Browse Category: Diseases and Disorders
Published: September 02, 2010
If you’ve ever witnessed someone struggling with MS (multiple sclerosis) you understand what a challenging and debilitating condition it can be. Muscle weakness, spasms and tremors, impaired thinking, and speech and vision problems are among the challenges MS patients have to contend with.
Hearing an MS diagnosis is crushing. Long believed to be an autoimmune condition, the general consensus has been there is no known cause or cure. That may be about to change. A radical new treatment may be on the horizon that brings new hope to MS patients and their families.
Published: August 30, 2010
The great Antibiotic Debate has just taken a startling turn. With the discovery of a new "Superbug” that is resistant to all known forms of antibiotics, scientists predict a grim future for the medication.
Published: August 16, 2010
For centuries America has been known as a country with unstoppable optimism, the ability to squash obstacles, and stoic determination. That's in stark contrast to some European countries, notably Russia, which has been described as a dark and desolate nation filled brooding citizens. True or not, because of this, one would think Russians would have a higher rate of depression than Americans. However, research shows this isn't the case.
Published: August 12, 2010
The nation breathed a collective sigh of relief when on July 15, 2010, 87 days after the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, the gushing BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was finally capped. For far too long, Americans watched in helpless horror as polluted scenes of oil slick waters, black stippled white sand beaches, and oil drenched sea life where broadcast into their living rooms. It was heartbreaking to hear the tales of devastation and hopelessness as thousands along the coast lost their livelihoods.
Now thankfully, the oil spill has stopped. BP tells us the danger is contained.
But is it?
Published: August 05, 2010
If you or someone close to you is struggling with alcohol addiction, you know the devastating effect it has on your ability to simply get through the day. Personal relationships, job performance, and eventually mental and physical health suffer a downward spiral.
Published: August 02, 2010
It’s no secret we’re living in a toxic environment. From the air we breathe to the water we drink, our natural environment has become a toxic soup of deadly chemicals.
The disturbing truth is these days it’s almost impossible to avoid toxic substances. They’re everywhere and we come into contact with them every day. As a matter of fact, three of the most common chemicals in the world have been linked to a whole host of maladies from sexual dysfunction, to behavior disorders, to cancer. And chances are great they’re lurking in your own home right this very minute.
Published: July 29, 2010
If you have an elderly parent or grandparent, a recent report on the CBS evening news may have left you and your loved ones a bit unsettled. According to a panel of experts at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) nothing can be done to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. According to our nations health research agency, if Alzheimer’s is in the cards, it’s in the cards, and you have to play the hand you’re dealt.
However, the Alzheimer’s Association (and countless other medical experts) takes issue with the message. Here’s why.
Published: July 22, 2010
Dementia. Alzheimer’s. Losing your mind. Call it what you like, but when it comes down to it, the risk of your memory and your mind dwindling away day by day is flat-out frightening. So what can you do? Take that risk down a notch by learning the seven things you can do right now to prevent developing this dreadful disease.
Published: July 22, 2010
It’s a scenario you often see on TV medical dramas such as Grey’s Anatomy or ER . . . two people come into the Emergency Room: one is an injured cop; the other is the criminal who tried to kill him. If the ER is short on help, who gets treated first? Typically, it’s the one who is most in need of medical attention, but it doesn’t always go that way (which, of course, sets up the drama for the next hour of the show).
While this may not happen as often in real life as it does on TV, there is something very real that is threatening your healthcare when it comes to over-flooded ERs.
Published: July 19, 2010
You may have noticed . . . we’re smack-dab in the middle of summer. You may be planning (or already been on) a camping, canoe, or hiking expedition, or simply have been spending more time outdoors.
Which brings me to this timely topic: Lyme disease! That nasty tick bite that you may or may not have noticed could be much more dangerous than you think. Luckily, scientists are finding ways to detect Lyme disease at an earlier stage, giving you a better chance of treating it – and beating it – more effectively.