MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'advice'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:52:25 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169542&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.consumerreports.org%2Fsafety%2F2011%2F08%2Ffda-shoulderflex-massager-has-life-threatening-dangers.html The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning against a personal neck massaging device yesterday. The ShoulderFlex Massager, say federal regulators, can be lethal. The ShoulderFlex Massager, distributed by King International in Beaverton, Or., sits beneath the neck of a prone user and features a rotating bar with removable, adjustable massage “fingers.” However, if the rotating parts are set incorrectly, the fingers can snag and pull a person's hair or loose clothing, causing injury and possible strangulation. In one case, reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, a user was strangled to death because the ShoulderFlex Massager snagged the person's necklace during use. The FDA warns that owners should immediate discontinue use of the massagers. The dev... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169542 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 19:30:00 +0100 5169542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159551&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F7ZpS00I-esc%2F Is happy is as happy does? What if what happy does is follow all the latest and greatest happiness advice? That’s what filmmakers Hillman Curtis and Stefen Sagmeister set out to do in their feature-length documentary, The Happy Film. ‘Is it possible to train our mind in the same way that we train our bodies?’ and ‘Can we change our behavior to make us happier?’ are the main themes,” Curtis told The Atlantic. It’s not so much about ‘finding happiness’ as trying to ‘become more of the person you want to become.’ [Actually, right now it’s not so much about anything—as the Atlantic article notes, the film is stalled at the moment due to lack of funding.] So Curtis and Sagmeister try out different personal happiness advice given by ‘serious psycho... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159551 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:45:17 +0100 5159551 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159404&cid=t_103488_117_f&fid=34808&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebeautybrains.com%2F2011%2F08%2F22%2F5-ways-to-reduce-animal-testing%2F Nicky wants to know…I’ve read your earlier posts on testing cosmetics on animals but I’m still worried that cosmetic companies abuse too many bunnies and such. The Right Brain replies: The Scientific Advisory Committee of the European Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods (also known as ECVAM) have announced that there are 5 new methods of testing skin and eye irritation that previously had to be done on rabbits. That means that products like hand soaps, face creams, and make up (among many, many others) can now be safely formulated and tested with out harming a single hair on a hare. But it gets better: one test mimics human skin so well that it will COMPLETELY replace testing on rabbits. Two of the other tests can identify severe eye irritants which will eli... thebeautybrains.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159404 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 06:01:44 +0100 5159404 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130885&cid=t_103488_117_f&fid=34808&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebeautybrains.com%2F2011%2F08%2F14%2Fhow-can-you-tell-if-beauty-companies-are-green%2F Beauty Detective asks…What is the definition of a green product according to you? The Left Brain responds: As you know if you read our recent article on the Huffington Post, we don’t really believe there IS a good definition of a green product. (Or a “natural” or “organic” product for that matter.) The best definition we’ve seen involves the sustainability guidelines established by the  Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). How can you tell if a cosmetic company is sustainable? The GRI is a Netherlands-based organization that has established guidelines for companies who wish to report their impact on the environment. The report covers a number of factors that determine a product’s environmental impact including the following: Raw Materials (ch... thebeautybrains.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130885 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 06:01:00 +0100 5130885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118928&cid=t_103488_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fsea-grass.html Seagrass holds the natural sand dunes that perform as dykes against the powerful ocean for seafront homes. It is illegal to harvest it. Unless you are Gullah, a group of African-Americans who have maintained their culture and language for over 300 years now. They speak Geechee, a creole language that developed out of African loanwords and the English vernacular of the 1700's.I met her in the open air market that once served as a slave trade hall. She is quiet, and I admire her baskets (most priced over $100) and ask her if I can take photos of her hands at work. She nods with a toothless grin, and we muddle through a conversation in English and Geechee as she asks if I'll send her my photos. Sure, I can do that, I say. She takes one of her brochures and writes a name and street address on ... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118928 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 19:52:00 +0100 5118928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5119044&cid=t_103488_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2F7_KyNKVn7oA%2F Conclusion So the next time you need help with something, only take advice from 1 person. Don’t complicate this stuff. Getting a second opinion is fine, just don’t let it conflict with your goals.   ———————————————– Keith Lai is the author of the fitness blog FitMole.com where he talks about his simple and flexible approach to all things fitness. He also has a big mole on his face. You can keep up with him on Twitter and Facebook here and here. Art Credit: Roy Lichtenstein Don’t forget to follow PickTheBrain on Twitter! : Finding Bliss: How to Reverse Engineer Happiness The 6 Components of a Happy Life     (Source: PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improve... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5119044 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 06:14:57 +0100 5119044 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107630&cid=t_103488_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2Ff1LdsDd7wdc%2F I was getting my son’s physical for school the other day and the doctor talked to us about HPV.  What is it?  HPV, or humanpapilloma virus, is a very common sexually transmitted virus.  In fact, it is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States today.  More than half of sexually active men and women are infected with HPV at some time in their lives.  The good news is that there is now a vaccine called Gardasil to protect you from this sometimes deadly virus.  Gardasil use to be given only to young women, but now it is recommended for girls, ages 11-26 AND males, ages 9-26.  It is important to note that the vaccine is given before any sexual contact, because once someone is infected, the vaccine might not work as well or might not work at all.  Women with the v... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107630 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 16:11:00 +0100 5107630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107731&cid=t_103488_123_f&fid=39036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpediatricinc.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F07%2Fexit-interviews-before-they-exit%2F Exit interviews are done when an employee is leaving the organization. The intent of the interview is for the employer to gather data for improving working conditions and retaining employees. Theoretically, I understand why one would want to do exit interview. But I don’t understand why one would wait until the employee is leaving to ask their opinion. Seems to me that at that point, it is too late. Asking employees exit interview type questions while employees are working at your practice can also be a good tool to gather employees’ feedback on their work experience in and effort to improve working conditions and retain employees. Examples of exit interview type questions that can help one get a sense of how employee perceive working at your practice. For example: What is most satisfy... Pediatric Inc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107731 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 13:46:28 +0100 5107731 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103337&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhelp-my-diet-is-so-gross-do-i-have-to-do-it-this-way-insights-welcome%2F2011.08.06 I’m feeling rather nauseated today. This is my fifth day of a high-protein, low-fat, low-carb diet, and I have already developed a deep-seated hatred of egg whites. My regimen includes uncomfortable quantities of grilled chicken breast, fat-free cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and egg protein, occasionally garnished with a lettuce leaf or perhaps a blueberry. Just yesterday I had to drink a plastic test tube of liquid protein to meet my goals (see offending product image to the left). It looked like a blood-tinged albumin sample, and tasted like orange flavor crystals with a splash of soy sauce. I know that the scientific literature (if we distill it and perhaps oversimplify it a bit) seems to suggest that there may be a short-term advantage to high-protein diets in terms of weight los... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103337 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 18:36:59 +0100 5103337 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096190&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.consumerreports.org%2Fsafety%2F2011%2F08%2Fcdc-1-dead-76-ill-from-salmonella-in-ground-turkey-meat.html The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is conducting an investigation with federal, state and local agencies into a recent outbreak of food poisoning due to Salmonella-tainted ground turkey. The outbreak has been tied to one death and 76 illnesses in 26 states. Information from the CDC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been limited because the investigation is still underway. However, the CDC reports that the Salmonella outbreak apparently started around March in at least 26 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. Preliminary inves... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096190 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:30:00 +0100 5096190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086261&cid=t_103488_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F30%2Fif-i-have-to-tell-you-one-more-time-23-tools-for-parents%2F Before you read this post, I must confess that I have not read a parenting book for seven years: since my son was three and my daughter one. Up to that point, I averaged one a month. Some were helpful, but I was such an insecure parent, that the majority of these well-intentioned references made me like a horrible mother who was incapable of raising good kids. I then decided to “pick my battles,” and work on my self-esteem rather than perfecting my parenting skills. So I tossed any parenting books that came my way into the Goodwill pile. Whenever the topic of expert parenting advice or philosophies came up at play dates, I walked away and participated in another conversation… like about which kind of chocolate to buy. I must have evolved in these seven years because I was unafrai... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086261 Sat, 30 Jul 2011 18:15:30 +0100 5086261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069747&cid=t_103488_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fdoctors.html Usually when you visit the doctor, the hospital personnel and medical staff all seem to be on the healthy side. There may be a few exceptions but hospitals seem to be full of doctors and nurses and other who have narrow waists, low BMI and you never catch a whiff of cigarette smoke near them. I can say that all my doctors are a healthy weight - except the pregnant ones. So when they start talking about weight and healthy eating and exercise, I do give them credit that they must follow that life style as well - they must walk the walk as well as talk the talk. I know about twenty years ago, I was treated by a nurse who had a pack of cigarettes in her pocket. I never see cigarettes around any more. The hospital now has a no smoking campus, so you see dwindling numbers of smokers hiding off t... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069747 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:09:00 +0100 5069747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057719&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-im-afraid-for-anyone-to-enter-the-healthcare-system-ever%2F2011.07.23 Alright, I admit that the title of this post is a little dramatic. But it really does seem that most people I know socially have had a bad experience with the healthcare system lately. Take for example my friend whose 3- year-old went to the hospital for a common pediatric procedure – the little girl was overdosed on a medicine, aspirated, got pneumonia, went into respiratory distress (noticed first by her mom) and remained in the pediatric ICU for several days. The hospital staff swept the overdose under the rug, and outright denied it happened when faced with direct questioning. As outrageous as that all is, my friend chose not to pursue action against the hospital and staff for their error and behavior. She just “let it go” because no permanent harm had occurred. Anoth... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057719 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 01:18:24 +0100 5057719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050554&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.consumerreports.org%2Fhome%2F2011%2F07%2Fhow-to-recognize-poison-ivy-poison-oak-and-poison-sumac.html Recent rains and warm temperatures have resulted in a bumper crop of poison ivy and doctors have seen an increase in outbreaks in recent weeks. Getting rid of poison ivy and its partners in pain, poison oak and poison sumac, can be a challenge but here’s something not to try—a string trimmer. Whacking the weed will just toss the bits back at you resulting in a malady called trimmer’s itch. The itch is quickly followed by a rash and blisters and weeks of misery. Recognizing these plants and knowing where they grow is the best way to avoid them. The old adage, “Leaves of three, let it be” only applies to the ivy. Poison oak can have three to five leaves on a stem and poison sumac seven to 13. The Food and Drug Administration also recommends the following: Was... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050554 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:22:00 +0100 5050554 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050713&cid=t_103488_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F21%2Fthe-5-types-of-girlfriends-you-need-in-your-life%2F In her classic book, Gift from the Sea, Anne Morrow Lindbergh articulates the process of gathering girlfriends. She writes, “I shall ask into my shell only those friends with whom I can be completely honest. I find I am shedding hypocrisy in human relationships. What a rest that will be! The most exhausting thing in life, I have discovered, is being insincere.” Girlfriends are as unique as the shells Lindbergh describes in her pages. Some have the gift of empathy and compassion, while others challenge us in ways that lead to growth; some friends listen, while others dole out smart advice. Women need different kinds of friendships at different points in their lives. I have compiled these five types of girlfriends, drawing from the examples in Robert Wick’s book, Bounce: Living the Res... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050713 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:36:13 +0100 5050713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036222&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1451         Sometimes, people just say the wrong thing, other times they say nothing at all.  Giving advice to a pregnant woman is never, ever, a good idea, even if you have the best of intentions.  People mean well, but there are times during pregnancy that we just want to make the  important decisions that are right for us.  Topics from having pain medications during labor and delivery, to breast feeding are very personal indeed.   Read here for one woman’s take on getting advice from other new moms, and people who think their advice is the last word.. {Click here for a free information packet and special coupon for MAZE Cord Blood Laboratories! } (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036222 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:29:33 +0100 5036222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028517&cid=t_103488_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FTIy93UnlV6M%2F I was doing some research on clinical trials and it is much more complex than I dreamed!  First of all, any new treatment must go through numerous stages of testing before its benefits and risks can completely be known.  New treatments are discovered in the laboratory and it can take many years of research before they are given to patients.  Why?  Because it is essential to identify that the new treatment is actually better than what is already available.  These research studies are also called clinical trials.  If a treatment has definite potential in the final stages of development, then research is carried out in patients with the particular type of illness that the treatment aims to help.  Furthermore, I always believed that clinical trials were only regarding drugs, and that is... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028517 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:37:10 +0100 5028517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028669&cid=t_103488_117_f&fid=34808&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebeautybrains.com%2F2011%2F07%2F13%2Fshould-you-pre-poo-with-burts-bees%2F Tamar asks…Is there any real benefit to pre-pooing? I want to try products like Burts Bee’s Avocado Butter pre shampoo treatment, but i don’t want to waste my money. I’ve heard great things about it, but to me it would seem like I would just be washing out all of the beneficial ingredients. The Right Brain replies: First it was regular shampoo, then it was no poo ( washing your hair with conditioner), and now it’s pre-poo. What’s next post-poo? What is pre-poo? The idea of protecting your hair by loading it up with oily materials before shampooing actually makes some sense. (There’s a similar approach in skin care called “super-fatting.”) If you saturate the hair with oil, it will “overwhelm” your shampoo to some degree and ... thebeautybrains.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028669 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 05:05:07 +0100 5028669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028456&cid=t_103488_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F12%2Fhow-to-reach-members-of-the-military-and-their-families%2F As I was researching The Happiness Project, I was struck by the fact that I often found it more helpful to read about one person’s idiosyncratic happiness project than to read about general principles applying to all humankind or studies applying to large populations. For some reason, reading about Thoreau’s very individual decision to move to Walden Pond, or St. Therese’s struggle to stay patient with the nun who made clicking noises during evening prayers, was what taught me most about myself. I’ve heard from people whose lives are very different from mine, on the surface — but it turns out that we face many of the same challenges in our happiness projects. Here’s a question for you, readers: I’ve been steadily getting email from members of the ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028456 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:06:59 +0100 5028456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4997668&cid=t_103488_117_f&fid=34808&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebeautybrains.com%2F2011%2F07%2F04%2Fdiy-cosmetics-for-4th-of-july%2F Happy Independence Day to all our American readers! To celebrate we’ll travel back in time and take a peek at cosmetic science around the time of the American Revolution. Do It Yourself Cosmetics If you’re interested in learning what life was like in colonial America, you can find an excellent summary at Fortklock.com; the details of how women made their own makeup was particularly fascinating. Believe me, they didn’t have much to work with! Here’s a quick comparison of colonial chemistry to our modern day magic. Lip color Then: Mix beet juice with lard. Now: Something in a nice pinkish-taupe like NARS Turkish Delight! Blush Then: Either pinch your cheeks or, for the cultured sophisticate, mix beet juice with talc or cornstarch. (Jeez, those colonials were really bi... thebeautybrains.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4997668 Mon, 04 Jul 2011 06:01:47 +0100 4997668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992691&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhow-to-be-a-good-doctor-10-rules-of-the-road%2F2011.07.01 He sat in a crisp white coat, staring at a computer screen, note cards in his lap. Occasionally, I noted him jot a note to himself as he compiled his list. A nurse sat next to him, pounding feverishly on the keyboard as she recorded her nurse’s note. He tentatively moved his mouse, then clicked, still staring. I recall my first day in clinical medicine: no computer, an ER rotation, a white board filled with names and abbreviated medical problems next to them with little magnetic color-coded labels nearby. Room 1: Head trauma. Room 2: Abscess. Room 3: UTI, Room 4: Rash. I got room 2. It was the biggest, bad-est infected sebaceous cyst on a guy’s back a newly minted doctor had ever seen. Can you say “softball?” “See one, do one,” they told me. And off I went. Much in medicine ha... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992691 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4992691 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960195&cid=t_103488_117_f&fid=34808&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebeautybrains.com%2F2011%2F06%2F22%2Fis-amla-powder-good-for-hair%2F Celeste asks…What is Amla powder and what does it do for hair? The Right Brain replies: Amla, also known as Indian gooseberry, is a fruit from the myrobalan-tree which is native to India and Burma. Like its cousin the North American gooseberry, amla fruit is edible with tart citrusy flavor.  Amla is allegedly high in ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and tannins which give it high antioxidant strength.  Amla also contains flavonoids, kaempferol, ellagic acid and gallic acid. Preliminary medical research has shown Amla potentially provides a surprising variety of benefits including antiviral and antimicrobial properties; prevention of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis, activity against some cancers; reduced severity of acute pancreatitis, age-related renal disease, and diabetes; and ... thebeautybrains.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960195 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 06:01:18 +0100 4960195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934143&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.consumerreports.org%2Fsafety%2F2011%2F06%2Ffeds-take-action-against-drug-companies-with-poor-safety-record.html The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an injunction yesterday against H&P Industries Inc. and The Triad Group for violating federal regulations regarding the safe manufacture of drugs and pharmaceuticals. The FDA said inspections over the past two years have revealed the Hartland, Wisconsin-based companies failed to meet "good manufacturing practices." Since last December, H&P has had five voluntary product recalls, including bacteria-contaminated alcohol pads and similarly-tainted iodine swabs included in Atwater Carey first aid kits. U.S. Marshals have already seized more than $6 million of the companies' products in April. But the current injunction will prohibit H&P and Triad Group from further production and marketing of health care products until an independent expert and th... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934143 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:30:00 +0100 4934143 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921520&cid=t_103488_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F09%2Fthe-seed-9-pieces-of-advice-for-graduates%2F In his new book, The Seed: Finding Purpose and Happiness in Life and Work, international and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jon Gordon tells the story of Josh, a guy who, like so many of us, has lost his passion at work. When Josh’s boss challenges the young worker to take two weeks off to assess his attitude and intentions, Josh heads to the country. There, a farmer hands him a seed and tells him that when he discovers the right place to plant the seed his purpose will be revealed to him. This tale takes readers on a quest to explore their own passion, purpose, and happiness in life and work. The themes presented are most appropriate for graduates just embarking on their path. Here, then, are nine such lessons presented in the story, in the words of Gordon: 1. Focus on Get to i... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921520 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:45:54 +0100 4921520 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911458&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQxVIGCRKwPA%2F By Walter OlsonLast week First Lady Michelle Obama and the U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled “ChooseMyPlate.gov,” an updating of the federal government’s ongoing efforts to lecture us on how to eat. While the idea of nutrition recommendations from Washington, D.C. isn’t itself new, the past couple of years have seen a lurch toward a more coercive approach, especially under the Obama administration, under pressure from a burgeoning “food policy” movement, as I explain in a new Daily Caller op-ed: All sorts of nannyish and coercive ideas are emerging from that [movement] nowadays: proposals at the FDA to limit salt content in processed foods; mandatory calorie labeling, which poses a significant burden on many smaller food vendors and restaurants; ne... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911458 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:50:54 +0100 4911458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893430&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2011%2F06%2Fcdc-says-no-antibiotics-for-suspected-e-coli-patients.html In response to the ongoing E. coli outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today urged health professionals to not give antibiotics to patients with suspected infections caused by the Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O104:H4 (also known as STEC or, in Europe, as EHEC). The CDC says taking antibiotics might increase the risk of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe condition associated with the infection that can lead to kidney failure. As of this Friday afternoon, June 3, 2011, there have been 1,271 STEC infections reported and 552 cases of HUS with 18 reported deaths, both inside and outside of Germany. There have been no confirmed cases of HUS in the U.S., but currently there are 4 suspected cases in patients who traveled to northern Germany in May, says the ... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893430 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 21:50:00 +0100 4893430 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883588&cid=t_103488_90_f&fid=34474&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCasesBlog%2F%7E3%2F66czHvcvayc%2Fhow-to-maintain-correct-posture-while.html Adult or Child Laptop Use at Home, Work or Classroom.Mobile or Smart Phone Use while Driving, Traveling or on the Move.Link via Digital Inspiration. Posted at Clinical Cases and Images. Stay updated and subscribe, follow us on Twitter and connect on Facebook. (Source: Clinical Cases and Images - Blog) Clinical Cases and Images - Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883588 Tue, 31 May 2011 12:43:00 +0100 4883588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872517&cid=t_103488_180_f&fid=38619&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FALifeCoachsBlog%2F%7E3%2FVCuz2zuX1Os%2F Let me make one thing clear from the get-go, I’m a Life Coach. I’m not a blogging consultant, I’m definitely not a WordPress/SEO expert, I know nothing about web design and I’m not even close to being a website conversion specialist. I say that by way of setting your expectations before we go any further. Because if you’ve high tailed it over here based on the headline and think I may be about Continue reading... (Source: Life Coach Blog: The Discomfort Zone :) Life Coach Blog: The Discomfort Zone : blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872517 Fri, 27 May 2011 12:10:38 +0100 4872517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862531&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.consumerreports.org%2Fsafety%2F2011%2F05%2Fare-toning-shoes-unsafe-reports-of-injuries-raise-concern.html Ads for Skechers Shape-ups and similar toning shoes suggest they can help give you a firm behind and shapely legs. But our recent analysis of complaints to the Consumer Product Safety Commission's new product complaint database suggest the shoes could send you to a doctor’s office or even an emergency room. We looked at complaints reported since the database started, on March 11, 2011. As of May 22, 2011, 36 people reported injuries associated with toning shoes. That’s more than for any other single type of product in the database. Most of the reported injuries were minor, including tendinitis and foot, leg, and hip pain. But 15 of the reports were of broken bones, some requiring surgery. Why so many reported injuries? Our medical experts explain that these type of toning sho... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862531 Wed, 25 May 2011 11:00:00 +0100 4862531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852926&cid=t_103488_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fnew-facebook-friends-and-blogging-advice.html If you’ve been on Facebook for any length of time you will have had friend requests from people you don’t know. That’s fine. Often they’re just spammers. Sometimes, they’re users with whom you might have a few friends in common. If paths haven’t crossed I usually redirect requests to the Sciencebase Facebook page instead of automatically accepting the request. Occasionally, the new wouldbe friend turns out already to “like” the page, says so and starts a conversation. Also fine. Half proves they’re not some kind of bot. Virtual friendships can spring from such occurrences. It’s what this social media lark is all about, right? Indian medical blogger Pranab Chatterjee who runs Scepticemia, sent me a friend request and I went through... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852926 Sun, 22 May 2011 14:00:38 +0100 4852926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4847947&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2011%2F05%2Fzombie-apocalypse-preparedness-dont-forget-your-go-bag.html Now, we don't really think the world will end tomorrow. On the other hand, you never do know when disaster will strike. So, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pointed out yesterday, it does make sense to plan for the worst, whether from zombies, hurricanes, or nuclear emergencies. That means knowing the needed steps to take, practicing with your family, creating a communication plan, stocking supplies, and being ready to act. Consider storing the following basic supplies in a “go-bag” for home use or evacuation: • At least three days' worth of nonperishable food, water, and essential medicines • Toiletries and clothing • Iodine tablets or bleach to disinfect water if you can't boil it • Candles and matches, flashlights or battery-powered lamps, and a ba... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847947 Fri, 20 May 2011 20:05:00 +0100 4847947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828888&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-insurance-coverage-and-leaving-the-hospital-against-medical-advice%2F2011.05.15 There is a huge myth being unknowingly  perpetrated against the general public when it comes to their rights and responsibilities as a patient.  It’s a myth that I can remember hearing as far back as my first few weeks of clinicals during medical school.  It was a constant presence during my residency training and even now, as a private practice hospitalist I hear misinformation being handed down day after day, month after month. This myth is perpetrated by doctors, nurses, and therapists of all kinds.  What is this myth?  That their health insurance company will not pay for the care provided if they want to leave against the medical advice of their physician. Will my insurance company pay if I leave against medical advice (AMA)? Yes.  