5 Health Slip-Ups—Remedied

By Denise Schipani

We've all taken one pain reliever too many or not finished a round of antibiotics. But how bad are these mistakes, really? The answers, and what you should know for next time.

Oops! I didn't finish a prescribed course of antibiotics.

It's tempting to stop taking the medication once you start feeling better, but just because you don't feel sick anymore doesn't mean all the bacteria are completely wiped out. And you're more likely to get sick again. Not taking every last pill is also a mistake because you're contributing to the problem of antibiotic resistance. Here's why: In the first few days, the drug gets rid of only the weakest germs. By not finishing the full round, you're leaving behind the strongest strains, which may then become resistant to the most commonly used antibiotics.

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What To Do: If you realize within two days that you didn't finish, start taking the medication again until you're done with the course. But if it's been a week or more, don't bother; by then the bacteria that are left may have mutated and you'll only be encouraging resistance. If you stopped taking the medicine because it gave you bad side effects like nausea or diarrhea, try taking it with food (as long as the directions don't say not to). If that doesn't help, call your doctor, who may be able to prescribe a different medication or alter your dose.

Good To Know: Taking antibiotics can also kill some of the "good" bacteria that are normally in your digestive tract, and this can cause side effects like diarrhea and stomach discomfort. While you're on the medication, counteract this by eating yogurt with active bacterial cultures or taking a probiotic supplement. Antibiotics can also cause yeast infections, since they can upset the pH balance in your vagina. If you're prone to them, ask your doctor for a prescription cream along with the antibiotics prescription. Photo: Jordan McCullough/Woman's Day

Oops! I used a cotton swab to clean my ear and now it hurts.

You've most likely scratched your ear canal—it will probably heal on its own. If it feels like something is stuck, you may have just pushed some earwax farther in. The chance of a permanent problem is rare, but it is possible to puncture your eardrum (which is painful), says Ilaaf Darrat, MD, in the department of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

What To Do: It's a good idea to see your doctor or an ear, nose and throat doctor (ENT) no mattter what. If you scratched any part of your ear and developed an infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotic ear drops. And if something like wax or a piece of cotton is stuck, the doctor (ideally an ENT) will, of course, carefully remove it. Depending on your symptoms, you may also need to get a hearing test. If you've ruptured your eardrum (meaning there's a hole in it), it will most likely heal on its own, but your doctor may need to check it regularly just to make sure. In the rare case that it doesn't heal or you have a facial nerve injury and/or severe hearing loss, you may need to have surgery.

Good To Know: There's really no need to clean the inside of your ears. Earwax actually helps keep dust and debris from getting into your eardrum. But if your ears are itchy or otherwise bothering you, try using over-the-counter ear drops like Debrox, which can dissolve and dislodge the wax, says Dr. Darrat. Or make your own drops by mixing equal parts hydrogen peroxide and warm tap water. Tilt your head to one side and, using a medicine dropper, put five drops in the ear that faces up. Wait 1 to 2 minutes to let the wax soften, then tilt your head the other way so the fluid comes out into the sink or a washcloth. Repeat on the other side. You can do this as often as once a week, she says. Photo: Getty Images

Learn the pros and cons of popular birth control methods.

Oops! I forgot to take my birth control pill.

Missing one pill usually isn't a big deal, as long as you make up for it the right way, says Jessica Shepherd, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and women's health at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

What To Do: If you're on a combined progesterone/estrogen pill (such as Ortho Tri-Cyclen or Seasonique), take it as soon as you remember (it's OK to take two in one day). But you can only do this twice in a row before you risk getting pregnant. If you take a progesterone-only mini-pill (like Micronor or Ovrette) and realize within 3 hours of your usual pill-popping time that you forgot, just take the pill immediately. If it's outside the 3-hour mark, take it when you remember, and use backup contraception (condoms or spermicide) for the next week. The mini-pill has lower levels of hormones, so going too long without it could cause you to ovulate. (Birth control pills prevent pregnancy by stopping ovulation.)

Good To Know: If you often forget to take your pill, talk to your doc about a form of birth control that you don't have to remember daily. Good options are the vaginal ring (you change it monthly) and intrauterine devices (IUDs), which can
last up to 12 years.

