If you are pregnant—or know anyone who is—you need to know about group B strep (GBS), also known as baby strep. This disease is caused by group B streptococcal bacteria, which are commonly found in healthy women of all races and ethnicities. In fact, about 1 in 4 women in the U.S. carry these bacteria, which they can pass on to their baby during childbirth. If you have GBS, your baby can get very sick and even die if you are not tested and treated.
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Sunday, July 22, 2012
Quick and Easy Parenting Tips
It’s never too early or too late to address the health of your family. These tips will help you get your children on track to living a healthy life.
Protect Yourself From Measles at The Summer Olympics
Summer is here! Many people may have the opportunity to travel abroad for vacation or even for the Olympic Games in London. Measles is still common in many parts of the world. So, if you travel abroad, you may be exposed to people with the disease. Measles can cause serious complications. Make sure you are protected in advance. READ MORE
Protect Yourself From Measles at The Summer Olympics
Summer is here! Many people may have the opportunity to travel abroad for vacation or even for the Olympic Games in London. Measles is still common in many parts of the world. So, if you travel abroad, you may be exposed to people with the disease. Measles can cause serious complications. Make sure you are protected in advance. READ MORE
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Is There a Special “Child Athlete” Diet?
All kids need to eat balanced meals and have a healthy diet. But should that balance change for kids who play on a sports team or work out?
How Hot is Too Hot?
Getting too hot can make you sick. You can become ill from the heat if your body can’t compensate for it and properly cool you off. Heat exposure can even kill you: it caused 8,015 deaths in the United States from 1979 to 2003.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Protect Your Baby From CMV
CMV is the most common congenital (present at birth) infection in the U.S. Each year about 5,500 (1 in 750) children in this country are born with or develop permanent problems that can result in disabilities from congenital CMV infection.
Everyone Needs Fat, Right?
As with carbohydrates in recent years, fats have been wrongly accused of being “bad.” Too much fat can be a bad thing, but fat is an essential nutrient and some are definitely better than others. Certain kinds of fat are actually good for us and are an important part of a healthy diet. READ MORE
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Vacationing With Diabetes
Getting out of the routine is part of the fun of traveling. But if you have diabetes, there’s one routine you need to take with you: your care routine.READ MORE
Cancer and Men
More men in the United States die from lung cancer than any other kind of cancer, and cigarette smoking causes most cases. Smoking also causes cancers of the esophagus, larynx (voice box), mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, pancreas, stomach, and acute myeloid leukemia. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work increase their lung cancer risk by 20%–30%. Concentrations of many cancer-causing and toxic chemicals are higher in secondhand smoke than in the smoke inhaled by smokers. READ MORE
Necrotizing Fasciitis (Flesh-Eating Infection)
Necrotizing fasciitis is a serious bacterial infection that spreads rapidly and destroys the body’s soft tissue. Commonly called a “flesh-eating infection” by the media, this very rare disease can be caused by more than one type of bacteria. These include group A Streptococcus (group A strep), Klebsiella, Clostridium, E. coli,Staphylococcus aureus, and Aeromonas hydrophila, among others. Group A strep is considered the most common cause of necrotizing fasciitis. READ MORE
Exercise-Induced Asthma
Up to 80% of kids with asthma have symptoms when they exercise. It makes sense that cigarette smoke and pollen could trigger asthma symptoms, but why exercise? READ MORE
Are You Teaching Tolerance?
America is the great “melting pot,” a rich blend of cultural traditions from all over the world. Many American families can trace their histories to immigrant ancestors who traveled great distances, enduring risk and hardship, to make a home where they would be guaranteed basic freedoms. And for many American families these freedoms came with a struggle. Their parents and grandparents were denied the basic rights we value.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Vegetarianism and Your Family
Vegetarianism is a popular choice for many individuals and families. But parents may wonder if kids can safely follow a vegetarian diet and still get all necessary nutrients. Most dietary and medical experts agree that a well-planned vegetarian diet can actually be a very healthy way to eat.
Friday, June 8, 2012
What if Your Child Does Not Like Sports?
Team sports can boost kids’ self-esteem, coordination, and general fitness, and help them learn how to work with other kids and adults. READ MORE
Starting an Allowance
An allowance can be a great way to teach kids money management skills and help them learn how to make decisions, deal with limited resources, and understand the benefits of saving and charitable giving. READ MORE
Tick Check Please!
