By Danielle Dellorto
CNN Medical Producer

I remember shuffling through moondust up to my knees in Helmand Province when a U.S. Army combat medic turned to me and said, “If I ask you something, do you promise you’ll be honest?” I nodded yes. “Do people back home still think about us? Do they realize we’re still over here?”

U.S. Army medic chopper in Afghanistan.

I’ll never forget that moment.

Truth is, while most of America might know that 62,000 U.S. military personnel are in theater, they apparently aren’t happy about it. A recent CNN/Opinion Research poll found support of the war in Afghanistan has hit a new low. Only 39 percent favor U.S. military action in Afghanistan.

But does supporting the overall mission go hand-in-hand with supporting the troops?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta and I recently embedded with U.S. Army combat medics in Afghanistan. I slept where they slept, ate what they ate, and followed them day in and day out. Their job is to rescue and triage injured soldiers at a moment’s notice. They are always ready. They even slept with their shoes on.

CNN team and rescue medic in Afghanistan.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that these soldiers were no different from the factory worker in middle America. Both work tirelessly in their jobs, both want to succeed, both want to provide for their families. And despite the echoes of mortar fire over their shoulders, extreme heat and no communication with loved ones – I never heard the soldiers complain. I watched the medics save countless lives: sons and daughters, husbands and wives from all around the world. Why? It’s their job.

So as I looked in the eyes of that U.S. soldier – the one who feared America might have forgotten about him – I realized my job is to not only report on the medical military operations but also to highlight the courageous stories of those risking their own lives to save others in Afghanistan.

I am back home now…and I still think about them.

While on assignment in Afghanistan, CNN producer Danielle Dellorto and photojournalist Scottie McWhinnie respond to a call for blood donations at a military trauma hospital. 

By Danielle Dellorto
CNN Medical Producer

They say the first step in breaking any addiction is admitting you have a problem. For years I’ve brushed off my husband’s “intervention” attempts. But lately I’ve begun to experience the physical side effects of my addiction (more on that later) and it’s forced me to think about how often I get my “fix.’”

Turns out, my husband was right all along.
My name is Danielle and I’m addicted to my Blackberry.

It’s the last thing I look at before I go to bed; it even sleeps next to me on the nightstand. I set my alarm 20 minutes early so I can read and respond to e-mails before I get in the shower each morning. I’ve pulled over while driving to answer an e-mail and, yes, my whole day feels out of whack if I’ve forgotten my trusty device at home.

I know I’m not alone. Look around at the mall, at a restaurant, at a baseball game and you’ll see most adults with their devices out.

It's not always work related. As technology advances, our phones have become personal computers – we’re tweeting (follow me: @daniellecnn),updating our Facebook status, looking up movie times, and refreshing our favorite Web sites to see what’s happening while we’re out and about.

Wireless devices aren’t the Antichrist of course, but too much of any good thing can take a toll both mentally and physically.

It may sound silly to say out loud, but my thumb really hurts! My left thumb aches more than the right. Sometimes I feel a shooting pain at the base; other times it just throbs. These are classic symptoms of tendinitis and arthritis, and doctors say they’re a side effect of my addiction.

The overuse of motion from typing for hours primarily with your thumb causes a lot of undo stress and inflammation. The thumb has one less joint than the rest of the fingers so that may explain why it’s more sensitive to injury than our other three-jointed digits. Experts say the easy cure for mild pain caused by overuse is simple – don’t use it as much! “I usually find that if a patient was to just reduce the workload or reduce the repetitive nature of this condition, their symptoms will resolve,” said hand surgeon Dr. Keith Raskin of New York University Medical Center.

Being a pain in the thumb is one thing, but what about the toll wireless devices may be taking on our social lives?

I use to think of myself as a master juggler. Pretty proud I could balance my role as the ultimate wife and employee flawlessly around-the-clock via my Blackberry! But then my one day my husband started to literally thank me for leaving my Blackberry in the room during our vacation. A day of my full, undistracted attention was a treat for him.

