8 Ways to Avoid Common Self-Care Mistakes
8 Ways to Avoid Common Self-Care Mistakes Treating common illnesses at home isn't complicated. Even so, doing it safely requires knowledge and a willingness to follow the rules. You don’t want to call your doctor over every little fever or sniffle. But when you’re calling the shots, you want to be confident you’re making wise health care decisions. Here are steps to take to avoid some common self-care mistakes. Watch the dose 1. Don’t take more medication than the label recommends. Some people think if ...

A Dentist Explains Root Canals
A Dentist Explains Root Canals Root canal. Many people cringe at these words. Frequently, they fear the procedure but, trust me—I'm a dentist—it sounds much worse than it is. From the words, a lot of people believe we're taking out the root of their tooth. But that's not it. We're removing soft tissue inside the tooth's canal and then filling up the resulting empty space with a material that's compatible with the body's own tissues. Called "pulp," this tissue includes a network of tiny blood vessels and...

A Guide to Common Medicinal Herbs
A Guide to Common Medicinal Herbs Here's a look at some of the more common medicinal herbs. Most herbs have not been thoroughly tested for effectiveness or interactions with other herbs, supplements, drugs, or foods. Products added to herbal preparations may also cause interactions. It is important to tell your health care providers about any herb or dietary supplement you are using. Chamomile (Flower) Considered by some to be a cure-all, chamomile is commonly used in the United States as a sedative, it...

A Guide to Eyeglass Lenses
A Guide to Eyeglass Lenses Eyeglasses can be prescribed for a number of conditions: myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism (a defect in the eye that causes blurred vision), or age-related presbyopia, which robs your eye's lens of elasticity and makes it tough to focus on nearby objects. Your vision problem determines the shape of the eyeglass lens. Nearsightedness can be corrected by lenses that curve inward (concave); farsightedness can be corrected by lenses that curve outwa...

A Must-Know Guide to Drug-Drug Interactions
A Must-Know Guide to Drug-Drug Interactions Drug-drug interactions can occur when you are taking more than one medication or drug. One medication can interfere with or alter the effects of one or more of the other medications you take. Such interactions can be dangerous because they can alter the way one or both of the drugs act in the body. They can also cause unexpected side effects. Interactions can increase the action of medications, decrease their actions, or result in a different and less predicta...

Act Now to Cut Your Health Care Bills
Act Now to Cut Your Health Care Bills It's important to reduce your medical expenses. This is true if you are in a consumer-directed health plan, such as a medical savings account, or have more traditional health insurance. No matter what your plan, you pay at least a percentage of every health care bill you incur. Of course, the best way to keep your medical costs low is to stay healthy by eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and making other healthy l...

ADHD Drugs Safe, Experts Say
ADHD Drugs Safe, Experts Say Parents of kids with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) face a tough choice: whether to medicate their children or not. And this affects a lot of families. Experts say 6 to 8 percent of school-age kids have ADHD. It's a touchy subject, and it got even thornier after recent reports linked popular ADHD drugs to increased health risks, especially risks for heart problems. But the top experts at the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as at other professional gr...

AEDs: High-Tech Help for Heart Attacks
AEDs: High-Tech Help for Heart Attacks You've seen it time and again on television shows: After someone suffers a sudden heart attack, emergency room doctors grab the paddles and deliver an electric shock to the patient to help restore a normal rhythm. Such scenes may play out for real at airports, malls, sports arenas, health clubs, golf courses and even some businesses -- and you could be holding the paddles. That's because technology has given us the automated external defibrillator (AED), which is t...

After Rehabilitation: Here Are Some Tools
After Rehabilitation: Here Are Some Tools Seeking help for alcohol or drug dependency at a residential recovery unit is the first step toward beating addiction and regaining control of your life. And recovering people can use the tools they learned in rehab to begin the intense challenge of avoiding relapse. Patients can continue to use this support system after leaving the recovery unit to learn how to deal with daily stresses without drugs or alcohol. Below are some tips on how to continue with treatm...

Air Filters, Dehumidifiers, and Humidifiers
Air Filters, Dehumidifiers, and Humidifiers Here are some tips for understanding the air in your house and the air-quality appliances that can alter it. Air filters Purpose: Air-filtration systems pull most mold, pollen, dust mites, and other particulates out of household air. The best systems use HEPA (high-efficiency particulate absorption) filters that have multiple pleats that trap tiny particles. Such a filter can be installed in the duct adjacent to the furnace fan. They also are available as port...

All About Blood Pressure Medication
All About Blood Pressure Medication Your doctor may prescribe antihypertension medication if your blood pressure is high. There are several kinds of medication commonly taken alone or in combination, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Types of medication Diuretics Thiazide diuretics are often the first medications your doctor will try to treat your high blood pressure. They help to lower blood pressure by eliminating excess fluid and salt that accumulate in the body. The excess fluid is ...

All About Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs
All About Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Making healthy lifestyle changes alone is enough to help some people reach the cholesterol goals prescribed by their doctor. Others, however, need to take a cholesterol-lowering medication, as well. According to the American Heart Association, there are five main types: Statins (atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, simvastatin, pitavastatin). These drugs work mainly by lowering LDL ("bad") cholesterol. They typically reduce LDL by 30 to 4...

All About Generic Medications
All About Generic Medications Generic drugs are a therapeutic "copy" of brand-name drugs. According to the Congressional Budget Office, every year, consumers save an estimated $8 to $10 billion dollars by using generic medications. The FDA regulates generic medications. They are allowed on the market only after testing has proved they produce the same effect on the body as their brand-name counterparts. Not every drug has a generic. Generally, when brand-name drugs are first developed, a patent protects...

Allergy Medications and Vaccinations for Older Adults
Allergy Medications and Immunizations for Older Adults Older adults face more risks than young adults when they take medication. Some of these risks are simply because many older adults have several chronic conditions and take different medications for each. Taking multiple medications—both prescribed and over-the-counter (OTC)—increases the risk that the medications will interact in a way that causes problems. Remembering when to take multiple medications also can be a challenge. Other risks are becaus...

Andreas Vesalius, Father of Modern Anatomy
Andreas Vesalius, Father of Modern Anatomy Today we take for granted our knowledge of human anatomy. We can thank early scientists such as the 16th-century anatomist Andreas Vesalius, who struggled to discover, record, and publish the inner structure and fabric of the human body. Vesalius revolutionized the science of anatomy by basing his findings on direct observation of the body itself, rather than on centuries-old wisdom. Until Vesalius' day, the study of anatomy consisted of expounding the texts of...

Anti-Aging Hormones: Do They Work?
Anti-Aging Hormones: Do They Work? Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could look and feel years younger just by taking a supplement? The makers of "anti-aging" hormone supplements would like you to believe that this is possible. But before you accept their claims and open your wallet, see what medical researchers say. With the exception of severe dietary restriction, no treatments have been clearly demonstrated to decrease the rate that humans age or extend lifespan. Genetic manipulation in a frequently st...

Antibiotics Not the Cure for the Common Cold
Antibiotics Not the Cure for the Common Cold You can catch a cold at any time during the year. And often, you and your family may find yourselves seeking your health care provider's help in battling the misery that the illness can cause. You may even be hoping for a miracle drug that will provide an instant cure. It's easy to mistake antibiotics as a magic remedy for a cold. For a long time, antibiotics have dutifully treated the conditions they were intended to be used for, like bacterial pneumonia, si...

Are You Frenetic About Genetics?
Are You Frenetic About Genetics? The headlines that greet every genetic advance can split people into two camps: Those who use the news to support a fatalistic view that healthy living isn't worth it because their genes point to an early demise. Those who anxiously await the test or treatment that will spare them the ravages of disease. But the best course, doctors say, is to balance your interest in the latest findings with tried-and-true treatments. In 2003, scientists finished the blueprint for the h...

Aspirin and Your Heart: Should You or Shouldn’t You?
Aspirin and Your Heart: Should You or Shouldn’t You? In addition to taking aspirin to relieve pain and fever, millions of Americans take a low-dose or “baby” aspirin daily to reduce their risk for heart attack and stroke. Should you join in? Probably not, unless you have your physician's OK. That's because the benefits may not outweigh the increased risk for bleeding in people what are at low risk for heart attack or stroke. The answers to the following questions can help you understand the risks and be...

Asthma Medications and Emotional Side Effects
Asthma Medications and Emotional Side Effects Do you often feel nervous or hyperactive? If the answer is yes, it's possible that your asthma medications may be causing this reaction. Although medications can successfully treat asthma symptoms, they may also have side effects that leave you feeling jittery. Many people with asthma who experience these feelings may not realize that they may be caused by their medication. These are medications that may cause the jitters or nervousness: Beta-2 agonists. The...

Biofeedback: Another Way to Manage Pain
Biofeedback: Another Way to Manage Pain You probably don't give much thought to whether your muscles are tense, how fast you're breathing or the number of times your heart beats in a minute. These things occur whether you're aware of them or not. They're beyond your control. Or, are they? Actually, you may be able to learn how to regulate these types of bodily functions using biofeedback, a noninvasive technique that's been around since the early 1990s. In 1908, a Harvard doctor first started studying p...

Childhood Immunizations: Get the Facts
Childhood Immunizations: Get the Facts If you are the parent of a young child, you may be confused about the safety of immunizations. You may have heard that vaccines cause life-threatening side effects or can lead to other diseases. Or you may have read that vaccines are not necessary anymore. According to the CDC, the United States has the most effective and safest vaccines. U.S. law requires that several years of product testing for effectiveness and safety occur before a vaccine can be licensed. Onc...

