Your Guide to Healthy Decisions tag:guides:healia.com,2009:feeds:created 2009-08-01T01:24:41+00:00 Healia tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:whooping-cough 2009-08-01T01:24:41+00:00

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a respiratory tract infection caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacterium. It is a highly contagious illness that can affect any age group but is most commonly

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:atherosclerosis 2009-04-30T20:47:56+00:00

Atherosclerosis is a condition in which arteries--the vessels that carry blood and oxygen throughout your body--become lined with plaque. This process begins as early as childhood and progresses as we

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:type-1-diabetes 2009-03-26T03:06:23+00:00

Diabetes mellitus is a disease characterized by high levels of sugar in the blood. People with diabetes have problems converting the food they eat into usable energy. There are two types of diabetes mellitus

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:diet-and-nutrition 2009-03-26T03:34:35+00:00

Nutrition is the science that studies the process by which living organisms acquire all the things that are necessary for them to live and grow. Nutrition focuses on the role of nutrients, which are defined

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:mrsa-and-other-staph-infections 2009-03-26T04:19:30+00:00

Staph infections refer to any infection caused by the bacteria that belongs to the genus Staphylococcus, also called staph bacteria. While there are more than thirty species of staph, one called Staphylococcus

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:outdoor-allergies 2009-02-18T01:16:48+00:00

An allergy is an abnormal reaction of the body’s immune system to a substance in the environment that, for most people, causes no immune response. Any substance that causes allergic reactions in some

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:anxiety 2009-01-13T00:24:53+00:00

Anxiety, also called generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), is a mental disorder characterized by persistent excessive or unrealistic fears or worries. The term "anxiety" is commonly used to refer to a general

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:stress-management 2009-02-10T05:32:36+00:00

Stress management is a set of techniques that can help people successfully cope with difficult situations and manage the effects of stress in their life. Sources of stress are ubiquitous in modern life

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd 2009-01-23T05:55:58+00:00

Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can be triggered by witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. PTSD is a medical diagnosis that applies when someone has difficulty

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:migraine 2009-01-12T23:40:58+00:00

A migraine headache (also known as a "migraine") is a severe headache that is often accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. The pain of a migraine

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs 2009-01-23T05:54:49+00:00

Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS is a disorder characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort including cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation. IBS is sometimes referred to as spastic colon,

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:carpal-tunnel-syndrome 2009-01-12T23:05:13+00:00

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is pain that occurs in the hand and wrist when a nerve that runs through the forearm to the hand called the median nerve is pinched or compressed at the wrist. The "carpal

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:sinusitis 2009-01-12T20:48:27+00:00

Sinusitis, sometimes called a sinus infection, is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, the air filled cavities that surround the nose. The mucus membrane lining the sinuses normally produces mucous

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:pregnancy 2009-02-10T03:22:58+00:00

Pregnancy is the state of carrying a growing embryo or fetus in the uterus. In mammals, pregnancy is defined as the period between implantation of a fertilized egg (now called a zygote) in wall of the

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:menstruation 2009-01-12T19:46:33+00:00

Menstruation (also called menses) is the monthly bleeding that occurs in women of reproductive age. It marks the beginning of the menstrual cycle -- which is the cycle that serves to prepare the uterus

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:autoimmune-diseases 2009-01-12T19:35:30+00:00

Autoimmune diseases are a collection of diseases that occur when the body's own defenses -- the immune system -- attack healthy body tissues. Normally the immune system acts to defend the body from foreign

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:anemia 2009-01-12T19:24:26+00:00

Anemia refers to any condition in which the number of red blood cells (RBCs) in the body or the amount of the oxygen-carrying molecule that red blood cells contain -- called hemoglobin -- is too low.

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:obesity-overweight 2009-01-23T14:13:26+00:00

Obesity is having a high proportion of body fat, enough that it negatively affects your health. Being obese not only makes it more difficult to move around and perform physical activities, but it also

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:menopause 2009-01-12T18:45:27+00:00

Menopause, also called "the change of life," is a natural process that marks the end of a woman's monthly menstrual cycles. Menopause is not a disease or disorder, but rather a natural biological process

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:fibromyalgia 2009-01-10T00:10:04+00:00

Fibromyalgia, sometimes called fibromyalgia syndrome, is a poorly understood condition that is characterized by widespread pain in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons as well as fatigue and tenderness.

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd 2009-01-23T13:28:01+00:00

ADHD stands for Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. ADHD is a behavioral disorder that makes it difficult for children to control their impulses and/or pay attention. The symptoms of ADHD are chronic

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:osteoarthritis 2009-01-09T23:37:18+00:00

Arthritis is the name for a set of conditions that cause inflammation in the joints. Osteoarthritis (OA) occurs when the cartilage that normally cushions the ends of the bones in your joints gets worn

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:vaccines 2009-01-09T01:48:46+00:00

Vaccines (also called immunizations) help people produce immunity to infectious diseases before those diseases are ever encountered. If a person gets a vaccine against a certain infectious disease and

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:childhood-vaccines 2009-01-09T01:10:20+00:00

Vaccines (also called immunizations) help people produce immunity to infectious diseases before those diseases are ever encountered. If a person gets a vaccine against a certain infectious disease and

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:back-pain 2009-01-09T00:31:53+00:00

Back pain describes any pain or discomfort in the back. There is a wide variety of back pain types which differ in their time of onset, persistence, location in the back, type and severity of the pain,

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:acid-reflux 2009-02-10T05:46:43+00:00

Acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux (GER) occurs when the acidic contents of the stomach seep back up into the esophagus, the muscular tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. The acid

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:rheumatoid-arthritis 2009-01-08T01:17:43+00:00

Arthritis is the name for a set of conditions that cause inflammation of the joints. Rheumatoid (roo-mah-TOYD) arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune type of joint inflammation in which the body's immune

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:osteoporosis 2009-01-08T01:02:26+00:00

Osteoporosis literally means "porous bones" and is a disease that causes low bone density, making bones fragile and more likely to break. It happens when bones lose critical nutrients like calcium and

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:genital-herpes 2009-01-08T00:42:32+00:00

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two types of HSV called HSV-1 and HSV-2 and while either can cause genital herpes, most cases

tag:healia.com,2009:healthguide:depression 2009-01-23T13:52:49+00:00

Depression (also called clinical depression, major depression, or major depressive disorder) is a mental disorder that is characterized by feelings of sadness or hopelessness, loss of interest in normal