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We aim to help you make informed decisions about both traditional and alternative treatments.
Is Black Poop Something to Worry About?
Pepto-Bismol has been around for more than 100 years. The original formula was developed by a physician to treat severe diarrhea brought on by cholera. He sold his invention directly to other doctors.…
Can You Lower Blood Sugar with Cinnamon?
You've no doubt heard that type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic levels in this country and many others. That means that millions more people have pre-diabetes, blood sugar that is headed in the wron…
How to Use Lavender Oil to Calm Restless Legs
Restless legs don't sound particularly serious, but the overwhelming urge to move the legs every few minutes or so can prevent a good night's sleep. The sensation can be extremely unpleasant. Usually,…
Can You Wreck Your Kidneys With NSAID Pain Relie…
Most people take their kidneys for granted...until something bad happens. When your kidneys fail, though, your life hangs in the balance. Short of dialysis or a kidney transplant, kidney failure rapid…
Is the New Drug Xiidra Good for Dry Eye Relief?
Dry eyes can make life miserable. The eyes feel as though there were sand in them, and they tire easily. People may complain of blurred vision. Until recently, the first-line treatment for dry eyes w…
Can You Safely Take Fish Oil with Blood Thinners…
Many of us make a clear distinction between the drugs we take and the vitamins or supplements we use. It seems logical enough for our brains, but our bodies don't recognize categories like that. An…
If Ambien Is Out, How Can You Get to Sleep?
Insomnia is a serious problem for millions of Americans. Older adults often have difficulty getting to sleep, and many rely on sleeping pills. Unfortunately, benzodiazepines like alprazolam (Xanax) …
Show 1080: What Works for Pain Relief and Why
Pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical care. But physicians often face a dilemma when they treat joint pain, back pain or muscle spasms with prescription pills. Drugs that relieve…
Do Treatments for Knee Arthritis Do More Harm Th…
Steroid shots and arthroscopic surgery have been mainstays in the treatment of pain and inflammation brought on by knee arthritis. Many people try to delay knee replacement as long as possible, especi…
Why You Should Exercise and Eat Right, Now
We've all been told that we should exercise and eat right. Research to be reported at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting shows that a healthy lifestyle matters. That's true even after a…
How Will Beetroot Juice Help Your Heart?
Beet juice has developed quite a reputation over the past few decades. Researchers have discovered that it lowers blood pressure and improves athletic endurance. Canadian scientists demonstrated that…
Could Tai Chi Help You Overcome Insomnia?
Up to 30 percent of women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer have trouble sleeping. They may be understandably worried about their condition and unable to sleep for that reason. Lying awake ca…
Will Overdosing on Vitamin B6 Cause Irreversible…
Most people think of vitamins as benign nutrients. If a little is good then a "lottle" is better. In other words, the more the merrier. Most of the time people do not get into trouble if they take a l…
How Could a Poison Ivy Remedy Help Your Itchy Bi…
When warm weather arrives, we start spending more time outside in fields or woods. As a result, we may come home with itchy bites. Chigger bites are especially irritating. A brief blast of hot water c…
Can You Cure Killer Headaches With Ice Packs?
There was a time decades ago when people treated really bad headaches with ice packs. Those were the days before Advil & Motrin IB (ibuprofen) and Aleve (naproxen). It was before triptan-type migr…
Will a Gluten-Free Diet Help Your Heartburn Symp…
Judging from the popularity of medicines like esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid) and omeprazole (Prilosec), heartburn symptoms are extremely common. Is there a better way to prevent the re…
Can You Avoid NSAID Danger with Topical Pain Rel…
Chronic pain, whether it is severe or moderate, poses a serious dilemma. People need relief from pain, but most medications that they can use for relief have significant downsides. People often take N…
Will Chlorophyll Capsules Make Underarms Smell S…
In the ongoing search for ways to control body odor, people have invented some creative solutions. One of the most unusual is swallowing supplemental chlorophyll every day. Is this a good idea? Chlor…
Why Don’t Vitamin D Supplements Work as Ex…
If you are taking big doses of vitamin D in the hopes of staving off all sorts of health problems, you may be disappointed. Most research has not demonstrated that taking high doses of vitamin D suppl…
Really Bad News About Ibuprofen, Naproxen and Ot…
People who are hurting are caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Whether they're suffering from a bad back or arthritis, there aren't many medications that are effective. Now more bad …
Show 1079: What Is the Science Behind Fabulous F…
Which fabulous foods can make a difference for our health? There might be too many to count. For this show, we are focusing on the science supporting the health benefits of just three power-packed f…
What Is the Link Between Geography and Life Expe…
Where you live can make a huge difference in your life expectancy. Americans are living longer overall, but a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that in some parts of the country life exp…
Do Quick Approvals Mean More Safety Concerns?
Politicians and pharmaceutical manufacturers often complain that the FDA is too slow in allowing new drugs on the market. As a result of such pressure, the FDA has been striving for more rapid drug ap…
Hide the Cotton Swabs! They Can Hurt Children…
Parents need to beware cotton swabs. Although many use them to clean their children's ears as well as their own, a new study shows that they can cause significant injuries. Cotton Swabs Lead to ER Tri…
Are Full-Fat Milk and Cheese Really Risky?
Health professionals and nutritionists have been telling people for decades that full-fat milk and cheese (as well as other dairy products such as yogurt) are bad for the heart. They were sure that th…
How Breastfeeding Helps Babies Establish Good Di…
Why should new mothers consider breastfeeding? Pediatricians have been recommending that babies be breastfed exclusively for the first six months if possible. One benefit of breastfeeding is that it …
High Drug Prices Shielded by Soaring Lobbying Bu…
Wonder what's behind high drug prices? Have you ever heard the crude expression: "Money talks and bulls**t walks." We apologize for the obscenity. But nowhere is that crude phrase clearer than on Capi…
Medicine for Sore Feet Linked to Unexpected Head…
Arthritis hurts. Different people find the pain hits their joints in a very particular individual pattern, but when a joint hurts, you want relief. What will ease your joint pain? One reader found tha…
Is Clever Home Remedy for Insomnia Hurting Your …
We love simple approaches to common problems, so when we heard about a clever home remedy for insomnia we were intrigued. The approach takes advantage of an acupressure point that is supposed to help …
Do You Know How to Remove Splinters with White G…
How do you remove splinters? Sometimes, people go in for home surgery with sharp tweezers or even scalpels. That is risky. We like this home remedy much better. How to Remove Splinters with White Glue…