Choosing a Hospital
Choosing a Hospital You don't have time to choose a hospital if you have a health emergency. But if you’re facing surgery or treatment for a particular health condition, taking time to find a hospital that meets your needs is well worth the effort, according to the American Hospital Association. The following information and strategies can help you understand and research hospitals in your community. Hospital types Many communities have several kinds of hospitals: General and community hospitals. Most o...

Clinical Trials: Should You Participate?
Clinical Trials: Should You Participate? Being involved in a clinical trial has risks and benefits. Being informed and asking lots of questions can help you make a decision. A clinical trial is a research study that uses human volunteers to try to answer a specific question. Whenever a new arthritis drug or breast cancer treatment hits the market, clinical trials are an important step in the approval process. Clinical trials are conducted for different reasons, according to the National Institutes of He...

Common Questions About Corticosteroids in Asthma
Common Questions About Corticosteroids in Asthma Q: What is a corticosteroid? A: A corticosteroid is a type of drug that reduces inflammation of the airways. These medications can be inhaled to prevent symptoms rather than treat flare-ups. When used in this way, they are called long-term-control medicines. People take them every day, even when they feel fine. For the drug to work, you need to take it exactly as your health care provider tells you to. In some cases, this type of drug may be given as a ta...

Contraception: Many Options
Contraception: Many Options About half of all pregnancies in this country are unplanned, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. For a woman who wants to plan when she becomes pregnant, however, there are many choices. Contraception -- also called birth control -- refers to methods or devices that prevent pregnancy either by preventing a woman’s egg from being fertilized by sperm or by preventing a fertilized egg from being implanted in the uterus. Which method or methods y...

Controlling Mental Health Costs
Controlling Mental Health Costs Each year, about 26 percent of adults in the United States suffer from a mental health disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The most common mental health disorders are anxiety, substance abuse, and depression. Mental health care can be expensive even for people with health insurance. Medications for these conditions are costly, and many therapists charge $120 an hour or more per counseling session. These suggestions can help control your mental ...

COPD: Understanding Pulmonary Rehabilitation
COPD: Understanding Pulmonary Rehabilitation Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) touches every part of your life. But pulmonary rehabilitation, or rehab, can help you manage the condition so that it has less of an impact. Rehab is based on a team approach and combines exercise, emotional support, and education. You and your health care providers work together to create a treatment plan just for you. The payoff is increased control of your symptoms and improved function. And that makes it easier...

Coping with Hair Loss During Cancer Treatment
Coping with Hair Loss During Cancer Treatment Hair loss, known medically as alopecia, is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy, the drugs used to attack the cancer cells in your body. It’s normal for both men and women to worry about losing their hair during cancer treatment. Hair loss can be difficult emotionally because of the way it alters your appearance. It’s hard to predict exactly how much hair loss you will have. Some people lose all the hair on their body, even their eyebrows and ...

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG)
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG) (CABG, Open Heart Surgery, Bypass Surgery) Procedure overview What is coronary artery bypass surgery? Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is a procedure used to treat coronary artery disease in certain circumstances. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the narrowing of the coronary arteries (the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle), caused by a buildup of fatty material within the walls of the arteries. This buildup causes t...

Could Medication Be Causing Weight Gain?
Could Medication Be Causing Your Weight Gain? Eating too much and not exercising enough are the main reasons people put on extra pounds. However, some prescription and over-the-counter medications also can cause weight gain. You might gain as much as a pound a week. If you feel your pants getting tighter and you haven't changed your exercise and diet regimen, ask your doctor about your medications. The most common prescription medications to cause weight gain include drugs that treat depression, heartbu...

Curb Antibiotic Abuse in Children
Curb Antibiotic Abuse in Children Your child has a runny nose, a cough, a sore throat, and a fever, so you go to the pediatrician. The doctor knows a virus caused this infection, which will just run its course. You're worried, so you push the doctor to give your child an antibiotic. The doctor gives in. Who's wrong? Both you and the doctor, experts say. Children have the highest rates of antibiotic use and they also have the highest rate of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens, but antibi...

Dental Implants Can Last a Lifetime
Dental Implants Can Last a Lifetime Dental implants have been around a very long time. Anthropologists working at the pyramids have discovered crude implants in Egyptian mummies thousands of years old. But modern implant dentistry was born in Sweden about four decades ago. Since then, researchers have made great strides, resulting in a procedure with an extremely high success rate. "Implants survive very well. They're successful in the high-90-percentile range," says Dean Morton, B.D.S., M.S., associate...

Dental Sealants Shield Against Tooth Decay
Dental Sealants Shield Against Tooth Decay A dentist can protect your child's teeth with an invisible plastic coating called a dental sealant. The American Dental Association (ADA) and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommend sealants as powerful weapons in our arsenal against decay. Dentists began using sealants in the 1970s, and long-term studies have confirmed their success. The studies show the number of school-age children without cavities in their permanent teeth has doubled since ...

Dentistry: It's Not the Same Old Drill
Dentistry: It's Not the Same Old Drill Imagine your dentist's office without the whirring sound of a high-speed drill--the sound that seems to go right through you. Well, you won't have to worry about the drill when you walk into your dentist's office in a few years. Dental researchers can't say for sure when it will happen, but they're confident that the drill will soon be obsolete. What will take its place? High-tech lasers. High-tech toothpastes and mouth rinses. Even chewing gum. And these are only ...

Depressed Kids Need Help
Despite Antidepressant Fear, Depressed Kids Need Help A new label on some antidepressants, a so-called black box warning, cautions that they may make kids feel more suicidal. But that warning shouldn't stop parents from considering their use for depressed teens, psychiatrists say. In short, teen depression is a serious illness. The benefits of getting help, including taking medications if needed, far outweigh the potential risks. Keeping watch A specific group of antidepressants called selective seroton...

Digital X-Rays Give Dentists the Big Picture
Digital X-Rays Give Dentists the Big Picture For years, an X-ray at the dentist's office went pretty much the same way. The dentist or an assistant would put a wooden or cotton block in your mouth, tell you not to move and disappear. You'd heard a quick clicking sound, and then you would wait for someone to return with tiny films that could be displayed on a lighted box or board. Those days are fading. Digital technology has spread to the dentist's office. From 10 to 30 percent of dentists have forgone ...

End-of-Life Concerns for Cancer Patients
End-of-Life Concerns for Cancer Patients In the course of cancer treatment, some cancer patients and their families will face difficult, end-of-life decisions. Many thoughts may race though your mind: What will happen to my family? How long will I live? How do I maintain control? Hearing your doctor suggest that you plan and prepare for the end of life can be overwhelmingly emotional and confusing. Talking about end-of-life care may not only be extremely difficult, it may also catch you by surprise. Acc...

Evaluating Complementary Cancer Cures
Evaluating Complementary Cancer Cures No one wants a cure for cancer more than someone with the disease. Because of this, many people are willing to try treatments outside the mainstream of traditional medicine. But while some complementary and alternative methods (CAM) have been scientifically proven to promote healing or reduce symptoms, many have not. Understand CAM treatments A small number of CAM therapies originally considered to be purely alternative approaches are finding a place in cancer treat...

Exercise and Target Heart Rate
Exercise and Target Heart Rate The fitness world is full of exercise gadgets, some good, but many more trouble than they are worth. Regardless of what shape you are in, one device you might find useful is a heart rate monitor. The key to cardiovascular fitness is getting a good but safe aerobic workout. Heart rate monitors, which monitor your heart rate while you exercise, can help you do that with ease. They range from relatively simple devices that show at a glance how many times per minute your heart...

For a Smile That Dazzles Think Veneers
For a Smile That Dazzles Think Veneers Professional models do it. Actors and actresses do it. Even politicians do it. They're changing their smiles—and they have influenced a growing number of people to take the same step by asking dentists to give them veneers. Simply put, a veneer is a covering, something like the thin layer on a piece of furniture that gives it the look of natural wood. When it comes to your teeth, a veneer refers to a thin covering usually made of porcelain. How thin? "Porcelain ven...

For Adults: Take Care with Antidepressants
For Adults: Take Care with Antidepressants Antidepressants are an important part of the treatment for depression. With the help of antidepressants, prescribed alone or along with psychotherapy or counseling, the great majority of adults who suffer with depression improve, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH). Depression is a complex brain disorder that affects how well nerve cells in certain parts of the brain work. Antidepressants i...

For More Babies, Birth Comes Too Soon
For More Babies, Birth Comes Too Soon Full-term babies are born between 37 and 42 completed weeks of pregnancy. Babies born prior to 37 weeks gestation are considered premature. More than half a million babies are born before they have reached 37 weeks of maturity. Premature babies have an increased risk for complications, such as respiratory distress syndrome and infections. Most preterm babies spend weeks or months in a hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). A NICU has a specialized team of n...

For Obese Teens, Surgery Is the Last Resort
For Obese Teens, Surgery Is the Last Resort Extreme obesity plagues more than 5 million teens and young adults, experts estimate. These youths tend to be at least 100 pounds or 100 percent above their ideal body weight. Teens who have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater are considered extremely obese. BMI is a way of calculating whether a teen or adult is overweight or obese. It is based on a measure of weight and height. A teen is overweight if his or her BMI is 25 to 29.9. Moderate obesity is 30 ...

For Parents: Treat at Home or Call the Doctor?
For Parents: Treat at Home or Call the Doctor? When a child complains of a sore throat, stomachache, or a headache, a parent naturally worries. You want to do whatever you can to help your child feel better quickly. Sometimes, the illness seems severe enough to call your pediatrician or even take your child in for a checkup—just in case. For parents of a newborn, first-time parents, or any anxious mom or dad, it may be hard to tell a true health threat that needs a doctor's attention from a frightening,...

