Category: Wellness

Johnny seemed fine when he left the water after a day of frolicking with his cousins. Sure, he had swallowed some water earlier in the day, but after a few moments on the sideline, some coughs and some fussy attention from concerned parents, he seemed fine. The family piled into their station wagon and headed…

Everyone loves to have their bodies massaged. It’s usually done in a slightly cool, dark room, often accompanied by music and scents designed to relax. It’s a moment when you can let the cares of the world go and just relax as you’re kneaded into a blissful state. A study published in Science Translational Medicine,…

If you have high uric acid, you may be a prime candidate for a kidney stone. The kidney stone is a bit of calcium that develops internally and can lodge in your groin, back or abdomen areas. They are created when your oxalate and calcium levels get so high that your urine can’t dilute them.…

Those with common sense know enough to avoid alligators, grizzly bears, tigers, cobras and other dangerous animals. But the most deadly animal in the world is part of your everyday existence, particularly during the warmer summer months, and you may be encouraging its presence and attacks with your behavior. We’re talking, of course, about the…

Everyone gets thirsty from time to time. But the condition known as dehydration is another story, one with potentially life-threatening consequences if it becomes severe. The good news is that you can reverse dehydration easily in all but extreme circumstances. Surprisingly, most of us are dehydrated much of the time. Up to 75 percent of…

Swimming in the ocean is different than swimming in a pool or lake. There are conditions that can create dangers for the unwary and cause serious injuries or death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that almost 4,000 people die from drowning each year in the United States. That figure does not break…

We live in a world dominated by insects. There are more insects on the planet than any other species, with about 900,000 known, most of them in the tropical rainforests, representing some 80 percent of species known to exist. How many is that? The estimate that is most respected suggests that there are 10 quintillion…

Traveling is one of the most enjoyable parts of living. But it’s no fun if you get sick when you travel to exotic locales where medical treatment may not be up to American standards. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 22 to 64 percent of travelers to developing countries may experience health…

Distracted driving is not more dangerous than drunk driving. But it’s a close race, and it’s kind of like asking whether you’d rather be stabbed with a sword or knife. Either way, you’re going to have major problems with serious consequences. The distracted driver is responsible for about one in four accidents on the road,…

We all occasionally feel pain in some parts of our body. The nagging ache, stiffness or bruise is usually a momentary distraction and heals on its own with time. But chronic pain is a different condition. This is pain that doesn’t fade with time, lasting for weeks to months to becoming a never-ending problem. It…