(HealthDay News) — Aloe vera is a plant that has been widely used for its healing abilities, the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says. Topical aloe vera is likely to be safe and helpful for psoriasis and certain skin rashes, the center says. But the center warns against consuming the plant orally.… read on >
When men have both advanced prostate cancer and heart disease, treatment may pose a dilemma: Newer hormonal therapies that can slow the cancer down might also be risky for their hearts, a new study finds. Once prostate cancer spreads beyond the gland, one of the mainstays of treatment is hormone therapy. The aim is to… read on >
Scheduled for surgery? Don’t forget to take your dentures out. According to a new report, one 72-year-old man who had abdominal surgery in England swallowed his dentures during the procedure. They got stuck in his throat — and were only discovered eight days later. The initial surgery was to remove a harmless lump in the… read on >
A well-organized backpack helps ensure that your child has everything needed for school. Problems start when it becomes overloaded. Lugging around a heavy pack can lead to bad posture, back pain and worse. The problem is so pervasive that the American Occupational Therapy Association created National School Backpack Awareness Day. It’s held every September to… read on >
(HealthDay News) — A nap can improve mood, performance and alertness, says Mayo Clinic. But sleeping at the wrong time or for too long can backfire. Mayo suggests the best way to nap: Keep naps between 10 and 20 minutes. Take naps in early afternoon. Nap in a quiet, dark place with few distractions. Before… read on >
A vaccine against the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia appears safe and potentially effective, an early trial suggests. The phase 1 study included 35 healthy women. Those who were given injections of two possible vaccines developed antibodies to the chlamydia bacteria, but a lot more testing is needed before the vaccine would be ready for the… read on >
New research is untangling the complex relationship between symptoms of depression and losses in memory and thinking that often emerge together with Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, the new data suggests that “depression symptoms themselves may be among the early changes in the preclinical stages of dementia syndromes,” explained study lead author Dr. Jennifer Gatchel. She… read on >
If you often find yourself dosing off during the day, new research suggests it might be an early warning sign that you have Alzheimer’s disease. Areas of the brain that keep you awake during the day are damaged in the early stages of the memory-robbing disease, which is why people with Alzheimer’s may nap excessively… read on >
Binge-watching episodes of your favorite shows does no favors for your brain, an expert warns. “It’s important to recognize that the brain is not an isolated organ — it responds to its environment,” said Dr. Randall Wright, a neurologist at Houston Methodist in Texas. “When we binge-watch, we create an unhealthy environment for the brain… read on >
You don’t have to have the talent of a Rembrandt or Yo-Yo Ma to express creativity and get some very special benefits from doing so. Everyday creativity boosts well-being and can give you a stronger sense of purpose and engagement, and everyone can tap into it. So why don’t we do more of it? The… read on >
