November 22-30, 2010 - Original Health Articles

It's a conversation you'd just as soon not have with your partner. But his bad breath (or body odor, excessive flatulence, or another repulsive condition or habit) is such a turn off that you've decided you have to bring it up. "If you don't it will erode the relationship," says Irina Firstein, LCSW.

Facing the upcoming holiday celebrations and the inevitable food frenzy they provoke can be difficult if you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Irritable bowel syndrome is a common disorder that affects the large intestine (or colon)-and more than 20 percent of U.

Even if your daily wardrobe consists of loose jeans and sweatshirts, chances are you'll be attending at least one holiday party this season. And that means getting out of your comfort zone and dressing up. Perhaps you've got a slinky number hanging in your closet from last year.

Millions of Americans experience what's commonly called "tendonitis" due to overuse, injuries, aging, or just plain wear and tear.  Often, their trip to the doctor results in a quick fix-a shot of corticosteroids (or "cortisone") to reduce inflammation and pain.

If you have moderate to severe sleep apnea, you have an increased risk of developing more serious medical problems. CPAP therapy helps you breathe better at night and reduce that risk. Sleep apnea is more than just a fancy term for snoring. Obstructive sleep apnea is a result of blockages in the nose, mouth or throat that interrupt breathing during sleep, which makes it difficult to get enough air into the lungs.

Sometimes exercise feels like a kick in the shins. That's because our tibia, the long bone that runs from the foot to the knee is vulnerable to stress. Shin splints, also known as medial tibial stress syndrome, is a painful condition that prevents some people from getting enough exercise.

If you suffer from bowel incontinence, you are not alone. According to the American College of Gastroenterology, over 5.5 million Americans have the condition. Bowel incontinence, also called fecal incontinence, is the inability to control your bowel movements, causing your stool (feces) to leak from the rectum uncontrollably.

Add the humble beet to an ever-growing list of fruits and vegetables that are packed with protective substances that guard your good health. This little root vegetable is rich in powerful nitrates that boost the flow of blood throughout your body. You already know that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables helps keep you healthy by supplying many of the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function normally and fight disease.

If you have osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or another condition that makes your joints sore, cold weather may mean more pain and stiffness than ever.  Many doctors say it's a myth that weather changes cause flare-ups, but many patients say otherwise.

The truth about orgasms? They're just not the same for both sexes. While experiencing an orgasm for a woman depends a lot on where her head is at (and whether she remembered to take care of all the details of the day before she'll even allow herself to think about orgasms), it's a whole lot simpler for guys.

What causes rheumatoid arthritis? As with other autoimmune disorders, it likely has a strong genetic component. But not everyone with the genes for arthritis develops. Clearly, there needs to be a trigger of some kind. Now researchers believe they've discovered one of the triggers of arthritis after completing a study using mice.

Many patients report pain several months or more after having surgery and scientists are developing clues as to why. Several studies have focused on understanding the interlinking roles of genetics, anxiety and pain. A study presented at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists demonstrated how important it is to look at multiple factors when predicting persistent pain.

When you're sneezing or suffering from excessive itching, you probably rely on antihistamines and other allergy medications to bring you relief. But what if you could head off your next allergy attack by changing what you eat? Scientists now believe that adding black rice bran into your diet can be a potential allergy treatment.

You've probably heard the expression, "you are what you eat." It may be a cliché, but it's true. What you eat plays a direct role on your brain's cognitive (thinking) abilities, and may influence your risk of developing mental illness, age-related cognitive decline, or Alzheimer's disease.

If you have poor circulation, you may be plagued by such undesirable symptoms as cold hands and feet, numbness, tiredness in the legs upon standing for long periods, or wounds that are slow to heal. But a sluggish blood flow isn't something you have to live with.