For Seniors: Choosing a New Doctor
For Seniors: Choosing a New Doctor You may have had the same doctor for years. Even so, a time may come when he or she retires or your health plan changes and the doctor is not with the new program. Whatever the reason for needing a new primary care doctor, the following suggestions from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) can help you find the right doctor. Questions to consider In choosing a doctor, here are some issues to think about: Is he or she board certified? Board-certified doctors have and h...

Genetics and Illness: What's Your Fate?
Genetics and Illness: What's Your Fate? If you have a parent or sibling with heart disease, cancer, or some other serious and possibly inherited ailment, does that mean you're doomed to the same fate? Growing volumes of research underscore the role that genes -- the inherited material that forms your body's blueprint -- play in some diseases. Often, your lifestyle and environment -- including what you eat and breathe -- can join with disease-prone genes to make a potential disease a reality. Know your f...

Get the Facts About Elective Surgery
Get the Facts About Elective Surgery If a surgery is not an emergency, it is considered elective. There are many types of elective surgery. Elective surgeries may be required in order to diagnose disease. One example is a biopsy to find out whether you have cancer. They may also be optional. An example is laser surgery to correct nearsightedness. Or you may have plastic surgery to replace your hair or tuck your tummy. Just because these surgeries are optional doesn’t mean they aren't serious. Knowing th...

Get the Most From Your Doctor Visits
Get the Most From Your Doctor Visits A typical doctor's office visit lasts between 15 and 30 minutes. That gives your health care provider little time to talk to you about your health problem, examine you, make a diagnosis, then suggest a treatment plan. To avoid wasting valuable time, be prepared for every visit, using the following pointers. Before the appointment: Identify your symptoms or the reason for your visit. Before your visit, review your symptoms and put them in chronological order. Writing ...

Glossary of Dental Terms
Glossary of Dental Terms Dentists use a lot of terms to describe problems and procedures. They would be glad to explain any term you don't know, of course, but here are a few: Abrasion— tooth wear caused by forces other than chewing, such as improper brushing Abutment— a tooth or implant that supports an artificial device replacing teeth Amalgam— an alloy used in dental restorations Arch— upper or lower jaw Band —metal ring orthodontists cement to a tooth for strength and to anchor it Bonding —a composi...

Guarding Against Medical Scams
Guarding Against Medical Scams From television infomercials touting the latest medical "cures," to mail-order schemes and newspaper and television ads that promise better health and a longer life with specific, but unproven, products, medical scams are everywhere. And with the Internet, health fraud is spreading fast and siphoning billions of dollars from consumers' pockets each year. The Internet has given medical scams an effective distribution method. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (F...

Health Newcomer: The Patient Advocate
Health Newcomer: The Patient Advocate The average doctor visit lasts less than 15 minutes, so if you've got lots of questions—about your illness or medical bills or insurance claims, what do you do? Until now, your recourse has been to ask a nurse, social worker, or the staff at your health insurance company. Over the past decade, however, a go-to person known as a patient advocate has appeared on the health care roster. This person can provide answers, education, support, and care to patients. Differin...

Heart Disease: Managing Multiple Medications
Heart Disease: Managing Multiple Medications Like many people with heart disease, you probably take more than one medication. Heart medicines may help you be more active, and live longer and more comfortably. Using them correctly is essential to your health. Whether you take prescription drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) medicine or both, there are important guidelines to follow to get the most from your medicines—and to avoid unpleasant or dangerous side effects. Always follow the label directions. Follow ...

Heart Failure: Getting the Care You Need
Heart Failure: Getting the Care You Need If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with heart failure, you probably have a lot of questions. What can I expect from treatment? What can I do to manage the condition? What kind of care will be needed in the future? It's important to have an open and honest discussion with your health care provider about these concerns. These tips can help you make sure your needs are met. It's important to ask your provider questions during your visit to make sure you unders...

Hope on the Horizon for Breast Cancer
Hope on the Horizon for Breast Cancer Except for nonmelanoma skin cancer, breast cancer remains the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. But cancer experts say that women should feel encouraged by the current breakthroughs in detection and treatment. In recent years, researchers have discovered new and better ways to detect and treat breast cancer--and to keep it from coming back, the American Cancer Society (ACS) says. These new developments stem from a vast body of research. Recent advances, alo...

How Much of a Threat Is Bird Influenza?
How Much of a Threat Is Bird Influenza? Influenza, with its fever, aches, fatigue and threat of complications, seems a uniquely human illness. But the flu, caused by a virus, can infect animals and birds, as well. The good news is that many strains of the flu virus don't cross over to humans. The sobering news is that the few strains that do make the crossover tend to be virulent, with the potential to cause widespread illness. That's what happened in 1918, when the "Spanish flu" swept around the world,...

How to Be a Savvy Medical Consumer
How to Be a Savvy Medical Consumer Taking the time to become an informed and proactive medical consumer is a simple matter of self-protection. The need to be a savvy medical consumer is especially important if you are in a consumer-directed health plan, such as a medical savings account, because these plans place more responsibility for health care on your shoulders. But the benefits of being an active medical consumer include better health, more effective health care, and lower health costs. Here are s...

How to Be a Wise Health Care Consumer
How to Be a Wise Health Care Consumer Every doctor visit or medication treatment presents you with choices and responsibilities. Sometimes the right choice isn’t so clear. Here are common problems you may run into as a health care consumer, with tips for wise responses: The treatment your doctor prescribed isn’t working. Maybe it’s the wrong treatment for you. Or, maybe you’re taking the right treatment in the wrong way. In any case, your doctor needs to know. Ask him or her to clarify the treatment dir...

How to Be an Active Patient
How to Be an Active Patient People who are actively involved in their medical care stay healthier, recover quicker when they're ill and live longer, healthier lives, says the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Active patients participate as partners in their health care with their doctors and other providers. They don't make health care decisions on their own, but they're in charge of the process because they schedule appropriate visits to their health care providers, plan ahead to get the most...

How to Control Surgical Costs
How to Control Surgical Costs Hospital stays make up more than half of all health care costs. One way to cut your medical costs is to avoid surgery. You can't always do this, though. Here are ideas from the National Institutes of Health and other experts to keep more money in your pocket. Look for options Find out about any alternatives to surgery. Sometimes, an operation isn’t the only answer to a medical problem. Medication or a change in diet or exercise may be just as helpful. Ask your surgeon or pr...

How to Cut Your Hospital Bills
How to Cut Your Hospital Bills Even if you have health insurance, being hospitalized can cost you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. Although you may not be able to avoid a hospital stay, there are ways to trim the expenses. Knowing how to reduce your medical bills is especially important if you are in a consumer-directed health plan, such as a medical savings account. These plans place more responsibility for health care decisions on your shoulders. Before your stay Be sure you understand your hea...

How to Evaluate Your Health Care Providers
How to Evaluate Your Health Care Providers What does good-quality health care mean to you? It may mean being able to get an appointment with your health care provider quickly, having a health care provider who is willing to spend time with you, or being treated nicely by the staff at his or her office. These things are important. But another factor that’s critical to your health is receiving good-quality clinical care. That includes having the right tests for your health condition and being prescribed e...

How to Find Dr. Right
How to Find Dr. Right Your relationship with your doctor is one of the most important in your life. You should be able to trust your doctor with your most private health issues or problems and should feel certain he or she is your ally. You may need to choose a new doctor if your current one stops participating in your health insurance plan or no longer satisfies your particular needs. Steps to take The following suggestions can help you find a new doctor who's right for you: Look for a doctor when you'...

How to Get Medications for Less
How to Get Medications for Less The best way to reduce your prescription drug costs is to follow a healthier lifestyle. Improving your diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and quitting smoking can improve your health enough that you may be able to give up or take lower doses of expensive medications. The following strategies from the FDA can help you cut your prescription costs significantly. Ask for generics If your doctor prescribes a brand-name drug, always ask if there’s a gener...

How to Get Optimal Medical Care
How to Get Optimal Medical Care To get the best medical care you can, you should be an informed patient who works closely with your health care provider. To get the most from a doctor visit, follow this advice from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ): Start with open communication. Don’t assume your doctor has all the information he or she needs. If you think of a detail you forgot to mention during an appointment, jot it down. Then, call your doctor or nurse. Mind your medications. Ta...

How to Plan for Long-Term Care
How to Plan for Long-Term Care Most older people are independent. But later in life, you or someone you love may need help with everyday activities, such as shopping, cooking, and bathing. A variety of services and facilities can provide help that allows people to stay active and connected with family, friends, and neighbors. Planning ahead The key to successful long-term care is planning. To get started: Talk with your doctor or another health care professional if you're having trouble with everyday ac...

How to Plan for Major Surgery
How to Plan for Major Surgery Major surgery can be intimidating, but you’ll feel more confident if you get all the information you need about your surgery beforehand. This will help you prepare for the procedure and for your recovery in the hospital or at home. Questions to ask before surgery Every question you have is important – don’t be shy about asking them. Here are some of the most helpful questions to get answered: Why are you recommending this surgery? Who will be on the surgical team? Where wil...

How to Prepare for Scheduled or Elective Surgery
How to Prepare for Scheduled or Elective Surgery If you are facing surgery, you are not alone. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), more than 15 million Americans have surgery every year. The AHRQ recommends you take the time to learn about the surgery your doctor has recommended so you understand what's involved and feel comfortable that it's the best treatment. It also recommends that you take the time to find the right surgeon and hospital and to ask your surgeon questi...

How to Properly Manage Medical Devices
How to Properly Manage Medical Devices Whether it's placing a thermometer under your tongue or standing on a scale to weigh yourself, chances are good you've used a personal medical device at one time or another. Many people with chronic illnesses depend on more elaborate medical devices, such as cardiac pacemakers or blood-glucose monitors, for their health and well-being. Countless others help their loved ones, young or old, deal with an oxygen machine, asthma medication inhaler, or other device. No m...

