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High Fat Diet
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Low Fiber Diet
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Age over 50
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Personal History of Diabetes
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Personal history of colonic polyps
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history of alcohol use
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Overproduction of growth hormone
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—Substances in the environment that cause cancer, presumably by inducing mutations, with prolonged exposure.
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Expert-reviewed information summary about the treatment of colon cancer.The colon is part of the body's digestive system. The digestive system removes and processes nutrients (vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and water) from foods and helps pass waste material out of the body. The digestive system is made up of the esophagus, stomach, and the small and large intestines. The first 6 feet of the large intestine are called the large bowel or colon. The last 6 inches are the rectum and the anal canal. The anal canal ends at the anus (the opening of the large intestine to the outside of the body).
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Loneliness is one of the most formidable obstacles to health and quality of life for the nearly 35 million Americans 65 or older. Unfortunately, recognizing this enemy isn't as easy as we might think.
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Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual''s ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death.The branch of medicine that deals with the study and treatment...
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Obesity is a term used to describe body weight that is much greater than what is considered healthy. If you are obese, you have a much higher amount of body fat than lean muscle mass.Adults with a body mass index(BMI) greater than 25 but less than...
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Detailed information on obesity, including obesity causes, obesity health effects, obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, maintaining weight loss, and obesity prevention
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Obesity is the condition of having an excessive accumulation of fat in the body, resulting in a body weight more than 20% above the average for height, age, sex, and body type, and in elevated risk of disability, illness, and death.The human body ...
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Detailed information on obesity, including cause, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
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Detailed information on obesity, including obesity facts, obesity causes, and obesity health effects
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Detailed information on obesity, including obesity facts, obesity causes, and obesity health effects
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Weighing too much is harmful, but the location of those extra pounds can worsen the risk.
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We've all heard warnings, yet many of us keep gaining weight. More than half of American adults are overweight or obese, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Detailed information on obesity, including obesity facts, obesity causes, and obesity health effects
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Obesity, defined as a body mass index of 30 or greater, is an epidemic in the United States and other industrialized nations, and it is rapidly becoming one in developing nations. As countries transition to westernized lifestyles, obesity tends to...
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obesity increases the risk for illness from 30 serious medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and several types of cancer.
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With childhood obesity on the rise, should parents worry about the weight of their babies?
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Detailed information on obesity, including obesity facts, obesity causes, and obesity health effects
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Detailed information on obesity prevention strategies during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
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Detailed information on obesity, including obesity causes, obesity health effects, obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, maintaining weight loss, and obesity prevention
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Detailed information on obesity, including obesity causes, obesity health effects, obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, maintaining weight loss, and obesity prevention
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Detailed information on obesity prevention strategies during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
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Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual''s ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death.Obesity is defined by both the U.S.
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As your body mass index goes up, so does your risk for health problems. Your blood pressure goes up and so do your cholesterol levels.
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Detailed information on obesity prevention strategies during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
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Detailed information on obesity prevention strategies during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
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Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual''s ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death.Obesity traditionally has been defined as a weight at least 20...
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The analysis of more than 15,000 young people in the United States found about a third of the cases of depression and obesity among those teens could be attributed to being from families with low incomes.
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There is growing evidence that obesity increases a man's risk of developing prostate cancer. The reasons are still unclear, but obesity affects hormone production, which could in turn be influencing cancer growth.
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Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, obesity gastric bypass (malabsorptive) surgery, and obesity gastric stapling (restrictive) surgery
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Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, and obesity surgical treatment
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Detailed information on obesity, including obesity causes, obesity health effects, obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, maintaining weight loss, and obesity prevention
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Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, obesity gastric bypass (malabsorptive) surgery, and obesity gastric stapling (restrictive) surgery
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Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, and obesity surgical treatment
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Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, obesity gastric bypass (malabsorptive) surgery, and obesity gastric stapling (restrictive) surgery
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Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, and obesity surgical treatment
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Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, obesity gastric bypass (malabsorptive) surgery, and obesity gastric stapling (restrictive) surgery
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Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, and obesity surgical treatment
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Term describing a condition where the ratio of body fat to total body mass is higher than accepted norms.The percent of U.S. children who are overweight is estimated to be between 20-30%, but there is no firm definition of obesity for children and...
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Extreme obesity plagues more than a million teens and young adults, experts estimate. What's a parent to do?
