Patient Education
Health Care
- Prescriptions: Why They’re So Complicated Getting a prescription filled is usually easy. But because of the high cost of prescription medicines, most insurance companies and employers are trying to control drug costs. Some of the things they are doing make getting a prescription more complicated for you and your doctor, and some of the terms they use can be confusing.
Immunizations
- Few Adverse Events Linked with Vaccines “The findings should be reassuring to parents that few health problems are clearly connected to immunizations, and these effects occur relatively rarely,” said committee chair Ellen Wright Clayton, MD, JD, a professor of pediatrics and law at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, in a press release. “And repeated study has made clear that some health problems are not caused by vaccines.”
- Childhood Vaccinations – Vital to our Children’s Health It is very difficult for most Americans to remember that polio and diphtheria regularly killed or permanently injured thousands of people in the United States yearly, as recently as the last century. In fact, polio has been eradicated in the United States and diphtheria is very rare because of vaccinations.
- Updated Guidelines for Tdap Vaccines Vaccination with Tetanus toxoid, reduced Diphtheria toxoid, and acellular Pertussis (Tdap) is the best way for adolescents and adults to protect themselves and others against pertussis.
- Bacterial Meningitis Prevention Meningococcal Vaccine Booster: New Recommendations
- Adult Immunization Recommendations Summary of Recommendations for Adult Immunizations
Infectious Disease
- Patients Spread Herpes even when Symptom-Free Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the world. In the U.S., it affects 16% of the adult U.S. population, even more among young adults and college students. But given that 75% to 90% of people who test positive for HSV-2 have never been officially diagnosed with genital herpes, most infected people don’t even know they carry the virus.
- Facts about the Flu Very good website for showing what Flu (Influenza Virus) symptoms portray, and treatment options available.
- Have a cold? Walk it off! Moderate exercise keeps colds at bay
- Common Cold Colds are the most common illnesses you’re likely to get. A cold may last from a few days to two weeks, and can make you uncomfortable the entire time. Unfortunately, there is no cure, but there are a few things that may help your symptoms.
Mental Health
- The Neuroscience of Happiness New discoveries are shedding light on the activities that make us happy. They say money can’t buy happiness. But can a better understanding of your brain? As recent breakthroughs in cognitive science break new ground in the study of consciousness and its relationship to the physical body, the mysteries of the mind are rapidly becoming less mysterious.
- Coffee May Keep The Blues Away Coffee appears to protect against depression in women, and the more the better, researchers found.
- Happiness Who doesn’t want to be happy? Do you know what it takes to truly be happy? Do you know what it feels like? Click on the link to read with the experts on what Happiness really means.
- Depression Depression is a lot more common that many would like to believe, and many have a hard time believing they might be depressed. This is a link to excellent Blogs discussing this topic that I’ve found very informative and hopefully, you will too.
- Anxiety Did you know that often times, worsening anxiety is a caused by the feeling of anxiety itself? Dreading when this feeling will come back, sets off a circle of events that is never ending. Click the link to read about excellent advice on how to manage Anxiety.
- Combat the Winter Blues using an Omega Boost! Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D have a powerful synergistic effect. Nordic Naturals offers several solutions for getting this important vitamin while taking your fish oil. Several Nordic Naturals products include D3 (cholecalciferol), a natural form of vitamin D that is easily absorbed and utilized by the human body.
Musculoskeletal
- Fibromyalgia and CAM CAM stands for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The National Institute of Health has a division of research dedicated to this area, and this is what the science is saying about Fibromyalgia and CAM at this time.
Nutrition & Supplements
- 90% Americans Eat too Much Salt, Bread Is No.1 Sodium Contributor Breads and rolls are the top source of salt in the average American diet, unexpectedly accounting for more than double the sodium contributed from salty junk food like chips, according to a new government health report. The report also identified the top 10 sources that accounted for more than 40 percent of sodium in American diets, and found that salty snacks actually came in at the bottom of the list.
- Ginkgo Biloba Does Not Slow Cognitive Decline in Large Study of Older Adults Although the herb Ginkgo biloba is widely marketed and used to improve cognitive health in aging, adequate scientific evidence of its effect on long-term cognitive functioning has been lacking. In a recent study, NCCAM-funded researchers analyzed data from the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) study to determine ginkgo’s effect on cognitive health in older adults.
- Coffee Lowers Risk of Prostate Cancer If that’s java in your cup, drink up. A new study says that men who are heavy coffee drinkers are at lower risk for prostate cancer.
- Heart Supplements: Proceed with Caution! Popping vitamin, mineral, or other dietary supplements might seem like an easy way to boost heart health, but that’s usually not the case. A number of large studies over the past several years failed to find that supplements of folic acid and other B vitamins, as well as vitamins C and E, prevent heart attacks or strokes. In one study, in fact, vitamin E was linked to an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
- FISH OIL (Omega-3 Fatty Acids)Omega-3 fatty acids are a group of polyunsaturated fatty acids that are important for a number of functions in the body. They are found in foods such as fatty fish and vegetable oils and are also available as dietary supplements. Studies show that fish oil supplements are effective in reducing several cardiovascular disease risk factors and may help with some aspects of rheumatoid arthritis.
- ACAI BERRY Fact Sheet This fact sheet provides basic information about acai (pronounced ah-sigh-EE)—common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. The acai palm tree, native to tropical Central and South America, produces a reddish-purple berry that is related to the blueberry and cranberry. The acai berry’s name, which comes from a language of the native people of the region, means “fruit that cries.”
- VITAMIN D Consumer Report Vitamin D is a nutrient that helps almost every part of the body. Muscles need it to move, for example, nerves need it to carry messages between the brain and every body part, and the immune system needs vitamin D to fight off invading bacteria and viruses. Together with calcium, vitamin D also helps protect older adults from osteoporosis, and new research is looking into the links of it with cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
- The Top Five Fruits Expert Reveals How Eating the Wrong Fruits Can Be Worse Than Eating None at All.
- Benefits of COFFEE A new study in the “Annals of Internal Medicine” says that a few cups may in fact be good for you.
- The 8 Best Foods for Your Brain That’s right. Your grocery list can help with your to-do list. That’s because the right foods are like clean-burning fuel for your body’s biggest energy hog: your brain. Though it only represents 2 percent of your total weight, your brain gobbles up no less than 20 percent of your body’s energy.
Prevention & Screening
Weight Management
- Start a Regular Exercise Program Exercise helps keep your body healthy and your tissues and organs working properly. In keeping your body in good working order, exercise also helps ward off many diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and many others.
- Simple Advice for Weight Control Eat twice as often, eat half as much and chew twice as long. Everything you need to know about how to stay at a healthy weight is in that sentence.
- The Basics of a Low Cholesterol Diet Actually deciding on the right foods to eat is not too difficult when trying to lower your cholesterol. Understanding the different types of fat is the key.
- Weight Loss with Breakfast!! It is a common misconception that skipping a meal will help you lose weight. In reality, this is actually the complete opposite of the truth. Eating every meal, including 2-3 snacks a day will rev up your metabolism, helping you lose weight along the way. I came across this great article showing you and I how to eat a healthy breakfast. Join me in trying to live a healthier life.
Women’s Health
- Understanding Endometriosis Endometriosis affects up to 1 in 10 women of childbearing age. The pain it causes can range from extreme to barely noticeable. A woman may not know she has the disease until she has trouble getting pregnant and her doctor makes the diagnosis. About 40% of women with infertility turn out to have endometriosis.
