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 August 17th to August 23rd, 2012.

We hope you'll like what you find and come back every Friday for a new installment!

Give Yourself a Skin-Cancer Checkup

By Robin Westen

If skin cancer is recognized and treated early, it is almost always curable. But according to a national poll, only 22 percent of women say they check themselves the recommended once a month, while almost half say they never examine themselves at all for signs of basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Doing a self check-up before going to the doctor for your annual skin can save your life -- and it's easy to do. Here's a step-by-step guide recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation.

To see the slideshow, click here.

Time-Honored Home Remedies

By Judy Kirkwood

Back when life wasn't so complicated and people lived closer to the land, home remedies were the preferred treatment for simple aches, pains, and cosmetic improvements. If the antidote to ills couldn’t be found in the house or yard, it could be purchased at a family-owned pharmacy or grocery store. In case you’ve forgotten what your grandparents knew, here are some suggestions to try for handy solutions to simple problems. Bonus: home remedies are an inexpensive option.

To see the slideshow, click here.

Beating the Perimenopausal Blues

By Staness Jonekos

Are you suffering from hot flashes, night sweats, or cranky moods? Feeling hopeless, apprehensive, or deep sadness for prolonged periods? If so, you may be suffering from perimenopausal depression.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

The Causes of Pins and Needles

By Robin Westen

There’s an excellent chance you’ve experienced the feeling of “pins and needles” an uncomfortable tingling in your hands or feet. Although usually nothing to worry about, the sensation could indicate a serious condition. That why it’s a good idea tosee your doctor for a thorough medical investigation if you experience persistent or frequent episodes of numbness or pins and needles. Here'w what you need to know about the types of pins and needles and their causes:

To see the slideshow, click here.

55+ Communities: Good for Your Well-Being?

By Teri Borseti

The kids (and their stuff) are finally gone, and there’s more room in the big family house than you need. If you're thinking about downsizing, one of the options you may be considering is a 55+ or "active adult" community. These senior living neighborhoods have proliferated over the last 20 years or so and are now in almost every state. There’s a high concentration of them along the Atlantic Coast. Massachusetts has 144, Pennsylvania has 340, and New Jersey has 389. On the West Coast, California has 646 and Arizona has 231. The brochures and web sites tend to make the lifestyle seem like a retirement dream come true, but before you make a decision, you need to weigh the aspects of living in one of these communities that can affect your physical and emotional health.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Hope for Aging & Damaged Vocal Chords Legendary songstress Julie Andrews, aging Boomers, and patients with throat cancer may soon share a reason to rejoice.Dame Julie famously lost her glorious five-octave warble 15 years ago during surgery that went awry but she, like people grown hoarse with age and cancer patients silenced by their disease, could benefit from a gel being developed to rejuvenate aging and diseased human vocal cords.The research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia.According to a release from the society, researcher Robert Langer, Sc.D. of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said, “The synthetic vocal cord gel has similar properties as the material found in human vocal cords and flutters in response to air pressure changes, just like the real thing.”

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Emotional Recovery After Public Trauma

By Judy Kirkwood

Horrific events like the shootings in a Colorado movie theater and a Sikh temple in Wisconsin affect not only those directly or peripherally involved, but also many people who only hear about them on the news.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Watch: Guided Meditation Here's another addition to our ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning!

To see the video, click here.

How to Prepare for Surgery

By Robin Westen

Surgery ranks as one of the most stressful events in our lives. But there are steps you can take to help make it go as smoothly as possible. This applies to both the operation and your recovery. Here are six crucial tips:

To see the slideshow, click here.

Spirituality Enhances Mental Health No matter what your faith is, you're more likely to be mentally healthy if you're in any way spiritual. According to a press release from the University of Missouri, despite differences in rituals and beliefs among the world’s major religions, spirituality correlates with good mental health. The MU researchers believe that health care providers could take advantage of this link between mental health and spirituality by tailoring treatments and rehabilitation programs to accommodate an individual’s spiritual inclinations.

To read the rest of the article, click here.