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    EmpowHER

    EmpowHER

  • When is the Best Decade to Date? the Answer May Surprise You!

    When I think of dating, I lump it all into a few categories -- teen dating dramas, dating in your 20s and 30s to look for a permanent mate, or dating after divorce with all that baggage attached! But there are many other groups dating, and one important

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder: When the World Doesn’t Understand

    I often write articles on what having a particular medical condition may be like and ways to cope with it or prevent flare ups. But very few of my articles tell the other side of the story — what it’s like to be a parent, caregiver, guardian of someone

  • Diabetes: Learning More About a National Epidemic

    November is Diabetes Awareness Month and I think it's important for people to learn more about how many people are affected by this disease. According to the American Diabetes Association almost 26 million children and adults are currently living with

  • How to Needle Your Doctor to Stay Safe

    A few years ago we saw the shocking report that almost 100,000 Americans had died in 1999 from medical mistakes. And now, with a bigger population and more aggressive medical treatment and testing, it is estimated as many as 200,000 Americans are dying

  • Domestic Violence: Everybody’s Issue

    With a range of women’s concerns being pulled into the maelstrom of election cycle rhetoric, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) has now become another political football. Originally co-sponsored by Democrat Sen. Joe Biden and Republican

  • Your Annual Physical is Likely a Waste of Time

    Well, this is one for the books! Just 10 days ago I scheduled my annual physical six weeks ahead. I'm having it done as part of my own health maintenance and also using it to follow up on some sports injuries I've accrued in the past 18 months. And today

  • Promoting Flu Vaccines with Chris O'Donnell and Carlos E. Picone, MD

    We're into the flu season. If you have the flu, you may have symptoms such as fatigue, muscle aches, cough, sore throat and stuffy nose. You can prevent the flu by getting the annual flu vaccination. But while the CDC

  • 8 Preventive Health Care Services Women Can Get for Free

    When a new provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), sometimes referred to as “Obamacare” kicked in Aug. 1, 2012, about 47 million American women became eligible to receive additional preventative health care services without a co-payment or any patient

  • The Partner’s Role During Serious Illness

    When you've got more than a cold or the flu or a brief elective surgery, you may well depend upon a spouse, best friend or family member to help you get back on your feet. If it's a serious condition, it may be a really tough job. Lisa Velasco of

  • More Doctors Using Social Media to Communicate with Patients

    Everyone is using social media to communicate better these days. Teachers have their own blogs. Celebrities announce their big news via Twitter. Even grandparents are getting in on the act and setting up Facebook pages and Internet dating sites.

  • Alternative Medicine for Rheumatoid Arthritis

    "More than 46 million Americans have some form of arthritis or related condition," said the Arthritis Foundation. Rheumatoid arthritis, which is also known as RA, affects more than 1.3 million people annually between the ages of 25-50.

  • Role Reversals: Very Young Americans Caring for Family Members

    As part of their Heroes section, the CNN website recently ran a story about young people "working" as unpaid caregivers for their siblings, parents or older relatives. The research showed that about 1.3 million children in America are child caregivers

  • Fuchs' Corneal Dystrophy: My Story

    I was recently diagnosed with Fuchs' corneal dystrophy (Fuchs) in my right eye. I’d like to share my experience. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Fuchs' dystrophy (fooks DIS-truh-fee) is an uncommon, slowly progressive disorder that affects the cornea

  • Jennifer Jaff: The World Has Lost a Champion

    I felt a sense of personal loss when I heard the news that Jennifer Jaff had passed away. She had written articles for EmpowHER for a time and I had the pleasure of working with her briefly. As I learned more about Jaff's life, I saw that

  • Naming the Shame that Can Cripple

    When Amy Ferris asked me to contribute an essay to Dancing at the Shame Prom: Sharing the Stories That Kept Us Small, I wasn’t sure that I had any shame. Then, when I thought about it, I realized that I did. I just hadn’t framed it that way. I agreed

  • Stress and Sleep: Tips with Celebrity Nutritionist JJ Virgin

    When celebrity nutritionist and fitness expert JJ Virgin consults with clients, one of the first questions she asks is “How are you sleeping?” Virgin said, “Sleep comes first and you need seven to nine hours of it, not only for energy but also for weight

  • Is Marijuana the Cancer Cure We’ve Waited For?

    Researchers at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco have discovered cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from marijuana, may stop many kinds of aggressive cancers from spreading. If the therapeutic compound works in humans as expected,

  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Helping Unite Those Who Live with Rare Leukemia

    In a remarkable demonstration of progress in cancer treatment, people around the United States who are living with a previously fatal form of leukemia will join together this month to focus on enhancing the quality of their lives in the decades ahead.

  • Living Well with Multiple Myeloma: One Woman’s Journey

    When Cheryl Boyce experienced constant fatigue she saw her doctor, who suggested a blood test. The results were surprising. They led to a diagnosis of multiple myeloma, a type of cancer that begins in the bone marrow and affects the plasma cells.

  • Patients and Families Cope with Cancer: Michele Reiss, PhD Interviewed

    In the United States an estimated 241,740 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. Men who are African-American, have a family history of the cancer, or are over age 60 are at a higher risk of developing