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Articles by Poonam Sachdev
Tips for Healthier Eyes
1 / 11 Staring at a computer (or any digital screen) won’t hurt your eyes, but it can make them feel tired and dry. Surprisingly, we blink about half as often when we’re looking at a screen. Follow the 20/20/20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Also, place your screen so it’s about 25 inches away and slightly below eye level. Cut glare by moving light sources or using a screen filter. 2 / 11 UV radiation can hurt your eyes just like it does your skin.
What Really Matters With Cholesterol: A Dietitian Explains
Shannon Stockero is a culinary dietitian in Minneapolis-St. Paul and a spokesperson for The Obesity Society. Cholesterol in animal-based foods and ingredients, also called dietary cholesterol, used to get a bad rap. Experts singled it out as being risky for heart health. But today science shows that dietary cholesterol can be part of an overall-healthy diet for many people, especially if you limit foods that are high in saturated fat.
Gluten-Free Diet: A List of 85 Foods You Can Eat
Beyond Celiac: "The Gluten-Free Diet." Coeliac UK: "Gluten Free Checklist." Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: "Gluten: A Benefit or Harm to the Body?" IBS Diets: "Gluten Free Food List." Johns Hopkins Medicine: "What Is Gluten and What Does It Do?" Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: "Gluten-Free Diet: Imprudent Dietary Advice for the General Population?" Massachusetts General Hospital: "Gluten Free Diet." Nutrients: "The Gluten-Free Diet: Safety and Nutritional Quality."
4 Complementary Therapies for Ulcerative Colitis
1 / 5 When you have ulcerative colitis, you want to do whatever you can to keep it from flaring up. So you may be looking for anything that helps, in addition to the medicine and advice your doctor gives you. Complementary, or integrative, medicine doesn't replace your usual treatments. These are therapies you might try along with your regular medical care. People in other parts of the world have used some of these methods, like acupuncture, for centuries.
10 Ways to Manage Your Stress About UC
1 / 11 Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a type of chronic inflammatory bowel disease. It causes painful flare-ups of inflammation in your intestine — along with many other symptoms. This can be very disruptive to your daily life and create a lot of stress. Stress — in turn — makes UC symptoms worse and increases your chances of having a flare-up. So, try these 10 tips for managing your stress. If you succeed, you’ll end up improving both your symptoms and your mental health at the same time.
10 Dietary Changes to Help Manage Your UC
1 / 12 Ulcerative colitis, commonly referred to as UC, is a chronic condition that inflames and causes sores to develop on the inner lining of your large intestine. It’s a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and many people with this particular kind of IBD need to modify what they eat to help manage their side effects. 2 / 12 Unless you’re trying to gain weight, you don’t need to significantly increase your calorie intake.
10 Ways to Maintain an Active Social Life When You Have UC
1 / 11 Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a condition that irritates the large intestine. Symptoms include cramping, bloody diarrhea, and a sense of urgency. Some of these symptoms may be extreme enough to awaken someone that’s sleeping. Having UC can interfere with several daily functions. It can be challenging to go to work and school, maintain relationships, and maintain a good body image making social situations awkward.
How to Manage Your UC at Work
1 / 8 You don’t have to tell your boss that you have ulcerative colitis (UC), but you may want to if you think your symptoms will impact your work. Doing so may mean that you won’t worry so much about how to hide your symptoms. Your boss may also be able to make small changes to your schedule or workspace that put you more at ease. This talk may feel less awkward if you bring a handout that explains UC, or ask a co-worker to come with you.
Ulcerative Colitis Diet Tips and Mistakes
1 / 11 Food doesn't cause ulcerative colitis (UC), but the condition can make it harder to eat healthfully. For instance, if spinach makes your symptoms worse, you may be tempted to skip all veggies. But then you would miss out on nutrients. So keep all food groups on your plate. Think balance, not extremes. 2 / 11 Flares wear you out. One reason can be anemia, when your body doesn't have enough healthy red blood cells.
What Are the Stages of Cancer?
When you're diagnosed with cancer, your doctor will tell you what stage it is. The stage describes the size of the cancer and how far it's spread. Cancer is typically labeled in stages from I to IV, with IV being the most serious. Those stages are based on a detailed system that includes specific information about the tumor and how it affects the rest of your body. It's important to understand your cancer stage for several reasons: Treatment.
