Lyme Disease

By: Colleen | June 11, 2008 | Category: Health

I'm a big fan of limes. They are a fabulous garnish on some of my bug sprayfavorite cocktails and add a wonderful zing to my tacos.

However, there is another lyme that isn’t nearly as fun. Lyme disease is a bacterial disease carried by ticks. Most often it has symptoms similar to that of the flu. Usually, but not always, a red bull's-eye rash is a sure sign of Lyme disease.

This time of the year, with so much outdoor activity, it is much more common to get Lyme disease. It is important to avoid areas where ticks are prevalent. Check your pet's fur often to be sure they aren't carrying ticks. Use a bug spray with DEET to repel ticks.

There is no cure for Lyme disease, but if caught early, it is easily treated with antibiotics.

| Comments [2] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: antibiotic   colleen   disease   lyme   rash   tick  

 

Your Health and Clinical Trials

By: Nancy | May 22, 2008 | Category: Health

News of Senator Ted Kennedy's brain cancer hit a lot of people pretty hard this week. When someone so prominent receives a difficult diagnosis, concern trumps political agendas. And we're all reminded that it doesn't matter who you are—health problems don't discriminate.

If you or someone you care about is pondering a treatment plan for a medical condition, one option might be taking part in a clinical trial or study.

Clinical trials test medical treatments—from drugs and vaccines to medical devices medical researcherand therapies—on human volunteers, to help determine whether they're safe and effective enough to be approved for use by the general population.

To qualify for a trial, you'll need to meet eligibility requirements like age, gender and type and stage of your medical condition. Tests, medications and doctor visits may all be free for the duration of the trial. And you might even be compensated for participating.

Before you sign on to a clinical trial, the most important thing to be aware of is that experimental treatments can have risks or serious side effects. But if you feel that a clinical trial may give you a better chance for recovery or survival, or if your goal is to help the next generation of people affected by the same medical condition you have, the benefits may outweigh the risks for you.

The National Institutes of Health's web site, ClinicalTrials.gov lists more than 56,000 trials worldwide on a broad range of medical conditions, from acne to Alzheimer's. There are more than 2,200 studies on high blood pressure; 2,500 on breast cancer; 3,500 on AIDS and more than 200 studies on the treatment of the kind of brain cancer that Senator Kennedy has: malignant glicoma. You can search for trials by medical condition, location or even age group.


What's been your experience? Have you or someone you know been involved in a clinical trial?

| Comments [7] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: disease   nancy  

 

Go Ahead, Wear Red on Friday

By: Sam | January 30, 2008 | Category: Health

Friday is the kick-off to American Heart Month and National Wear Red Day.  So grab your favorite red dress, tie, socks, sweater, or even lipstick and show your support for research and education about women and heart disease.red dress

Heart health is an important issue for me not only as a woman but also as someone who suffers from a heart condition. As a teen, I had open-heart surgery to repair my mitral valve and to remove a bacterial infection. After more than 10 years, I am, thankfully, doing very well, but the experience made me more mindful of learning as much as I can about heart disease.

So why should you wear red? Because heart disease is not just a “man’s disease”—it’s the number one of killer of women. In fact, one in four women dies of heart disease. But even with these shocking statistics, there’s hope. No matter if you’re 20 or 60, there are steps all women can take to lower their risk and protect their heart.

Here are some to start with:

And don’t forget to help spread the word about National Wear Red Day, and please feel free to share any heart health stories that you may have.

| Comments [2] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: cholesterol   diabetes   disease   exercise   health   heart   sam   stress  

 

Heart Attacks

By: Colleen | November 26, 2007 | Category: Health

Is it possible to have a heart attack at age 24? Because as I watched the Eagles give the Patriots a run for their money last night- it nearly happened. Suffice to say I went to bed merely heart-broken. Such is the life of a Philadelphia fan.

On a much more serious note, I was saddened to find out that a long-time friend of mine's father passed away this week from a heart attack. He was only 47. The news came as a real shock and wake-up call, particularly to my parents.

While my Dad is quite fit and healthy, his concern propted me to lead him to USA.gov. Conducting a search for "heart attack" revealed an abundance of information on various warning signs: shortness of breath, chest discomfort, upper body pain, and nausea. Other sites included prevention techniques: eating a balanced diet, getting plenty of exercise, maintaining regular doctor's visits.

There is also plenty of printed information to pass along to loved ones. The publications "Keeping your Heart Healthy" and "Aspirin for Reducing your Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke" provides key tips on preventing a heart attack and other cardiac diseases.

With proper lifestyle choices, heart attacks are stoppable. Tom Brady, however, might not be.

| Comments [1] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: attack   cardiac   colleen   disease   eagles   football   health   heart   patriots