March 1-7, 2013 - Original Health Articles

"When people are newly gluten free, they often think the list of things they can't eat is longer than the list of things they can," says Danna Korn, author of Living Gluten Free for Dummies (Wiley 2010). To counter that thinking, she offers this challenge: Write a list of things you can eat.

Many health problems are blamed on vitamin or mineral deficiencies and, in fact, even in a well-fed country like the United States, nutritional deficiencies are possible. It is important to speak with a medical expert to determine the exact cause of the problem, however, because some signs and symptoms of nutritional deficiency are similar to those of other medical conditions, and one type of nutritional deficiency can also mimic another.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other health organizations, the burden of cancer is not equal among individuals in the general population. For example, all other things being equal, race and ethnicity account for significant differences in incidence and survivability of certain cancers and how well people respond to standard treatment.

This potentially fatal disease has been cropping up all over the country, especially in places where people congregate or live in close proximity to each other (college dormitories and military barracks). What causes a meningitis outbreak and how can you protect yourself and your family? Meningitis is a disease that causes inflammation or swelling of the meninges, the protective lining that covers the brain and spinal cord.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise each week. That's only 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. The guidelines also recommend at least two strength-training sessions each week.

Not everyone is affected by changes in the weather, but many women and men with chronic arthritis know immediately when the air is turning chilly and damp. If you're one of those people who can "feel it in your bones," you want to take extra care to stay warm and prevent joint stiffness and pain.

Active video games—Wii, Dance Dance Revolution, Microsoft Xbox, Sony Playstation—kids love them. These interactive games have users hopping, dancing, jumping, serving, swinging, and generally moving around their family rooms. They're a good way for young ones to work up a little bit of sweat indoors.

If you have osteoarthritis in your knees, you know how hard it can be just to walk from one place to another. With the right shoes, you can reduce pain, be more active, and maybe even help prevent or delay the progression of disease. Osteoarthritis is the most common disease affecting the knees, and the pain of this condition makes walking difficult and some other forms of physical activity next to impossible.

Disturbed sleep, depression, symptom flare-ups, overheating, and normal, everyday activities all contribute to the fatigue associated with multiple sclerosis. There are steps you can take in almost every area of your life to help combat these feelings of extreme exhaustion.

Just as there isn't one single type of epilepsy, there isn't one single treatment that will work for the three million Americans who suffer from this neurological disorder. Here's a rundown of the most common therapies relied upon by people with epilepsy: Drugs Fortunately, most people with epilepsy can completely eliminate their seizures by taking one anti-seizure medication, and a significant portion of the rest can reduce the severity and frequency of their seizures.

Gynecologists or primary care physicians can handle most of women's healthcare issues involving the uterus, ovaries, cervix, and other parts of the pelvis. They can even handle most issues involving the bladder. But sometimes, the right specialist for the job is a urogynecologist.

A host of therapies are available for people with autism, and music is one that is gaining attention. Used as a complementary therapy to early educational intervention, it can be a valuable tool in advancing the skills and decreasing the isolation of the autistic child.

To grow or not to grow? This is the question that many men face when it comes to deciding whether to cultivate a mustache and/or beard. While the answer is a very personal one, Jessica Krant, MD, MPH, a board-certified dermatologist who is the founder of Art of Dermatology in New York City, and assistant clinical professor of Dermatology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, weighs in on the pros and cons of having facial hair and offers some detailed explanations of each one.

Fitness fads come and go. Some are classics that are as popular today as they were decades ago. Others are out of style and distant memories. Still Hot Jazzercise. It has been around since 1969. The music has changed and so have some of the exercises, but the class itself is still going strong.

Remaining awake and alert all day shouldn't be all that hard, but it takes a rare individual not to succumb to that mid-afternoon slump. But for some, it's much more severe than simply feeling drowsy. "It's certainly normal to have a little dip of energy during the day," says Shelby Harris, Psy D, CBSM, director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program in the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

Though the process is the same, everyone digests food differently. Advice that works for one person doesn't always work for another. But, what about those tips you may have heard over and over. Do they work? We asked Bernadette Armiento, holistic health counselor and founder of ShiningLifeNutrition.

A hospital stay for you or your loved one can be stressful. You may have unanswered questions or be unsure if you're getting the very best care. But you don't have to sit back and wonder in silence. The Need for Health Care Advocacy The health care field has changed significantly over the past decade, according to Clyde Yancy, MD, chief of Cardiology, Northwestern Medicine, Chicago, IL, and former president of the American Heart Association.

If you've recently been in the hospital, you may feel overwhelmed by the staggering amount of medical bills for co-pays, co-insurance, and deductibles that you owe after your health insurance pays its part. This is a common situation, according to Nicholas Newsad, MHSA, author of The Medical Bill Survival Guide: Easy, Effective Strategies for People Experiencing Financial Hardship.

It's an alarming trend, to say the least. The rate of syphilis in the United States is rising, and the sexually transmitted disease is affecting a disproportionate number of young minority gay and bisexual men, according to research by the Centers for Disease Control.

Sugar has long been considered the bad guy in many health problems, but new research is making a link between sugar consumption and osteoarthritis. Is your sugar habit adding to your arthritis pain?     Twenty-seven million Americans have osteoarthritis, an inflammatory and degenerative condition that affects joints.

If you find yourself feeling intensely anxious and unrealistically fearful in certain situations, you may be living with a phobia. The most common type of anxiety disorder, a phobia can be so intense that it interferes with an individual's ability to socialize, work, or even get through the day, says Leah Lagos, Psy.

Physical therapy, massage therapy and chiropractic share many of the same techniques.  Among them is the Graston Technique. Could it provide the relief you need? The answer is a definite, "maybe." The Graston Technique is a therapeutic method of diagnosing and disrupting scar tissue and connective tissuel restrictions.