Staying Healthy Archive

Fighting back against tiny allergens before they strike can help you avoid or reduce symptoms.

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The spring allergy season begins next month, and if you want to avoid symptoms, you must act now. "Pretreating allergies will lead to better control of symptoms, and maybe prevent symptoms from showing up," says Dr. Ahmad Sedaghat, an ear, nose, and throat specialist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

Automatic defenses

When spring allergens—typically pollen from oak, elm, birch, poplar, or maple trees, depending on where you live—float through the air and reach the nose, the body sometimes overreacts. Mast cells in the lining of the nose mistake the harmless tree particles for dangerous invaders, and summon help by releasing chemicals such as histamine and tryptase, which then recruit more immune system cells to the battle.

It appears that adverse drug events that lead to visits to the emergency department are increasing among older adults.

A conversation with this health professional can help you avoid making harmful mistakes.

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When your pharmacist hands you your pills, he or she is likely to ask, "Any questions?" This is an invitation to tap into a vast store of knowledge—and one you should accept. A few minutes with your pharmacist may spare you some serious health consequences.

"People are often in the dark regarding the purpose of their medication," says Dr. Gordon Schiff, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Although prescriptions come with a lengthy package insert containing detailed information about the drug, the information is often written in technical terms and printed in microscopic type. The lack of clear information and the confusion and misunderstandings that result figure into more than a million preventable medical complications annually.

Taking an hourly break from reading a book to walk around or listening to audiobooks while walking can provide the health benefits of book reading without incurring the health risks of prolonged sitting.

Mind-bending puzzles aren't the only route to improving memory and reason. Activities that engage your emotions and senses may be even better.

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In the midst of promotions for commercial brain training programs to ward off age-related cognitive decline, a few studies are beginning to indicate that simple pleasures may be even more productive. You may find that doing one of the following is an easier and more rewarding way to boost your brain than doing computer-based exercises.

1. Care for a dog

3.Play with a child

Despite new research, the answer is unclear. Use caution when taking any pain medication on a routine basis.

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People with aching joints from arthritis—which affects nearly one in four adults—often rely on drugs known as NSAIDs to ease the pain of this often-debilitating condition. These popular medications also relieve headaches, cool fevers, and dampen inflammation. But with the exception of aspirin, most NSAIDs pose a risk to the cardiovascular system, notes Harvard professor Dr. Elliott Antman, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

"Taking NSAIDs routinely over a long time period can raise the risk of blood clots, increase blood pressure, and accelerate cardiovascular disease," says Dr. Antman. While the danger is greatest in people with heart disease, it's also present in people without any signs of the disease.

Cocoa flavanols, which are plant-based nutrients found in cocoa beans, seem to have beneficial effects on risk factors for heart disease. 

Lifestyle habits such as not smoking, avoiding obesity, exercising, and following a healthy diet may cut a person’s risk of heart disease in half, even if they have genes that put them at a high risk of cardiovascular disease. 

Ask the doctor

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Q. I have read about diets that involve fasting for one day, followed by normal eating for the rest of the week. Are there any benefits to this kind of diet??

A. Most diets achieve weight loss through the same equation—a reduction in total daily calories consumed in relation to the calories needed to maintain your weight.