Chicago Sun-Times

How to cope with an overscheduled life

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:01:35 -0500

Q: I’m 38, a wife and a working mom with three kids. My days are jammed. I’m worried about taxes; my boss wants me to take on more responsibility at work; the cellphone is always ringing. Sometimes I can’t remember what I am supposed to be doing! It’s scary to think I might have Alzheimer’s disease already! A: Breathe — deep and slow. Exhale. Now, let’s talk. Forgetfulness is a predictable result of a frantic daily schedule and a lack of down time. It sounds like your brain fog is coming from two sources: The first source is the nagging …

Is it Alzheimer’s or something else?

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 06:05:17 -0500

DRS. ROIZEN AND OZ: A recent report looked at nearly 1,000 people with dementia and found that up to 30 percent didn’t have Alzheimer’s disease; many had what are treatable medical conditions or negative reactions to medication. Here are some of them.

Figuring out why eyes tear in cold

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 06:04:12 -0500

DRS. OZ AND ROIZEN: Every time I go outside in cold weather, my eyes tear a lot. What causes it, and can I stop it?

Start small to make big fitness changes

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:42:00 -0500

DRS. ROIZEN AND OZ: Like many others, you may want to lose weight and exercise, but somehow you can’t keep those goals? How’s a person to stay on track?

Third-hand smoke presents real dangers

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 16:00:00 -0500

DRS. ROIZEN AND OZ: Third-hand smoke. Is it something to be worried about health-wise?

Sorting out impact of new health act

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:39:51 -0500

DRS. ROIZEN AND OZ: The Affordable Care Act has her confused. What will it mean to consumers?

Getting a handle on gastric bypass

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 06:07:31 -0500

DRS. ROIZEN AND OZ: Bariatric surgery might be the answer for someone who is overweight and has Type 2 diabetes.

Why your allergies remain even though winter’s near

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 09:35:14 -0500

DRS. ROIZEN AND OZ: Leaves are gone, there are no flowers, but my allergies just keep going. What is it that gets me sneezing and congested during the winter?

Straight talk to fix a misaligned eye

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 11:50:00 -0500

Q. I am tired of being embarrassed about my one eye that’s misaligned. I’m 28, just moved to a new city for a new job, and I know it doesn’t make a great first impression. Sometimes people assume I’m stupid, and trying to meet women is really frustrating and uncomfortable. What can I do? A. Strabismus (that’s the medical term for eyes that don’t align properly) happens when eye muscles don’t work together, because of faulty development of the nerve pathway from one eye to the brain. When the condition is treated early in life, chances are good that therapy …

Ditch the antibacterial soap

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 22:32:37 -0500

DRS. ROIZEN AND OZ: A doctor refrains from giving an antibiotic until lab confirm’s 6-year-old’s sore throat is indeed strep. Was the doctor right to wait?

Kids need fewer, not more, antibiotics

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 06:06:02 -0500

DRS. ROIZEN AND OZ: A doctor refrains from giving an antibiotic until lab confirm’s 6-year-old’s sore throat is indeed strep. Was the doctor right to wait?

What switches genes on/off?

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 09:56:00 -0500

DRS. ROIZEN AND OZ: If how you live turns your genes on and off, does that change who you are, basically?

Taking too many antacids masks real problem

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 09:28:00 -0500

DRS. ROIZEN AND OZ: Popping antacids on a regular basis might bring relief at the moment, but is not a long-term solution.

When adversity hits, here’s how to handle it

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 11:25:29 -0500

DRS. ROIZEN AND OZ: When life throws you adversity, what’s the best way to handle it and leave you in the best health possible.

Can you change your mind after a vasectomy?

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 06:13:12 -0500

DRS. ROIZEN AND OZ: He wants a vasectomy now. But what if he changes his mind later? Can he get the procedure reversed?

Bigger, better breakfast can squelch midnight munchies

Sun, 11 Nov 2012 06:06:05 -0500

DRS. ROIZEN AND OZ: An insomniac finds sleep has been replaced with eating after midnight. How can this behavior — which, no surprise, has led to weight gain — be stopped?

Mom-to-be wonders: circumcise or not?

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 06:06:42 -0500

YOU DOCS: A mom-to-be just discovered she’s going to have a boy. Now she wonders: should he be circumcised?

Feeling SAD? Get outdoors and exercise

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 06:05:22 -0500

DRS. ROIZEN AND OZ: I have seasonal affective disorder, and before I get socked by winter depression, tell me: What’s the best way to deal with it?