Topic: Health & Healing

Dr. Andrew Cheng, ENT, Offers Tip for Helping to Ease the Intensity of Tinnitus (Ringing of the Ear).

Until recently, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) was experienced mostly by those over 50. While the cause of tinnitus is not fully understood, many experts say that it is a result of an injury to the hearing mechanism caused by a sudden loud noise/explosion or repeated and prolonged exposure to loud noises (loud music, occupational exposure, etc.).

Vitamin D is essential to strong bones. Inadequate vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis, a brittle bone disease.

Vitamin D is essential to strong bones. Inadequate vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis, a brittle bone disease.

Recently, researchers have found that vitamin D may help reduce the risk of other diseases. The July issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource reports some new findings and guidelines on how much vitamin D is enough.

Recently, people have become somewhat confused about 100 percent fruit juice - how much to drink, how much to serve their children. According to Dr. Theresa Nicklas, with Baylor College of Medicine, parents should be confident serving their children appropriate amounts of 100 percent fruit juice.

Drinking a glass of 100 percent fruit juice has long been thought of as a healthy daily habit for both adults and children—right up there with brushing your teeth and eating your vegetables. Recently, however, people have become somewhat confused about juice - how much to drink, how much to serve their children - partly because of the natural sweet taste of fruit juice. According to Dr. Theresa Nicklas, professor of pediatrics with Baylor College of Medicine, who has conducted research on juice consumption among children, parents should be confident serving their children appropriate amounts of 100 percent fruit juice.

In a diet-focused culture, desserts often get a bad rap. But some can actually be beneficial.

Desserts made with fruit, nature’s natural sweetener, are ideal, healthy after-dinner treats. Reducing the sugar and fats in a recipe can make favorite desserts more healthful and still taste good.

Global warming is likely to increase the proportion of the population affected by kidney stones by expanding the higher-risk region known as the “kidney-stone belt” into neighboring states, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and UT Dallas have found.

Dehydration is one of the risk factors linked to kidney-stone disease, and a new research paper suggests global warming will exacerbate this effect. The researchers predict that by 2050, higher temperatures will cause an additional 1.6 million to 2.2 million kidney-stone cases, representing up to a 30 percent growth in some areas.

Researchers at the University of Southern California, School of Dentistry have uncovered the health benefits of aspirin in the fight against osteoporosis.

Researchers at the University of Southern California, School of Dentistry have uncovered the health benefits of aspirin in the fight against osteoporosis. Forty-four million Americans, 68 percent of whom are women, suffer from the debilitating effects of osteoporosis according to the National Institute of Health. One out of every two women and one in four men over 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime.

In the July issue of "Mayo Clinic Proceedings," a group of researchers from Pennsylvania examine whether an alternative approach to treating high blood cholesterol may provide an effective treatment option for patients who are unable or unwilling to take statins.

A great deal of scientific evidence shows that cholesterol-reducing medications known as statins can help prevent coronary artery disease. Although the safety of these medications has been well documented, as many as 40 percent of patients who receive a prescription for statins take the drug for less than one year. Doctors believe that several factors - including cost, adverse effects, poor understanding of statin benefits and patients’ reluctance to take prescription medications long term - may explain why some patients stop taking these medicines. In the July issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, a group of researchers from Pennsylvania examine whether an alternative approach to treating high blood cholesterol may provide an effective treatment option for patients who are unable or unwilling to take statins.

Farm-raised tilapia, one of the most highly consumed fish in America, has very low levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and, perhaps worse, very high levels of omega-6 fatty acids. The combination could be potentially dangerous for some patients with heart disease, arthritis, asthma and other allergic and auto-immune diseases that are particularly vulnerable to an “exaggerated inflammatory response.”

Farm-raised tilapia, one of the most highly consumed fish in America, has very low levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and, perhaps worse, very high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, according to new research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

How to cut back on your expenses dramatically by controlling the emotional component revealed by Hale Dwoskin, author of "The Sedona Method" and featured teacher in "The Secret."

Hale Dwoskin, featured teacher in the book and film The Secret and author of The Sedona Method, has revealed how to cut back on your expenses dramatically by (finally!) controlling the emotional component.

Consumer-driven health plans -- hailed since their inception in 2000 as a tool to help control costs -- are resulting in members forgoing care and discontinuing drugs to treat chronic medical problems, according to two newly published studies.

Under employer-offered consumer-driven health plans (CDHP), members pay up-front deductibles either out-of-pocket or from a dedicated health-care account before insurance coverage begins. Proponents - including President Bush and presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain - argue that consumers in a market-oriented approach will make better health-care choices and drive health-care costs down by doing cost comparisons and accessing information about their conditions. Critics argue that people will instead opt out of important care.

Article Continues After Illustration

Jessica Greene, health care policy analyst, of the University of Oregon.