Tonight on The Checkup ` Mataroria pours salt on an old wives' tale. Is sodium responsible for cramp? Sam wonders if we're all singing from the same song sheet. For me, anyway, I couldn't sing at all until my voice broke. And Gareth cooks up a storm. It's not my grandma's recipe. Well, you're pretty good at it. But first, I get the low`down on panic attacks. I think I was just walking along the streets of London, and nothing was really happening. Like, there was nothing going on that should have been any cause for alarm at all. And then all of a sudden, I was just overcome by this massive wave of... fear. It just sort of` you know, I felt like I was completely drowning in it. What beekeeper and volunteer first-responder Jason Stobart is describing is his first ever panic attack, which struck out of the blue and would be followed by many more. When the panic attacks first started, there was one or two, but really for me, within a few days, I was just getting so wound up and scared of the next panic attack that that was kind of priming me and becoming a trigger for the next panic attack. And they just got closer and closer and more often and more often. And that's really where the disorder started for me ` it just became panic attack every day, you know, day after day, month after month, until I was really` you know, life just seemed like one big panic attack. Job interviews, exams, first dates ` we all have those moments that gets our heart racing and nerves rattling. But usually, this goes away when the stressful situation is over. For others, however, panic can erupt unexpectedly or anxiety becomes excessive ` even debilitating. I wanna know what triggers anxiety and panic attacks and what we can do about it. In New Zealand, one in four people will have an episode of anxiety in their lifetime; with panic disorder affecting 1% to 2% of the population. I'm meeting up with psychologist Dr Rachel Chalmers to learn more. So, anxiety is something where a person is fearful of the future or they might have significant worries about what's going to happen. And these are often accompanied by physical symptoms ` the increased heart rate, shallow breathing, cold or clammy and sweaty palms, challenges getting to sleep, the fast`paced thoughts, that really intense kind of worry about what's going to happen or what if this happens, and that catastrophic thinking. So the worst`case scenario around what could happen. So, a lot of us feel anxious at different times, but when does that become a disorder? Where we notice that anxiety is starting to be a bit of a problem is where it's lasting longer than the perceived threat. So, it's starts to really implicate somebody's ability to concentrate at work, or they might start to reduce their attendance at social gatherings, or they might start to avoid driving across a bridge or through a tunnel, or they might start dropping out of university or resign from their job. And it's these points where it starts to really wreak havoc to somebody's life. What are panic attacks? So panic attacks are a form of anxiety that` just increased intensity of those physical symptoms and those thoughts. And so you're feeling really intense overwhelm in a given situation or in anticipation to a situation, but most of all, they're frightened. My day was just really about trying to survive that day, you know, cos I genuinely thought that I was going to die. I didn't go and get help; I was just so ashamed. And I know this is the wrong thinking, but I felt that if I reached out for help, I would end up getting locked up, or I would end up losing my freedom. Because I thought there was something so seriously wrong with me that I was just defective. And what are some practical things we can do to help with anxiety attacks? Often we recommend that people really focus on bringing that breathing down, because the oxygen level in the body becomes unbalanced. And so what we want to see is them to take some slower breaths. So we usually say, 'five seconds in, and seven seconds out'. We often recommend people really start to add some gradual exercise to their day. You know, maybe reduce some of that caffeine, because it does heighten that sensitive body that we see in people with anxiety. We might also start to recommend some therapy to help challenge some unhelpful thinking styles that might contribute to more anxiety or some problem-solving skills around there. (SOFT PIANO MUSIC) One of the things I often recommend to my clients is just, you know, if you're looking out your window at work, counting every fourth person and thinking, 'This is another person who could be going through anxiety as well.' Cos it is one in four people, so I like to remind them that they're definitely not alone. I guess the turning point for me was I did a course that was