Aside from the occasional aches, pains, and sleeping troubles, my 82-year-old mother is in very good health for her age. But like many other older adults, she takes a medication to help control high blood pressure symptoms. And like plenty of older individuals, she relies on her doctor to let … Read More
If your physician prescribes antibiotics, question it. And do some research on your own before taking them. Some doctors are a little too quick with the prescription pad, and some patients (myself included) a little too trusting. The truth is we’ve been over-prescribing antibiotics in this country for quite some … Read More
For a few years in a row, my youngest son would get the sniffles, a sore throat, and other cold symptoms around the same time every spring. I figured that many kids get a cold once a year or so; our son just happens to get his in March. My … Read More
At University Health News, we believe sound health information can empower people and even relieve symptoms—if knowledge leads to reduced stress and anxiety. Knowing more just makes us feel better. When you read about, ask about, and understand what’s ailing you, you may be helping yourself more than you know. … Read More
When I first started writing about health issues, I would casually mention how some people find their sleep disturbed by pain, but I didn’t really think much about it, or what the effects can be. Today I find myself in that category due to a lifelong problem that used to … Read More
Lower back pain is more common than upper back pain and middle back pain. It can develop because you’ve overstretched the muscles and ligaments of your lower back, or overtaxed them while lifting a heavy object. Its origins also can lie in simple wear-and-tear over time, but in some circumstances, … Read More
The term “nutrition” has a variety of definitions, some more scientific than others. For the purposes of this blog, my answer to “What is nutrition?” is simple: the foods and beverages you consume to keep your body healthy and functioning. The nutrients in those foods and beverages are what provide you … Read More
It started as a pain in the mid-back, disassociated from any kind of spinal or muscle soreness that sometimes accompanies strenuous activity. It was a dull ache, off to one side, and it persisted into a dark and rainy night…. I’d heard about kidney stones and thought I might be … Read More
Using ice or heat for back pain is a simple, drug-free treatment approach that can be very effective. Which one suits you best will depend on your individual back pain and, specifically, whether your aches and pains are chronic or acute. Chronic pain may result from slow-developing conditions that cause … Read More
Traveling to Turkey immediately following that nation’s July 2016 coup attempt might not have been right up there on our vacation bucket list. But I was tapped to walk a family member down the aisle for her marriage to a wonderful Turkish gentleman. And it just so happened the bride … Read More
