Media Blasts Oprah for Supporting Alternative Medicine

In January of this year, Oprah Winfrey invited Suzanne Somers on her show to talk about health tips. The 62-year-old actress uses bio-identical estrogen cream and progesterone on her other arm two weeks a month. Read more

Health Tip: Easing Back Pain During Pregnancy

(HealthDay News) -- While you're pregnant, all that extra weight can lead to significant back pain.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists offers these suggestions to help prevent or relieve that pain in your back:

• Avoid completely flat or high-heeled shoes; something in between with a low heel and supportive arch is best.
• Don't lift heavy objects by yourself.
• If you have to be on your feet for a long time, prop up one foot on a stepstool or stair.
• Sleep on a firm mattress or place a board between the mattress and box spring.
• Bend at your knees rather than at the waist.
• Place a small pillow behind your lower back when sitting in a chair, or use a chair with a lot of back support.
• Sleep on your side, and place pillows between your legs.
• Gently massage your lower back, or apply a heating pad or ice pack.

Health Tip: Check Your Baby's Feet

(HealthDay News) -- A baby's feet grow quickly. During the infant's first year, it's important to check the feet regularly to be sure they are developing normally.

The American Podiatric Medical Association offers these suggestions:

• Examine your baby's feet carefully. Report anything that looks unusual to your pediatrician.
• Allow the baby's feet to move. Let baby lie on his or her back without a blanket or cover, to allow the feet to kick.
• Don't wrap or cover your baby's feet tightly -- leave covers loose so that your baby can move the feet freely.
• Move your baby frequently, and don't let him or her stay in the same position for too long. Frequent position changes put less strain on the legs and feet.

Health Tip: Scuba Diving Safety

(HealthDay News) -- Scuba diving may allow you to see some amazing underwater places. But it's important to become scuba-certified before you hit the water.

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, certification may help prevent these possible pitfalls of the sport:

• Failure to relieve pressure in your ears by "popping them" can lead to inner ear barotrauma, which can cause you to lose hearing and feel very dizzy.
• If you don't breathe correctly as you float to the surface after your dive, pulmonary barotrauma can occur. This can trigger symptoms including pain in the chest, difficulty breathing and a hoarse voice.
• "The bends," also called decompression sickness, also can occur as you float to the surface. This serious condition can cause nitrogen bubbles to form in the blood, and can affect the lungs, brain and spinal cord.
• An arterial gas embolism (AGE) causes bubbles in the blood, which could reach the brain. This very serious diving injury can lead to symptoms including unconsciousness, numbness, paralysis, general weakness or tingling skin.

Health Tip: Caring for a Canker Sore

(HealthDay News) -- If you have a canker sore, it may be painful to chew until it goes away, which usually happens on its own over time.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to help relieve the pain of a canker sore:

• Take an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
• Try a topical pain-relieving ointment for canker sores, such as Anbesol, Zilactin-B, Orabase or Orajel.
• Rinse your mouth with a solution of equal parts Milk of Magnesia and Benadryl liquid allergy medication. Rinse with, but don't swallow the solution, every few hours.
• Take vitamin C or a vitamin B complex.
• Take zinc lozenges, or an herbal mouthwash that contains sage and chamomile.

Health Tip: Anticipating Acupuncture

(HealthDay News) -- If you've decided to try acupuncture to help treat pain or another health condition, the first step is to find a qualified, licensed acupuncturist.

Once you've accomplished that, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine offers this explanation of what to expect during your treatment.

• At your initial visit, the acupuncturist should ask you about your health history, medications you are taking, and your lifestyle.
• The metal needles used are extremely thin -- approximately the thickness of a human hair.
• Most people feel very little or no pain as the needles are inserted into the skin.
• The way you feel after the experience may vary. Some people have more energy, while others feel more relaxed.
• Treatments may last several weeks or longer.

Five steps to getting a second opinion online

Not sure your doctor's got it right? Get a second opinion without ever leaving your living room. In this week's Empowered Patient, CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen tells you how to get a second opinion from one of the nation's top doctors. full story

Health Tip: Teens and Sleep

(HealthDay News) -- Teenagers need to get plenty of sleep -- between 8 1/2 and nine hours every night -- to feel good and keep their bodies healthy.

Pay attention to these warning signs, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, that you may not be getting enough shuteye:

• Difficulty getting out of bed in the morning.


• Problems focusing.


• Falling asleep at school during class.


• Feeling depressed, irritable, moody or sad.

Health Tip: Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

(HealthDay News) -- No one knows precisely why people get cancer, and there's no surefire cure.

But if you maintain a healthy lifestyle, you can help reduce your risk. Here are some suggestions, courtesy of AARP:

• Eat a healthy diet, including plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Limit intake of red meat, saturated fats, smoked and salt-cured foods, and foods preserved with nitrates.


• Get regular exercise of 30 minutes or more at least five days a week.


• Maintain a healthy body weight.


• If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation.


• Wear sunscreen and avoid prolonged exposure to direct sun during the midday hours.


• Get screened for cancers for which you may be most susceptible.