What Happens When You Ignore Hearing Loss

Hearing plays a crucial role in all aspects of our lives—when we talk to friends and loved ones, listen to music, watch TV, interact with colleagues, or just walk down the street listening to the everyday sounds that surround us. But if you have hearing loss, hearing these things can become a challenge. Around 466… Continue reading What Happens When You Ignore Hearing Loss

Study Explains the Resurgence of Whooping Cough

A team of researchers including scientists from the University of Georgia has found that the resurgence of pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, in the U.S. is a predictable consequence of incomplete coverage with a highly effective vaccine. This finding goes against pervasive theories on why we are seeing a steady increase in the… Continue reading Study Explains the Resurgence of Whooping Cough

Primary Care Doctors May Be Unsure Whether Kids’ Bad Moods Are Serious or Not

All children have moments of moodiness, but family medicine doctors and pediatricians may doubt their abilities to tell the difference between normal irritability and possibly bigger issues, according to Penn State researchers. A release from the university notes that when the researchers interviewed a group of health care providers, the team found that the primary… Continue reading Primary Care Doctors May Be Unsure Whether Kids’ Bad Moods Are Serious or Not

Volunteering 2 Hours Per Week Reduces Loneliness in Widowed Older Adults

Widowed older adults can reduce the loneliness that results from the death of a spouse by volunteering 100 hours per year, which is about two hours per week, according to a study done in April 2018 done at Georgia State University. The study examined whether becoming a volunteer at the time of widowhood is associated… Continue reading Volunteering 2 Hours Per Week Reduces Loneliness in Widowed Older Adults

Do You Have the Jitters? Surprising Things That Could Be Causing Anxiety

Anxiety is a mental illness that disrupts daily life, causing feelings of impending doom along with unwanted thoughts and unpleasant physical symptoms. Some people are more predisposed to anxiety than others. Did you know that there are “external” factors and habits in our daily lives that can increase anxiety? Here are some surprising things that could be… Continue reading Do You Have the Jitters? Surprising Things That Could Be Causing Anxiety

Chronic Illnesses and Functional Limitations Are a Risk in Older Adults with Heart Failure

A release from the American Geriatrics Society notes that heart failure affects more than 6 million people in the U.S.–most of whom are older adults. Roughly half the older adults who have heart failure also live with five or more other chronic health conditions. This group of people may have difficulty performing daily activities, such… Continue reading Chronic Illnesses and Functional Limitations Are a Risk in Older Adults with Heart Failure

Don’t Stop at Your Home. Spring Clean Your Spirit, Too!

Here are the four best places to tidy up your life and how to do it: Your relationships. Evaluate which relationships feel toxic (hint: you’ll feel either tired or agitated if you’re around toxic people); give yourself permission to have some space from these relationships and write out the types of relationships that you *do*… Continue reading Don’t Stop at Your Home. Spring Clean Your Spirit, Too!

Parents Struggle to Discuss Sex with LGBTQ Teens

It’s hard enough for parents to have “the talk” about sexual health with their kids, but parents of LGBTQ children feel especially uncomfortable and unequipped when they try to educate them about sex and dating, reports an April 2018 Northwestern Medicine study. A release from the university explains that the study examined parents’ attitudes toward… Continue reading Parents Struggle to Discuss Sex with LGBTQ Teens

2017 Tax Return Points the Way to Tax Savings in 2018 and Beyond

Your 2017 tax return provides valuable clues for planning for your 2018 taxes. But with tax reform, the exercise is more complicated this year. When reviewing your 2017 return, look for things that cost you money.  Take a few extra minutes and start planning for 2018. For example, you may have an investment that has… Continue reading 2017 Tax Return Points the Way to Tax Savings in 2018 and Beyond

Hyperhidrosis? Truly Something to Sweat About

Compared to other physical impairments, excessive sweating may seem like – well – “no sweat,” but that assessment couldn’t be further from the truth. The disorder, hyperhidrosis, is often unrecognized, undiagnosed and associated with other physical complications such as skin infections and significantly affects patients’ emotional and psychological well-being. The condition causes people to sweat… Continue reading Hyperhidrosis? Truly Something to Sweat About

Potential Avenues for Cancer Treatment Discovered in Berry Pigment

Berries have long been touted as “superfoods”. Now a study done at the University of Eastern Finland and the National Institute on Aging in the US has shown that naturally occurring pigments in berries called anthocyanins affect the function of the sirtuin 6 enzyme in cancer cells. The researchers maintain that the regulation of this… Continue reading Potential Avenues for Cancer Treatment Discovered in Berry Pigment

Taking a Standard Prostate Cancer Drug with Food Boosts Impact and Lowers Cost

Abiraterone acetate, marketed as Zytiga®, is the standard medicine used to treat metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Patients taking Zytiga are told to take four of the 250 milligram pills first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and then . wait at least one more hour before eating breakfast. However, by taking this high-cost… Continue reading Taking a Standard Prostate Cancer Drug with Food Boosts Impact and Lowers Cost

Plant Lilies for a Summer Garden of Elegant and Fragrant Blooms

Lilies add long-lasting color and fragrance to flower gardens and summer bouquets. These stately flowers provide vertical interest and blend nicely with other perennials. And best of all, with very little care, you’ll be enjoying them for years to come. Plant different types of lilies to extend your enjoyment from early summer into fall. The… Continue reading Plant Lilies for a Summer Garden of Elegant and Fragrant Blooms

Topical Solution May Be Less Toxic Option for Patients with Noncancerous Skin Growth

Seborrheic keratosis is the most common noncancerous skin growth in adults. While it can look like skin cancer, seborrheic keratosis is not thought to be caused by sun-related exposure, in fact the cause is unclear. The condition typically presents as brown or black growths on the face, chest, shoulders, or back. Currently, the most commonly… Continue reading Topical Solution May Be Less Toxic Option for Patients with Noncancerous Skin Growth

Want to Do Better Than Bonds? Consider Fixed Indexed Annuities and Fixed-rate Annuities

Bond yields are low. How can investors get a better return without taking on more risk? Both plain fixed-rate annuities and more complex fixed indexed annuities (FIAs) can beat bonds. A new study* from famed economist Roger Ibbotson says that investors should consider FIAs as a low-risk bond alternative likely to produce better returns. Ibbotson’s… Continue reading Want to Do Better Than Bonds? Consider Fixed Indexed Annuities and Fixed-rate Annuities

3 Ways Stress Takes a Toll on Your Body

Did the latest challenge at work bring on a tightening in your stomach? Does constant worry about a loved one’s health make you physically ill yourself? Everyone at some point feels the effects of stress. Not everyone deals with stress in the best way, though. Often stressed-out people seek relief through alcohol, tobacco or drugs,… Continue reading 3 Ways Stress Takes a Toll on Your Body

Poor grades Tied to Class Times That Don’t Match Students’ Biological Clocks

It may be time to tailor students’ class schedules to their natural biological rhythms, according to a study from UC Berkeley and Northeastern Illinois University published March 2018 in the journal Scientific Reports. A release from the university explains that researchers tracked the personal daily online activity profiles of nearly 15,000 college students as they… Continue reading Poor grades Tied to Class Times That Don’t Match Students’ Biological Clocks

Plastic Surgery Abroad Can Lead to Severe Complications After Returning to the US

Plastic surgery abroad can lead to severe complications after returning to the US, according to a study published in the April 2018 issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). A release from the publisher notes that according to the report by ASPS Member Surgeon… Continue reading Plastic Surgery Abroad Can Lead to Severe Complications After Returning to the US