September 15-21, 2011 - Original Health Articles

If you've recently split from your partner and are about to dip your toe into the dating pool once again, you may be surprised at how technology has changed it. Texting, online dating, and social networking sites have made old-fashioned dating seem, well, outdated.

A great sex life might seem like one of life's perks for young people. But these days, it's not uncommon for younger as well as older individuals to suffer from a low libido, says Michael Krychman, MD, executive director of the Southern California Center for Sexual Health and an associate clinical professor at USC Medical School in Los Angeles.

Depression is particularly prevalent--and overlooked--in older adults. Despite the high incidence in seniors, it's definitely not a normal part of aging. Seniors often suffer from serious or chronic health conditions. This makes it difficult to separate depression from drug side effects or other disease-related symptoms, so depression often goes undiagnosed.

If you've ever experienced heart palpitations (a feeling of rapid, fluttering, or pounding heartbeats), shortness of breath, and weakness, you could have atrial fibrillation, an irregular and often rapid heartbeat that causes poor blood flow to the body.

If your baby's gums are red and swollen and she's drooling or crying more than usual, there's a good chance she's teething. Although it can differ from child to child, most children will start teething around six months old, as new teeth start pushing their way through the gums.

Cancer has become a serious personal and public health problem. The mortality rate of cancer has declined over the past several decades due to advances in treatment. At the same time, the number of people diagnosed with cancer is on the rise. While humans have always faced cancer, it's become increasingly prevalent over the past century.

If you're caught up in a cycle of sleepless nights, there's a drug-free way to get back on track: Make love more often. Whenever you read tips for beating insomnia, you probably see the advice to use your bed (and bedroom) only for sleeping and sex....

When your bones, joints or muscles hurt, the last thing you feel like doing is lifting weights or doing heavy exercise. The fact is, though, exercising and strength training are essential for breaking the pain cycle, strengthening muscles around tender joints and building up bone strength.

Did you know that allergic reactions come in different shapes and sizes? While many people assume that all hypersensitivities are created equal, the fact is that when your immune system overreacts to a trigger that typically doesn't bother most other people, the effect it has on your body can fall into several different categories.

Patients with chronic pain conditions like back pain, arthritis and fibromyalgia may not realize being overweight can have a huge impact on their pain. Losing that excess weight and becoming active can reduce and even eliminate your pain. But how can you safely get started? Our plan will get you exercising at almost any weight and with nearly any condition.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves do more than flavor some of your favorite foods. These and other "sweet" spices have medicinal properties and are most effective as healers when used on a regular basis. Here's how to get more of them into your diet. Cinnamon In addition to treating stomach and intestinal problems such as bloating, gas, and spasms, cinnamon has been found to reduce inflammation and lower cholesterol levels.

Does the thought of going to work make you sick? If you have asthma and you work around chemicals, fumes, or scented products, your job could be triggering your symptoms and causing you to feel pretty miserable. Even people who've never had asthma before may find that their workplace environment causes them to develop this condition.

The changing of the seasons brings cooler temperatures and shorter days. For many people, fall and winter also triggers depression. It may help to know you're not alone and the blues are not all in your head. You probably suffer from a type of depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, appropriately called SAD.

If you're worried that you'll be dealing with insulin shots for the rest of your life, don't despair just yet. Though injections are still the only effective way to deliver insulin to the body, a variety of new devices may be on the horizon. Here's a look at what's under development: Inhalable Insulin Efforts to come up with a safe, effective inhalable insulin so far have been unsuccessful, but companies keep on trying.