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Obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease rates are all higher among people in lower income brackets. Even with insurance and subsidized health care options through programs like Medicaid, people with lower incomes tend to get less preventative care. At the end of the day, people in the highest socioeconomic group have an average life expectancy more than 4 years higher than people in the lowest income bracket.

While the exact causes of income-related health disparities is open for study and debate, the results are clear: wealth buys health. (continue reading…)

Television host Olivia Munn demonstrates how easy a breast self-exam is by recording her first attempt at a BSE. The demo shows her fully clothed, though a breast exam is best done without a shirt or bra.

WebMD offers full written instructions for performing a breast self-exam.

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#6 Breast Lump

A lump in the breast is the sign of breast cancer that most women are taught to be vigilant for, and why women do monthly breast self-examinations. (2) Breast cancer lumps may be felt all the way into the armpit, where the lymph nodes that drain the breast area are located (1). Most lumps aren’t cancer (3); Breasts normally have many kinds of lumps, some natural, some abnormal but benign. A cancerous lump is usually hard, irregularly-shaped and  rough, where the less-concerning lumps are more squishy and symmetrical. Getting to know your breasts through regular self-examinations can teach you to distinguish the normal lumps from new, troublesome ones that may arise.

#5 Inverted Nipple

Inverted nipples, where a nipple is retracted into the areola instead of poking out, affect 10-20% of the population. An inverted nipple since birth is no cause for alarm with breast cancer (1), but an “outie” nipple that suddenly becomes an “innie” may indicate trouble. (continue reading…)

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Men and women undergo heart surgery at different rates, with women undergoing fewer bypass surgeries than men. Some of the reasons for this are fairly obvious. First, compared to women, men are generally taller, weigh more and have a larger body surface area. This means that men generally have larger coronary arteries, which do not clog readily as the smaller arteries in women. And the smaller size of women’s coronary arteries presents a greater technical challenge for performing angioplasty or bypass surgery.

Secondly, because estrogen is thought to be protective against cardiovascular disease, women are rarely affected by cardiovascular disorders (CVD) before menopause. As such, most women are older and in worst overall physical condition when they do require treatment. (continue reading…)

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Human beings love sugar. Scientists speculate that we developed a love for sweetness because most of the sweet foods we ate early on were safe foods that nourished and did not kill us. Others say that our sweet tooth is naturally inborn and that we will suckle because breast milk contains lactose, a form of sugar.

We also love fat. Fat generally tastes very good and we eat a lots of it. Stored on our bodies, we use it as fuel to keep us alive until the next big meal. Fat and sugar work like hardwiring. But it is hardwiring for a time before our environment changed. Now we are scoring antelopes and apple pies all day long, and we are wearing them all over our body, mostly on our bellies. Processed food is loaded with sugar and fats. (continue reading…)

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Homeopathy is a form of medicine that uses minute amount of herbs, minerals and other substances to stimulate a person’s natural defense mechanism, thus helping the body to heal itself. It often tames illness with one single dose of medicine and virtually causes no side effects. The word homeopathy is derived from a Greek word which literally means ”similar suffering.”

Worldwide, homeopathy is practiced in countries including, India, Mexico, Russia and Australia. According to the Centre for Homeopathy, homepathic remedy use is as prevalent as four in every ten people in France and one in three people in England, including the British royal family. However, in USA, homeopathy is less well known. It was introduced here in 1825 and by 1890, there were 14,000 homeopathic physicians. But with the passage of time, Americans have virtually forgotten homeopathy.
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Water. H₂O. A little molecule that is vital to all organisms on this planet is also a wonder treatment known as hydrotherapy, the ancient healing art of getting benefits of water.

When injured, the first thing we look for is water to treat ourselves. Soothing a sprained ankle with an ice pack or running water over a burned finger are both hydrotherapy. Modern human beings look at the medicines to alleviate colds, headaches and minor injuries rather than bathroom faucet. But, there are people who know that spa can be a solution to stress and fatigue to backache, allergies and arthritis.

Hydrotherapy treatments are widely recognized. Some cheap and easy hydrotherapy treatments are mentioned below, which require no special equipment or preparations. (continue reading…)