Information and opinions on health from ATsai at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/906496/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/906496/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/906496/index http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/906496/161293/michelle-pertussis-vaccine Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:23:00 -0400 ATsai   Now that Sarah Michelle Gellar has traded in slaying vampires for having a family, one of her biggest concerns is protecting her kids from diseases like pertussis, or whooping cough. She’s teamed up with March of Dimes and Sanofi Pasteur as the spokesperson for their Sounds of Pertussis campaign, aimed at educating parents and caregivers on the importance of getting the pertussis vaccine.   “When you realize that... http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/906496/161293/michelle-pertussis-vaccine http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/906496/161264/infographic-emergency Fri, 07 Jun 2013 14:30:00 -0400 ATsai As summer rolls in, it's important to remember how to take care of our skin. Heat and humidity can cause it to go haywire, so keep these tips in mind next time you run into a summer skin emergency.   Infograhic by Andi Simons   http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/906496/161264/infographic-emergency http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/906496/161214/belly-healthcentral Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:37:00 -0400 ATsai Carrying a disproportionate amount of weight around your middle can be bad for aesthetic reasons, but research is showing that excessive belly fat can be even more detrimental to your health. A link has been found between belly fat and heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes and other serious conditions.   Obstructive sleep apnea One recent study has found that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is linked to abdominal fat... http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/906496/161214/belly-healthcentral http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/906496/161092/healthcentral-explainer Tue, 28 May 2013 15:27:00 -0400 ATsai Hair can be an important part of our identity, and can also serve as an unwanted reminder that we are getting older. The biggest age-related culprits are balding and graying hair, and scientists are working to reverse both. Here is some of the latest research.   “Vampire treatment” for baldness Italian and Israeli scientists say they have found a way to restore hair growth on bald patches of head by injecting the area with... http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/906496/161092/healthcentral-explainer http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-cancer/c/906496/161011/dancing-melissa-rycroft Thu, 23 May 2013 14:32:00 -0400 ATsai     Melissa Rycroft is known for winning Dancing with the Stars All Stars in November 2012, not to mention being a contestant on "The Bachelor" and participating on the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders show and team, but recently she is more interested in talking about sun safety than dancing and dating.   Melissa is now the mother of a toddler, and has grown to value the importance of protecting your skin in the sun. She’s even... http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-cancer/c/906496/161011/dancing-melissa-rycroft http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/906496/160949/safe-healthcentral Mon, 20 May 2013 16:22:00 -0400 ATsai Insomnia can be a very frustrating condition, and it can have far-reaching negative effects on your quality of life. When changing your habits and lifestyle aren’t enough to help you, medications, such as Ambien (zolpidem) may be prescribed by your doctor. While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Ambien as a safe and effective treatment for insomnia, recent research has raised some questions about its use. Consider the... http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/906496/160949/safe-healthcentral http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/906496/160897/developing-healthcentral Thu, 16 May 2013 15:09:00 -0400 ATsai Studies in the past several years have shed light on why some children develop allergies, and much of it has to do with exposure to certain bacteria or allergens at a young age. Here is some of the more recent research on how you might be able to help your child avoid allergies as they get older.   Parents’ saliva on baby’s pacifier can ward off allergies A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics concluded that parents... http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/906496/160897/developing-healthcentral http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/906496/160737/truth-antibiotics-myth Mon, 06 May 2013 11:46:00 -0400 ATsai As superbugs, or antibiotic-resistant bacteria, become a bigger problem, it’s important to evaluate our view of antibiotics and how we use them. Here are some antibiotic myths that need busting.   Myth: Combining antibiotics is the best way to treat antibiotic-resistant infections.   Fact: Combining antibiotics can cause antibiotic-resistant bacteria to multiply.   The standard approach to eliminating a bacterial infection... http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/906496/160737/truth-antibiotics-myth http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/906496/160504/infographic-allergies Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:22:00 -0400 ATsai Seasonal allergies are particularly bad this time of year. Find out how you can avoid the sneezing and itchy eyes of allergies in every season.   Infographic by Andi Simons         http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/906496/160504/infographic-allergies http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/906496/160420/sleep-healthcentral Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:09:00 -0400 ATsai Sleep and memory are intimately connected, and scientists are just figuring out how they work together. Here is some of the latest research on how to boost memory with sleep and sound, and how sleep affects memory.   How can you boost your memory with sleep?   New research from Northwestern University has found that rehearsing a memory, during sleep or while awake, can help you to remember it later. Researchers first found that with... http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/906496/160420/sleep-healthcentral