Alcohol and Drug Problems + Original Articles

Oral cancer occurs twice as often in men as it does in women. And increasing age is a major risk factor. Here's what you need to know. Oral cancers are the 6th most common cancers worldwide, and account for about 3 percent of all cancers. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), about 52,000 people in the U.S. were estimated to be diagnosed with oral cancer in 2012. Oral cancer is twice as common in men and the incidence generally increases with age.

An estimated 750,000 Americans get sepsis each year and 28 and 50 percent will die from the infection. Who's at risk for sepsis, and what can be done to prevent it? An estimated 750,000 Americans get sepsis each year—and 28 and 50 percent of these people will die from the infection. What's more, the number of patients being treated for sepsis has increased at an increasingly staggering cost—$17 billion dollars a year—due to a prolonged hospital stay to treat the condition.

Do you recognize these telltale signs of the fear of being out of cell phone contact? Here's how to manage your obsession. Donna Talarico, who works in marketing at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, realized she was addicted to her cell phone when it "died" and she had to leave it charging in her car. That night, as she listened to a band at a nightclub, Talarico found herself clutching a small rectangular box of crayons "for comfort" while she didn't have her phone.

Thanks to TV ads erectile dysfunction is no longer under the covers. Still, misconceptions remain. Learn what causes impotence and ways to reduce your risk. Between 15 and 30 million men suffer from some form of impotence or erectile dysfunction. At first glance this range seems wide, but it's due to the fact that some health professionals use the term "impotence" to include a host of sexual problems in men—not just the total inability to have or maintain an erection.

Insomnia affects more than 70 million Americans. Find out more about what's keeping you awake at night. "To sleep, perchance to dream." Shakespeare's famed words sound so tranquil, but if you've ever read Hamlet, you know the story's about to take a bad turn. For many Americans, sleep is also a maddening prospect representing hours of tossing and turning with little to show for it other than the eventual fatigue, irritability, and exhaustion.

Rosacea, which often causes constant redness in the face, can be frustrating and difficult to treat, but there are steps you can take to manage the condition. Rosacea is a common, long-term skin disease that affects more than an estimated 16 million Americans. The condition may produce persistent redness, or flushing; acne; and visible blood vessels in the center of the face. What's more, these symptoms can eventually spread to the cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose.

This drug seems to offer relief from pain, nausea and vomiting, anxiety, and loss of appetite, which are common side effects of cancer and cancer treatments. And there are other possible benefits as well. Because cannabis is illegal, scientific research on the medical benefits for cancer and other serious illnesses is limited, and much of the evidence is anecdotal. However, there seems to be a growing body of data (and citizen demand) to support legalizing marijuana for medical purposes.

Can't get a good night's sleep? Follow these easy guidelines. If you can't seem to get a good night's sleep, you're not alone-more than 70 million Americans suffer from sleep problems, according to the National Institutes of Health. The good news is, many of these issues can be solved by simply changing your daily routine and creating a better sleep environment.

Learn how to build strong bones and protect against osteoporosis. At some point—usually around age 30—everyone's bones begin to get thinner. But only some people will develop osteoporosis, a progressive disease that causes bones to become brittle and more likely to break. Your risk for osteoporosis depends on a number of factors, including the thickness of your bones when you were young, as well as the health, diet, and fitness levels you've maintained since.

There is no guaranteed protection against breast cancer, but there are things you can do to reduce your risk. An estimated 1in 8 women will be afflicted with breast cancer in her lifetime. Although there is no guaranteed protection against the disease, there are things you can do to lower your risk. Follow these tips to help prevent breast cancer and to support finding a cure: Maintain a healthy weight.

Not so black and white: study concludes bipolar disease is more of a spectrum disorder. A 2007 study supports earlier findings that bipolar disease is underrecognized, often improperly treated, and may be more accurately characterized as a spectrum disorder than a black-and-white disease. The study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, analyzed data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), a nationwide survey of mental disorders among 9,282 Americans ages 18 and older.

What do the experts say about using medicinal marijuana to alleviate symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD)? There is growing interest in the possible benefits of medical marijuana in treating ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Unfortunately, the scientific research is sparse, in part because marijuana is illegal in most of the U.

If you and your partner are planning to grow your family, the issue of fertility may come up. And while it's commonly looked at as a woman's issue, the U.S. National Library of Medicine reports that male infertility is the root of the problem approximately one third of the time. If you and your partner are planning to grow your family, the issue of fertility may come up. And while it's commonly looked at as a feminine issue, the U.S. National Library of Medicine reports that male infertility is the problem approximately one third of the time.

If you're looking for a "healthy" beer, unfortunately, you won't find one. But that doesn't mean you should skip out entirely. If you choose to indulge in a beer, make the best choice for your health. If you’re looking for a “healthy” beer, unfortunately, you won’t find one. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), one of the best ways to avoiding weight gain is to consume a variety of nutrient-dense foods. Nutrient-dense foods have a high micro-nutrient (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc.

You go out for a couple beers for happy hour or you enjoy a few drinks with friends, but can an innocent drink with friends become harmful? It's the end of a long week—or a long day—and if you're like many Americans, you reach for glass of wine, beer, or a cocktail to help you unwind. This behavior is considered normal as well as socially acceptable. Popular television shows like Mad Men glamorize drinking alcohol, which can make it hard to imagine a party, celebration, or sporting event without it.

This condition is the result of damage to the intestinal lining, which allows larger-than-normal particles such as undigested food, microbes, wastes, and toxins to get into the lymphatic system or bloodstream, triggering an immune response that causes inflammation. Although leaky gut syndrome (also known as intestinal hypermeability) isn't generally recognized by conventional physicians as a real medical condition, there is increasing evidence that the problem is genuine. Leaky gut syndrome is the result of damage to the intestinal lining.

You know that an unhealthy lifestyle can eventually show up on your skin, but what if a simple, painless test could reveal the physical evidence? Would it encourage you to change your habits? Some scientists believe that it will. You know that an unhealthy lifestyle can eventually show up on your skin, but what if a simple, painless test could reveal the physical evidence? Would it encourage you to change your habits? Some scientists believe that it will. Until recently, doctors would need to biopsy skin in order to get a picture of a patient's health and habits.

Cirrhosis is the final phase of chronic liver disease when the liver begins to function poorly due to scarring. Get familiar with how this disease affects your liver, know the symptoms, and learn what you can do to treat and prevent this incurable disease. Cirrhosis is the final phase of chronic liver disease when the liver begins to function poorly due to scarring. The liver is a large organ that carries out essential functions such as detoxifying harmful substances in your body, purifying your blood, and manufacturing nutrients vital to your health.

Some asthma sufferers say that a few beers or a glass of wine does nothing to aggravate their symptoms. Some even claim these libations help to improve their symptoms. Yet other asthmatics find that drinking alcohol worsens their chronic respiratory symptoms. How can such a large discrepancy exist? Here's why. Some asthma sufferers say that a few beers or a glass of wine does nothing to aggravate their symptoms. Some even claim these libations help to improve their symptoms.  Yet other asthmatics find that drinking alcohol worsens their chronic respiratory symptoms.

Before you raise that glass, consider these stay-safe tips. See what people are saying about this article on our Facebook page! If you've recently been diagnosed with diabetes, you may be feeling deprived because you can't eat unlimited quantities of so many of your favorite foods. And you may be wondering whether you can still enjoy a beer, glass of wine, or margarita with friends from time to time.

Increases in accidental overdoses of over-the-counter, prescription, and illegal drugs are one of the fastest-rising causes of accidental death in the U.S. Whether you reach for prescription pills on a daily basis or take an over-the-counter remedy for a persistent cough or occasional headache, there are risks associated with all medications especially when they are combined with other medications. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), increases in accidental overdoses of over-the-counter, prescription, and illegal drugs are one of the fastest-rising causes of accidental death in the United States.

