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Losing weight on your own can be a challenge. Medical weight-loss programs offer support and structure to help you succeed. Medical weight loss is not a magic pill that takes off pounds, and it's not surgery. It is a physician-guided method for developi...
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...cans didn't have a primary care provider as of 2018, and this number is only growing larger. However, it's important to develop a relationship with a PCP because they can: Maintain your comprehensive medical record, including medications, vaccinations and allergies. JAMA reports patients with PCPs are more likely to book flu shots, cancer screenings and blood pressure checks. Understand your health histo...
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...themselves. Keep tabs on doctor's appointments and soccer practices alike by using a family calendar. Choose a calendar format that fits your family's needs and style. Put all of your family members' medical appointments on it. Set reminders, share information and keep lines of communication open by checking in with everyone once a week. Even if you are acting as the primary caretaker for an aging relati...
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While sore throats, earaches, and minor cough and cold symptoms can often wait until morning, some symptoms demand immediate medical attention, including loss of consciousness, uncontrollable bleeding, and signs of heart attack or stroke. When certain health conditions, including heart attack and stroke, are left untreated, the ri...
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...ed on the severity of their symptoms or suspected condition, not by order of arrival. So depending on your condition, your wait to see an ER doctor may be longer than someone who requires more urgent medical care. Why the Wait? It's best to bring a photo ID and your health insurance card if you have one. However, delaying care during a medical emergency is never advised. Don't spend too much time looking...
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...you make the best of a difficult situation in an emergency. Triage Patients are treated based on the severity of their condition, not by order of arrival. ER doctors see patients with the most severe medical emergencies first. To find out whether you need to go to the front of the line, you will go through a process called triage. A medical professional will get a brief history of the event or symptoms t...
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... off the body by a stalk of flesh. This benign condition most frequently appears on the neck, chest, back, armpits, under the breasts or groin area. Skin tags are usually harmless and painless, but a medical professional can remove them if they constantly snag on clothes, jewelry or cause irritation. Monthly skin self-exams are crucial to the early detection of skin cancer. When you're looking yourself o...
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For decades, scholars and medical professionals have discussed the difference between solitude and loneliness. While solitude is being alone by choice (perhaps to have time to self-reflect), loneliness often feels like grief over one...
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If you love shows like Friends, Seinfeld, I Love Lucy or 30 Rock, you’re not alone. Those often top the charts for people’s all-time favorite comedy series. No matter what TV era y...
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You've been there before—it's been a hectic day filled with deadlines, running errands, or caring for your family. Before you know it, it's time to turn in, but you haven't taken a...
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...time in light sleep than deep or REM sleep, so they feel less rested in the morning. And whether they remember it or not, they wake up three or four times per night. These awakenings are often due to medical issues like sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome, frequent bathroom trips and environmental stressors like noise or light. And, unfortunately, lack of sleep increases the risk of diabetes, heart dis...
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..., such as preeclampsia (high blood pressure) Strokes are the third leading cause of death for women—killing almost double the women breast cancer does. However, there are ways to reduce risk. Harvard Medical School suggests: Drinking alcohol in moderation. Most experts advise women keep it under two drinks daily. Exercising 30 minutes per day, five days per week. Keep blood sugar in check to avoid damage...
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...ition. And since women live longer than men by around five years, they may have more time to develop the disease. The older you are, the more likely you will develop Alzheimer's. According to Harvard Medical School, Alzheimer's is annually diagnosed in: 4 out of 1,000 people ages 65 to 74 32 out of 1,000 people ages 75 to 84 76 out of 1,000 people ages 85 and older Women Have Different Immune Symptoms an...
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...them naturally in many food items and also take them as supplements. Probiotics are usually referred to as "helpful" or "friendly" bacteria as they can eliminate unhealthy bacteria that might lead to medical problems. They can improve your gut health, benefit your digestion, aid immunity and even support weight loss. Studies suggest probiotics even fight obesity by producing hormones that manage hunger—l...
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The brain's blood supply is reduced during a stroke, causing oxygen and nutrient loss. Since brain cells can die in mere minutes, strokes are medical emergencies that require prompt evaluation and treatment. New research presented at the 2021 American Stroke Association conference claims it costs us eight weeks of healthy life for every 10-minute ...
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Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author of the Little House on the Prairie series, once wrote, "Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat." She's not wrong, e...
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...ons that emergency departments don't generally treat—like mental health and dental problems. But we can't assume the person sitting next to us in the ER is in the wrong place. The American Journal of Medical Quality found more than 50% of non-emergency patients contacted a provider first and would have accepted a clinical appointment instead. However, most non-emergent patients are in the ER at their phy...
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...does not guarantee sweet dreams and no jet lag. Melatonin isn't for everyone. The National Institute of Health recommends that people with epilepsy and those taking blood thinner medications be under medical supervision when taking melatonin. It can cause headaches, dizziness, and grogginess upon waking and be dangerous for people with dementia. Researchers worry that melatonin, like many other sleep aid...
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If your fatigue is not due to an underlying medical problem, try these self-help strategies to put the pep back in your step. Here are a few common causes of fatigue. Anemia. Sometimes fatigue can be related to a medical problem. Anemia, for example, ...
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...to scratch, as that can break the skin and lead to infection. 6. Is it true these little pests carry disease? Although most mosquito bites only cause irritation and itching, there are situations when medical help is necessary. Mosquitoes are notorious for transmitting diseases such as West Nile, Zika, dengue, malaria, yellow fever and chikungunya. These diseases infect around 700 million people annually ...
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For obese people struggling with medical issues, such as diabetes or heart disease, surgical weight loss can transform a person's life and health for the better. More than 40% of the American population was considered obese as of 2018—and t...
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Maybe you haven't seen your doctor in a while— and you're not the only one. In 2018, more than a quarter of Americans didn't have a primary care provider (PCP). The Journal of the American Medical Association found patients with PCPs are more likely to fill prescriptions and schedule preventative screenings. That's important because 70% of American deaths are caused by preventable ailments lik...
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...otion. Sitting up straight and cross-legged on your mat, twist your torso to the right, placing your right hand behind your back and your left hand on your right knee. Slowly untwist and come back to center. Repeat on the left side.
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...ant part of her weight loss program. It's no wonder it's popular; not only is this an easy and potentially free way to exercise, but it has a slew of health benefits. It's good for the heart. Harvard Medical School reports walking 22 minutes a day reduces heart disease risks by 30%. Walking 2,100 to 4,500 reduces heart attack, heart failure, stroke and cardiovascular diseases by 38% in women. Men who wal...
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It's no secret that our hair health declines as we age, making it harder to maintain beautiful, soft tresses. Those changes can typically be attributed to two primary factors— horm...
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