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 July 20th to July 26th, 2012.

My Adult Son Has Asperger's Syndrome

By Teri Borseti

Ron and I didn't find out that our only child, Adam, had Asperger's until he was 13 years old. We were amazed that all of his odd quirks could be connected to one diagnosis. Knowing what was going on with Adam was a relief but it was also a difficult reality to accept. According to the Mayo Clinic, Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects a person's ability to socialize and communicate effectively with others. Doctors group Asperger's syndrome with other conditions that are called autistic spectrum disorders or pervasive developmental disorders. Children with Asperger's syndrome typically exhibit social awkwardness and an all-absorbing interest in specific topics.

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7 Ways to Avoid Motion Sickness

By Robin Westen

Do you suffer with motion sickness when you’re in the car, on a plane or even on a boat? Well, you’re not alone. About 33% of people are susceptible to motion sickness. As if we have to remind you, the symptoms are nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sweating, and a general sense of feeling off your game. But there are ways to lessen or even eliminate motion sickness. Try these tips:

To see the slideshow, click here.

Top Five Germ Hot Spots

By Robin Westen

Despite their bad rep, germs aren’t necessarily bad for us. Our bodies build up a strong immune system by being exposed to them. That said, there are certain “hot spots” in our homes that could use some special attention. Here are the “worst” offenders and natural ways to deal with them:

To see the slideshow, click here.

The Best Ways to Avoid Workout Injuries

By Kristin Anderson

You’ve finally overcome the hurdle of your schedule, are committed to your fitness, and are getting in three or four workouts per week. You’re proud of yourself, you’re seeing results and feeling good. Now, there’s something else to consider: When you lead a physical life, you’re going to have occasional physical issues. So here are some tips on preventing, recognizing and recovering from injuries next step is learning and practicing how to prevent, recognize and recover from injury in order to keep up your new fitness routines.

To see the slideshow, click here.

The Low-Down on Sodium for Boomers & Beyond

By Sondra Forsyth

If you've long since banished the salt shaker from your table and made a point of not cooking with salt, you may not be doing your health a favor as you age. Too much salt isn't good for you, but too little can be harmful as well, especially in your later years. Most menopausal women have high blood pressure, even those who always had low blood pressure, and they are typically encouraged to restrict sodium intake. However, as those 50-something women become 60-somethings, continuing with a low-salt diet could spell trouble. The body's need for salt changes with age. Although the U.S. Dietary Guidelines say that seniors should consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day, several studies, including one done at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and published in the American Journal of Hypertension, challenge that assertion.

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High-Tech Products for Caregiving

By Jane Farrell

If you’re taking care of an aging relative who’s living alone, you know how much you worry. And if you aren’t in the same town – or even the same state – you know how difficult and frightening that can be. But caretakers do have options to make the process safer. ThirdAge spoke to Susan Garland, editor of "Kiplinger’s Retirement Report," and got her picks, first published in the Report, for the best products.

To see the slideshow, click here.

Watch: How to Evaluate Sun Protection Products Here's another addition to our ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning!

To see the video, click here.

Six Surprising Ways to Prevent Arthritis

By Robin Westen

One in two Americans will get some form of osteoarthritis (OA), a painful joint disease that can place severe limits on daily activity and negatively affect quality of life. The risk of getting this debilitating condition increases as we age. Any good news? Yes! You may be able to delay the onset of OA, limit its severity, or in some instances, even prevent the disease, by following certain healthy habits. Try the following . . .

To see the slideshow, click here.

Take Charge of Your Mammogram

By Barbara Bronson Gray RN

How would you like it if your accountant or financial adviser sent you a postcard every year only saying "everything is fine"--but please, don't ask to read the details? For many women, getting a phone call from their doctor's office or a postcard in the mail that tells them their recent mammogram was normal seems like enough, and a cause for celebration. What more could you want?

While the good news is something to celebrate, you really need something more.

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"Stop Signs" to Curb Overeating Most people unconsciously use visual cues such as a clean plate or the bottom of an empty bowl as a sign that it's time to stop eating, say scientists at Cornell University Food & Brand Lab. This means, of course, that we're not always paying attention to whether or not we're actually still hungry and the result can be mindless overeating that goes beyond the portion size we should actually be consuming.

In an attempt to outwit this problem, the Cornell team, led by Andrew Geier PhD, "segmented" food by placing red markers at the point in a stack of potato chips where the correct serving size ended and the gorging was about to begin.

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