If you’ve been wondering if those medical clinics in retail stores are safe and trustworthy, a study by Rand Corp. says that they are just fine. The study was done because many doctors disagree with the retail-type clinics, believing that they offer substandard care or may be influenced by the fact that the stores that have these clinics also have pharmacies, increasing the likelihood of prescription medications, which may not really be necessary. The study findings were published in the most recent issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
The researchers looked at over 2000 cases of people who went to …read more

I found something interesting today on AOL Health about diet and health. It seems that some of that healthful eating we do can actually be detrimental to our bladder health. Who knew? Well, after reading this we both will. 
The following evidence is known as “anecdotal” which means it will affect some people, but not others, according to Kelly O’Connor, R.D., L.D.N.
Citrus fruits, tomatoes, while full of healthy vitamin C are also full of acid. This can irritate conditions such as urinary incontinence and over-active bladder. Spicy foods can do the same thing, so watch the jalapenos.
Water is good because it …read more

It’s National Kidney Month, so what better time to talk about urinary tract infections (UTIs)? Women get UTIs much more frequently than men, but there are some simple things you can do to help prevent them.
The National Kidney Foundation suggests preventing UTIs by:
• Drinking lots of fluids, including cranberry juice cocktail
• Urinating when the urge strikes (don’t delay)
• Wiping from front to back to keep bacteria from entering the urinary tract
• Cleaning genital area each day and before sex
Symptoms of UTIs include burning feeling during urination, cloudy or blood-tinged urine, strong odor in urine or an urgent need to urinate …read more

In the current issue of Glamour, which I adore, don’t get me wrong, I noticed a bunch of topics that Lively Women covered first. I’m not saying I scooped them, mind you, because we had different sources and different approaches, but I like to think that it’s further evidence that Lively Women is on the cutting edge of women’s health issues.
Here are the topics with a link to the original post and the page number in the September 2007 issue of Glamour:

Is Work Making You Fat? Tips for avoiding “corporate spread” (Glamour, p. 180)
Preventing and Treating UTIs (Glamour, p. 182)
No-Period …read more

Monday, May 14, is National Women’s Check-Up Day! If you’re anything like me, you probably put off doctor visits. It’s not that we don’t mean to go, it’s just that something comes up, right? Well, it’s time to stop procrastinating, ladies! And today is the perfect day to make those appointments and get back on top of things.
Here’s who you need to call:

Your primary care practioner. You may be surprised to know that PCPs do more than just hook you up with antibiotics when you get strep from the kids or develop a UTI. …read more

I’m sad to report that this is a topic near and dear to my heart. I inherited chronic bladder infections from my mom, so I’ve been battling them for quite some time now, and I got hit with a real doozy this week (TIP: It’s not a good sign when your doctor looks at the print-out of your pee test results and goes, “Holy crap.”).
Here’s some info to help you head off urinary tract infections before they take hold, and tips on what to do when they sneak up on you.