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Detailed information on weight and weight control, including healthy tips for maintaining your weight
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Detailed information on obesity medical treatment, including obesity prescription medications and supplements, obesity behavioral strategies, and psychotherapy for eating disorders
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Detailed information on obesity medical treatment, including obesity prescription medications and supplements, obesity behavioral strategies, and psychotherapy for eating disorders
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Detailed information on obesity medical treatment, including obesity prescription medications and supplements, obesity behavioral strategies, and psychotherapy for eating disorders
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Detailed information on obesity medical treatment, including obesity prescription medications and supplements, obesity behavioral strategies, and psychotherapy for eating disorders
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Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20 percent or more over an individual''s ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death.The branch of medicine that deals with the study and tr...
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Bariatric surgery, which helps extremely obese people lose weight by reducing the size of the stomach and intestines, carries a higher risk of death than previously believed, new research shows. Three studies, published October 19 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found death rates of 3% to 5% for middle-aged adults and more than twice that high for patients 65 to 74, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Among patients 75 or older, 40% of the women and half of the men died, the AP story said.
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Exploring the causes and consequences of America's growing epidemic of obesity.Obesity is not a new problem. Forty years ago, 4 of every 10 Americans were overweight or obese. But obesity is a growing problem, and it's growing quickly; today, two of every three Americans need to lose weight. In the 1960s, obesity was an epidemic; today, it's a pandemic.
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Detailed information on obesity surgical treatment, including gastric bypass surgery, and gastric stapling surgery
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Detailed information on obesity surgical treatment, including gastric bypass surgery, and gastric stapling surgery
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Detailed information on obesity surgical treatment, including gastric bypass surgery, and gastric stapling surgery
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Detailed information on obesity surgical treatment, including gastric bypass surgery, and gastric stapling surgery
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More than 19 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, and millions more have a condition that puts them at high risk for developing it.
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What is responsible for obesity, how to treat it.At one time it was commonly believed that overweight and obese people were compulsive eaters, anxious, depressed, under stress, or trying to compensate for inadequate upbringing, family conflict, or other deficiencies in their lives. But since then, when almost everyone seems to be getting heavier and obesity has become a national political issue, both experts and the public are turning away from the idea that weight gain is a personal emotional problem. Instead the trend toward obesity has become a subject for biologists and sociologists, regarded as the physical consequence of a general social condition. It's become less clear what role psychotherapists and other mental health professionals should play in managing the problem.
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The American Diabetes Association estimates at least 20.1 million people in the United States have pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes means having a blood sugar level that is higher than normal, but not yet persistently high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. By taking steps to control your blood sugar, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from developing.
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America is more overweight and out of shape than ever. The result? Soaring medical costs and lost productivity. The U.S. government is working to change that with "Healthy People 2010," its latest effort to show us that national health demands personal health. The drive includes 10 "leading health indicators," modeled after our leading economic indicators.
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A study claims that obese people are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, but the findings do not prove that the conditions are causally related to each other.
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Detailed information on maintaining weight loss, including weight loss benefits, weight loss maintenance strategies, and weight cycling
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Detailed information on maintaining weight loss, including weight loss benefits, weight loss maintenance strategies, and weight cycling
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Detailed information on maintaining weight loss, including weight loss benefits, weight loss maintenance strategies, and weight cycling
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Detailed information on maintaining weight loss, including weight loss benefits, weight loss maintenance strategies, and weight cycling
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The prevalence and consequences of obesity and how to treat it; explanation of BMI and waist-to-hip ratio.
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Portion sizes are bigger today, and that increase has contributed to the growing numbers of overweight or obese Americans.
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The fact is, you might not care as much about looks as your wife does, but that fat around your abdomen is no laughing matter. A man's potbelly often warns of later problems ranging from heart disease to cancer, diabetes, arthritis, back pain and sleep apnea.
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Each overweight or obese American spends $700 more a year on medical bills than trim neighbors, one expert says.
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With two out of three Americans overweight or obese, it's become a community problem. The solution requires cooperation from public and private institutions.
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Obesity has become a public health crisis in the United States, in part, because Americans are consuming more calories than they did 30 years ago. A large part of that increase in consumption can be pinned on a greater use of foods prepared away from home -- those ready-to-eat items available at restaurants, grocery store food counters and fast-food eateries.
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Children whose parents are overweight or obese are at higher risk for becoming obese themselves, studies have shown.
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Obesity is the most common health problem facing children, child health experts say. More than 30 percent of children and teens are overweight, and 15 percent are obese.
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True or false? Most overweight people got that way because they're self-indulgent weaklings without the will power to say no to super-sized french fries and fudge-slathered ice cream.
