http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/index.html en-us © 2007 Medletter Associates, LLC. All rights reserved. customerservice@johnshopkinshealthalerts.com webmaster@iproduction.com Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:24:29 CDT Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:24:29 CDT IPS - www.iproduction.com 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. … http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthAlertsHealthyLiving_2041-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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. … http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_1935-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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… http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthAlertsHealthyLiving_1932-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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. … http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_1929-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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… http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_1898-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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… http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_1882-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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… http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_1821-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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… http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_1758-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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. … http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthAlertsHealthyLiving_1757-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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. … http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_1529-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Each issue of our Health After 50 newsletter includes House Calls, an informative question and answer section. Here's a recent sample. Question: When should I try a laxative to treat constipation? http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_1527-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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. http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthAlertsHealthyLiving_1509-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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. http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthAlertsHealthyLiving_1448-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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… http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_1344-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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. http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_1342-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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… http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_858-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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… http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthAlertsHealthyLiving_800-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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. http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_745-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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.” http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_727-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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. http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_722-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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… http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_675-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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. http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingDigestiveDisorders_647-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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? … http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_548-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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. … http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_425-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Johns Hopkins Healthy Living Health Alert: 4 Healthy Living Short Takes on Erectile Dysfunction, Exercise and Dementia, and more! http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_406-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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. … http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthAlertsHealthyLiving_292-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS 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… http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthAlertsHealthyLiving_290-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Bladder cancer is common, it is a major public health concern, and it is strongly linked to cigarette smoking. http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_195-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Only a surgical procedure or sclerotherapy (injection of a special solution to shrink the vein) can eliminate varicose veins. http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_191-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS The recommended daily maximum dosage of acetaminophen is 4,000 milligrams (4 grams) daily and overdosing is easier than with other pain relievers http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_125-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Now there is intriguing evidence that having a high HDL level can even boost a person’s overall longevity. http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/healthy_living/JohnsHopkinsHealthyLivingHealthAlert_49-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS