You hear about the thyroid gland all the time, but do you know how important it is to women? There are around 20 million Americans right now that are affected by some kind of thyroid disease, and around 60-percent of those individuals don’t even realize that they have a thyroid condition. Moreover, women are much more likely to develop thyroid issues than men are, particularly after they have reached the age of menopause. One in eight women will develop a thyroid problem during their lifetime. This means that you have a chance of having trouble with your thyroid in the…
Author: Valerie
Humans take advantage of their feet. Don’t deny it. You use your feet every single day to walk around the house, to stand in line, and to do hundreds of activities. Yet, people tend to neglect their feet until they experience soreness and other conditions that suddenly make the simplest of activities unbearable. Proper foot care can prevent many issues and pains from occurring, but sometimes the ailments cannot be prevented. With more than 26 bones, 5 ligaments, and 33 joints, there are plenty of structures in the foot that can be injured or inflamed! You will often need to…
The knee is one the largest and most complicated joints in the body, meaning it has a tendency to generate plenty of complaints from people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities. There are three main ligaments that connect to the kneecap (patella), the disc (meniscus), as well as tendons, muscles, and cartilage all coming together at one point in the body. Because of the shape, location, and amount usage the knee joint gets, it suffers from a wide variety of problems, including overuse, musculoskeletal disorders, sudden injuries, and more. Symptoms of knee problems include swelling, pain, stiffness, grinding noises, weakness,…
Tired? Depressed? Experiencing a lack of libido? More men and women around the world are experiencing the effects of low testosterone and don’t realize it. In the United States alone, there is an estimated 15 million men who have low-T. The problem is that the symptoms differ wildly from one person to the next, making the condition difficult to diagnose without blood work. The American Urology Association states that low testosterone is anywhere below 300 nanograms (Ng) of the hormone per deciliter (dl) of blood. For men over 30 years of age, testosterone depletes naturally about 2% a year, but…
As women age, their bodies change, both on the outside and on the inside. Upon reaching middle age, around 40, women may transition into a stage called perimenopause. This is a time when the body begins shifting into the non-reproductive years, causing noticeable symptoms that have an affect on your life. Knowing those symptoms, as well as why they are happening, can help you through the perimenopausal stage and make entering menopause much easier. What is Perimenopause? Many women know the basics of menopause, since most women have mothers and grandmothers to learn from. Yet, few women understand what happens…
Have you ever found yourself thinking that you would love to take a bath in the Fountain of Youth? Wouldn’t we all! Unfortunately, the Fountain of Youth is not a real pool. It is something you uncover with a little effort—and by that, we mean working out. You read that right. Exercising has an anti-aging effect. As your body ages, the cells start to regenerate more slowly, because the mitochondria start to die. However, when you are physically active and working out regularly, your mitochondria reside in your cells for longer. You also get other benefits. Here are the best…
Lupus is a debilitating autoimmune disorder that causes the body to attack itself. This means that every organ, including the joints, heart, kidneys, brain, blood, and skin are considered the enemy by the immune system, because it is unable to differentiate between foreign invaders from the body’s cells. When these flare ups happen, inflammation and painful swelling become a part of everyday life for those with Lupus. If you think that you might have the autoimmune disease known as Lupus, here are the 15 symptoms to check for: Skin Rash Those who suffer from any type of autoimmune disease will…
The pancreas is named after Greek terms meaning “all flesh,” and while it might not seem like the most essential of organs at first glance, it is indeed necessary for multiple functions within the body. In fact, the pancreas works continuously throughout your life to produce hormones that control your blood sugar, such as glucagon and insulin, and also creates enzymes that help with absorption of nutrients from food. If you ever experienced issues with the pancreas, such as pancreatitis, or know someone who has had pancreatic cancer, you will know how devastating an afflicted pancreas can be. Hopefully, you…
The main task of the kidneys is to remove waste products from your blood and remove additional fluids in the form of urine and send that waste down the urinary tract to be expelled from the body. This tract, however, is susceptible to bacteria invasion. If any of the major parts of the urinary tract becomes infected, such as the bladder, ureters, or urethra, you usually get a urinary tract infection or UTI. While this might not be too serious, bacteria will travel. Vile bacteria can sometimes enter the kidneys through the bladder and cause pain and discomfort on top…
Kidney cancer begins in the kidneys and goes by the name renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but there are several subtypes of RCC. Cancer is the result of cells in the body growing out of control. Kidney cancer is one of the top 10 common cancer that affect people, particularly in men and women over the age of 60. Because symptoms of RCC take a while to form, kidney cancer is difficult to detect. Knowing what the lesser known symptoms and signs of kidney cancer are can help with earlier detection and keep the cancer from spreading to other organs. About…
