Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

- Season 10

(2008)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, affects approximately 46 million American women. IBS is both a biological and psychosocial issue for many people. And because symptoms are not always the same for everyone, doctors can have a difficult time in accurately diagnosing IBS, adding to the complexity of the disease. IBS is not inherently different in women than men, but it presents in women by a rate of three to one. As you will see in this program, no single treatment works the same for everyone, answers do exist for women affected by IBS, allowing them to greatly improve ...

Bleeding due to a cut or wound can be a little scary at times, especially if your child is a hemophiliac. Hemophiliacs lack specific blood proteins known as clotting factors that our bodies need to control bleeding following an injury. Fortunately, there is far more hope than ever before for these young patients. This episode features individuals with hemophilia who are successfully managing the disease in a manner that allows them to enjoy active and productive lives.

A diagnosis of multiple sclerosis can be devastating especially since the condition can affect people in many different age groups. But while the disease is well-known there is much still misunderstood about the condition. In this program we explore the many ways to manage MS, including the latest treatments available. Plus we'll hear the encouraging news from doctors who believe that MS is very treatable if therapy is started early.

In infants less than 12 months of age, the occasional upset stomach is common and usually no cause for alarm. But when babies and school-aged children have ongoing symptoms of persistent regurgitation, frequent overnight coughing and abdominal pain, they may be experiencing gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. In this program, we will discover that pediatric GERD often presents differently than adult GERD, and can go unrecognized by parents and pediatricians. In addition, some children may not outgrow their problems with GERD. Most children however, are able to ...

It's no surprise that we have an obesity epidemic in America. Temptation to over-eat bombards us everywhere. This, combined with our sedentary lifestyles, has helped us pack on the pounds. Obesity also increases the risk of type II diabetes. Nearly two of three adult Americans are overweight or obese. Experts say patient education, along with advances in research about genetics, human physiology, plus effective medications and surgeries are making a huge difference in shrinking this growing epidemic.

Each year, over sixty million Americans suffer from lower back pain and by the age of fifty, eighty-five percent exhibit some disc deterioration of the spine. With age, those little shock absorbers between each vertebra simply wear out from Degenerative Disc Disease. In this episode we'll learn about new physical therapy techniques and surgical breakthroughs, similar to artificial knee technology, that often reduce or eliminate the pain.

While the necessities of life are food, water, and shelter, many forget that sleep is just as important to survival. Humans spend one third of their lives sleeping, but when something disrupts the ability to sleep, quality of life suffers. It's estimated that 50-70 million Americans don't get enough sleep on a daily basis. Research has found that chronic sleep deprivation has been associated with a range of health-related consequences. However, by understanding the brain and sleep correlation, researchers have been able to develop behavioral and medical treatment ...