General Health (Page 66)

Behind-the-wheel driving tests can be an important prerequisite for getting or renewing a driver’s license. These tests are notoriously subjective. The weather and traffic volumes, for instance, can affect the outcomes. A rainy day in bumper-to-bumper traffic can test one’s driving skill in ways different than a sunny morning with…

Cathy Rogers didn’t know her son was making flamethrowers in the woods with his friends until he got burned. [caption id="attachment_6030" align="alignright" width="300"] Courtesy Central Virginia Burn Camp[/caption] Nothing had gone wrong the first couple of times they tried it but one afternoon, Jacob was trying to poke a hole…

Sleep. We all do it — but how much do we truly know about it? Like other things that we tend to learn about through family, community and popular culture, we may have ideas that are correct according to conventional wisdom but aren’t quite scientifically accurate. Take this pop-culture-inspired quiz to…

You probably know someone living with sleep apnea. It could be your mom or dad, your brother or sister. You might even have this extremely common sleep disorder. According to Paul Suratt, MD, a UVA sleep specialist, about 20 to 25 percent of men and 10 percent of women have…

“Sleep is for the weak!” That was what we said in college. For some, that meant holding down a job while taking 20 credits of advanced physics and engineering was more important. Others felt sleep cut the party short. [caption id="attachment_5551" align="alignright" width="300"] Insomnia? Avoid caffeine after mid-afternoon and keep…

Sleep. We all need it. And chances are, you’ve had trouble getting it at some point in your life. This month, we’re exploring sleep — including how it affects your body and the conditions and factors that can cause poor sleep. Plus, we’ll have tips on how to get kids…

Do you know a teenage girl who needs help dealing with her weight? We let you know about a local group that gets girls doing Zumba to get healthy. [caption id="attachment_5305" align="alignright" width="170" caption="Employee Teshema Anderson at the recent AIDS Walk in Charlottesville."][/caption] For World AIDS Day, we provided some facts…

Like many women, my mother faced few options when it came to her constant abdominal pain. After several years of heavy bleeding and cramping, the doctors threw their hands in the air. While she was in her late 30s, well before menopause, my mother underwent a full hysterectomy. [caption id="attachment_5251"…

The holiday shopping season is here. Are you looking for some healthier gift ideas this year? We talked to Cindy Parnell, MEd, RCEP, an exercise physiologist at UVA, and Gretchen Verrilli, a Heart Center exercise physiology intern, to get their ideas for you before you hit the stores. Healthy Food…

Hot flashes are a bothersome symptom of menopause. Right now, the only approved treatment is hormone therapy, but many women can’t or don’t want to take hormone therapy because it carries a small increased risk of breast cancer. Researchers at UVA have found that gabapentin, a drug developed to fight…