Month: April 2010

Some studies have found that peppermint oil may help relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, and could help with other conditions as well.

My father caught a bad case of pneumonia. He’s recovered, but it seems to have left him confused, and he uses a walker now. Before the pneumonia he was taking Coumadin for atrial fibrillation. Now that he’s feeling better, should he start taking it again?

Household pets can carry bacteria on their fur or in their waste that can transfer to humans, but the overall risk of infection is small, and can be further mitigated by getting in the habit of washing your hands after touching your pet or its waste.

Many people have difficulty understanding the instructions for taking their medications. Some retailers have redesigned their pill bottles to make the directions clearer.

I’m 65, and I don’t think my memory is as good as it once was. I read about a study that says you can improve your memory by eating less. Is there any truth to it? It sounds too good to be true.

It was previously believed that heavier people were less likely to develop dementia than thinner people, but recent evidence has shown that people with more abdominal fat in middle age are more likely to develop dementia later in life.

Research into how video games affect children is complicated by other factors that influence a child’s behavior, such as personality and home life. Parents should consider limiting the type of games played or the amount of time spent playing.

An open-fit hearing aid, which leaves the ear canal open instead of covering the opening, helps eliminate distortion caused by sound waves, and may be more comfortable for wearers.

Researchers from Harvard found that people with certain types of colon cancer who took aspirin were less likely to die of the disease.