General health problems that put your sexual health at risk — and what you can do about it. Consider this: Thirty to 50 percent of men with diabetes suffer from erectile dysfunction. Men in their 40s who have erectile dysfunction (ED) are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease compared to men without ED. These are just a few examples of how your sexual health relates to overall health.

Are you at higher risk for cancer because of your genes? Genetic screening determines your risk of developing certain cancers based on inherited genes that, when altered, are associated with cancer. The actual test is just a simple blood test. However, making the decision to be tested, and what to do with the results, is not simple at all.

Reducing your alcohol consumption reduces your risk of developing cancer. In our society, alcohol has taken center stage in so many of our social activities. Occasional alcohol consumption is relatively harmless. However, if you've been imbibing frequently, you may be putting yourself at higher risk for developing cancer. How Does Alcohol Affect Your Risk for Cancer? Researchers suspect alcohol increases cancer risk in several ways—the actual risks vary by type of cancer.

Combining alcohol and a low-cal mixer gets you drunk faster and can even hinder weight loss. Think that mixing your favorite liquor with a diet soda will keep your weight loss on track? You may want to think again.  Not only can diet cocktails get you drunk faster--they can also hinder weight loss. Research from the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) in Australia revealed that chasing alcoholic drinks with artificially sweetened drinks can get you drunk faster.

Learn how those cocktails can make your arthritis worse and safer ways to drink Last year the headlines were buzzing about a study that showed alcohol reduces the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. That’s great news for people with genes that predispose them to the condition, and those who don’t have it. But it does little for you if you’re already living with arthritis.

As with most other substances we consume, alcohol can be harmful in excess and beneficial in moderation, especially when it comes to heart health. Researchers first reported this correlation between alcohol consumption and cardiovascular disease as early as 1904 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. But because alcoholism has been a long-standing problem in the United States, experts are reticent to wholeheartedly endorse raising a glass or two for your heart’s sake.

You exercise, eat right, get plenty of sleep, and avoid excess stress. Complete your health puzzle by learning your family's health history. Why is it important to know what maladies your relatives have suffered from? Certain diseases, such as sickle-cell anemia, are inherited, passed down from generation to generation in the form of DNA abnormalities. Others, such as cancer or heart disease, may strike seemingly at random.

In these metropolitan areas, inebriation abounds, and residents rarely find themselves thirsty. Most cities can claim plenty of bars, liquor stores, and hard-partying residents. But according to government data, some metropolitan areas do a lot more drinking than others. Which cities are the most sloshed? The answers might surprise you (several towns known for their nightlife, like Miami and New Orleans, didn't even make our list).

Thinking about getting a nose job? Here's what you need to know. Maybe you have a bump that makes you feel self-conscious about getting your picture taken. Or perhaps it's a deviated septum that's causing you to have breathing problems. Whether it's for cosmetic purposes, health reasons, or a combination of factors, rhinoplasty (nose reshaping) is one of the most popular plastic surgeries in the United States.

Learn about the symptoms of alcoholism and what kinds of treatment are available for this disease. Most Americans can't go a whole day without viewing a beer ad on the television, passing the neon signs of a bar, or glimpsing a billboard promoting the newest brand of vodka. Alcohol permeates American culture, and it's unlikely to change anytime soon.

Could your state be decreasing your life expectancy? Find out if it's time to move. On average, an American can expect to enjoy about 78 years of life on this planet, according to a report by the United Nations. Factors such as genetic predisposition and lifestyle choices can extend or abbreviate this amount of time, but did you know that the area in which you live can play a part as well? Here, the states with the shortest life expectancies, as determined by the U.

An addiction to your job could compromise your health. Find out whether you're a workaholic, and get on the road to recovery. Lately, your spouse has been complaining about the long hours you're putting in at work. Maybe you really want that promotion, or perhaps you just don't trust anyone else to get the job done. Whatever the reason, you've been glued to your desk for weeks, and your personal relationships are starting to suffer.