March 15-21, 2010 - Original Health Articles

What Your Perfume Says About You

Choosing a perfume can be daunting – scents are personal and smell different from person to person. Understanding the range of scents and how they’re interpreted can help you find one that works for your personality and lifestyle. The scientific community remains divided on how our sense of smell develops.

5 Cures for Constipation

At some point in time, nearly everyone will suffer from constipation. The problem occurs most frequently in women and the elderly, and while it's usually not serious, chronic bouts of constipation shouldn't be ignored. Although the normal range of bowel movements varies greatly among individuals, going longer than three days without a bowel movement is a signal that something is amiss.

What Statins and Gallstones Have in Common

If you're taking statin drugs to reduce your cholesterol levels, you may not only be lowering your heart attack risk-you could lower your risk of developing gallstones as well. In a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Swiss researchers found that patients taking statin drugs for one year reduced their risk of developing gallstones by one-fifth.

Could Exercise Be the Best Treatment for Cellulite?

Advertisements for creams and skin treatments claim they can eliminate cellulite or reduce its appearance. But no studies support claims that they work.  That's because cellulite isn't a "skin thing" that can be treated topically.  It's not even just a "fat thing.

Urine Test for Cancer

Physicians routinely use the simple urine test to monitor patients' health and diagnose disease. Recently, however, scientists have discovered that urine tests may be helpful in detecting cancer as well. A urine test reveals physiological changes in the body that may indicate health problem and can serve as an early warning system in patients who don't have symptoms.

Food's Effect on Your Medication

Some medications should be taken with food, and some should not. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the consequences of drug interactions with food and beverages may include delayed, decreased, or enhanced absorption of a medication.

Take the Bloom Out of Your Spring Allergies

When the flowers and trees start to bloom each year, do you find your allergies springing into gear? Many people experience sneezing, runny nose, itching eyes and throat, and other allergy symptoms as the first signs of the spring season fill the warming air.

The New FDA Guidelines for Inhalers

How safe is your asthma medication? If you use an inhaler containing long-acting beta agonists (also known as an LABAs) to treat your asthma symptoms, you could actually be putting yourself in danger. This warning came from the US Food and Drug Administration in February of 2010, along with recommendations for asthmatics to take new precautions when using this form of medication.

The Truth About Biofeedback for Pain

Today, many people are looking for complementary and alternative medicine techniques to support their process of healing. Biofeedback is one such technique being used as it enables individuals to learn how to change their physiological activity to improve their health and physical performance.

Banning Junk Food at School

Do you try to make sure your child eats a balanced diet but feel like you're always fighting a losing battle? If so, then you may be interested in learning about some new legislation that would ban junk food at school. This could be an important step toward improving your child's nutrition, while and securing his health and wellbeing, too.

The First Date: 8 Terrific Topics for Conversation

You've made a restaurant reservation, switched in and out of three different outfits, and inspected your appearance so many times you've lost count. You're about to spend your first evening ever with someone with potential, but you feel tongue-tied. What can you find to talk about that will be mutually interesting? "Keep it light, fun, entertaining and interesting," advises Stacy Kaiser, licensed psychotherapist and relationship expert.

Tips to Avoid Spring Sports Injuries

As the warm weather of spring approaches, many of us like to hit the sports field and work off those extra winter pounds. Let's face it though, if we've been slothful most of the winter, it can take some time getting back into shape. If the "no pain, no gain" sports adage is ringing in your head, it's time you acknowledge that attitude is outdated, and according to sports medicine experts, one that will most likely be the cause of a sports injury for you this spring.

Glycemic Highs and Lows: Which Fruits Are Best for You?

After you eat, your blood sugar (glucose) levels rise. This signals the need for insulin to be released into the blood to carry that sugar to individual body cells where they will be  used for energy production and other activities. The amount and type of food you eat can have a dramatic effect on your blood sugar levels.

Social Media and Depression

With Facebook, Twitter,and chat rooms, we are connected to each other like never before, thanks to the Internet and social media sites. But is all this connectedness a good thing?  Teens at Risk for Depression Internet addiction is becoming a real and growing problem and mental health experts say there is a close relationship between Internet addiction tendencies, social media, and depression--especially in younger people.

Can You Reverse Type 2 Diabetes?

If you've recently learned you have Type 2 Diabetes, you'll welcome the news that it's not necessarily a lifelong sentence. In fact, Type 2 Diabetes can actually disappear if the person loses the recommended amount of weight. The bad news? Diabetes typically returns if the person gains back the weight, says endocrinologist Stuart Weiss, MD, of NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.

Understanding How a Muscle in Pain Works

When looking at pain experienced at the neck, most medical practitioners tend to assume that the cause of the pain is from a structure in the neck like a herniated disc, stenosis, or degenerative joint disease. I have found that in most cases, the cause of pain at the neck is due to a muscle imbalance between the pecs, anterior deltoids and the biceps versus the muscles between the shoulder blades, the posterior deltoids and the triceps.

Can Acupuncture Ease Back Pain?

