Short-Term Memory

In medicine, there are many parts of the body that we understand quite well. Yet, there are others that remain a mystery. On top of that mysterious list is the brain. But little by little, we’re gaining a greater understanding about how it works. Researchers from the University of Oregon have released their findings of a fascinating study. Our short-term memory has a very limited capacity. Researchers have proven something about memory that makes sense. The fewer irrelevant items you keep in mind, the more capacity you have for remembering important things. College students were showed a screen with colored dots. Scientists compared their ability to remember what they saw in the presence or the absence of the distracter dots. Scientists discovered that people who had the irrelevant distracter objects in mind were less efficient at remembering objects than those who were more selective. It makes sense, the big question is, how do you rid yourself of distractions.

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Side Effects of Steroid Creams

There are many anti-itch creams on the market, but what you have to realize is certain anti-itch creams work for certain situations.  If you're someone who needs a steroid medication to get an itch taken care of, that's okay, but you don't want to be using that for a prolonged period of time.  For instance, if someone takes a steroid for a prolonged period of time, they actually are going to have a thinning out of the skin.  It actually can cause what we call striae, or red spots which go across the skin, which can cause a problem that never goes away. 

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Drug Abuse Among Teens

Each year, the White House and the U.S. National Institute release statistics about teens and drug abuse. This year there is good news, but also some alarming facts. Overall, the use of illicit drugs by U.S. teenagers is down, as it has been in the past decade, but use of the drug ecstasy is up and abuse of prescription medications also remains a concern. The use of prescription drugs is a growing issue and over-the-counter medications are often seen as potential drugs of choice. The report found that 28% of 10th graders reported use of an illicit drug at least once in the prior year.

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Heartburn During Pregnancy

Heartburn is a problem that affects people of all ages. It affects men and women alike. In women, we often see problems with heartburn during pregnancy. During pregnancy, what you essentially have is the baby growing and growing inside the body, and as it does, it can actually push up and cause pressure. So that when the stomach is actually doing its job secreting acid, breaking down food, that acid can be pushed up into the esophagus. That’s what causes the pain of heartburn. 

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Give in to Food Cravings

We all deal with them at some point or another.  Food cravings are common and the cravings women experience during pregnancy have reached legendary status.  According to a poll of physicians, most pregnant women seem to crave things like ice cream or cake, but not pickles which seem to be the most often mentioned in most movie or television scenes.  But it isn't just during pregnancy we have these cravings.  According to the Cleveland Clinic, you should not fight your cravings.  Satisfying a food craving can help improve your mood, relax you, and give you more energy.  

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Should You Exercise While Pregnant?

Should you exercise when you’re pregnant? The answer is yes, but there are some things you have to take into account before you start. Exercise and proper conditioning can help with the labor and, certainly, improve overall blood supply to the baby, but woman who are pregnant need to realize that they should not expect to do more than when they were not pregnant. In other words, if you were spending 20 minutes on the treadmill, or working with a trainer at a health club, you can probably continue, but you shouldn’t start radically new programs. Now, here’s what I suggest. First, take advantage of the fact you have an obstetrician and specifically ask about your situation. The other point is if you’re thinking about getting pregnant, start an exercise program now. This will allow you to have a starting point prior to pregnancy. All of these things are important as you begin the road to exercise.

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Tips for Stress Reduction

There is no way to eliminate stress from your life but you can learn how to handle it. One of the ways you handle stress is to gradually deal with it. Understand that there’s a problem and then think of strategies that will help you. For instance, if you’re not able to go anywhere on a trip, think about yourself in a faraway place. Imagine yourself on the beach. Imagine yourself playing tennis, or something you like to do. If you do these things, it’s an amazing stress reducer because you’re putting yourself in a situation where you’re away from the problems at hand. That can make a major difference.

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Tips for Stress Reduction

Lower Body Fat May Protect Against Disease

Is fat around the thighs and around the backside healthy?  It's an interesting study.  It's in the journal Nature; The International Journal of Obesity, and it was done in the United Kingdom.  The review finds that fat around your hind can reduce the harmful effects of inflammation leading to protection against disease.  This fat takes longer to build and to break down than upper body fat.  The breakdown of abdominal fat releases factors linked to heart disease and diabetes.  The authors envision a future where doctors might deliberately increase lower body fat to protect against disease.  It's a little dramatic, but what it really tells us is that certain people are going to have fat in different areas.  But if you're someone who carries a little extra weight in your thighs and buttocks, it may not be that unhealthy. 

