May 1-7, 2014 - Original Health Articles
Recent news reports have raised concerns that drinking alcohol increases the risk for melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. Alcohol is a significant risk factor for cancer, but the headlines are a bit misleading.
What the research really says about alcohol and cancer risk
The study in question reports that people who drink alcohol regularly had a 20 percent higher risk of developing malignant (spreading) melanoma than people who drink occasionally or not at all.
Older adults tend to score lower on tests of mental function, a phenomenon that was long-attributed to be a symptom of age-related cognitive decline—a serious but common problem. However, recent research proposes a new theory to explain why older adults score lower on cognitive tests: Like a computer jam-packed with photos, videos and text files, the longer we live, the more our minds fill up with information.
Did you know that the foods you eat can affect your mood?
"Many people are aware that there is a link between physical health and diet, but they don't make the connection between what they eat and how they feel emotionally," says Elizabeth Somer, RD, MA, and author of Food and Mood and Eat Your Way to Happiness.
It's nothing to cry about. According to the National Eye Institute, dry eye occurs when tears aren't properly produced. Tears—a complex mixture of water, fatty oils and mucus which protects against infection—keep eyes smooth and vision clear.
If you're bald—or are balding at the crown—don't be surprised if your cardiologist takes notice.
Men who are completely bald or bald at the crown may be at higher risk of developing atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) and heart disease than those with frontal baldness, a receding hairline, or a full head of hair, according to an analysis of six scientific studies published between 1993 and 2008.
Research has shown that a balanced, Mediterranean-style diet can be a healthy eating plan for everyone—and especially people with diabetes. But, until recently, there was no reason to think it could also help prevent the disease.
A study of more...
It's not unusual to experience both depression and anxiety following some types of trauma or significant life change. And the change doesn't have to be negative such as job loss. Positive events—like having a child or moving to a bigger home—can be stressful and bring on anxiety and bad feelings, too.
Whether your goal is to get fit, reduce stress, relieve pain, become more flexible, improve your health, gain some spiritual grounding, or all of the above, the best yoga teacher is the one who makes it happen for you. Bear in mind that for a beginner or a returning practitioner, yoga can be quite challenging, especially if you are older or have a chronic medical condition that requires special accommodations.
Post-nasal drip. We've all experienced it. Mucus dripping from the back of our nose and down our throat. That persistant tickling or irritating feeling sometimes accompanied by throat soreness or coughing. We know it's nothing serious, but it feels miserable, and we want to do something about it.
If your head hurts, take comfort: "Headache is a universal human experience," says Richard B. Lipton, MD, director of the Montefiore Headache Center, Edwin S. Lowe Professor, vice chair of neurology, professor of epidemiology and population health, and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY.
An estimated 10 percent of the population suffers from belonephobia, a fear of needles. And it's probably safe to say that a much larger percentage simply doesn't like them.
The reasons are pretty simple—needles can be an unpleasant experience.
When bad things happen to you or a loved one, you may experience scary memories, unsettling emotions and/or a sense of hopelessness. Trauma from an unexpected event takes a person from a state of normal emotion to a state of high emotional arousal, and depression as a result is not uncommon.