Editor’s note: Whether it’s indoor, outdoor, individual or corporate, pollution can seem an overwhelming problem that is impossible to solve. But there are steps you can take to reduce pollution in your own home and be part of an effort to make the world healthier. Here are some smart strategies from the experts at ENERGY… Continue reading 5 Ways to Reduce Pollution for a Healthier World
Author: Jane Farrell
Changing Your Family Routine May Be Key to Weight Loss
If you’re sick of motivational techniques aimed at helping you lose weight, researchers say families can more easily adopt healthy behaviors by following a new approach that focuses on the redesign of family routine. In a series of pilot tests of the approach—known as “SystemCHANGE”—by nursing scientists at Case Western Reserve University, families and individuals… Continue reading Changing Your Family Routine May Be Key to Weight Loss
7 Things to Know about Anxiety and Complementary Health
Editor’s note: If your anxiety is overwhelming, or you’d rather avoid prescription medications for the conditions, you may be thinking about using some natural “remedies.” But before you do, read these tips from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of the National Institutes of Health. They might surprise you. Occasional anxiety is… Continue reading 7 Things to Know about Anxiety and Complementary Health
The Latest on Pancreatic-Cancer Diagnosis
Pancreatic cancer is the third most common cause of cancer death in the United States, recently surpassing breast cancer, according to an article in the Mayo Clinic News Network. The article cites statistics that 53,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer are expected by the end of 2016, and an estimated 42,000 deaths occur annually. “Although… Continue reading The Latest on Pancreatic-Cancer Diagnosis
Progress in Diagnosing Pre-Diabetes
Professional organizations don’t agree on how to define pre-diabetes, a condition that indicates a patient is likely to develop type 2 diabetes and its potential complications in the near future. For example, the American Diabetes Association recommends using hemoglobin A1C or glucose levels to diagnose pre-diabetes, while the World Health Organization recommends physicians use glucose… Continue reading Progress in Diagnosing Pre-Diabetes
How to Get Vital Records
It can seem overwhelming to deal with government agencies, especially when you’re requesting something as important as a vital record. Knowing in advance what to do can make the process much easier. Here, the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the federal Centers for Disease Control, shares the best ways to get the records… Continue reading How to Get Vital Records
Cochlear Implants: What You Need to Know
Your elderly uncle is hard of hearing and has a difficult time understanding conversation — so much so that he’s feeling frustrated and left out. His hearing aids aren’t helping much. Your one-year-old daughter was diagnosed with severe hearing loss in both ears, and you’re worried about her ability to learn and understand speech. How… Continue reading Cochlear Implants: What You Need to Know
Appendicitis Patients: Overnight Hospital Stay Isn’t Necessarily Healthier
Patients who undergo a laparoscopic appendectomy and are sent home the same day don’t experience higher rates of post-operative complications than those who are hospitalized overnight, according to study results published on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website ahead of print publication. Each year, more than 250,000 appendectomies are performed in the… Continue reading Appendicitis Patients: Overnight Hospital Stay Isn’t Necessarily Healthier
A Compound Found in Licorice Could Affect Fertility
Exposure to a compound found in licorice affects steroid sex hormone production in the ovary, according to a recent study that used mice as subjects. This is the first study to examine the effects of the compound, isoliquiritigenin, on the ovary. Exposure to high levels of the compound, which the researchers call “iso,” lowered the… Continue reading A Compound Found in Licorice Could Affect Fertility
A New Factor In High Hypertension among African-Americans
African-Americans have more rigidity of the aorta, the major artery supplying oxygen-rich blood to the body, than Caucasians and Hispanics, according to a new study. That may be a factor in Africcan-Americans’ higher risk of hypertension. Hispanics in the study had an intermediate level of aortic stiffness, greater than Caucasians, but less than that of… Continue reading A New Factor In High Hypertension among African-Americans
Surviving the Holidays as An Introvert
Extroverts get energy and adrenaline from being at a busy party. Introverts are the opposite. Being in a large crowd or a humming social event can make them feel drained, empty, and disconnected. It’s called the ‘introvert hangover,’ and they can be especially common this time of year with holiday parties and socializing at an… Continue reading Surviving the Holidays as An Introvert
Is Legal Insurance for You?
You probably don’t spend much time thinking about the legal system until some sort of problem arises. Then episodes of Law and Order or The Good Wife run through your mind, bringing worries and stress. Legal matters are not always bad news. Maybe you inherit some property or aren’t sure about a contract. Other times… Continue reading Is Legal Insurance for You?
Do Birth Years Affect Flu Pandemics?
Researchers now say that the year you were born can predict to a certain extent how likely you are to get seriously ill or die in an outbreak of an animal-origin influenza virus. The study was conducted by investigators from the University of Arizona and UCLA and could hold important clues for public-health measures aimed… Continue reading Do Birth Years Affect Flu Pandemics?
Vocabulary Lesson: Medicare Part D
We’re in the midst of the Medicare enrollment period, and the terms involved can prove overwhelming and confusion, especially if you’re applying for the first time. Here, from the SeniorHealth division of the National Institutes of Health, is a list of terms relating to Medicare prescription drug plans (Part D). Co-insurance This is an amount… Continue reading Vocabulary Lesson: Medicare Part D
Stress and Habitual Drinking
Researchers are discovering more about the brain chemistry interactions between stress and alcohol. A team led by John Dani, PhD, chair of the department of Neuroscience in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, found that rodents that had been exposed to stress had a weakened alcohol-induced dopamine response and voluntarily drank… Continue reading Stress and Habitual Drinking
Your Medications and Your Driving
If you’ve ever worried about the effect your medications might have on your driving skill, the experts from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ( http://www.nhtsa.gov/) tell you what you need to know: For most people, driving represents freedom, control and independence. Driving enables most people to get to the places they want or need… Continue reading Your Medications and Your Driving
Study: “Reframing” a Stressful Situation May Actually Lower Well-Being
Many of us have been taught to “reframe” a stressful situation – i.e. think about it in a more positive way. But that technique, when used in situations that we can actually control, may be associated with lower well-being, researchers have found. The findings were published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for… Continue reading Study: “Reframing” a Stressful Situation May Actually Lower Well-Being
10 Questions to Ask Your Veterinarian About Medications for Your Pet
To prevent or treat an illness in your pet, your veterinarian may prescribe a medication. Understanding important information about the medication and how to treat your pet can help your animal’s recovery or continued good health. “Just as you would talk to your doctor about a medicine prescribed for you or your children, you should… Continue reading 10 Questions to Ask Your Veterinarian About Medications for Your Pet