Health Headliners of the Week

As we do every week, we've culled the most important articles we brought you based on breaking stories from around the world that can help you and your family stay well. Whether you missed these items the first time they appeared or you caught them and could use a refresher, our goal is to help you stay up-to-date on medical research that can impact your life. Read on for our to stories from November 16th to November 20th 2012.

We hope you'll like what you find and come at the end of every week for a new installment!

Why You Need a Personal Healthcare Checklist

By Barbara Bronson Gray, RN, MN and Alexandra Yperifanos

Think of a time when you’ve felt very sick, maybe a case of pneumonia, a bad bout of the flu, or a more serious illness.

You probably didn’t feel much like “engaging” with people.That’s the term health advocates use to describe what patients need to do to be effective in managing their health care.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Could You Have TB?

By Robin Westen

For the most part routine testing and effective treatments have put a damper on tuberculosis (TB), a communicable disease spread through the air by speaking, coughing, or sneezing. But there are still cases reported every year in the United States, mostly among women and immigrants. The good news is that it’s treatable, but it may take up to a year to get it out of your body. The sooner it’s diagnosed the better. Here are the signs:

To see the slideshow, click here.

Watch: Why Men and Women Experience Pain Differently Here's another addition to our ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning!

To see the video, click here.

What's Wrong With Sleeping Pills?

By Robin Westen

Americans fill around 60 million prescriptions for sleeping pills every year. Although the meds can help us catch more zzz’s, studies show they also have a serious down side. Patients taking prescription sleep aids on a regular basis are nearly five times as likely as non-users to die over a period of two and a half years. These are the dangerous connections:

To read the rest of the article, click here.

4 Must-Know Facts About Medicare & Hurricane Sandy

By Sally Abrahms

Editor's note: November is National Family Caregiving Month. This blog post it part of our ongoing coverage of that observance. Also, we'd like to remind you that although we don't repost all of Sally Abrahms' AARP posts, we do think every one of them is valuable! We hope you'll visit http://blog.aarp.org/author/aarpsally/ to read her current work and her archives.

Medicare beneficiaries: If you’ve been impacted by Hurricane Sandy and can’t meet the Dec. 7 annual open enrollment period deadline, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering other options.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

How to Avoid Thanksgiving Stress

By Robin Westen

Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for all the wonderful things in our lives, as well as a time to enjoy a delicious meal with our family. But if you’re hosting the event, it can also be a time of incredible stress. Here are some tips on how to take the anxiety out of your family get-together:

To read the rest of the article, click here.

How to Find the Right Support Group

By Sherry Amatenstein, LCSW

Sometimes the best medicine isn’t something that can be found on a prescription pad or on a shrink’s couch. Not that you should forego traditional treatment for what ails you, but often a vital source of comfort can be found via the support of others who feel your exact pain.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Are You Having a Sleep Crisis? Getting regular, restful sleep is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. Inadequate sleep has been connected with everything from depression to decreased alertness, and recent research at the University of Chicago indicates that it may adversely affect your metabolism. And that, the experts say, can lead to weight gain and even diabetes.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Watch: Flavoring with Ginger for Your Health Here's another addition to our ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning!

To see the video, click here.

Holiday Health: The Best Gift

By Sheila Clancy

Our lives are always rushed, but during the holiday season they’re even more rushed that usual. We’re going on more errands, decorating the house, attending (or giving) parties and preparing for travel. Sometimes it’s wonderful, and sometimes it’s exhausting.

With so many time-consuming tasks, many people cut out their exercise routine or eliminate a few precious hours of sleep. But doing that isn’t going to help. You’ll end up feeling tired and gaining weight. Studies show that the average person gains between five and seven pounds during the holiday season and then struggles at the beginning of the New Year to lose that weight and “get back to normal”. And what if you don’t lose those five pounds. After 10 years of this cycle, you’ll be 50 pounds heavier!

To read the rest of the article, click here.