April 1-7, 2009 - Original Health Articles
According to the Centers for Disease Control, heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. By the end of 2009, about 785,000 Americans will have suffered their first coronary event, and 470,000 will have experienced a repeat attack—that amounts to about one every 25 seconds, and every minute someone dies from cardiovascular complications.
Devouring a plate of fried chicken and curling up on the couch with a pint of ice cream can be enjoyable endeavors—that is, until the cruel after-effects kick in. These two foods are guilty pleasures, meaning we eat them for taste, fully aware they’re not healthy.
Anyone who’s had acid reflux knows the feeling all too well: that uncomfortable, burning feeling in the chest. This process, in which the stomach leaks acid into the lower esophageal sphincter, is commonly known as heartburn, a painful, prevalent experience: over 40 percent of Americans suffer from it at least once per month.
Even for basketball fans, the name Larry H. Miller probably doesn't ring a bell. He wasn't Michael Jordan and he didn't even play. What he did do was create a car dealership dynasty that allowed him to buy the NBA's Utah Jazz franchise and turn it into a powerhouse.
Regular dinners out, new clothes, and your gym membership—all have been slashed from your budget due to the faltering economy. But don’t think that just because you aren’t attending a fitness center you can’t stay in shape. Nothing could be further from the truth! There are plenty of ways to exercise (that cost little or nothing), and they don’t involve classes or machines.
Everyone loves a clean house, but many of the commercial cleaning products found in supermarkets can contain toxic ingredients. In fact, studies show that indoor air is actually more polluted than outdoor air because of this. Using these popular brands in your home can aggravate allergies and respiratory issues.
It's no secret that you'll have trouble sleeping as you get older. And there's nothing like a full plate—work projects due, sick kids, and money worries—to keep you up at night. If you've been tossing and turning in the wee hours, it's probably taking a toll on your appearance.
Since Crohn’s is an inflammatory disease of the bowel, it’s often treated with immunosuppresants and anti-inflammatory drugs. As their name suggests, immunosuppressants suppress the immune system and therefore the body’s inflammation response.
If you have Crohn’s disease and want to get pregnant, you probably have many questions and concerns. Knowing how the disease will run during any one woman’s pregnancy is variable and hard to predict. However, here’s a brief overview of what you should know.
Many people think of breathing as something that just comes naturally, in order to keep us alive. But did you know that your breathing can change depending on your mood? And that by changing your breathing, you can actually improve your mood? When you’re depressed, your respiration is likely to be very shallow.
Want to lift yourself out of the doldrums? It may be as simple as finding the right furry (or scaly) friend. Studies have shown that owning or interacting with animals has a host of health benefits, from physical to mental, and that everyone from young children to seniors can benefit.
Can your physical surroundings exacerbate or contribute to depression? Some experts believe they can. While living in a pristine mansion won’t necessarily make a sad person into a happy one, and many poor people seem quite content in small apartments and houses, studies indicate there is a link between how we live and how we feel.
Want to lift yourself out of the doldrums? It may be as simple as finding the right furry (or scaly) friend. Studies have shown that owning or interacting with animals has a host of health benefits, from physical to mental, and that everyone from young children to seniors can benefit.
Think that mixing your favorite liquor with a diet soda will keep your weight loss on track? You may want to think again. Not only can diet cocktails get you drunk faster--they can also hinder weight loss. Research from the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) in Australia revealed that chasing alcoholic drinks with artificially sweetened drinks can get you drunk faster.
The Research In April of 2007, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in conjunction with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, launched several studies to evaluate the benefits and risks of gastric bypass or bariatric surgery in adolescents.
Clinical trials are an important step in discovering new treatments and ways to detect, diagnose, or reduce the risk for disease. They reveal what works—or doesn’t—and helps the medical community weigh the benefits, risks, and side effects of potential new treatment options.
New genetic test identifies melanoma risk in pre-menopausal women Melanoma is the most common form of cancer in America and, in some cases, it can be deadly. Researchers at the NYU Langone Medical Center have discovered that a genetic variation almost quadruples the risk of melanoma in women under age 50.
We all have the occasional sleepless night. However, when sleeplessness persists, it can have a detrimental effect on your physical well being, especially if you have Crohn’s disease. Sleep modulates the immune system, and a regular good night sleep is a key component of good health.
Crohn’s disease is characterized by alternating periods of heavy disease activity (flare-ups) and remission (few or no symptoms). During a flare-up, patients frequently experience discomfort or pain. You don’t have to suffer unnecessarily.
Most people who have Crohn’s can hold a steady job and enjoy a rewarding career. A little planning and preparation can make all the difference in having a successful day at work. Here are a few tips for managing Crohn’s at work.
1. Always have a change of clothes—just in case.
Of course you want to control and treat your asthma symptoms as effectively as you can. But did you know that some asthma medications may compromise your bone health if you take them for an extended length of time? You don’t have to decide between breathing well or keeping your bones strong, though.
You hope it never happens to you: having a serious asthma attack. But the fact is that everyone with asthma is at risk for experiencing a true health emergency, and there’s absolutely no way to know exactly how or when such a situation might strike.
Is fresh produce always better? In the summertime, when peaches, plums, tomatoes and berries of all kinds are at their peak, there’s nothing like hitting the local farmers market and bringing home salad fixings picked just that day or the day before.
Since heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, it’s among the most studied illnesses. As a consequence, there’s wealth of information out there. Read on for the latest must-know news. A study headed up by Dr. Ross D.
Usually, there isn’t just one allergen that triggers your symptoms but a host of offenders that cause your immune system to react to them. And yes, many of these factors can occur right in your living space. Triggers like dust mites, mold, pet hair and dander and dampness can all be sharing your home and can be causing you to you sneeze, cough and itch.
Since heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, it’s among the most studied illnesses. As a consequence, there’s wealth of information out there. Read on for the latest must-know news. A study headed up by Dr. Ross D.
Many pregnant women experience a host of discomforts as their bodies change. Those with allergies may also find their symptoms getting worse as their pregnancy progresses, making them feel quite miserable. If this scenario sounds all too familiar to you, the good news is that you don’t have to spend the next nine months suffering.
When your child is diagnosed with arthritis, it can be a lot to take in. Now begins the journey of long-term care and helping your child to have a good quality of life. Here’s a primer to help you and your child cope with this chronic illness. What is juvenile idiopathic arthritis? Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the new, more widely used term for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
Whether it’s a strange ache in the abdomen, dizziness, or a sudden rash, millions of Americans are rushing to Google their symptoms instead of rushing to see the doctor. It’s a trend commonly referred to as cyberchondria—consumers conduct their own web health research, which frequently leads to misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatments.
Last year the headlines were buzzing about a study that showed alcohol reduces the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. That’s great news for people with genes that predispose them to the condition, and those who don’t have it. But it does little for you if you’re already living with arthritis.
Sleep apnea and insomnia are two distinct sleep disorders. One is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep, and the other is characterized by the difficulty to fall or stay asleep. Both can cause a considerable amount of physical and emotional symptoms.
One danger of heartburn is that it can strike at any time—during a heavy meal, an exercise program, or while you’re sleeping. The first two activities occur during the day, while the latter occurs at night. Are there any differences—and any danger—in experiencing heartburn in the nighttime as opposed to the daytime? Heartburn at any time can be painful and derail productivity, and its presence is staggering: in the United States, 60 million Americans suffer from it.
