healthy living for women + their families
Lyme disease – and the ticks that transmit the uncomfortable, potentially serious condition – seem as inevitable a part of summer as sizzling hot days. But you can protect yourself. The first rule: Know your enemy. Here, from a producer of insect repellents, are ten things you might not know about these annoying insects.
1. Tick bites and tick-borne diseases are completely preventable
There’s really only one way you get a tick-transmitted disease and that’s from a tick bite.
Prostate-cancer patients who have received radiation treatment appear more likely to develop bladder or rectal cancer, new research shows. And while the number of cases is relatively low, investigators said that patients should still be monitored for those illnesses.
“Overall the incidence of these cancers is low. But when men have received radiation treatments, it’s important to evaluate carefully any symptoms that could be a sign of bladder or rectal cancer,” says senior study author Kathleen A.
Want people to think you’re even prettier than you are? Spray on some perfume, or have some flowers in the vicinity.
New research shows that women’s faces get a higher attractiveness rating when pleasant odors are in the vicinity. However, the odors didn’t affect people’s evaluation of age.
“Odor pleasantness and facial attractiveness integrate into one joint emotional evaluation,” said lead author Janina Seubert, PhD, a cognitive neuroscientist who was a postdoctoral fellow at Monell Chemical Senses Center, in Philadelphia, at the time the research was conducted.
By Stacy Vogler
Baby Boomers are are wholeheartedly embracing technology, including mobile devices. Research shows that Boomers are now the fastest growing segment of smartphone users. But as they access the latest technology, they have to be careful about exposing themselves to risks, such as identity theft. And they’ll need to think about ways to protect their valuable mobile electronics.
Here are some tips:
1.
Here’s another addition to our Third Age Video Collection. Press play to start learning.
Many of us are rightly concerned about heart health, cancer, hypertension and diabetes. In the midst of all this, our liver health may not be at the top of the list. But the liver, one of our vital organs, is paramount to our health, and it’s essential to protect it. It renders toxins harmless and makes sure they are expelled from the body, according to the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Unfortunately, drugs and even dietary supplements can make the liver go haywire, the FDA says.
Although most physicians would choose a do-not-resuscitate code for themselves when terminally ill, they tend to pursue life-prolonging treatment for patients in a similar condition, new research shows.
The study, conducted by researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine, demonstrates a “disconnect” that needs to be further explored.
“Why do we physicians choose to pursue such aggressive treatment for our patients when we wouldn’t choose it for ourselves?” said lead author VJ Periyakoil, director of the Stanford Palliative Care Education and Training Program.
Environmental toxins play a significant part in your molecular aging, according to new research.
Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill say toxins that affect the rate of such aging include benzene, cigarette smoke and even stress. Molecular age refers to the age of the body’s cells, and is different from chronological age.
Here’s another video from our Third Age collection. Press play to start learning.
Everyone who’s cared for an Alzheimer’s patient knows how sad and frustrating the changes can be. But perhaps among all the effects of the illness – difficult communication; hallucinations; wandering; disturbed sleep patterns – aggression, often accompanied by agitation, can be the most unsettling. Patients may get so angry that they literally lash out at others, occasionally even putting caregivers in harm’s way.
A genetic variant linked to sudden cardiac death leads to protein overproduction in heart cells, according to a new study.
Scientists have zeroed in on which chemotherapy regiments are likelier to lead to hospitalizations for early stage breast cancer patients.
The retrospective study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, was conducted by researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. For their analysis, the researchers looked at hospitalization-related insurance claims by patients who were undergoing varying chemotherapy regimens.
Imaging scientists at Western University’s Robarts Research Institute in London and Canada have developed a better way to track the progression of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) from its earliest stages. Led by Ravi Menon, PhD, the researchers used what’s called “Quantitative Susceptibility (QS) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI),” to measure damage in specific areas of the brain which the study showed to be common to all patients. The findings were published in advance online in May 2014 in Radiology.
Cochlear implants — which bypass damaged or nonworking parts of the inner ear — can improve hearing for anyone with hearing loss that can’t be adequately managed with conventional hearing aids.
Cochlear implants are electronic devices that convert acoustic sounds into electrical pulses that stimulate the auditory nerve directly. The pulses, which are organized like the keys of a piano, are delivered to points along the inner ear.
The pulses stimulate the auditory cells that represent the various speech sounds.
Melatonin is a widely touted sleep aid, but researchers have discovered that the supplement makes bones stronger in elderly rats and may do the same for humans.
The research was led by Faleh Tamimi, a professor in the School of Dentistry, of McGill University, Montreal. It was published in the journal Rejuvenation Research.
Although a good night’s sleep and osteoporosis may not seem to have any connection, in fact there is a link.
Scientists have discovered exactly how the anti-cancer drug Taxol works, and the discovery could lead to designing better medicines.
Taxol, one of the most widely prescribed anti-cancer drugs globally, disrupts the workings of microtubules, part of the cell’s skeleton.
Why do we have an obesity epidemic? Experts have come up with a number of reasons, and most of them might be wrong, according to new research.
The findings, by investigators from the University of Illinois, Champaign, indicate that people have better access to fresh, affordable food than they did years ago.
From the Mayo Clinic
A complete blood count (CBC) is a blood test used to evaluate your overall health and detect a wide range of disorders, including anemia, infection and leukemia.
A complete blood count test measures several components and features of your blood, including:
Red blood cells, which carry oxygen
White blood cells, which fight infection
Hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells
Hematocrit, the proportion of red blood cells to the fluid component, or plasma, in your blood
Platelets, which help with blood clotting
Abnormal increases or decreases in cell counts as revealed in a
