December 1-7, 2010 - Original Health Articles
You're vigilant about scheduling an annual physical, and you pay attention to your cholesterol, blood pressure and weight. But did you know you should also have regular sexual health check-ups? At these appointments, your doctor not only can pinpoint any physical conditions early on but may be able to help with certain problems keeping you from enjoying a satisfying sex life.
Sometimes, fibromyalgia pain and sleep can be a catch-22. It's difficult to sleep because of pain, depression and anxiety and lack of sleep makes symptoms worse. What's the solution? We have twenty tips for getting the sleep you need when you have fibromyalgia.
The term psychotherapy may conjure the image of lying on a couch talking about your childhood while your long-time psychoanalyst sits behind you taking notes. While that scenario might be accurate for certain types of psychological therapies, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a different animal all together.
Do you know the difference between acute, chronic, and recurring pain? If not, learning more about these very different pain conditions may make a big difference in how you eliminate pain from your life. Pain conditions are a major health problem in the US.
Parenting certainly has challenges. So when a parent has a mental illness such as bipolar disorder, it adds another whole dimension to the family dynamics. Bipolar Disorder can cause stress, guilt, anger, helplessness, and a range of other emotions, on top of the disease's signature manic and depressive mood swings.
Don't judge a book by its cover has long been the counsel of school teachers, but a growing body of evidence suggests the expression may apply to people, too. Overweight adults, it turns out can be healthy. One example is research published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) which followed 2,600 adults (60 and over) for 12 years to observe the link between weight, fitness, and mortality.
Do you live for the satisfying taste of a decadent treat? If you have celiac disease (an intolerance to gluten, the protein in wheat), you know there are lots of limits on what you can eat. But the options for delicious wheat-free foods have also greatly increased in recent years.
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.
The Internet has made it possible for us to weigh in and share our opinions on just about everything we purchase or experience. Others' ratings of quality, service delivery, price, and value help us evaluate our options when we make purchasing decisions.
Your work environment could be making you sick. Wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath might be indicators that something at work is triggering your symptoms. Workplace asthma (or occupational asthma) is one of the most common on-the-job health occurrences according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology in 2009.
It's the rare newborn who arrives with a perfectly-formed head. Any new parent can attest to that! Soft and fuzzy, yes. Round and symmetrical-hardly ever, especially in infants born vaginally. The head is pliable by design. The flexible structure enables movement through the narrow birth canal.
Whether you have just been diagnosed with diabetes or you've had it for awhile, you've surely heard the term "hemoglobin A1C" tossed around by your doctor. Here are answers to some important questions about this test. 1. What exactly does the hemoglobin...
While most strokes occur in people over age 55, the risk of stroke for those under 45 is still pretty high, occurring in about one in 1,000. Unlike older adults whose strokes are usually caused by atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and pieces of plaque from coronary artery disease breaking off and moving to the brain, the causes of strokes in young people are more often the result of other factors.
There are benefits to taking inhaled corticosteroids to control your asthma symptoms. But did you know this medicine can put you at risk for diabetes? Before you skip your next puff, it's important to weigh in on all the facts to determine what's best for your situation.
Your pet is an essential part of your family and you want to do whatever it takes ensure she is healthy. Which is why you may start to worry about your pet's sneeze. Is it a cold or an allergy? It's not only people who suffer from allergies. Dogs can also respond to a variety of triggers, ranging from foods to fleas to environmental factors, explains Richard S.
The cold and flu season is upon us, and with it comes the annoying, and sometimes debilitating, symptoms of the common cold. One treatment for congestion is nasal irrigation. This hygienic practice flushes the nasal cavity in order to remove excess mucus and debris from the sinuses.
Picture the scene from TV. A patient suffering from some mental malady is holed up in a windowless office, electrodes placed strategically about her head, while a screen records responses to various stimuli. It's fiction, but the premise is anchored in scientific accuracy.