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Teens Learning to Drive

It is a right of passage for teens, but it is clearly a rite of passage that cannot be stressed enough to be careful of. What we’re talking about is driving. Driving is a major responsibility. If you remember the times when you were learning, perhaps those near misses you had when you were starting to figure out how to work a car and a sense of responsibility, you know that learning how to drive in those early years is crucial. You must stress defensive driving and safety, and constantly reinforced it.

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Understanding Heartburn

What is heartburn and why does it occur? Part of heartburn is gravitational in effect because when you lay down, the stomach acid actually can move through the stomach, past the valve if the valve has any defect, and get into the esophagus.  That esophagus is not meant to sustain acid and when that acid gets in there, it causes irritation and pain.  That is what you perceive as heartburn.

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Growth Spurts During Puberty

It is called the growth spurt, and there is no doubt that during puberty, there is a dramatic growth spurt. However, it doesn’t have to end there. What we actually look at are the growth plates. We see if the growth plates close. When they close is when that growth period usually ends to a large extent. There still are a few inches here and there to gain, but certainly not to the degree of prior to the growth spurt. However, the growth spurt is a time where you will see your child eating a great deal more, having those classic growing pains, and yes, getting taller.

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Weightlifting May Be One of the Best Forms of Exercise

One of the best ways to relieve stress is to exercise, and one of the best forms of exercise may surprise you.  It's lifting weights.  If you lift weights, lift them properly, and take very few breaks, the workout is actually one where you can get an excellent cardiovascular workout.  It can also help you build muscle at the same time.  Here's the really great part about it.  As you build muscle, the actual muscle mass will help you burn calories by increasing your basal metabolic rate; your metabolism.  Of course, there are certain tips that you need to know if you're going to lift. The American Academy of Family Physicians offers many suggestions for safe weightlifting.  Some of the key points: keep your back straight when lifting, always ask someone to spot you when lifting very heavy weights, and limit each set of muscles to only three workouts a week.  Obviously, you need to clear it with a physician before you begin such a program.  

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Stresses of the Single Mother

The single mother is no longer the exception. It’s almost the rule. There are many women who either have chosen not to be married or have gone through divorces who have children. In these instances, there are unique stresses to being both the mother and father to a child. A single mother has to play both roles. She has to be a disciplinarian, supporter and/or providing love and care at times that are needed. This can be stressful for the single mom, which is why she needs to also have time for herself and not feel guilty about it when she does.

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Kids Need Down Time

Stress is a major problem in kids. It used to not be an issue, but it’s becoming a growing problem because we’re putting more stress on them. That’s right. Parents are putting more stress on children. They’re starting to increase the amount of work they need to do. They’re increasing the perspective that they’re supposed to get better grades or perform better in sports. You get the idea. Kids need time to relax. They need down time. They don’t always need to be under pressure. It’s a very important point when it comes to our children.

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Treating Bulimia

Bulimia is a serious health issue and it often gets ignored. The problem with bulimia is you have to realize that it is a problem of body image, much like anorexia. Yes, a child will eat more and more, and they will get into situations where they purge, but you may not notice it, or you may say, ‘What are you doing?’ and believe you’ve dealt with the issue. The bottom line is you can’t look at it that way. You actually have to get them the psychological help and support they need.

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Study Finds Building Muscle Strength Can Help Reduce Blood Pressure in Men

High blood pressure is a very common condition in men over 40.  There is no doubt that regular exercise, watching your weight, and trying to reduce stress are all good ideas when you're trying to lower your blood pressure.  But, according to a new study out of the University of South Carolina, there may be one way to reduce your risk by as much as 34%.  It is a way not many people have thought about.  The study finds that men who build muscle strength can reduce their risk dramatically.  According to the findings reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, men over 40 can make a real difference by doing this.  . 

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Working Overtime Is Associated with Health Risks

Let's face it, we live in a society where people are working overtime, in many cases, just to make ends meet.  But according to a report in the Annals of Internal Medicine, there could be a stiff price to pay for this.  Adults who worked 11 hours or longer each day had a 67% higher risk of developing heart disease compared to those who only worked 7 to 8 hours a day.  When you examine the study it's quite clear that there is a price to pay for working extended hours.  People working long hours tend to exercise less and they work in an environment that increases the amount of stress in the person's life.

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Treating Itchy Eyes

People who have itchy eyes often have a brief episode of allergy causing it.  There are medications, different medications that can work, some of which have antihistamine.  Antihistamine drops, which your doctor can give you, can be effective if you're suffering from that.  How do you know you have them?  Well, they're itchy of course, but also they're kind of dry and irritated.  The one thing you have to rule out is that there's an infection, like a pink eye; that could be a problem as well. 

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What is “Robo Tripping?”

