Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare

In case you missed it, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams is in hot water. The anchor is being placed on six months of suspension after allegations came to light that an often-told story from his time in Iraq may not be accurate. Several times Williams claimed  a helicopter he was in was hit by enemy fire, an incident that simply didn’t happen. But Williams may not be completely at fault. The New York Times’  Well blog shared a  post  about how false memories can quickly trick our brains. In fact, through years of telling  this story, Williams may actually…

By now, you’ve probably heard about the measles outbreak that began on the west coast, and now is in other places throughout the United States. As of February 10, 2015, a total of 121 people from 17 states and the District of Columbia were reported to have the measles. You may be wondering if/when the measles will hit the Tri-State area, and what you can do to prepare yourself and your family. We have the answers. As of now, there is not an outbreak locally; however, cases have been reported in Ohio and potential cases have been reported in Kentucky.…

Do you ever feel like you got your job due to a fluke in the system? That someone else was more qualified than you, but the managers just overlooked some key details? That you just “got lucky,” and some day they will realize they made a mistake? Recently, Buzzfeed featured a list of 6 ways your brain is lying to you, which includes “Impostor Syndrome,” or the feeling that you’re a fraud. Researchers began studying Impostor Syndrome because they noticed this phenomenon  in  successful women. When interviewed, many of the women felt like they didn’t belong at the top and…

At age 13, while watching TV indoors, my daughter complained of loss of feeling in her feet and showed me her white, cold-to-the-touch toes. I was surprised to see her feet go through color changes as I rubbed them, and was sorry to hear my daughter complain of pain during these transitions. I discounted the experience as a “fluke” and reassured her that it probably wouldn’t happen again. Then, the episodes began occurring regularly and we sought help. The diagnosis of Raynaud’s Disease was surprising and perplexing. Here is what we learned What is Raynaud’s? The disease causes arteries to…

Short days, cold weather and limited opportunity for outdoor exercise can sap your energy. If you feel tired ““ and have checked with your doctor to rule out any underlying medical concerns ““ you can take action to energize yourself until spring. Improve your diet It’s easy to hibernate during the winter. While we’d all prefer to curl up on the couch with some chips, a glass of wine and Netflix, it’s important to maintain a healthy diet all year long. All of the go-to healthy strategies are even more important in the winter: Avoid skipping meals, especially breakfast Eat…

Coming home after a long day can be relaxing until a stark realization hits you: You forgot to get something out for dinner. You scramble around the kitchen looking for leftovers or something quick and easy. And then you remember those three or four little boxes you almost always keep in your pantry for nights like this: Tuna Helper, mac ‘n cheese, spaghetti and any other variety of boxed meal that just has to be thrown in the pan. You probably feel guilty if you eat these more than once a week because you know they don’t contain all the…

If you want to surprise your valentine with a gift that won’t rot his or her teeth, consider essential oils. Aroma is a powerful force The fragrance of an essential oil can directly affect everything from your emotional state to your lifespan. When a fragrance is inhaled, the airborne odor molecules travel up the nostrils to the parts of the brain that control taste and emotional memories. These areas are directly connected to the parts of brain that control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels and hormone balance. Because the limbic system is directly connected to those parts…

Do you know when someone is  lying to you? Some people just have that innate ability to become a human lie detector  when you aren’t telling the truth. You can put your lie detecting skills to the test with the New York Times new interactive quiz. The quiz comes from a University of Chicago study based in the premise that liars have a “tell.” You know – those small moves that betray the liar’s true intentions. At the end of the quiz, you can even join the university’s next liar study. Didn’t do so hot? Pamela Meyer’s TED talk can…

Have you seen “American Sniper?” It was just released locally two weeks ago, and – at least to  me – it seems like everyone has already seen it. Beyond my immediate family and friends who can’t stop talking about the movie, I’m seeing endless commentary on Facebook, Twitter and from major news organizations. Rather than go into all of the details of the debate, we’d like to address another topic of conversation related to the movie: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder that can occur after you’ve seen or experienced a traumatic event which  involved…

People with diabetes need to care for their feet all year round, but in the winter, foot care is especially important. Diabetes tends to cause reduced circulation and nerve damage in the feet and lower legs, which means reduced feeling in the feet.   Couple that with cold, wet winter conditions, and there’s a greater risk that cuts, scrapes or blisters could lead to serious complications, including infection, nerve damage and even amputations, down the line, according to the American Diabetes Association. Here are a few tips to keep your tootsies healthy during cold weather: Inspect your feet daily…