Oops! I took Tylenol (acetaminophen) for a headache, and realized later that I'd already taken a cold medicine that contains the same thing.

Double dosing is all too easy to do, since hundreds of over-the-counter cough and cold medications and even sleep aids contain acetaminophen. It's better to avoid the combo formulas and instead take individual medications to treat your specific symptoms, says Sandra Fryhofer, MD, an internist in Atlanta and past president of the American College of Physicians. (For example, if you've got a headache and a runny nose, take a pain reliever and an antihistamine separately.) Consistently taking more than the amount recommended on the package could potentially damage your stomach, liver or other organs. 

In the case of acetaminophen, if you take too much just once, you'll probably be OK, but doing it regularly can be toxic to your liver. (If you're popping acetaminophen often for weeks on end, check in with your doctor, who may recommend or prescribe a different drug that may be more effective.) The most an adult should take in a day is 4,000 mg, or four doses of 1,000 mg each.

What To Do: To be safe, don't take any more medications for the rest of the day or night. It's unlikely that you've overdosed from a one-time slip-up, but if you've recently upped your intake overall, pay close attention to how you're feeling. Signs of liver damage can take time to appear, and it's easy to mistake early symptoms (loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting) for something else, like the flu. Call your doctor or poison control center right away if you do feel sick. However, if you think you've taken 4,000 mg of acetaminophen or more in one day, make that call ASAP even if you don't have any symptoms; you may need medication to prevent serious liver damage.

In the future, before you take any OTC cough and/or cold remedy or sleep aid, check the active ingredients list carefully and make sure you don't take anything else that contains the same things.

See what your drugstore pharmacists wishes you knew.

Good To Know: If you regularly drink alcohol, taking even the dose that's recommended on the package could be harmful, since alcohol also taxes your liver, says Dr. Fryhofer. A maximum dose of 2,600 mg a day is safer if you do drink alcohol often, but in that case, talk to your doctor about which pain reliever would be best for you to use.

Also, take note that APAP is an abbreviation for acetaminophen sometimes used on OTC drug labels. Be sure to look for it when you're checking for acetaminophen content. Photo: Stephen Smith/Getty Images

Oops! I left my tampon in overnight.

Don't panic—chances are you won't get toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a rare but serious infection that causes fever, muscle aches, vomiting and diarrhea, which results from a buildup of bacteria in the tampon and your vagina. However, you may get bacterial vaginosis or a yeast infection, especially if you have a tendency to get them. The general rule of thumb is to change your tampon every 6 to 8 hours, says Dr. Shepherd. But you'll most likely be fine, even if the tampon has been in for a little longer than 8 hours.

What To Do: Remove the tampon ASAP and use pads for the rest of your period to be sure that any harmful bacteria are flushed out. For the next few days, watch for symptoms of infection, including nausea, vomiting, fever, muscle aches, discharge or diarrhea. Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these—you may need an antibiotic.

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If you're prone to bacterial infections, consider only using regular (not super or overnight) tampons. TSS can happen with any size tampon, but it's more likely with larger ones because they can cause more damage to the vaginal wall, which will make it more vulnerable to a bacterial infection, says Dr. Shepherd.

Good To Know: TSS is less common these days, thanks to changes in the materials used to make tampons. The TSS rate peaked in 1980 with 890 cases in the U.S., but experts now estimate that it's about 1 or 2 cases per 100,000 women between ages 15 and 44.

Not sure if it's an oops or an emergency?

Many drugstore chains like Walgreens, CVS/pharmacy and Walmart have drop-in medical clinics staffed by nurse practitioners, physician's assistants and sometimes doctors. Most health insurance companies also have a 24/7 nurse hotline (check the back of your card or the company's website for the number). Don't have insurance? Go to FindAHealthCenter.HRSA.gov and type in your address to find a federally funded clinic near you.

Denise Schipani is a freelance writer who specializes in health, fitness, relationships and parenting.

Article originally appeared on WomansDay.com.

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25 simple ways to get more steps in your day

Getty Images

By Su Reid-St. John

So you've heard it a million times: Walk more! Aim for 10,000 steps a day! But taking the stairs instead of the elevator will only get you so far. Steal a few of these fresh tips to help you rack up your mileage. (Looking for a great way to track those steps? Click here.)

