A recent study showed good results for hypnosis for women with hot flashes.  Severity and frequency were reduced, sleep was improved, and women felt less anxiety and depression.  The hypnosis suggestion helped women alter their perception of their body temperature after five weekly sessions.   Go to www.societiesofhypnosis.com for a referral from The Society for Clinical & Experimental Hypnosis.

So many over 35 are in it!  Why do you think there’s so many ads for reflux drugs on TV?  And yes, your reflux tends to get worse as you get older.  Most of us can manage with an occasional Pepcid Complete; sleeping with the head and upper body raised; and taking a strong refrigerated probiotic regularly.  Others have to watch the alcohol and food triggers and get out the big guns, drugs like (more…)

Doctors use tests to cover their butts; 73% admit they’ve ordered testing to defend against future lawsuits.  Here’s 3 questions to ask to avoid unnecessary tests:  Why do this test?  Lead to diagnosis or rule something out?; What will we do if the tests shows A result versus B result? No difference in treatment, no need to test;   What are the risks of the test versus the benefit?  Ask to be notified of the results of the test no matter what the result, ask how and when you’ll be notified, and ask to receive a copy of the results in the mail.

Please read this whole article!  An acquaintance was diagnosed with Stage IV oral cancer because her dentist, an older gent, was not up-to-date with the latest information on checking for the disease.  Colored mouth patches, lumps, sores, loose teeth and unexplained bleeding are all symptoms, but he wasn’t checking!  The lesson here is that you’re in charge of keeping abreast of changes in health care to protect yourself.  For example, cardiac CT scans provide excessive amounts of radiation, though there are techniques that can cut exposure down by as much as 90%.  Small cavities and flat growths in the mouth can be painlessly removed with laser dentistry.  Minimally invasive breast needle biopsies are now the “best practice” for diagnosis, but 40 percent of biopsies are still done by digging out the whole tumor and biopsying it, leaving scars and longer recovery time! Insist on a reason for (more…)