One of the most common migraine headache symptoms is a sharp throbbing pain which is generally situated on only one side of the head close to the temple. Unlike normal headaches, migraines are also often accompanied by additional symptoms that can include sensitivity to noise and light, nausea and occasionally vomiting. (more…)

Insulin is not enough to save lives

Catherine Kohm’s daughter Rachel was only 27 when she succumbed to complications of Type 1 diabetes. “One night she went to sleep, her blood sugar fell too low and she just never woke up. It is very difficult for me to talk about, even four years later” says Catherine. (more…)

Confirming a pregnancy as soon as possible isn’t just about satisfying that overwhelming urge to know, powerful as that may be. It’s also important for a woman to find out if she’s pregnant or not so that she can continue to take the best possible care of herself and her baby-to-be.

Most moms-to-be know that maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle during pregnancy improves their odds of giving birth to a healthy baby. What many may not realize is that a woman’s nutrition and lifestyle choices before she conceives affect her baby too. The College of Family Physicians of Canada says it’s best to start acting pregnant before you actually are. The days and weeks before you know you are pregnant are critical weeks for the developing baby. The baby is most sensitive to developing neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, two to eight weeks after conception when the brain and spinal cord are developing. This is also the time when facial features and organs, such as the heart and kidneys, are being formed. (more…)

Psoriasis is a chronic, recurrent skin disorder that affects almost one million Canadians. Physical symptoms of psoriasis can include discomfort and pain, but aside from the physical effects of the disease, psoriasis can also have several serious physiological effects.

People suffering from psoriasis must often manage poor self-esteem, sexual dysfunction, anxiety, depression and thoughts of suicide. (more…)

There’s an easy way to ward off the aches and pains of cold and flu season this year – clean your hands often with an alcohol gel sanitizer.

“Frequent fifteen-second rubs with alcohol gel is really what we want to encourage,” says Dr. Geoff Fernie, vice president of research at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Canada’s largest provider of adult rehabilitation services. “While good old fashioned soap and water is still an effective way to get soiled hands clean, there are greater germ killing benefits to using an alcohol rub.” (more…)

The growth of diabetes in Canada is at epidemic levels. Did you know that more than two million Canadians have diabetes and one-third of them are undiagnosed? November is National Diabetes Month, a time to be reminded that there is no cure yet for this widespread disease. While diabetes can be managed, you may be surprised to find out that in many cases, diabetes can be prevented. (more…)

In the midst of all the alternative medicine treatments that you’ve heard about recently, you may have noticed aromatherapy mentioned a few times. Many dismiss the idea of using scents to bring medical results as quackery, and that’s understandable in many ways. There’s a lot of information about aromatherapy that comes from people who speak about it based on their spiritual beliefs and a lack of information that comes from detailed medical studies. As a medical treatment in Western nations, it’s still relatively new, so there’s still much to learn about it. Let’s take a look at some of the ways that aromatherapy does help people so you know how to better incorporate it into your life. (more…)

I am astonished that about all back pain relief products like infrasound and chiropractic maneuvers are receiving favorable responses. This could be the fact that they are marketed to give you quick pain relief. If getting rid lower back pain is not critical right now then how do you expect to spend a regular life? (more…)

November is Osteoporosis Month and studies show that regular load-bearing activities or weight-bearing exercise can significantly lower the risk of this crippling disease. Most physical exercise is beneficial for the body – including housework and gardening, but here’s the reason why targeted, weight-bearing (more…)

Commonly referred to as the ’silent thief”, osteoporosis is a chronic disease that depletes bones of calcium become brittle and are therefore more prone to fractures. Because we tend to think of osteoporosis as a disease that mostly affects seniors, most of us don’t look at groups of 10-year-olds and envision them (more…)