by Joyce Meek Yates & Amanda Conrad. Just like the muscles in your body, the brain thrives on the motto of "Use it, or lose it." Stimulate your brain by making it work beyond its normal routine. Don't let your thought processes get stuck in a rut! Try...

Few would deny that acupuncture is an effective system of altering bodily responses—its dramatic effects in producing local deadening of the nerves, so that surgeons can operate on a fully conscious patient, are convincing evidence that this is a powerful form of treatment. Whether acupuncture effectively treats all the ailments for which it is offered is another matter.

There are various herbal medicines on sale that claim to alleviate hay fever and perennial allergic rhinitis. The following ones have been tested: Butterbur (Petasites hybridus); Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica); Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba); Luffa complex (also marketed as Pollinosan); Grape seed extract; Quercetin; Perilla 6000 (contains Perilla frutescens)

Conventional medicine has some powerful weapons against hay fever but many people still turn to other forms of treatment. This chapter looks at all those that we have come across and tries to assess whether or not they may help you.

The traditional treatment used for colds—inhaling steam—can be very effective in hay fever. Use a mixing bowl from the kitchen, pour in boiling water, put a towel over your head and shoulders, and sit with your face over the bowl so that you are inhaling the steam. Menthol, eucalyptus, and other essential oils with a decongestant action are sometimes added to the hot water to improve...

You will, no doubt, meet people who have "found the cure" for hay fever. There are two things to bear in mind when considering such claims. One is that most people grow out of hay fever as they get older, usually before the age of 30. The second point to consider is the placebo effect, a phenomenon well known to medicine. Belief that the treatment will work is the crucial element...

There are many "core heart feelings," but the simplest and easiest to access is gratitude. Showing appreciation elicits an immediate response in your body that lessens the stress response...

Heart disease is the single leading cause of death in the United States, claiming more lives than the combined next four causes of mortality. Fifty-eight percent of all deaths are directly or indirectly related to cardiovascular disease, as 2,500 people die of heart disease each...

People with acne may try to stop outbreaks and oil production by scrubbing their skin and using strong detergent soaps. However, scrubbing will not improve acne; in fact, it can make the problem worse. Most doctors recommend that people with acne gently wash their skin with a mild cleanser, once in the morning and once in the evening. It is important that patients thoroughly rinse their skin after washing it.

Try not to worry too much if your smoker tries to quit and fails. A study by the University of Ottawa found that most smokers try to quit five times before they finally succeed. If your smoker doesn't quit this time, he or she will quit next time. If not next time, then the time after that. Your smoker will succeed. If you can honestly enjoy your smoker's predicament, laugh about it, and make light of it, your smoker is more likely to do the same...

More than 75 percent of Americans over 35 have some form of gum disease. In its earliest stage, your gums might swell and bleed easily. At its worst, you might lose your teeth. The bottom line? If you want to keep your teeth, you must take care of your gums.

Two out of three senior citizens may lack adequate immunity to tetanus, a life-threatening central nervous system ailment contracted when bacteria invade an open wound, usually a deep puncture or cut made by a nail or a knife, University of Florida researchers report.

Menopause Organizations. Various organizations supply information and other assistance to women experiencing or approaching menopause. Phone numbers and addresses sometimes change. If any of these are out of date, please let us know.

Menopause Glossary. A definition of various terms associated with pre-menopause, menopause, or the menopausal age group.

A popular myth pictures the menopausal woman shifting from raging, angry moods into depressive, doleful slumps with no apparent reason or warning. However, a study by psychologists at the University of Pittsburgh suggests that menopause does not cause unpredictable mood swings, depression, or even stress in most women. In fact, it may even improve mental health for some. This gives further support to the idea that menopause is not necessarily a negative experience.

Good nutrition and regular physical exercise are thought to improve overall health. Some doctors feel these factors can also affect menopause. Although these areas have not been well studied in women, anecdotal evidence is strongly in favor of eating well and exercising to help lower risks for CVD and osteoporosis.

Hot flashes, or flushes, are the most common symptom of menopause, affecting more than 60 percent of menopausal women in the U.S. A hot flash is a sudden sensation of intense heat in the upper part or all of the body.

Fifty years ago the incidence of Breast Cancer for a woman's lifetime risk was one in twenty. Now it has skyrocketed to one in eight. Clearly the so-called war on cancer has not even made a dent in the breast cancer epidemic as the rates continue to climb at the rate of one per cent per year.

Many people with ADD or ADHD are very intelligent, always thinking of new possibilities and ways to make things better. Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, and Winston Churchill are classic examples. The inability to get along in school is not necessarily the sign of a failure for life.

by Maureen Keane.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a very difficult health disorder condition for a number of reasons. It is very common, affecting an estimated 24 percent of all American adults, about 43 million people. Among older adults the percentage is even higher. It is a leading cause of strokes, kidney disease, and congestive heart failure.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a very difficult health disorder condition for a number of reasons. It is very common, affecting an estimated 24 percent of all American adults, about 43 million people. Among older adults the percentage is even higher. It is a leading cause of strokes, kidney disease, and congestive heart failure.

by Christine Penko

An implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD, had stabilized his potentially fatal irregular heartbeat for the first time.

Being in pain, hour after hour, day after day, rips away your strength, your hope, your personality, and even your love. Your pain can probably be cured. Your own body has a healing force that will enable you to rise above your pain, and feel whole and happy once again.