Gardening, camping, hiking, and playing outdoors – when enjoying these activities, don’t forget to take steps to prevent bites from ticks that share the outdoors. Ticks can infect humans with bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause serious illness. Diseases that you can get from a tick bite include (listed alphabetically):
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Learn How to Reduce Your Risk of Drowning
When you’re spending the day splashing around at the pool, beach or lake, drowning may not be the first thing on your mind. Yet drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury death in the United States and kills more toddlers 1-4 years old than anything but birth defects. About ten people die every day from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children 14 or younger. The good news is that most of these deaths are predictable and preventable. Being aware of the risks and taking safety precautions are proven ways to prevent drowning injuries and deaths. Learn the facts and take action to protect yourself and the ones you love from drowning.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Tanned Skin is Damaged Skin
When you’re having fun outdoors, it’s easy to forget how important it is to protect yourself from the sun. Unprotected skin can be damaged by the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays in as little as 15 minutes. Yet it can take up to 12 hours for skin to show the full effect of sun exposure.
Preventing Maternal Mortality
Although conditions have improved in recent years in much of the world, many women in developing countries still die in childbirth or of pregnancy-related causes. Yet, in places that lack strong vital registration systems, a large proportion of these deaths may go unrecorded—and thus officials do not really know the extent of the maternal mortality problem and often don’t have good information on which to base programs to reduce maternal mortality. To bring about improvements to maternity care and to save lives, policy makers need solid evidence of the scope and locations of the problem.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Stress Management Tips
Stress can hit you when you least expect it—before a test, after an accident, or during conflict in a relationship. While everyone experiences stress at times, a prolonged bout of it can affect your health and ability to cope with life. That’s why social support and self-care are important. They can help you see your problems in perspective…and the stressful feelings ease up.
Cruise Ship Safety
For many people, a cruise is an ideal way to relax and see the world. You are surrounded by the gorgeous blue of the ocean, get waited on hand and foot, have activities and events planned for you, and are provided with a seemingly limitless supply of food and drinks—all while having the opportunity to visit multiple countries and destinations.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Strength Training for Older Adults (Intensity)
It is important to find the right balance between exercising conservatively to prevent injury and exercising consistently progressing to increased strength. This easy-to-use scale will help you determine the proper intensity of your workout.
Strength Training for Older Adults (Motivation)
If you want to make positive, lasting change in your life, it helps to spend some time thinking about motivation. What are your reasons for wanting to strength train? What are your personal goals? What obstacles do you anticipate and how might you overcome them? It’s also a good idea to visualize your success and consider how you might celebrate your achievements.
Why Strength Training?
Research has shown that strengthening exercises are both safe and effective for women and men of all ages, including those who are not in perfect health. In fact, people with health concerns—including heart disease or arthritis—often benefit the most from an exercise program that includes lifting weights a few times each week.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Should I Go Organic?
You’ve probably noticed the increased quantity and variety of organic foods available in regular grocery stores. Once the specialty of health food stores, organic foods are spreading to shelves throughout major food stores.
How to Teach Your Child Not to Bully
It can be shocking and upsetting to learn that your child has gotten in trouble for picking on others or been labeled a bully.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Is Your Home Reader-Friendly?
A home filled with reading material is a good way to help kids become enthusiastic readers. What kind of books should you have? Ask your kids about their interests. If they’re too young to have a preference, your local librarian can offer suggestions about age-appropriate books.
Does Your Child Have an Eating Disorder?
Seeing the rail-thin models who strut down catwalks at fashion shows, you might think that eating disorders like bulimia or anorexia mostly affect women whose livelihoods are based on being thin.
Measles: Is Your Child Fully Immunized?
Most adults born before 1957 had measles as children. They might remember being sick for a few days with a rash and fever. And they might recall that other children in their school or neighborhood had measles at the same time. Some children developed severe complications, like pneumonia or encephalitis (swelling of the brain), or even died from measles. READ MORE
What are Uterine Fibroids?
Uterine fibroids are the most common, non-cancerous tumors in women of childbearing age. The fibroids are made of muscle cells and other tissues that grow within and around the wall of the uterus. READ MORE
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Flip2BFit
In today’s world of technology, life as we knew it is changing - the world is increasingly getting smaller and smaller. International business is being done with the click of a button. Friendships are maintained through social media. The benefits of technology are incredible and people’s lives are automatically organized, scheduled and detailed every minute of everyday.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Do You Have Backyard Chickens?
