Health & Wellness

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(BPT) - Americans are facing a growing epidemic: an equal opportunity disease, affecting individuals of all ages, genders, races and socioeconomic status. Opioid prescription painkiller addiction, a form of opioid dependence, is a chronic disease that affects the brain. Although many believe it is a result of a moral failing or lack of control, research shows opioid prescription painkiller addiction is a long-term medical condition that alters the brain’s chemistry, making it difficult for someone to stop. This means the brain has been affected by the disease.

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(StatePoint) Many moms-to-be receive advice from well-meaning friends and relatives. Yet there seem to be myths about taking care of teeth and gums -- if dental health is even mentioned at all.

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(NAPSI)—It’s a fact-one in eight women will get breast cancer.¹ And until there is a breakthrough cure for all stages of breast cancer, the best way to survive it is to detect it early. Survival rates for early detection are 95 percent, but only 41 percent when diagnosed later.² With those odds, wouldn’t you like to know your breast cancer risk and be able to do something about it? If yes, chances are you’d probably want the same for your mom, sister, aunt and friends. Fortunately, there is good news for you and your loved ones and all it takes is a visit to your healthcare professional. With all of the right tools and a comprehensive breast health plan outlined by a healthcare professional, you and your loved ones can find out the risk for developing breast cancer and do something about it.

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(BPT) - Sarah Michelle Gellar, Emmy^® Award-winning actress and star of the upcoming CBS comedy "The Crazy Ones," is joining March of Dimes and Sanofi Pasteur on the Sounds of Pertussis^®Campaign. As a mother of two young children, the youngest having arrived in September 2012, Gellar wants to help raise awareness about the potential dangers of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, and the importance of adult tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination.

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(BPT) - Incorporating veggies into your family’s diet this summer can be easier than you ever thought. How? Creative parents know that adding flavor and making veggies a crunchy, fun treat can result in pleas for “more veggies please!”

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(NAPSI)—If Ali Christensen Wilde had been born in the 1950s, it would have been unimaginable that she could dream of going to college and marry her high school sweetheart. But the 23-year old with cystic fibrosis has just done that—and so much more. The newlywed is now living in Provo, UT with her husband Chase, and is pursuing her undergraduate degree while singing and speaking out about living with cystic fibrosis as an adult.

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(NAPSI)—This summer, treat your skin to the ultimate hydration with Bio-Oil—the No. 1 best-selling, multiuse skin care oil in the U.S.

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(NewsUSA) - Medicare members have a second opportunity to join a 5-star Medicare health plan, and they can enroll in even more Kaiser Permanente 5-star plans than the previous year. The 5-Star Special Enrollment Period, underway through November, provides Medicare beneficiaries with the option of enrolling in a 5-star plan rather than waiting until the usual fall open enrollment. Seniors and individuals with disabilities must meet certain eligibility criteria and live where a 5-star plan is offered.

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(NAPSI)—While the bonds that unite families are usually associated with positive events, such as weddings or holidays, those bonds can be more challenging when entire families are impacted by a hereditary disease. Christie Hardin knows this firsthand. For years, she and more than 30 members of her extended family have lived with hereditary angioedema, or HAE, a rare genetic disorder that can cause severe swelling in various body parts including the hands, feet, face, gastrointestinal tract and airway. But now, on-demand treatments are helping generations of families affected by HAE take more control of their lives.

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(NAPSI)—Shopping for a new baby should be fun and exciting. However, sometimes it can turn into a daunting experience. A targeted baby registry can alleviate the guesswork for friends and family, help you get just what you need and avoid unwanted or duplicate items. To get the most mileage out of your registry, “Do just as much homework as if you were paying the tab yourself,” says Sandra Gordon, one of the nation’s leading baby product experts and author of the new book “Save a Bundle: 50+ Ways to Save Big on Baby Gear.”

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(NAPSI)—Recent health care changes may offer more Americans access to major medical coverage, but consumers should be aware of the effect that out-of-pocket health care costs will continue to have on their bank accounts. Consumers may find themselves financially unprepared for an unexpected illness or injury if they do not understand all aspects of the cost of medical care.

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Millions of consumers will be faced with a choice to enroll in one of four different Obamacare “metal plans,” on Oct. 1. The metal plans are new categories of health insurance - nicknamed “metal” because each plan is named after a metal - created by the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare.

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(StatePoint) In a world full of noise -- from everything from city traffic and lawnmowers to hairdryers and earbuds on personal music devices -- hearing problems are a growing issue. Chief among these problems is tinnitus, a medical condition affecting 50 million Americans.

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(NewsUSA) - Many of the key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- better known as ObamaCare -- are already coming into effect this year.

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(NAPSI)If youre among the nearly 75 percent of menopausal women who suffer from hot flashes,¹ it can be tough to enjoy the sunny weather worrying about a sudden hot flash in summertime. And since hot weather tends to be a common hot flash trigger,² these sudden feelings of warmth can be exacerbated. But, with just a little planning and preparation you can get on the right track to an enjoyable summer.

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(StatePoint) There may be some credence to the old saying that “beauty comes from within.” Scientific research shows that the appearance of your largest, most visible organ -- your skin -- can be directly affected by the vitamins, nutrients and minerals you feed your body.

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(NewsUSA) - With women generally outliving men, planning for long-term care becomes more urgent for them in their pre-retirement years. After all, while longevity definitely has its upside -- including more time to enjoy travel and family -- there's no denying its biggest potential downside: the increased risk of health problems that can make caring for oneself difficult.

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(NAPSI)—Any time of year can be the right time to take a look at how you can maintain the health of your eyes. The good news is that there are simple steps you can follow to keep your eyes healthy and make sure you are seeing your best.

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(NAPSI)—Seven months after joining the Army, Sgt. Ryan McIntosh stepped on an improvised explosive device during a routine orchard-clearing mission in Afghanistan. He came home with a deeper commitment to the uniform, despite losing his right leg below the knee.

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(NAPSI)—Many couples’ romantic problems may be easier to solve than they think. That’s because the trouble, if it’s an intimacy issue, may be due to nothing more than their mattress.

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(NewsUSA) - Mental illness affects one in four Americans, yet it's often absent from public conversations about health care. Now is the time to raise awareness and build support for the 57 million Americans struggling with mental health issues.

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(NAPSI)—You can show a woman you care by giving a gift that heals. Here’s how:

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(NewsUSA) - Despite the prevalence of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and concussions among athletes and service members, the road to diagnosis and prevention is an unpaved one riddled with obstacles.

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(BPT) - What if you could program the future of your child’s health as simply as you program your alarm clock? Push a button, choose a selected wake-up time, click and you’re done. It’s not quite that simple, but studies show that what a woman eats just before and during pregnancy will impact the health of her child for the rest of his or her life. It’s an area of research called fetal programming.