May 22-31, 2009 - Original Health Articles

The Toll it Takes One in every 15 children suffers from asthma.[i] If someone in your family falls into this group, you may already know the toll this illness takes on so many different areas - and not only for the young patient, but also you and your other children.

According to surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the incidences of type 2 diabetes are up 90 percent. Even more frightening, it's estimated that about 1/3 of those with the disease don't even know they have it. The CDC has released state and regional data on diabetes and is also helping health officials target at-risk populations in need of diabetes education.

The experts say such sensitivities to different fragrances can pose a growing problem today and it is one that can cause a range of health problems. Further, managing the condition can be easier said than done, since fragranced products are hard to avoid in the course of your day.

What is metabolism? Scientifically, metabolism is the sum of all the chemical reactions that go on in the living cells that make up your body. Energy metabolism includes all the reactions by which the body obtains and spends the energy from food. In other words, the process your body uses to convert the calories from food into energy.

It's hard to believe that a little over 50 years ago advertisements in which doctors recommended cigarette brands such as Camel and Lucky Strike ran in popular magazines. Nowadays, even smokers realize how harmful smoking is to their health. The statistics are quite clear: Each year, smoking is responsible for 440,000 deaths in the U.

You may pop a vitamin pill (or several vitamin pills) daily to keep your body strong and healthy. But did you know that certain vitamins can also be good for your mental health--and that the lack of them may affect your mood? Vitamin B12 in particular has an important link to depression.

Studies and clinical trials for specific diseases often uncover data that may also benefit people with other disease. Researchers have found health problems that seem unrelated may in fact have an indirect relationship to Crohn's disease. You're probably not familiar with the drug Atorvastatin by this name.

Despite that fact that 43 million Americans suffer from arthritis, it still remains a bit of a mystery. Myths abound, such as "arthritis affects only old people," or, "you can't play sports with arthritis." If you've been diagnosed with arthritis, separating fact from fiction brings some reassurance and a lot less anxiety.

We tend to think that bacteria in the digestive system are what we want to rid our bodies of. But there is a certain food ingredient that helps these bacteria grow and is actually beneficial to our digestive health. They are called prebiotics, nondigestible food ingredients that help bacterial species grow in the colon, which is good for our overall health.

The jokes around the phrase "not tonight honey, I have a headache" are endless. But, when this sentiment becomes a fixture in your relationship, it's no laughing matter. "Most sex therapists would agree that of all the problems presented in their offices, the largest category of concerns are those centering around levels of sexual desire," states Dr.

The jury is out on the significance of dreams.  For some, their nocturnal visions are fascinating and mysterious and offer unconscious insight into their personal lives and the world at large; for others, dreams pointless and simply help to pass the time while they get their 40 winks.

It's a given that most medications cause unpleasant side effects. But few of us suspect that a drug our doctor prescribes can kill our sex drives. This guide shows you which drugs can make you lose your libido-and what you can do to bring it back to life.

With all the government fuss about legalizing marijuana for medical use, most people would be surprised to discover that cannabis was a part of the American pharmacopoeia until 1942. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), in 1937 the U.S.

In the past few years, detoxification (or detox) has become a popular method for treating a variety of ailments, including heartburn. Here are three natural supplements that will lead you on the path to a healthier digestive system. Indigestion is a common digestive disease.

The latest research confirms that there is indeed a connection between obesity and respiratory distress. While exactly how and why the two conditions are linked is still not completely understood yet, the fact that they are related is clear and makes a good case for the importance of losing that extra weight before it is too late.

Community programs are an effective way to get involved and make a difference in the fight against diabetes. With rising numbers of pre-diabetic and diabetic children and adults in the United States, a family member, friend, or neighbor might be suffering from this disease.

If your allergy symptoms worsen at night and prevent you from getting a good night's sleep, allergens in your bedroom may be to blame.  But you don't have to stay up until the crack of dawn, sniffling, sneezing and itching all night long. Instead, you can take some simple steps to allergy proof your room so before you know it, your most bothersome symptoms will be gone.

Salt is made up of sodium and chloride.  Both are essential nutrients needed by the body.  Sodium  maintains the body's fluid balance, helps with nerve impulse transmissions and muscle contractions.  The adequate intake for sodium is 1500 milligrams for adults 19-50 years old and 1300 milligrams for adults 51-70 years old.

Becoming a runner when you've previously been a professional couch warmer is daunting.  But learning to run for exercise is easier than most people think.  Like any exercise program, the trick is to set realistic goals, start out at a slow, gradual pace, use the right equipment and keep at it.

Once you decide to get fit, don't let your game get sidelined by injury, burnout, or boredom. Too many people start out over-eager or end up in a rut.  Avoiding exercise mistakes is crucial to any fitness plan.  Here are 12 blunders to bypass: Skipping it.

Can you run only on weekends and still be considered a "runner?"  Sure.  If you're not careful though, you might also get injured.  Running well (safely and enjoyably) requires strength, skill, and endurance. If you allow your muscles to rest all week, that Saturday morning run may turn into a weekend warrior injury.

It's one of life's ironies that the shiny, oily skin you battled in your youth tends to get dry and flaky as you sail toward midlife. Some drying is a natural consequence of agingéafter all, the hormones responsible for seeing you through puberty (and supplying you with teenage acne) thankfully have died down.

With summer around the corner, nothing is more inviting than a big glass of iced tea, the latest décor magazine, and your nice comfy deck chair, right? While it's fine to relax in the open air after a busy day at work, don't forget that the outdoors can provide you with plenty of opportunities to stay fit and healthy.

Caffeine is often thought of as an upper, not a downer. And it's true that the substance, found in large amounts in coffee as well as tea, soda, sports gels and other foods, is a stimulant. People who eat or drink caffeine often experience a perk-up in mood and become more productive.

Maybe you had a bout of insomnia recently-a big deadline at work, your kid's grades, a fight with a friend-and reached for an over-the-counter sleep aid. You slept so well that you took it again the next night, and the next. Now it's been a few days and you've become so attached to the sleep aid that you're afraid to try going to bed without it.

Remember those pizza-and-margarita binges you went on in your single-girl-about-town days? Or all the peanut butter and jelly sandwich crusts you inhaled when your kids were picky toddlers? You might have been able to eat that way regularly and still fit into your pants the next morning.