What a reality check. Guess I’m not so great at “juggling” as I thought. But I am getting better. I no longer jump to check my device every time it buzzes at night and I don’t bring it to the dinner table anymore either (baby steps!). I did ask him why he never flat out told me how much my antics bothered him. He said he had told me several times. Apparently, I was typing away at the time and only half-listening. Yikes! Sorry about that, honey.

So now I want to hear your story! Is your thumb achy too? What works to relieve your pain? Is being connected to your wireless device 24/7 taking a toll on your social life? What’s your advice?

By Danielle Dellorto
CNN Medical Producer

I wasn’t sure what to expect as I waited outside the employee parking lot of Grady Memorial Hospital Monday morning. My assignment for the day? Produce a story on Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s life outside of CNN - his life as a trauma neurosurgeon. For the past three years I’ve been producing stories for him – but this time he was my story.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta (right) at work in the O.R.

He greeted our crew a little before 5 a.m. with a familiar smile and diet soda in hand. Wasting no time with chit-chat, he scurried into the hospital, quickly changed into scrubs, then was off to his “home away from home,” O.R. 14. He had three cases scheduled by the time we arrived – a brain surgery and two spinal fusions.

First up – clipping a ruptured brain aneurysm. Watch the video from inside his operating room by clicking here.

My heart raced as I stood on pins and needles watching a critical part of the operation, during which the patient had an interoperative brain bleed. “I always like to tell people we spend 99 percent of our preparation on the 1 percent of things that happen.” Sanjay’s team didn’t flinch. They knew she’d be losing a liter of blood in just seconds and to prevent disaster, they raced to stop the bleed. Mission accomplished. It was a scary 90 seconds for a bystander like myself watching it all go down, so what really struck me was how calm and focused his team was the entire time.

“When you have an aneurysm rupture like that and you are losing a liter of blood over several seconds, it makes any TV live shot you've ever done look not that scary. I know if I don’t get that thing stopped within a couple of minutes, the patient won’t survive,” he explained.

No doubt their neuro team is a well-oiled machine. It was especially fascinating to watch Dr. Gupta interact with his residents. “Many of my residents have never done cases like this so I get to show them for the first time how to do these procedures, which is pretty interesting for me and for them,” Gupta said. Between critical moments in the O.R. they chatted like comrades. Everything from rock concerts, to their love lives to real estate – joking around like old friends.

One thing that is “very important” during surgery: the music. I watched as they took turns flipping through the iPod. Dr. Gupta gave me his ultimate play list for brain surgery: open with Gypsy Kings or Rise by Eddie Vedder and close the surgery with Coldplay’s Viva La Vida or Mr. Brightside. Solid picks, doc!

The morning flew by fast. By 10 a.m., Dr. Gupta and his team had already saved one life. By 10 p.m., that tally was up to three. Overall, it was incredibly exciting to not only see a whole other side of Sanjay on the job, but also see inside the human brain!

Want to see more in the weeks to come? Follow Sanjay on Twitter. He posts cool pictures each week from the operating room!

Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

By Danielle Dellorto
CNN Medical Producer

I was on the phone with my friend the other night having ordinary “girl talk” when I heard an exaggerated gasp on the other end of the line. “Are you OK?” I immediately asked, worried something awful had happened. “I’m fine,” she said. “I was just looking in the mirror and realized my hair is getting so thin! I’m going to be bald before you know it.”

The truth is, my thirtysomething friend is not going to end up bald like her shiny-headed husband, but she is joining over 50 percent of women who’ll experience hair loss before age 50.

That number may seem high but doctors say “female-pattern balding” occurs all the time - but women just don’t like to talk about. “It can be embarrassing for some women so they’ll just style their hair differently try to hide it,” says Dr. Paradi Mirmirani, a dermatologist in Vallejo, California and spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology.

Hair loss patterns in women are different from those you’d see in men. Most women experience thinning on the top of the head, or around the crown. Rarely do women experience receding hair lines or develop patches of total baldness, according to dermatologists.