How to Safely Choose OTC Medications
How to Safely Choose OTC Medications Over-the-counter (OTC) cough and pain relievers, laxatives, and headache remedies may treat different conditions, but they all have one thing in common: They’re serious medicines that need to be taken with care. OTCs medications are real medicines and can have side effects and risks, even though you don’t need a prescription to buy them. Generally they are safe when taken exactly as directed on the label, but can be dangerous if the wrong dosage is taken, the right a...

How to Take Part in Every Medical Decision
How to Take Part in Every Medical Decision In some medical situations, there’s a clear right answer regarding which treatment is best. In other cases, such as breast or prostate cancer, for instance, there are several valid treatment options, each of which is effective, and what’s best for you can depend on your values, preferences, the stage of your condition, cost considerations, and the risks and benefits that go along with each choice. Do your research Well-informed people who play a significant rol...

How to Tell if Your Child Needs Braces
How to Tell if Your Child Needs Braces Q: So many children have braces. How can I tell if my child is heading toward needing braces? A: Children should have a checkup with an orthodontist no later than age 7. Your regular dentist is an excellent resource who can tell you whether your child, regardless of age, would benefit from seeing an orthodontist. Here are some things to look for, indicating that a child is likely to benefit from seeing an orthodontist: Early, late, or irregular loss of baby teeth D...

Hypnosis: Helps Treat Pain, Other Conditions
Hypnosis: Helps Treat Pain, Other Conditions Some health care providers, clinical psychologists, and dentists use hypnosis in their work. Done properly, hypnosis can be part of a comprehensive plan to manage pain, behavioral problems, stress, and phobias, in addition to helping people control weight or quit smoking. Although hypnosis has been endorsed by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the American Medical Association, myths still surround. Chief among the myths is that the patient lose...

Indispensable Health Insurance Glossary
Indispensable Health Insurance Glossary Understanding your health insurance policy and the benefits to which you're entitled can improve your health care and reduce your costs. The following glossary of health insurance terms can help you employ your coverage to the fullest. Allowable expenses: the necessary, customary. and reasonable expenses an insurer will cover. Alternative treatment plan: provision in managed-care arrangements for treatment outside of a hospital. Average length of stay: measure use...

Influenza Shots Urged for Young Children
Influenza Shots Urged for Young Children Each fall, you hear that influenza threatens older adults and folks with chronic ailments. Most years, it's true that the death rate from the flu peaks in those older than 65, and that the rate of hospital stays is highest in people ages 85 and older. But children younger than 2 years have more severe complications from seasonal influenza and may require hospitalization. According to the CDC, about 20,000 children younger than 5 are hospitalized each year because...

Insulin Pump Use
Insulin Pump Use Can anyone with diabetes use an insulin pump? Insulin pumps are used most often by people with type 1 diabetes, but some people with type 2 diabetes also use them. Insulin pumps can be used instead of administering insulin by injection. These palm-sized pumps clip to your clothing or attach directly to your body. Through a tube attached to your skin, usually on the abdomen, thigh or buttock, the pump delivers a basal (continuous) dose of insulin 24 hours a day. Before a meal, you push a...

Is My Asthma Medicine Working?
Is My Asthma Medicine Working? To make sure that you are getting the most benefit from your asthma medicines, ask yourself the following questions. If you answer yes to any of them, you and your health care provider may need to adjust your care plan: Have you missed work or school because of your asthma? Do you limit your activity because of asthma? Do you lose sleep because of asthma? Have you gone to the emergency department or your health care provider’s office because of a flare-up? Do you avoid med...

Is Your Medication Working for You?
Is Your Medication Working for You? Prescription drugs can enhance your life, but when not used correctly, they may have the opposite effect. Medications are serious business and should never be taken lightly. Ask these questions each time you’re prescribed a medication: Q: How should I take this drug? A large percentage of people don't take their medications correctly, according to recent surveys. Some never bother to fill their prescriptions in the first place. Others stop taking a drug without first ...

Laser Surgery Can Improve Vision Problems
Laser Surgery Can Improve Vision Problems Laser vision surgery is a popular treatment of vision problems that reduces or eliminates the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses. Laser procedures can help correct refractive errors, or problems caused by an imperfectly shaped eyeball or cornea. (The cornea is the front, transparent part of the eye that bends and focuses light.) Refractive errors cause light from an object to be imprecisely focused on the retina of the eye, causing a blurred image. Refractive...

Learn to Be a Smart Pharmaceutical Consumer
Learn to Be a Smart Pharmaceutical Consumer Prescription medications have joined the ranks of new cars and breakfast cereals. Many of them are being marketed directly to the public through ads on television and in magazines. Some medications get so much free publicity they don't need to be advertised. Smart pharmaceutical consumers should use advertisements as a springboard to become more educated about their own illnesses and options for treatment. Often, when people view or read medication advertiseme...

Living Wills Offer Peace of Mind
Living Wills Offer Peace of Mind A living will tells others how you want to be treated when it comes to life-sustaining measures. It is used when a person becomes terminally ill or unable to communicate or make decisions, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) says. Such a will doesn't always tell doctors to withhold or end treatment. In fact, it can call for treatment to go on regardless of your medical condition. Having a living will protects your rights as a patient and means that your family or friends...

Maintaining Your Personal Health Record
Maintaining Your Personal Health Record Every time you visit a doctor, hospital, or other health care provider, a record of your visit is made. This information is then compiled into your health record. But, in most cases, a complete record of all your personal health information can't be found in any single location or consistent format. Keeping your own personal health record (PHR) allows you to provide doctors with valuable information that can help improve the quality of care you receive. A PHR can ...

Make Sure You Understand Your Treatment
Make Sure You Understand Your Treatment For optimum health, you need to understand your health problem and your treatment plan, including how to take prescription medications. These days, however, medical information is complex, and doctors, pharmacists and other health care professionals don’t always explain information in a way the average person can understand. In fact, if you often find your doctor’s explanations or instructions confusing, you’re not alone. Ask to learn Making sure you understand yo...

Make Your Dentist Your Partner
Make Your Dentist Your Partner Have you ever walked out of a dentist's office wishing you had asked the dentist or the staff something? Or, maybe you didn't understand something the dentist said, or something the orthodontist told you about your child's oral health. "One of the most important things you can do to ensure great oral health care is to develop a good relationship with your dentist," says Kimberly A. Harms, D.D.S., a consumer adviser for the American Dental Association (ADA) who practices in...

Make Your Doctor Your Partner in Health
Make Your Doctor Your Partner in Health Whether you're sick with the flu or there for a physical, chances are you'd rather be shopping or watching football than visiting your doctor. It's no picnic being a patient. But as long as you have to be one, it pays to make the most of it. That means taking an active role in your health and working in partnership with your doctor. When you do, you receive more thorough care, you're more apt to follow through with treatment and you help cut the risk for medical m...

Making Sense of Medical Advice
Making Sense of Medical Advice If seemingly contradictory health news has you confused, it's time to learn how to read between the lines. You can do so by keeping the following recommendations in mind the next time you hear or read about a new health tip in the media. Check it out Be suspicious of advice that sounds too good to be true -- because it probably is too good to be true. Watch out for "experts" who say they can do what medical doctors can't. Investigate the advice before following it. Closely...

Making Sense of Medical Notes
Making Sense of Medical Notes If you’ve ever tried to read a medical chart but couldn’t understand the doctor’s shorthand, the following definitions may help. a.c.—Before meals, as in taking a medicine before meals. Ad lib—At liberty. For example, a patient may be permitted to move out of bed freely and orders would, therefore, be for ad lib activities. BP—Blood pressure. C&S—Culture and sensitivity, a test performed to detect infection. CBC—Complete blood count. CC—Chief complaint, the patient’s ma...

Managing Your Medicine Cabinet
Managing Your Medicine Cabinet Chances are you don't think about your medicine cabinet until you have a cold or a nasty cut. Keeping a well-stocked medicine cabinet isn't difficult and doesn't take much time. You'll first want the essentials for first aid and symptom relief, rounded out with a few items that meet the special needs of you and other adults in your family. Keep in mind that even a well-stocked medicine cabinet isn't a substitute for professional medical attention. If what you are doing at ...

Medication Terms You Need to Know
Medication Terms You Need to Know Americans treat many of their everyday health problems themselves by taking over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. To use medicines safely, make sure you read, understand and follow the instructions carefully. Many of the words on medicine labels may be hard to understand. Use this guide of common terms used on OTC labels to help you choose and use medicines correctly. Active ingredients: Ingredients that treat or cure symptoms. This is the drug or medicine that is in the pr...

Medications that Can Treat Alzheimer's Disease
Medications that Can Treat Alzheimer's Disease Many people believe that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can't be treated. The truth is that medications are available that may help slow the progression of symptoms. Although these drugs don’t work for everyone, they offer some hope for the more than 5 million people who have AD. The FDA has approved five medications to treat Alzheimer’s disease. All the drugs may help temporarily prevent some AD symptoms, such as confusion and forgetfulness, from getting worse. ...

Medications to Treat ADHD in Children
Medications to Treat ADHD in Children Children who have ADHD are often given medication as part of their treatment plan. The type of medication most often chosen is a psychostimulant, such as methylphenidate (Ritalin, Metadate and Concerta). Psychostimulant drugs help balance chemicals in the child's brain that help to control behavior and focus attention. Other psychostimulants prescribed for ADHD in children include dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), a mixture of amphetamine salts (Adderall), and atomoxet...