1. Pace the room while waiting at the doctor's office.

2. Grocery shopping? Make an extra tour around the perimeter aisles before checking out.

3. Use the restroom one floor down (or up) at work instead of heading for the one just down the hall.

4. Ditto with your coffee.

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5. Hide the remote so you have to actually get up to change the channel. Better yet, turn off the TV.

6. Instead of fighting other drivers for that single open spot near the door, do your blood pressure a favor and park several rows away.

7. Walk around the block while your kid is taking dance class/playing soccer/whatever.

8. Get off the bus or subway one stop early.

9. March in place while brushing your teeth (go ahead and shut the door first if you'd like).

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10. Going to the mailbox? Take a tour around the house first—then take the time to say hello to that chatty neighbor who flags you down.

11. Hoof it to the store when you're only buying a few easy-to-carry items.

12. Walk over to your coworker's desk instead of e-mailing her.

13. Make it a nightly habit to go for an after-dinner stroll with the family.

14. Early for an appointment? Walk around the block instead of adding to your interminable time in the waiting room.

15. Take a daily afternoon "brainstorming" walk.

16. Wander the room while chatting on the phone.

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17. Walk your child to school instead of waiting in the endless carpool line.

18. Instead of cooping yourself and your coworkers up in a stuffy conference room, make your next meeting a walking one.

19. Headed to the mall? Stroll the length of it once before you start buying—and scout the sales while you're at it.

20. Set the alarm on your computer to go off every hour or two, then take a quick tour around the floor (or even just a trip up and down the hall) when it does.

21. Next time you have to run a couple of errands, park midway between your destinations and walk to them both. In between, pause to leave the dry cleaning in the car before strolling over to pick up your best friend's birthday gift.

22. Leave the stilettos in the closet and charm your hubby (or boyfriend) into taking a moonlit walk after dinner at your favorite restaurant.

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23. Tell yourself that you're allergic to escalators and act accordingly.

24. Instead of getting together with the girls for a stay-put meal, plan an evening of window-shopping or an afternoon of new-neighborhood scouting.

25. Whenever possible (and safe), take the scenic route!

Read more »

Have you been impacted by suicide?

Coverage of the tenth anniversary of 9/11 has pooled in the center of every media outlet this week with stories of lives and deaths taken control of by terrorist attacks. There is also the slow drip of news about prominent suicide deaths -- totally unrelated to September 11th and still, offering a strange confluence of lingering loss, but this time by one person's choice to end their own existence.

The recent suicide death of reality television cast member Russell Armstrong made many headlines, continuing in the last week with the season premier of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" prompting discussion on the show and in the press about his loss, mental well-being, financial downturn, and the wife and children he left behind.

Castmates gathered during the first episode to put their reactions to 47-year-old Armstrong's suicide on record. They were worried for their friend, Russell's estranged wife Taylor Armstrong. They were surprised by his actions. They'd never felt connected to him. They felt compassionate about the financial pressures inherent in their wealthy community. Mauricio Umansky, husband of show star Kyle Richards, said he oscillated daily between sadness and anger at the man who his wife's friend was divorcing.

The honesty didn't stop there. When those same castmates were interviewed by media heavy-hitter Anderson Cooper for his new syndicated daytime talk show, he says the group he expected to cancel devoted nearly half their time to discussing Armstrong's death.

That prompted Cooper to open up about his own brother's suicide, which he said he still ruminates 23 years later. His older sibling leaped out of a penthouse window in New York City in 1988 at the age of 23.

"I had a brother that committed suicide and that was more than twenty years ago and I'm still trying to figure out why he committed suicide. I think anyone who survives suicide, that's one of the horrible things about it, you can't pinpoint one thing necessarily always that did it," Cooper shared.

Cooper also offered advice to the castmates after projection about why Armstrong took his own life.

"You can't put yourself in someone else's mind, a mind that is not acting rationally or not thinking rationally," he said.