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We've all heard warnings, yet many of us keep gaining weight. More than half of American adults are overweight or obese, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Many obese adults don't believe they are obese. A small survey (104 adults ages 45 to 64 were polled) found that 71% of normal-weight people placed themselves in the correct weight category, as did 73% of overweight people. However, only 15% of obese people identified themselves as obese. The Associated Press reported April 9 on the survey, done by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the CDC, an adult who is 5 feet 10 inches tall is overweight at 174 pounds and obese at 209 pounds.
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Experts in one study say the study shows the limitations of the Body Mass Index (BMI) as a measure of obesity, especially because it doesn't account for weight that is muscle rather than fat. A study of 90,000 U.S. women, described in the second article, says the risk of death jumps sharply for extremely obese women -- those at least 90 pounds overweight.
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The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is warning that obesity during pregnancy increases the risk of several complications, including high blood pressure, a serious condition called preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. The ACOG opinion, published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, says obese women also are more likely to miscarry, to need a Caesarean section, and to have excessive bleeding and infection after a Caesarean section. Babies of obese women are more likely to be stillborn, be born prematurely and have spinal cord abnormalities called neural tube defects. The risks affect women with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 30, and are even higher for women with a BMI of more than 30.
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Experts are challenging a recent, widely reported study that suggested being overweight is not associated with early mortality.
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I am 19 years old and weigh 300 pounds. I have tried diets and they don't work. I have had a physical and am healthy except for my weight. I would like to have stomach banding surgery done. Am I a good candidate for this procedure?
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Detailed information on starting an exercise program to lower your risk of heart disease
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The endocrine system is a widespread group of glands and organs that acts as the body''s control system for producing, storing, and secreting chemical substances called hormones.The primary glands that compose the endocrine system are the hypothala...
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Crohn''s disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease(IBD), which involves ongoing(chronic) inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Crohn''s-related inflammation usually affects the intestines, but may occur anywhere from the mouth to the end...
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Hormones, which are chemical signals, affect growth, metabolism, blood pressure and even behavior.
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Crohn's disease is swelling and irritation of the digestive tract. It is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is often found in the intestines. All layers of the digestive tract may be affected. While this disease has no cure, the symptoms can be treated. Help manage your symptoms by following your doctor's advice and watching what you eat.
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Detailed information on Crohn's disease, including symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on the endocrine system, its anatomy and function, including a full-color, labeled illustration
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Detailed information on Crohn's disease, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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I am a 47-year-old female recently diagnosed with Crohn's disease. I do not appear to have a severe case; however, I have noticed more low back pain ? I've had back problems in the past ? along with pain sometimes going down my thigh that moves into my buttocks or pelvic area. Could this be related to the Crohn's?
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Detailed information on the endocrine system, its anatomy and function, including a full-color, labeled illustration
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Detailed information on hormones and their role in the workings of the endocrine system
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Crohn''s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel dis- ease(IBD) caused by inflammation along any portion of the alimentary canal(the mouth to the anus).Although Crohn''s disease may involve any part of the alimentary canal, it most commonly affects ...
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Crohn''s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease(IBD), resulting in swelling and dysfunction of the intestinal tract.Crohn''s disease involves swelling, redness, and loss of function of the intestine, especially the small intestine. There is...
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Crohn''s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease(IBD), resulting in swelling and dysfunction of the intestinal tract.Crohn''s disease involves inflammation of the intestine, especially the small intestine. Inflammation refers to swelling, re...
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Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease(IBD). It causes swelling, ulcerations, and loss of function of the large intestine.The primary problem in IBD is inflammation, as the name suggests.
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Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that affects the large intestine and rectum.The cause of ulcerative colitis is unknown. It may affect any age group, although there are peaks at ages 15- 30 and then again at ages 50- 70.T...
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Ulcerative colitis is swelling and irritation in the rectum and colon. It is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). No one knows what causes ulcerative colitis, but symptoms can be treated. People with ulcerative colitis can lead full, active lives.
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Detailed information on ulcerative colitis, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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What can be done to reduce flare-ups of ulcerative colitis?
Stephen Goldfinger, M.D., is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is a graduate of Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, and his clinical base is at the Massachusetts General Hospital.
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Detailed information on ulcerative colitis, including symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment
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Smoking is the inhalation of the smoke of burning tobacco encased in cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Casual smoking is the act of smoking only occasionally, usually in a social situation or to relieve stress.