Risks and Benefits of Probiotics
Probiotics are a type of "good" bacteria found in some foods and supplements. We usually think of bacteria as something that can cause diseases or other problems. But probiotics can help keep your gut healthy. Your body doesn't need probiotics. You already have healthy bacteria in your gut — they make up a collection of bacteria, fungi, and viruses called the microbiome. But taking probiotics usually doesn't hurt, and adding them to your diet might help.
What Causes Frequent Urination? Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Gotta go all the time? The technical name for your problem is frequent urination, and while it can be frustrating, it doesn’t always mean something’s wrong. Keep reading to learn how to tell the difference. Female and male urinary tract anatomy.
9 Surprising Things You Could Be Allergic To
1 / 9 Though an 8-year-old will tell you that kissing gives you cooties, the smooch itself isn't the problem. Even after your face-smacking partner brushes their teeth, their saliva might still have traces of something they ate or a medicine they took earlier in the day. When you have a life-threatening allergy, get your sweetie to swear off the stuff, too. Or you can brush, rinse, and then avoid locking lips for 24 hours. 2 / 9 Some people break out in hives after just a few minutes outdoors.
Visual Guide to Legionnaires’ Disease
1 / 12 It’s a type of pneumonia (a lung infection) that can become life-threatening. You can get it after inhaling one of a group of bacteria called legionella. There are about 60 types of legionella that scientists link to the disease, but a specific form called Legionella pneumophila causes 90% of infections. 2 / 12 Just because legionella bacteria happen to be around, it doesn’t mean they’re likely to infect you. In fact, they seem to be mostly harmless in lakes and streams.
Slideshow: Diabetes Management in 10 Minutes
1 / 11 After your shower each day, check your body from head to toe. Look for cuts, sores, blisters, and ingrown toenails. Don't forget the places where moisture can hide and germs can grow. Check under your arms and breasts, and between your legs and toes. Look extra closely at your feet. Use a mirror to help you see all over. If you have cuts or scrapes, treat them quickly. Also, take a moment to moisturize dry skin. 2 / 11 Make it easy to slip them on, so you aren’t tempted to go outside barefoot.
What Ages Are Women and Men at Their Sexual Peak?
British Geriatric Society: "Sexual satisfaction of middle-aged and older adults." Business Insider: "11 Groundbreaking Findings That Changed How We Think About Sex." Journal of Sexual Medicine: "Sexual Behavior in the United States: Results from a National Probability Sample of Men and Women Ages 14–94." Journal of Women's Health and Gender-Based Medicine: "Effects of hormone replacement therapy on sexual psychophysiology and behavior in postmenopause." Merck Manual: "Changes in the Body With...
Chronic Migraine: A Day in the Life
By Katie M. Golden, as told to Kara Mayer Robinson As someone living with chronic migraine, every day is different. There’s no cure for this genetic, neurologic disease, but there are things I do to manage my day-to-day life. I'm 40 years old and I live in Santa Monica, CA. I’m a professional writer and an advocate for people with chronic pain conditions. I find strength to get through my days with this personal mantra: Never let your pain go to waste. Let me explain.
Psychosis: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Michelle Hammer, living with schizophrenia, sheds the stigma of mental illness through her art and clothing line.587 [MUSIC PLAYING] [INTERPOSING VOICES] MICHELLE HAMMER: Hi. I'm Michele Hammer and I have schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a mental illness that changes the way you think, feel, and act. It's broken down into three separate categories, positive, negative, and cognitive. Positive symptoms don't mean they're a good thing.
Psychosis: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Psychosisaffects the way your brain processes information. It causes you to lose touch with reality. You might see, hear, or believe things that aren’t real. Psychosis is a symptom, not an illness. It can result from a mental illness, a physical injury or illness, substance abuse, or extreme stress or trauma. Psychotic disorders, like schizophrenia, involve psychosis that usually affects you for the first time in the late teen years or early adulthood.
