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All Healthy Living Alerts
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Chronotherapy: Taking Medications at the Right Time
Many individuals take their medications at times of the day that are convenient or easy to remember -- in the morning, at lunchtime, or before bed, for example. But this strategy may not always give you the most benefit. Instead, an approach called chronotherapy takes into account your body's rhythms to tailor the timing and dosage of your drugs so that they work better and produce fewer side effects. More...
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Bunion Basics
Many people are plagued by pain from bunions, a deformity that forces the big toe out of alignment. But it's not a lost cause -- there are ways to relieve the pain.
The primary cause of bunions is your foot's structure, explains podiatrist Zachary L. Chattler, D. P. M., an instructor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Johns Hopkins. According to Dr. Chattler, bunions occur most frequently in feet that pronate -- meaning, as… More...
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Energy Drinks: Beverages With an Unhealthy Boost
You've seen them in the grocery store refrigerated coolers, with fancy names, like Red Bull, Monster, Full Throttle, and Rockstar. They're the so-called 'energy drinks' that come loaded with caffeine, sugar, vitamins, minerals, and other ingredients. But are they really good for you? Johns Hopkins reviews the data. More...
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Finding Relief From Allergies
With some 10% to 30% of adults suffering form allergic rhinitis, the condition can seem as ubiquitous as pollen on a dry spring day. Because it is so common and causes few obvious complications, sufferers often don't seek treatment for their condition. But lifestyle changes, medication, and even allergy shots can help many people find relief. More...
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Whatever Became of the Annual Physical?
Once upon a time, an annual adult physical typically included a weight and blood pressure check; blood tests to measure white blood cell counts and cholesterol, iron, and thyroid hormone levels; a urinalysis; and diet and exercise counseling. For older adults, chest x-rays and electrocardiograms (ECGs) also were routine. How things have changed … More...
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Menopause Relief Without HRT
Many symptoms of menopause -- such as night sweats, mood swings, and hot flashes -- lessen over time. In fact, they may go away in a matter of months without any medical intervention. However, other menopause symptoms, such as vaginal dryness, often do require some treatment. This article from the Johns Hopkins Health After 50 newsletter provides alternative treatments for women who are reluctant to go on hormone replacement. More...
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Doing Good and Feeling Good
Volunteering doesn't just help others -- it may also benefit your health. Reviewers from the Corporation for National and Community Service (a government agency that promotes volunteerism) reviewed two decades of data from over 30 studies and found that volunteers had less depression, reported greater satisfaction with life, and lived longer than those who did not volunteer. More...
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Diet and Longevity
Here is diet advice from five leading scientific journals that can help you maintain your health, prevent disease, and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Diet tip 1: 'Cutting carbs' may help trim your waistline and maintain your vision. Researchers at Tufts University analyzed the dietary habits of 4,099 people with age-related macular degeneration and found that participants who ate a diet with the most refined carbohydrates, such as cookies, candy, pasta, white bread, and crackers, were… More...
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Screening Tests After Age 50
In this excerpt from a recent Health After 50 newsletter article, Johns Hopkins explains the difference between screening and diagnostic tests and provides a handy list of screening tests recommended for adults aged 50 and older.
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The Hospitalist--A New Model of Patient Care
In this excerpt from a recent issue of our Health After 50 newsletter, Leonard Feldman, M.D., Assistant Professor and Hospitalist, discusses the role of the hospitalist – a physician employed by the hospital who spends most of his or her time treating hospitalized patients.
Health After 50: Why was the hospitalist specialty system created? … More...
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Will a Pedometer Help Me Stay Fit?
Should you use a pedometer when you exercise? Johns Hopkins provides advice.
Pedometers have become increasingly popular in the last few years, particularly in the wake of the American Heart Association's (AHA) Start! campaign, which provides participants with discounted pedometers and other tools to promote exercise.
The most recent evidence supporting their use comes from a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Data pooled from 26 studies totaling 2,767 participants found that people… More...
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How Safe Are Sleeping Pills?
Sleeping pills help millions of people with insomnia -- but for some, a good night's sleep can turn into a nightmare. In this excerpt from a Health After 50 newsletter article, David Neubauer, M.D., Associate Director of the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center reviews the risks of sleeping pills.
You may have heard that the sleeping pill Ambien (zolpidem) has been linked to odd and potentially dangerous behavior -- users don't just sleepwalk, they drive, make… More...
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Avoiding Hepatitis When You Travel
Hepatitis is a virus that causes inflammation in the liver. Approximately 42,000 new cases of hepatitis A, 56,000 new cases of hepatitis B, and 20,000 new cases of hepatitis C occur each year in the U.S. How can you avoid hepatitis when you travel abroad? Here's advice from Johns Hopkins. … More...
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What Works for Mild to Moderate Hearing Loss?
