Free services to help your health

There are many free services that can help improve health. Grocery store workers can point shoppers toward fruits and vegetables that are in season and the freshest cuts of meat. Pharmacists may be able to dispense free prescription medications or free advice about how to use medications, and even take a person’s blood pressure at no charge. Some universities offer free online academic classes. Some nonprofit organizations provide free food to people who are too sick to shop or cook for themselves. And many organizations offer free exercise classes for older adults. (Locked) More »

Where to turn for low back pain relief

Low back pain that doesn’t subside may need a doctor’s care. A good place to start is with a primary care doctor or a chiropractor, who can assess pain, and in most cases, can treat it. Low back pain sometimes needs the care of a specialist. The type of specialist to consult depends on the cause of the back pain. For example, referral to a rheumatologist is most appropriate when there is inflammation of the joints in the back, or if the back pain might be related to an inflammatory disease. More »

Ramp up your resilience!

Coping with stress in a positive way is known as resilience, and it has many health benefits. It’s associated with longevity, lower rates of depression, and greater satisfaction with life. There are many ways to increase resilience. Practicing a meditation technique counters stress by eliciting the relaxation response, which helps lower blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, oxygen consumption, and stress hormones. Seeing the upside rather than the downside of a predicament can also help build resilience. So can leaning on friends and family. More »

Trending now: Sprouted grains

Sprouted grains are whole-grain seeds that have just begun to grow and aren’t quite plants yet. They have more available nutrients than regular grains. Sprouted grains can be cooked as a side dish or mashed into a paste for used in baked goods. In grocery stores, sprouted grains can be purchased raw or in products such as sprouted-grain flours, breads, muffins, and even pizza crust. Just because a product contains sprouted whole grains, it doesn’t mean it has more nutrients than a regular whole-grain product. It’s important to read the Nutrition Facts label to compare nutrition content. (Locked) More »

Weighing the risks and benefits of aspirin therapy

Aspirin therapy is typically prescribed to people who have atherosclerosis of the arteries of the heart or brain, or risk factors for such disease. Just who should take a daily aspirin, how much aspirin, and what type of aspirin are hotly debated issues. As a preventive therapy, aspirin may be prescribed for people who don’t have evidence of cardiovascular disease but do have one or more risk factors, such as high cholesterol or diabetes. However, that is also debated. (Locked) More »

Sodium in groceries on the decline

It appears that from 2000 to 2014, the amount of sodium in purchased packaged foods declined from about 2,300 milligrams (mg) per person per day to about 1,900 mg per person per day. More »

More over-the-counter hearing aids on the way

In August 2017, Congress and the president approved the Over–the-Counter Hearing Aid Act, which gives the FDA three years to establish an over-the-counter hearing aid category and develop safety and labeling rules for the devices. More »

Older adults are drinking more alcohol

Excessive alcohol use among adults ages 65 or older increased significantly between 2001 and 2013. Older adults are at higher risk for disability, illness, and death from many alcohol-related chronic diseases, falls, and injuries. More »