It’s normal to lose about 100 strands of hair a day. If you notice your hair loss increasing, it’s important to talk to your doctor because while often hereditary, it can also be a sign of a serious medical condition, or a side effect from a prescription drug. (find a dermatologist in your area) 

I was surprised to learn not all 'hair loss' is created equal. Turns out, women can experience three different types:

Thinning:  This is the most common form of hair loss and it's hereditary. “You can pretty much look at either your mom or dad and determine if you’re at high risk,” says Mirmirani.

The normal growth cycle for hair is every two to six years. But as we age, the growth cycle shortens and the new strands of hair grow in fewer, and thinner. There is no prevention for hereditary hair thinning, but there are treatment options.

For those experiencing hereditary thinning, an over-the-counter topical medication containing 2 percent to 5 percent of the drug minoxidil will slow down the thinning process and help to re-grow new, stronger hair follicles. “This is a great treatment option but a women need to keep using it because if they stop, the same thinning pattern will develop all over again, “ notes Mirmirani.

Shedding:  Shedding occurs for a number of reasons, most often in women post-pregnancy. When pregnant, elevated hormone levels in the body cause your hair follicles to take a nap essentially and not shed the normal 100 hairs a day. “This is why you’ll often hear women talk about how great their hair looked during those nine months,” Mirmirani added. “Post-pregnancy, your hair’s natural growth cycle plays catch up and sheds a lot of hair at once, but in reality it’s the same amount you would have naturally lost if you never got pregnant.”

Over 290 medications can also cause hair shedding, according to the AAD. Most common medications to impact hair loss are amphetamines, beta blockers, antidepressants and blood thinners.

Lack of a properly balanced diet, including getting enough iron, will also cause hair to shed. An over- or under-active thyroid is also a common factor.

“The good thing for a person experiencing hair shedding to know is that it’s absolutely not permanent–the hair will grow back the same as it was before.”

Experts say about six months after eliminating the reason for the increased shedding (example, after pregnancy, or once your thyroid is regulated), your hair will go back to normal.

Breakage: If you’re like me, it’s not uncommon to frequently use an extra hot flat-iron on your luscious locks. But do you ever wonder where all the hair on your bathroom floor came from afterwards? Frequent use of flat-irons and hot rollers can cause damage and hair loss. “The root or hair follicle isn’t being impacted, but the actual hair strands are damaged and will break off from the root with frequent use.” Note to self: cut back on the flat-iron!

How about you? Have you noticed your hair thinning out as you age? Is hair loss really a “taboo” topic for women? Are there any treatments or shampoos that worked for you? Share your story below!

Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

By Danielle Dellorto
CNN Medical Producer

“What was he thinking?” That seems to be the common reaction when fans hear the news that Olympic superstar Michael Phelps got caught smoking pot. What’s interesting is, as I dug deeper, I realized people weren’t too concerned that his behavior may harm his health, but more appalled that his getting caught could cost him millions of dollars in endorsement money.

This got me thinking that a lot people look at marijuana as having very limited impact on our health. One friend made his case to me with absolute certainty in his tone, “In the big scheme of things, smoking pot is not going to hurt me.” He added, “At least I don’t smoke cigarettes.”

But is that really true? Are cigarettes worse for your health than marijuana? An overwhelming amount of research says not so fast.

Smoking one marijuana cigarette sends the same amount of tar into the lungs as four tobacco cigarettes. Turns out pot contains about 400 chemicals and 50 percent more carcinogens than a tobacco cigarette. Carcinogens cause damage to the DNA in our cells, increasing your risk for lung infections, heart disease and even cancer.

Pot is becoming as addictive as tobacco too. What’s being sold today is not your parents’ generation of marijuana. A study released last summer compared pot being smoked today with what was smoked back before 1992 and concluded it is 175 percent more potent, resulting in more frequent use and increasing it's addictive properties.

The short-term health effects probably won’t surprise you: impaired judgment, forgetfulness, difficulty focusing. But the long-term effects are physical. Marijuana smoking causes asthma, chest colds, lung infections and increased heart rate. Experts believe marijuana causes more damage to the respiratory system than cigarettes because pot smokers hold the smoke in their lungs longer than a person inhaling tobacco.

