January 1-7, 2010 - Original Health Articles

Asthma and Bronchitis

The Facts about Asthma and Bronchitis Have you ever had bronchitis? If so, then you probably know that this is a very common condition that results when your airways become inflamed, either from a viral or bacteria infection or some other type of irritant.

Anatomy of a Sneeze

Every time we breathe through our nose, thousands of tiny pieces of dust and other particles attempt to enter it. Our nasal hairs work as an air purifier, cleansing the air that enters of bacteria and other particles. A sneeze is our body's way of getting harmful substances (like bacteria, pollutants and viruses) out of our airway to protect us.

Ginkgo Biloba for Your Heart?

Long touted as a brain elixir that could boost memory and ward off dementia, a large randomized study of over 3,000 volunteers called Ginko Evaluation of Memory (GEM) found that the herb did not prevent or delay dementia or Alzheimer's disease in older adults and had no effect on slowing cognitive decline.

Is Headache Medicine Always the Best Treatment?

Nearly 90 percent of men and 95 percent of women have had at least one headache in their lifetime, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the American Council for Headache Education. With these figures and the fact that you are reading this article, chances are that you have experienced the discomfort and pain of a headache.

Women, Sex, and Happiness

A new study funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia is the most recent to draw a connection between sex and happiness. There have been numerous scientific studies and polls on women, sex and happiness in recent years. A study at Dartmouth College found women retrospectively rated sex as the activity that produced the single largest amount of happiness.

Liquid Bras: Help or Hype?

Most of us will end up with a bust line that points south sooner or later, but bra innovators claim that liquid bras can work wonders on tired, sagging breasts. But can they really help? Why Breasts Sag Breasts consist of muscles, layered with fat, and covered by skin, with ligaments leading from the skin to the muscles to hold them in place.

How Exercising Can Ease Your IBS Pain

Everyone knows that engaging in a regular exercise program can provide overall health benefits. Now, new research is showing that exercise can also help relieve some of the painful symptoms, especially constipation, associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

5 Surprising Facts About Fats

We all know what's bad about dietary fat; we hear it all the time. Sure, eating too much fat will cause weight gain and can eventually make you sick, especially if you regularly eat too much of it over the course of a lifetime.  But that's not the end of the story.

Facial Surgery May Offer Migraine Cure

More than 30 million Americans experience migraine headaches, according to The Migraine Research Foundation. Migraine ranks in the top 20 of the world's most disabling medical illnesse--with many sufferers living in fear knowing that at any time an attack could disrupt their ability to work or go to school, care for their families, or enjoy social activities.

Laughter Induced Asthma is No Joke

Laughter Induced Asthma To better understand laughter induced asthma, researchers from New York University's Medical Center studied a group of more than 200 asthmatics to learn more about what triggers their symptoms and to identify any patterns that exist.

Diabetic Diets: Why They're Often Ignored

Change the way you eat. Give up your favorite foods. Reduce your portion sizes. That's the typical advice the newly diagnosed diabetic hears right from the start. Yet even though people with diabetes understand that the best way to prevent complications and to avoid going on insulin is to eat healthy, putting the plan into action can be daunting.

Preventing Food Allergies at School

Most parents of a child with food allergies find that they have to rely on the teachers and other school staff to help prevent their child from coming into contact with any allergens that could cause a reaction. The key, then, is trusting that they are trained to care fore your child right and keep him well when he's out of your sight.

Over 40 Exercise Tips for Men

Everyone knows the stats showing that men die younger than women. Today, on average, women survive men by over five years, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The biggest problem that men have is not so much a specific disease, says Dr. Jean Bonhomme, board member of the Men's Health Network, but the diseases are the result of lack of health care monitoring earlier in life.

Should I Rely on Chemistry to Choose Partners?

See if these situations sound like you-or your friends: Michael passed up a wonderful woman because he wasn't immediately attracted to her.  He always preferred dark, voluptuous beauties.  After a few more failed relationships, Michael's colleague announced his engagement to "the kindest and funniest woman" he ever met.

Don't Let RA Ruin Your Love Life

If Rheumatoid Arthritis has put a damper on your love life, you're not alone. About 75 percent of chronic pain sufferers experience some form of sexual dysfunction. Although intimacy may be more of a challenge when you-or your partner-has arthritis, sex and arthritis don't have to be incompatible.

Could You Be Addicted to Your Lip Balm?

If you can't leave the house without a tube in your pocket or can't even count the number of times each day you apply, you may be worried that you have an unhealthy attachment to lip balm. But is it possible to be addicted to something so innocuous? Experts are divided on the subject.

Gender Communication Styles and Emotional Discomfort

Studies have shown that men and women have very different communication styles.  Some experts have even gone so far as to describe these different styles as completely different languages. Many authorities attribute communication differences to disparities in the way that men and women think.