The "Real Housewives" cast and Cooper share the commonalities of screen-time and suicide grief. But their openness gives more voices to experience of countless people impacted by the 34,000 suicide deaths in this country every year.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, a suicide occurs every fifteen minutes, elevating it to the fourth leading cause of death of adults in the United States. Even more startling, suicide ranks as the fifth leading fatality for children aged 5 - 14, and the third for young adults 15 - 24. The foundation tallies eight to 25 attempts for every suicide death.

This leaves too many of us caught in the grief and pondering Anderson Cooper put words to this week.

Now it is your turn to share your stories: How have you been impacted by suicide? Do you feel emotional when someone famous takes their own life? What are your words of wisdom, experience, or comfort to people who have survived the suicide loss of a loved one?

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Weight Loss Secrets from The Biggest Loser's Olivia Ward and Hannah Curlee

By Jenna Autuori-Dedic

For Biggest Loser: Couples winner Olivia Ward and her sister-teammate, Hannah Curlee, the real secret to shedding a combined 249 pounds -- and keeping the weight off -- wasn't a strict diet or insane workouts. Or even Bob and Jillian. Their success strategies are surprisingly simple and so worth stealing.

Related: Hear More from The Biggest Loser's Olivia and Hannah on Shedding the Weight

Secret #1: You deserve to be in great shape.

One year ago Olivia Ward (far left), 35, weighed 261 pounds and couldn't walk a block without stopping for a breather. Her sister, Hannah Curlee, 32, tipped the scale at 248 pounds and was too embarrassed to go out with friends at night. "The first step in dropping the weight was realizing that I actually loathed myself and what I'd become," Hannah says. "On the show I gradually came to understand that I deserved so much more of a life than I'd given myself. I deserved to be happy. When I reached my goal of losing 120 pounds, I was proud of myself for the first time in 15 years. I now feel confident, not just about my stronger body but also about who I am inside."

Olivia had a similar aha moment, thanks to long talks with Biggest Loser trainer Bob Harper. "I used to put everyone else's needs ahead of mine," she says. "Now my health is the priority. Exercising is my me-time, and I've learned that that's not selfish at all."

Related: Check Out Olivia and Hannah's Fitness Favorites

Secret #2: Stop being so hard on yourself.

"I like to be perfect, and when I can't, I get frustrated," Olivia says. "Past diets never worked for me, because I'd always become overwhelmed thinking how far I still had to go. This time around I realized it's all about the small goals. The very first day on The Biggest Loser we had to push Jillian's truck while she had her foot on the brake, and it really felt impossible. But I kept telling myself, Just five more minutes. I learned from Jillian the power of setting small, manageable goals. When things get tough during a Spinning class, I think, Just get through this song and you'll be okay. Believing that you can do something will make you actually do it."

Related: Get Jillian Michaels' Amazing Arm Workout

Secret #3: You don't have to spend hours in the gym.

"Real life doesn't allow me to exercise six hours a day, like we did on the show," Olivia says. "That's why I took up Spinning at SoulCycle, and I love it! The classes are intense enough to keep me in shape, and they fit into my schedule. I try to work out 90 minutes a day, six days a week. Half my workout is cardio: If I'm not Spinning, I'm running on the treadmill, sprinting on the stairclimber or using the Arc Trainer at home. I strength-train for the rest of the time, doing mini circuits in the gym. I split up my workouts and do 45 minutes in the morning to rev up my metabolism and 45 minutes after work so that food isn't just sitting in my stomach all night."

Don't have 90 minutes to spare? Fit in a good workout before work. "I get up at 5 a.m. and go to a boot camp class," Hannah says. "I enjoy it because it's different every day. We do things like run across a football field holding a weighted bar. I love the social aspect of it, too. The buddy system really works for me -- obviously.

Related: 5 Super-Sculpting Moves to Firm Up Fast

Secret #4: Eat more, not less.

Start each day with a proper breakfast. "I used to get bacon, egg, and cheese on a bagel and think that it was just a bagel," Olivia admits. "But in reality it was more than an entire day's worth of calories. By lunchtime I'd be starving because I wasn't getting enough nutrients from that kind of food. Now I love an egg white omelet made with vegetables, like asparagus and mushrooms, left over from the previous night's dinner. I pair it with f-- e Total 0% Greek yogurt with some berries and stevia. You can eat healthy and still love what you're putting in your mouth."

