Having surgery of any kind can be an unnerving experience. After all, you are putting your life in the hands of physicians and nurses. While nothing is free of risk, taking steps to prep your mind and body can help you cope with pre-surgery anxiety. To make it the best experience possible, treat it like…
Should marijuana be legalized as a medical treatment for certain illnesses? A hot topic in the news these days, proponents claim the potential benefits of this drug outweigh the risks. But where does the truth lie? Keep reading for a closer look at this controversial drug. What Is It? Worldwide, more people use marijuana than…
A disease involving how your body uses insulin and glucose, diabetes is on the rise—and you don’t want to be next! Insulin is a hormone produced by your pancreas to help break down and use the glucose (sugars) found in the food you eat. Glucose is what gives your body energy to function. The body…
Remember when you were a child and got the chicken pox? An itchy rash took over your body, which was accompanied by a fever, headache, and sore throat. Highly contagious, 99 percent of adults have had the virus at some point in their lives. Today, a vaccine is available to protect kids from developing chicken…
Following a head injury, there are many things of which to be concerned. Top on the list is often a concussion. An injury to your brain that affects the way your brain works, a concussion can be scary business and should be treated seriously. So if a concussion is suspected, seek medical attention as soon…
It can happen to anyone at almost any time. You’re fine one moment, and the next thing you know, you’re waking up from a fainting spell. Also called syncope (SIN-ko-pee), fainting is a brief loss of consciousness that happens when blood flow to the brain is restricted. Fainting spells account for three percent of all…
You use it to talk, eat, and kiss. Obviously, your mouth is an important part of your body. If only your breath smelled sweet all the time, you never got a cavity, and your gums were always pink and healthy! Mouth problems are many and are therefore a common complaint. From bad breath to canker…
One of the most common killers of the elderly, pneumonia is most likely to be picked up when you’re just getting over another illness like the cold or flu. Just when you think you’ve turned a corner and are feeling better, you develop an infection in your lungs. Its arrival makes sense. When you’re sick,…
Sometimes, even with today’s medical advances, there’s just nothing more that can be done to treat a sick person. Doctors have done all they can to make your loved one well, but the disease or aging has won. Facing death is no easy task. Another treatment, a last option—those are much preferred over hearing there…
Chances are you know someone who’s had bariatric surgery to lose weight. Hopefully he or she had a positive experience and is living a new life. Seen as a last-resort option for those who’ve tried and failed multiple times to lose weight through diet and exercise, weight loss surgery can have great results not only…