Medicine 2.0: How Technology Can Help Your Health
Medicine 2.0: How Technology Can Help Your Health You may already use Facebook to find old friends and your smartphone to check email. But did you know high-tech gadgets and networks can also connect you with medical resources? Depending on your health needs, technology may be just what the doctor ordered. If you’re looking for: Up-to-the-minute news about disease outbreaks and disasters. Turn to Twitter. The CDC sends instant updates , or “Tweets,” that are 140 characters or less. Personal stories abou...

Men Over 50 Need Annual Prostate Exam
Men Over 50 Need Annual Prostate Exam Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. It affects about 230,000 men each year. It is the number two killer, with 29,200 deaths annually. It makes up more than 30 percent of all new cancer cases in men. "Men over the age of 50 need to have their prostate gland checked every year," says Paul H. Lange, M.D., a renowned Seattle urologist, surgeon, and researcher in the field of prostate cancer. "If you are African American or have a family history of prostate...

Mental Health: Finding the Help You Need
Mental Health: Finding the Help You Need When your life spins out of control, asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. The American Psychological Association recommends you seek the help of a trained mental health professional if: You constantly worry. You feel trapped. You aren't getting any better with self-help. You feel as if you can't handle things alone. Your feelings are affecting your job, relationships or sleep or eating habits. Other reasons to seek help: Someone who knows you well...

Migraines: Should You Take Preventive Medication?
Migraines: Should You Take Preventive Medication? What if you could stop a migraine before it even started? For some people, taking medication every day can help prevent migraines and make them less painful when they do occur. Although these medications may not eliminate your migraines entirely, they can provide some relief from chronic migraine pain. According to the American Headache Society, you may benefit from taking a preventive migraine medication if you: Have two or more migraines a month that k...

Monitoring Medications
Monitoring Medications Medicines can be critical for treating and preventing diseases. Yet sometimes medicines cause side effects and actually make a person feel worse. Side effects are more common as people age, so it's important to understand how to identify and prevent side effects. In older people, it may be difficult to distinguish between side effects and symptoms of disease, especially for those with several different diseases. A person feeling dizzy, for example, may think it is a symptom of the...

MRSA Infections on the Rise
MRSA Infections on the Rise Bacteria are everywhere, even on our skin--and most exist without causing any health problems. Staphylococcus aureus --or staph--is one of those common skin bacteria. Staph and other bacteria become a problem when they cause infection. An infection can develop when the bacteria enter a scratch, cut, or other wound. Bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics. For some types of staph bacteria, however, common antibiotics don't work because the bacteria have become res...

New Rules for OTC Cold Relief
Rules for Some OTC Cold Relief Medications Some over-the-counter (OTC) remedies you may have used to ease your cold and allergy symptoms in the past are no longer available in the pharmacy aisles at your drugstore, department store, or grocery store. They are still available without a prescription, but you'll have to ask the pharmacist or clerk if you want medications containing pseudoephedrine. In 2006, the FDA put in place strict rules for the sale of pseudoephedrine. This nasal decongestant, used in ...

New Ways to Heal Broken Bones
New Ways to Heal Broken Bones In decades past, treatment for broken and fractured bones usually consisted of setting the bone back in its proper place and holding it in place with a cast. Although that tried-and-true technique is still used today, advances in orthopedic technology are helping these injuries to heal quicker and more strongly than ever before. New devices, techniques One relatively new treatment for broken bones is an external bone growth stimulator. This device, worn on the outside of th...

Offsite Health Care Options
Offsite Health Care Options If you have a nasty cut on your finger, need surgery, or have the flu and want immediate treatment, where do you go for care? Traditionally, you'd head for the hospital or your doctor’s office. Now you have more choices. Many forms of emergency treatment take place outside the emergency room, and even many surgeries are performed in locations other than a hospital operating room. Where you choose to be treated will make a difference not only in terms of convenience, but also ...

Older Adults and the Common Cold
Older Adults and the Common Cold Cold and flu season is hard on everyone, but for older adults who may have chronic health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, it’s especially challenging. Having a respiratory infection can make managing those chronic conditions more difficult. And older adults are at greater risk for complications from the infection, or even unpleasant drug interactions between prescription medications and over-the-counter cold medic...

Optimal Timing for Screenings, Appointments and Medications
Optimal Timing for Screenings, Appointments, Medications If you've ever bought a coveted pair of shoes at a sale price or cashed in a stock just before the price took a dive, you know the difference good timing can make on your quality of life. But, of course, it goes way beyond money. Get your timing right, and you'll whiz through waiting rooms at doctor's appointments. Your medications will work their best. You'll improve the accuracy of screening tests. You might even save your own life or that of so...

Options in Nicotine Therapy
Options in Nicotine Therapy About two-thirds of smokers who try to quit on their own aren't successful, and withdrawal symptoms typically cause their relapses. By using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to reduce these symptoms, smokers who try to quit have a better chance of succeeding. Nicotine, when used by smoking or chewing in tobacco products, is highly addictive, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). The rapid absorption and high levels of nicotine in the blood that are achieved when a...

Oral Health and Asthma
Oral Health and Asthma If you have asthma, does your dentist know? This is important for good oral health, especially if you use a corticosteroid inhaler. Corticosteroid inhalers are medications used to treat asthma. Also known as controller medications, they help prevent attacks by reducing swelling in the lining of the airways of your lungs. Corticosteroids also make the airways less sensitive to triggers. Over time, asthma symptoms improve. When corticosteroids are used daily as prescribed, the resul...

Over-the-Counter Medication Quiz
What Do You Really Know About Over-the-Counter Medications? Just because a drug is available without a prescription doesn't mean it's safe to take, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says. Take this quiz and learn the ins and outs of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. 1. How are prescription drugs different from OTC ones? You didn't answer this question. You answered The correct answer is Prescription drugs require a doctor or other health care provider to monitor their effects. A. They contain highe...

Over-The-Counter Medicines for Infants and Children
Over-The-Counter Medicines for Infants and Children Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medications you can buy for your children without a doctor's prescription. They usually come as pills, capsules or liquids, and are sold in drugstores or supermarkets. OTC drugs have information on the bottle or box. Always read this information before using the medicine. This information tells you: How much to give How often to give it What the drug contains Warnings about using the drug If the drug is safe for childre...

Over-the-Counter Remedies for Seniors
Over-the-Counter Remedies for Seniors Over-the-counter (OTC) remedies are wonderful. You don't need a prescription, and relief is as close as the nearest drugstore. You may already use several OTC remedies. It's easy to forget that OTC remedies are drugs that can cause side effects and affect other medications. That's why it's important to read the dosage instructions, health risks and warnings on the packaging. Keep in mind that as an older adult, you may be more sensitive to some drugs or you may be t...

Palliative Care: Bringing Comfort
Palliative Care: Bringing Comfort When people hear the term palliative care , many assume that it's a treatment only for someone who is dying. But palliative care can also be used to bring physical and emotional comfort to anyone with a serious illness. Palliative care can benefit any patient at any age and any stage of his or her illness. Overview Palliative care focuses on improving a patient’s quality of life by improving the symptoms of his or her illness, such as pain, shortness of breath, and diff...

Pills: Make Them Go Down Easy
Pills: Make Them Go Down Easy Cricopharyngeus—that's a tough word to pronounce. It's even tougher when you have a pill stuck in your throat. Nonetheless, that's the name of the spot where the pill tends to get stuck. The cricopharyngeus is the ring-like muscle at the top of the esophagus. Some children and adults have difficulty swallowing pills without letting them get marooned in that uncomfortable location. When you swallow food, the epiglottis—the flexible cartilage at the root of your tongue—folds ...

Planning for End of Life
Planning for End-of-Life No one likes to think about the end-of-life, let alone consider questions about how one's final days will be spent. It's important to remember that we have medical choices that weren't available even 50 years ago. Planning for the end of life makes sense for everyone, regardless of health or life circumstances. Thinking it through It's always best to make important decisions without pressure. You need to understand your options and take time to consider what will help you reach ...

Planning for Same-Day Surgery
Planning for Same-Day Surgery If you are scheduled to have surgery, there's a good chance you will be going home on the same day as the procedure. Same-day surgery, also called outpatient or ambulatory surgery, makes up about 60 percent of all surgeries done in the U.S. today. Same-day surgery can take place at a hospital, surgical center or doctor's office. Because of advances in surgery and anesthesia, many surgeries that once required a hospital stay can be safely done as same-day surgery. Most surge...

Planning the Care of Your Aging Parents
Planning the Care of Your Aging Parents If your parents are in their golden years, keep in mind that even gold can lose some of its glow with the inevitable effects of old age. Sooner or later, older loved ones will need assistance. Advance planning Make sure legal documents have been drawn up, including an up-to-date will, a durable power of attorney, a living will, and a health-care proxy. Research the housing options and services available in your parents' community. Discuss with your loved ones how ...

Plastic Surgery Is Up Among Youths
Plastic Surgery Is Up Among Youths In 2010, doctors performed nearly 219,000 cosmetic surgeries on those between the ages of 13-19, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Those elective surgeries included: Rhinoplasty (nose reshaping) for more than 35,000 Otoplasty (ear surgery) for more than 8,700 Breast augmentations for nearly 8,500 patients aged 18-19 Breast reduction for more than 4,600 patients aged 13-19 Teens tend to have plastic surgery to fit in with peers while adults t...

Q and A on Generic Drugs
Q and A on Generic Drugs Question: Are generic drugs really the same as brand-name drugs, or are they cheap imitations? Answer: The FDA estimates that almost eight out of every 10 prescriptions filled in the U.S. are generic. It is important to know that all manufacturers of brand name and generic medications must adhere to strict manufacturing requirements from the FDA in order to earn approval to distribute and sell their products in the U.S. FDA regulations require that generic medications be made wi...

