August 8-14, 2011 - Original Health Articles

Challenges of Asthma in Older Adults

Are you an older adult grappling with respiratory symptoms? If so, you could have asthma and not even know it. While most people think of asthma as a childhood disease, a growing number of older folks are being diagnosed with this chronic condition. And yet many of them overlook the signs assuming they're just a normal part of aging.

Learning to Cope After the Death of a Child

Nothing can compare to the pain and anguish parents experience following the death of a child. The organization, Bereaved Parents of the U.S., attempts to describe this indescribable loss. "Bereaved parents do not 'get over' the death of our children nor 'snap out of it' as the outside world seems to think we can or should.

Could You Suffer From One-itis?

If you're hyperfocused on one particular person, cannot resist calling him several times a day, and analyze his every action, you may have one-itis. If this sounds like you, you may have one-itis, and it's worth curing. "When someone is so focused on another person, it's obvious that she is trying to compensate for, or make up for, not feeling whole herself," says Karin Anderson, Ph.

5 Everyday Mistakes That Cause Back Pain

According to the American Chiropractic Association, nearly half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year. If you're one of them, some of the little things you do every day could be causing your symptoms. Here are five common mistakes and practical fixes: 1.

8 Ways to Raise Your Heart Rate

Maintaining a regular exercise program is not only good for increasing physical fitness by building muscle strength and endurance, it's also imperative for good cardiovascular fitness. The ability of your heart and respiratory system to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and to remove wastes over sustained periods of time allows your heart to function more efficiently.

How to Handle Unexpected, Abnormal Test Results

Have you ever had an imaging test and the results showed something abnormal or inconclusive that was unrelated to the purpose of your test? If so, you are not alone. Chances are the finding was nothing serious. However, it was probably more than a little scary at the time.

20 Ways to Drink More Water

If there is one magical elixir that can help promote good health, it's water. Here's how to make sure you get enough each day. 1. Set goals. For instance, first thing in the morning, fill a large pitcher with eight cups of water and set a goal to finish it by the end of the day.

Wake Up to the Truth Behind Sleepwalking

Encountering a sleepwalker can be a bit bizarre. Like the classic horror film, Night of the Living Dead where zombie-like figures walk around scaring ordinary folks, sleepwalkers appear awake but aren't. Their unusual behavior can be upsetting to parents and siblings but most incidences of sleep walking are benign and generally cease during adolescence.

How Proton Pump Inhibitors Work

If you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), heartburn, or gastric ulcers, your doctor may prescribe a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to ease your symptoms. PPIs block an enzyme in the stomach wall that produces acid.

Add This Kind of Fiber for Less Belly Fat

No one likes to have flabby arms, chubby thighs, or bountiful hips. But fat in these areas is considered subcutaneous fat, and while it may not be pretty, it's not as hazardous to your health as visceral fat. This second type, found around the waist and belly and surrounding the vital organs, poses much more of a health risk to you than fat that's right under the skin.

Body Pillow Basics

Have you hugged your pillow lately? More than a snuggle buddy, a body-length pillow can improve your bedtime posture and help you get a better night's sleep by relieving common aches and pains that are keeping you awake. If you're pregnant, or suffer from arthritis, back pain, or sore muscles resulting from an injury or pain after surgery, a full-length body pillow can provide support to your entire body and help keep your spine aligned while you sleep.

Improve Prostate Cancer Recovery

When you have prostate cancer, you want to get better as quickly as possible. Fortunately, you can improve your chances of a successful recovery. Here are some four areas of focus: 1. Healthy diet. Diet and cancer go hand in hand. For example, high-fat diets increase your risk for prostate cancer recurrence.

9 Ways to Treat a Sunburn

That red, painful-to-the-touch burn on your overly sun-exposed skin can be a big problem—especially if you're an avid beach-goer or a lover of the outdoors. You thought you did everything you could to prevent sunburn, but apparently it wasn't enough.

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