August 1-7, 2011 - Original Health Articles

Hugging, Touching, Kissing: The Key to Happiness?

You smooch your pooch, cuddle with your baby, and engage in all manner of close physical contact with your partner. And afterwards, no matter how stressful and exhausting your day was, you find yourself feeling lighter and more relaxed. Well, there's a reason cuddling and other forms of physical touch have a positive effect on you.

Is Physical Therapy Your Best Treatment Option?

When you need something fixed, you need the right person for the job. That's never more important than when it's your body that needs fixing. When the problem is related to movement, muscles, joints, pain and the musculoskeletal system, the right person might be a physical therapist.

The Link Between the State of the Economy and Suicide Rates

During the Great Depression, suicide rates hit their highest level ever, increasing almost 23 percent over the four years of the depression (1929 to 1933). Since then, suicide rates have consistently risen during times of economic downturns. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently released a study, Impact of Business Cycles on the U.

Why You Might Need Cardioversion

Usually performed by sending low-energy shocks to your heart through electrodes placed on your chest, cardioversion is a procedure used to restore a normal heart rhythm when you have a fast or irregular heartbeat (arrhythemia). Cardioversion is a medical procedure that is done to restore a normal heart rhythm when you have a fast or irregular heartbeat (arrhythemia).

Can Aloe Vera Ease IBS?

Although aloe vera extract is often touted as a medicinal aid for digestive ailments such as heartburn and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), so far there is no conclusive scientific evidence to back up these claims. But aloe vera has shown some promise for other digestive problems.

Living With Asperger Syndrome

Asperger syndrome (AS) is a neurobiological disorder that is part of a group of conditions known as autism spectrum disorders. The disorder was named after Hans Asperger, a Viennese pediatrician, who, in 1940, first described a set of behavior patterns, such as impaired social skills, the inability to communicate effectively with others, and poor coordination, that he found in some of his patients.

The Plus Side of Bisphosphonates

The pros and cons of bisphosphonate medications for osteoporosis have been in the news a lot lately. A new study adds a point to the "pro" column.  In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, people who took a specific type of osteoporosis medication known as bisphosphonates lived an average of five years longer than those who didn't take them.

Strawberries: The New "Apple a Day"?

An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but strawberries appear to be just as potent when it comes to fighting disease. In fact, research suggests that the scarlet fruit is a true nutritional blockbuster. Strawberries contain abundant amounts of a naturally occurring flavonoid called fisetin; it's found in lesser quantities in other fruits.

7 Ways to Strengthen Your Sperm

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.

Coping With Multiple Chemical Sensitivities

People who suffer from multiple chemical sensitivities, also called Multiple Allergic Response Syndrome (MARS), have a strong sensitivity to chemicals contained in all sorts of items that are right in their living or work environment. These can be anything from water, food, paints, gasoline, car exhaust, certain fabrics, cleaning supplies, beauty products, and even medications.

BPA in Canned Foods: What You Should Know

Although canned foods rarely make it to any "top ten" list of great-tasting or especially nutritious foods, the only real concern has ever been the loss of certain nutrients during the canning process and over time. All that changed when toxic chemicals were found in the food.

Fusion Workouts: Effective for Arthritis Patients?

Visit any gym and you'll no doubt notice at least a few classes that combine two different disciplines. For instance, yogalates is a popular fusion of yoga and Pilates, while cardio-barre sessions incorporate both a cardio workout and ballet barre moves.

Running to the Bathroom During Workouts? What to Do

There's nothing better you can do for your health than to get moving. Exercise revs the whole body up, including your digestive and urinary tract. If urges to go to the bathroom when exercising are keeping you from getting a good workout, here are some tips to keep in mind.

Give the Gift of Life: Register as an Organ Donor

Unfortunately, there are never enough organs to meet the needs of the sick. But you can make a difference by signing up to have your organs donated upon your death. It's quick, it's easy, and it could save a life—or even several lives. Why should I register as an organ donor? If you don't register as an organ donor and you become involved in an accident or suffer an injury from which you can't recover, your healthy organs will be buried with you.

The Emotional Toll of Social Networking

Remember the days when "you've got mail" was a novelty? Since then, online communication has proliferated thanks to social networking sites, such as Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube. Some mental health experts believe social networking can increase stress and anxiety, and they've have even coined names to describe this phenomenon, such as Social Media Anxiety, Social Networking Anxiety, and Facebook Depression.

Protein in Spinal Fluid: An Alzheimer's Marker?

What if we could identify Alzheimer's patients even before they started forgetting words, getting lost in familiar places, and not recognizing friends and loved ones? Would we be able to prevent the disease from progressing or even occurring? That scenario is looking more and more likely, according to scientists, who are busy testing hundreds of new Alzheimer's drugs.

5 Tips to Manage Lupus-Related Fatigue

Fatigue is one of lupus’ hallmark symptoms, but because the damage caused by lupus is largely unseen, patients may be confused about why they’re so tired. What is Lupus? Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys.

10 Tips to Simplify Conflict Resolution

You and your partner are becoming seasoned experts at sniping, bickering, and arguing. And yet all too often, you're no closer to resolving your differences even after hours of butting heads. It's possible to resolve things in a less stressful way, experts say, when both partners are willing to work things out - and to learn the art of compromise.

Twitching in Your Sleep: Why Does It Happen?

There are you, peacefully dozing off, and then, whoa! Your body does a sudden jerk and you're awake again. For the most part, these body spasms are considered normal. But sometimes they're not. Hypnic jerks, or sleep starts, are normal leg, arm, or full-body twitches that occur just as you're about to fall asleep.

10 Ways to Spruce Up Your Salad

If you find yourself munching on the same old lettuce and tomatoes day in and day out, maybe it's time for a makeover. Here are 10 tips for building a better salad: 1. Mix up your greens. There's nothing wrong with lettuce, but with so many varieties of salad-ready greens available, why be boring? Toss together a combination of Swiss chard, baby spinach, radicchio, arugula, and/or watercress and discover the sweet, bitter, and peppery differences in flavor.

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