And ditch the deprivation diet. Never let yourself get to the point where you're famished with no healthy food around, the sisters say. Hannah carries apples and almonds with her for on-the-go snacks. "When I'm hungry, I get mean," she admits. "So I eat as much fiber as I can to stay full and satisfied. That stops me from grabbing pizza or a candy bar."

Related: Easy Tricks to Supersize Your Self-Control

Secret #5: Ask for what you want.

"When I'm eating out I've become that person who asks the chef to hold the cheese, hold the dressing, and please cook my meal without any butter, but I'm totally okay with doing that," Olivia says. "Most restaurants are very accommodating. I'm not going to throw away all the hard work I've done just because I'm afraid to ask the waitress to skip the blue cheese. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy myself when I'm dining out. There has to be flexibility in both your diet and your exercise routine or you'll never be able to sustain them for the rest of your life. If I splurge, I make up for it the next day by pushing myself a little longer during my workout."

Related: How to Eat Out and Still Lose Weight

Secret #6: Do the write thing.

"I found that keeping a journal of everything that's going on while you're losing weight is a great way to stay focused," Hannah says. "Even if you just jot down stuff like 'I finally did a pull-up,' you can go back to those accomplishments to push yourself forward and remind yourself of how far you've come. On the ranch another contestant said that Olivia and I would never make it past the first couple of weeks. That lit a fire under me! I'd write those comments down and reread them for motivation. Today when I look back over the entries from when I was in a real funk about life, I can see what a bad place I was in and realize why I don't want to go back there."

Read more »

3 Nutrients to Accelerate Muscle Recovery

By: StacyAtZeel

Allowing your muscles to recover between workouts is as important as the exercise itself. After all, there's a reason why you're achy for a day or two following back-to-back Core Fusion classes. Strenuous workouts cause physical tissue damage, and your body needs ample time to heal. 

Recuperating after a tough workout, however, doesn't mean taking to the couch with a bowl of Cherry Garcia ice cream. Add these three muscle-boosting nutrients to your diet, and you'll be back to your warrior ways in no time.

Create Collagen: Vitamin C

Go ahead and pour yourself a morning glass of OJ. Vitamin C is essential for the creation of collagen in the body. Collagen is a protein that helps repair skin cells, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels. For optimal muscle repair and rehabilitation, a daily dose of 60 mg of vitamin C is recommended.

Fortunately enough, there should be no shortage of vitamin C in your kitchen. All it takes is half-a-cup of broccoli, one cup of cantaloupe or a medium size orange to get your needed vitamin C.

Speed Up Circulation: Vitamin E

Vitamin E protects the body from an enzyme called creatine phosphokinase (CPK), which is a protein that seeps into the blood following vigorous exercise. When the body is injured, CPK levels rise. Vitamin E increases blood circulation, and in doing so helps rid the body of this enzyme more efficiently.

Ideally, consume 15 mg (equal to 30 IU) of vitamin E after a sweat-session to expedite muscle repair. You can satisfy almost one-fifth of this recommended amount by eating a cup of spinach. Vitamin E is also found in corn, nuts, seeds and other green leafy veggies.

Manage Your Muscles: Magnesium

Too little magnesium in the body can result in muscle tension, cramping and spasms, so it's no wonder that this alkaline element plays a role in muscle repair. Vital to proper muscle and nerve function, magnesium boosts the body's ability to synthesize the proteins that make your muscle grow.

Whether you're a Hogan-esque bodybuilder or not, small amounts of magnesium—about 320 mg for women and 410 mg for men—can speed up muscle growth. Get your daily dose of magnesium by snacking on pumpkin seeds, spinach, soybeans, sunflower seeds, black beans and salmon.

