October 15-21, 2009 - Original Health Articles

Basil Plants Can Fight Arthritis

If you have been trying to fight arthritis the natural way, there may be another weapon you can add to your arsenal. A study presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester, England, revealed basil can help to relieve arthritis symptoms.

What to Expect During a Tween Checkup

The Pediatrician's Role During the toddler and pre-school stage, your doctor was focused on overseeing your child's development. With a tween, this focus continues, but in addition, the pediatrician-patient interaction takes on increased significance.

The Link between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diabetes

As if rheumatoid arthritis isn't enough of a life changing diagnosis to cope with, now it appears that RA sufferers may be at an increased risk for developing diabetes as well. Although, the connection between rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes is unclear at this point, but research suggests that it's real.

Colon Cleansing: Help or Hype?

Proponents of colon cleansing-also known as colonic irrigation, detoxification therapy, colon hydrotherapy, and enema irrigation-claim that the unhealthy American lifestyle (including a poor diet, extreme stress, and lack of exercise) all contribute to clogging of the lower intestinal track.

Triglycerides and Nerve Damage in Diabetics

There may be good news for diabetics. Doctors can predict which diabetic patients may come down with the nerve condition called neuropathy by measuring their triglycerides, according to new research. Diabetics with elevated triglycerides are much more likely to suffer from the condition, which can cause tingling, pain and numbness in the hands, arms, feet and legs, according to a study from the University of Michigan and Wayne State University.

5 Surprising Spots for Germs

We've all have it drummed into our heads that we shouldn't sit on public toilets because of germs, or that we should replace our toothbrushes every few months because bacteria grow on them. But what about surprising places where germs congregate and multiply faster than fruit flies? Here are some of the biggest bacteria hotspots: Refillable liquid soap dispensers.

Can Allergies Weaken Your Immune System?

Those who suffer from seasonal allergies often wonder whether their risk of getting sick is increased. And as if the discomfort of your allergy symptoms isn't enough, getting a cold or flu on top of them can make you truly miserable. But you don't have to succumb to the influx of germs that exists at this time of year.

Why Some Women Cannot Reach Orgasm

If you have trouble attaining orgasm, you're far from alone. Surveys show that about a quarter of American women report they have some sort of orgasm related problems. Some women say they can't have one at all, which is called anorgasmia, while others can only get close but can't seem to climax.

All About the PSA Test

The PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) test is one of two primary screening tools for prostate cancer. This simple blood test measures the level of PSA, a protein produced in the prostate, present in a man's body. Men typically have an initial PSA screening at 50, or earlier if there's a family history of prostate cancer.

Are Heart-to-Hearts OK on the Holidays?

Even the best families have unresolved issues.  And the holidays seem like a convenient time to address them.  Everyone's together, you've got allies, more time to talk and high hopes that the holiday spirit will bring out the best in people.

Vitamins for Acne: Help or Hype?

If you're an acne sufferer on the lookout for a new way to battle this condition, you've probably heard rumors that vitamins could be the answer. Typically the treatment involves a regular application of skin-clearing agents that fight the inflammation.

Does the Pill Work for Overweight Women?

We've known for awhile that birth control pills might be less effective for heavy women. A study reported in 2005 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found that overweight women had a 60 percent greater and obese women a 70 percent greater chance of unintentional pregnancy while on the pill than women of normal weight.

7 Alternative Wrinkle Remedies

Whether you're tired of repeated injections, have developed a resistance to BOTOX® Cosmetic, or simply don't like the idea of inserting bacteria into your skin, it's time to consider one of these other wrinkle remedies. Cosmeceuticals Lately more and more cosmetic companies are releasing new topical treatments that are supposed to be a hybrid of beauty product and medicine.

7 Ways to Burn Calories This Fall

Summertime gets all the glory for outdoor sports, but fall may be an even better season for fitness. The weather's still warm enough to exercise outside but not nearly as hot as summer. Read on for ten fall fitness tips to help you enjoy the season. Rake leaves.

Asthma and Natural Herbal Remedies

Would you consider trying a natural herbal remedy to treat your asthma symptoms? If so, you're not alone. This alternative approach has been gaining in popularity, but beware.  While some herbs and spices may help to relieve the discomfort of asthma, others can put you at risk for serious side effects.