online, and one of the techniques they taught you was to actually try and transform your fear into excitement. I guess when I made that discovery then my life got really exciting. (LAUGHS) And I didn't become an adrenaline junkie, but I did things that excited me, you know. And I tried to follow the path of excitement. And one of the really big things for me was it taught you techniques to try and learn to accept anxiety. So that paid off and the anxiety would just lessen, and get less, to the point where, you know, I got to the other side of the disorder. Anxiety's becoming more and more common these days. One in four of us will experience anxiety sometime in our lives. So don't suffer alone, and don't be afraid to ask for help. Basically, that's a bowel motion that's got too much fat in it. They can float. The dreaded floater, then? That's right ` the dreaded floater. Iris has 20/20 vision. Jack? Not so much. That was eight years ago, that photo. VOICEOVER: Fight the signs of ageing with Revitalift by L'Oreal. My skin is looking more like it did back then. Revitalift has helped smooth out my skin. It took away the fine lines and the wrinkles. Revitalift by L'Oreal Paris. * (INTRIGUING MUSIC) We've all heard that our eyes are the window to our soul, but could our toilet bowl be the window to our health? Ever had diarrhoea, constipation or wondered why your poo changes colour? It's time to get over that embarrassing yuck factor and discover what our body's waste can reveal. So hold the flush. I used to make fake dog poo as a kid to trick my parents, but today we're using everyday household ingredients to demonstrate what size and consistency we should be aiming for. Helping me get down to business is gastroenterologist Dr Alasdair Patrick. Well, certainly smells better than the real thing. Honestly, can't understand why people haven't come round to my house for dinner parties. (LAUGHS) Yeah, I think I know why. (BOTH LAUGH) Now, we haven't just based this on personal experience; there's scientific research to back us up. The Bristol stool scale is referenced by medical professionals worldwide to measure the health of our digestive system. It distinguishes seven types of poo. Type one on the scale are separate lumps, that are like nuts, and hard to pass. What causes type one? Well, usually it's people who aren't eating enough fibre, or aren't doing enough exercise or drinking enough fluids. So, it shows you that there's a problem with the way that the bowel's functioning. Type two are sausage`shaped but lumpy. Well, it is the first one I've made. It's not my grandma's recipe. Well, you're pretty good at it. Type one and two are likely to have you at constipation station, as both indicate a low-fibre diet. Most New Zealanders eat less than half the recommended amount of fibre each day. What kinds of foods will help these pass? Basically, things such as prunes, dried fruit. Kiwifruit's particularly good as well. Something I never thought I'd say, but I'm quite proud of this poo that I've made. I think you've done well. It's always a relief to get that out. (BOTH LAUGH) (UPBEAT MUSIC) These wee puppies, or should I say 'poopies', are type three and type four. In terms of consistency, these are the ideal. The time that the poo spends in the colon is important, for three and four. So, the average time for a healthy poo is around 40 hours. On average, a person with healthy digestion will excrete anywhere between three times a week to three times a day. It's always good to have a goal in life. (LAUGHS) Indeed. More water, eating regularly, and exercising should help keep things on the move. At the other end of the Bristol scale, we're heading into diarrhoea territory. Type five ` light; type six ` mild; and type seven ` severe. If you're unlucky enough to be experiencing type six or seven, this could be a sign of food poisoning, bacterial infection or lactose intolerance. These two really are abnormal, and unless there's some sort of stressful event that's triggered it, or an underlying illness, you need to think about lifestyle changes, but also seeking medical help. With size and consistency sorted, there's one more thing to check before you flush ` colour. The normal colour is brown, but this can change shade depending on what you've eaten. If there's a sudden colour change for no obvious reason, it could be a warning sign. So, we've made sort of a pale poo. Basically, that's a bowel motion that's got too much fat in it, or you may have a problem with your pancreas or with your bile ducts or your gallbladder. But I guess if they're persistently coming out looking like that, go and see your GP. The other thing about those is they can float. The dreaded floater, then. That's right, the dreaded floater. If your waste looks more like that of the