November, 2018

Type 2 diabetes: Know the symptoms, know your risk

The earlier type 2 diabetes is diagnosed and treated, the better the chances of avoiding serious health problems. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. It usually starts when the body has trouble using insulin, a hormone that helps glucose also called blood sugar enter the body's cells. When glucose can't move into cells, it builds up in the bloodstream instead. Over time, a high glucose level in the blood can damage the body, increasing the chances for complications such as ...

Manage your health in the New Year

A new year brings the promise of a new beginning. For many, this means a renewed sense of commitment to health-related goals. By far, the most popular of these goals involves weight loss. It may be tempting to try something exotic and short-term for fast weight loss—an all-kumquat diet, perhaps, or a one-weekend exercise marathon. It wouldn't be healthy, however, and any weight you lost would probably be back in a heartbeat. It's not new and it may not be the fad of the moment but if you w...

What is COPD?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD is a condition that makes it hard to breathe. Although there is no cure, treatment can improve quality of life. To understand COPD, it may help to break down its name. Chronic means long-lasting. COPD is progressive--it gets worse over time. Obstructive refers to the fact that airflow is obstructed--air can't move freely in and out of the lungs. Obstruction may be from chronic bronchitis swelling and excess phlegm in the airways , emphysema damage ...