The current recommendation is that we exercise moderately (walk briskly, bike, swim, or lift weights) for thirty minutes on most days of the week. Although the intensity and duration of a workout for optimal benefit are still being debated, it is clear that even this minimum amount has enormous health
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Boston Women's Health Book Collective answered:
How does aging affect eyes and vision?
You experience dry eyes when tear glands cannot make enough tears or produce poor quality tears. Allergies can also contribute to eye dryness, which can be uncomfortable. Allergies and dry eyes increase with age. Certain medications can affect your tear output and cause dry eyes. Over-the-counter...Read More -
Boston Women's Health Book Collective answered:
Why is feedback in relationships important?
If we have not felt safe communicating our needs to our partners throughout a relationship, we may have trouble navigating sexual changes during the menopause transition. Resentments may be expressed indirectly rather than directly. Sex, which might have started out to be the glue that held us to...Read More -
Boston Women's Health Book Collective answered:
How can I be sure I am pregnant?
If you suspect you are pregnant now, try to take a pregnancy test within the next twenty-four hours.
Any woman, who has begun her period, has not experienced menopause, and who has vaginal intercourse with a man can become pregnant unexpectedly. Whether you are fourteen or forty-five, every method...Read More -
Boston Women's Health Book Collective answered:
How can I quit smoking?
Quitting smoking is probably the best thing we can do for our health and the health of those around us. Nearly three out of every four smokers want to quit, but it usually takes several attempts to be successful. Try not to get discouraged by temporary relapses. There are many different and effective...Read More -
Boston Women's Health Book Collective answered:
How is diabetes treated?
If you have pre diabetes, it is advisable to eat healthy, nutritious foods and participate in modest physical activity regularly. A loss of just ten to fifteen pounds can delay the onset of diabetes or reduce the amount of medication you may need.
If you have type 2 diabetes, its progression can...Read More -
Boston Women's Health Book Collective answered:
Will having a hysterectomy cause me to enter menopause?
Hysterectomy is the second most common surgery in the United States, affecting more than 600,000 American women per year. By the age of sixty, about one out of every three American women undergoes hysterectomy. The most recent government health data indicates that 52 percent of all hysterectomies...Read More -
Boston Women's Health Book Collective answered:
What treatment options are available for high blood pressure?
High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects about one in four adults in the United States and is especially common among African- Americans. Effective treatment has been shown to prevent heart disease and stroke. Weight loss, physical activity, and dietary changes can reduce blood pressure. The Dietary A...Read More -
Boston Women's Health Book Collective answered:
How can I deal with hot flashes during menopause?
There are several effective, natural ways to cope with hot flashes. Wearing layers of clothing that can easily be removed when the heat becomes intense is an option. Many women opt to wear lighter fabrics like cotton -- even in winter -- because cotton absorbs perspiration.
While some women find...Read More -
Boston Women's Health Book Collective answered:
How is my due date calculated?
A full-term pregnancy lasts approximately 40 weeks, or three trimesters of 13 to 14 weeks each. Because not all pregnancies are equal in duration, it is impossible to predict the precise day on which your baby will be born. Pregnancies usually range from 37 weeks to 43 weeks, with most women giving
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Boston Women's Health Book Collective answered:
What are my special nutritional needs during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, we need more protein, iron, and calcium, and larger amounts of some vitamins. Often you can get these nutrients from eating a well-balanced diet, but taking a vitamin supplement may be helpful.
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Boston Women's Health Book Collective answered:
What is a miscarriage?
An estimated 15 to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, the loss of a pregnancy before the twentieth week. Most clinically recognized miscarriages occur between the seventh and twelfth week after a woman's last menstrual period.
The vast majority of miscarriages cannot be prevented.
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Boston Women's Health Book Collective answered:
What are the effects of meditation?
People meditate for different reasons: to feel calm, to diminish stress or pain, to get through a crisis, or to engage in a spiritual practice. We might approach meditation for specific reasons, and then discover that we want to attain a different level of consciousness or a deeper, more gratifying
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Boston Women's Health Book Collective answered:
What environmental factors affect the health of my skin?
Skin is our body's largest organ. Being porous, it is extremely vulnerable to chemicals and other contaminants. Skin diseases are the second most common type of occupational disease. Contact dermatitis or irritation from something that touches the skin is caused by a wide variety of substances such...Read More