Recognizing Medication Tampering
Recognizing Medication Tampering Over-the-counter and nonprescription medicines are packaged so you can easily notice signs of tampering. Improved packaging includes the use of special wrappers, seals or caps on the outer and/or inner containers, or sealing each dose in its own pouch. Even so, no packaging system is completely safe, so it's important that you check for signs of tampering whenever you buy or use a medicine. The following guidelines can help you detect possible signs of tampering. How eas...

Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Range of Treatment
Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Range of Treatments Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be a frustrating condition to deal with. It causes painful, tender, swollen joints. These flare-ups of pain can occur at different times, such as in the morning or after a long rest. RA is also challenging because it doesn’t have an easily identifiable cause. It’s an autoimmune disorder, which means your immune system literally attacks your body — in this case, your joints. Fortunately, new drug combinations show great promise in ...

Robots: Now Appearing in an Operating Room Near You
Robots: Now Appearing in an Operating Room Near You Robot helps remove man's tumor. It sounds like the headline on a supermarket tabloid, but robot-assisted surgery has been a medical reality since the 1990s, and has become more common in adults and children ever since. In robotic procedures, the human surgeon is still in control. He or she sits at a computer and controls a robotic arm holding tiny, delicate surgical instruments. Three-dimensional images from an endoscope—a camera on a long, thin tube i...

Safe Use of Alternative Remedies
Safe Use of Alternative Remedies Some of them have household names: garlic, soy, vitamin E. Others are less familiar: feverfew, echinacea, pycnogenol. You can find them lining the shelves of natural food stores, where they promise a wholesome way to boost your memory, ease depression, prevent cancer, lower cholesterol, extend your life, or just plain heal you. They’re known as alternative remedies. In some cases, the feel-good aura is merited, even well-supported by research. But using any herb, vitamin...

Scoping Out Sunglasses
Scoping Out Sunglasses You may think we wear sunglasses for comfort and fashion. But here's another important reason to wear sunglasses: to protect the health of your eyes. If you spend long hours in the sun without protection, you increase your exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays, an invisible form of radiation from sunlight. Overexposure to UV-A and UV-B radiation causes damage to the skin and eyes. You can damage the surface of your eyes in the same way you can get sunburned -- with just one exposure t...

Screening for Prostate Cancer
Screening for Prostate Cancer More men die each year of prostate cancer (an estimated 28,000 annually) than of any other cancer except lung cancer. But not every man who has this disease (about 240,000 annually) is in danger of dying of it. And sometimes the treatment can produce side effects that may be more troublesome than the cancer. For this reason, experts disagree not only about the treatment, but also about who needs screening. The prostate is a gland that wraps around a man's urethra, the tube ...

Second Opinions for Cancer
Second Opinions for Cancer Your doctor says you need treatment for cancer. Should you get a second opinion on your treatment options? In many cases, the answer is yes . Whether you’re facing major surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy, a second opinion can help ensure you’re getting the most targeted, effective treatment for your condition. At the very least, it’s an opportunity to feel more informed and secure. You can think of a second opinion as part of the learning process. Because of the stre...

Self-Treat? Or See a Doctor?
Self-Treat? Or See a Doctor? When you’re sick, knowing whether you should treat yourself at home or see your doctor can save you time and hundreds, possibly thousands, of dollars a year. For example, you could treat a head cold by taking a $6 over-the-counter (OTC) medication for congestion and cough. The bill just for walking in the door of your doctor’s office could be $50 to $80 or more. Even if you only have to pay $10 to $20 in co-pay for an office visit, using an OTC medication still saves you -- ...

Side Effects of Medicine May Increase With Aging
Side Effects of Medicine May Increase With Aging Sometimes medicines can cause side effects. Side effects can be minor or life-threatening. They are more common as people age, so it's important to understand how to identify and prevent side effects. It can be difficult to distinguish between side effects and symptoms of disease, especially in people who have several different diseases. For example, dizziness might be mistaken for a symptom of heart disease, rather than a side effect from a new medicatio...

Stay Safe When You’re In the Hospital
Stay Safe When You’re In the Hospital Every year hundreds of thousands of medical errors occur, and as many as 98,000 Americans admitted to hospitals die because of treatment mistakes, according to an Institute of Medicine report. Being actively involved in care decisions and taking extra precautions to avoid infection when in a hospital can help keep you and your family safe, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality says. Avoid infection Hospital-associated MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant staph inf...

Steroids, Sterols, Anabolic Steroids, and Corticosteroids: What's the Difference?
Steroids, Sterols, Anabolic Steroids, and Corticosteroids: What's the Difference? Steroids are important compounds used in medicine, but people often misunderstand what they are. The term steroid and sterol simply refer to chemical molecules that share a common chemical ring stricture. There are many steroids and sterols that are important in health and medicine, and some that may be used as medications. Some steroids are called hormones. Hormones are chemicals that are made in the brain, kidneys, or se...

Striking a Match: Ideal Doctor/Ideal Patient
Striking a Match: Ideal Doctor/Ideal Patient Are you and your doctor a good fit? If you feel that way, it’s a good sign. Your health is so central to who you are, so important to how well you function and enjoy life, your doctor can be one of your most valued life partners. Ability to communicate A doctor should explain your condition clearly enough that you can make important treatment choices and self-manage your own care. But while some patients want to know all the risks they face, others prefer to ...

Take Care With Nasal Sprays
Take Care With Nasal Sprays Many people turn to a medicated nasal decongestant spray to offer fast relief for a congested and running nose. It can reduce swelling and clear mucus from nasal passages quickly. In fact, these products often work so well that people are tempted to use them for too long. If you use a medicated nasal spray for more than three days in a row, you may develop rebound rhinitis medicamentosa (RM) when you do stop using the spray. This condition can cause prolonged sinus congestion...

Taking OTC Pain Relievers
Taking Over-the-counter (OTC) Pain Relievers At first glance, visiting the pain-reliever section of your drugstore might just give you a headache--if you don't already have one. You'll find the shelves crowded with scores of products to choose from. Choosing the best one, however, may not be the most important thing to be concerned about. Rather, the dilemma is whether to take something for the pain or to see a doctor. For mild aches and pains Headache, muscle pain, joint pain, fever, some sore throats,...

Talking with Your Doctor About Alternative Medicine
Talking with Your Doctor About Alternative Medicine Many people with arthritis, cancer, and other illnesses use alternative or complementary therapies such as acupuncture, herbs, or vitamins and minerals without telling their doctor. Besides the methods listed above, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) includes dietary changes, dietary supplements, massage, exercise, and mind/body therapies. Steps to take The following suggestions can help you work with your doctor if you choose to use CAM: Kee...

Tame Your Fear of the Dentist
Tame Your Fear of the Dentist Does the mere idea of visiting a dentist send chills down your spine? If so, you've got company. Up to half of us have at least some fear of visiting the dentist. According to the Academy of General Dentistry, about 40 million Americans avoid going to a dentist because of fear and anxiety. "We all like our space, and when you sit in my chair I have to enter your space to examine your mouth," says Matthew J. Messina, D.D.S., a spokesman and consumer adviser for the American ...

Teaming Up with Your Pharmacist
Teaming Up with Your Pharmacist Who can you turn to with questions about your medicines? Besides your healthcare provider, your pharmacist can help answer questions about your medications. You may not be familiar with what your pharmacist can do for you. Pharmacists do much more than count tablets and pour liquids. Their main job is to focus on the medications you take and the effect they have, says the American Pharmacists Association. Pharmacists want to help you get the most benefit when you take med...

The Doctor Who Discovered Vaccines
The Doctor Who Discovered Vaccines With all the media attention on new viruses and possible flu pandemics, it's easy to forget that some of the most devastating bugs ever to plague humankind have been wiped out. Consider smallpox. The last laboratory samples sit under lock and key. But two centuries ago, just before an English country doctor named Edward Jenner stepped forward to attack it, smallpox killed people by the tens of thousands. Dr. Jenner was born in a small town in Gloucestershire in 1749. W...

The Quest for Whiter Teeth
The Quest for Whiter Teeth You'd like whiter teeth. It seems a lot of people -- from movie stars to the folks next door -- are whitening their teeth. So, you say, "Why not me too?" The experts say most of us can have whiter teeth. What's more, many of us can do it ourselves with an over-the-counter (OTC) tooth-whitening product. But before you pick a product because it comes in a pretty package, the experts have some advice: "It's best to ask your dentist what he or she recommends," says Kimberly A. Har...

The Risks of Mix 'n Match Medicine
The Risks of Mix 'n Match Medicine How healthy is your medicine cabinet? Are you taking a chance by combining too many prescription drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, and supplements? As self-doctoring becomes more common, the family medicine chest becomes more critical. The American Pharmaceutical Association suggests these precautions: Check expiration dates. All prescription drugs and OTCs must have expiration dates. Dietary supplements need not, although manufacturers may offer them. Look for ...

The Side Effects of Cancer Treatment
The Side Effects of Cancer Treatment Chemotherapy and radiation treatments save lives. They also can bring a variety of temporary but unpleasant side effects. Ask your doctors about what side effects to expect, how to manage them, and what side-effect symptoms to report immediately. On office visits, make certain to tell your health care provider about the side effects you are experiencing. Many side effects of chemotherapy or radiation treatments occur for the same reason: The treatments kill cancer ce...

The Value of a Second Opinion
The Value of a Second Opinion When your health care provider recommends surgery or a major procedure or treatment, it's smart to get a second opinion from another expert. But, how do you know a second opinion is in order? And how do you go about getting one? Here are some answers to these and other important questions. When should you get a second opinion? Don't waste time checking out options if you need emergency treatment. But if your provider suggests non-emergency surgery or a major medical test, i...

