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Symptoms could include:
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It usually takes about 20 days after exposure to the bacteria for symptoms to occur. Most cases are mild, yet some severe cases have been reported.
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C. burnetii causes infection when a human breathes in tiny droplets, or drinks milk, containing the bacteria. After three to 30 days, symptoms of the illness appear.The usual symptoms of Q fever include fever, chills, heavy sweating, headache, nau...
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Fever is the temporary increase in the body''s temperature, in response to some disease or illness.A child has a fever when their temperature is at or above one of these levels:.100.4°F(38°C) measured in the bottom(rectally) 99.5°F(3...
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The nervous system constantly relays information about the body''s temperature to the thermostat, which in turn activates different physical responses designed to cool or warm the body, depending on the circumstances. These responses include: decre...
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Detailed information on fevers in children A fever is a temperature of 100.4º F and higher.
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A fever is a special cause for concern in infants younger than 3 months of age. Parents and caregivers should be most concerned with changes in eating or sleeping habits, coughing, pain or other marked changes.
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Fever is defined as an abnormally high body temperature or a regulated rise to a new set point of body temperature. While a body temperature above 100°F(37.8°C) is considered to be a fever by some clinicians, a significant fever is usual...
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A fever is any body temperature elevation over 100°F(37.8°C).A healthy person''s body temperature fluctuates between 97°F(36.1°C) and 100°F(37.8°C), with the average being 98.6°F(37°C). The body maintains sta...
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While the standard for normal body temperature is 98.6°F(37°C), normal body temperatures actually fluctuate within a range of one to two degrees, making it impossible to formulate a precise definition of fever based on a specific tempera...
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Early morning body temperature may be as low as 97°F, and as high as 99.3°F in the afternoon hours yet still be considered normal. Higher temperatures may be observed in healthy people, but an abnormal elevation(pyrexia) is classified as...
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One minute you're hot; the next, you're chilled and your teeth chatter. You've got a fever. But look on the bright side: Fever seems to serve a helpful function in the body.
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Buying a thermometer isn't as easy as it used to be. You face an array of choices. But the decision doesn't have to be hard. Like temperature, it's a matter of degrees.
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Most medical professionals agree a fever by itself is not an illness; it is a symptom of an underlying problem. Fevers actually can be a positive sign the body is fighting an infection. However, a fever can cause discomfort for a child.
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A fever is a way for the body to fight infection. But it may also be a sign of a serious illness, especially in children younger than 3 months and children who haven't been immunized. Know when to seek medical care for your child.
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Detailed information on fever, including when to call your physician Fever (also called pyrexia) is defined as body temperature that is higher than normal for each individual. It generally indicates that there is an abnormal process occurring in the body. Exercise, hot weather, and common childhood immunizations can also make body temperature rise.
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The best way to take an infant's temperature is rectally with a digital thermometer (never use a glass mercury thermometer). Taking the temperature under the arm, or using an ear thermometer, is less exact.
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Use a digital thermometer to take your child's temperature; never use a glass mercury thermometer. Most children aged three years and older can hold a thermometer under their tongue. If your child is younger than that, or you're having difficulty with the oral method, talk to your doctor about the best way to take his temperature.
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Detailed information on children and fever, including symptoms and treatment A fever is a temperature of 100.4º F and higher.
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Hyperthermia involves raising the body''s core temperature as a means of eradicating tumors. The treatment simulates fever.
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Hyperthermia is the use of therapeutic heat to treat various cancers on and inside the body.The purpose of hyperthermia is to shrink and hopefully destroy cancer without harming noncancerous cells. It can be used to treat cancer in many areas of t...
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Children can become cranky, fussy or irritable for many reasons. Often it's because they're hungry or just tired. But sometimes irritability can be a sign of illness in children.
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Diarrhea is loose, watery, and frequent stool. Diarrhea is considered chronic(long-term) when you have had loose or frequent stools for more than 4 weeks.Stools- watery; Frequent bowel movements; Loose bowel movements.Diarrhea in adults is usually...
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Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Diarrhea can occur in cancer patients for a number of reasons. The tumor itself can bring on this side effect, as can changes in diet or an infection in the intestine. The most common cause of diarrhea in cancer patients, however, is cancer treatment. Chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery can all cause diarrhea, and it may arise at any time during treatment.
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Diarrhea (loose stools) is a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Diarrhea results when treatment affects the normal cells lining the intestine. To help limit this problem, try the tips on this handout.