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Question: What are the negative effects of smoking?Answer: Smokers have an increased risk of the following:Lung cancerLung diseaseHeart attackHeart diseaseHypertensionStrokeOral cancerBladder cancerPancreatic cancerCervical cancerPregnancy complic...
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When you smoke, toxins are carried by your blood to every organ in your body. At the same time, the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke keeps red blood cells from carrying as much oxygen as normal.
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Adolescent smoking has risen steadily throughout the 1990s, following a sharp decline in the 1970s that leveled off in the 1980s. A 1994 report by the office of the U.S.
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Right away, you may cough, wheeze, and have a sore throat—that's the tar clogging up your lungs. You may also have a headache, feel dizzy, and be nauseated—that's the nicotine in your brain. Over time, you risk lung and throat cancer, and lung diseases like emphysema and bronchitis.
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Smoking is the inhalation of the smoke of burning tobacco encased in cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Casual smoking is the act of smoking only occasionally, usually in a social situation or to relieve stress.
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Smoking during pregnancy reduces oxygen and blood flow to your baby. This may cause bleeding problems that can put your pregnancy at risk.
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Hear the facts about smoking from those who have been doing it for a few years. Find a smoker or two. Ask a few questions. See if their answers sound something like these.
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Ex-smokers' risk of heart disease may eventually approach that of a lifetime nonsmoker, but their risk of lung cancer is less likely to fade, even after long periods of time.
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Smoking is the inhalation of the smoke of burning tobacco that is used mostly in three forms: cigarettes, pipes, and cigars.Casual smoking is the act of smoking only occasionally, usually in a social situation or to relieve stress. A smoking habit...
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Life may seem out of control, but you're really making progress. You're going through withdrawal, which is how your body recovers from smoking.
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Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do to keep your heart disease from getting worse. Smoking reduces oxygen flow to your heart, speeds plaque buildup, and increases your risk for heart attack.
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When you are trying to quit, the support of friends, coworkers and family members can make a big difference.
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Detailed information on respiratory diseases and smoking, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer
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One of the major triggers for asthma attacks is cigarette smoke. Cigarette, pipe, or cigar smoke is especially harmful to people with asthma because it damages the cells in the lungs that make the protective coating lining the bronchial tubes.
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The most common reasons include: "Smoking gives me more energy. I smoke to keep from slowing down. I reach for a cigarette when I need a lift. When I'm tired, smoking perks me up."
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Everybody knows smoking is bad for your health. Now here's something you may not know: Smoking is bad for your looks. It's true.
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Detailed information on teens and smoking Diseases caused by smoking kill more than 437,900 people in the United States each year; around 35 percent of these deaths were cardiovascular related. Even with anti-smoking campaigns and medical disclaimers in place, many people continue to smoke or start smoking every year. According to the American Cancer Society, 90 percent of new smokers are children and teenagers, in many cases, replacing the smokers who quit or died prematurely from a smoking-related disease.
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Do you have healthy gums? You may kiss them goodbye if you're a smoker.
Do you have healthy gums? You may kiss them goodbye if you're a smoker, the American Dental Association (ADA) says.
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Smoking damages your arteries, and it's thought that the damaged arteries in the discs and joints in your back may lead to pain and injury.
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Teens who smoke are more likely to quit if they can be convinced to participate in a cessation program that emphasizes the health risks of smoking, provides motivational encouragement and coping skills, and encourages a healthy overall lifestyle.
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For most people, the best way to quit smoking is some combination of medicine, a method to change personal habits and emotional support.
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Smoking is an important and preventable cause of death and illness. However, as more money has been spent on smoking cessation programs, the incidence of cigarette smoking has risen.
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Every day, nearly 6,000 teens and pre-teens try cigarettes for the first time, according to the American Lung Association. A third of these first-timers will end up becoming smokers.
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When people consider the cost of smoking, they usually focus on the cost of the cigarettes alone. But that's only the first step.
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Among other things, keep a personal benefits log. Write down the benefits you experience from being smoke-free (for example, I can smell flowers again!) Write the specific occurrence, the date it first happened, and your reaction.
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A smoker's recovery plan includes listing those activities that you have chosen to help reduce the pressures of nicotine withdrawal and staying smoke-free.
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The personal motivation list will help you identify the benefits of quitting, for you, for your family, and for your friends.
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I know that smoking is very bad for me. I've cut down to one cigarette after lunch and another after dinner each day, with two or three more on most weekend nights when I socialize. I really enjoy smoking, but I want to know if I'm harming myself.
