Our mothers meant well when they told us to sit tight. They really did. Unfortunately the suggestion to “sit tight” is not good advice if your vacation plans include long flights or extended car trips. Sitting motionless for long periods of time may put some travelers at risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot in a vein deep within a muscle, usually in the calf or thigh. DVT can be serious, even life threatening, because sometimes the clots that form in the deep veins break off, travel through the bloodstream, and obstruct a vessel in the lungs, restricting
August 2007
Sitting Tight Bad Advice For Air Travelers
by Sheila McCormick on August 22nd, 2007Is Obesity Contagious?
by Sheila McCormick on August 15th, 2007A study published in the July 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine contends that obesity is “socially contagious.” In other words, when a person gains weight their close friends are likely to do the same. The study concluded that when the scale reads “obese” for one individual, the odds that their friends will become obese increase by more than 50 percent. Interestingly, the study concluded that the “obese influence” occurs even if the close friend lives hundreds of miles away. Dr. Nicholas A. Christakis, a physician and professor of medical sociology at Harvard Medical School and a
Cure Your Snoring The Natural Way
by Sheila McCormick on August 8th, 2007If your partner’s snoring is interfering with your ability to get a good night’s sleep you are not alone. Recent studies indicate that 45 percent of normal adults snore occasionally, while around 30 percent of adults snore a few times a week. More than forty million Americans – (one in seven people) — suffer from habitual snoring, according to a report by the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research. Another seven million to 15 million Americans suffer from a related problem, sleep apnea, says the American Sleep Apnea Association. As we grow older, more people snore and they usually snore
Safety Issues Plague Ancient Healer
by Sheila McCormick on August 1st, 2007For centuries, people from all over the world have looked to traditional Chinese medicine for health and healing. It is very unsettling to hear that the country we have looked to for natural healing may be exporting products that are unsafe for human consumption. As the horror stories about Chinese imports get scarier and scarier, many American political leaders are stepping up to the plate to help ensure the safety of the food and other products that are ingested by people in this country. Security watchdog Sen. Charles Schumer believes American consumers are in greater danger than initially realized from