Answer My Health Question
From Adviceopedia
If you've ever become exasperated when calling a professional for feedback and just wanted to exclaim, "Just answer my health question, please!" a few basic tips were probably all that you were looking for. Perhaps you just wanted to ask someone to, "Answer my health question" because you were looking for advice on whether or not you should schedule a doctor's visit.
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Answer My Health Question
The following are some common questions people ask about their health. If you don’t see your question here, feel free to use our Ask a Question button on the right of your screen to ask your own question.
What Can I Do About My Depression?
While mild depression can be alleviated by exercise, exposure to sunshine, and forcing yourself to hang out with your friends, sometimes that's not enough. If you think your depression is more than just a case of "the blues" (meaning it has lasted more than two weeks), don't try to wait it out and think it will get better. Make an appointment with your doctor. There are multiple ways to treat depression, from talk therapy to antidepressants.
Do you have many of the symptoms of major depression?
- Feeling sad, empty, or worthless
- Fatigue
- Sleep problems, which can be excessive sleep or an inability to sleep
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Why Do I Constantly Have Tummy Trouble?
Stress, alcoholic beverages, having too many rich and fatty foods, and being on the go constantly can wreak havoc on your digestive system. Beat heartburn with antacids and sitting or standing upright after meals rather than lying down. If you know you tend to have problems with heartburn, try taking Tagamet HB200 or another stomach acid blocker about a half hour before eating.
If bloating, gas, and constipation are your problems, you may not be getting enough fiber and water. Increase those for the long haul. You can also take over the counter laxatives from time to time, but don't make them a habit. If constipation isn't your main problem, but you do have gas, bloating, and perhaps even some nausea, inspect your diet. Are you consuming dairy products before the onset of the symptoms? If so, you could be suffering from lactose intolerance. Lactaid, sold over the counter, can be taken with your cereal, latte, or whatever dairy products you can't resist.
Do I Have an Ulcer?
Unfortunately, if you think you have a peptic ulcer, you won't be able to treat it yourself. You'll need to see a doctor for anything more than the short-term relief that you can get from over-the-counter antacids. Symptoms of peptic ulcers include: burning pain that lasts from a few minutes to hours at any point from your navel to your breastbone, more pain than usual when you have an empty stomach or at night, relief from antacids, nausea or vomiting (sometimes blood), very dark stool, weight loss, and changes in appetite.
Should I Take Vitamins and Other Supplements?
While it may not be necessary for those who eat a varied diet rich in vitamins and minerals, taking a multivitamin could serve as a buffer for those days when your diet is lacking. For the average person, even if you're taking a multivitamin and eating well, you aren't likely to do any damage; just make sure you stay at 100 percent or lower of the daily recommendations for vitamins and minerals. According to CookingLight.com, you should look for multivitamins with the USP (United States Pharmacopeia) seal because vitamins aren't preapproved for quality before they're released. Without this seal, you could buy vitamins that don't contain the exact amounts stated, vitamins that don't dissolve properly in the system, or even vitamins that house contaminants. Getting the USP seal is a voluntary process, and with hundreds of vitamins on the market, it's one way for consumers to weed out those that are less than ideal.
How Can I Get Rid of a Stye?
There are over the counter medications you can try, but sometimes the best solution is a warm-to-hot washcloth held over the area a few times a day. These bumps on your eyelids tend to go away on their own over the course of a few days. Waiting can be agony, but the heat can offer relief. Whatever you do, don't try to pop a stye on your own.
Help! I Can't Sleep.
Besides staying out of your bed all day until it's time to go to sleep at night no matter how much you want a nap or to relax with a magazine during the day, there are some foods that help you sleep. Try small snacks consisting of dairy, poultry, bananas, oatmeal, or other non-sugary carbs before you hit the hay. Skip sugar, caffeine, and high-fat meals throughout the day. Also, try not to drink anything for a couple of hours before bed so that you don't have to get up to go to the bathroom during the night. You could also try melatonin, a natural sleep aid. If you feel that you've tried everything, make an appointment with your doctor to see if you can find not just a pill to help you sleep, but a cause for your insomnia.
How Do I Stay Healthy?
Want to ward off heart disease, cancer, hypertension, and other diseases, and maintain your weight? You may have heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, or that you should drink lots of juice with vitamin C and take Echinacea if you're afraid a cold's coming on. There also other things you can do to stay healthy, such as eating foods rich in antioxidants and staying active. Make sure you get plenty of superfoods and exercise three to five times a week.
Superfoods include:
- Spinach
- Salmon
- Blueberries
- Soy
- Black and green teas
- Tomatoes
- Turkey
- Oranges
- Pumpkin
- Oats
- Dark chocolate
- Beans
By incorporating a mix of these foods with your other fresh foods, you'll be getting:
- Antioxidants, which are anti-inflammatory in nature (and some, such as those found in green tea, can inhibit the growth of cancer cells)
- Omega-3 fatty acids, which can fight heart disease, depression, memory loss, and arthritis
- Fiber, which helps maintain weight and healthy cholesterol levels
- Calcium, which will work to prevent osteoporosis
Other foods to look for are:
- Elderberries
- Acai berries
- Mushrooms
- Oysters
- Watermelon
- Cabbage
- Almonds
- Grapefruit
- Wheat germ
- Garlic
- Sweet potatoes
- Broccoli
While not widely accepted as "superfoods" this list does offer potent mixes of vitamins and minerals that strengthen immunity, get rid of free radicals, repair DNA, make new cells quickly, fight cancer, decrease your risk of catching a cold, manage stress, fight infection, reduce the effects of aging, and more.
