Dr. Linus Pauling researched the use of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) for 20 years, concluding that megadoses of 4-7 grams daily prevented colds by boosting the immune system. Several years ago it was discovered that these higher doses have a negative impact on serum homocysteine levels, actually suppressing the immune…

Cranberry juice helps prevent urinary tract infections, but it must be given in higher doses than are obtainable via drinking the over the counter liquids. That's why MDs/NPs prescribe cranberry juice capsules and, yes, it does work.

I have lived with daily chronic pain since 1997. I have fibromyalgia and chronic trapezius myalgia, which mean I regularly have pain on the 0-10 scale of severity (0=absence of pain, 10=most severe pain) at 6-8/10.

One's volume of blood doesn't diminish as one gets cooler. However, the anti-diuretic hormone to diuretic hormone balance changes in response to the cooler temperature, which may bring on diuresis or urination.

Hella right on!

Since these dryer sheets contain numerous chemicals and fragrances that are bad for the environment and for many people, I do not permit them in my home.

Thanks so much for a great overview for Rainmeter. It is an awesome app and really brings desktop customization with HUD to the daily user. I appreciate all of the resources and ideas, because our desktops are often underused.

Yes, ensure that the Motion setting is on and under Hand motions, check "Palm swipe to capture". This setting permits one to take a snapshot of whatever is on the screen by placing the edge of one's hand on the left side of the screen and swiping to the right. It makes a "click" and the snapshot is saved in the…

I am 59, gay, and have lived in 2 major cities all of my adult life: Chicago and San Francisco. I have lost more friends and acquaintances to HIV/AIDS, drugs, and violence directed toward gays than most people ever face - and so have many other middle-aged gay men. What keeps me going is that I focus on the grief at…

I miss the BBSes - the Bulletin Board Services. When I moved to San Francisco, these were the most active tech groups online and I met many of my friends through the parties we threw for several of them!

Swallow the water first, even a couple of swallows. This will hydrate your mouth and should make it easier to take your pills. Also, if there is no direction on the container or by your health care clinician to not break or crush them, try breaking tablets in half and swallow them in smaller pieces.

Olive leaf extract is a great herbal analgesic that works for a lot of common aches and pains.

Try drinking water FIRST, then take your tablets or capsules with water. Keep swallowing even AFTER you've swallowed the water and the medicine. This is a strategy that RNs use with people who report that they have trouble swallowing their pills, when there is no diagnosis of dysphagia (a swallowing…

Valerian root tincture is an herbal remedy for insomnia that many of us use and that works. There appears to be emergent evidence linking the use of diphenhydramine to cognitive decline and depression: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid…

Consider taking naproxen, which offers a better anti-inflammatory action for up to 8-12 hours. This means one tablet in the morning and one at night often does the trick. However, be careful to not stay on this medication for more than a brief period, as it causes problems with one's platelets, which are the cells…

Acetaminophen is the generic name in the USA, paracetamol is the generic name in the UK and other English-speaking countries: they are the same medication.

One thing to remember is that it is almost always recommended (unless you have been specifically instructed otherwise by a pharmacist or clinician) to take pain meds (analgesics) with a bite or two of food. This stimulates your gastrointestinal (GI) system and actually aids in the absorption of the chemicals in the…

I am a Registered Nurse with PhD in Health and Human Services. In my culture of the Deep South, such titles are appropriated and used with respect for the work of attaining them and for the talents brought by the educated person.

I naturally began to read in this manner when I was a child, devouring books. I would order from the Scholastic Book Club, then sit down and read all of the received books in a matter of a couple of hours. I call this method "phrasing" because it closely resembles the way that a musician performs, by grouping notes…

A "blackout" is actually a fugue, or a state in which the person can be upright and ambulatory, but have no conscious memory recall of the period during which s/he has blacked out. It is a misconception to think that a blackout means the individual has lost consciousness or passed out. It is quite possible it was the…