The National Institutes of Health estimates that only 1 in 5 people who need a hearing aid gets one. Resistance to hearing aids remains high, partly because of their perceived stigma. Many people who try hearing aids are also disappointed by the quality of sound. Fortunately, hearing aid technology is always advancing to better meet patients' needs. Johns Hopkins specialist Dr. Charles Limb reviews your hearing aid options and offers advice. … More...
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Breast Cancer Screening Gets Better
It's common knowledge that a yearly mammogram can be a lifesaver, but recent news suggests that a mammogram isn't always enough. In the spring of 2007, the American Cancer Society (ACS) released new recommendations for the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as an additional screening tool for breast cancer for selected high-risk individuals. In addition, new mammography technology, such as digital mammography, is increasingly available. … More...
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Is It Time To See a Geriatrician?
In this article from our Health After 50 newsletter, Michele Bellantoni, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Medical Director of Johns Hopkins Bayview Care Center, describes the unique type of care that geriatricians provide.
What is a geriatrician? Geriatricians are doctors with specialized training in medical conditions and health care issues of older adults. As people age they tend to develop a number of coexisting health problems, which often require treatment with a variety of medications and… More...
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Snoring Remedies
What can you do to quiet nighttime snoring? Johns Hopkins provides nine practical strategies.
Snoring occurs when the muscle that keeps open the airways carrying air from the nose and throat to the lungs relaxes during sleep. This causes the airways to collapse, requiring more forceful inhalation to breathe. Hence, the nocturnal foghorn blasts. … More...
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Questions on Resistance Training and the Diet Pill Alli
Each issue of our popular Health After 50 newsletter includes House Calls, a lively question and answer column in which Johns Hopkins doctors answer readers' questions. Here's a sample.
Q. I'm 72 and reasonably healthy, but I have never lifted weights. Should I start now?
A. Absolutely. Resistance training, which refers to weight lifting and other strength-building exercises, is essential to good health for both men and women at any age and despite many existing medical… More...
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Do Commercial Weight-Loss Programs Actually Work?
Can you stick with it? Research shows that the longer you can stay in a commercial weight-loss program, the more weight loss you're likely to achieve.
Successful weight loss requires a three-pronged approach: changing your behavior, altering your diet, and increasing your physical activity. Permanent alterations in your lifelong attitudes toward diet and exercise are the keys to successful weight management. You must be motivated enough to change habits not for a few weeks or… More...
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Is Exercise a Weapon Against Cancer?
If you have cancer and are undergoing chemotherapy, exercise is one of the best ways to combat treatment-related fatigue, and may even increase the body's ability to recover from the effects of chemotherapy.
Several groundbreaking studies suggest that exercise doesn't just help combat treatment-related fatigue, it may help fight against cancer. And obsessive exercise isn't needed to see a benefit. Depending on the intensity of the activity, you may need to exercise only a few… More...
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What You Should Know About Kidney Disease
People at risk for kidney disease can protect kidney function by treating diabetes, hypertension, losing weight, not smoking, and having regular screening tests.
The number of people with chronic kidney disease has doubled over the last decade. Experts attribute this rise, in part, to the increase in type 2 diabetes -- a condition that takes a toll on the kidneys. Uncontrolled hypertension also may play a role. Kidney disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes form a… More...
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Stretching Away Plantar Fasciitis
A recent study of plantar fasciitis patients reveals that stretching the plantar fascia may reduce pain more than stretching your Achilles tendon.
Rising in the morning, you put your feet on the floor and immediately feel a sharp pain in the inside of your heel … or after exercising your heel aches and swells … or your heel hurts anytime you stand up after sitting for a while. … More...
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Should Your Doctor Be Board Certified?
Each issue of our Health After 50 newsletter includes House Calls, an informative question and answer section. Here’s a sample.
Q. Should my doctor be board certified?
A. Doctors do not have to be board certified to practice; approximately 85% of M.D.s are. Generally, doctors test for certification after completing residency training. … More...
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Being a 'Good' Patient
Although this advice might sound simplistic, your good health really does begin with you -- the patient. All the modern medicines, high-tech devices, and highly trained healthcare professionals can’t help if you don’t help yourself by being a good patient. More...
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Unraveling the Mystery of Frailty
Geriatrician Dr. Linda Fried explains that frailty is not a disease in the classic sense, but a syndrome -- a constellation of symptoms that characterize a certain condition. Though there’s no shortage of warnings about the dangers of obesity, older people should also be concerned about frailty. More...
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Relief for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common disorder that may affect up to 10% of the population. And women are three times more likely than men to develop carpal tunnel syndrome.
If you have experienced pain, tingling, and numbness in your hand and wrist for a long time, don’t ignore these symptoms: You may have carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by compression of the median nerve, which enters your hand through the carpal tunnel… More...
