December 8-14, 2010 - Original Health Articles
From the moment you are diagnosed with cancer, you become a survivor. Here are a few ways to celebrate. Take care of your health and reduce your risk of recurrence. Cancer survivors are more at risk for a recurrence due to the effects of treatment, genetics, and other risk factors.
Why is it that some people can sleep through almost anything, while others need earplugs and white noise to get through the night? Researchers think your ability to cope with disruptive sounds while sleeping has something to do with how your brain is wired.
If you're wondering which pump or meter is best for you, here are some facts to consider, from Devon Carlson, MS, RD, of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia Medical Center in New York City and Rita Louard, MD, of the Diabetes Center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.
Though relatively rare-affecting less than 2 percent of the adolescent population-anorexia nervosa is a life-threatening illness with a high mortality rate. Patients with the condition believe they are fat, and use food restriction and exercise to maintain dangerously low body weights.
Deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) is a very scary condition that can come on without warning. It involves the formation of a clot in the lower body, usually the legs. If this clot dislodges and becomes stuck in the heart or lungs, it can be fatal. Immediate treatment is crucial for survival.
You may have heard of salmon and blueberries being referred to as "brain foods" for their specific properties that keep the brain healthy. Now a new study proves that certain vegetables qualify as brain foods as well. Veggies--specifically crunchy, colorful ones such as celery, peppers, and carrots--contain a plant compound called luteolin, which works to tamp down inflammation in the brain that causes problems with memory.
Lucid dreaming is knowing that you are in a dream while you are still in it and, at times, using that state of awareness to influence what happens in your dream. Lucid dreaming is considered by many sleep experts to be a variation of normal dreaming. There are techniques used to induce lucid dreaming, which practitioners say helps them solve problems and even learn new skills.
According to a survey by the National Heartburn Alliance, 66 percent of Americans experience heartburn during the holiday season, but you don't have to be among them this year. Just making some simple adjustments to your eating habits and lifestyle will help you keep heartburn pain away.
Unless your surgery is an emergency, talk to your doctor or other healthcare professionals to find out everything you can about your condition and the type of operation being recommended. Ask your healthcare team: About the details of your surgery, including...
Healthcare, transportation, manufacturing workers, and public servants play a critical role in our society, often working in the wee hours of the morning when the rest of us are sound asleep. Working nights, early mornings, or rotating shifts can affect workers' health.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder that may first appear as strange or odd behaviors. In children, the onset typically occurs between the ages of 8 and 13 and is rarely diagnosed in preschoolers. People with OCD are distressed by constant, unwanted thoughts or impulses (obsessions).
Fruits and vegetables are full of nutrients that keep you healthy and help prevent cancer. Furthermore, since obesity is a significant risk factor for cancer, a diet that emphasizes plant-based foods helps you maintain a healthy weight. Here are a few tips for adding healthy fruits and vegetables to your diet: Learn what a serving looks like.
Choosing pain medication is challenging considering the dizzying array options available. How do you know which one choose? That depends on what type of pain you're treating and your individual health profile. Pain is a widely subjective.
'Tis the season to be busy, stressed out, painful and anxious or...jolly, merry and bright. Our five tried and true tips will keep recurring or chronic pain from ruining your holidays so you can ring in the season with true holiday spirit. 1. Simplify.
Women may not be in the mood for sex for many reasons--they're too tired, too stressed, too resentful, or maybe just too reluctant since the kids are still awake and in an adjacent bedroom. But not wanting sex isn't always tied into what's going on in a woman's head.
In a perfect world, you and your partner would want sex simultaneously and you'd both be happy with the amount of intimacy in your relationship. There would be no finger pointing, no self-recrimination, and no feelings of inadequacy on one partner's part and frustration on the other partner's part.
Unlike osteoarthritis, which results from wear and tear in the joints, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. This means it occurs when the body becomes inflamed and attacks itself against what it perceives to be a threat. Studies have shown that people with one autoimmune disease often are at risk of having another one (or even more than one).