People may not realize their chronic chest cold could be the result of smoking pot and quite frankly for some people it may not even matter. But for a professional athlete, a swimmer no less, who relies on the strength of his lungs to win gold medals — the health ramifications just don’t seem worth it.

So here are my questions for you: Why is it so common for people to believe smoking pot doesn’t impact your health? Were you surprised by what you read? And don’t forget to sound off on Phelps. I want to know what YOU think he was thinking!

Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

By Danielle Dellorto
CNN Medical Producer

Last night was the second CNN Fit Nation Solution summit in New York City, a night to offer answers, instead of just placing blame, for the obesity crisis in America. Practicing neurosurgeon and CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has a formula for success: Eat healthy + move more = live healthy.

Rachel Ray, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Jillian Michaels, Eric Shanteau

Gupta moderated a discussion with TV host and cookbook author, Rachael Ray; life coach and fitness trainer from NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” Jillian Michaels; and Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau. Together they developed tips on how to motivate America to exercise and eat healthier foods.

Rachael Ray’s Top Tips:
1. Cook with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2. Use whole-wheat pasta
3. Get some fish in you
4. Load your pasta with veggies
5. Have fun!

Jillian Michaels’ Top Tips:
1. Put yourself first
2. Make nutrition a priority
3. Exercise
4. Make mental health a priority
5. Stop and smell the roses

Eric Shanteau’s Top Tips:
1. Exercise with a purpose
2. Try new workouts
3. Get outdoors
4. Have a workout partner
5. Listen to music

Gupta reminds us all that small changes reap big results. Losing just 10 percent of your weight can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease. Also, regular exercise will reduce type 2 diabetes, keep your bones stronger as you age. But don’t stress if you can't hike a mountain or go jogging. You will see a difference by just increasing the amount you walk by 30 minutes each day. The key is to eat healthy and get moving. No magic pill needed. This simple formula really does work.

One of the best aspects of the CNN Fit Nation Solution Summit was hearing real life weight-loss success stories from CNN iReporters in the audience. You can read their stories here. They inspired all of us (even gave Rachael Ray “goosebumps”) with their determination and fight to live healthier lives.

Now I want to hear from you! Have you had weight loss success? What motivates you? Share your top tips below!

Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

By Danielle Dellorto
CNN Medical Producer

The differences between Democrats and Republicans may form well before you’re able to vote. In fact, you may actually be born with your conservative and liberal views.

Political science researchers at Rice University in Texas studied 46 adults with strong political beliefs. They split them up in two groups, based on their leanings, and tested their physiological reactions to threatening and non-threatening images. How hard they blinked, their anxiety level, among other physical responses were charted as images of bloody faces and bunny rabbits came across the screen.

Perhaps not surprising, the groups’ reactions were divided. “The responses between the two groups were substantially different,” notes study author James Alford, a professor of political science at Rice. “There was very little overlap between them.”

The participants with traditional conservative views - supportive of the Iraq war, death penalty, immigration reform and The Patriot Act - had strong physical reactions to the threatening images of spiders and calm reactions to the non-threatening images of bunnies and happy children.

Those with more liberal views - low support of Iraq war and higher support of gay marriage, gun control and abortion rights - showed no differences in reaction when viewing the threatening and non-threatening images. They appeared to physically react to the same to an image of a bowl of fruit and one of an open war wound.

Fascinated by the clear differences in the results, Rice University researchers believe this study, while small, is proof that our political views, in part, are genetically instilled in us.

“We estimate your biological makeup has a 30 to 40 percent role in how you will vote,” says Alford. “The other portion is how and where you were raised as well as environmental factors”

But Alford notes that just because the reaction to threatening images may not be instant for some people, it doesn’t mean we all won’t come to the same conclusion eventually.

"This sheds a small window into part of what motivates political differences in humans are biological differences in humans,” he says. “Biological reasons don’t drive everything, but do deserve equal place at the table."

So what do you think? Do your genetics play a role in which way you vote?

Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.