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If your diarrhea is substantial, if you have other unexplained symptoms such as fatigue, abdominal pain, weight loss, or blood in your bowel movements, or if your diarrhea has persisted for more than five days, you should visit with your doctor to discuss your symptoms.
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Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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We all dread diarrhea. But when the patient is your infant or toddler, diarrhea can range from a minor annoyance to a medical emergency.
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Detailed information on traveler's diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Common causes of diarrhea in babies include infections of the stomach and intestines (gastrointestinal tract) or changes in diet. Most cases of diarrhea are not serious, go away in a day or two and can be managed at home.
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Answering the questions in this tool will help you understand more about the possible causes of diarrhea in children, and will help you decide when to call your doctor.
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To most persons, diarrhea means an increased frequency or softer consistency of bowel movements; however, the medical definition is more exact than this. Diarrhea best correlates with an increase in stool weight; stool weights above 300 g per day ...
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Fatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy.Fatigue is different from drowsiness. In general, drowsiness is feeling the need to sleep, while fatigue is a lack of energy and motivation.
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Fatigue is physical and/or mental exhaustion that can be triggered by stress, medication, overwork, or mental and physical illness or disease.Everyone experiences fatigue occasionally. It is the body''s way of signaling its need for rest and sleep.
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Boosting Your Energy provides information on the causes and treatments of persistent fatigue. Includes information on aging and energy, eating for energy, and boosting your energy.
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Fatigue may be defined as a subjective state in which one feels tired or exhausted, and in which the capacity for normal work or activity is reduced. There is, however, no commonly accepted definition of fatigue when it is considered in the contex...
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If the fatigue is related to a decrease in hemoglobin, or oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, then replacing the red blood cells by transfusion or taking erythropoietin can help reduce fatigue. If the fatigue is not related to this, then it is important that the person with cancer learn ways to conserve energy. Energy is like money, and people only have a limited amount of it. Think carefully about how to spend it. What activities are most important? What activities help restore energy? These are the activities that people with cancer should spend their energy on. They need to ask for help to do the rest of the activities.
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If you regularly feel weary after waking from a good night's sleep or for no apparent reason, it's time to find out why.
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Fatigue may be defined as a subjective state in which one feels tired or exhausted, and in which the capacity for normal work or activity is reduced. There is, however, no commonly accepted definition of fatigue when it is considered in the contex...
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Fatigue is physical and/or mental exhaustion that can be triggered by stress, medication, overwork, or mental and physical illness or disease.Everyone experiences fatigue occasionally. It is the body''s way of signaling its need for rest and sleep.
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Fatigue is a feeling of exhaustion or loss of strength. The duration of fatigue for a patient with cancer has been found to last from one to two times the length of time between diagnosis and completion of treatment, so it is common for fatigue to...
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If the person on chemotherapy has decreased hemoglobin, or oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, and it seems like the low hemoglobin level will last for a while, then a medicine called PROCRIT® (Epoetin alfa) may be prescribed. This medicine is given as an injection to keep the hemoglobin at a higher level. This can sometimes manage fatigue. PROCRIT is for anemic chemotherapy patients with most types of cancer.
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We currently understand some of the causes of fatigue but not all of them. Fatigue may be related to physical changes caused by cancer or its treatment (chemotherapy, biotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery). It is reported that the fatigue people get when receiving cancer treatment is more severe than the fatigue healthy people get. In addition, this fatigue lasts longer and is not relieved by sleep. Studies have shown that low hemoglobin is also related to fatigue. Hemoglobin carries oxygen in the blood, so if it is low, the body cells do not get as much oxygen as they need. Also, people who are not well nourished, who don't drink enough fluid and are dehydrated, or who are not able to move around much tend to have fatigue more easily. Finally, the way a person handles stress, thinks, or behaves can influence fatigue.
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Fatigue is a vague feeling of being tired, weak, or exhausted. It is often a symptom of cancer, when cancer is first diagnosed, or when cancer progresses (Ferrell et al, 1996). It is also the most common side effect of cancer treatment. Some people with cancer have described fatigue as being "tired to the bones” or "hitting a wall.” Others say it is the most distressing side effect of cancer treatment. Fatigue is different for everyone, so it is important that the person who is experiencing it describe how he or she feels. Fatigue may cause decreased ability to work or do physical activity. If the person with cancer is easily distracted and unable to concentrate on mental work or activity, then he or she may have attentional fatigue (Winningham and Barton-Burke, 2000). Depending upon its cause, fatigue can come and go or stay constant for a while. Fatigue from chemotherapy tends to occur a few days after the treatment, peaks, and then gets better before the next treatment. Fatigue from radiation doesn't happen right away. It develops over the first two to three weeks of treatment and then increases as the treatment continues. It may last three months or more after the treatment is finished. Attentional fatigue can last up until two or three years after treatment is completed.
