Daily Health Tips: Trusted Medical Information, Health Tips and Advices

Do you work with people who are cranky, antsy, or fed up to the point of negatively acting out toward you and others? If so, you're not alone. A recent survey says 43% of Americans have been targets of workplace rudeness no thanks to a shaky economy. Here are three great reasons you shouldn't put up with it: It infects your home life. Rudeness has a ripple effect. Bringing home bad vibes can make things tense there. Rinse off tension with a stress-relieving walk at the end of the day. It's a health threat. Negativity and chronic stress boost your blood pressure and the threat of heart disease and lung problems. Being positive and polite does just the opposite. Give stress the pink slip and avoid these chronic diseases. It's bad for business. Half of all workers who've been targets of a nasty work situation waste work time dodging or worrying about the next attack. One in five doesn't work as hard, and one in 10 finds ways to spend less ti...

Got a few minutes, but not a few bucks? In less time than it takes to eat a sandwich, you can give stress the pink slip -- and reduce your risk for everything from heart disease, diabetes, and snapping at your spouse to high blood pressure, sleep problems, and less-than-stellar immunity. And it won't cost you a dime. That's good news, because escaping to a fabulous tropical resort sounds like a good idea, but it becomes a source of high anxiety when you get the bill. Not so when you try these three fast, free tension tamers: Close your eyes and follow your breath. Regularly meditating (at your desk, before you start your commute, even before you get out of bed in the morning) counteracts the toxic effects of stress. Pay attention to your breath as you slowly inhale and exhale. Try putting your fingers over your belly button to help stay focused. Yes, your mind will wander. Just invite it to listen to your breath again.  Read the comics, or call your funniest...

Here's one walk that can help you unwind and unload some of the stress that may be weighing you -- and your looks -- down: Step outside and leave your stresses -- and your iPod -- behind. Take in the details of your surroundings -- the buzz of traffic, the chirp of a bird, the curvature of plants and trees, the precise color of the sky, the shape of moving clouds. You will find yourself becoming hyperaware and in the moment. At this point, think about what you are thankful for in your life. It can be general or specific: your health, your family, your experiences at work, your life partner, your children, your last birthday party, and so on. Let your mind and memory run free. Becoming very present like this gets you thinking in a whole new light and connecting in ways you never imagined. You also get inspired by thinking more broadly rather than focusing on your own inner world and trivial frustrations. It's a great way to beat down stress while at the same time...

We all need a good night's sleep -- regularly -- to keep us on our physical, mental, and emotional game, but is it possible to get  too much  sleep? It seems so. Too many ZZZs might actually shorten your life, according to some research. What counts as enough, but not too much, sleep? That's tricky, because sleep -- like underwear -- isn't a one-size-fits-all proposition. Your ideal sleep prescription depends somewhat on how much you're sleeping now, according to a study of more than 10,000 people. Here's the breakdown: When people who usually slept 5 or 6 hours a night bumped up their nightly ZZZs to 7 or 8 hours, they added years to their lives.  Use this bedtime checklist of do's and don'ts to boost your time between the sheets. When people who normally slept 7 to 8 hours got more sleep, their risk of dying early rose 75%. When people who were comfortable sleeping 6 to 8 hours a night cut their sleep short, they didn't do well, and raised their m...

Paper or plastic? That is the question. But either one you choose has a negative impact on the environment. Here are some facts about paper and plastic shopping bags: In the U.S. 40 billion grocery bags are used each year; 30 billion are plastic, 10 billion are paper. Worldwide, between 500 billion and one trillion plastic bags are consumed annually. A family of four uses five to ten plastic or paper grocery bags per week. That equals between 600 and 1,200 bags per shopper each year. Because plastic bags are lighter than paper bags, it takes four or five bags to hold the same amount of groceries as one standard size paper bag. Plastic bags are expected to take between 20 and 1000 years to break down in the environment and in the process release toxins into the water and soil, whereas in the open environment paper bags take about a month to decompose. Plastic bags have been seen as far north as the Arctic Ocean, as far south as the southern end of South America, and one ex...

