Preschoolers are so young, so cute, and have so much ahead of them. One thing you don’t want to see in their bright future: Obesity. A recent study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that preschoolers who were in bed by 8 p.m. were half as likely to develop obesity in their teens than their peers whose bedtime was 9 p.m. or later. Researchers looked at 977 children born in 1991 from time of birth through their teenage years. They recorded data such as weight, height, level of parents’ education and observed attentiveness through video recordings. Then, when the…
Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare
As the last few weeks of summer wind down before the start of school, we want to share a few tips to keep you and your family safe and healthy. Stay outside just a little bit longer with this quick guide to mosquitoes: Where you find them: Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water, which, unfortunately, means that all of our recent rainy weather has created a breeding haven for the little pests. Why you don’t want them around: In rare cases, mosquitoes can transmit disease and viruses. They can pick up a disease from an animal or…
Viewers of ABC’s fitness show, “Extreme Weight Loss,” remember Rod Durham as the 50-year-old teacher from Tallahassee, Fla. with the cherubic smile. They’ll remember that he lost almost 180 pounds during the 2014 season of the show. They may remember his efforts to help others lose weight, too. Unfortunately, he also is remembered as a cautionary tale for friends and loved ones who suffer from diabetes. Durham, 52, died recently of diabetic complications after suffering from diabetic shock and slipping into a coma. Diabetic shock – a state of severe hypoglycemia, or extremely low blood sugar – can be extremely…
As kids begin to head back to school, you may notice they have trouble sitting still, listening or following instructions. Unfortunately, your child’s teacher or other caregivers may assume they are simply troublemakers, ornery or lazy. Or, they could have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). If you spot just a few of these signs, or they appear only at school or at home, it’s probably not ADD or ADHD. But, if your child is exhibiting a number of ADD or ADHD signs and symptoms that are present at home, at school and at play, it…
Bladder problems are common in men. Especially older men. Having trouble going, going too often or a constant sensation of having to go – or worse yet, the problems of not being able to completely empty your bladder – are common complaints. But while problems are more common as we age, incontinence and bladder problems are not, as it’s often believed, just something that comes with getting older. Yes, as we age muscles become weaker, and the muscle that support the bladder and urination are no exception. However, more often than not, the problem can be traced to something other…
Every parent, at some point in time, asks himself, “am I doing this right?” After all, parenting is scary. Taking care of someone else (or several someones) is a lot of responsibility. You worry you’ll screw them up for life or they won’t have fond memories of their childhood. You worry they’ll get sick or will be kidnapped. You worry about them fitting in at school, or what their test scores indicate about their futures. All of these fears are legitimate, and are the exact reason you are a great parent! Worrying about your child’s well-being is exactly what…
Are you stressed at work? Maybe it’s time for you to take a vacation. According to a recent poll, Americans who work 50 hours a week or more are not taking the vacation days they’ve earned throughout the year. More than that, “30 percent say they do a significant amount of work while on vacation,” said Robert Blendon, a professor and health policy analyst at Harvard and director of the survey, in a news release. Instead of taking a traditional week-long vacation, Americans have started to take days off here and there and are always available via phone and email.…
With back-to-school season in full swing – hello, August! – you’re likely wondering whether your child needs an annual physical, or, if they’re competing in sports, a sports physical. Dr. James Hahn, a pediatric sports medicine specialist with St. Elizabeth Physicians, explains what sports physicals are, and when it’s the right time to bring your child in to get one. As Hahn explains, sports physicals are not intended to replace your child’s annual check-up. To learn more about the difference between the two exams, click here.
A deadline is looming, your officemates are chattering, the phone won’t stop ringing and the boss is pestering you for a project while you try to squint past that afternoon glare coming off your computer screen. And then, it hits: An office headache. We’ve all been there at one time or another – one study found that more than 47 million American adults had experienced a severe or debilitating headache within the previous three months. The obvious option is the one we usually gravitate toward. Open your drawer, take out an aspirin, Aleve or other anti-inflammatory pill and pop one.…
Health problems can manifest themselves in many ways, giving subtle alarms that “something’s going on” in your body. One of the most subtle alarms, and probably overlooked as much or more than any other, is a loss of body hair. Why should you notice if the hairs on the back of your fingers, arm hair or other hair seem thinner than before – or even more alarming, missing altogether? It could be a sign of some benign changes, like a hormone imbalance, or something more severe, like diabetes. The most common problem hair loss points to is one of several…