Health

Varying fears – from simple butterflies to needle nightmares to flat out needle phobia – persist everywhere in all parts of the world. Adults and children alike wrestle with the knowledge that periodically, we just must do it.

www.heartandstroke.ca/HELP

Heart disease and stroke take 1 in 3 Canadians before their time. And it is the #1 killer of women in Canada, taking more female lives than all cancers combined.
While those numbers are shocking, there is good news for Canadians. It’s possible to change the odds against heart disease and stroke. It’s possible to Make Death Wait.

If you don't think about your heart much you aren't alone – but it should be the opposite, healthcare specialists say. Anyone who wants to live a long and healthy life should be doing everything possible to strengthen and protect his or her vital organs, especially the heart.

The uptake of colon cancer screening is improving due to better tests that are more convenient and don't interfere with lifestyle. With just one sample required now – versus multiple samples required in the past – healthcare providers say this test is far easier and convenient for everyone to comply. The new “immunochemical” methods, in addition to being more sensitive and specific, have virtually no food or drug restrictions compared to the older methods.

Approximately 80 per cent of the population experience back pain at some point in their lives, experts say. With a little help, most low back strain and sprain injuries resolve themselves within a week or so.

Each recipe conforms with Canada's Food Guide recommended 2,000 calorie/day diet by replacing the less nutritious parts of takeout with healthier alternatives. If you are thinking about ordering pizza tonight, try this instead:

Nearly 38,000 Canadians live with kidney failure, according to the 2009 Canadian Organ Replacement Register. While a person can live with one healthy kidney, the complete loss of kidney function requires life-saving treatment in the form of dialysis or an organ transplant.

For some of us, the blood pressure rises purely by the worry of a medical condition, and it can especially peak when talking to a doctor or a lab technician. If you are there to get your blood pressure tested, those results may constantly deliver readings of hypertension, when in fact the condition is just temporary nervousness.

“I would absolutely encourage anybody who really wants to make a difference—and is in a position to do so—to take the step of investigating living organ donation and possibly becoming a donor. The care and attention that I received from the organ donation staff and doctors throughout my experience were wonderful. If I had another kidney to give, I'd do it again."

Typical symptoms of this condition include: sleeping too much, overeating (especially carbs and sweets), loss of energy, social withdrawal and difficulty concentrating. And people in colder climates, like Canada, are more likely to experience SAD.

Have you fallen in the past 12 months? by Ginette Asselin, RN BScN, Seniors Health and Caregiver Support Program, Ottawa Public Health

Try this recipe with chicken or tofu.

There are special considerations for women when it comes to retirement financial planning. Several factors may impact their pension and savings, such as situations where women may leave the workforce to care for parents, children, or both. Another reality is that women often live longer than men, and when paired with the fact that for many married couples, the husband is older than the wife, this may add up to a longer time in retirement for women than men.

The Smoking Cessation (SC) Initiative is an expanded version of the RNAO's successful Ontario-based program, which is building a network of nurses and other health-care professionals called “champions,” through educational workshops that focus on smoking cessation best practices. Despite all warnings, tobacco smoke kills more than 37,000 Canadians every year.

One organ and tissue donor can save up to eight lives and enhance life for as many as 75 others. While all of us have the potential to be an organ and/or tissue donor, the reality is that the opportunity for organ donation is rare. In fact, you are five times more likely to need an organ during your lifetime than you are to donate one.

Work/life balance can be an acrobatic exercise at the best of times. But how do you achieve the right balance when you find yourself caregiving for an aging parent or other relative or friend? And as you age yourself, how will caregiving impact your life when you retire?

With the cold winter months upon us, we can choose to hibernate or we can make the best of it and discover a winter wonderland that is full of possibilities.

For many Canadians, trying to fend off a cold during the winter months can feel like a losing battle. While first instincts are often to turn to tea and medicine, there are sweeter ways to help you bear the coughs and sniffles when the temperatures drop.

Seniors on multiple medications begin a slippery slope that can lead to disaster if their medications are not properly managed.

Carbon monoxide is called the “silent killer” because humans cannot see it, smell it, or taste it. And since exposure to this deadly gas mimics the flu, making it very hard to diagnose, it is little wonder that CO is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in North America.

Patients might take ownership of their health, but who owns their health records? Your health history shouldn't be a mystery, according to the regulatory colleges.

Big or small, a life change is similar to the common cold. If you've spent time around someone who has deliberately chosen to change for the better, sooner or later you'll catch the bug as well. Whether you want to lose weight, quit smoking, end a bad relationship, reduce debt or simplify your life, these proven strategies can help you figure out how to get off the fence and live your best life.

Turning 50 doesn't need to mean the end of your sex life. In fact, many women are just hitting their stride.

Fitting cleaning into a hectic family schedule can be a challenge—but during winter months it's essential to help control the spread of germs and the influenza virus.