It’s extremely upsetting when doctors are dismissive of your symptoms or devalue your perceptions about your own health. But the worst thing that happens when doctors don’t take you seriously is that real medical problems often get misdiagnosed and go untreated. And if you are a parent trying to advocate for your sick child, it… Continue reading When Doctors Dismiss Your Symptoms
Author: Sondra Forsyth
Sondra Forsyth is Co-Editor-in-Chief of ThirdAge.com. She is a National Magazine Award winner with scores of major magazine bylines and twelve books to her credit. Her most recent book is “Candida Cleanse: The 21-Day Diet to Beat Yeast and Feel Your Best”. Sondra was Executive Editor at “Ladies’ Home Journal,” Features Editor at “Cosmopolitan,” and Articles Editor at “Bride’s”. A former ballerina, she founded Ballet Ambassadors, an arts-in-education company in New York City, and served as Artistic Director for 16 years.
Better Sex Starts with Healthy Feet and Eyes: 7 Ways They’re Medically Connected
People are always looking for ways to spice things up in the bedroom. Did you know the health of your eyes and feet have a lot to do with sex? In fact, the eyes, feet and genitals create an interesting triad that harbors countless connections for sexual and medical information. A weak point in one… Continue reading Better Sex Starts with Healthy Feet and Eyes: 7 Ways They’re Medically Connected
Is Poor Nutrition Keeping You Up at Night? What You Need to Know About Diet and Sleep
Most of us know what sleep deprivation feels like, and it is not pleasant. If we do not get enough healthy sleep (some children need 10 hours nightly, while most adults need at least seven), we may be left feeling irritable and disoriented. It can also be dangerous to be sleep deprived. According to the AAA Foundation for… Continue reading Is Poor Nutrition Keeping You Up at Night? What You Need to Know About Diet and Sleep
Stem Cell Study May Result in Stronger Muscles in Old Age
As we grow older, our muscular function declines. A February 2018 study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows how an unexpectedly high number of mutations in the stem cells of muscles impair cell regeneration. This discovery may result in new medication to build stronger muscles even when in old age. The study was… Continue reading Stem Cell Study May Result in Stronger Muscles in Old Age
Walking Speed While Carrying a Tray or Counting Backwards May Help Diagnose a Reversible Form of Dementia
There’s a cause of dementia that can sometimes be reversed, but it’s often not diagnosed because the symptoms are so similar to those of other disorders. Now researchers say a simple walking test may be able to accurately diagnose the disease, according to a study published in the February 21st 2018 online issue of Neurology®,… Continue reading Walking Speed While Carrying a Tray or Counting Backwards May Help Diagnose a Reversible Form of Dementia
Colorful Caladiums Brighten Shade Gardens All Season
Tuck them into the garden, pop some in a container or dress up a window box. Then water as needed, add a bit of fertilizer and wait for the color explosion. The showy heart-shaped leaves of caladiums come in combinations of pink, red, white and green. These heat-loving plants provide beautiful color all season long.… Continue reading Colorful Caladiums Brighten Shade Gardens All Season
New Glaucoma Drugs Yield Large, Lasting Reductions in Intraocular Pressure
Two novel ocular hypotensive agents that have just been approved for use in humans — netarsudil and latanoprostene bunod (LBN) — greatly reduce intraocular pressure, with lasting results in various animal models of glaucoma and in humans. Two articles that highlight these two breakthrough drugs, as well as cutting-edge articles on the effects of amitriptyline… Continue reading New Glaucoma Drugs Yield Large, Lasting Reductions in Intraocular Pressure
Common Questions Kids Ask About School Shootings and How to Answer
In the wake of the horrific school shooting in Parkland, Florida, attention once again turns to what can be done to ensure the safety of children in school. Given kids are exposed to the news and overhear the concerns of their parents as they speak with other adults, it’s expected for children to feel incredibly… Continue reading Common Questions Kids Ask About School Shootings and How to Answer
Beetroot Juice Supplements May Help Certain Heart Failure Patients