Acupuncture is a component of traditional Chinese medicine and has evolved over thousands of years to treat a multitude of ailments. While the efficacy of acupuncture for many conditions has been under debate, today there is a growing acceptance of acupuncture as a treatment for back pain.

The Link Between Depression and Obesity

In yet another example of the inseparable link between mental and physical health, medical experts are noting the increase in depression among people who are obese, especially as they age. Depression affects 10 to 25 percent of population in the United States and often goes hand in hand with anxiety and other mental health disorders.

Athletic Tape for Arthritis Pain

Want to ease your arthritis-related knee pain? Contrast baths, over-the-counter pain relievers, and special exercises can help, but pain relief just may be as simple as applying athletic tape. Often used to treat knee pain in runners, athletic tape has been found to reduce pain caused by patellofemoral osteoarthritis, which occurs when cartilage wears away from the underside of the kneecap where it meets the femur.

Having Shingles Raises Stroke Risk

You wouldn't necessarily connect a painful skin rash known as shingles, or herpes zoster, with cardiovascular trouble, but a new study confirms that there is, in fact, such a link. Apparently, contracting shingles raises your risk of having a stroke, often shortly after shingles treatment.

Health, Wellness, and Depression

In order to enjoy and make the most out of our lives, we should strive to be physically, mentally, and emotionally fit. Due to the strains in our economy today, many people are finding it difficult to eat well and maintain a healthy lifestyle. As a result, many people do not eat healthy and get little exercise.

Milk Thistle for Chemotherapy-Induced Liver Damage

While chemotherapy is a critical component of cancer treatment for many patients, the medications are very powerful and often cause side effects, including liver damage. Currently there is no remedy for treating liver toxicity. However, researchers have found that the herb Milk Thistle may prevent or reduce chemotherapy-induced liver damage.

Rekindle Your Sex Life When the Kids Move Out

Since the kids moved out, the house is quiet, the kitchen always looks neat, and you're not forever running out of clean towels. You're alone and together with a spouse who may have been swept to the side for years as the children's demands took up a lot of your time.

7 Biggest Beauty Myths—Busted

Along the way, you've probably heard (and believed) a fallacy or two about beauty. Here, we dispel seven major misconceptions. Waxing or shaving will make your hair grow back thicker or darker. Removing hair doesn't do much to change its appearance. However, if you remove hair that's been exposed to sun for a long time (e.

Low IQ Is a Predictor of Heart Disease

In a surprising finding, a new British study shows that a low IQ is a stronger predictor of heart disease than any other traditional risk factor with the exception of smoking. The study, published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and...

Do You Pass the Body Odor Test?

Everyone has a distinct and specific body odor. This is so much so that it can even be used by dogs or other animals to identify criminals. According to medical experts, each individual's unique body odor can be influenced by their mood, diet, medications, medical conditions, and hormone levels.

Fat Injections for Breasts: How Safe Are They?

There are many reasons why women choose to reshape their breasts. Some wish to repair results from surgery while others are simply looking to boost their bust. Whatever the reason, cosmetic surgeons are improving methods for breast augmentation, reconstruction, and contouring.

Boost Your Bone Health With Beer

Researchers have known for quite some time that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol can help stabilize the bones of older men and women. But after digging a little deeper, scientists found that beer has a more protective effect than wine or liquor. In the earlier part of your life, your goal is to pump lots of calcium into your growing bones so that you build a strong skeletal structure.

Folic Acid and Childhood Asthma

Most women take folic acid supplements during pregnancy to help prevent birth defects. But did you know that some researchers believe that this practice could put your child at increased risk for developing asthma? Folic Acid Supplements The benefits taking folic acid supplements while pregnant have long been recognized, causing doctors to recommend this step for most patients who are expecting.

Best Sleep Positions for Arthritis Sufferers

If you suffer from arthritis, you already know that sleeping in certain positions can make your symptoms even worse upon awakening. And while proper sleep positions are important for everyone, they're even more crucial for arthritis patients. That said,...

Eating to Get and Stay Heart Healthy

The statistics are daunting.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 67 percent of Americans ages 20 and older are overweight or obese.  And along with the extra pounds, comes the risk for a constellation of serious health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, arthritis and other conditions.

Can Basil Help Ease Asthma?

If you cook with a lot of basil, did you know that you could be getting more advantages than just the great flavor? The basil herb, which is a member of the mint family, is known in many countries for its numerous health benefits, including relieving respiratory disorders such as asthma.

Exercise and Diabetes: Knowing Your Limits

Love it or hate it, exercise is crucial if you want to keep your blood sugar at an optimal level. And don't forget all the other benefits, such as sleeping better at night, keeping your weight in check, and just feeling better overall. But—and don't think this gives you a reprieve next time you're feeling too lazy to get to the gym—according to experts, it is possible to exercise too much.

Is it Time to Break Up With Your Doctor?

The argument could be made that a doctor's role is not just to diagnose and treat the physical ailments that plague you but to tend to your psyche as well. Why? Studies show that patients in supportive and encouraging relationships with their doctors fare better healthwise.

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