How will you know if you have the flu or Covid?
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Many of the symptoms of flu are similar to the symptoms of Covid. If you get sick, how will you know if it’s the flu or a case of Covid?
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Small weight loss leads to big health improvements
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Research has shown that even if a person does not reach a weight or body mass index (BMI) that the charts consider to be optimal, one can still be successful at improving their health, reducing their risk of chronic diseases and their overall quality of life with a weight loss of just 5 percent.
Read MoreStopping headaches before they happen
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According to the National Headache Foundation, certain triggers can bring on headaches that can be avoided. By avoiding these triggers, you can dodge a pulsating headache ruining your day.
Read More12 steps to a better night’s sleep
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43% of Americans between the ages of 13 and 64 rarely or never get a good night’s sleep on weeknights.
Read MoreFDA approves non-injectable nasal glucagon for severe hypoglycemia
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Baqsimi is a nasal powder and has been approved for patients with diabetes who are 4 years and older. It will be available in a single-use dispenser containing a recommended dose of 3 mg.
Read MoreRelieving common eye problems
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In some cases the answer is yes. If vision is suddenly blurry and is not going away, or any pain is getting worse, or the eye issues are not going away, make an appointment with your optometrist or ophthalmologist.
Read MoreHow safe are melatonin supplements?
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All of us already naturally make melatonin. Its purpose is to regular our sleep-wake cycles and most of us should need to take a supplement.
Read More10 tips on managing diabetes in summer heat
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Here’s what you need to know on how to handle hot weather to avoid any unexpected consequences affecting your diabetes.
Read MoreHow to get a strong, healthy back
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Many people will simply tolerate the annoyance of the pain but eventually it can be disruptive to a person’s daily activities.
Read More8 common sunscreen myths not to believe
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Each summer dermatologists warn and remind us that being outdoors exposed to sunrays without protecting your skin can result in significant harm to the appearance and health of your body’s largest organ.
Read MoreSmart strategies preventing urinary incontinence
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There is no need to be hesitant or to feel embarrassed to talk with your doctor about this concern.
Read More25 simple health habits that can change your life
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But just little things you can work into your everyday life that sooner or later, will become a habit, sort of like automatically brushing your teeth at night before you go to bed without even thinking about it.
Read MorePromising non-surgical procedure for weight loss
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Promising non-surgical procedure for weight loss
Going under the knife for weight loss is often a last resort for anyone who has struggled for years trying to reach a healthier weight. Bariatric surgery, like all surgery, has risks associated with it and major lifestyle changes in regards to eating.
However, there may be a new answer for better managing weight loss without the side effects or risks of surgery. A new non-surgical procedure, called endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) requires no incision so no scar, is simple and requires no hospital stay. Preliminary research is showing it could have the potential of helping moderately obese people lose weight and more importantly, keep it off. Complications rates are also lower compared with surgery. The research showed that only 1% of ESG patients had a complication, such as a perforation or “leak” in the stomach.
This new procedure involves the doctor threading a scope down the throat and into the stomach, then using a suturing device attached to the scope to cinch the stomach in ultimately shrinking it to a banana-sized pouch. By making the stomach smaller, a person will eat less and feel full, thus resulting in weight loss.
This procedure was first performed in 2013 at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. People with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 40 (more than 100 pounds overweight) or those with a BMI of 35 or more, and who had a obesity-related condition such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, qualify.
Since that time, studies have shown that in the short term, people who have undergone ESW will lose on average about 15% of their body weight. This new study is the first to report five-year results. The good news is that patients who had had the procedure, were still maintaining a 15% weight reduction, five years later.
The downsides of ESG are that like all gastric bypass procedures for weight loss, there is the potential for people to gain back the weight. In addition, most insurers won’t pay for ESG. The cost of the procedure is about $12,000 so a patient would have to foot the bill. At this time, ESG is not widely available as only about two dozen medical centers in the U.S. perform the procedure.
How smoking harms bone health
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Cigarette smoking was identified decades ago as a risk factor for osteoporosis. Several studies have shown a direct relationship between tobacco use and reduced bone density.
Read More6 Ways to avoid the wrath of poisonous plants
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According to the American Academy of Dermatology, 85% of people will develop a rash when they get urushiol on their skin.
Read More8 foods that outsmart spring allergies
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If it’s a rainy spring, this leads to rapid growth of plants which means more mold.
Read More10 smart tips for getting vitamin D
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This can make it difficult if you live in a northern state such as Minnesota or Maine, in which the sun rays are not strong enough from October through about March to enable our bodies to produce vitamin D.
Read MoreHealthy families begin with healthy habits
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Weight loss, reductions in high blood pressure or cholesterol levels or improvements in energy, are all excellent health changes one may expect.
Read MoreHow to keep your knees healthy and strong
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As the largest joint in the body, painful knees are common, especially after the age of 40.
Read MoreClues about your health from your nails
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Our eyes may be the window to our soul but our fingernails may be a clue to our health and lifestyle.
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