Take Care

Well, today is the last official day of winter here in the Northern Hemisphere, and I cannot say that I am not excited.  I love the Spring.  The glorious blooms coming out, the green starting to take over where things were bare from the winter, oh and the pollen, I love the pollen!  Okay, that was obviously a joke.  Anyone with Spring time allergies would have caught on to that.

Yes, allergies in the Spring are something that no one wants to have to deal with but unfortunately for millions of people who suffer from these allergies it is a reality.  Did you know that one out of five Americans has to put up with the common allergy hay fever?  That is a pretty large number of people with runny noses, itchy eyes, pressure in the sinuses, and exhaustion.  What makes it even worse is that these awful symptoms, which are very similar to the common cold, do not last for just a short period of time, oh no.  Theses symptoms can last for months at a time. Continue reading

When a new year finally rolls in people take the time to reflect on the past and prepare for a new year.  Sometimes people make decisions and goals for the upcoming year too.  I did just that this year.  I have decided to run my first half marathon.  Yes, I want to run 13.1 miles and hopefully live to tell about it.  Of course, I am only joking, as surely I will live through it.  Whether or not I will finish it is another question entirely.  I have started my training and I have found that it will not be as easy as I had anticipated.  After a month I am experiencing some knee pain and it is quite unpleasant.  I found out that your health and body are what really determines whether or not you can actually run a half marathon or full one, not your mind or intentions. Continue reading

The infographic you’re about to see shows the different kinds of diseases men and women are most prone to having.  The top ten diseases for both men and women are represented, along with some additional facts that illuminate certain risk factors that might be avoidable in both sexes.  Certain causes of death that are not diseases are also in the graphic, such as suicide or unintentional injuries.  To two leading causes of death for women and men are the same, while variances are noted further down the list. Continue reading

Many Americans will suffer from anxiety disorders, depression, or other mood disorders at some time in their lives.  Currently, antidepressant drugs and related medications are among the most popularly prescribed medicines in the United States.  This infographic takes us back to a snapshot of the State of the Mental Union as of 2009.

It would be interesting to see how 2011 stacks up against the figures from two years ago.  Still, this should be pretty close.  You will notice that the antidepressants most frequently prescribed are typically newer ones, such as Lexapro — an SSRI (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor) that is newer than Zoloft and Prozac, but in the same class.  Most commonly prescribed antidepressants are selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors. Continue reading

Through the Years

In our day-to-day lives, we do not often like to think about things like financial stress, the need to clean, or even medical and health risks, but unfortunately, we should.  As we grow and age we become at risk for different types of medical issues, and it is imperative that we be ahead of the game.  The best way to help lower your risk of becoming seriously ill from a medical illness or disease is to be proactive and regularly make appointments for check ups at your doctor’s office.  Yearly or twice a year visits to the doctor for a check up are so important to stay ahead of the game and make certain that you are not at higher risk for certain illnesses or diseases. Continue reading