_ Low Risk Prostate Ca Not Always Low Risk By article The criteria for active surveillance -- often called ΓÇ£watch and waitΓÇ¥ -- in dealing with prostate cancer should be re-evaluated. That is the recommendation of a study done at the University of California, Los Angeles and published in the May 19th 2014 issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Urology.
Five Sex-Positive Results of Celibacy By Jane Farrell blog Let’s define celibacy versus abstinence. The terms are often used interchangeably, yet for the purposes of this article, they are two different concepts. According to the website Wait Until Marriage, abstinence is defined as the absence of sexual intercourse, whereas celibacy is the avoidance of all forms of sexual activity. People who abstain from sex often date, kiss and have oral sex. Abstinence is a method of managing potential STDs and unwanted pregnancies. Many people of faith also want to wait until marriage to engage in full sexual relations. Celibacy is a way of being that avoids all sexual situations. This can often demand the avoidance of dating altogether, as it did for me.
_ Mental & Emotional Health May Is Mental Health Month: WhereΓÇÖs Your Sanity? By article By Dr. Claudia LuizΓÇ¿ΓÇ¿ Everybody is overwhelmed and nobody is afraid to talk about it. Historically speaking, we are more sophisticated than ever emotionally; we are highly aware of what we feel, and we can talk about it. If we don’t feel better, it’s only because our methods for dealing with what we feel are still so antiquated. It’s just the same-old, same-old: try to be better, get inspired to change. But it doesn’t’ work. ΓÇ¿ ΓÇ¿
_ New Molecule to Treat Asthma By article A new, potent therapeutic agent to treat asthma is on the horizon, according to findings published on May 12th 2014 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences show promise for, a chronic disease affecting more than 25 million Americans. The research study was done at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in Orlando, the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces in Germany, the Free University of Berlin in Germany, Shinshu University in Japan, and the University of California, San Diego.
Grounding (Earthing): The Easiest Way to Fight Stress By blog We all know that the world is becoming more stressful every day. We worry about the economy, another war in a place we’ve never heard of, our parents getting old and dying, the well-being of our children, our own health. Sometimes it seems like our lives are one endless series of stresses. The bad news is that stress is on the rise and it’s causing major problems for many of us. The good news is that there are simple ways to combat stress and get back in control of our lives.
_ Parenting Virtual Reality Helps Autistic Adults Get Jobs By article If you’re the parent of a grown or teenage child on the autism spectrum, you may have concerns about your offspring’s possibilities for employment and independent living. (See our ThirdAge article entitled “My Adult Son Has Asperger’s Syndrome.”) Now researchers at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago have created a new interactive computer program using human-based simulation that gives autistic adults repeated practice and feedback on their interviewing skills.
_ Sleep Health Sleep and "Exploding Head" Syndrome By Jane Farrell article “Exploding head syndrome” sounds like the latest slang term, but it’s a real, though underdiagnosed, sleep disorder. People who have the syndrome usually hear loud noises – doors slamming, fireworks or gunshots – as they are going to sleep and waking up.
_ 6 Tips for Overcoming Diabetes Burnout By article By Ginger Vieira Diabetes isn’t easy, and having to prick your finger day in and day out to check your blood sugar can be grating. Even though this task takes up about a combined 120 seconds of our day, it’s a tedious responsibility that comes with “good” or “bad” news depending on whatever our blood sugar is. After a while, who could blame you for being sick of it, for forgetting to do it, or for wanting to forget you have diabetes altogether?
Hospitality By blog I recently read an article on southern hospitality; it said that everyone visiting the region, whether a stranger or returning guest, will be treated in a warm, friendly, generous way. This got me thinking about what hospitality means to me.
_ Healthy Diet & Nutrition Mental & Emotional Health Stress Management Stress-Free Living Chronic Stress Makes Junk Food Even Worse for You By article File this under “That’s not fair!” People who are not dealing with chronic stress can get away with eating a lot of high-fat, high-sugar food without upping their risk of metabolic syndrome, but stressed out people can’t. That’s the finding of research done at the University of Califorina, San Francisco.
A Better Approach to Colorectal Surgery By Jane Farrell article Hospital stays for colorectal-surgery patients can be cut by two days via a practice known as “enhanced recovery,” according to researchers from Duke University Hospital. The practice also reduced readmission rates.
_ Massage Really Does Do a Body Good By Sondra Forsyth article Improved circulation and relief of muscle soreness are common claims made for massage therapy but no studies had ever been done to substantiate these assertions even though massage therapy is increasingly used as an adjunct to traditional medical interventions. Now researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago have shown that massage therapy not only improves general blood flow and alleviates muscle soreness after exercise but also helps people who have not worked out such as those who are bedridden.
_ A Better Test For Prostate Cancer By Jane Farrell article Researchers have developed a painless method to test for prostate cancer, and that could help millions of men avoid a grueling diagnostic exam. If a blood test turns up signs of prostate cancer, physicians usually remove samples of tissue through the anus, using 12 large biopsy needles. The procedure has been called “barbaric.” That technique could be replaced thanks to researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), together with AMC Amsterdam. Research team leader Massimo Mischi at TU/e said the new procedure uses existing ultrasound scanners.
_ All About Telehealth By Jane Farrell article From the Mayo Clinic How many times have you heard it said that the Internet has transformed modern life? Indeed, it's probably changed how you stay in touch with family and friends, purchase goods and services, and even search for information about health problems. But are you using the array of telehealth tools available to improve your health and wellness? If not, you may be falling behind the times. What is telehealth? Why should you care?
_ CT Scans Better At Finding Gout By Jane Farrell article Researchers from the Mayo Clinic have discovered a new way of diagnosing gout that doesn’t involve needle aspiration. Until now the painful form of inflammatory arthritis has been detected only through drawing fluid or tissue from an affected joint via a needle and looking for uric acid crystals. But needle aspiration doesn’t seem to work as well as the one just developed by Mayo: X-rays known as dual-energy CT scans. According to a release from Mayo, the scans found gout in one third of patients who had tested negative for the illness.
_ What You May Not Know About Preventing Heart Attacks, Strokes, and Diabetes By article By Bradley Bale MD and Amy Doneen ARNP with Lisa Collier Cool Have you ever wondered why someone could feel perfectly fine and then minutes later have a massive heart attack or stroke that either kills the person or causes a life-long disability? Even more challenging is the concept that some people can go in for a full medical exam, including cholesterol and blood pressure check and a stress test, and be told they are fine only to drop dead of a heart attack days or weeks later.
25 Tips to Stretch Your Mind At Any Age By blog The good news is your brain has plasticity. This means that the brain has a natural ability to remodel itself throughout life so that the phrase “stretch your mind at any age” resonates. The brain is always changing, sometimes for better, and sometimes for worse. This neuroplasticity gives the brain the ability to change its neural pathways and synapses, which in turn affects changes in behavior, environment and neural processes.
_ Video-Game Technique May Help Avoid Patients' Falls By Jane Farrell article A device using technology similar to that found in video games may eventually help health care practitioners monitor and even prevent falls among hospital patients. Between 700,000 and 1 million people each year fall in U.S. hospitals, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. All patients are at higher risk of falls because they are sick or injured. Falls are especially serious for older patients.