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Healthy Considerations » Archive for February 2007

Is Parkinson’s Surgery An Option?

February 28th, 2007 | Add a Comment

Despite tremendous advances in drugs and techniques to manage the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative illness that affects about one percent of men and women over the age of 50, not everyone is able to benefit from the improvements. Parkinson’s disease is a highly individualized condition that attacks everyone differently. With the promise of stem cell therapy on the horizon, and the general effectiveness of existing drug treatments including the commonly administered levodopa, most Parkinson’s sufferers are able to cope with their disease. There are, however, cases of rapidly progressing or unusually severe Parkinson’s that necessitate surgery as a treatment option. Surgery for Parkinson’s disease is brain surgery, which by its very nature is extremely risky, with the very real potential for permanent brain damage. If, however, all other avenues … Read entire article »

Filed under: Parkinson's, Surgery

American Heart Association Updating Prevention Guidelines

February 25th, 2007 | Add a Comment

Every year more women die from heart attacks and strokes than men. This is the primary reason the American Heart Association is updating it’s heart disease prevention guidelines in women. The 2007 Guidelines for Preventing Cardiovascular Disease in Women – published in a special womens health issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association – also include new directions for using aspirin, hormone therapy and vitamin and mineral supplements in heart disease and stroke prevention in women. “The updated guidelines emphasize the lifetime risk of women, not just the more short-term focus of the 2004 guidelines,” said Lori Mosca, M.D., Ph.D., director of preventive cardiology at New York–Presbyterian Hospital and chair of the American Heart Association expert panel that wrote the guidelines. “We took a long-term view of heart disease prevention … Read entire article »

Filed under: Heart Health

Exercise And Arthritis

February 23rd, 2007 | Add a Comment

Investing a little time in weight-bearing, low-impact exercise and a stretching plan can help you stave off arthritis pain. Strong muscles help protect the joints from wear and tear, and movement keeps joints flexible. This is why you should make a quest for fitness, even if you’re 50 years and over. While preventing arthritis is not an exact science, physicians have discovered a few ways to help reduce your risk. Here’s what they’ve come up with: 1. Do Not Weight Around The single most important measure an overweight person can take to prevent osteoarthritis of the knee is to lose weight. Extra weight adds additional stress to your knees. If you’re 10 pounds overweight, for example, you put 60 pounds per square inch of extra pressure on your knees every time you take … Read entire article »

Filed under: Arthritis

Bionic Eye Restores Sight

February 20th, 2007 | Add a Comment

Scientists have been working on revolutionary technology in the form of an artificial retina that could help many of the blind be able to recognize faces and easily detect objects in their environment as small as silverware. In as little as two years, scientists hope the prosthetic retina will be made available to consumers. “The ultimate aim is to allow people recognize faces, and to allow the completely blind to get around on their own,” said Mark Humayun, Professor of Ophthalmology at the Doheny Eye Institute, part of the University of Southern California. “The first phase began in 2002, and the results were not what we expected: we thought they would only see light and dark, but they have done far better than that.” An early version of the prosthetic retina has … Read entire article »

Filed under: Eye Care

Snacks For Healthy Kids

February 14th, 2007 | Add a Comment

With the growing trend of obesity in the United States, it seems like a good time to talk about healthy eating habits for our children. In this case, we’re going to talk about healthy snacks. Don’t groan. A healthy snack doesn’t have to taste awful and be made of soy. So, here’s a reminder of the obvious, because we all tend to stray (personally, I love Burger King and Taco Bell, as well as Carl’s Jr): instead of taking your children to fast food restaurants when you’re in a rush or they’re begging for a hamburger in the middle of the afternoon, try offering them something with fruit and a little granola. Or maybe a yogurt sprinkled with fresh bananas and strawberry slices. Something to help when grocery shopping: look for healthy … Read entire article »

