Dr. Steve: Killing Bacteria, New Dangers Of Toking & Hangin' With Chuck

Dr. Steve took a moment this morning to snap a pic with UFC icon Chuck The Iceman Liddell.

Do you have a question for Dr. Steve, CLICK HERE

7:00am Segment Info:
You see them all over hospitals these days. Those alcohol based hand gels mounted on the wall.

Now researchers say hand gels alone may not be enough to curb infection in hospitals where germs lurk just about everywhere. In a Nebraska hospital, medical workers nearly doubled their use of the alcohol-based gels, but those cleaner hands did not affect the rate of infection among patients. This study contradicts guidelines from the centers for disease control and prevention that say better hand hygiene - through frequent washing or use of hand gels - has been shown to cut the spread of hospital infections.

Is there an explanation for all of this? The alcohol gels work, don't they?

READ THE REST & WATCH THE VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP >>>

They do, but there's more to keeping hands clean than just using the gel. Rings and jewelry are a problem. Fingernails that are too long and hard to clean are a source of infection. In the hospital, there's also poor handling of catheters and treatment areas that aren't sanitized. You should know that the CDC recommends nails be no longer than a quarter-inch long because beyond that, bacteria show up when nails extend just beyond the fingertip.

In other news, there's another good reason to stay away from marijuana. Many pot smokers don't seem to care much about the risk of cancer or lung disease.

But researchers say smoking a single joint or marijuana cigarette is equivalent to 20 tobacco cigarettes in terms of lung cancer risk. And marijuana has twice the level of cancer causing agents compared to tobacco. According to the report, marijuana smokers also end up with five times more carbon monoxide in their bloodstream than cigarette smokers.

Does the method of smoking have an impact?

It does. Marijuana smokers inhale the smoke and hold it in to get more of the drug in their system, and joints are typically smoked without a filter and they're smoked to the very end. That increases the exposure and deposition of carcinogens.

Finally, if you want to stay young, you better get moving.

That's right, you've heard that 50 is the new 40. Well one way to get there is with exercise. A new study finds that physically active people may be as much as 10 years younger, biologically, than sedentary people. In this report researchers measured changes in the cells of people who exercised and found their cells were biologically "younger" when compared to people who did not exercise.

So how much exercise do i need to do to get 10 years younger?

You'll need to get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity like a brisk walk at least five days per week or get at least 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity like jogging at least three days a week. This doesn't mean that if you exercise you're guaranteed to live longer. But there are so many other benefits to exercise. It's just another reason to do it.

8:00am Ask The Doctor Segment Info:
1. Eva from Queens asks: What do you think about breast enhancement like pills, patches and creams. Do they really work? Do they have side affects?

Eva, there are lots of products on the internet and in magazines that claim to enhance breast size naturally and safely. They're generally a combination of herbs or plant extracts and phytoestrogens that claim to make your breasts bigger. But the truth that while these phytoestrogens may be similar to the estrogen that's found in the body. There's no evidence that they make breasts bigger. In fact, they may be harmful. Health experts are concerned that these preparations can increase the risk of breast and gynecological cancers as well as cause potentially dangerous drug interactions. So save your money.

2. Ricardo from Brooklyn asks: I have wide feet and people say it's because I'm big. But I'm losing weight and my feet are still the same! What do I do?

Ricardo, being overweight can increase the dimensions of your feet. All that extra weight puts a real strain on the joints and ligaments of the feet causing them to widen over time. You can wear lace up shoes and get orthotics, but once the foot widens and the ligaments are disrupted. The only way to permanently correct it is with surgery. If you're concerned you should speak to a podiatrist to check out your options.

3. Paul from Brooklyn asks: I was just wondering if there has been any updated research on. breast cancer. My mother died of breast cancer about 6 years ago.

Paul, cancer research is constantly ongoing. To find out the latest research on all types of cancer I’m going to give you a phone number that I want you to write down - it's very easy to remember, it's 1-800 4- cancer. It's the number for the National Cancer Institute's cancer information service - a national information and education network that's a free public service. NCI is the country's primary agency for cancer research. It's a great resource for anyone interested in getting the latest info on just about any kind of cancer. Good luck.