It is rapidly becoming a major problem with teens. It is called robo tripping. Now, you might be wondering, ‘What the heck is robo tripping?’ Well, actually, it’s a term now that has actually been a result of the things happening so often. Robitussin is a cough medication that often contains DM, or dextromethorphan. DM is, actually, very effective at preventing coughs, but if people take too much of it, it actually can cause drug-like affects, including hallucinations. It can also be unhealthy.

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Smoking Rates in Teenage Girls

A major warning for family physicians, pediatricians, and adolescent health officials should be a warning for women as well. Doctors are being asked to pay special attention to whether or not teenage patients are smoking cigarettes, in particular, females. It seems to be growing in this group. If you think about it, if doctors are being told to look out for a problem, it means adults should as well. Why all the attention? Well, after steadily decreasing in the 90′s, adolescent smoking rates have increased. They’ve reached a level well above national goals. Part of the problem…it’s being dramatized in the media.

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Addiction to Video Games

The American Medical Association wants to call it a psychiatric disorder…addiction to video games. The organization hopes to point out that this is a very real problem and it makes suggestions for treatment. In addition, the goal is to get insurance companies to pay for therapy. The signs are what you expect. The teens holding up in their rooms, ignoring friends, family, even food and shower, while work suffers. Of course, there will be a debate. Video game makers don’t seem to like this at all. If your child plays video games, don’t worry. It’s normal. It’s just when it becomes excessive that it’s a problem.

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Is It a Virus or an Allergy?

How can you tell a virus versus an allergy? Well, it really isn’t that hard. What you need to do is take the time and look at the symptoms. Is it something that’s occurring during an allergy season? Is it something that’s occurring for a longer period of time and not going away? Is there an infection that needs to be dealt with? All of these things have to be looked into. Doctors often have to ask questions and get what we call a history. Try to find out what’s going on, because it isn’t always crystal clear what the problem is. Again, it’s something that we look at, and we figure out, but it does take time.

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Heart Attacks in Women

News of a study from Ireland that women with heart attack symptoms take far longer to get to the hospital than men do. And it’s quite disturbing. It clearly shows that many women don’t believe that heart attack symptoms need to be taken seriously, or at the very least, they have a tough time understanding a heart attack can have subtle symptoms. Not just the chest pain. There could be pain down the arm or radiating into the jaw, and it some cases, feelings of indigestion, chest pressure, intense nausea or sweating can be signs. Another big problem is women took about fourteen hours to get to the emergency room compared to three hours the average man took. Men, meanwhile, are more likely than women to make the dangerous choice of driving themselves to the emergency room. Patients typically said they drove because they thought it was the fastest way to get to the hospital, but many also admitted they were on the verge of collapse once they arrive.

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Dealing with Chronic Pain and Fatigue

When we talk about pain and dealing with chronic pain, one of the things we have to deal with is fatigue; the fatigue that goes along with it. Fatigue is very frustrating. For those who suffer from chronic pain, it can be a very difficult thing to deal with. Fatigue can be dealt with if you actually have psychological support and also if there are people you can discuss the issues of pain with. The idea of having support and someone to work with you is very important way in dealing with the fatigue that comes invariably with chronic pain.

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Overuse of Antibiotics

Antibiotics are certainly effective tools and they have revolutionized people's lives and their lifespan.  Antibiotics are clearly one of the best ways that we can deal with problems in life. However, we have been overusing many antibiotics and as a result, there's a greater role for antibiotic resistance.  Many of the drugs we use just don't work the way they used to because we've overused them in the past.  We have to be careful about not using them unnecessarily.

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Alcohol Consumption Over the Years

Americans, in general, are drinking less alcohol.  According to a 50 year study spanning 1948 to 2003, researchers have found that people with alcohol abuse problems seem to be holding steady.  Researchers from the Framingham Heart Study examined more than 8,000 health records from successive generations of people who participated in the research.  They found that those born more recently tend to drink less.  Over time, the average alcohol consumption among middle-aged men decreased from about 2.2 drinks a day to 1.5 drinks per day.  In middle-aged women, alcohol consumption decreased from 1 drink a day to 3/4 a drink a day.  In general, the younger generation drank less hard liquor and more beer, though all generations tended to move towards wine as they got older.  It's an interesting study. 

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Obesity and Type Two Diabetes

Type two diabetes, or adult onset diabetes, is the one that people are talking about as far as the links to obesity. As people gained weight in our culture, what has happened is there’s been a decrease in the way our bodies metabolize insulin. The insulin is sent out by the pancreas, doing the job it’s supposed to, but the body doesn’t respond to it. As a result, people actually have higher levels of blood sugar and those higher levels of blood sugar can do damage as time goes on. It can be a serious issue.

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Is Diabetes Linked to Allergies?

