The EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Journal will post a study tomorrow purporting that scientific research has provided evidence proving that Neurofeedback (also called EEG Biofeedback) is an affective treatment method for combating ADHD.

Neurofeedback is the use of external response mechanisms (like sounds or vibrations) to represent brain activity. These indicators are used to help the patients understand how their brain activity translates into undesirable physical activity. In this way, they can regain control of their brain activity and break habits or subconscious activities that impact their quality of life.

The results were collected through 15 studies on over 1000 patients with ADHD, and they showed that neurofeedback treatment has large and clinically significant effects on Impulsivity and Inattention and a modest improvement of Hyperactivity.

The idea of using neurofeedback to treat ADHD has been a controversial one with some psychiatrists, but many claim that these protests are driven by drug companies and related, non-medical motives.

Other areas where neurofeedback has been researched include treatment of substance abuse, anxiety, depression, epilepsy, OCD, learning disabilities, Bipolar Disorder, Conduct Disorder, anger and rage, cognitive impairment, migraines, headaches, chronic pain, autism spectrum disorders, sleep dysregulation, PTSD and MTBI.

Do you have a child with ADHD? If so, what do you think about this type of treatment?

If you’ve flipped through a magazine or turned on the TV lately, you’ve likely seen an advertisement for the weight-loss pill alli. According to the company Web site, “If you are ready to take responsibility, alli and your hard work can help increase your weight loss by 50 [percent].”

Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, remember what your mother told you about things that seem too good to be true. alli works by blocking the absorption of a portion of the fat you consume. Blocking fat is great, but that fat has to go somewhere. With alli, the fat passes through your body naturally.

So, what are the side effects of this? According to the alli website:”Treatment effects are bowel changes that are most commonly caused by eating meals with too much fat while using alli capsules. Such effects may include oily spotting, loose stools, and more frequent stools that may be hard to control.

alli works by blocking the absorption of a quarter of the fat in the foods you eat. This undigested fat passes through the body naturally, and it is not harmful. In fact, you may recognize it in the toilet as something that looks like the oil on top of a pizza.”

Loose stools? Oily spotting? Anyone still interested?

In America, people are always looking for a quick fix. We want to lose weight, but we often don’t want to exercise. We want to eat healthy food, but we don’t want to pass up our French fries and cheeseburgers.  Getting healthy and losing weight is hard work. Often, it isn’t as simple as taking a pill.

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Remember when your mom used to bring you a piping hot bowl of chicken soup when you were feeling under the weather? Turns out, Mom might have been on to something.

Recently, researchers decided to put the old chicken soup remedy to the test. They tested a number of store-bought and homemade chicken soups to determine their effects on cold symptoms. The result? Chicken soup actually helps alleviate congestion by reducing inflammation in air passages and also helps keep us hydrated.

Have you had any success treating cold symptoms with chicken soup? If so, share your story and your chicken soup recipe!

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The new season of television recently began and I’ve been staying up late to watch all the season premieres of my shows, even the ones I’m recording. I stack them up and have a marathon watching session.

Usually I’m an early riser, because I like to write in the morning, do my work at the beginning of the day, but lately I’ve been staying in bed as long as I can, too long on some mornings. Some days I’m not doing any work.

I’ve given up on my old exercise routine even though I really love to take walks. The pain in my legs has gotten too bad to do it, however. I like to swim, but I don’t have a pool where I’m living right now. I do yoga stretching, ride a bike and lift weights, too, but I’ve given up on them as well.

I’m not eating right; abandoning my normally balanced and scheduled eating plan for simply not eating until the late night hours, finding any old thing in the ‘fridge to nosh on. I recently made French Bark, a lovely blend of chocolate, nuts, candied and dried fruit. Yes, that makes a great dinner.

I’m certainly not keeping to my sleep routine, either, substituting medication for my effective habits. I don’t have a prescription for sleep meds, so I’m using over the counter stuff. Wanna take a guess about how I’m feeling right now? I’m not sure how or when I’ll get my act together again.

Right now, I’m not letting go. I’m simply giving up.

Janet Muniz

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I recently read a news article that said that doctors in the United Kingdom have been told to stop prescribing antibiotics for colds.

Call me crazy, but I thought doctors knew not to prescribe antibiotics for colds. Colds are caused by viruses, not bacteria, meaning they can’t be cured with antibiotics. Thus the old saying, “There’s no cure for the common cold.”

I know some doctors prescribe antibiotics to prevent secondary infections. However, I’m sure many doctors prescribe antibiotics at the request of patients. These days, it seems doctors and patients alike are too quick too reach for drugs to cure any ailment.

When will people realize that sometimes we simply have to toughen up and suffer through an illness in order to get better?

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If your baby is crying relentlessly and you’ve tried everything from the binky to a bottle and a bath, you may start worrying that your baby has colic. About one-quarter of all babies have colic, which is defined as a crying that lasts for three or more hours a day, three days or more per week over a period of more than three weeks’ time. Other than crying, a baby must be healthy and well-fed to be considered colicky.

Colic usually begins within the second or third week of life and begins to taper off once the baby is about & 3-months-old. The crying episodes tend to start around the same time each day, which is usually later in the day or early evening. There are no known causes of colic and there are no differences between those who had the crying fits as a baby and those who did not later in life. Colic affects boys and girls equally. There have been some theories as to what triggers the crying fits, like acid reflux, digestive problems, gas and temperament, but none have panned out true causes.