Trusting Your Gut: Why Intuition Matters
When Chrisie Canny, 53, was diagnosed with stage I breast cancer in 2021, her gut told her to get a double mastectomy. The surgeon, who wanted to do a lumpectomy followed by radiation, tried to talk her out of it. “She said to me, ‘You’re being very bold. This isn’t necessary,’” Canny says. “But I just had a very strong feeling.” The Staten Island, New York resident's intuition was correct. Past scans had missed advanced cancer hidden in her dense breasts.
How to Speak Up When You're Not Happy With Your Treatment Plan
1/10 Your doctor recommended your treatment plan because they believe it's the best course of action. But something about it doesn't feel right. Maybe you have new or worsening symptoms, or you just don't feel like you're getting better. You want to talk about your concerns, but you're worried about how they'll respond. You might be especially hesitant to speak up if you're a woman, person of color, or you have a low income. But your voice matters. Here's how to advocate for yourself.
Is Deep Tissue Massage Good for You?
A deep tissue massage may be described as a "next-level" massage – scuba diving versus a casual swim. Deep tissue massage is more than skin deep. Your muscles are lower in your body. Massage therapists use slower strokes and direct pressure to help relieve pain, stiffness, and tension. When you have regular tension or pain, bands of rigid tissue are normally to blame. These bands (or adhesions) can block blood flow and cause pain, limit movement, and increase inflammation.
What to Do if Your Baby Has Hiccups
Hiccuping is one of the first habits your baby forms. Your baby may hiccup a lot — even when they're in your womb. Their whole body can twitch, and the "hic" can be quite loud. "Hiccups in infants are common, usually harmless, and typically resolve on their own after a few minutes," says Gary Kirkilas, DO, a pediatrician at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Hiccups help your baby's brain and lung health. And your baby can usually sleep and eat with hiccups, too. (Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images).
What Is a Lung Abscess?
A lung abscess is a pocket of pus in your lung , surrounded by inflamed tissue. It usually happens when bacteria that normally live in your mouth or throat are breathed into the lungs, leading to an infection. Poor oral health and a weak immune system, among other things, can lead to a lung abscess. Symptoms of a lung abscess usually show up slowly over weeks.
Supplements for Healthy Skin
Aging and the sun take a toll on our skin. Increasingly, people are taking antioxidants to their skin care routine. Their goal: Help protect skin from the inside out. Supplements for Skin and Beauty Certain vitamins and antioxidants may improve the health and quality of your skin. Vitamins C and E, and selenium are antioxidants that may help protect skin from sun damage. Vitamin A Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is key for cell growth and is often used as a topical antiaging treatment.
What Are Tips for Living With AFib?
Life with atrial fibrillation (AFib) has its challenges, for sure. But with the right treatment and some lifestyle changes, you can stay active and energetic. Symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and a fast heartbeat can make it harder to do your daily activities. You might have to adjust your routine because of your symptoms or the medicine you take to treat them. Here are a few simple changes you can make and good habits you can practice to protect your heart and help you feel your best.
Causes, Effects, Treatment and Prevention
Most people naturally breathe through their noses almost all the time. Humans evolved this way as a survival technique — it allows us to keep breathing as we eat with our mouths, reducing the risk of choking. But some people can’t breathe through their nose, so they breathe through their mouth. It may be because of the way their body is structured or another issue. Either way, unconsciously breathing through your mouth could lead to other health issues. Here’s what you need to know.
8 Myths and Facts About Chronic Pain
1 / 8 FACT. If your joint pain gets worse when it's cold or raining, it may not be your imagination. Although studies have shown mixed results, changes in air pressure can cause some people -- especially those with arthritis -- to have more pain in their joints. 2 / 8 MYTH. Although your doctor may prescribe short rest, it's best to remain active. Experts say that complete bed rest is one of the worst things you can do for back pain -- or any other type of long-term (chronic) pain.
What Is Early Satiety?
Maybe eating your favorite meals has been taking a major effort lately. You might feel full after just a few bites. When you try to push through anyway to finish a normal-sized portion, you become nauseous and want to throw up. Struggling to finish your favorite meals? You may have early satiety, a symptom that makes you feel full after just a few bites. (Photo Credit: Moment RF/Getty Images) You may have picked up a bug, but also you may have a symptom of another condition.
What Is Musculoskeletal Pain?