This Doctor Solved the Riddle of Blood Circulation
This Doctor Solved the Riddle of Blood Circulation In 1616, during a lecture that stunned a small audience of London scientists, William Harvey announced that the heart propels blood and that blood circulates throughout the body. His findings seem obvious today, but they were revolutionary at the time. In those days, people believed fabulous notions about the heart and blood. Some thought the heart was the seat of "pneuma" or life force, that air flowed through the arteries and that the liver was the fo...

Tips for Using Home Medical Tests
Tips for Using Home Medical Tests Visit a drugstore and you'll find lots of home health tests--everything from blood pressure monitors to drug abuse detectors. As technology advances and consumers become more actively involved in their healthcare, options keep growing. But just because the tests exist doesn't mean they're right for you. The question shouldn't be which brand is the most accurate? But, is a home health test appropriate for me? Still, some home tests can reduce doctor visits and medical co...

Treat Children's OTC Drugs With Care
Treat Children's OTC Drugs with Care Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs can help ease a child's aches and pains, but you should know a few things before you pop open a bottle. Many of the medicines we buy require no prescription. We use them to prevent unnecessary doctors' visits, help control symptoms, and make kids more comfortable. But the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warns that this doesn't mean OTCs are harmless. Like prescription medicines, OTCs can be very dangerous to a child if not taken prop...

Treatment Options for Testicular Cancer
Treatment Options for Testicular Cancer Testicular cancer is a type of cancer that commonly occurs in men between the ages of 20 and 35. About half of testicular cancers occur in men in this age range. Testicular cancer can be treated and is usually curable, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Most testicular cancer develops in germ cells, which produce sperm. The two main types of testicular tumors are seminomas and nonseminomas. Less common types of testicular cancer occur in the hormone-p...

Trouble Flossing? Help Is at Hand
Trouble Flossing? Help Is at Hand Are you one of those people who don't floss because you find it awkward to maneuver the floss between your teeth? If so, a number of products can help you get the job done. "There's no debate: You must floss," says Richard H. Price, D.M.D., a consumer spokesman for the American Dental Association. "You cannot just rely on brushing your teeth." To prevent decay and gum disease, the two almost universal dental problems, you must remove plaque—the microscopic film of bacte...

Understanding Diuretics
Understanding Diuretics Lifestyle changes aren't always enough to lower high blood pressure. If so, prescription medicine may be the next step, according to the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. Many different types of blood pressure medications are available. Even so, a diuretic, or water pill, may be among the first options that your doctor recommends. The diuretics most commonly prescribed are called thiazides. P...

Understanding Long-Term Care
Understanding Long-Term Care When people of any age need others to help them with medical, physical, or emotional needs over an extended period of time, they need long-term care. If a person needs ongoing medical care or is unable to perform everyday self-care activities such as bathing, dressing, or grocery shopping, long-term care may be required. Experts estimate that approximately 10 million Americans need long-term care in any given year. Long-term-care services may be provided in the home of the p...

Understanding Outpatient Surgery
Understanding Outpatient Surgery If you need surgery, there's a better-than-average chance that you'll have it and go home the same day. Thanks to advances in technology and anesthesia, nearly 6 of every 10 surgeries performed at hospitals are done as "outpatient" procedures, which means you go home the same day you have your surgery. Nearly 35 million such surgeries are performed each year in the U.S., according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Why? Some reasons outpatient surg...

Understanding Your Osteoarthritis Medication
Understanding Your Osteoarthritis Medications Osteoarthritis treatments aim to relieve pain and reduce stiffness. Osteoarthritis (OA), also called degenerative joint disease, most often affects weight-bearing joints, such as the knees and hips. It also can affect the hands and spine. OA usually appears after age 45, in both men and women, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Joint trauma, obesity, and repetitive joint use also can bring on OA. Treatment...

Use Caution with Pain Relievers
Use Caution with Pain Relievers Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers are safe and effective when used as directed. It's when a person doesn't follow the label's advice that problems may occur. They can cause serious problems if people take too much of them, use them for longer than their labels recommend, or if they are taken by people with certain medical conditions. Whichever type of OTC pain reliever you use, it should be used for only a short time, unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Acetaminop...

Use Your Medications Wisely
Use Your Medications Wisely You don't have to look past your medicine chest to find prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) remedies that can make you feel better, improve your health, and even save your life. We use more medications, supplements, and herbal therapies today than ever. A survey found four out of five U.S. adults take at least one medication each week. More than one in four adults takes at least five medications. That's no surprise when you think of what medications can do. They help trea...

Using a Surgeon's Tools to Erase the Years
Using a Surgeon's Tools to Erase the Years It's called plastic surgery, but there's no plastic involved. In this case, "plastic" refers to the ability of the surgeon to reshape the skin, the face, or other body parts. With advances in technique and an aging population, plastic surgery is more popular than ever. Plastic surgery is divided into cosmetic procedures, or those done strictly for "looks," and reconstructive procedures, or those done after an injury or illness affects structure or skin. The pro...

Using Allergy Medications Wisely
Using Allergy Medications Wisely Keep these guidelines in mind when looking for allergy relief: Don't nod off Nonprescription antihistamines and decongestants in pill form can help dry and open up your nose. But some of these medications will make you drowsy, so take them when you won't be driving or working with machinery. Second-generation antihistamines--Loratadine (Alavert, Claritin), cetirizine (Zyrtec) and fexofenadine (Allegra)--are available over the counter and are less likely to cause as many ...

Using Antibiotics Safely and Wisely
Using Antibiotics Safely and Wisely Got antibiotics? Many people save leftover medicines to treat the next sore throat or earache in the family. Keeping leftover antibiotics to treat a future illness may seem like a good idea, but only a health care provider can tell when you really need an antibiotic--and if you do, which type is best for your illness. Taking antibiotics when you don't need them, or even when you do, can be dangerous. Antibiotics have been misused so much in recent years that doctors n...

Vaccine Offers Hope for Children’s Earaches
Vaccine Offers Hope for Children's Earaches Earaches are common during childhood, but a vaccine can ease the pain for thousands of kids. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, marketed under the brand name Prevnar, was approved by the FDA in 2000. An improved form of the vaccine, Prevnar 13, was approved in 2010. Prevnar 13 targets the most common strains of pneumococcus, one of the bacteria that causes ear infections, but that also cause many cases of serious illness in infants, such as pneumonia, bacterem...

Ways to Take a Bite Out of Your Dental Bills
Ways to Take a Bite Out of Your Dental Bills The most effective way to lower your dental bills is to take care of your teeth, and to make sure your children do the same. Every dollar you spend on preventive care such as brushing and cleaning can save you anywhere from $4 to $50 in restorative care, according to a dental industry report. The following strategies can help you make further cuts in your dental spending. 1. See a dentist regularly. Doing so will help ensure that problems are taken care of be...

What Every Parent Should Know About Vaccinations
What Every Parent Should Know About Immunizations Watching your child get a shot isn't easy. It's even harder if the fearful one is you. Millions of parents immunize their kids each year without concern. Yet some parents have heard rumors that vaccines can cause serious health problems. So, who can parents turn to for the facts about vaccine safety? Your child's doctor is your first resource for reliable information. Health care providers are bound by law to provide you with written information on both ...

What Is Angioplasty?
What Is Angioplasty? The heart is an amazing muscle. It beats an average 100,000 times daily to pump almost 2,000 gallons of blood. As we age, our coronary arteries become lined with fatty material that can interfere with blood flow. This process is called atherosclerosis. This can starve the heart of the oxygen-rich blood we need to survive. When the lack of blood flow to the heart reaches a critical stage, you could suffer a heart attack. One symptom of a blocked artery is a type of chest pain called ...

What Is Spinal Stenosis?
What Is Spinal Stenosis? Spinal stenosis is a condition in which the spinal canal narrows and pinches the nerves, resulting in back and leg pain. In adults 50 years of age and older, the risk of developing spinal stenosis increases, although younger people who are born with a small spinal canal may also develop symptoms. Aging can cause the ligaments (tissues that connect the spine and bones) to become thicker and the discs between vertebrae to break down. Growths called bone spurs may occur on bones an...

What the Inside of Your Nose Reveals
What the Inside of Your Nose Reveals Have you ever wondered why your health care provider looks inside your nose during an examination? When a patient has a runny nose or congestion, the health care provider needs a good look at the source of the problem. Health care providers will look inside your nose as part of of a routine healthy full physical exam. They will also look inside your nose when they suspect other problems, such as an infection or allergy. Sometimes, they're looking for other sources of...

What Those Blood Pressure Numbers Mean
What Those Blood Pressure Numbers Mean A quick, painless test measures blood pressure: A rubber cuff is wrapped around your arm and inflated; that compresses an artery in your arm and momentarily stops your blood flow. A technician uses a stethoscope to measure your blood pressure when the pressure in the cuff is slowly released. Blood pressure readings are a double measurement of the force of the blood against arterial walls. The two measurements indicate how much pressure builds up in the arteries as ...

What to Do if Your Child Needs Surgery
What to Do if Your Child Needs Surgery If having surgery makes you nervous, imagine how it can seem for a child. Long hospital corridors, intimidating equipment, and people wearing surgical masks and scrubs all seem strange and frightening, especially to a youngster who's ill or in pain. By helping the youngster anticipate and face those fears, you can ease the trauma and smooth the way for a quicker, easier recovery. Advances in care Many adults are still haunted by their own terrifying childhood encou...

What to Expect at Your Mammogram
What to Expect at Your Mammogram A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast. It can find changes in the breast when a lump is too small for you or your doctor to feel. Some women put off getting a mammogram because they think it will be painful, harmful, or costly. But this screening is safe, quick, and effective. And it could save your life. The benefits and limitations of mammography vary based on factors like age and personal risk. Experts have different recommendations for mammography. Currently, the U.S...