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5 Ways To Help Your Parents Lose Weight

Eveyone I know is on a diet. They are trying to fit into a pair of jeans, a new dress, or a suit they have had in their closet for six years. Some of them buy a pair of True Religion Jeans in a smaller size and hang them up in a noticeable area as an incentive (the incentive is no doubt the price tag on these jeans). Some of my friends are successful, and others are discouraged and have already quit trying. They ask me what my secret is, or how I manage my weight. I tell them I am a runner and, although this is true, it is not how I manage my weight. My weight is managed by a healthy dose of fear of becoming obese. I have hypertension, despite being thin. I cannot imagine how it would be if I were heavy. My genes are favorable for heart attacks and strokes. These, of course, are all part of the fear, but the deeper reason is, I grew up with an obese mother.

It's interesting because most of the time we are unaware of how children are influenced by their parents. We forget that to a child parents are "GOD." My mother was the greatest woman I will ever know. I was her sixth child, and I learned by watching. My mother never talked about her weight. She was a victim of it all through her life. I say a victim because she was raised into it. Her father was an alcoholic, and one thing we know about morbid obesity is it is influenced by addictions within the family. My mother never drank or had alcohol in the home, but she had food and that was her drug of choice. She was an air force veteran, a school teacher, a mother of nine, and a good wife, but she could not lose weight. I used to go to the doctor with her. The doctors tried to be polite with their words, but they could not hide their disgust, frustration, and sometimes anger. I begin to understand the denial of obesity on one particular trip home from the doctor. I asked my mother why the doctor was so mean to her about her weight. She responded, "He wasn't mean. He was very kind."

"No, he wasn't," I insisted, "He looked mad." My mother had no answer. She knew the truth, but didn't want to discuss it. She finished by telling me, "No one wants to be fat, and if I knew how not to be, I would do it." This hurt me more than anything she could have said. I was a kid. How does a kid help their parent not be overweight?

Much of my career is working with the morbidly obese. I dedicate it to my mother and wish I knew then what I understand now. Weight is not a disease of the body. It causes diseases within the body, but the real culprit is in the mind. Weight loss surgery changes lives, but only the individuals can change their mind. The health care profession and public needs to understand all of the emotional issues underneath morbid obesity. Issues such as sexual abuse, verbal abuse, physical abuse, addictions, post traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, overwhelming stress, low self-esteem, and critical parenting are just a few. Surgery cannot fix these issues, nor can the health care profession if they aren't brought to light.

For kids who have an obese mom or dad, there are things you can do.

1. Sit down with your mom or dad and talk to them. Tell them you love them, and you are so proud they are your parent. Then ask them how you can help them get healthier. If they say you are too young, be insistent. Tell them you feel good about helping the family become healthier or that your self esteem will be higher if you feel like you are contributing. Parents want nothing more than for you to grow up and feel good about yourself. Helping has nothing to do with age.
2. Make your mom and/or dad go on a walk or do some movement with you every day. They love you, and if you tell them you need this, they will usually go along with it.
3. Whenever you play games or watch TV with your parents, tell them you prefer fruit or raw veggies. If your parents are trying to get healthier and you insist on chips, you may be (without meaning to) contributing to the problem.
4. Every day, tell your mom and dad that you need them in your life for a long time and you are glad they are working on getting healthy.
5. Hug your parents often. They need this so much to continue their healthy lifestyle, and many times they get too busy to ask you for it.

I think my mother was right. No one wants to be fat, but once you get overweight it seems impossible to turn it around. When I talk to patients who are going to have weight loss surgery, many times their biggest motivator is being more active and involved with their children. Sometimes a child has more power than anyone else to be a catalyst for change. Talk to your parents today.

Written by Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC, for Hybrid Mom

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Remembering loved ones lost on September 11

Ann Douglas

Bear Island, Meredith, New Hampshire
Her son, Frederick John Cox, 27, an associate at the investment-banking firm Sandler O'Neill + Partners, died in the collapse of the World Trade Center's Tower Two.

Sarah Wainio

Baltimore
Her sister, Honor Elizabeth Wainio, 27, a retail district manager, was on United Flight 93, which crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Akilah Jefferson

Suitland, Maryland 
Her uncle, Robert Russell, 52, worked as a military-budget supervisory analyst. He was on the first floor of the Pentagon when the building was struck.

Dorry Tompsett (with daughter Emily)

Garden City, New York
Her husband, Stephen Tompsett, 39, a senior vice president at the brokerage firm Instinet, was attending the Risk Waters Group's financial-technology conference at Windows on the World when the plane struck Tower One.