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Don't Underestimate Anemia
Hemoglobin (Hb) is the protein in red blood cells that picks up and transports oxygen throughout the body. A deficiency in the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood is called anemia. The risk of anemia generally increases with age, but it often goes unnoticed. Symptoms of anemia include weakness, fatigue, trouble concentrating, sexual dysfunction, shortness of breath, and dizziness. More...
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Is It Dangerous to Cook with Plastics?
The Internet has been flooded with email warnings to avoid freezing water in plastic bottles so as not to get exposed to carcinogenic dioxins. One hoax email has been erroneously attributed to Johns Hopkins University since the spring of 2004. The Office of Communications and Public Affairs discussed the issue with Rolf Halden, PhD, PE, assistant professor in the Department of… More...
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Therapy for Kidney Stones
What, other than drinking water, can help flush out a kidney stone? Brian Matlaga, M.D., M.P.H., Director of Stone Disease at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, responds.
Caused by the buildup of salts within the kidneys, kidney stones afflict 1.3 million Americans a year. The most common treatment for kidney stones is to drink lots of water and wait for the kidney stone to pass out of the body. Typically, 2-3 quarts of water a day… More...
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Testosterone for Women
Men may have grabbed the sexual spotlight with Viagra (sildenafil citrate) and erectile dysfunction (ED), but women are equally prone to have concerns about their sex lives. While there may not be a woman’s equivalent to Viagra, if you are concerned about sex, take comfort in knowing that you are not alone. Upwards of 43% of women report some degree of dissatisfaction with their sexual health -- and help is available. More...
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Exercise and Cancer Update
For cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy, exercise is one of the best ways to combat treatment-related fatigue. “It’s not recommended that you begin an intense, new exercise regimen while undergoing chemotherapy, but if you exercised before your cancer diagnosis, try and maintain some level of activity,” says Deborah Armstrong, M.D., Associate Professor of Oncology, Gynecology, and Obstetrics at Johns Hopkins, “If you haven’t been exercising, try low-level exercise, such as walking or swimming.” More...
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The Ins and Outs of Outpatient Surgery
According to the Federation of Ambulatory Surgery, outpatient surgeries account for 60–70% of all operations. Research shows that most outpatient procedures are safe and effective, but there are important differences among outpatient facilities that may make one type of facility a better -- and safer—option for your surgery. More...
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New Weapon Against Psoriasis
Should you try Remicade, Enbrel, or one of the other new biologic therapies for psoriasis?
In the past few years, there has been a surge in new treatments for psoriasis. These new psoriasis treatments include biologic therapies, which use portions of the body’s natural immune system to treat a disease. Since 2003, three biologic therapies that target immune system cells and chemicals implicated in psoriasis have been approved for moderate to severe psoriasis. These drugs are… More...
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Are You Thirsty Yet?
Thirst is the body’s way of telling you that you need more fluids. Water is required for virtually every bodily function, from respiration to the most minute biochemical reaction. However, the thirst response system diminishes as we age; older people may not feel thirsty even as dehydration sets in. More...
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Ask the Doctor About Flaxseed and Triglycerides
Johns Hopkins doctors explain the risks and benefits of consuming flaxseeds and other foods high in omega-3 fatty acids to improve your cholesterol profile.
Q. I take ground flaxseed to help control my cholesterol. But I read that the alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) in flaxseed increases the risk of prostate cancer. Is this true? Does the risk differ between ground flaxseed and concentrated flaxseed oil in capsules? … More...
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Sunscreen Protection Basics
Taking steps to prevent melanoma – the least common and most deadly form of skin cancer
Summer is here, which means it's time to take extra precautions against the sun's harmful effects --particularly UVA and UVB rays. The experts at Johns Hopkins want everyone to understand the difference between UVA and UVB rays, as well as how to choose the right kind of sunscreen and use it correctly to protect yourself from skin cancer. … More...
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Taking Control of Vertigo
Is that spinning sensation vertigo or something else? Lloyd Minor, M.D., Director of the Laboratory of Vestibular Neurophysiology at Johns Hopkins, recommends that patients see a physician to find out.
If you have ever had an attack of dizziness, you know how frightening it can be. Almost everybody has felt faint, but many people experience a spinning or falling sensation—vertigo—and attacks may recur. Vertigo is often caused by problems with the body’s sense of balance. … More...
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Did You Know? Here Are Some Healthy Living Short Takes to Help You Maintain Your Health.
Read these healthy living tips on saving teeth enamel, alternative therapy for stress incontinence, overactive bladder, and a new statin drug alternative. Healthy Living Short Take #1: Saving your teeth enamel. Acidic foods and drinks such as fruit juice, soft drinks, pickles, yogurt, and wine can soften tooth enamel for a short time. Brushing while enamel is soft can wear away this protective coating and make your teeth more vulnerable to decay. Saliva restores the pH… More...
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