Filed under: Healthy Eating

Bipolar Disorder

February 11th, 2007 | Add a Comment

What is Bipolar Disorder? Bipolar Disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a serious medical illness that causes shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. Signs & Symptoms Bipolar disorder causes dramatic mood swings from overly “high” and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, often with periods of normal mood in between. Severe changes in energy and behavior go along with these changes in mood. The periods of highs and lows are called episodes of mania and depression. Treatment Most people with bipolar disorder can achieve substantial stabilization of their mood swings and related symptoms over time with proper treatment. A strategy that combines medication and psychosocial treatment is optimal for … Read entire article »

Filed under: Mental Health

Primary Enuresis

February 7th, 2007 | Add a Comment

Primary enuresis or primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) is when a child has easily developed the ability to control their bladder during the daytime but still after a six month period cannot control their bladder at night while they sleep. Bed wetting affects approximately five to seven million children every year, more boys than girls. Primary enuresis is particularly common in children who are six years and younger and in most cases it’s something that children will outgrow. Studies have shown that approximately every fifteen out of one hundred children who are chronic bed wetters simply stop the behavior on their own and require no doctor visits or treatment whatsoever. Primary enuresis is believed to happen for one of two reasons. First the child has an immature bladder, either in a physical sense … Read entire article »

Filed under: Health Tips

What Is Cystic Fibrosis?

February 5th, 2007 | Add a Comment

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disease of your mucus and sweat glands. It primarily affects your lungs, pancreas, liver, intestines, sinuses, and sex organs. Normally, mucus is watery. It keeps the linings of certain organs moist and prevents them from drying out or getting infected. But in CF, an abnormal gene causes mucus to become thick and sticky. The mucus builds up in your lungs and blocks the airways. This makes it easy for bacteria to grow and leads to repeated serious lung infections. Over time, these infections can cause serious damage to your lungs. The thick, sticky mucus can also block tubes, or ducts, in your pancreas. As a result, digestive enzymes that are produced by your pancreas cannot reach your small intestine. These enzymes help break down the food that … Read entire article »

Filed under: General Health

A Guide To Anti Aging

February 5th, 2007 | Add a Comment

A Guide To Anti Aging

Do you worry about dry skin, injuries, smoke, sun, cold weather, tanning beds and other harmful elements in the world causing wrinkles to develop faster than nature allows? If so, you’re definitely not alone. Everything you need to know about Anti Aging is included in this special report: · What you should know about anti aging products · Anti Aging product reviews · Anti aging products explained · Anti aging solutions · Ingredients in anti aging products · The Botox controversy · Anti … Read entire article »

Filed under: Health Books

Understanding The Difference Between Acne Scars

February 3rd, 2007 | Add a Comment

Perhaps one of the most difficult effects of acne is the physical scarring it can leave behind. Even the mildest form of acne can scar, but the more severe types can leave very visible scars that won’t go away on their own. There are things you can do to try to avoid these scars, like properly cleansing your skin, or refraining from popping zits. There are different types of acne scars, each requiring its own treatment. These are classified in the following manner … Ice pick scars are characterized by the appearance of deep pits on the skin and are most common in a sign of classic acne scarring. Boxcar scars are angular scars, usually occurring on the temple and cheeks, and can be superficial or deep. They are also very similar to … Read entire article »

Filed under: Acne

Ten Ways To Recognize Hearing Loss

February 1st, 2007 | Add a Comment

The following questions will help you determine if you need to have your hearing evaluated by a medical professional: 1. Do you have a problem hearing over the telephone? 2. Do you have trouble following the conversation when two or more people are talking at the same time? 3. Do people complain that you turn the TV volume up too high? 4. Do you have to strain to understand conversation? 5. Do you have trouble hearing in a noisy background? 6. Do you find yourself asking people to repeat themselves? 7. Do many people you talk to seem to mumble (or not speak clearly)? 8. Do you misunderstand what others are saying and respond inappropriately? 9. Do you have trouble understanding the speech of women and children? 10. Do people get annoyed because you misunderstand what they say? If you answered … Read entire article »

Filed under: Hearing