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Many people experience late-in-the-day energy lags, but you can take steps to prevent them.
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Fatigue is a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It can be caused by worry, lack of sleep, and poor appetite. Fatigue can also be a sign of anemia (a shortage of red blood cells). This could require medical treatment. The tips below can help you feel better.
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A headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. Serious causes of headaches are extremely rare.
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A headache is a pain in the head and neck region that may be either a disorder in its own right or a symptom.
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This report helps you identify the cause of your headache and learn what to do about it. Includes the latest treatments, such as new medications and mind/body techniques.
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Detailed information on headaches, including the different types of headaches and statistics relating to headaches
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A headache involves pain in the head which can arise from many disorders or may be a disorder in and of itself.There are three types of primary headaches: tension-type(muscular contraction headache), migraine(vascular headaches), and cluster. Virt...
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About 90 percent of all headaches are harmless episodes that can be treated with over-the-counter painkillers, either alone or together with rest, ice packs or relaxation techniques.
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A headache involves pain in the head that can arise from many disorders or may be a disorder in and of itself.Headaches can be categorized as primary or secondary. Primary headaches occur independently and are not the result of another medical pro...
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Most headaches in kids are caused by tension, not disease. Your pediatrician can determine what kind of headache your child has.
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Headache is a pain in the head and neck region that may be either a disorder in its own right or a symptom of an underlying medical condition or disease. The medical term for headache is cephalalgia.
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When seeking treatment for headaches, start with your primary care provider. Most people who suffer from headaches tell their doctors about their pain only as an afterthought. And 31 percent have never seen a health care provider for their condition, according to the National Headache Foundation (NHF). The result is a lot of needless suffering.
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Youngsters' most common head pain is a tension headache—a dull ache that feels like pressure around the head.
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Detailed information on headaches, including types, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Can dehydration cause headaches?
Howard LeWine, M.D., is chief editor of Internet Publishing at Harvard Health Publications. He is recognized as an outstanding clinician and teacher and is a recipient of the Internal Medicine Teacher of the Year award at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. LeWine continues to practice Internal Medicine; most recently he became a hospitalist after practicing primary care for over 20 years.
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An old theory about the connection between headache and high blood pressure makes a comeback.
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Detailed information on headaches, including the different types of headaches and statistics relating to headaches
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Nausea is the sensation of having an urge to vomit. Vomiting is forcing the contents of the stomach up through the esophagus and out of the mouth.Your body has a few main ways to respond to an ever-changing, wide variety of invaders and irritants.
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Vomiting can deplete you of fluids and electrolytes, so repeated vomiting requires medical treatment if it results in a lasting lightheaded feeling or weakness.
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"Gingerbread. Ginger cookies. Ginger ale. Who knew they could lessen nausea so much? My mom makes me ginger cookies every time I have chemo. My neighbor brings over gingerbread. I haven't eaten these foods since I was growing up, but they sure hit the spot now." - Anne R.
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Nausea with or without vomiting is common in children. Most of the time, the cause is not serious. The symptoms usually go away in a day or two and can be managed at home. However, there are times when you should alert your child's doctor immediately.
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Nausea is the sensation of having a queasy stomach or being about to vomit. Vomiting, or emesis, is the expelling of undigested food through the mouth.Nausea is a reaction to a number of causes that include overeating, infection, or irritation of ...
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Will excess fluid in the ear cause dizziness and nausea?
David Vernick, M.D. is assistant clinical professor of otology and laryngology at Harvard Medical School and interim chief of the Division of Otology and Laryngology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
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Jaundice is a yellow color in the skin, the mucous membranes, or the eyes. The yellow pigment is from bilirubin, a byproduct of old red blood cells.Yellow skin and eyes; Skin- yellow; Icterus; Eyes- yellow; Jaundice.If you’ve ever had a brui...
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Jaundice is a condition in which the patient has a yellow hue because of high blood levels of bilirubin, a breakdown product of hemoglobin that is potentially toxic. The yellow discoloration is most noticeable in the skin, the sclera(whites of the...
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Jaundice is a condition in which a person''s skin and the whites of the eyes are discolored yellow due to an increased level of bile pigments in the blood resulting from liver disease. Jaundice is sometimes called icterus, from a Greek word for"the...