An increasing number of people around the country are choosing to keep live poultry, such as chickens or ducks, as part of a greener, healthier lifestyle. While you enjoy the benefits of backyard chickens and other poultry, but it is important to consider the risk of illness, especially for children, which can result from handling live poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam.
Meningococcal Disease and Your Child
Did you know that there are approximately 1,000 cases of meningococcal disease in the United States each year? Meningococcal disease can be very serious — even life-threatening — in 48 hours or less. Meningococcal disease can refer to any illness that is caused by Neisseria meningitidis, also known as meningococcus bacteria. The two most severe and common illnesses caused by Neisseria meningitidis include meningitis (infection of the fluid and lining around the brain) and septicemia (bloodstream infection).
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Noise Pollution and Your Health
Noise is all around us, all of the time. You probably don’t even notice it. (In fact, you are probably more likely to notice when it gets very quiet and you can actually hear the birds singing!) Traffic roars past us, lawn mowers growl, and kids shout. Even though these are noises that we hear every day, if they are too loud or last too long they can hurt your ears and your hearing. (Luckily, there are things you can do to protect your hearing!)
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Screen Your Teen for Depression
If your teen is between ages 12 and 18, talk to a doctor about screening (testing) for depression. More than 1 in 10 teens have some signs of depression.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Turning Chaos Into Organization
Most kids generate a little chaos and disorganization. Yours might flit from one thing to the next — forgetting books at school, leaving towels on the floor, and failing to finish projects once started.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Protect Your Family (Sports Injuries)
We all want to keep our children safe and secure and help them live to their full potential. Knowing how to prevent injuries from sports and recreation activities, one of the leading causes of child injury, is a step toward this goal. Taking part in sports and recreation activities is an important part of a healthy, physically active lifestyle for kids. But injuries can, and do, occur. More than half of the 7 million sports and recreation-related injuries that occur each year are sustained by youth between ages 5 and 24. Thankfully, there are steps that parents can take to help make sure kids stay safe on the field, the court, or wherever they play or participate in sports and recreation activities.
Protect Your Family (Road Traffic Injuries)
We all want to keep our children safe and secure and help them live to their full potential. Knowing how to prevent leading causes of child injury, like road traffic injuries, is a step toward this goal.
Protect Your Family (Poisonings)
We all want to keep our children safe and secure and help them live to their full potential. Knowing how to prevent leading causes of child injury, like poisoning, is a step toward this goal.
Protect Your Family (Falls)
We all want to keep our children safe and secure and help them live to their full potential. Knowing how to prevent leading causes of child injury, like falls, is a step toward this goal.
Protect Your Family (Drownings
We all want to keep our children safe and secure and help them live to their full potential. Knowing how to prevent leading causes of child injury, like drowning, is a step toward this goal.
Protect Your Family (Burns)
We all want to keep our children safe and secure and help them live to their full potential. Knowing how to prevent leading causes of child injury, like burns, is a step toward this goal.
Aspirin
Prescription aspirin is used to relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (arthritis caused by swelling of the lining of the joints), osteoarthritis (arthritis caused by breakdown of the lining of the joints), systemic lupus erythematosus (condition in which the immune system attacks the joints and organs and causes pain and swelling) and certain other rheumatologic conditions (conditions in which the immune system attacks parts of the body). Nonprescription aspirin is used to reduce fever and to relieve mild to moderate pain from headaches, menstrual periods, arthritis, colds, toothaches, and muscle aches. Nonprescription aspirin is also used to prevent heart attacks in people who have had a heart attack in the past or who have angina (chest pain that occurs when the heart does not get enough oxygen). Nonprescription aspirin is also used to reduce the risk of death in people who are experiencing or who have recently experienced a heart attack. Nonprescription aspirin is also used to prevent ischemic strokes (strokes that occur when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood to the brain) or mini-strokes (strokes that occur when the flow of blood to the brain is blocked for a short time) in people who have had this type of stroke or mini-stroke in the past. Aspirin will not prevent hemorrhagic strokes (strokes caused by bleeding in the brain). Aspirin is in a group of medications called salicylates. It works by stopping the production of certain natural substances that cause fever, pain, swelling, and blood clots
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Be Healthy and Safe in the Garden
Whether you are a beginner or expert, health and safety are important as you head out to your garden, vegetable plot, or lawn. Gardening can be a great way to get physical activity, beautify the community, and go green. However, it is important to protect yourself and take precautions as you work and play in the sun and around insects, chemicals, and lawn and garden equipment.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Adoption: Where Do I Start?