Can't decide whether to order wine with dinner? Here's a little tidbit to help you make up your mind: Deciding "yes" might protect you from dementia down the road. A review of the findingsas suggests older adults who indulge in a daily glass (one if you're a woman, two if you're a man) of their favorite alcoholic beverage (wine, beer, or cocktails) are significantly less likely to develop age-related cognitive decline or dementia compared to folks who don't drink at all. Booze for the Brain How does imbibing do this? Researchers think the daily habit may protect against inflammation-inducing proteins in the brain, including B-amyloid -- a toxic protein linked to Alzheimer's disease. Other findings suggest that moderate drinking can boost cerebral blood flow by dilating vessels in the brain. One part of alcohol's brain-protective equation: It's thought that moderate social drinking may have a cumulative effect over many years ...

When was your last eye exam? It's possible your answer could affect your risk of Alzheimer's. In a new study, people with vision problems who failed to visit the eye doctor -- or who left their vision problems untreated -- were nine times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. Time for a checkup? The Vision/Cognition Connection To be clear, researchers don't think vision problems are a direct cause of Alzheimer's disease. But untreated eye problems could keep people from engaging in the types of activities that are good for your brain -- like reading, playing games, and even walking and socializing.    Prioritize Your Eyes Regardless of the connection between untreated eye problems and cognitive decline, there are lots of other good reasons to see your eye-care specialist regularly. The most important? Sight-robbing eye conditions like glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy typically don't have any early warning signs. R...

Whether you've scheduled a routine eye exam or have a special appointment with an eye doctor because of new symptoms, you'll get more out of your visit if you come prepared. Step one: Think about the information you want to share, and write it down beforehand. Step two: Know what questions to ask. A good dialogue with your doctor is key to understanding your own risk factors for eye disease as well as to determining the best course of action to take. Not sure what to ask? We've prepared a printable list of questions to help you get the conversation going in the right direction. 15 Questions to Ask On Risk Factors Do I have any risk factors for eye disease (age, ethnicity, family history, etc.)? If I'm at risk for certain eye conditions, what can I do to lower or manage that risk? On Symptoms What's causing my vision changes or symptoms? Are my vision changes a normal part of aging, or could they be a sign of something more serious? Wil...

Want a guilt-free way to feast on holiday fare without loading up on all the button-popping, belly-bulging calories? No problem. Just use this 5-step holiday action plan. Replace temptations. Piling up holiday "goodies" (think pumpkin pie, cookies, and fudge) in plain sight can prompt you to eat twice as much, twice as fast. Instead, keep alternate goodies, such as walnuts, pistachios, cinnamon-spice tea, juicy oranges, and ruby-red pomegranates, within easy reach. For your holiday table, try tossing together this recipe from EatingWell: Winter Salad with Roasted Squash & Pomegranate Vinaigrette . Don't skip exercise. Just make it short and sweet. Sticking with your routine during the busy holidays can be tougher than finding a radio station not playing Jingle Bells. Go for three 10-minute walks each day for a total of 30 minutes, and you're good. Too cold out for a walk? Choose libations wisely. Beer and red wine both raise your appetite-...

Could your morning cup of Joe beat back skin cancer? It might. And it seems you may get equal protection from your java whether you sip it or slather it. It's the caffeine in coffee that seems to do the trick. Numerous animal studies have already found that ingesting caffeine protects against certain types of skin cancer. Now, a new study suggests that caffeine-based lotions may prevent the sun's UV radiation from sparking skin cancer in humans, too. Cancer-Curbing Coffee? In the study, human skin cells were first bathed in caffeine in a lab dish and then exposed to UVB radiation. The caffeine not only blocked two key mechanisms that trigger the birth of skin tumors, it also caused the death of UVB-damaged skin cells that could otherwise turn cancerous. More research is needed to confirm whether caffeine in sunscreen will protect as well as it did in a petri dish, but it can't hurt to ask your dermatologist or pharmacist about available caffeine-containing ...