Beetroot juice supplements may help enhance exercise capacity in patients with heart failure, according to a proof-of-concept study done at Indiana University in Indianapolis in February 2018 and published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure. Exercise capacity is a key factor linked to these patients’ quality of life and even survival. A release from the… Continue reading Beetroot Juice Supplements May Help Certain Heart Failure Patients
Comparing Hospice Care at Home, at Assisted Living Facilities, and at Nursing Homes
Use of hospice has exploded over the past decades with approximately half of those who die while enrolled in Medicare receiving hospice care. A February 2018 study from the Indiana University Center for Aging Research and the Regenstrief Institute compares the quality of hospice services provided for patients living at home, in assisted living facility,… Continue reading Comparing Hospice Care at Home, at Assisted Living Facilities, and at Nursing Homes
3 Things You Should Know About Fad Diets and Bad Breath
Fad diets gain popularity because they let you shed pounds quickly, but health professionals warn they often come with side effects, such as fatigue, nausea, headaches, constipation and dehydration. One additional side effect that doesn’t get as much attention, though, is this. They can cause bad breath. Dehydration is the key symptom related to fad… Continue reading 3 Things You Should Know About Fad Diets and Bad Breath
Wine Could Fend off Bacteria That Cause Cavities and Gum Disease
Sipping wine is good for your colon and heart, possibly because of the beverage’s abundant and structurally diverse polyphenols. Now researchers report in February 2018 in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that wine polyphenols might also be good for your oral health. A release from the society explains that traditionally,… Continue reading Wine Could Fend off Bacteria That Cause Cavities and Gum Disease
Common Myths and Truths About Hair Loss and Balding Exposed
For the millions of people who experience thinning or balding of their hair, it can be devastating. What can be even more devastating is not getting accurate information when it comes to what they can do about it. There are many myths surrounding hair loss and balding, and they can hold people back. Knowing the… Continue reading Common Myths and Truths About Hair Loss and Balding Exposed
Got Diabetes? Get off the Couch and Work Your Core
If you suffer from diabetes, you already know that staying fit greatly benefits your health. Yet, many of the complications caused by diabetes can make it difficult to get the exercise you need; in fact, they can make a normal exercise routine difficult or even dangerous. For example, peripheral neuropathy (numbness in the feet caused… Continue reading Got Diabetes? Get off the Couch and Work Your Core
Five Tips for Choosing Strong Passwords
2017 was a big year for cyber-attacks and 2018 is shaping up to be the same. Businesses around the world are targets of cyber adversaries who steal credit card numbers, took down websites, and obtained the personal information of millions of consumers. These attacks sent companies scrambling to explain how their data was stolen, compromised,… Continue reading Five Tips for Choosing Strong Passwords
First Multiplex Test for Tick-Borne Diseases
A new blood test called the Tick-Borne Disease Serochip (TBD Serochip) promises to revolutionize the diagnosis of tick-borne disease by offering a single test to identify and distinguish between Borrelia burgdorferi, the pathogen responsible for Lyme disease, and seven other tick-borne pathogens. Led by scientists at the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) at Columbia… Continue reading First Multiplex Test for Tick-Borne Diseases
When It Comes to Our Brains, There’s No Such Thing as Normal
Because we think of psychological disorders on a continuum, we may worry when our own ways of thinking and behaving don’t match up with our idealized notion of health. But some variability can be healthy and even adaptive, say researchers in a review published February 20th 2018 in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, even though it… Continue reading When It Comes to Our Brains, There’s No Such Thing as Normal
Living With Type 2 Diabetes? Be Sure to Add These Important Specialists to Your Diabetes Healthcare Team
Diabetes is a complicated condition. It doesn’t just affect your blood glucose level and insulin sensitivity; it affects every part of your body, from your mind to your stomach to your toes. And to stay as healthy as possible, you need to keep all those important parts in good working order. For that reason, people… Continue reading Living With Type 2 Diabetes? Be Sure to Add These Important Specialists to Your Diabetes Healthcare Team