Incredible Hulk, and you eat plenty of greens, you have nothing to worry about. Well, there's a number of things that can cause a green poo. If you've eaten a lot of vegetables, the greens that are whistling through, and then they can come out looking pretty much like the way they went in. Red stool can be a tomato or beet`heavy meal passing through. But if nothing red has passed your lips in the last few days, take note. More importantly, I guess, is to think about it could be bleeding. And if you bleed from very low down, just before it comes out, it can have red blood on it. And that can be a very important sign of something like a haemorrhoid or something more serious. And what about the black one, here? So, the black one, again, can be something you've eaten. So if you've eaten a lot of liquorice, you know, think about it and think, 'Well, maybe it's just due to that.' But if you keep seeing black stools coming out, and you haven't had something like that, then it also can be blood that's come from higher up. So if it's a really jet`black bowel motion, that's something to take very seriously and get checked as soon as you can. If you've flushed too quickly next time you're in the bathroom, remember ` the average person makes over 10 ton of poo in their lifetime, and that's a lot of sheets of toilet paper. So you'll have plenty more chances to do your own check`up. (FUNKY MUSIC) When we say, 'hindsight is 20/20', the implication is that 20/20 provides perfect vision, but that is not actually the case. The term '20/20' does refer to our ability to see clearly, but at a certain distance and compared to the rest of the population. No matter where you're being tested, in order to get an accurate reading, the distance between the patient and the eye chart must be the same distance every time. In the United States, where metrics are yet to catch on, this distance typically is 20ft. This is what the first 20 in '20/20' refers to. The second number 20 relates to how an individual's vision compares to the average. A person with 20/20 vision can clearly see what an average individual can see when they are standing 20ft away. Most often, if you can read the fourth row up from the bottom of the eye chart, your vision is considered 20/20. If you can only see lines above this or you can see the lines below, the second number will change. I've brought my friends Iris and Jack along to help explain this. Iris has 20/20 vision. Jack? Not so much. When Iris is 40ft away, she can still see our camera clearly. Jack can only see our camera clearly at 20ft. Jack's vision is then referred to as '20/40' vision. The bigger the second number, the worse your vision is. The same applies to those who have 20/60 vision, 20/80 vision and even 20/200 vision. And do you know that other expression 'to have eyes like a hawk'? It's believed their vision sits around 20/2. So, the next time you hear someone bragging about their 20/20 vision, you can gently remind them that they've got a wee way to go. (GASPS) Cramp is generally harmless and only lasts a few minutes, but they sure can be painful. Girls' voices also change, but less dramatically. From (HIGH VOICE) here to (REGULAR VOICE) here. (WHIRRING) I reckon that's scrubbed up nicely. Right now get a great-looking RAV4 or Corolla with an even better-looking price. Cleansing your sensitive skin with soap is not enough. Try Garnier Micellar Water. Its micelles attract make-up and dirt, with no rubbing. Remove makeup better than soap, cleanse and soothe. For powerful cleansing, use Micellar Water. * (DRAMATIC MUSIC) It's late at night. You awake alarmed, experience an excruciating pain. It may well feel like a horror movie, but it's more likely you're suffering from cramp. Cramp is when your muscles contract or spasm. They're generally harmless and only last a few minutes, but they sure can be painful. Cramp is often blamed on low salt levels in the diet, but is more salt ` or the sodium it contains ` really the cure? (EGG SIZZLING) The idea that salt and cramps go hand in hand comes from way back, when it was observed that the men stoking fires on trains and ships were prone to getting cramp. It was thought the hot fire made the men sweat so much they became short of salt. When we talk about salt, we're normally referring to sodium chloride. Salt is 60% chloride, and 40% sodium. Sodium and other minerals like potassium, magnesium and calcium, are of interest because they play an essential role in fluid regulation in our bodies. This, in turn, influences muscle contraction, nerve function and helps maintain body temperature. But just because sodium has a relationship with muscle health, does that mean it's responsible for cramp? (UPBEAT MUSIC) Research studies have shown that when it comes to muscle cramps associated with exercise, low