Henoch-Schönlein Purpura (HSP), also known as IgA Vasculitis (IgAV), is a disease marked by the inflammation of the body’s small blood vessels. Although children between the ages of 2 to 11 are the most susceptible to HSP, adults can get the disease as well. According to Professor Alan Salama, Professor of Nephrology and Honorary Consultant Nephrologist at the Royal Free Hospital in London, everybody is capable of making the antibody IgA that protects the sensitive lining of our airways, gut, and throat. When IgA gets stuck in the blood vessels, it causes inflammation, or vasculitis, in that area. Sometimes, IgA…
Epilepsy affects people throughout the world. Approximately 65 million people of all ages, races, and ethnic groups have the condition, making it fourth most common neurological disorder across the globe. In the United States, an estimated 3.4 million have epilepsy, and another 1 in 26 will develop the neurological disorder throughout their lifetime. While there are no known causes for epilepsy, there are a number of risk factors that can increase the likelihood of you or someone you love developing it. Some risk factors are environmental. Others are hereditary. Here are the seven most common risk factors that could cause…
There is a condition that affects veterans from the Gulf War, known as Gulf War Syndrome (GWS)—an unexplained cluster of chronic symptoms that affect hundreds of thousands of veterans more and more. The symptoms of Gulf War Syndrome include headaches, fatigue, indigestion, insomnia, joint pain, respiratory disorders, dizziness, and memory issues. Although the Department of Veteran Affairs has called Gulf War Syndrome a “chronic multi-symptom illness,” they also related this medical issue with veterans and civilians who had survived Operation: Desert Storm. Veterans from countries that joined the Coalition forces are the ones most affected by this mysterious illness. In…
Children are rambunctious and impulsive more often than not, but for those who cannot control their body and mind, because it is always on the go, they could be diagnosed with something could attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 8/4% of children between the ages of 3 to 17 in the United States have ADHD. For parents of children who have this disease, managing the symptoms can be difficult, and sometimes it might seem impossible. One of the ways parents can lessen the symptoms of ADHD is to turn…
Life comes with circumstances beyond control. These circumstances can transform into energy-sucking pits of despair or calm pools of reflection, depending on your habits and mind frame at the time. While most people would rather not deal with hardships, the reality is that life happens whether we are prepared for it or not. Having positive habits can fortify your well-being against those stressors that would otherwise make life feel dismal. Of course, forming new habits, especially the beneficial ones, takes time. Without proper motivation and a reason to make the change, you won’t be able to rise above the bad…
Could you have a weakened immune system? More than one sign, like getting frequent colds, could be pointing towards yes. When functioning properly, the immune system can ward off attacks from bacteria, fungi, viruses, free radicals, and other harmful substances that are present all around us. But when any part of the immune system is compromised, you will find yourself experiencing maladies more frequently. Now, you might be wondering about the causes of a weakened immune system and what you should be on the look out for. Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, Swiss Wellness Consultant and author of 2 Day Diabetes…
Here’s a fun fact for you: Magnesium is the eighth most abundant element in the planet’s crust, but it is also the eleventh most abundant element in the human body in terms of mass, because magnesium ions can be found in every single cell that we’re comprised of. Not surprisingly, magnesium is needed for more than 500 biochemical reactions within the human body, so if you’re not getting the recommended 250-350 mg of magnesium per day, your body is going to suffer. Unfortunately, magnesium doesn’t get the same amount of attention that calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin C do when…
Are you getting your best night’s sleep every night? Just because you are in bed for 8 hours, that doesn’t mean that you are getting a full 8 hours of quality rest. There are signs that reveal whether you are having problems with adequate sleep. Chief Medical Liaison at health technology company Philips, Dr. Teofilo Lee-Chiong, M.D., says, “There are several medical problems that make it difficult for people to maintain deep sleep at night. According to Philips annual global sleep survey, three quarters of adults around the world experience at least one of the following conditions that impact their…
Ever wonder if you are the only one suffering from back pain? According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), an estimated 31 million people in the United States live with chronic lower back pain (LBP). Each year, 50-percent of all working adults in the U.S. report low back pain, and it is a common cause for missing work. Now, while almost everyone will experience low back pain sometime in their life, the reasons for the pain can differ between individuals. Lower back pain often occurs in the lumbar region of the spine, which supports the weight of the entire upper…
A common complaint seen in the medical world is hip pain. Individuals of any age can develop hip pain from a number of conditions, but the largest demographic would be those aged 60 and up. In a study conducted by John Hopkins Medical School, 14.3-percent of adults 60 years old and up reported significant chronic hip pain that oftentimes lasted 6 weeks or more. As you can see, hip pain affects many people, every day, but the reason why you have hip pain isn’t always obvious. In order to understand where the hip pain is coming from, you should visit…