Managing Your Health

Age, certain diseases, and some cosmetic treatments can affect the muscles and skin of the upper and lower eyelids. Often the problem affects your appearances and nothing more, but in other cases it may interfere with vision or cause eye irritation. Blepharitis. Blepharitis is inflammation of the eyelids. It can be caused by a problem with the oil glands near the base of the eyelids, a bacterial infection, or skin conditions like rosacea or seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff of the scalp and eyebrows). Though blepharitis usually doesn't affect your sight, it can make your eyelids red, itchy, and swollen and leave your eyes red and watery. Your ophthalmologist might recommend treatments like artificial tears or a short course or steroid eye drops to relieve discomfort from blepharitis. You'll also get treated for the cause of the problem, for example, with anti-dandruff shampoo or antibiotic eye drops. It also helps to regularly clean your eyelids with a warm washcloth. Pto...

Of your five senses, which one are you most afraid of losing? If you're like most people, your answer is your ability to see. Because our eyesight is so precious, it's no wonder that myths abound about your eye health, what can damage our eyes, and what can protect them. Here, we debunk five common myths - and tell you how to truly keep your eyes healthy. Myth: Doing eye exercises will delay the need for glasses. Fact: Eye exercises will not improve or preserve vision, help your eye health, or reduce the need for glasses. Your vision depends on many factors, including the shape of your eyeball and the health of the eye tissues, neither of which can be significantly altered with eye exercises. Myth: Reading in dim light will worsen your vision. Fact: Dim lighting will not damage your eyesight or eye health. However, it will tire your eyes out more quickly. The best way to position a reading light is to have it shine directly onto the page, not over your shoulder. A des...

There are many medications that can be used to treat mood disorders. But finding the right one can be a lengthy process, and the choice can be more complicated than you might imagine. Just because a particular drug worked for a friend doesn't mean it will work for you. Psychiatrists and doctors who prescribe antidepressants choose a particular drug and dosage based on many factors, including the following: Diagnosis. Certain drugs are a better choice for specific symptoms and types of depression. For example, an antidepressant that makes you sleepy may be better when insomnia is an issue. The severity of your illness or the presence of anxiety, obsessions, or compulsions may also dictate the choice of one drug over another. Side effects. You may first want to choose a drug based on which side effect you most want to avoid. Medications vary in the likelihood they will cause such problems as sexual effects, weight gain, or sedation. Age. As you age, your body tends to break...

Eczema is an itchy rash that's often hard to get rid of. Most people can't help scratching it, which further irritates the skin. Eczema is often, but not always, related to allergies. A common cause is your skin overreacting to everyday irritants, such as dust, soaps and detergents, or even dry, cold air, which triggers an intensely itchy allergic reaction. Skin affected by eczema becomes dehydrated and dry easily, so treatment involves rehydrating the skin. Baths and showers must be short and not too hot. Afterwards, gently pat your skin dry and promptly apply moisturizers while your skin is still moist. Thick creams that lock in the moisture help the most. Be sure to choose creams or lotions without fragrances or preservatives. Limit the use of soaps and shampoos, too. These products remove the skin's natural oils and worsen dryness. And over-the-counter oral antihistamines can help with the ferocious itch. When moisturizers and antihistamines don't provide ad...

A widely-advertised facial moisturizer - claims to be the best on the market - and sells for $225 per bottle. Should you buy it? Another brand offers a complete skin care regimen - but it comes in 10 different bottles of lotions and potions that all need to be applied daily. Is it worth your time? Despite manufacturers' claims, many cosmetic products will remove more cash from your wallet than dirt and oils from your skin. You don't need an expensive or lengthy skin care routine - and the good news is, the most effective and reliable regimen is also quick and inexpensive. For daily skin care, you can limit your routine to three simple steps: cleaning your skin, protecting it from the sun, and tending to any specific skin problems you may have, such as dry skin, acne, or fine lines and wrinkles. Products for all three steps are available for very little cost at your local drugstore. 1. Clean your skin. Choose your skin cleanser based n whether your skin is dry or oily...

The journey toward a diagnosis of MCI is most often initiated by a person's subjective complaint about memory and thinking problems or by concerns expressed by those closest to the individual. This is an important distinction because cognitive changes that are readily apparent to the broader outside world are more likely to signal that the person is suffering from dementia. In addition, people who have progressed into Alzheimer's disease are often not aware of their memory lapses. The primary objective of the evaluation should be to distinguish MCI from normal aging or dementia and to look for underlying causes that are potentially reversible. Establishing the cause and scope of the impairment is helpful in setting a baseline for future evaluations to determine if the condition is progressing to dementia. Although your regular doctor is a good place to start the process because he or she knows you and your medical history, most primary care physicians don't have the t...