salt or sodium levels have very little to do with it. Perhaps the most telling sign that salt loss is not the whole story is when we're stretching our cramping muscle, the relief is almost immediate, and yet stretching has little effect on the fluid conditions of our body. What does cause these painful aches is still a mystery, but muscle overuse, dehydration, nerve, liver or thyroid disorders, and pregnancy could all contribute. We may not know what causes cramp, but we do know some simple tips to help relieve it. Stretching or massaging the muscle is your best bet. (FUNKY MUSIC) # Rivers curling through the land # of Aotearoa. # At times like this, the sound of children's voices can melt your heart. Other times, they're like nails down a blackboard. Depending on your experience, you can shed a little tear or sigh with relief, because children's voices ` like the rest of their body ` will change with age. No matter how hard they try to hide it, it's common knowledge that boys' voices crack or break at puberty. But it's not only adolescent males who experience a change in pitch. Sound is produced by vibrations, transmitted through the ear as a wave. The frequency or speed of these vibrations determine the pitch of sound we hear and is measured in hertz. A baby's cry rates at around 500Hz. But around the age of these guys, their pitch has nearly halved. That's about from (HIGH VOICE) here to (LOW VOICE) here. When we speak or sing, air rushes from our lungs and makes the vocal folds, or cords, in the larynx vibrate, generating the sound of our voice. A child has short vocal folds, which produce short airwaves and higher sounds. Surprisingly, making sound isn't the most important job of the larynx. A key function is to protect the lungs from stray food and to provide positive pressure to keep the lungs inflated. And at this age, there's very little difference between male and female voices, and they're all relatively high pitched. # ...Aotearoa. # (CLAPS) Wow, that was so good! At puberty, it's goodbye to those sweet little voices and hello hormones. (CHOIR SING) Sex and growth hormones are the dominant factor in determining voice changes throughout our lives. In teenage boys, increased testosterone causes the larynx to grow and tilt out to form an Adam's apple. The vocal cords also lengthen and thicken. (CHOIR CONTINUE SINGING) If you've ever plucked a short, thin piano string... you'll have heard the high`pitched twang sound it makes when the string vibrates. A longer thicker string... makes a lower`pitched sound. It's the same sort of thing with your vocal cords. Strangely enough, I couldn't find a teenage boy that wanted to give us a demo of his breaking voice, but this lot are willing to talk about it. So, have any of you noticed any voice changes since you guys became teenagers? Yes, definitely. Yeah. Yes. And what happened to your voices? Uh, yeah, in year 9 I was an alto. (LAUGHS) So there was a wee bit of a change there as my voice dropped, and now I'm being a bass. I was a tenor for only one year, and then for the last four years, I've been a bass. After that, my voice dropped a little bit lower, which has been really good, cos it's nice to hit those nice low notes. Was it hard to sing when your voice started breaking? It's a lot more challenging, cos you've got to commit to the notes and sometimes you'll get them, and sometimes you'll just fail them completely. So it's a little bit embarrassing sometimes. Yeah, cos it's just out of absolutely nowhere, your voice will just crack and it's like` For me anyway, I couldn't sing at all until my voice broke, and then I became a tenor after that. Boys' voices can drop from (REGULAR VOICE) here (LOW VOICE) to here. This change usually happens between ages 11 and 15. But, boys, don't worry, you won't go from sounding like a little kid to somebody's dad overnight. It can take a few months. Girls' voices also change as they mature. When hormones kick in, their pitch also changes, but less dramatically. From (HIGHER VOICE) here, (REGULAR VOICE) to here. As adults, female voices can also vary during hormone cycles, pregnancy and menopause. (CHOIR SING) As we head into our later years, pitch isn't the only change we can experience. Like the rest of our bodies, our voice folds can experience some wear and tear over the years. (CHOIR CONTINUE SINGING) The voice may become weaker as vocal tissue becomes thinner, stiffer and less pliable. These changes can vary a great deal in degree and time of onset. For healthy vocal cords, keep hydrated, avoid coffee and alcohol, and definitely avoid smoking. Let's not take our voices for granted. They allow us to communicate, express our ideas and emotions and make beautiful music. (CHOIR CONTINUE SINGING) Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2019