgians are smoking less than a year ago, our state is still one of the unhealthiest in the nation, with a tobacco consumption rate 1.2 percent higher than the national average.

If you are a smoker, are you trying to quit? For those of you who have successfully kicked the tobacco habit, what worked for you?

A: There is no reason to think that onions could attract flu viruses out of the air the way a flame attracts moths.

Viruses are not self-propelled. Though they get into the air when a person with flu coughs or sneezes, they have no more control over where they go than dust particles do.

The belief that onions have power against respiratory infections goes back a long, long way. The first printed reference cited on snopes.com, which examines urban legends and rumors, dates from 1900 and refers to “an old custom,” so putting an onion in a room to fight infection was already an old and possibly untraceable folk practice by then.

Washing hands frequently and avoiding those who have the flu are better precautions than putting onions around the house.

Joe Graedon is a …

A: When a miscarriage happens, we are forced to bear witness to the complexity of human life and the mystery of creation. Miscarriage is often kept private, and its frequency of occurrence (15 percent to 25 percent) is in sharp contrast to the view that “pregnancy = healthy birth.”

The why may be a simple matter of the mother’s age: Over the age of 35, the risk of chromosomal defects that are incompatible with life increases significantly. About 7 percent of all miscarriages or stillborn deaths are due to a chromosomal abnormality.

There may be a disease or infection that the mother has contributing to an unfavorable environment for a developing baby to grow and develop. Examples include severe kidney disease; uncontrolled diabetes; an underactive thyroid; autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis or …

While winter doesn’t officially blow into town until December, restaurant menus are starting to heat up with the healthy flavors of cold weather crops. Shorter days with less sunshine don’t have to be bleak, especially when chefs brighten up menus with seasonal treats such as winter squash, turnips, brussels sprouts, kale and radishes.

Say you don’t like radishes or can’t stand turnips? Maybe you should try them again, especially if a talented chef shows you the way. Skirt steak served with a warm bean salad and locally grown Japanese turnips from Moore Farms is a popular menu item at Bocado in Atlanta’s Westside neighborhood.

Chef Todd Ginsberg, who has packed Bocado’s menu with the farm fresh flavors of the season, says, “I love the grocery list this time of year. When you get into winter months there’s less sweetness in produce and more bitter flavors so I like to roast vegetables like beets and Brussels sprouts to bring out a sweeter …

The bones of children are different than those of adults and benefit from specialized pediatric care to promote proper healing and future growth. Some of the more common sports fractures are growth-plate, greenstick and torus fractures. A growth-plate fracture involves damage to a portion of the bone that contributes to its length and shape. In greenstick fractures, the bone bends like green wood and breaks on only one side. The bone is buckled and weakened but …

We used sugar for healing. It took daily bandage changes initially and nearly six months of wound care.

However, our tough little patient healed beautifully.

The sugar did not allow the wound to become infected, and it also drew out extra moisture, which helped the wound to heal.

One thing we discovered was using a hand-held shower head to rinse off the sugar and gently remove the dead tissue, revealing healthy tissue underneath. After the rinse, pat dry with clean towels, pour sugar onto the wound and sprinkle to the edges. Apply nonstick pads and wrap appropriately.

A: Thank you for your story. It is always fascinating to hear from a health professional who has had success with an alternative healing …

A: It’s not all that common, but statin cholesterol drugs and fibrate triglyceride-lowering drugs can cause “gynecomastia,” the development of increased breast tissue in a man. The exact reason why they can cause gynecomastia is unclear, but it’s believed that in some folks, the effect of these drugs on the cholesterol-forming pathways in the liver extends to the male sex hormone-forming pathways. This creates a hormonal imbalance between testosterone and estrogen. An interesting observation is that switching a patient from one statin …

Have you noticed how crowded the restaurant sugar bowl is getting? It’s a multicolored collection of little packets in pink, blue, yellow and green. Even sugar comes in two colors: white and brown. And some places add a packet of honey to the mix.

Sweeteners were invented to taste like sugar without all the calories. For instance, every time you choose a diet soft drink instead of the real thing, you consume 150 fewer calories.

But choosing a non-caloric sweetener for your morning coffee saves only 15 calories when you give up a teaspoon of sugar.

The weight control effect of substituting really depends on how much sugar you usually consume.

Turbinado sugar is currently popular with consumers. Chris Hunt, for the AJC.

Dr. Adam Drewnowski, …

Clinical Instructor, Hospital Medicine Section, Emory University Hospital Midtown, Emory Healthcare

When it comes to taking medications for illnesses or chronic health conditions, communicating with your doctor is key for safe and appropriate medication use, and better health. Whether it is taking medication once or twice a year for a sinus infection or a common cold, or taking daily medication for high blood pressure or heart disease, talking with your doctor about the benefits and risks of these drugs is very important.

Taking medications accurately can help prevent or delay more costly medical problems. It can also improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

When your doctor prescribes medication, whether prescription or over-the-counter, ask questions about taking the medication, including: How long must the medication be taken? Which other medications and foods should be avoided when taking a prescribed medication? What are possible side …