Androgens, the family of male sex hormones that includes testosterone, function as a fuel for growth in normal development. However, in some men they can also drive the progression of prostate cancer. Hormonal therapy treats prostate cancer by dramatically reducing levels of testosterone and other androgens. Hormonal therapy is sometimes given in conjunction with external beam radiation to boost the effectiveness of treatment. Hormonal therapy may also be used to shrink the size of large prostate glands (typically defined as those weighing more than 50 grams) before brachytherapy takes place, to enable proper placement of the radioactive seeds. Combination hormonal/radiation therapy is now a standard option for men with cancer (stage T3 or T4) or whose cancer is considered high-risk based n other clinical findings, with studies showing that it reduces the risk of dying from prostate cancer and other causes more than with either treatment given alone. A study in 2014 found that ...

The pleasure of eating a candy bar lasts but a few minutes. Burning off the calories it delivers can take nearly an hour. So this is definitely not a simple way to lose weight! To lose one pound by exercising, you need to burn approximately 3,500 calories. It can take days of moderate exercise to do this. A better strategy for weight loss involves a two-pronged approach: exercising and cutting calories. Although exercise by itself isn't the fast track to weight loss, it does offer important benefits beyond cancelling out calories. It slightly increases the rate at which you burn calories even when you're working out. And pounds lost through boosting your activity level consist almost entirely of fat, not muscle. Do the math for this simple way to lose weight Starting with this number: 3,500. That's how many calories are stored in a pound of body fat. With that number, you can tally up how much weight you can lose through increasing activity, cutting calories, or ...

If you're not an athlete or serious exerciser - and you just want to work out for your health or to fit in your clothes better - the gym scene can be intimidating and overwhelming. What are the best exercises for me? How will I find the time? Just having to walk by treadmills, stationary bikes, and weight machines can be enough to make you head straight back home to the couch. Yet some of the best physical activities for your body don't require the gym or ask you to get fit enough to run a marathon. These "workouts" can do wonders for your health. They'll help keep your weight under control, improve your balance and range of motion, strengthen your bones, protect your joints, prevent bladder control problems, and even ward off memory loss. No matter your age or fitness level, these activities are some of the best exercises you can do and will help you get in shape and lower your risk for disease: 1. Swimming You might call swimming the perfect workout...

It's a great idea to choose snacks wisely. But many foods that seem to be of great nutritional value just aren't. For example, bran muffins and cereal bars can be packed with unhealthy fats and added sugar. Even "fat-free" foods often contain lots of added salt and sugar. Here are 7 tips for smarter snacking. 1. Go for the grain. Whole-grain snacks can give you some energy with staying power. Try some whole-grain low-salt pretzels or tortilla chips, or a serving of high-fibers cereals. 2. Bring back breakfast. Many breakfast foods can be repurposed as a nutritious snack later in the day. How about a slice of whole-grain toast topped with low-sugar jam? Low-sugar granola also makes a quick snack. 3. Try a "high-low" combination. Combine a small amount of something with healthy fat, like peanut butter, with a larger amount of something very light, like apple slices or celery sticks. 4. Go nuts. Unsalted nuts and seeds make great snacks. Almonds,...

You may have good intentions to limit your portions, but what happens when your appetite or cravings kick in? Your appetite is influenced by more than hunger. It's also influenced by the sight of food, the ambience of the room, and what the people around you are eating. That's why it's important to pay attention to external cues that tend to trigger overeating - for example, the size of your dinner plates. It's also helpful to pay attention to your body's internal cues. Do you eat when you're actually hungry, or when you're bored? Do you eat when you're actually hungry, or when you're bored? Do you tend to stop as soon as you're satiated, or keep eating until your plate is clean? Your own body and emotional state will serve as a better guide than a calorie count. Notice whether you tend to eat more in response to stress, anxiety, or nervousness, and think about strategies to avoid overeating when those moods strike. Here are some ways to...

There is no shortage of things to worry about -- from personal concerns about job security or health, to fears related to larger issues such as political conflicts or natural disasters. Temporary anxiety can be a healthy response to uncertainty and danger, but constant worry and nervousness may be a sign of generalized anxiety disorder. Do I have generalized anxiety disorder? You'll need your doctor's help to know for sure, but while other types of anxiety disorders arise from particular situations, generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by debilitating worry and agitation about nothing in particular, or anything at all. People with generalized anxiety disorder tend to worry about everyday matters. They can't shake the feeling that something bad will happen and they will not be prepared. They may worry to excess about missing an appointment, losing a job, or having an accident. Some people even worry about worrying too much. Physical symptoms are common t...