<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Health Blog</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/</link><description>If you are curious about vitamins, supplement or prescription drugs or just want to lean more about certain diseases or conditions, you'll find what you are looking for here.</description><language>en-us</language><pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:42:13 +0000</pubDate><lastBuildDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:42:13 +0000</lastBuildDate><ttl>60</ttl><item><title>Pain and Appetite</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/pain-and-appetite</link><pubDate>Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:44:59 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/pain-and-appetite</guid><description><![CDATA[Pain can be hard on your body.  Sure, it's a good indicator that something is wrong... but pain can really mess with your body's normal function.  Maybe you have trouble sleeping, or maybe you lose your appetite.]]></description></item><item><title>Pain and Sleep</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/pain-and-sleep</link><pubDate>Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:52:48 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/pain-and-sleep</guid><description><![CDATA[In a way, pain is a good thing:  it is the body's way of saying that something is wrong, and giving you a general idea of where the problem is.  But pain can mess with your appetite, concentration, sleeping habits, and more.

Sometimes, pain makes you want (or need) more sleep.]]></description></item><item><title>Everybody's Sick!  What Do You Do?</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/everybodys-sick-what-do-you-do</link><pubDate>Mon, 01 Feb 2010 03:45:16 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/everybodys-sick-what-do-you-do</guid><description><![CDATA[Two of my favorite people in the world welcomed twins into their family back in July.  They are amazing parents -- at least in my humble opinion.  It certainly doesn't seem easy to have twins, but they make it look good.

This month, they both got sick.]]></description></item><item><title>Safety is a Good Choice for Your Health</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/safety-is-a-good-choice-for-your-health</link><pubDate>Sun, 31 Jan 2010 01:47:35 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/safety-is-a-good-choice-for-your-health</guid><description><![CDATA[For a large portion of the year, it's dark when I drive to work at the cats-only boarding facility.  I usually take a back road, rather than the highway -- less traffic, nice scenery, a better ride all around.]]></description></item><item><title>Better than Energy Drinks</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/better-than-energy-drinks</link><pubDate>Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:10:55 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/better-than-energy-drinks</guid><description><![CDATA[I feel like I'm seeing a LOT of commercials for energy drinks on television lately.  But I'll be honest:  energy drinks scare me a little.]]></description></item><item><title>A Garbage Disposal Salad?</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/a-garbage-disposal-salad</link><pubDate>Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:39:34 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/a-garbage-disposal-salad</guid><description><![CDATA[Some headlines you just have to click.  I was browsing some health headlines this morning and saw an interview with Kristen Bell -- star of the new movie When in Rome.

The headline I couldn't resist clicking was this:  "Kristen Bell's diet secret?  Garbage disposal salads.]]></description></item><item><title>Hurry Up and Wait</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/hurry-up-and-wait</link><pubDate>Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:37:55 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/hurry-up-and-wait</guid><description><![CDATA[I've been joking lately that I'd like to take the next step in figuring out my health mystery soon -- and not "soon" in dog years.  Things feel like they're moving very slowly.

To recap:  just before New Year's, I had a physical and pelvic exam.]]></description></item><item><title>How to Interact with a Service Animal</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/how-to-interact-with-a-service-animal</link><pubDate>Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:57:53 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/how-to-interact-with-a-service-animal</guid><description><![CDATA[While food shopping the other day, I ran into three handlers with service dogs-in-training.

How do I know they were in training?  Each dog was wearing a bright green vest that said they were learning to be service animals.]]></description></item><item><title>Service Animals and the Law</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/service-animals-and-the-law</link><pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:03:16 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/service-animals-and-the-law</guid><description><![CDATA[All animal assistants are not treated equally by United States law.

Service animals are legally defined by Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  By law, they are not considered pets.  A service animal is specially trained to assist a person with a disability.]]></description></item><item><title>More Pharmacy Lingo</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/more-pharmacy-lingo</link><pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:49:09 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/more-pharmacy-lingo</guid><description><![CDATA[The drug store sometimes seems to have a language all its own.]]></description></item><item><title>Unraveling the Prescription Code</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/unraveling-the-prescription-code</link><pubDate>Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:51:59 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/unraveling-the-prescription-code</guid><description><![CDATA[It isn't just the bad handwriting that keeps us from understanding the scribbles on a prescription sheet.  There's a bit of shorthand or code in there, too.

