April 22-30, 2011 - Original Health Articles

You notice him from across the room, and you're pretty sure he's spotted you, too. Or maybe the two of you play on the same weekend softball team and you'd love to ask him out. Don't wait for fate to bring you together. The reality is that it may never happen.

Now that the sun is making an appearance, don't let pain keep you indoors. We've got four easy outdoor pain-friendly activities to let you enjoy your day in the sun. 1. Walk. Nothing's better for sore joints, achy muscles and overall health and well-being than walking.

Mental health disorders, such as depression, permeate every aspect of your life. If the mental and emotional symptoms weren't enough, depression can wreak havoc on your energy and health. Relationships and work-life can suffer. What's more, depression may cause a multitude of other complications, some of which are even life threatening.

"Common sense tells you that having a 30- or 40-pound backpack isn't good for kids," says Ben W. Kittredge, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Commonwealth Orthopaedics in Alexandria, Virginia. He explains that a too heavy load could stress the vertebra and cause pain.

Warm weather means heading to the beach, basking in the sun, or enjoying a hike or bike ride-but along with the outdoor fun come those pesky bugs. And for some asthmatics who have allergies to insect bites, being stung by a bug can have deadly consequences.

Rumor has it that if you have dense breasts, then mammograms won't be effective. While there's some substance to that statement, it's not the whole story. Here, answers to your biggest questions about dense breasts. How does breast density affect mammograms? Breasts are made up of fatty tissue and connective tissue.

Being diagnosed with diabetes is a life-altering event. Suddenly, you're looking at a chronic condition that has potentially serious, long-term complications, and one that requires you to rethink how you eat, exercise, and live your life. Once it settles in that you'll always have to monitor your blood sugar, and that you might have to give yourself shots of insulin, you may feel anxious and despondent.

Although many people assume that asthma affects males and females equally, it's becoming increasingly clear to the medical community that respiratory health is handled differently by women and men.  Researchers from the Ohio State University Medical Center found that when you compare men and women with similar asthma conditions, women will be apt to perceive their symptoms as more serious.

Following a Mediterranean diet has been shown to benefit heart health as well as reduce the incidence of cancer, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's diseases. Because one of the key components of this diet includes eating lots of whole grains, legumes (beans), fruits, and vegetables-which are all fiber-rich-following the Mediterranean diet may also keep your digestive system running smoothly.

After finishing a delicious meal, you suddenly feel itchy and your stomach hurts. Could the problem be caused by a food allergy or a food intolerance? It can be difficult to tell at first, but there are signs that can help you get to the root of the problem.

The problem with getting a good night's sleep in a hotel is that it can be so unpredictable. You won't know whether or not it's going to happen until you try. You may find yourself in a quiet, peacefully decorated room with a bed that's even more comfortable than your own.

Keeping up with the latest medical research can be frustrating. Just when you think you've been doing what's best for your health, a study comes along that contradicts your practice. For various reasons, many men routinely take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include common over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil® and Motrin®), and naproxen (Aleve® and Anaprox).

Heart disease is the number-one killer of both men and women. But making just a few simple changes to your diet can make a big difference in keeping you and your family heart-healthy. And the first place to start is in the kitchen. Start Your Heart Healthy Kitchen Makeover Here The American Heart Association recommends that you eat a wide variety of nutritious foods every day.

Hippocrates is quoted as saying, "Leave your drugs in the chemist's pot if you can heal the patient with food." This age old healer knew what many physicians know today: humans require sufficient doses of vitamins and minerals, mostly obtained from food, for optimal health and disease prevention.

If you've been experiencing stomach pain, diarrhea, and fatigue, you may have an intestinal parasite. There are two main types of intestinal parasites: helminths, which are worms (tapeworms, pinworms, and roundworms are the most common), and protozoa, which have only one cell and can multiply inside the body, allowing serious infections to develop.

You may love to run outdoors, but no matter how far or fast you go you can't outrun your asthma.  But despite its presence, it doesn't have to slow you down or turn you into a coach potato. Instead, ask your doctor about how to effectively manage asthma before you slip on your running shoes and head for the track.

A breakdown in intimacy is a leading cause of marital discord, says Danine Manette, infidelity expert and the author of The Ultimate Betrayal. And when sex is no longer satisfying, your relationship becomes vulnerable. Resentment, withdrawal, and unhappiness can settle in when the sex life sours.

Flipping through magazines, you see page after page of impossibly skinny and perfect people. Many magazines use photography angles, effects, and techniques to alter what you see, but could these photos be subconsciously affecting your confidence and self-image? Scientists say yes.

The importance of sleep can't be over stated. Sleep matters... a lot. But in our 24/7 society, life is hectic and many children have trouble drifting off. Well-rested kids are better behaved at home and perform better in school. Tired kids have difficulty problem solving, staying focused, and just plain coping.

Although leaky gut syndrome (also known as intestinal hypermeability) isn't generally recognized by conventional physicians as a real medical condition, there is increasing evidence that the problem is genuine. Leaky gut syndrome is the result of damage to the intestinal lining.

You probably have a collection of spices in your kitchen cabinet that you use to adjust the right taste to your recipes. But for a small number of people, exposure to certain spices can push their immune systems into overdrive. If you fall into this group, here's what you need to know.

Scientists have discovered a possible link between two conditions that become more common as people age: hearing loss and dementia. And, apparently, the greater the hearing loss, the higher the likelihood of having dementia. But what is the exact relationship between these two conditions? Does hearing loss actually cause dementia? The reasons behind the link aren't clear just yet.

It's one of the first things newly diagnosed diabetics are advised to do before they test their blood glucose: wash your hands. But when soap and water are not available, some experts recommend another strategy: place the "second drop" of blood rather than the first on the test strip.

Do your kids jump-start their day with a heaping helping of carbs followed by a dose of high fructose corn syrup? Do they refuse cereal that isn't sugar coated? Or do they skip breakfast all together feeling too rushed or tired to send anything down the hatch? If their morning routine has you concerned, read on for insight and advice to get your picky eaters heading for healthy food before darting out the door.

If you've had surgery to remove part of your stomach or had gastric bypass surgery to help you lose weight, you may be susceptible to a condition called dumping syndrome. The problem occurs when the undigested contents of the stomach get "dumped" into the small intestine too quickly, causing excess fluid to build in the small intestine.