Tips to ease perimenopause symptoms

For women in their 40s, perimenopause can kick in, causing all kinds of problems. We got this email from a viewer: Dear Dr. Manny, My doctor told me being on the pill can help relieve perimenopause symptoms, but are there any exercises I can do to help? Thanks, Marla Perimenopause is the stage before menopause when a woman’s ovaries stop making as much estrogen as they used to. It can last up to four years and can even start in a woman’s thirties. A blood test can confirm if your…

Only some shoe inserts tied to lower risk of injuries

Contoured orthotics designed to alter the gait while walking and running might help lower the risk of stress fractures, but shock-absorbing insoles probably won’t prevent these injuries, a recent review suggests. Researchers analyzed data from 11 trials of foot orthotics and seven studies of shock-absorbing insoles that, combined, included more than 3,200 people. Overall, foot orthotics were tied to a 28 percent lower risk of injuries and a 41 percent lower risk of stress fractures, the study found. Shock-absorbing insoles, however, were not linked to a statistically meaningful reduction in…

12 potential reasons you’re having heart palpitations

 (champja) If you’ve ever experienced a heart palpitation, you know that the feeling of having a fast, fluttering, or pounding heart is scary, to say the least. But despite the freakiness, experts say heart palpitations happen pretty often—and they’re usually not dangerous or a sign of your impending doom. “They’re very common,” Malissa Wood, M.D., co-director of the Corrigan Women’s Heart Health Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, tells SELF. “Most people will have palpitations at some point in their lives, even if [the palpitations] are short-lived.” Nicole Weinberg, M.D., a…

5 nasty skin conditions you can pick up at the gym

Next time you hunker down on that bench, consider all the other guys who sweated their way through their workouts there, too. Along with that pool of perspiration, the other guys could be leaving a host of other nasty things behind. Things like viruses, bacteria, and fungi that can cause some gross, uncomfortable, or even serious skin conditions if they make their way into your body. Here, 5 nasty skin conditions you can pick up at the gym—and what you need to do to cure them, stat. (For the ultimate…

Millennials Flock to High-Intensity Workouts – And Hip Pain Follows

Physical therapist Karena Wu couldn’t help notice a trend in patients visiting her New York City office this year. Many were under age 35, enjoyed strenuous workouts and were suffering immense hip pain.The millennials had pushed themselves in endurance races such as the Tough Mudder or weekly CrossFit and metabolic conditioning classes that placed wear and tear on their bodies, she said. And with little downtime between routines or adherence to proper form, they were putting the long-term health of their hips at risk. “A lot of millennials are doing…

Want to be smarter and have a better memory? Eat foods rich in this

According to a study by the University of Illinois, eating foods rich in lutein – like many leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables for example – will help promote a healthy aging brain. (Lutein is a plant pigment humans consume through diet. It’s called a carotenoid vitamin and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, Mayo Clinic says.) “Previous studies have found that a person’s lutein status is linked to cognitive performance across the lifespan,” says Marta Zamroziewicz, lead author of the study. “Research also shows that lutein accumulates in the grey matter of…