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by Darra McMullen, Women’s Health Network Writer/Researcher Eye Health: We’ll begin our look into eye and ear health by discussing five of the most common eye problems afflicting people. Conjunctivitis is a bacterial or viral infection of the eye.   Conjunctivitis is caused by contact with contaminated objects, such as dirty hands or blowing dirt that settles in the eye.   Antibiotic drops are usually quite effective.   Doctors warn anyone suffering from the problem to wash his/her hands frequently to prevent infecting others or re-infecting oneself.   Good hygiene is especially important when handling children, who may be particularly susceptible to contracting or spreading the disease.             Secondly, hemorrhage of the eye is a frequently seen medical issue.   Basically, the hemorrhage is a bruise of the eyeball, which despite its frightening appearance, will slowly heal on its own, just like any other bruise.   With eye hemorrhages, the eye becomes extremel

By Darra McMullen, Women’s Health Network Writer/Researcher Note to readers:   Regular readers of this blog may have been looking for the following article around March 23 rd . to 26 th , the planned publication time.   This writer apologizes for any inconvenience experienced. Sometimes, life’s challenges simply cause other things to run a little later than anticipated.   No need to worry, though.   The regularly scheduled April article focusing on eye and ear health will be published this month, appearing around April 13, to allow time for everyone to have a chance to read the final installment of the March topic on nutrition.   Please enjoy that story below, now.          As we continue with our look into better nutritional habits, it’s time to examine some of the latest nutritional news that has appeared over the past few months in various journals or other media sources.             Health news has, recently, covered the gamut of categories, which is a very good

Moving Toward Better Nutrition by Darra McMullen, Women’s Health Network Writer/Researcher During the latter part of February, our article took a look at lifestyle and nutritional advice for improving cardiovascular health.   That story was intended as a logical transition between the earlier February heart health article, and our March topic, which focuses solely on nutrition for overall improved health.   Hopefully, regular readers of this blog have had a chance to catch both stories. Now that we’ve taken a peek at nutrition targeted for cardiovascular health during late February and early March, we’ll next focus on maximizing our nutritional intake for overall superior health and use the rest of March to investigate that topic. To begin our investigation, the following article will take a “bird’s eye view” of nutrition, looking at several different areas and making specific recommendations for each one.   Then, check back with this blog around March 23, 2018 for some

“Affairs of the Heart” Part 2 by Darra McMullen, Women’s Health Network Writer/Researcher In our first installment of “Affairs of the Heart” we looked at the symptoms of different types of serious cardiovascular ailments.   Of course, we’d all prefer never to get to a crisis situation, and to work toward that goal, in this second installment of our heart health story, we’ll look at some life factors that we can control to improve our odds of keeping a healthy cardiovascular system.   We’ll examine some dietary cautions, as well as sleep concerns, and exercise. Nutrition Tips and Supplement Information: Instead of embarking on a formal “diet”, consider how many small, daily tweaks you can make to your food intake to improve nutrition and cardiovascular health.   A few suggestions are listed below.             •   Add a side of fresh fruit or cooked (or fresh) vegetables to your main course at a restaurant.   The extra fiber and micronutrients (vitamins, miner

Affairs of the Heart (Part 1) by Darra McMullen, Women’s Health Network Writer/Researcher             February is Heart Health Month, and as such, is the perfect time to address “affairs of the heart” in all their myriad types.   Some types of heart health factors, such as diet and exercise, are well known and often discussed.   Other aspects of heart health, including stress levels, personal relationships, sleep quality, and life satisfaction “ratings” are addressed less often and are too frequently downplayed as minor influences on cardiovascular health, when in fact, these issues can be major players in the game of heart attack and stroke prevention.             All of the above listed heart health factors will be addressed this month, but first, let’s take a look at the warning signs of heart attack, stroke, and atrial fibrillation so that we can be better prepared to recognize and deal with a crisis should we be faced with one ourselves or among those persons a

Assistance for Anxiety Disorders by Darra McMullen, Women’s Health Network Writer/Researcher This article is the third and final installment in a three-part series of stories concerning anxiety and depression.   This piece focuses on anxiety and some of the measures people can take in their daily lives to alleviate symptoms and improve outcomes in dealing with this common disorder.               We begin this mental health story by looking at a few basic facts.   According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, anxiety disorders are one of the most prevalent mental illnesses in the U.S., affecting millions of adults, aged 18 years or older.   The true number of persons afflicted is probably unknown due to uncounted sufferers who don’t seek medical help and due to individuals who seek only natural solutions to their problems and thereby, are not noted in any type of medical records.             There are several types of anxiety disorders; among them are: g

Take a Closer Look at Depression by Darra McMullen, Women’s Health Network Writer/Researcher Hopefully, you’ve had a chance to read and think about the December 2017 article concerning anxiety and depression.  That story, which was the first of a three-part series on the conditions, focused on recent news briefs concerning anxiety and depression.  Now, with part 2 of the series, we’ll look more deeply at the details of depression.             Depression affects the whole person, including the body in general, the nervous system in particular, as well as moods, thoughts, and behaviors.  Depression creates effects in eating and sleeping patterns, self-concept, and a person’s reactions to the people and events in his/her environment.             Depressive symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years.  There are several types of depression with varying numbers of symptoms and frequency and duration of occurrence.             Common symptoms of any type of depression in