Devita Bishundat

Washington, D.C.
Her brother, Kris Romeo Bishundat, 23, an information technician, second class, in the U.S. Navy, died in the attack on the Pentagon.

Anthony Lilore

New York City
His brother, Craig Lilore, a 30-year-old stock trader at Cantor Fitzgerald, died in the collapse of Tower One.

Read Anthony's story.

Brad Burlingame

Los Angeles
His brother, Charles Burlingame, 51, was the pilot of American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon.

Read Brad's story.

Carole O'Hare

Danville, California
Her mother, Hilda Marcin, a 79-year-old retiree from Mount Olive, New Jersey, died in the crash of United Flight 93.

Jane Randel (with husband Charles)

Maplewood, New Jersey
Her friend, Douglas MacMillan Cherry, 38, a vice president for Aon Corporation, was in Tower Two when the plane struck.

Tyrone Fripp

New York City
His best friend, Eric Bennett, 29, a vice president at Alliance Consulting Group, died when the plane struck Tower One.

Read more »

Take Charge of Menopause

By Trisha Calvo Posted August 26, 2011 from Woman's Day; October 1, 2011

You've heard about the symptoms. But the truth is menopause doesn't have to be miserable. It turns out your attitude towards the hormone shift can make a big difference in how you handle it. "Women who know what to expect and have a positive outlook often have an easier time," says Karen Deighan, MD, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Loyola University Health System at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Illinois. But knowing the facts helps, too. "Being prepared gives you a sense of control … which may lead you to make healthier choices and help you feel better overall," she adds. Read on to learn what you should expect and surprisingly easy ways to weather the post-period storm.

Consider taking birth control pills.

As your hormone levels become erratic, foggy thinking and PMS-like mood swings can happen, and taking the birth control pill can help by evening out your hormones, says Steven R. Goldstein, MD, president of the North American Menopause Society. Doctors prefer the Pill to hormone therapy early in perimenopause because it substitutes your own hormones with a steady dose (unlike hormone therapy, which only adds hormones). Another plus: The Pill helps with irregular periods and heavy bleeding.

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"As long as you don't smoke and you don't have high blood pressure, the Pill is safe—and it'll lower your risk of ovarian and uterine cancer," says Dr. Goldstein. You should feel better in about two months; if not, discuss other factors like stress and depression with your doctor. Photo: Thinkstock

Stay on top of your heart stats.

Exercise is key to protecting against heart disease as you approach menopause, but just as crucial is keeping tabs on your potential risk factors, including waist circumference (over 35 inches ups your chances of developing heart disease), blood pressure and cholesterol levels, says Lori Daniels, MD, associate director of the coronary care unit at the University of California, San Diego. Even if you've always had good cholesterol and blood pressure levels, these numbers can go up as you approach menopause, so you want to be sure to check them every year, says Jennifer Mieres, MD, a nuclear cardiologist and medical director for the Center for Learning and Innovation at the North Shore-LIJ Health System in Lake Success, New York.

Learn the truth about menopause by reading "The Big M," a menopause blog.

Also be sure to talk to your doctor about any new symptoms, including heart palpitations, sweating, nausea and shortness of breath. "Many menopausal symptoms are similar to those of heart disease, so you want to make sure you and your doctor know what's going on," says Dr. Mieres.

Eat mindfully to help with hot flashes.

At least 75% of women going through menopause get hot flashes, but stats show that fewer than 20% of women are so bothered by them that they need treatment, says Dr. Pinkerton. And, as annoying and uncomfortable as they are, hot flashes may be a good sign. A study of 60,000 women found that those who got them were 11% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those who didn't.

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Still, when you're sweating and red-faced, you want a solution—fast. The best place to start: lifestyle changes. "Tofu and other soy foods contain natural plant estrogens that may keep hot flashes in check," says Dr. Pinkerton. In fact, a study from the Journal of Women's Health showed that women who ate soy nuts daily had 45% fewer hot flashes, and the episodes were less severe. On the other hand, spicy foods, alcohol (especially wine) and caffeine may trigger hot flashes, so try to avoid them. Yoga and other stress-reduction techniques are also effective. One study found that women who did mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing daily were less bothered by hot flashes (even though they happened just as often).