They will pay.  Medicare and Medicaid pa... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828888 Sun, 15 May 2011 19:00:00 +0100 4828888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813363&cid=t_103488_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F10%2Fconquering-performance-anxiety-a-primer-for-all-phobias%2F Public speaking is the king of phobias. That’s according to Taylor Clark, author of the insightful book, Nerve. He writes: According to a 2001 poll, more than 40 percent of Americans confess to a dread of appearing before spectators. (In some surveys, fear of public speaking even outranks fear of death, a fact that inspired Jerry Seinfeld’s famous observation that at a funeral, this means the average person would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy.) To get to the solution of this phobia — which can help us with all our other phobias — Clark tells the story of cellist Zoe Keating. Today her music is featured everywhere from National Public Radio to film scores to European ballets. Clark attended one of her performances and comments, “Keating seemed entirely obl... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813363 Tue, 10 May 2011 14:30:33 +0100 4813363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829164&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FplF9O_o_GRw%2F I probably shouldn’t ever do online tests that claim to be reliable indicators of my health or personality, but that doesn’t stop me from frittering away my time every once in awhile. Who doesn’t want to know how their IQ stacks up with their friend’s, whether their personality type is compatible with their partner’s, or if they could be considered a “fitness junkie”?  I know I do. So when Alternative Depression Therapy’s online bi-polar test showed up in my Twitter stream, I was too curious not to see my results. I’ve never been diagnosed with any mental illness, but hey, this could save me the trip to the psychologist, and an excuse to get my hands on some good pills! (Kidding, of course.) But all the test really taught me is that I&... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829164 Mon, 09 May 2011 20:18:32 +0100 4829164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803387&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FplF9O_o_GRw%2F I probably shouldn’t ever do online tests that claim to be reliable indicators of my health or personality, but that doesn’t stop me from frittering away my time every once in awhile. Who doesn’t want to know how their IQ stacks up with their friend’s, whether their personality type is compatible with their partner’s, or if they could be considered a “fitness junkie”?  I know I do. So when Alternative Depression Therapy’s online bi-polar test showed up in my Twitter stream, I was too curious not to see my results. I’ve never been diagnosed with any mental illness, but hey, this could save me the trip to the psychologist, and an excuse to get my hands on some good pills! (Kidding, of course.) But all the test really taught me is that I&... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803387 Mon, 09 May 2011 20:18:32 +0100 4803387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4797823&cid=t_103488_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FqijT1OKVagU%2F This is a guest post by Patricia Walling who is a web content creator with an avid interest in healthcare and nursing.  Patricia can be reached by email at: patwalling85@gmail.com As a field, nursing has seen an explosion in growth in recent years. The aging of the American population has led the Bureau of Labor and Statistics to predict job growth to increase by 22 percent by 2018, far out-stripping the national average. For many, the good pay and job security (which is even better than that of other popular fields, such as medical transcription) of nursing have made it an ideal career path, and nursing schools have blossomed across the country. However, each school has its own unique advantages and disadvantages and a number of factors should be considered before you select a school. W... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4797823 Sat, 07 May 2011 13:29:53 +0100 4797823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789244&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fshould-competitive-cyclists-undergo-cardiac-ablation-for-atrial-fibrillation%2F2011.05.06 The number of emails that come from fellow cyclists (and endurance athletes) with heart rhythm issues amazes me. I am more convinced than ever that our “hobby” predisposes us to electrical issues like atrial fibrillation (AF)—that the science is right. Obviously, my pedaling “habit” creates an exposure bias. I hear from many of you because we cyclists understand each other. Like you, I consider not competing a lousy treatment option. As a bike racer, I know things: that prancing on an elliptical trainer at a health club doesn’t cut it, and, that spin classes may look hard, but do not come close to simulating real competition. I know the extent of the inflammation required to close that gap, to avoid getting dropped when one of the local Cancellara-types have you in the gutter i... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789244 Fri, 06 May 2011 08:38:25 +0100 4789244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829167&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fq4hEisRC7l0%2F I read an interesting post this morning on Betty Confidential about whether or not lap dances can be considered cheating, which got me thinking about all the other murky, gray areas surrounding infidelity. Of course, when you or your partner actually have sex with someone outside your relationship, that’s generally recognized as being unfaithful, but are there other things we do all the time (perhaps without even realizing it) that border on having an affair? To find out, I caught up with Dr. Julie Elledge, a psychotherapist, sexpert, and friend of Blisstree who loves giving us the goods on solutions to all kinds of relationship dramas from her professional point of view: Should we consider porn cheating? Explicit sexual images have been around for as long as we can record the presen... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829167 Thu, 05 May 2011 21:55:37 +0100 4829167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789491&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fq4hEisRC7l0%2F I read an interesting post this morning on Betty Confidential about whether or not lap dances can be considered cheating, which got me thinking about all the other murky, gray areas surrounding infidelity. Of course, when you or your partner actually have sex with someone outside your relationship, that’s generally recognized as being unfaithful, but are there other things we do all the time (perhaps without even realizing it) that border on having an affair? To find out, I caught up with Dr. Julie Elledge, a psychotherapist, sexpert, and friend of Blisstree who loves giving us the goods on solutions to all kinds of relationship dramas from her professional point of view: Should we consider porn cheating? Explicit sexual images have been around for as long as we can record the presen... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789491 Thu, 05 May 2011 21:55:37 +0100 4789491 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789236&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2011%2F05%2Fnew-fda-guidelines-tips-for-preventing-overdose-of-childrens-liquid-meds-1.html The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants to make it a little harder for the medicine to go down. Over-the-counter children's medicine, that is, such as cough syrups, pain relievers, and cold remedies. It's released new guidelines saying such remedies should include a device that helps minimize the risk of overdose. Most OTC liquid medicines do come with a "dosage delivery device"—plastic cups, droppers, and spoons, for examples. But the new FDA guidelines specifically recommend to drug makers: Dosage delivery devices should be included for all orally ingested OTC liquid drug products. Devices should be marked with calibrated units of liquid measurement (e.g. teaspoon, tablespoon, or milliliter) that are the same as the units of liquid measure specified in the directions for t... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789236 Thu, 05 May 2011 18:15:00 +0100 4789236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789668&cid=t_103488_180_f&fid=38619&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FALifeCoachsBlog%2F%7E3%2FyXY3EzjadJo%2F You may have noticed a few changes around here lately. Firstly, I started charging for most my Life Coaching ebooks that were previously free and then if you subscribe via RSS you will have noticed that you no longer get the whole post in your feed and e-mail. Now you just get a snippet of each new post that then requires you to click through to read the entire article. I usually only Continue reading... (Source: Life Coach Blog: The Discomfort Zone :) Life Coach Blog: The Discomfort Zone : blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789668 Thu, 05 May 2011 14:01:23 +0100 4789668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775535&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FXfmxcYwLR-Y%2F Migraine: n. A severe recurring headache (check), usually affecting only one side of the head (yep), characterized by sharp pain (understatement) and often accompanied by nausea, vomiting (a la Regan MacNeil), and visual disturbances (sounds like a peyote hangover, but, check, check, check). My migraines date back to (surprise!) starting my first real job after college – in the federal government. One night, I awoke to find the right side of my head throbbing and seemingly on fire. I couldn’t have lights on. I was nauseous. Noises and smells of any kind exacerbated the pain. Way back in high school, I had been convinced that I had every disease and disorder on the planet; I was perhaps the world’s youngest and most prolific hypochondriac. Instead of brushing up on my Edith Hamilton, ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775535 Mon, 02 May 2011 14:00:18 +0100 4775535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4768178&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FXD9a7bY9GCI%2F Recently, psychotherapist, sexpert, and Blisstree friend Dr. Julie Elledge has talked to us about a slew of subjects relating to relationships including sexless marriages, open marriages, and sex addiction, not to mention other fun stuff like lying, cheating, and infidelity. Today I have some questions for her on sex and intimacy in a committed, long-term relationship including the deal with acting out sexual fantasies, and whether the term “meaningful sex” is always a part of marriage — and how maybe it really shouldn’t be. And because the weekend is almost upon us, I hope you’ll have the opportunity to personally experiment with some of Julie’s suggestions in the privacy of your own bedroom — and sexual fantasyland. How does a couple know when th... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4768178 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 21:36:20 +0100 4768178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762768&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmuscle-strain-should-you-treat-it-with-hot-packs-or-cold-packs%2F2011.04.28 Along with blisters and sprains, muscle strains are among the most common afflictions for active persons in the outdoors. Common medical dogma is to use the “RICE”  approach for sprains and strains of—rest, ice (application of cold), compression, and elevation. This is more applicable to sprains (e.g., an ankle sprain) than to strains, because the sprained body part is usually a limb (ankle, knee, wrist) that is amenable to this approach. Strains more often involve larger muscle groups, such as those in the back, chest, thigh or abdomen, or difficult-to-approach areas, such as the neck or groin. Prevailing theory for treatment of a muscle strain is that one applies external cold for 24 to 48 hours, and discontinues it after 72 hours, at which time one begins application of e... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762768 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:00:00 +0100 4762768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753685&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.consumerreports.org%2Fsafety%2F2011%2F04%2Ffda-warning-contaminated-iodine-pads-wipes-in-first-aid-kits-atwater-carey-triad-group.html If you own a first-aid kit made by Atwater Carey, be careful. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning that the disinfecting iodine swabs included in certain kits might actually cause life-threatening infections. The problem lies with Atware Carey First Aid Kits distributed by Wisconsin Pharmacal Company, which contain Triad Povidone Iodine Prep Pads. Those medicated swabs, manufactured by H&P Industries Inc., have been recalled from the market for possible bacterial contamination, which could lead to wounds becoming infected rather than disinfected. The FDA warns that other items in the kits are still safe to use. However, consumers with these kits should immediately discard the bacteria-tainted Triad pads. Atwater Carey First Aid Kits that included Triad Povidone Iodine P... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753685 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:15:00 +0100 4753685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753890&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FkhMH739H-Gg%2F Among the many relationship dilemmas we’ve tackled here at Blisstree, recently we’ve brought you When to Tell a White Lie: 10 Situations Where Honesty Doesn’t Pay, My Marriage Survived a Cheating Affair and So Can Yours, and, just yesterday, An Affair May Be the Best Thing That Happens to Your Marriage. You might say we’re a little obsessed with the idea of infidelity in a relationship, whether or not couples can ever get past it, and, perhaps more controversially, whether or not you should always admit an infidelity to your partner. Because if you don’t, that pretty much counts as lying, doesn’t it? And we’re never supposed to lie to our partners or spouses. Or are we? I have to admit that I found myself more than a little confused about these rel... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753890 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:00:24 +0100 4753890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753891&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FBVk7sxxWYy0%2F At Blisstree, we’re all about trying to get happier and healthier in order to live better, and we hope to help you do the same every day. But, of course, it’s not always easy to know how to make that intangible dream of happiness a reality. And even if you do know how to do it, it’s pretty challenging to keep all the parts of your life in balance so that often-elusive health and happiness last as long as possible. So I asked M.D., board-certified psychiatrist, and Blisstree contributor Dale Archer to give us ten steps we can take to promote and achieve lasting happiness in our own lives (and these are tactics he actually shares with his patients). So what are we waiting for? Let’s get happy — and healthy. 1. Exercise. Even if you’re not a gym rat, walkin... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753891 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:50:20 +0100 4753891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753694&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdeep-thoughts-wisdom-from-the-er%2F2011.04.26 If you’re alleging assault, don’t get loud with the Officer there to take a report. Especially if you have Felony warrants. *This blog post was originally published at GruntDoc* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753694 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:00:38 +0100 4753694 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753893&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FU9532KvDsKg%2F The Walkers are the worst communicators ever. If you’ve never had the dubious pleasure of seeing an episode of ABC’s Brothers & Sisters, featuring the Walker family’s antics and dramas, then you’ll just have to take my word for it. Odd that a big family who spends so much damn time on their cell phones talking to each other (often on irritating three-way calls) has such chronic difficulty actually saying anything important to one another, particularly when the timing really matters. Last night’s episode was a perfect TV example of how poor communication skills can really do a number on relationships in real life. Justin wasn’t being straight with Nora (his mom) about two major life events (involving her ex-boyfriend and an unknown grandchild), and, f... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753893 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:45:34 +0100 4753893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4747800&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fo3hmoU1fMWE%2F We recently published two controversial posts here on Blisstree, Domestic Violence Debate: It’s Not Wrong for Women to Hit Men and the follow-up, Women vs. Men: The Domestic Violence Double-Standard, but your heated comments told us that we weren’t quite finished with this often-taboo subject. However, I knew we needed a specific type of expert to weigh in on the tricky debates that surround issues of domestic violence. So, based on the recommendation of a clinical psychologist friend, I tracked down Dr. Linda G. Mills, who’s a professor of social work, public policy, and law at NYU, as well as a recognized authority on the subjects of violence and recovery. I asked her eight questions that challenge the typical perception of domestic violence (she prefers the term &#8220... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747800 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:10:49 +0100 4747800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734097&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-medical-advice-is-sought-from-health-advocates-not-physicians%2F2011.04.21 It is happening several times a day now. The phone rings. I get stopped at Starbucks, or at the dog park, or at the supermarket. “My friend may have a brain tumor,” “I have been short of breath,” “I am tired all the time.”  Then come the questions: “What do you think I should do? Who should I see?”  I am not a doctor, but people are increasingly looking to me as if I were one. It’s a little daunting. As you may know, I’ve been producing and/or hosting programs on medical topics for patients since the mid 1980’s. First it was erectile dysfunction, then breast surgery, then multiple sclerosis, cancer, diabetes – you name it, I’ve interviewed someone about it. Town meetings, live audio webcasts, radio shows, and videos. I feel like I’ve gone to med school two or ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734097 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 13:00:27 +0100 4734097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734437&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F5QvZKe6pbmc%2F My reasons for watching TV are manifold: Escapism, boredom, I-can’t-sleep-ism, it’s like having company over, (which I think was my grandma’s reason), to make myself feel better about myself, and just out of plain old (mostly bad) habit. But sometimes I watch TV simply to terrify myself to the core. Not by watching anything in the horror genre, but by catching a show like Relapse on A&E. This network is king of docu-reality series that focus on serious mental and physical health issues (Heavy, Hoarders, and Intervention are also very well done, though Intervention is a little too “Dateline NBC” for my tastes.) Relapse makes tough-love weight-loss reality TV shows like Heavy and The Biggest Loser look like springtime picnics in the park. You don’t hav... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734437 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:23:16 +0100 4734437 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723977&cid=t_103488_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FtWHMVOtZmfk%2F (Source: Nursing Comments) Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723977 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:23:08 +0100 4723977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723978&cid=t_103488_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FTYSQsL94UoE%2F           When I was in nursing school, it was very hard for me to differentiate the types of lung sounds.  I guess you can’t just hear rales or rhonchi anytime you want to – you have to wait until the patient and the particular illness presents itself.  To start with the basics, breath sounds are the noises produced by the structures of the lungs during breathing.  The lung sounds are best heard with a stethoscope, and this is called auscultation.  Normal lung sounds occur in all parts of the chest area, including above the collarbones and at the bottom of the rib cage.  Using a stethoscope, you can hear normal breath sounds, decreased or absent breath sounds and abnormal breath sounds.  After about a year on the med/surg floor at the hospital, it became quite clear to ... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723978 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:56:01 +0100 4723978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4724128&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FmbOUea0jr8w%2F Recently, psychotherapist and sexpert Dr. Julie Elledge has given us her take on controversial subjects including open marriages (yike) and sexless marriages (eww). Today I’m grilling her about that trendy new condition which the likes of David Duchovny, Tiger Woods, and Russell Brand have made famous (or infamous, as the case may be): Sex addiction. Personally, I think the whole concept of sex addiction is a fabricated scam perpetuated by serial philanderers who need a crutch on which to lean their lame-o domestic and relationship habits. Now let’s see what the good doctor has to say when we talk about being addicted to love: Recovering drug addicts are never supposed to do drugs again; recovering alcoholics are never supposed to drink again. So does that mean people suffering... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4724128 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:12:24 +0100 4724128 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4719892&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.consumerreports.org%2Fsafety%2F2011%2F04%2Ffrogs-blamed-for-salmonella-outbreak.html Word to the wise: don’t go kissing any frogs. A salmonella outbreak blamed on pet frogs, including African dwarf frogs won as prizes at carnivals, has sickened more than 200 people across 41 states. Most of the ill are young kids—over 70 percent are under the age of 10—and about 30 percent ended up in the hospital. The CDC says the outbreak began in April 2009 and that a California breeding center was identified as the source of the frogs in 2010. A large outbreak of salmonella poisoning that occurred in 2007 and 2008 was linked to pet turtles and also involved mostly children. Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. All amphibians (frogs, salamanders) and reptiles (turtles, lizards, snakes) are commonly contaminated with salmonel... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4719892 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:38:21 +0100 4719892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4714826&cid=t_103488_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F14%2Fwhen-physical-exercise-feels-just-like-a-panic-attack%2F Photo credit: Thomas Hawk I’ve had more honest-to-goodness panic attacks in my life than I can count. And by “honest-to-goodness”, I mean the real deal: racing heart, palpitations, nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, incredibly unsolicited surges of adrenaline…and so on. Simultaneously. Many people — from friends to doctors — told me to start exercising. My friends said it would reduce my stress and help me to sleep better at night. The University of Georgia says it can reduce my anxiety. My doctor told me that getting in shape will reduce heart palpitations and increase my lung capacity. True, true, and true. But here’s the big Catch-22 that kept me from following everyone’s good advice: exercising made me panic. And why? Well, a body ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714826 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 01:22:48 +0100 4714826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4714945&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F41F6bKHSawM%2F Yesterday, M.D. and board-certified psychiatrist Dale Archer talked to me about ten ways to tell someone the painful truth. Now, those ten techniques are all well and good and helpful and necessary, but then I started wondering how and when to know if spilling a painful truth is just a bad idea all around — for everyone involved. (I recently told my loved one about their chronic bad breath. Was that a misstep? No? Whew.) So I asked the good doctor to tell us when we never, ever should tell someone a painful truth, regardless of how much and how well we think it may serve them. (Opt for that little white lie instead!) Dr. Archer gave us two good pieces of advice, and I’ve added eight of my own suggestions to round out the list. Do you agree or disagree? Have any more specific ex... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714945 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 15:28:52 +0100 4714945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709332&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F19-45znYA8c%2F Virginia Madsen has always seemed down to earth to me, but when I spotted her byline on a spring cleaning article this morning in The Daily Love, I was a little surprised: She even does her own laundry? Sike. She’s not giving lessons on how to wash floors; she’s telling us how to scour ourselves of bad energy and wake up our inner selves. Naturally. Madsen’s advice is simple: Try something new to excite, or wake up your inner self. Try yoga, cycling or raising your heart rate with a simple walk around the block. With simple “baby steps” we can transform our own energy. By doing so we create momentum that can affect ourselves, and those around us. I think of this as a kind of “spring cleaning” of the body mind and spirit. …and the rest of her post is brief. ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709332 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:53:37 +0100 4709332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709333&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FXBm80Sp_QXM%2F Painful truths are always difficult to tell and hear; if they weren’t, they’d call them no-problem-o truths. I recently had to confront this dilemma in the form of telling someone close to me that their breath has been chronically very, very bad for a while, and that I’m worried about this issue for health reasons, and would they please consider making an appointment with a dentist and/or regular doctor ASAP? The reason I felt that I needed to tell this painful truth wasn’t because I was smelling the offending breath all the time. (I wasn’t; the other person and I don’t live in the same state.) It was because chronic bad breath can be a sign of advanced tooth decay, which can lead to serious infections of the blood. (Bad breath can also be a sign of ongo... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709333 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:08:01 +0100 4709333 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704731&cid=t_103488_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FEbYgSeOQGHs%2F This is a guest post by Maria Rainier, a freelance writer and blogger. _____________________________________________________________________________ While not heavily studied or well-known, Meniere’s disease can be a debilitating, painful, and dangerous condition of the inner ear.  Named after 19th century French physician Prosper Meniere who studied the inner ear, it is a chronic condition most often found with varying symptoms in people in their 40s and 50s but not unheard of in other age groups, even children. Maria Rainier While symptoms may be relieved via various treatment methods, this chronic condition can leave lasting marks on one’s life if left untreated. Causes and Symptoms Although physicians don’t know for sure what causes Meniere’s disease, the most obvious hint is ... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704731 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:37:02 +0100 4704731 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704732&cid=t_103488_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2F_bdqCfd8pMs%2F This is a guest post by Catherine Bynes. Catherine is a career/ educational blogger and she writes mostly about CNA Training and Certification over at her blog. _________________________________________________ Choosing to become a CNA as a career option can be a good choice if you enjoy helping others and want to start an entry-level healthcare position.  If you work as a CNA, you will provide assistance with activities of daily living for patients, monitor vital signs and provide other basic care services for your patients. A career as a CNA can be a good option if you know you want to work in the medical field, but if you do not want to spend a great deal of time in training.  Most nursing assistant training programs last for just a few weeks.  This is a good option if you need to st... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704732 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:04:24 +0100 4704732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696687&cid=t_103488_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F10%2Fwhat-not-to-say-to-a-grieving-family%2F Harold Kushner explains what not to say to a grieving family in his classic “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” using as an illustration the story of Job (the faithful, righteous, and pious man who loses his livestock, house, servants, and children, and is afflicted with boils all over his body). Having lost his own son, the rabbi knows all too well what helps and what hurts when trying to comfort a friend or relative. The three friends who came to console Job got terrible scores, and here’s why, according to Kushner… Because the friends had never been in Job’s position, they could not realize how unhelpful, how offensive it was for them to be judging Job, to be telling him he should not cry and complain so much. Even if they themselves had experienced si... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696687 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 11:00:27 +0100 4696687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696707&cid=t_103488_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2Ff7IaZdMz4yc%2F    Tuberculosis Bacteria           Is tuberculosis a contagious killer?  Well, it depends on which type of tuberculosis (commonly called TB) we are talking about, active or inactive.  Active tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease.  Just like the common cold, it spreads through the air, but only people who are sick with TB in their lungs are infectious.  This type of TB means the bacteria are active in the body and the immune system is unable to stop them from causing illness.  People with active tuberculosis in their lungs can pass the bacteria on to anyone they come into close contact with.  When a person with active tuberculosis coughs, sneezes, talks, spits or even sings, people nearby can breathe in the tuberculosis bacteria and become infected.  If the disease re... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696707 Sat, 09 Apr 2011 16:49:58 +0100 4696707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693290&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhere-is-the-worst-health-information-on-the-internet-the-huffington-post%2F2011.04.07 Going to the Huffington Post for medical information is perhaps comparable to going to Vito Corleone for advice on income tax compliance.  Another prominent blogger refers to is as “that hive of scum and quackery,” a lovely and accurate epithet for a media outlet which provides refuge and cover for anti-vaccationists, homeopaths and practictioners of reiki and other such pseudoscientific twaddle. I avoid the HuffPo like the plague.  But, like a moth to the flame, sometimes I can’t help myself, and when a facebook friend (and former blogger) pointed to this contrarian article, my interest was piqued and I had to check it out. Is High Blood Pressure Overtreated? Dr. Dennis Gottfried, Associate professor, University of Connecticut Medical School First of all, I don’... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693290 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4693290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684626&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FVhlFz39_DHg%2F Last night on NBC’s Parenthood, Crosby learned a valuable life lesson the hard way. Or, rather, Crosby didn’t learn a valuable life lesson at all. He had cheated on his fiancee, Jasmine (pictured), in a sloppy one-night stand, which caused her to kick him out of their apartment, and pretty much say: It’s over. Crosby then reacted by doing what most men do when they realize that they’ve been caught or they messed up or they understand that they’re about to lose someone or something that’s very important to them: He panicked. When this kind of thing happens, the cheater (in this case a man, but could easily be a woman) tends to overcompensate. He acts rashly — kind of like he did when he had the one-night-stand in the first place. He’s suddenly... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684626 Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:38:55 +0100 4684626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684631&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FZU3FASlNUms%2F One of my favorite Seinfeld episodes is the one where George Costanza explains to Jerry what will happen if his worlds collide. Elaine has invited Susan, George’s girlfriend, to a show. It was Jerry’s idea. And George can’t believe how stupid Jerry was to suggest that, because if Susan becomes part of the inner circle, his worlds would definitely collide and, well, blow up. George (to Jerry): Well, that was a really stupid thing. You know what’s going to happen now? Jerry: Worlds collide. George: Yeah. Jerry: Because this world is your sanctuary and if that world comes into contact with this world… George: Yes. It blows up! So if you know that, why did you tell Elaine that? Jerry: I didn’t know. Kramer just told me about the worlds. George: You couldn’t figure out the wor... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684631 Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:15:42 +0100 4684631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676777&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.consumerreports.org%2Fsafety%2F2011%2F04%2Frecall-turkey-burgers-salmonella-contamination-jennieo-store-brand.html More than 27 tons of frozen, raw turkey burgers are being recalled for possible contamination with Salmonella, warned the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. The turkey burgers were produced by Jennie-O Turkey Store in Willmar, Minn., and distributed to retailers nation-wide. The products included in this recall are four-pound boxes of Jennie-O turkey Store "All Natural Turkey Burgers with seasonings Lean White Meat". Each box contains 12 1/3-pound individually wrapped burgers and can be further identified with a use by date of "DEC 23 2011" and a lot code of "32710" through "32780" printed on the side panel. The front of each box of bad turkey burgers also bear an "establishment number" (P-7760) within the USDA mark of inspection. Twelve cases of Salmon... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676777 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:45:00 +0100 4676777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4677006&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F3lNZokr2qqw%2F Last week I ran a post called An Open Marriage Can Save Your Relationship, which featured a Q&A with and advice from psychotherapist and sexpert Dr. Julie Elledge, who maintained that truly healthy open marriages are possible. But even though I published the post (and asked her the questions), I have to disagree with the good doctor about one thing and say: You open marriage will never work. And here’s why. I am married. But that doesn’t mean I think that lifelong monogamy is the only normal, healthy, feasible option out there. I don’t. In fact, on its worst day, lifelong monogamy seems pretty damn unsustainable; on its best day, it’s an utterly bizarre concept. Still, in most “unopened” (that is, not open) marriages, like mine, the monogamy issue is... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4677006 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:23:41 +0100 4677006 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670182&cid=t_103488_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FnFy2XanbhfQ%2F Good afternoon all!  It has been awhile and I’m sorry for the delay – today’s post is actually a guest post by Maryanne Osberg and her contact information is included in the post.  Good to be back!  Stephanie _______________________________________ If you’re interested in medicine and would like to work in this field, perhaps becoming a nurse is the best way to go.  Sure it’s great to be a doctor, but you must spend at least ten years of your life in school before you get to practice medicine on a full-time basis.  If you want to start earning in a shorter time (yet stay in the field of medicine), nursing is your best bet – you don’t have to go to college for more than four years initially.  Further, you’re all set to begin once you complete the certificat... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670182 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:36:05 +0100 4670182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658512&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FXF4kQ50gLgk%2F The TV really is something: Yesterday we ran a Blisstree post called My Marriage Survived a Cheating Affair and So Can Yours, and wouldn’t you know it that one of the plot lines on last night’s episode of the so-bad-it’s-almost-but-not-quite-good NBC serial drama Parenthood was about dealing with the messy fallout of infidelity in a romantic relationship. To help get you up to speed, Crosby and Jasmine have an adorable six-year-old son together whom Crosby never knew about. (It was kind of a one-night-stand thing.) But they’ve been a couple for a year or so now, and got engaged on a recent episode. Tensions and problems began to arise, as they have a tendency to do in relationships in life and art (if you can call Parenthood art; I can’t). Jasmine is being too... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658512 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:39:52 +0100 4658512 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653487&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F-yMDsfekMH8%2F Last night’s episode of A&E’s Heavy featured a participant with a particularly disturbing set of life circumstances. Chad, a project manager from Decatur, Georgia, weighed in on day one at 509 pounds. On a typical day, Chad eats 5,000 calories. (But that number will decrease to 1,500 daily at Hilton Head Health.) Chad has sleep apnea. He breaks chairs and beds just by sitting on them. He has major abandonment issues surrounding his abusive, alcoholic father. (So does his fellow participant, Sallie, who wasn’t in much better shape; at just 29 years old, her blood pressure is so high that she requires daily medication for it.) Chad’s BMI is supposed to be between 19 and 25. It’s actually 71. Chad is just 28 years old. But the morbid obesity, boot-camp fitnes... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653487 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:50:02 +0100 4653487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653488&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FMXo7qJVq-pE%2F My marriage survived a cheating affair. At least, it’s survived so far. This episode of infidelity occurred less than two years into our marriage, though my husband, Paul, and I had been together for many years beforehand. And neither of us had ever cheated on each other before. It was a one-night, one-time indiscretion (not that I’m making excuses) that happened during a four-day work conference clear across the country (cliched, I know). Oh, and I wasn’t the cheater. He was. My husband didn’t know this other woman; they met at the work conference. As often happens at these kinds of boring functions, much drinking ensued during the post-seminar evening hours (again, not an excuse, just saying). Unpleasant story short: Paul got drunk. The woman got drunk. They ended... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653488 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:48:55 +0100 4653488 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653489&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FGSTCqCXB59s%2F How do you work when you’re depressed? I get that question a lot. Here’s the honest answer: I can’t. At least at my rock bottom, I wasn’t able to work. My efforts failed miserably because my self-confidence was way below sea level – so all it did was bring on more frustration. I remember sitting down at my computer every morning, making the same effort, hoping that if I led with the body then the mind would follow. But the mind wasn’t interested in going anywhere, and was rather pissed off that I would even try. I performed this ritual for months on end. Butt to the chair. Crying at the computer. Then one day my (then) two-year-old poured a cup of apple juice over my keyboard. The hard drive made a funky noise, and the screen looked like a black-and-white film from the 70s ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653489 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:00:22 +0100 4653489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642854&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FDVDUXiqk6Yw%2F Listening is one of the simplest and yet most difficult things to do well and consistently. We often hear or use the phrase “listening is key,” but most of the time we regard the act of listening as an essential part of the communication process, as a simple courtesy, or possibly as a means to getting what we want. But how often do we really consider that the art and practice of listening may have actual and long-lasting mental benefits for us? Not nearly enough, in my opinion. So I asked Dr. Dale Archer, an M.D. and a clinical psychiatrist, for his take on the connection between learning to listen well and better emotional health – and got him to give us eight tips on how to make that important connection last: How is being a good listener beneficial to our state of mental h... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642854 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:43:15 +0100 4642854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642859&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FFUMWS8Uelqo%2F A large part of my teenage years was spent curled into a painful little ball. I used to get cramps that were so debilitating, I couldn’t do anything but lie in the fetal position and whimper. Not ever having known anything different than incredibly painful periods, I honestly didn’t think much of it. I was also having really heavy periods — like Fort Knox wouldn’t have protected me kind of heavy. At the time I didn’t realize what I was experiencing was unusual; I just thought that’s how every girl’s period was. When I went to college and shared close quarters with other girls, I started to get a clue that something was wrong. When I worked up the nerve to discuss it with a doctor, all of my symptoms were dismissed with a shrug and a prescription for Motrin. I probably should ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642859 Sat, 26 Mar 2011 16:30:59 +0100 4642859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636595&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FqK1jajoVxsQ%2F photo: Thinkstock Recently, I wrote a Blisstree post called Domestic Violence: It’s Not Wrong for Women to Hit Men, which, based on some of your comments, seems to have struck a nerve (no pun intended). So, because you took the time and effort to make said comments, I thought I’d take a few of your most heated responses and answer them point by point. A Blisstree reader named “J” had this to say: What would be better is if weak, emotional women such as Valerie learned to express themselves in non-violent means. Violence of any sort is usually the response of a frustrated, angry person who lashes out. Certainly not the action of an intellectual adult. Hey, J. I’m not really sure where you got the idea that I ever express myself in violent means. I actually don&... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636595 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 18:42:33 +0100 4636595 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636431&cid=t_103488_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2011%2F03%2Ffda-heartburn-drugs-over-the-counter-prilosec-prevacid-ppi-safety-risk-fractures.html The U.S. Food and Drug Admininistration said this week that the over-the-counter heartburn drugs Prilosec and Prevacid are safe when taken short term. But many people take the drugs long-term, increasing their risk of fractures. The FDA said that OTC proton-pump inhibitors don't pose a fracture risk when they're taken for less than 14 days, three times a year. However, taking the drugs longer or more often does increase those risks, especially when taken for a year or longer. That's why we say consumers should exercise caution when using the drugs to treat heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Over-the-counter doses of PPI medicines should be: Omeprazole (found in Prilosec OTC and others) — 20 mg tablet (Once a day for no more than 14 days. The 14-day course may... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636431 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 17:46:44 +0100 4636431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4605983&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FhON9jyw5YTc%2F Dr. Ruth Westheimer This afternoon I rode the elevator with Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Our brief encounter (if you can call it that) only lasted a minute, because I was riding up to the 9th floor, while Dr. Ruth got off on the second with a gentleman who appeared to be her assistant. (She’s almost 83, so I’ll give her a pass for skipping the one flight of stairs.) I grew up listening to the distinctive voice of this seminal sex therapist (no pun intended) on her radio show Sexually Speaking in my parents’ car (not sure how my conservative folks allowed that), and, more likely, on the portable stereo in my room — probably as I was wearing a Swatch watch and a Forenza sweater over a pair of Bongo jeans. At 4’7″, this German-born orphan (her parents were murdered... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4605983 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 23:15:28 +0100 4605983 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600726&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FX9uiN4j4K6k%2F Dr. Julie Elledge Since the sexual revolution of the 1960s, we’ve come a long way in terms of talking openly about women’s sexual health. Or have we? Let’s face it: Masturbation in our society as a whole (at least in the U.S.) remains a taboo subject, particularly with regard to women. Of course, when it comes to a guy jerking off, it’s perfectly acceptable for that image and act to be the recurring punchline in any number of movies and TV shows. But if women do masturbate, they certainly aren’t expected or encouraged to talk about it. This unfair double-standard has always bothered me, so I asked Dr. Julie Elledge — a psychotherapist for individuals and couples who deals with many issues of sexual health — about some of the physical and mental hea... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600726 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:47:28 +0100 4600726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592602&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FocAGMI9hZ-Y%2F Owen Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Jason Sudeikis, and Christina Applegate in "Hall Pass" Hall Pass is basically the big-budget (and not nearly as entertaining) version of last fall’s indie flick The Freebie, which I blogged about on Blisstree a while back. The flawed, rom-com Hollywood logic in both films goes something like this: Couple has been married for a while, ennui sets in, husband’s eye wanders, wife gives husband a week off marriage in order to rekindle the spark (or, in the case of The Freebie, the couple gives each other one night off work/marriage), hilarity ensues, lessons are learned. On screen, this simplistic concept either works (couple realizes how good they have it) or it doesn’t (couple breaks up over infidelity and moves on), but in real life, th... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592602 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:01:14 +0100 4592602 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592604&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F07YLpZYJY8M%2F photo: Thinkstock Usually I’m fiercely against double-standards, but I have to admit: I don’t think that a woman hitting a man is the same thing as a man hitting a woman. Don’t get me wrong: I’m anti-domestic violence (physical and emotional), or any violence for that matter, but I just don’t believe that if a woman hits a man, the ramifications are the same as when the reverse happens. Now, I’m not talking about slugging your boyfriend or husband with a brass-knuckled left hook. Or smashing him over the head with a portrait painting. Or bludgeoning him with a blunt object. Obviously these acts are wrong, violent, and possibly a felony. I don’t mean pulling a Lorena Bobbitt or a Phil Hartman’s wife or a Francine Hughes in The Burning Bed (alt... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592604 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:32:55 +0100 4592604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592605&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FEp-DUw9o_8o%2F Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Spastic Colon. My large intestine needs to see a shrink. It could use some benzos, or at the very least, Haldol. Maybe a stint in the psych ward. Unfortunately, my colon doesn’t have a separate brain and I can’t take it for psychoanalysis. (I probably wouldn’t want to hear the diagnosis anyway.) Fortunately, my brain (addled and atrophied as it may be) has been able to uncover all the wonders and horrors of dealing with and treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). In 1971, I was born a seemingly healthy, properly-pooping nine-pound baby. But things soon changed. In my terrible twos I was at least easily potty-trained. (You couldn’t get this kid on the toilet fast enough.) I skipped the entire Freudian anal-retentive stage. What was going on? Wa... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592605 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:58:36 +0100 4592605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4581099&cid=t_103488_180_f&fid=38619&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FALifeCoachsBlog%2F%7E3%2F73DcvJfOYaM%2F A few weeks ago I was reading another self development blog that was written by a Life Coach. I was half way through reading the post when it became apparent I was being sold to. Not overtly you understand, but in a very clever and strategic manner using some subtle language patterns. I thought it was obvious to everybody that it wasn’t really a blog post, but a sales letter, but I was wrong, as became apparent when I read the gushing comments. I really do get why people do that kind of thing and I in many respects there’s nothing wrong with it. However, it’s not something I feel comfortable doing because I want you to trust me, not be second guessing my motives and wondering if I have one hand on my keyboard and the other on your wallet. So let me make something perfectly clear. Thi... Life Coach Blog: The Discomfort Zone : blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4581099 Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:59:27 +0100 4581099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575194&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FhJS1OseDfSk%2F Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD) is a recognized and known disease. In the old days, they would have just called a woman who has trouble feeling aroused or achieving orgasm frigid. I think I prefer the medical term, don’t you? Pharmaceutical companies prefer it, too — so much so that they’re in a race to develop the so-called pink pill (the female counterpart to Viagra, if you will). And now there’s even a documentary that deals with the topic. Orgasm, Inc. shows a hilarious and eye-opening view of the search for that elusive little pill. And inspires a pretty important question — do we really need a pill at all? Dr. Julie Elledge, co-author of Lovers Exploration Guide: Developing an Intimate-Erotic Connection, feels that while there can be a physical component, Female Sexual ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575194 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:00:13 +0100 4575194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560487&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FfhXrmYlIW7Y%2F photo of Hoarders courtesy of A&E TV I was judgmental and lost a good friend, but it was worth it. I did that thing you’re not really supposed to do to a friend, as a friend, which is to judge a friend and tell them that the way they’re living their life is wrong. And this fellow, let’s call him Theo, was a really good, close, longtime friend of mine. He was fun, funny, smart, creative, and entertaining. He had an interesting job and tons of even more interesting hobbies. We loved to eat and drink together, watch movies, and generally just crack each other up. We’d even traveled together quite a bit. We’d text, call, or email each other multiple times a day, just to tell each other really stupid and trivial things that we happened to find hilarious. But ev... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560487 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 22:36:40 +0100 4560487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549874&cid=t_103488_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FsuzGuozNfM0%2F photo: Thinkstock The five stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance – are tools to help us frame and identify what we may be feeling. The fifth stage is acceptance. We often misinterpret it to mean, you are “all right” or “OK” with what has happened. This is not acceptance. Will we ever feel OK or all right about the loss of a loved one? This stage is about accepting the reality that our loved one is physically gone and recognizing that this new reality is the permanent reality. Acceptance looks like remembering, recollecting, reorganizing and reinvesting. As hard as it is, we begin to realize sadly that it was our loved one’s time to die — always too soon for us, and probably too soon for him or her, too. Perhaps he... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549874 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:10:41 +0100 4549874