Musculoskeletal pain refers to pain that starts in your muscles, bones, joints, tendons, or ligaments. It's very common and can happen at any age. Almost everyone has it at some point in their lives. If you've ever strained your back, twisted your ankle, broken a bone, or ached because of arthritis, you've had musculoskeletal pain. While mild cases can often be treated at home, pain that starts suddenly should be checked out by a doctor.
Myths and Facts About Therapy
1 / 15 If therapy makes you think of lying on a couch talking about your childhood, you may be in for a surprise. Real-world therapy has very little in common with fictional scenes on TV. Although discussing the past may be helpful in some situations, most current therapies focus on solving problems in the present and future. 2 / 15 Therapy provides tools for solving problems and enhancing quality of life, says psychologist Parinda Khatri, PhD.
7 Tips to Soothe Your Dry, Itchy Skin
What products work best to keep dry, oily, and sensitive skin hydrated? Address your skin’s specific needs with these tips.91<p>National Skin Centre: "Care Of The Skin."<br/>Harvard Health Publishing: "9 ways to banish dry skin," "Moisturizers: Do they work?" "How to moisturize your skin."<br/>American Academy of Dermatology: "Skin care tips dermatologists use," "How to control oily skin."<br/>American Academy of Dermatology SKIN academy (2015).
Stomach Cramps: Causes and Treatments
If you’ve ever had a sudden, uncontrolled, tight feeling in the muscles of your stomach, then you’ve probably had stomach cramps. They’re uncomfortable and sometimes hurt. Anyone can get them. Your stomach is a muscular organ on the left side of your upper abdomen. Photo Credit: WebMD. Most of the time, stomach cramps aren’t serious and don’t need to be diagnosed.
Vitamins for Kids: Do Healthy Kids Need Supplements?
If you believe the ads, every kid needs a daily Flintstones or gummy bear vitamin. But is it true? Not necessarily so, the experts agree.
What to Know About Cracked Heels
Cracked heels aren't usually dangerous, but sometimes they can get infected and lead to a skin infection called cellulitis. Heel fissures, or cracked heels, happen when the skin on the bottom of your heel becomes hard and dry. No matter what the cause of your cracked heels, there are steps you can take to treat them. There are also ways to keep your heels from cracking in the first place. When the skin around your heels becomes dry and thick, it can be the start of cracked heels.
Baker’s Cyst: Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment
A Baker’s cyst is a fluid-filled sac behind your knee. It often causes a bulge and a feeling of tightness. You might hear your doctor call it a popliteal cyst. Baker’s cysts got their name from the doctor who first described them, a 19th-century surgeon named William Morrant Baker. Baker's cysts, or popliteal cysts, are fluid-filled sacs behind your knee. They can cause swelling and pain. (Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images) Swelling is the most common symptom of a Baker's cyst.
Pneumococcal Vaccine Schedule and Side Effects
The pneumococcal vaccine can protect you from an infection caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae or pneumococcus. (Photo Credit: Bernard Chantal/Dreamstime) Pneumococcal disease can cause serious respiratory (breathing) problems for very young children and older adults. To help prevent this, there are three pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) currently recommended in the U.S.: PCV15, PCV20, and PCV21.
Pneumococcal Vaccine Schedule and Side Effects
The pneumococcal vaccine can protect you from an infection caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae or pneumococcus. (Photo Credit: Bernard Chantal/Dreamstime) Pneumococcal disease can cause serious respiratory (breathing) problems for very young children and older adults. To help prevent this, there are four pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) available.
Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease
Symptoms of Parkinson's disease typically appear gradually and worsen over time. Symptoms and the speed of progression vary from person to person. Early detection of Parkinson's can help people live longer and more productive lives. Knowing the following symptoms of Parkinson's disease can help diagnose it sooner. You may have minor symptoms that you might not notice right away. Some people will first notice a sense of weakness, difficulty walking, and stiff muscles.
What’s to Blame for Your Diarrhea?
Most people think of diarrhea as an illness when they have more frequent, loose, watery stools. Almost everyone has it at some point. In developing countries, where illnesses that cause diarrhea are common and where health care might be less easily accessible, diarrhea is a major health concern because of its potential to cause dehydration. Diarrhea that comes on suddenly and goes away over a couple of weeks is called "acute diarrhea." Most people get better on their own.
Flu or Cold? Know the Differences
When you wake up sneezing, coughing, and have that achy, feverish, can't-move-a-muscle feeling, how do you know whether you have cold symptoms or the flu? It's important to know the difference between flu and cold symptoms. A cold is a milder respiratory illness than the flu. While cold symptoms can make you feel bad for a few days, flu symptoms can make you feel quite ill for a few days to weeks. The flu can also result in serious health problems such as pneumonia and hospitalizations.
Pneumonia: What to Know
Pneumonia is a lung infection that can range from mild to so serious that you have to go to the hospital. It happens when an infection causes air sacs in your lungs (the alveoli) and tubes in your airways that connect to them (bronchioles) to fill with fluid or pus. That can make it hard for you to breathe in enough oxygen. Anyone can get this lung infection. But children younger than 2 and adults 50 years old and up are at higher risk.
The Meningitis Vaccines: What Parents Should Know
The meningococcal vaccine protects against meningococcal disease, a serious bacterial infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis. This infection can lead to meningitis, an inflammation of the tissues covering the brain and spinal cord. It can also cause bloodstream infections. Teens are at a higher risk of getting meningococcal disease, which is easily spread through close contact and can become life-threatening quickly.
Alcohol and Diabetes: Understanding the Impact
If you have diabetes, alcohol can impact your blood sugar levels, increase your appetite, and reduce your medication's effectiveness. (Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images) If you have diabetes, you may be wondering, "Can a person with diabetes drink alcohol?" The main concern when drinking alcohol with diabetes is that it can cause your blood sugar to drop very low — below 70 milligrams/deciliter (mg/dL) — known as hypoglycemia.
Facial Pain and Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal neuralgia is an ongoing pain condition that affects certain nerves in your face. You might also hear it called “tic douloureux.” It causes sudden and severe pain that some people with the condition describe as feeling like an electric shock. Doctors have treatments that may help, including medicine and surgery. To learn about trigeminal neuralgia, it helps to know a little about how the affected nerves are laid out. In your head, you have 12 pairs of cranial nerves.
Meningitis Symptoms and Warning Signs
It's not easy to spot the symptoms of meningitis. People often confuse the early signs and symptoms of meningitis with the flu. In fact, meningitis may come on the heels of a flu-like illness or infection. That's why it's important to stay alert, learn the common signs and symptoms of meningitis, and act quickly.
Health Benefits of Peppermint
2/14 Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians used mints, including peppermint, as medicine thousands of years ago. But peppermint wasn’t recognized as a distinct subspecies until the late 17th century. 3/14 You can get peppermint leaf through tea, capsules, or as an extract. Peppermint oil comes in capsules and liquids. You can apply it to your skin or take it by mouth. It’s highly concentrated, so only use it in a diluted form or a few drops at a time. It can be toxic to take a lot of the oil at once.
Go Nuts for Nuts
2/9 These nuts may help protect you against prostate cancer and keep your brain sharp as you age. And, according to one study, you’re more likely to eat healthy overall if they’re a regular part of your diet. Try them on an apple walnut salad. 3/9 Because they grow underground and not on trees, peanuts technically are legumes -- who knew? But nutritionally they’re like nuts. They’re full of protein and other vitamins, so throw some in your trail mix.
14 Ways to Shed Pounds After 40
2/15 Fill half your plate with them at every meal. Produce tends to have more nutrients and less fat and calories than meat, dairy products, or grains. And it may help you feel satisfied, even if you eat less. Fresh fruits, like apples and berries, are also great in place of high-fat or high-sugar snacks. 3/15 Experts recommend a healthy morning meal like oatmeal or whole wheat toast with fruit.
Flu Symptoms
SOURCES: CDC: "Key facts about seasonal influenza (flu)," "Questions and Answers: Swine Flu and You," "Key Facts about Swine Influenza (Swine Flu)," "What You Should Know about Antiviral Drugs," “Flu: What To Do If You Get Sick," "Flu Symptoms & Complications," "Similarities and Differences Between Flu and COVID-19," "Symptoms of COVID-19," "Flu Symptoms and Complications," "People at Higher Risk of Flu Complications," "What are the benefits of flu vaccination?" "What You Should Know About...
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