Healthy happy you.
If you've ever had a migraine — or even if you haven't — you know that they are to be avoided at all costs. These mindbendingly bad headaches can be debilitating, often causing nausea and sensitivity to light. Though more than 20 million people suffer from migraines, they are more common in females. As many as 17 percent of women get migraines, versus just 6 percent of men. Here are five Read more
FitSugar reader JessicaSmithTV wanted to know: can exercise help with migraines? She asked an expert and posted the answer in our Fit Community. Today's post comes to us from special guest contributor and medical expert Paul Rizzoli, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School: When you’re prone to migraines you’re forced to think through whether or not something you do Read more
If you're a migraine sufferer like me, you are constantly looking for prevention ideas. Depending on what your triggers are — wine, cheese, chocolate, etc. — you may spend most of your time focusing on what not to eat, in addition to other measures like getting enough sleep, exercising, and avoiding stress. But how about foods that help, not hinder, your headache woes? You're in luck, Read more
When I asked my doctor about ways to prevent migraines, she recommended I take a magnesium (oxide) supplement. I headed to my closest drugstore and picked up a bottle of Nature's Bounty Magnesium supplement (500 mg), and I've been taking one pill every morning for the last few weeks. Even though it's been less than a month, since taking the mineral supplement I've been headache and migraine Read more
Modern technology makes it easier to transport our work to home, which can be a blessing when you wake up with a nasty cough but aren't sick enough to skip out on work. Here are a few tips to help you know when you should work from home or when you should take a sick day and rest. Work from home if you have: Nasal congestion, headaches, sneezing, coughing, or a runny nose: Nothing is worse Read more
Do you know what's in your medicine cabinet? A recent report in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that while over-the-counter medicine use is prevalent, many people don't know much about the active ingredients in popular painkillers like Advil and Tylenol. When asked about the difference between common pain relief brands, most of the study's participants didn't know what was in Read more
DrSugar is in the house! This week she's schooling us on hypertension. A recent study from the University of North Carolina found that about one in five young adults, between the ages 24 and 32, has high blood pressure, referred to as hypertension in medical terminology. The concerning part about this rise is that many of those at risk are unaware of this health issue, making this statistic Read more
DrSugar is in the house! This week she gives us the skinny on OTC pain medications. Dear DrSugar, Do the different types of over-the-counter pain relievers work better for different problems? What should I take for a headache — is aspirin better than ibuprofen? What should I take if I have a fever or the flu? Is there one that's best for dealing with swelling for twists and sprains? What about Read more
DrSugar is in the house! Today she's explaining the confusing condition fibromyalgia. I am taking a break from answering your questions to discuss a medical condition that has garnered a lot of attention in recent years, both in the medical field and the public arena: fibromyalgia, a well-publicized but often misunderstood medical condition that affects two to four percent of the population. To Read more
Is it me, or are flaxseeds being added to just about everything these days? That's because they're so good for you, but do you know why? Check out the reasons you should be eating flaxseeds (if you're not already). Walnuts and fish are excellent sources of omega-3s, but so are flaxseeds. The recommended daily intake (RDI) of omega-3s is 1.1 grams a day, and one tablespoon of flaxseed offers 1.8 Read more