3 Ways to Stop Fearing Change

Change is an inevitable part of life, and it doesn't stop happening just because we grow older. In fact, some of life's biggest changes may occur as we age, and we need to not only be prepared for them but to stop being afraid of them. How can you face major life events such as moving out of your longtime home or leaving the workforce? Here are several ideas to help you approach your situation without dread: Focus on the positive.

Could Douching Be Dangerous?

The ads portray laughing women running through flowery fields. The commercials make claims about all-natural ingredients. But when it really comes down to it, how safe is douching? While as many as 40 percent of women say they douche regularly, douching is nothing to laugh about and far from natural.

Don't Let Winter Weaken Your Workout

How can you make your workout weatherproof?  By bringing your outdoor fitness routine indoors. Running, biking, swimming, soccer and tennis are all popular fair-weather sports but all five are easy to do inside. A gym membership is your best bet for matching the intensity of outdoor sports, but most fitness activities can be done at home.

How to Detect a Brain Tumor

Signs of brain tumors vary depending upon where in the brain they occur. Symptoms mimic those of other diseases, making brain cancer difficult to diagnose. Brain tumors produce neurological deficits by destroying brain tissue, stealing nutrients from normal brain cells, or exerting pressure in the brain.

Sensory Processing Disorder: What You Need to Know

  The Basics of Sensory Processing Disorder The Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation estimates that one in every 20 children is grappling with a variety of sensory symptoms that interfere with their daily functioning. These children find that the world can be too loud, too busy and too full of tactile sensations that make them feel overwhelmed.

Perspectives Relating to Children and Lying

Parents are often concerned when their children lie. And while it is important to teach children the value of truthfulness, it is perhaps equally imperative to remember that lying among young children is normal. Parents need to be no more concerned about lying than they would be about any other behavior that they want to discourage children from committing.

Is Your Physical Therapist Right for You?

Physical therapists diagnose and treat people with health-related problems, such as arthritis, that affect their ability to move. If you're considering physical therapy (PT) to help you manage arthritis symptoms, here's what you need to know. How does PT help arthritis patients? The goal of physical therapy is to restore your ability to perform normal, everyday activities by applying proven rehabilitation techniques.

The 5 Worst Reasons for a Break-Up

Honesty is always the best approach when considering a breakup. But it's difficult because the person who's doing the breaking up doesn't want to hurt the other person's feelings, explains relationship expert Ingrid Schweiger, Ph.D. "We are afraid to be honest and we fear confrontation," she says.

Web Surfing Boosts Older Brains

If you're trying to keep your brain humming as you age, you could do worse than to park yourself in front of your computer and surf the Internet. Long considered the bastion of the young and tech-savvy, the Internet has been shunned by a significant percentage of older adults who didn't grow up having it as a presence in their homes or offices.

5 Reasons for Irregular Periods

It's normal for your period to be lighter, heavier, earlier, or later than usual, especially if you're adolescent or perimenopausal. Most women have periods every 24 to 34 days, lasting for three to seven days.  A small percentage of women have periods more often than every 21 days or less often than every 35 days, and this might be entirely normal for them.

What Can You Do About Your Big Ankles?

When it comes to the search for physical perfection, there's a new word circulating: "cankles" which essentially means big ankles. In most cases, it has nothing to do with your health, but some women go to great lengths-even surgery-to change the size of their ankles.

Asthma and Lung Function

The Facts about Asthma and Lung Function While reduced lung functioning often isn't visible to the eye or ear, it's an important measure that tells your doctor what to expect, both when you're well and also when you're sick. That's why many doctors rely on a tool called a spirometer, which measures your pulmonary functioning and lets you know when a problem exists.

Trigger Point Therapy for Chronic Pain

Many chronic pain patients have run out of options for relief. Some physicians are now prescribing trigger point therapy, otherwise known as myofascial therapy, for chronic pain patients. There is growing evidence that chronic pain--as well as most of our common aches and pains--are actually caused by trigger points, or small contraction knots, in the muscles of the body.

When Summer Allergies Stay All Year Long

Summer Allergies that Never End If you think that the name "summer allergies" implies that your allergy symptoms will be contained to the summer months, you may be in for a big surprise when your sneezing, running nose, itchy eyes and throat and fatigue seem to go on for way too long.

Diabetes and Cigarettes: A Troublesome Twosome

It's a well-known fact that people with diabetes have a higher-than-average risk of cardiovascular disease. But when you add cigarettes to the equation, the picture gets considerably grimmer. "We think of diabetes as a disease of glucose metabolism but in fact it's a vascular disease, especially type 2," says Dr.

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