Birthmarks, Beauty Marks, and Moles: Decoded

What's the difference between birthmarks, beauty marks, and moles? Birthmarks are skin blemishes that form before you're born or shortly thereafter. Vascular ("strawberry") birthmarks tend to be areas of reddish, swelled skin thought to be caused by a non-harmful overgrowth of blood vessels.

Depression During Menopause: Causes and Solutions

Women deal with tremendous changes during their 40s and 50s. Kids leave home, their parents become more dependent, and career goals may change.  And then there's menopause. Approximately 75 percent of women experience symptoms in the years leading up to their last period.

Is there Hope For Female Hair Loss?

Concerned about thinning hair? According to the American Hair Loss Council, female pattern baldness affects about a third of all susceptible women. It usually affects post-menopausal women, but can start as early as adolescence. Generally, female hair loss has three causes: a system shock (stress alopecia), auto-immune disease (alopecia areata), or a genetic predisposition to pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia).

Have Food Allergies? Your Cooking Guide

If you or someone in your family suffers from food allergies, you probably go to great lengths to cook up allergy-free meals and treats. This can pose quite a challenge, though, since many popular recipes contain ingredients that could trigger allergy symptoms.

What Does a Heart Murmur Mean for Your Health?

For most people, heart murmurs, abnormal swishing sounds made by turbulent blood flow in the heart, are often harmless and don't require treatment. There are two types of heart murmurs: innocent, which often doesn't have any symptoms; and abnormal, which can cause shortness of breath, light-headedness, chest pain and palpitations (a rapid or irregular heartbeat).

Pain: Treat the Cause, Not the Symptom

Taking narcotic pain killers, epidural nerve blocks or cortisone shots do nothing to resolve the cause of pain. It is a feudal attempt to mask pain. I have proven that the cause of pain in most cases is muscle weakness like a strain or muscle imbalance.

Non-Colonoscopy Colon Screening Procedures

The colonoscopy is not the only screening tool for colon cancer. If you're not familiar with the other procedures, it's not surprising. A report in the July 2009 issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine reported that most primary care physicians don't discuss all the screening options for colon cancer endorsed by the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and usually just recommend colonoscopy.

Play it Safe: Preventing Sports Injuries in Kids

If your child plays team sports, you probably already know many of the benefits that this experience can bring, such as teaching the importance of working with others toward a common goal, helping to maintain a healthy weight, preventing the risk of serious disease and gaining an improved sense of confidence.

5 Most Effective Diet Tips

Don't eat your favorite foods. Never snack between meals. Always avoid the scale. When it comes to shedding pounds, you've probably heard it all. But unfortunately, these tiny tidbits could end up doing you more harm than good. Want tried-and-true advice that really works?  Here, we reveal the five most effective diet tips of all time.

Blood Pressure and Sleep: What's the Connection?

Chronic lack of sleep can do more than just leave you feeling drowsy the next day, it can lead to a constellation of serious health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, mood disorders, cardiovascular disease and hypertension (high blood pressure).

Could Abstinence Make the Heart Grow Fonder?

Generally, the lack of sex in a relationship signals a problem. "People can rationalize it away, but when couples stop having sex it often means there is conflict," says Dr. Scott Wetzler, a psychologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. "Our sexuality is part of who we are and it's healthy to have sex.

What Do Your Bowel Movements Say About Your Health?

It's a subject many people feel uncomfortable discussing, but one that can be a leading indicator of your health: your bathroom habits, specifically your bowel movements. While what's considered normal bowel elimination will vary for everyone-for some it may be as many as three times a day or as few as three times a week-knowing what's normal for you is important so you can spot potential health problems early.

7 Stomach-Slimming Selections

While certain foods can make bellies appear bloated and flabby, there are several selections that can give virtually any stomach a leaner, more toned look. To get started, stock your fridge with this ab-flattening fare. 1. Turkey. A lean cut of turkey offers the protein your body craves without the additional calories that come with many processed foods.

The Connection Between Creativity and Mood Disorders

Creative types such as Van Gogh, Ernest Hemingway, and John Coltrane are known as much for their genius as for the mood disorders they experienced. Several studies have identified a connection between creativity and mental illness, particularly depression and bipolar disorder, formally referred to as manic depression.