If those changes don't help, consider hormone therapy (HT), formerly called hormone replacement therapy. "I've also had success with gabapentin, a drug developed to treat epilepsy," says Dr. Goldstein. "It works just as well as HT and is safe. It's a good choice when you can't or don't want to take hormones." Photo: Getty Images

Sleep smarter.

"Research shows that a cool bedroom—between 64 and 72 degrees—improves sleep, and it has the bonus of minimizing hot flashes," says Grace Pien, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania's Division of Sleep Medicine. Getting enough shut-eye can also help ease other menopausal symptoms including fatigue, forgetfulness, weight gain and moodiness.

Can't sleep? Try snacking on one of these foods before bed.

Cut 100 calories a day.

Weight gain tends to happen during perimenopause and menopause, but again, the change in hormones isn't the only cause. Even if you're eating and exercising exactly the same way at age 45 as you did at 35, you're still getting more calories than you need. That's because your metabolism slows 4% to 5% per decade, which may sound like a lot, but it really just means that you need about 100 fewer calories a day. Cutting out one slice of bread, ounce of cheese, glass of juice or ½ cup of icecream will do the trick. Or you could burn it off by taking a 10- to 15-minute walk. Even better: Combine the two. A recent study from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle found that overweight women over 50 who cut calories and walked, biked or used an elliptical trainer for 45 minutes five days a week were able to drop 9% to 11% of their weight in a year. Photo: Shutterstock

Don't fall for these eight myths when it comes to burning calories.

Pump some iron.

Lifting weights builds muscle­—and the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn and the stronger your bones are, says Kathy Kaehler, a veteran fitness expert. This protects against weight gain as well as heart disease and osteoporosis, which you're at higher risk for after menopause. The weights have to be heavy enough for you to feel the burn. You'll know you have the right amount when you can do two to three sets of 10 reps but the last three reps of every set are tough to finish.

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The effort is worth it: Researchers at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, found that a two-month program of weight and cardio training led to a 9-pound weight loss and 3-pound muscle gain.

Don't discount your sex life.

It's not hormones that put the biggest damper on your sex life during midlife, it's how you feel about your partner, according to The Melbourne Women's Midlife Health Project, a nine-year study of women ages 45 to 55. If you were happy with your sex life before perimenopause started, chances are that you'll also be happy with it afterward, says Nanette Santoro, MD, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora.

Find out why sex is actually good for you.

The drop in estrogen, however, can cause vaginal dryness. "It can make intercourse painful and—no surprise—make you averse to sex," says Dr. Santoro. If that happens, talk to your gynecologist about trying an estrogen vaginal cream, tablet or ring. Because you insert them directly into your vagina, less estrogen enters your system than if you took it by mouth or via a patch. "Lubricants can also help, but they're not nearly as effective," says Dr. Santoro. Photo: Corbis

Bone up.

Women can lose about 20% of their bone mass after they've hit menopause, but if you've been getting enough calcium, exercising and not smoking, you've probably got plenty of bone to spare. Just don't slack off on calcium and vitamin D now. A study published in The Lancet found that people 50 and over taking calcium and vitamin D supplements lowered their odds of breaking a bone by 12%. However, it's worth noting that some research found a link between calcium supplements and increased heart attack risk.

See which vitamins you should be taking--and which you can skip.

Talk to your doctor about whether you should be exploring alternative ways to supplement your calcium intake, such as increasing it with food instead of pills. Aim for 1,000 mg of calcium and 400 to 800 IU of vitamin D a day. If you're over 50, up your calcium to 1,200 mg and your D to 800 to 1,000 IU.

Exercise is also crucial, not only because it builds and maintains bone, but also because it keeps you strong. "Take two women with the exact same bone mass who trip on a curb," says Dr. Goldstein. "One is flexible, agile, mobile and strong, and the other is frail. The first woman will have the ability to catch herself, while the other will likely fall and maybe break a bone."

Trisha Calvo is a health writer who lives in Norwalk, Connecticut. Her work has also appeared in Fitness andShape magazines.

Article originally appeared on WomansDay.com.

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