Many resources exist to help prospective adoptive parents educate themselves about adoption.
The Magic of Vitamin C
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble nutrient found in some foods. In the body, it acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are compounds formed when our bodies convert the food we eat into energy. People are also exposed to free radicals in the environment from cigarette smoke, air pollution, and ultraviolet light from the sun. READ MORE
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Varicose Veins: Treatment and Prevention
Varicose veins are treated with lifestyle changes and medical procedures. The goals of treatment are to relieve symptoms, prevent complications, and improve appearance. READ MORE
Varicose Veins
Varicose (VAR-i-kos) veins are swollen, twisted veins that you can see just under the surface of the skin. These veins usually occur in the legs, but they also can form in other parts of the body. READ MORE
Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic, or long-lasting, disease that causes inflammation and sores, called ulcers, in the inner lining of the large intestine, which includes the colon and the rectum—the end part of the colon.
One Baby, Two Babies, Three Babies...
Every book on parenting will tell you that life forever changes after the birth of a child. So parents of twins or higher-order multiples (triplets or more) can feel as if they’ve left the hospital and arrived home on a different planet.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Staphylococcus Aureus (Staph Infection)
Staph infections are caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, which many healthy people carry on their skin and in their noses without getting sick.But when skin is punctured or broken, staph bacteria can enter the wound and cause infections, which can lead to other health problems.You can help prevent staph infections in your family by encouraging regular hand washing and daily bathing, and by keeping areas that have been cut clean or covered.
Questions and Answers about Rosacea
Rosacea is a chronic (long-term) disease that affects the skin and sometimes the eyes. The disorder is characterized by redness, pimples, and, in advanced stages, thickened skin. Rosacea usually affects the face. Skin on other parts of the upper body is only rarely involved.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
What You Need to Know About Shingles
When the itchy red spots of childhood chickenpox* disappear and life returns to normal, the battle with the virus that causes chickenpox seems won. But for too many of us this triumph of immune system over virus is temporary. The virus has not been destroyed but remains dormant in our nerve cells, ready to strike again later in life. This second eruption of the chickenpox virus is the disease called shingles or herpes-zoster .
Plague
Plague is an infectious disease caused by bacteria called Yersinia pestis. These bacteria are found mainly in rodents, particularly rats, and in the fleas that feed on them. Other animals and humans usually contract the bacteria from rodent or flea bites.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
How is Borderline Personality Disorder Treated?
Borderline personality disorder can be treated with psychotherapy, or “talk” therapy. In some cases, a mental health professional may also recommend medications to treat specific symptoms. When a person is under more than one professional’s care, it is essential for the professionals to coordinate with one another on the treatment plan.
Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline personality disorder is a serious mental illness marked by unstable moods, behavior, and relationships. In 1980, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Third Edition (DSM-III) listed borderline personality disorder as a diagnosable illness for the first time. Most psychiatrists and other mental health professionals use the DSM to diagnose mental illnesses.
What Is Oxygen Therapy?
Oxygen therapy is a treatment that provides you with extra oxygen, a gas that your body needs to work well. Normally, your lungs absorb oxygen from the air. However, some diseases and conditions can prevent you from getting enough oxygen.
Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear medicine is a branch of medical imaging that uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose and determine the severity of or treat a variety of diseases, including many types of cancers, heart disease, gastrointestinal, endocrine, neurological disorders and other abnormalities within the body. Because nuclear medicine procedures are able to pinpoint molecular activity within the body, they offer the potential to identify disease in its earliest stages as well as a patient’s immediate response to therapeutic interventions.
Ah, Spring - and Bug Bites and Stings
Warm weather makes it easier to spend more time outdoors, but it also brings out the bugs. Ticks are usually harmless. But a tick bite can lead to Lyme disease, which is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The bacteria are transmitted to people by the black-legged deer tick, which is about the size of a pinhead and usually lives on deer. Infected ticks can also cause other diseases, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Indoor Air Pollution
Indoor pollution sources that release gases or particles into the air are the primary cause of indoor air quality problems in homes. Inadequate ventilation can increase indoor pollutant levels by not bringing in enough outdoor air to dilute emissions from indoor sources and by not carrying indoor air pollutants out of the home. High temperature and humidity levels can also increase concentrations of some pollutants. READ MORE
Your Baby's Hearing
Most children hear and listen to sounds from birth. They learn to talk by imitating the sounds around them and the voices of their parents and caregivers. But that’s not true for all children. In fact, about two or three out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born deaf or hard-of-hearing. More lose their hearing later during childhood. Many of these children may need to learn speech and language differently, so it’s important to detect deafness or hearing loss as early as possible. For this reason, universal newborn hearing screening programs currently operate in all U.S. states and most of the territories. With help from the federal government, every state has established an Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program as part of its public health system. As a result, more than 95 percent of babies have their hearing screened soon after they are born.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Are You a Target for Health Fraudsters?
