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It's a conversation few of us want to have, but it's imperative to have it. 'It' refers to talking to loved ones, often our aging parents, about their health and medical care, including at the end of life. These are some of the most important topics we should address.

• Knowing medical history: If an elderly parent falls ill and becomes confused or nonresponsive, doctors will turn to family members for information to guide treatment. Having the facts helps ensure the most appropriate care. It's also important for you to know of any diseases that run in your family to guide your own screening and

Most of us are familiar with the primary symptoms of menopause — hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood changes and slowing metabolism. But there are other lesser-known menopause symptoms we may experience as our ovaries produce waning supplies of progesterone and estrogen, including insomnia, a metallic taste in your mouth, and body odor. Read on for tips on how to deal with them.

Use Heart Month as the reason to learn how to take care of your heart health. Heart disease is a killer, but you can do plenty to reduce your risk and prolong your life. Research shows that making lifestyle changes can lower your risk for heart disease.

You may notice veins that bulge or look twisted (varicose veins) in your legs. Your legs may ache or swell, and sometimes they may feel heavy and tired, or like they're burning. You're not too happy with the way they look either. What can you do? 

Don't fret. There are options (for women and men!) to help lessen the pain, prevent and improve swelling, and even boost your confidence when you put that cute dress or those golf shorts on. 

First things first. What are varicose veins? Veins have valves that stop blood from flowing backward. If the valves aren't working, blood backs up, collects in

Do you have a friend who avoids eating corn and other foods like seeds, nuts, and popcorn due to diverticulitis? Or maybe that person is you? 

Diverticular disease is on the rise in the U.S. and is more common in older Americans. Despite being so common, many don’t know exactly what it is.

What is Diverticulitis?

Diverticula are small sacs on the colon. At the time of colonoscopy, from the inside of the colon, they look like small holes, almost like Swiss cheese. Diverticulosis is the presence of diverticula. Many of you may have first found out you have diverticulosis after having a colonoscopy

We know sleep is important to our well-being. But getting it can be challenging. Stress, caffeine and poor work/life balance can interfere a restful night. But sleep apnea — a serious, potentially life-threatening disorder — can also be the culprit. 

One of the chief causes of non-restful sleep is snoring – an issue in which its potential seriousness is underrated. Snoring occurs when the muscles in our airway relax and collapse, causing a narrowing in the throat and the rear of the mouth. As air flows past the relaxed tissue, it vibrates, causing a coarse or harsh sound. 

When that tissue

A urinary tract infection, or UTI, is an infection in any part of the urinary system. While the bladder and urethra (the passageway between the bladder and the external part of the body) are the most common locations for infections, they can also affect the kidneys and ureters (the tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder). 

Women are more susceptible to UTIs than men, mainly due to their anatomy. The female urinary system places the anus (a source of the most common bacteria to cause UTIs) in close proximity to the urethra. The urethra is the entry point to the urinary system. The distance

Fecal incontinence is a common, yet embarrassing, condition. It happens when the anal sphincter muscle (located at the end of the rectum and controls the release of stool) doesn’t work properly, leading to involuntary or unexpected loss of bowel control. Affecting millions of people, treatment for fecal incontinence (aka bowel incontinence) has come a long way. With the development of sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) surgery, sufferers now have an effective and less invasive option.

What Happens During SNS Surgery?

• With SNS, a small device, like a pacemaker, is implanted. It sends mild electrical

You’ve had your colon cancer screening. Your results just came. The news isn’t what you had hoped. You’ve been diagnosed with cancer. Now the question is how is colon cancer treated? 

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the overall five-year survival rate for people is 64%. If the cancer is diagnosed at a localized stage, the survival rate is 91%. If cancer has spread to surrounding tissues or organs and/or the regional lymph nodes, the five-year survival rate is 72%. 

Your treatment choices depend on the type of colorectal cancer you have, your test results and the stage of