The Easy-to-Find Information Center
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Medical and health information links and commentary
Slightly Creaky does extensive research to find the links you would most likely need and provides them for you in an easy-to-find format. You can access this information from any of our web pages using the top or side menus. Each division has generalized headings, followed by more specific ones.
Thus, if you are looking for a support group for people with asthma, you could access it through the Medical & Health home page (this one) or more directly by using the "Support Groups" link. We attempt to keep all information no more than two levels below the topic home page.
Every link is checked out weekly by our volunteer research. Should you find a link that is misdirected or non-functioning, please report it to our Webmaster. Should you wish to suggest an addition to this site, submit it to Submissions of Links.
This Month's Actively Disabled Column:
"Vitamin Consumption"
(Also see our Actively Disabled Archives for past column.)
After January, 2010, the editors of Slightly Creaky are taking a few months off writing Medical articles. We would consider viewer submissions. See the Submission Policy for more details.
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- Medical Information. Links to medical information, dictionaries, encyclopedias, drugs and home remedies, advocacy, and groups that support many conditions.
- Support Groups. Eightpages of annotated links to sites that support people and families with specific medical ailments and conditions. From the most common such as heart disease, diabetes, and vision problems, to orphan conditions that get very little attention. They are all here. Links to Support Group pages:
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- Family & Relationships. We can choose our friends, but not our family. Sometimes relationships are difficult, whether between spouses, parents and children, and siblings. This section provides links to sites that offer suggestions to improve and repair such situations.
- Nutrition. From the food pyramid to calorie counters, nutrition guides for general living or specific medical conditions, you can find links to helpful sites here
- Also see our Actively Disabled Archives for past column.
- Medical Notes: articles contributed by Slightly Creaky members.
This Month's Actively Disabled Column
(January 20). Also see our Actively Disabled Archives for past column.
After January, 2010, the editors of Slightly Creaky are taking a few months off writing Medical articles. We would consider viewer submissions. See the Submission Policy for more details.
Vitamin Consumption
With the increasing popularity of vitamins and nutritional supplements, it is necessary to be aware of your options, particularly from a safety point of view. These products are intended to make you healthier, but they can be anything but healthy if you overdo it. Taken to excess, you actually can overdose on vitamins and other food supplements.
Fortified foods and supplements are very popular these days. They are hyped to be ideal for both busy and health conscious consumers. A vitamin pill or a liquid multivitamin seems the ideal solution to compensate for a missed meal. For dieters, ads imply that you can limit your calories while still getting all the nutrients you need. Is this really the case?
As with most substances, it is the amount consumed that is the key. Almost anything is toxic if consumed in excess, including salt, alcohol and even water or oxygen. Provided that supplements are taken in the amounts recommended on the pack by the manufacturer, and the recommended doses are not exceeded by combining too many different supplements, then it is highly unlikely that supplements will cause toxicity. Supplements are little regulated if at all. You can pick any one of them up at your neighborhood grocery store.
As our bodies age, they become less efficient at absorbing some of the nutrients from our diet making it important to ensure that the right quantities of necessary vitamins and minerals are consumed. For example, as we get older our bodies are less able to absorb iron but Vitamin C can help increase absorption, as can multivitamins in liquid form. On the other hand, we are also more prone to toxicity as even water-soluble vitamins are not excreted as much because of our less efficient kidneys. Due to individual sensitivities, if any unexpected symptoms appear while taking a particular supplement, medical advice should be sought.
If you suspect that you're taking too much of a vitamin or mineral, don't stop completely. Nutrition experts suggest cutting back to about half of your current dosage. Your body has adjusted itself to handle a massive dose, so if you stop altogether, it could trigger a deficiency.
If you're thinking about increasing the dosage of some nutrients or are just curious about your present vitamin regimen, consult your doctor or a registered dietitian. This is especially important if you have an illness such as diabetes or high blood pressure, since large doses of some supplements can interfere with the function of some medications.
Many people are anxious over whether their families should be given extra vitamin pills. Much depends on the circumstances under which they live. When people are healthy and strong, extra vitamins are not required. However they are valuable when a person is recovering from a severe illness or injury. Many people can get all the vitamins they require by consuming a decent diet, along with enough rest, sunshine and exercise.
Suggested links for more information:
Fitness Tips
Vitamins & Minerals
Multivitamins & Minerals
Benefits Of Vitamins and Mineral Food Supplements
The Med Guru
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