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Jaundice usually is noticed first on the face, in the whites of a baby's eyes, and then on the rest of the body. The best way to notice the yellow color is in good light, such as daylight or fluorescent light, but it always is more difficult to see jaundice in infants with darker skin color.
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Jaundice is not a disease, but a symptom of an underlying disease or condition.Most bilirubin, which is a reddish pigment, is a byproduct of red blood cells. When a red blood cell dies after a lifespan of about 120 days, its components are either ...
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Detailed information on liver diseases, including the most common characteristics of liver disease such as jaundice, cholestasis, liver enlargement, portal hypertension, esophageal varices, ascites, liver encephalopathy, and liver failure
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Detailed information on common characteristics of liver disease When diagnosing liver disease, the physician looks at the patient's symptoms and conducts a physical examination. In addition, the physician may request a liver biopsy, liver enzyme tests, an ultrasound, or a CT scan (computed tomography scan).
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Abdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.Stomach pain; Pain- abdomen; Belly ache; Abdominal cramps.There are many organs in the abdomen.
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New and severe abdominal pain always needs to be closely evaluated by a doctor. It is frequently a sign of serious illness.
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Repeated episodes of abdominal pain can arise from a variety of medical causes, including some serious conditions. Everyone who has unexplained abdominal pain requires a medical evaluation by a doctor.
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Most of the time, children with mild abdominal pain are not seriously ill; the symptoms go away in a day or two and can be managed at home. However, if your child has severe abdominal pain or has a bellyache along with frequent vomiting, you should contact your child's pediatrician.
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Abdominal pain is very common in children, and in many cases there's no serious cause. But stomach pain can sometimes point to a serious problem, such as appendicitis, so it is important to know when to seek help.
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Age and weight lossQuestion:Why does it get harder to lose weight with age?Answer:One must burn more calories than one takes in to lose weight at any age. This can be done either with caloric restriction or with exercise.
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Weight loss is a reduction in body mass characterized by a loss of adipose tissue(body fat) and skeletal muscle.Unintentional weight loss is the most common symptom of cancer and often a side effect of cancer treatments. A poor response to cancer ...
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Weigh Less, Live Longer helps you determine the cause of your excess weight and tailor a plan to your particular needs. Even a modest reduction of 7%-10% of your starting weight can lead to significant improvements in health.
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The not-so-secret secret to weight loss is to burn more calories than you eat. This can be done safely and effectively by eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
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Out of the millions Americans who are overweight and go on a diet each year, many regain all or a part of the weight they lose within five years.
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The latest studies conclude that a successful weight-loss plan is a mind/body undertaking that not only involves monitoring calorie intake and expenditure, but dealing with the psychological side of weight loss and habit change.
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Moderately intense activities, such as walking briskly from your parked car to the mall entrance and taking your dog for a quick jog after dinner, won't help you train for a sport. But they can help you achieve and maintain a healthful weight and improve your overall fitness level.
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The balance of diet studies shows it's not carbohydrates specifically that count, but the total calories and fat consumed.
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Most people want to lose weight in a hurry, so they go on a fad diet, lose some weight, go off the diet and go back to eating as they always have.
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Walking is a great form of exercise that can be done just about anywhere. If you're trying to lose weight, though, you'll need to do more than a leisurely stroll.
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Some diet advice is just plain wrong—and some can be dangerous to your health.You don't have to look far to find diet advice. It's as close as your Web browser, your local bookstore, or that pop culture magazine you leafed through. But how accurate is the information? Some diet advice is just plain wrong—and some can be dangerous to your health.
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If you're starving most of the time or can't imagine staying on a particular diet past a perceived deadline, you're on the wrong track.
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Experts say the long-term success at weight loss requires a balance between diet and physical activity.
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Here are strategies that can help you troubleshoot and personalize your weight-loss plan to manage common workplace weight-loss roadblocks.
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Experts say the long-term success at weight loss requires a balance between diet and physical activity.
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New types of weight-loss medications may help those who struggle with obesity, but there are some potentially serious side effects. Also, use of such a drug requires a significant adjustment in one's diet and level of physical activity.
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The majority of dieters regain the weight they lose within five years. But they could avoid doing so by gradually changing their eating and exercise habits. Your approach to weight loss should be to make changes you can keep up for the rest of your life.
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Doctors become most concerned about unintentional weight loss if it reaches more than five percent of the usual body weight (about ten pounds), especially if your weight has not stabilized and continues to go down.
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Out of the 90 million Americans who are overweight, 50 million go on a diet each year, according to the National Women's Health Resource Center.
