December marks the beginning of winter, which means flu season is here. Actually, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), flu season runs from October through May, with peak activity between December and February in most parts of the country. Knowing that, it is natural to wonder, “Is it too late to get a…
It’s essential to stay on top of your yearly preventative care checkup, especially when it comes to breast cancer. By being proactive and getting an annual breast cancer screening, your doctor can check for early signs of breast cancer and get you the treatment you need quickly, increasing your chance of complete remission. But what…
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, killing over 800,000 Americans across gender and racial lines each year—that’s one in every four deaths, or one person every 36 seconds. If you look to positions two and three on the World Health Organization’s list of leading causes of death globally, you’ll see that stroke…
Do you have difficulty falling asleep? Problems breathing during sleep? Or general issues disrupting your sleep and wake cycle? Are you concerned these occurrences could be the sign of short-term insomnia, or perhaps something more serious? No matter the symptoms, it’s important to discover the underlying cause of your sleep problems. Especially if you’ve found…
What Are Diagnostic Tests? Chances are, anytime you’ve gone to the doctor’s office presenting symptoms of an illness or injury, your healthcare provider has requested that you undergo diagnostic testing of some sort. Medical diagnostic tests encompass a wide variety of physical examinations—both invasive and non-invasive—given by medical professionals to confirm the presence or absence…
Every January thousands of people flock to the gym and vow to diet and lose weight. And, like everything else, there is a week dedicated to having a healthy weight. It is designed to celebrate healthy, diet-free living habits that will last a lifetime and prevent eating and weight problems. But, half-way through the month…
Endometriosis affects about 11% of women of reproductive age, but many people don’t know what it is—and many women may not know that they have it. Endometriosis occurs when the lining of the uterus (called the “endometrium”) is present outside of the uterus. Most commonly, endometriosis occurs on the surrounding organs, like the fallopian tubes…
Sometimes we dread going to the doctor, especially if we feel fine. Usually people only feel the need to see their doctors if they feel sick or something feels wrong. Therefore, we put off doctor’s visits and check-ups if we feel healthy. However, these days, preventative healthcare is becoming more common and encouraged. A yearly…
Take a quick guess as to which of the body’s many systems includes the pancreas. If you guessed the digestive system, you are right! The pancreas is an often-overlooked gland organ that has a key role in digesting our food and producing our body’s insulin and glucose control. The pancreas is located behind the stomach,…
When we hear the word “stress,” we often think about being overworked, tense, angry or in the midst of any number of negative situations. Technically, stress is simply the body’s response to changes in our environment—and it can be a good thing. The term for positive stress in our lives, eustress, is a short-term type…