Unfortunately, there is no surefire cure for colic. The best you can do is attempt to soothe the baby and try to shorten the crying session’s length. Some ways to do this include:

• bathe the baby
• burp the baby
• feed the baby
• give the baby a pacifier
• massage the baby
• play music
• sing to the baby
• swaddle the baby
• swing the baby
• take the baby for a ride
• try a new nipple on the baby’s bottle
• try changing the baby’s formula, or your diet if you breast-feed

Colic is a difficult condition for any parent to deal with. Be sure to seek out the support of your family and friends as well as that of your partner. In addition, try to join a group of mothers currently dealing with colic so you feel less alone. If you think your baby’s colic is not getting better or is causing health problems, be sure to contact your physician.

Aricka Flowers

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One of the most important things you can do is get yourself set up with a reliable and trusted pediatrician before your baby is born, reports a new study published in the journal “Pediatrics.” According to researchers, the quality of your child’s care may decrease if you don’t stick to the same physician.

The study found that children who had the same doctor during the first six months of life were more likely to receive important screenings by the age of two. Some of these important screenings include those for tuberculosis, anemia and lead poisoning, the latter of which can cause the child to have low intelligence later in life. The study consisted of 1,564 Philadelphia-born babies who were on Medicare.

The lead investigator of the study says certain children, like those from low-income, urban families, are most at-risk of not undergoing such important tests because of the lack of a steady physician. It is imperative that you ensure that your child receives these screenings, regardless of how many physicians she sees. Tuberculosis can have serious complications for children and iron-deficiency can harm their hearing and sight or adversely affect their equilibrium and movement.

Aricka Flowers

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After actress Jenny McCarthy’s recent explosion on Larry King Live, it’s clear that the debate over whether vaccines cause autism will continue. Although officials from the World Health Organization, American Academy of Pediatrics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all say there is no connection between vaccines and autism, recent developments could make them reconsider that conclusion.

According to WebMD, a March decision by federal officials granted compensation to a young girl’s family after it was determined that vaccines could have exacerbated another condition, which caused the girl to exhibit autism-like symptoms. That same month, the scientists at the National Institute of Mental Health said they will continue to consider concerns about a possible link between vaccines and the developmental disability.

Concern over vaccines link to autism sparked 10 years ago when a study in “The Lancet” indicated a possible association between the illness and the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The study told the tales of eight children who began displaying autism-like symptoms shortly after their first MMR inoculation. But after extensive investigation of millions of children across numerous continents, there was no concrete evidence to prove a true association between autism and the vaccine.

The other argument against the safety of vaccines stems from mercury. A large number of vaccines contain some amount of mercury and in the late 1990s federal health officials realized the recommended vaccination schedule could expose children to more than what is deemed safe. Action by the nation’s Public Health Service and the American Academy of Pediatrics had mercury removed from all vaccines by 2001.

Since then, a number of studies have investigated whether children who received the mercury-laden vaccines were more likely to be diagnosed with autism than those who did not. Although none of the studies have found a connection, advocates say they aren’t convinced because of the similarities between autism and mercury poisoning. Because there is no clear answer, its best that you discuss your child’s vaccination schedule with your pediatrician. You should also take it upon yourself to be an informed patient, since your child can’t, learn what the vaccinations contain and discuss whether your child may be sensitive to any ingredients.

Aricka Flowers

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I once had a coworker who routinely came to work sick and expecting sympathy. She would slump around the office, whining about her symptoms and generally spreading her germs to anyone who stopped to offer a shoulder to cry on. I politely but firmly refused to enter her office on days when she was clearly ill and she eventually got the hint and started to use her sick leave on appropriate occasions.

People like my coworker are annoying but also a major health hazard. When you review the first symptoms of pneumonia you can see how showing up at the office with what appears at first to be a harmless cold or flu is anything but a minor offense.

In that same office, I had a boss who insisted I get a flu shot each year, probably to help me fend off the sick co-worker next door. It was a strategy that paid off as time and again I sailed right through flu season without so much as a sniffle.

It may feel rude to ignore the wails of the ailing coworker. But it feels a whole lot better than those cold, flu and pneumonia symptoms!

Amy Bowker

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The first time I heard the term “walking pneumonia” I thought it sounded like the kind of illness that would befall a cartoon character. After all, pneumonia is a serious ailment. How could someone so easily walk around with the condition?

Walking pneumonia actually has a more technical name. It is called mycoplasma pneumonia, and while that title sounds a whole lot scarier, it is considered a mild version of the lung ailment pneumonia.

Even without treatment, walking pneumonia will generally not require hospitalization. It is spread through coughing and sneezing, and symptoms don’t generally appear until one to four weeks after exposure. Some of the early symptoms include:

• Chills
• Fever
• Headache
• Sore throat

But just because walking pneumonia doesn’t pack the lethal punch of other pneumonias, it is still an illness that deserves close attention. A lowered immune system can not only affect your ability to keep up with your normal routine, it can leave you susceptible to catching other, and more serious, ailments.So whenever I’m feeling under the weather, I trek on over to my doctor’s office and let the professionals decide the severity of my condition. After all, self-misdiagnosing any sort of ailment is only a laughing matter if you’re a cartoon character.

Amy Bowker

(photo credit: sashala)

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