What to Know About Herbs and Surgery
What to Know About Herbs and Surgery If you’re like about 60 million other Americans, you use an herbal supplement for health benefits. It could be echinacea to avoid a cold or gingko to improve your memory. On the surface, using these products sounds like a good idea. They are considered “natural” and are sold in pharmacies and health stores, so you might think that they must be safe. Unfortunately, natural doesn’t necessarily mean safe. The FDA doesn’t regulate herbal supplements the same way it does ...

What to Know About Joint Replacement Surgery
What to Know About Joint Replacement Surgery Joint replacement surgery is major surgery to replace an entire joint in the body with an artificial one made of materials like plastic or metal. Hips and knees are the most commonly replaced joints, but ankles, elbows, fingers, shoulders and other body parts can be done, as well. The design of replacement joints and the surgery itself have come a long way in recent years. Today, about 90 percent of joint replacement surgeries are considered successful. Why y...

What to Look for on OTC Drug Labels
What to Look for on OTC Drug Labels Medication errors—taking the wrong medication, or the right medication too frequently, or in the wrong amount—can be dangerous. According to the FDA, knowing how to make use of over-the-counter (OTC) drug labels can help you protect yourself and your family from harm. Read carefully Always read the label. All OTC medicine labels have detailed usage and warning information to help you choose and use the products. Look for the following information: Active ingredient: T...

What You Need to Know About Hearing Aids
What You Need to Know About Hearing Aids Hearing loss is common, especially as people get older. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, one-third of adults older than age 60 have hearing loss, and one-half of adults over age 85 are affected. Hearing loss often starts with an inability to hear high-frequency sounds. A person with diminished hearing often will complain that he or she can hear others just fine but can't make out what they're saying. If you suspec...

When and How to Stop Antidepressant Medication
When and How to Stop Antidepressant Medication Each year millions of Americans are prescribed antidepressants. There are many types of antidepressants. Medications include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac, Lexapro, Zoloft, Celexa and Paxil, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) like Cymbalta and Effexor, tricyclic antidepressants including Elavil, Norpramin, Tofranil and others including Remeron, Wellbutrin, and Emsam. Many of these medications are used ...

When You’re Taking Heart Medications
When You’re Taking Heart Medications Millions of Americans take some kind of heart medication. For some people, this means downing a single daily pill to help lower blood pressure. For others, it may mean taking a wide variety of different drugs to strengthen heart function, decrease cholesterol levels, prevent blood clots, or stabilize heart rhythms. These little pills and potions are life-giving—and powerful. Even a small drop in your blood pressure reading can cut your risk of having a heart attack. ...

Who's Who in Health Care
Who's Who in Health Care When you have a health problem, a doctor, nurse, or other health care provider may care for you, depending on your condition. The following list of health care professionals can help you understand the wide array of people called upon to render care: Chiropractors practice a drug-free, hands-on approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis, and treatment. According to the American Chiropractic Association, chiropractors have broad diagnostic skills and are...

Why a Colonoscopy Is Important
Why a Colonoscopy Is Important This important examination can find problems and head off deadly cancer. Many people worry about having their large bowel examined with a colonoscope. While anxiety is normal, the colonoscope is an amazing instrument that gives gastroenterologists like me a very close view of the large bowel, also called the colon. It helps me see problems such as inflammation or bleeding, and it might save your life if I find a tumor or the tiny, precancerous growths called polyps. I reco...

Why Doctors Remove Cataracts
Why Doctors Remove Cataracts Perhaps the first thing you'll notice is a glare from oncoming headlights at night. Usually, a haze surrounds the lights. Then, you're likely to find reading more challenging. It's harder to see the letters, and they tend to blur together. This is what happens when you develop cataracts. A cataract is a clouding of the eye's lens, a clear, soft gelatinous structure behind the pupil that works much like a camera lens. The leading cause of cataracts is aging. Other contributin...

Why Should You Choose a Teaching Hospital?
Why Should You Choose a Teaching Hospital? From specialized treatments to community service, teaching hospitals offer it all. Also known as academic medical centers, these institutions provide training for new medical professionals under the direction of experienced doctors and nurses. Providing care as a team Teaching hospital patients have the benefit of being treated by a team of doctors, nurses, and medical students. Although medical students may provide some of your care, an experienced doctor will...

Why the Doctor Asks for a Urine Sample
Why the Doctor Asks for a Urine Sample It's probably safe to say that no one really likes giving a urine sample. But the fact is that few tests can match the routine urine analysis for telling your doctor about what's going on inside your body. The bladder can hold almost 2 cups of urine for two to five hours comfortably, and excretes about 2 quarts of waste products and additional water daily. And just as you use a dipstick to check your car's engine oil, doctors rely on a specially treated "dipstick,"...

Why the Doctor Gives You an EKG or ECG
Why the Doctor Gives You an EKG or ECG An electrocardiogram--abbreviated as either ECG or EKG--is a test that records the heart's electrical activity and turns it into a graph that can be read and analyzed. The electrical impulse that travels through the heart is what causes the heart muscle to contract and pump blood. It is one of the many important tests in medicine because it provides clues to your heart health. It is used to determine if the electrical activity is normal. These recordings can tell y...

Why the Doctor Presses Your Abdomen
Why the Doctor Presses Your Abdomen For those trained in such touching, pressing on your abdomen can provide significant clues to potential problems. The external examination with the hands gives doctors information about such important structures as the liver, spleen, kidneys, intestines, pancreas, bladder, gallbladder, appendix, abdominal aorta (the major blood vessel from your heart to your legs), and in females, the uterus and ovaries. When the doctor presses on your abdomen, he or she is feeling to...

Why the Doctor Takes a Blood Sample
Why the Doctor Takes a Blood Sample You probably don't enjoy giving a blood sample, but it's an important part of a physical exam. From a small sample of your blood, your health care provider can order scores of tests and find out a lot about your overall health. Here are four common tests, according to the American Association of Clinical Chemistry: blood lipid level, red blood cell count, blood sugar level, and thyroid function tests. Blood lipid level: The levels of total cholesterol, LDL (low densit...

Why the Doctor Uses a Stethoscope
Why the Doctor Uses a Stethoscope You'll see a stethoscope wrapped around the neck of practically every physician. But you may not be aware that this wonderfully useful instrument had its origins not in science, but in modesty. Physicians used to check the heart by simply putting an ear on the patient's chest. However, that was a bit embarrassing for many people. So in 1817, a French physician named Rene Laennec began using a hollow wooden tube for the task. The idea caught on, and by the early 1900s, t...

Why the Eye Doctor Uses Those Dilating Drops
Why the Eye Doctor Uses Those Drops Through the years, I've used dilating drops on the eyes of thousands of patients. And though patients ask many good questions, one in particular keeps coming up: Patients want to know if those drops are really necessary. That's easy. They are. The drops enable ophthalmologists to get a far better look at the tiny, complicated world inside your eyes. Different doctors use different-strength drops, but the purpose is the same -- to expand your pupil, that black hole at ...

Working with Your Cancer Care Team
Working with Your Cancer Care Team It's natural to feel out of control after being diagnosed with cancer. After all, this is a serious condition, and it can bring a lot of fear and uncertainty. Along with the person with cancer, family and close friends may feel their world has been upended. What can you do to regain your equilibrium? Put together an expert team of health care professionals and be proactive. Who's on your team? Depending on the type and severity of cancer, there may be a wide variety of...

Working with Your Diabetes Health Care Team
Working with Your Diabetes Health Care Team If you have diabetes, you have plenty of company. The number of adults diagnosed with diabetes is increasing daily. You should also be keeping company with a number of health care providers, from your primary care doctor to your dentist, eye doctor, and foot doctor. Diabetes affects the body in many complex ways, and having a team to help you stay as healthy and vital as possible, for as long as possible, is critical. Yet no matter how much you depend on healt...

Your Arthritis Health Care Team
Your Arthritis Health Care Team Arthritis is a complicated disease that affects many areas of your body. Understanding how to work with different health care specialists can improve your care and quality of life. Arthritis can make even simple tasks — walking, typing, cutting food, brushing teeth, climbing stairs — uncomfortable or impossible. No matter what form of arthritis you have, taking an active role in your health care team can help determine how well you function with pain, stiffness, or inflam...

Your Asthma Health Care Team
Your Asthma Health Care Team You don't have to go it alone with asthma. An entire team of health care experts is on hand to help people with asthma manage their symptoms and continue to live normal, active lives. Asthma causes the airways to become inflamed and easily irritated so that they react strongly to things to which you are allergic, according to the American Lung Association. When your airways react, they become narrower. Less air reaches your lungs, and breathing becomes difficult. Sometimes t...

Your Child's Diabetes Care Team
Your Child's Diabetes Care Team Having a child with diabetes can be overwhelming. Fortunately, a team of experts can guide you now and in the years to come. Diabetes care team Your child may see the following specialists. Doctor. Your child's doctor may be a diabetes specialist, pediatrician or general practitioner who has experience caring for people with diabetes. Make sure both you and your child feel comfortable asking questions and that you understand the explanations given. Diabetes educator. A ce...

Your Guide to Health Savings Accounts
Your Guide to Health Savings Accounts You know how health insurance works. You pay a premium each month, and even if all you ever get is a cold, that’s the last you’ll see of your money. The health plan usually reimburses doctors and hospitals directly for any health care expenses. Not so with a health savings account (HSA), which a growing number of employers and institutions now offer. With an HSA, part of your monthly pretax income goes into a savings or investment account for use toward future medic...

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