The holiday season is upon us. Tis the season to be jolly. Or, maybe not. The holidays can be a happy, joy-filled time. However, if painful memories make you wish you could sleep until after New Year's, you are not alone. Loss of a loved one, divorce, or other tragedy make holidays emotionally difficult to navigate.
Have you noticed changes in your aging parent or another elderly adult you care for? It may be depression. Depression in seniors is prevalent-and often overlooked. Contrary to common misconceptions, depression is not a normal part of aging. As a caregiver, you are in an ideal position to make a difference to a senior who may be suffering from depression.
The cost of health insurance is scary, but having no health insurance can be downright terrifying. If you've lost access to insurance, you may be wondering how you'll survive. If you or a family member has a pre-existing condition, covering the costs of all of the prescription drugs and doctor's visits you need may seem impossible.
Not all nutritional needs are equal between women and men. To give the man in your life a healthy advantage, make sure he eats a colorful variety of healthy foods to get enough of these essential vitamins: Vitamin C Taking C in large doses can help men fight urinary-tract infections.
Teenagers may be irresponsible about a lot of things, but when it comes to condom use, they're actually more careful than grownups. In a study of sexually active 14- to 17-year-olds, 80 percent of the boys and 69 percent of the girls reported using a condom the last time they'd had sex.
Snoring loudly enough to wake up your sleeping spouse may be more than just annoying, it could signal a serious health problem. Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts, waking you-and your bed partner-from a sound sleep.
Although your thumb joint is pretty small, having arthritis in that spot can make a big impact on your day-to-day life. Arthritis of the thumb, also called basal-joint arthritis, can cause pain and swelling and can hinder your range of motion. Simple actions that you once took for granted, such as opening a door or typing a letter, can now be difficult at best and impossible at worst.
We've all seen the headlines: Hormone Replacement Therapy Increases Risks for Cancer! If you're a woman using hormone replacement therapy (HRT), you may be frightened about developing cancer, but even more frightened about giving up your prescription.
What if you could make your asthma disappear for the New Year? While the truth is that you can't erase this chronic health condition completely, you can certainly resolve to gain increased asthma control by taking some key steps. 5 New Year's Resolutions As New Year's Eve approaches, this is a good time to give yourself a quick asthma checkup to make sure you're doing all you can to keep yourself feeling your best.
Long before you're ready to take an at-home pregnancy test and pray that the stick turns blue, you should start planning for your baby. Before becoming pregnant, it's crucial for a woman with diabetes to get her hemoglobin A1C within the normal range, or risk both miscarriage and birth defects.
The holiday season is a joyful time, but the mental and physical stress of facing crowded malls, planning family festivities, and making the rounds at parties can make an already sensitive digestive system caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) act up.
If your mood is not as good as it could be, and you can't figure out why, take a good look at your diet. You may be able to change your frame of mind by eating foods that are rich in vitamin C. Past research has shown a link between psychological disorders and Vitamin C deficiencies.
DISH, or diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, is a type of arthritis that primarily affects the upper back. It occurs when the ligaments that attach to the spine harden and calcify, often causing stiffness and pain in affected areas. DISH sufferers also may have pain in their necks and lower backs, or even beyond the spine in areas such as the feet, knees, hips, arms, and hands.
"You have cancer." These three words can make you feel as though you've been hit by a fast-moving train and then strapped into an out-of-control roller coaster. You probably wonder how you're going to cope with the stress, your fears, treatment side effects, and managing work, family, and other responsibilities while ill.
Are you allergic to grass? If so, the arrival of winter could provide you a welcome vacation from your allergy symptoms. But people who live in regions with warm temperatures year 'round might not be able to escape so easily from this troublesome trigger.
Car seats can be complicated. According to research conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seven out of 10 children are improperly restrained, putting them at risk for serious injury or death in a crash. Sadly, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 14.