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Radiation therapy, sometimes called radiotherapy, x-ray therapy radiation treatment, cobalt therapy, electron beam therapy, or irradiation uses high energy, penetrating waves or particles such as x rays, gamma rays, proton rays, or neutron rays to...
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Radiation therapy uses high powered x-rays or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells.Cancer cells usually multiply faster than other cells in the body. Because radiation is most harmful to rapidly growing cells, radiation therapy damages cancer ce...
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Detailed information on radiation therapy for prostate cancer treatment Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill or shrink cancer cells, and to decrease their ability to divide. Radiation is often used to treat prostate cancer that is still confined to the prostate gland, or has spread only to nearby tissue. If the disease is advanced, radiation may be used to reduce the size of the tumor and to provide relief from symptoms.
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Doctors first began using X-rays to treat cancer in the early 1900s. Since then, the field of radiation therapy has grown tremendously in its use to treat cancer patients. Today, radiation therapy is considered a standard treatment for cancer and its symptoms.
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Radiotherapy is the use of high-energy penetrating radiation(x rays, gamma rays, proton rays, and neutron rays) to kill cancer cells.The primary purpose of radiotherapy is to eliminate or shrink localized cancers. It is also sometimes used to trea...
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Detailed information on radiation therapy, one type of cancer therapy Radiation therapy for cancer treatment:
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Radiation therapy can help you in your fight against cancer. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells.
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Radiation therapy, sometimes called radiotherapy, x-ray therapy radiation treatment, cobalt therapy, electron beam therapy, or irradiation uses high energy, penetrating waves or particles such as x rays, gamma rays, proton rays, or neutron rays to...
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Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells.
Radiation therapy can help you in your fight against cancer. It begins with a planning visit to map out your treatment. During the treatment course, you'll meet with your doctor on a routine basis. After your therapy is done, you will have one or more follow-up visits to check your progress. Keep all your appointments.
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Because radiation affects normal cells as well as cancer cells, you may have some side effects from this treatment. Usually, the risk of side effects is far less than the benefit of killing cancer cells. Many people have no side effects at all. If you do have them, they relate to the dose of radiation you get and the area of your cancer, and they are generally limited to the area that's been treated.
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This is one section from the guide "Radiation Therapy: A Guide to Self-Help During Cancer Treatment” from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
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This is one section from the guide "Radiation Therapy: A Guide to Self-Help During Cancer Treatment” from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
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Radiation therapy can help you in your fight against cancer. Your radiation therapy team will work with you. Together you will set treatment goals, make a plan, and carry out the treatment. To be an active member of this team, ask questions when you don't understand what is happening. And let your team know how you're doing.
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This is one section from the guide "Radiation Therapy: A Guide to Self-Help During Cancer Treatment” from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
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This is one section from the guide "Radiation Therapy: A Guide to Self-Help During Cancer Treatment” from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
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The side effects of radiation treatment vary from patient to patient. You may have no side effects or only a few mild ones through your course of treatment. Some people do experience serious side effects, however. The side effects that you have depend mostly on the radiation dose and the part of your body that is treated. Your general health also can affect how your body reacts to radiation therapy and whether you have side effects. Before beginning your treatment, your doctor and nurse will discuss the side effects you might experience, how long they might last, and how serious they might be.
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This is one section from the guide "Radiation Therapy: A Guide to Self-Help During Cancer Treatment” from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
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This is one section from the guide "Radiation Therapy: A Guide to Self-Help During Cancer Treatment” from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
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Radiation treatment to the chest may cause several changes. For example, you may find that it is hard to swallow or that swallowing hurts. You may develop a cough or a fever. You may notice that when you cough the amount and color of the mucus is different. Shortness of breath is also common. Be sure to let your treatment team know right away if you have any of these symptoms. Remember that your doctor and nurse have seen these changes in many radiation patients and they know how to help you deal with them.
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What is the goal of this treatment? How will the radiation be given? How many treatments will I get? Over what period of time?
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Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to treat your cancer. From the moment you found out you had cancer, you most likely have had questions about treatment. You are not facing cancer treatment alone. Loved ones, support groups, and counseling can help you. Keep a list of any questions you have for your radiation therapy team. Ask these questions during your visits, or call if you need to. And use the resources below for information.
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Is it safe for a child to be around a person undergoing radiation therapy? Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".
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Radiation therapy can help you in your fight against cancer. To feel better, get plenty of rest, exercise, and eat well. This will give your body the extra strength it needs right now. Also, look to family and friends for support and comfort.
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