How Lying to Your Doctor Can Harm Your Health

You're in the exam room in your doctor's office, and it's the moment of truth. She's just asked you a personal question, one you'd rather not answer. Only your best friend knows the facts on this one. In fact, just thinking about it makes you squirm....

Weight Gain Later in Life: A Disability Risk?

No one wants to gain weight at any point in life, whether they're a self-conscious teen looking for the perfect prom date or a postmenopausal mother of the bride who needs to look good in her evening gown. Extra pounds at any time are a health risk, not to mention a self-esteem killer.

Could You Have Celiac Disease?

According to a recent study by the Mayo Clinic, celiac disease, a chronic intestinal disorder caused by a hypersensitivity to gluten proteins found in wheat, rye, barley and possibility oat products, is four times more common today than it was 50 years ago.

Could You Be Lacking These 5 Essential Nutrients?

Many women aren't getting enough of five essential nutrients that could make a big difference to their health. While all are readily available through a healthy diet, many of us don't eat as well as we could.  Read on for why we're skimping and what to do about it.

5 Moves to a Better Butt

How can you transform a flat or flabby behind into an enviable end? It's easy, if you follow a few simple steps. Here, five ways to get a better butt.   1. Squats.  By far one of the best butt boosters out there, squats work your glutes, thighs, and back.

10 Ways to Improve Your Flexibility

Flexibility training keeps your muscles and ligaments pliable, resilient, and able to adjust to the rapidly changing demands of exercise.  It also increases range of motion, improves circulation, and decreases stress. People who don't practice flexibility exercises get hurt more frequently than those who do.

Apples and Asthma: A Healthy Mix

Can an apple a day keep the doctor away? If you suffer from asthma, you may find that eating apples on a regular basis can indeed offer protective benefits against asthma symptoms. In fact, the apples and asthma connection is so strong that pregnant women who eat apples even find that their unborn children will ultimately reap some of the positive effects on their lungs.

Coping with Your Child s Lactose Intolerance

You hear all of the time about how important it is for your child to get enough calcium from milk and other dairy products, as it's essential for healthy and strong bones. But if your child has a lactose intolerance—the inability to digest lactose or milk sugars—getting enough calcium can pose quite a challenge.

How to Raise Your Good Cholesterol Naturally

Understanding the role that cholesterol levels play in your heart health and taking steps to keep these levels under control can significantly reduce your risk for heart attack and stroke. Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance that circulates in your bloodstream and in all the cells in your body.

Treatment Options for Inguinal Hernia

Every year between 600,000 and 700,000 inguinal hernia surgeries take place in the United States. Inguinal hernias are the most common types of hernia, and they can afflict anyone—from infants to seniors. However, men are more likely to get them than women, and African-Americans get inguinal hernias three times more than caucasians.

Should You Become a Fish Fanatic?

-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--> Sure fish is good for the heart, but only for people with no major cardiovascular problems, right? Well, not according to a recent group of studies. A review of these studies (recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology) found that consuming omega-3 fish oil protected the heart not just in healthy people but in patients with established cardiovascular disease as well.

How Being Obese Impacts Your Breathing

Did you know that being overweight can increase your risk of being hospitalized for asthma? This is especially true for women, although both sexes can experience the connection, which can be extremely dangerous-and sometimes fatal. A Vicious Cycle The reason why asthma and obesity co-exist isn't completely clear, but experts do know that the relationship can be a vicious cycle.

Could You Be Allergic to Sex?

Not tonight, dear, I'm allergic. This excuse sounds even less plausible than a headache but it can actually be a valid one: a small number of women actually are allergic to their partner's seminal fluid. In fact, between 20,000 and 40,000 women in the United States may have this allergy, Dr.

The Link between Bone Density and Erosion in Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an inflammatory disease that causes the cartilage and connective tissue around the tendons in joints to degrade. It leads to bone destruction and erosion of bone mineral density. This process can happen quickly in some patients.

Are You Allergic to Traffic?

Think you could be allergic to traffic? While this may sound like a joke, the truth is that some people actually do find that their allergies are connected to the fact that they live near a road with a high volume of cars and trucks. The Effects of Air...

Lupus and Nerve Damage

Everyone suffers from the occasional tingling or numbness in their hands or feet, usually when limbs "fall asleep." But, when you're living with lupus, numbness or tingling in your hands or feet may not be minor, passing symptoms. They can signal a condition called peripheral neuropathy, or nerve damage.

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