Diabetes is a serious health problem that clearly has a number of sources and a number of causes that we're concerned about.  Some people have suggested that allergy is a cause of diabetes.  We're not sure, but some people may have some sort of reaction where the body more or less attacks itself.  This type of reaction, an autoimmune reaction, can actually be a problem and it is something which can be looked into and treated quite seriously. 

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The Estrogen Controversy

There is a controversy about estrogen and it’s definitely one that has been brewing for quite some time; whether or not estrogen actually can actually increase the risk of a whole wide variety of problems.  The thing about estrogen is it was commonly given to women at the time of menopause because it clearly helped with things such as hot flashes.  But studies have shown that there are problems associated with breast cancer, heart disease, and other issues.  Estrogen may not be the answer; in some women it is, but in some women it should be avoided.  You need to talk about estrogen with your doctor.   

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Stretching for Tibial Band Pain

It is called tibial band pain. The tibial band is actually this area which goes from the hip all the way down to the foot on the outside of the leg. The tibial band actually is stressed when you do exercises like running, repetitive strain, those types of things. People who have external rotation at the hips are also more likely to have tibial band pain. The best way to deal with it is actually to stretch it. One way is to put one foot in front of the other and try to touch the toes. That will actually stretch it out and help with it.

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Food Allergies Are More Common

Food allergies seem to be more common; there’s all sorts of theories out there. One of the most popular theories is the fact that we are such a clean society that we are actually not spreading infections and we are not fighting infections. As a result, our body has to attack something, so it attacks normal things. We’re not sure if that theory has any truth, but what we do know is that medical professionals are seeing more people with allergies. The big thing we have to do right now is try to understand how the allergic reactions work. Then, we can look at how to stop them.

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Treatment Options for Teen Acne

Teens can get acne. We know that, and we know there are many of treatments for teens with acne. But the thing is this. After a while, if the treatments that you’re using are not working, you have to think about other options. Some of the options include stronger medications that dermatologists can give; medications that have to be followed very closely. One in particular is Accutane. Now Accutane can cause other problems. It can make depression worse, it can affect pregnancies, but it’s something you need to think about as an option in severe cases. Talk with your dermatologist.

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Tight Shoes and Health Problems

Tight shoes can actually cause many health issues, including compression of the nerves. It can cause a neuroma in the foot, which can be extremely painful. It can increase your risk of plantar fasciitis. That’s pain along the bottom of the foot. In addition to that, tight shoes also can basically restructure the way the feet are and cause bone abnormalities. Wear shoes that are loose and comfortable.

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Urinary Tract Infections Need to Be Treated

Urinary tract infections can be serious health problems.  One of the problems with urinary tract infections is the fact that they often go undiagnosed or ignored.  If they are ignored, one of the things you have to do realize is that long-term it can affect the kidneys.  You just can't ignore a urinary tract infection and let it run amok.  You have to make sure that antibiotics are given and the proper protection is there.  Then, if you control it, you won't have that great degree of difficulty. 

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Many Kids Are Exercising Too Much

Kids and exercise go hand in hand, and certainly we like to have children exercise, but we're starting to see a problem.  As a growing number of children are exercising at the request of their parents; playing in formal leagues and having those types of situations, they're exercising more than they should.  Children normally stop exercising on their own, but with that added pressure, they will exercise more and more.  It's very important that when you're dealing with children and exercise, you do what you can to limit the problems associated with it.  

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Study Shows Naps are Beneficial

Sometimes you should just use common sense. Here’s an example. Do you think it’s better to take a nap during the day? Are you more refreshed after a 40 minute catnap? Well, for most of us the answer is yes. Now a study has shown it to be true. Stanford researchers decided to study some of their own. They chose emergency-room physicians working a 12 hour evening shift. They found that emergency room doctors and nurses who were allowed to have a short nap while on night shift came back in a better mood. They were more alert. The study included 24 nurses, 25 doctors.

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Testing for the Sex of Your Baby

If you are pregnant, the odds are quite good you’re curious whether or not you’re going to have a boy or a girl. It goes with the territory. You want to know if your baby will be healthy. Will your baby look like mom or dad? What color eyes will he or she have? Yes, the sex of the baby is also a curious point. Are you going to have a boy or a girl? Well, perhaps you've heard advertisements for home test kits designed to tell if you’re going to have a girl or a boy. In fact, a test kit is available over the Internet claiming to be able to tell a woman who’s just six weeks pregnant, whether she’s having a boy or girl. At the present time, the best techniques are those used by health professionals. These include: Chorionic villus sampling, which can be done quite early; you can have amniocentesis, which is done later; and even later, just by simply doing a very accurate, detailed pelvic ultrasound. As for the test kit, let the buyer beware.

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