Women Health Advice

You can get a cold year-round, but most people consider the winter months to be a common cold season. We are more likely to get colds when the weather is cold and we spend more time indoors sharing germs with other people. The viruses that cause colds also spread more easily in colder, drier air. Generally, this means cold season starts sometime around September and ends sometime around April in the United States. However, this doesn't mean the cold weather  itself  makes us sick. Prolonged exposure to cold temperatures can cause very serious illnesses like hypothermia, but there is no strong evidence to show that the cold itself can give you a cold. Only exposure to a virus that causes the common cold can do that. There are several reasons why colds are more common during the cold season. People spend more time indoors and closer to each other during the winter. Children are in school and sharing germs with much more children than they do during the sum...

Everyone wants a quick fix when they are sick. Not many people enjoy getting a cold, the flu or any other illness. As soon as we feel the symptoms coming on, we try to think up way to try to stop it. People will try everything from taking extra Vitamin C to over the counter cold and flu medications and many, many remedies in between. One such "remedy" being passed around social media is to place a  cut  onion in the room of the person who is sick. The claim is that onions have the ability to absorb bacteria and viruses and will actual pull the germs out of the sick person.  For some reason, many otherwise rational people seem to believe this could be true. I'm not sure how we got to the point where ideas like this that are passed around on the internet are trusted more than health care professionals who have years of education and experience but that seems to be where we are.  So, if you are reading this to see if cutting an oni...

” A pet is a medication without side effects that has so many benefits. I can’t always explain it myself, but for years now I’ve seen how instances of having a pet is like an effective drug. It really does help people.” - Dr. Edward Creagan, Oncologist at Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota Pet therapy, something also referred to as "animal-assisted therapy," has been gaining popularity in the last several years. From animal visits for children in hospitals to those with dementia, and now people with cancer, studies suggest there are some important benefits obtained from these furry visitors. And as the quote above says so well: it’s often like an effective drug but without side effects. What are some of the ways that pet therapy has helped those struggling with physical and mental illnesses, and what are we starting to learn about its role in cancer treatment? History Animals have been man’s companions since recorded time, but the use of this companionship to foster he...

While we all know that pets can trigger a smile or a sense of calmness within most people, it may surprise you that a pet can actually reduce pain. Animal-assisted therapy, also known as pet therapy, entails using trained animals to provide some sort of therapeutic benefit (whether that be comfort, relaxation, or easing pain) to people of all ages with a wide range of health problems. The Basics of Animal-Assisted Therapy While dogs and cats are probably the most commonly utilized animals in therapy visits, other animals like birds, guinea pigs, fish, horses, and dolphins can also be used. The key is finding an animal that a person can connect with based on their needs. It's also important to understand that the human-animal bond during an animal therapy visit session is meant to be a healing connection, one that encompasses the patient, the animal, and the animal owner or handler. In order for the therapy visit to be effective, the animal should be trained, and there ne...

Many medical conditions may lead to a disruption of sleep, or an excessive amount of daytime sleepiness, and are called sleep disorders. These may be caused by physiological or psychological factors. Some of the more common sleep disorders include: Snoring and Sleep Apnea Snoring may seem benign, but it may represent a difficulty in keeping the throat open while one sleeps. It's more serious companion, sleep apnea, is a chronic medical condition where the affected person repeatedly stops breathing during sleep. These episodes last 10 seconds or more and cause oxygen levels in the blood to drop. It can be caused by obstruction of the upper airway, resulting in obstructive sleep apnea, or by a failure of the brain to initiate a breath, called central sleep apnea. It can cause and worsen other medical conditions, including hypertension, heart failure, and diabetes. Insomnia Insomnia is an inability to obtain a sufficient amount o...

It can be downright painful to drag yourself out of bed at an hour earlier than you are used to waking. Sometimes it is simply necessary to wake and get up early, however. What are the best ways to do so? Discover how to accomplish this with simple changes—such as alarm clocks, morning sunlight, and caffeine—that you can implement immediately for lasting benefits. Changing Your Wake Time May Depend on the Purpose Consider whether you need to wake up early once, such as to catch an early flight, or if you are adapting to a new schedule that shall persist. This will help determine what solutions or techniques should be considered to help you. It may also be helpful to reflect on what your relationship to your alarm clock says about your personality. Difficulty waking may suggest underlying problems with the amount or quality of sleep. Making Long-Term Changes to the Timing of Sleep If possible, especially if this is a long-term adjustment to your sleep schedule, ...