Are you ready to crack the code?  Here are some terms and phrases you might see on your prescription -- in case you're curious.]]></description></item><item><title>Gastroenteritis</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/gastroenteritis</link><pubDate>Sun, 24 Jan 2010 01:59:53 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/gastroenteritis</guid><description><![CDATA[Gastroenteritis -- irritation and/or inflammation of the stomach and intestines -- is a common cause for nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.  Other symptoms can include a low grade fever, bloating, and cramping.]]></description></item><item><title>Measuring Pain</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/measuring-pain</link><pubDate>Fri, 22 Jan 2010 03:06:09 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/measuring-pain</guid><description><![CDATA[At my doctor's office, every exam room has a poster depicting the pain scale.  From zero (no pain) to ten (the worst pain), each number also has a face depicting an expression from happy to tearful.

This is officially known as the Wong-Baker FACES scale for pain measurement.]]></description></item><item><title>First Aid for Vomiting</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/first-aid-for-vomiting</link><pubDate>Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:13:05 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/first-aid-for-vomiting</guid><description><![CDATA[Call it what you will:  barfing, throwing up, driving the porcelain bus, morning sickness... vomiting is no fun.

Want to get technical?  Vomiting is the expulsion of the stomach contents through the esophagus and out the mouth.  (And sometimes the nose, too.]]></description></item><item><title>First Aid for Nausea</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/first-aid-for-nausea</link><pubDate>Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:56:01 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/first-aid-for-nausea</guid><description><![CDATA[Thankfully, nausea doesn't automatically mean you're going to throw up.  Nausea is the sensation that accompanies the urge to vomit.

Other feelings that may show up with nausea (feeling sick to your stomach) can include:  feeling weak or sweaty and having too much saliva in your mouth.]]></description></item><item><title>What's the Deal with the Fruit Scale?</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/whats-the-deal-with-the-fruit-scale</link><pubDate>Mon, 18 Jan 2010 04:14:35 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/whats-the-deal-with-the-fruit-scale</guid><description><![CDATA[Why the heck do we measure things in terms of fruit?

My research on fibroids -- starting with the info packet from the doctor -- said that they can get as large as a grapefruit.]]></description></item><item><title>Voluntary Recall Announced for Over the Counter Medications</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/voluntary-recall-announced-for-over-the-counter-medications</link><pubDate>Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:56:47 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/voluntary-recall-announced-for-over-the-counter-medications</guid><description><![CDATA[McNeil Consumer Healthcare -- makers of Tylenol and many other familiar over the counter medications -- announced a voluntary recall of several products on January 15th.

The recall affects certain Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, Rolaids, Simply Sleep, and St.]]></description></item><item><title>A Mystery is Afoot!</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/a-mystery-is-afoot</link><pubDate>Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:55:02 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/a-mystery-is-afoot</guid><description><![CDATA[Well... a mystery is a-uterus.

First, a quick recap:  I went to my doctor before New Year's for a physical, including pelvic exam.]]></description></item><item><title>RSI Flare-Up!</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/rsi-flare-up</link><pubDate>Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:34:04 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/rsi-flare-up</guid><description><![CDATA[Repetitive motion can do a number on your joints.  This is part of why ergonomics are so important:  the right alignment for your body and workspace, stretching, and taking breaks can help prevent repetitive strain injury.]]></description></item><item><title>Do You Need a Biopsy?</title><link>http://health.families.com/blog/do-you-need-a-biopsy</link><pubDate>Tue, 12 Jan 2010 02:47:36 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://health.families.com/blog/do-you-need-a-biopsy</guid><description><![CDATA[Finding a lump in your breast can be scary.  Although there are several different causes for lumpiness, your mind might jump right to the big C:  breast cancer.

Cancer is often the first thing your doctor will try to rule out if you find a lump.]]></description></item></channel></rss>