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Chills refers to feeling cold after an exposure to a cold environment. The word can also refer to an episode of shivering, accompanied by paleness and feeling cold."
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Chills is the common name for a feeling of coldness accompanied by shivering and possibly fever.
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Chest pain is discomfort or pain that you feel anywhere along the front of your body between your neck and upper abdomen.Many people with chest pain fear a heart attack. However, there are many possible causes of chest pain.
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New onset chest pain always requires evaluation by your doctor. If the pain is severe, you should seek immediate medical care.
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Doctor-patient communication can improve the treatment outlook for those with chronic chest pain.
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If hospitals become accredited as "chest pain centers," it could make deciding where to go for treatment easier, and also increase recovery rates.
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A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question about when chest pain may be heartburn, and when it may be a sign of something more serious.
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The benefits of chest pain regarding acute coronary events.When it comes to exercise, that old chestnut "No pain, no gain” is passé. But it may still apply to heart attacks. People who have chest pain (angina) with activity in the months or weeks before a heart attack tend to have smaller heart attacks, better survival, fewer heart rhythm problems, and better recovery of heart function than those without chest pain. In May, a team that included cardiologists from Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that angina protects against the muscular remodeling of the left ventricle that can follow a heart attack and lead to heart failure. It didn't seem to help people with diabetes, though.
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Women who suffer from chest pain but show clear arteries on an angiogram may have a different type of blocked artery, where plaque builds up evenly on the inner surface or bulges outward.
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A new drug has been approved to treat angina, though it is intended for those who have not had success with other angina medications, and is meant to be used in combination with another such drug.
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What would cause me to have chest pains when I eat a full meal?
Howard LeWine, M.D., is chief editor of Internet Publishing at Harvard Health Publications. He is recognized as an outstanding clinician and teacher and is a recipient of the Internal Medicine Teacher of the Year award at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. LeWine continues to practice Internal Medicine; most recently he became a hospitalist after practicing primary care for over 20 years.
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Every now and then I get a sudden, sharp pain on the left side of my chest, like a knife. I get a little dizzy, and then it disappears as quickly as it came on. Even though the test results were fine, it still scares me. Should I be concerned about this?
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A sore throat is discomfort, pain, or scratchiness in the throat. A sore throat often makes it painful to swallow.Sore throats are common.
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Sore throat, also called pharyngitis, is a painful inflammation of the mucous membranes lining the pharynx. It is a symptom of many conditions, but most often is associated with colds or influenza.
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Sore throat is an upper respiratory infection that may be caused by inflammation of the pharynx, larynx, or tonsils. Thus, it is a symptom of many conditions, but most often is associated with common cold or influenza.
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Although many people assume that a sore throat means strep throat, most sore throats are not strep.
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Sore throats abound in cold, flu, and allergy season. Do you know when you should put up with a sore throat, take a pain reliever, or see a doctor?
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Sore throat is a painful inflammation of the mucous membranes lining the pharynx.Sore throat is also called pharyngitis. It is a symptom of many conditions, but is most often associated with colds or influenza.
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Sore throat, also called pharyngitis, is a painful inflammation of the back of the throat. It is a symptom of many conditions, but most often is associated with colds or influenza.
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What can be used for a 7-month-old who has a sore throat or strep throat?
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Infections are not the only cause of sore throats. Allergies causing nasal congestion with mouth breathing and acid reflux are two non-infectious causes of sore throat.
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Most sore throats will get better without antibiotics or other prescription medications. However, occasionally a sore throat can associated with a more serious health problem.
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Muscle aches and pains are common and can involve more than one muscle. Muscle pain also can involve ligaments, tendons, and fascia, the soft tissues that connect muscles, bones, and organs.
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Coughing is an important way to keep your throat and airways clear. However, excessive coughing may mean you have an underlying disease or disorder.Some coughs are dry, while others are considered productive.
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A cough is a forceful release of air from the lungs that can be heard. Coughing protects the respiratory system by clearing it of irritants and secretions.While people can generally cough on purpose, a cough is usually a reflex triggered when an i...
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Coughs, those mini-explosions in your throat, are valuable weapons in your body's self-defense arsenal. Their assignment: keep airways clear by quickly expelling intruders from the lower respiratory system -- principally your throat and upper lungs. If dust, fluid, viruses, bacteria or even tumors block any part of this region, your cough reflex takes explosive action.
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Cough suppressants are medicines that prevent or stop a person from coughing.Cough suppressants act on the center in the brain that controls the cough reflex. They are meant to be used only to relieve dry, hacking coughs associated with colds and ...
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