People spend billions of dollars a year on health-related products and treatments that not only are unproven and often useless, but also sometimes are dangerous. The products promise quick cures and easy solutions for a variety of problems, from obesity and arthritis to cancer and AIDS. But the “cures” don’t deliver, and people who buy them are cheated out of their money, their time, and even their health. That’s why it’s important to learn how to evaluate claims for products related to your health.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of diseases that can damage the eye’s optic nerve and result in vision loss and blindness. While glaucoma can strike anyone, the risk is much greater for people over 60.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Lotto Fever or Pathological Gambling?
Anyone who’s bought a lottery ticket or played bingo has gambled. Gambling is any game of chance in which money changes hands. It’s common in most cultures around the world. Many people enjoy gambling as recreation without causing harm to themselves or others. Yet some people can’t control their impulse to gamble, even when it takes a terrible toll on their lives.
Top Ten Foot Health Tips
The foot can be compared to a finely tuned race car, or a space shuttle, vehicles whose function dictates their design and structure. And like them, the human foot is complex, containing within its relatively small size 26 bones (the two feet contain a quarter of all the bones in the body), 33 joints, and a network of more than 100 tendons, muscles, and ligaments, to say nothing of blood vessels and nerves.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease)
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a more serious form of gastroesophageal reflux (GER), which is common. GER occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) opens spontaneously, for varying periods of time, or does not close properly and stomach contents rise up into the esophagus. GER is also called acid reflux or acid regurgitation, because digestive juices—called acids—rise up with the food. The esophagus is the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. The LES is a ring of muscle at the bottom of the esophagus that acts like a valve between the esophagus and stomach.
Ear Infections
An ear infection is an inflammation of the middle ear, usually caused by bacteria, that occurs when fluid builds up behind the eardrum. Anyone can get an ear infection, but children get them more often than adults. Three out of four children will have at least one ear infection by their third birthday. In fact, ear infections are the most common reason parents bring their child to a doctor. The scientific name for an ear infection is otitis media (OM).
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Cloning: The Future is Now
The term cloning describes a number of different processes that can be used to produce genetically identical copies of a biological entity. The copied material, which has the same genetic makeup as the original, is referred to as a clone.
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Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. The pancreas is a large gland behind the stomach and close to the duodenum—the first part of the small intestine. The pancreas secretes digestive juices, or enzymes, into the duodenum through a tube called the pancreatic duct. Pancreatic enzymes join with bile—a liquid produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder—to digest food. The pancreas also releases the hormones insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream. These hormones help the body regulate the glucose it takes from food for energy.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Do You Know Your Brain?
The brain is the most complex part of the human body. This three-pound organ is the seat of intelligence, interpreter of the senses, initiator of body movement, and controller of behavior. Lying in its bony shell and washed by protective fluid, the brain is the source of all the qualities that define our humanity. The brain is the crown jewel of the human body.
Will a Run a Day Keep The Doctor Away?
Battling another cough or cold? Feeling tired all the time? Taking a daily walk or following a simple exercise routine a few times a week may help you feel better.
Cat and Dog Bites
If you know the owner of the dog or cat that bit you, ask for the pet’s vaccination record (record of shots). An animal that appears healthy and has been vaccinated may still be quarantined (kept away from people and other animals) for 10 days to make sure it doesn’t start showing signs of rabies. If the animal gets sick during the 10-day period, a veterinarian will test it for rabies. If the animal does have rabies, you will need to get a series of rabies shots.
Smokeless Tobacco and Cancer
Smokeless tobacco is tobacco that is not burned. It is also known as chewing tobacco, oral tobacco, spit or spitting tobacco, dip, chew, and snuff. Most people chew or suck (dip) the tobacco in their mouth and spit out the tobacco juices that build up, although “spitless” smokeless tobacco has also been developed.Nicotine in the tobacco is absorbed through the lining of the mouth.
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