Lifestyle

An important tool for keeping kids healthy is participation in youth sports, and it's not just because of the physical activity. There are the obvious physical benefits when kids play sports. It improves cardiovascular health and prevents obesity. But that's not all. There can be social benefits where you make friends. You have an opportunity to...

Many people don’t know it, but common childhood infections can cause kidney damage and kidney failure.  This is especially true for children.  Two childhood infections to be aware of are 1) strep infections caused by the Streptococcus bacteria, which leads to strep throat and impetigo (a skin infection), and 2) urinary tract infections. These conditions...

Hookah smoking is not safer than cigarette smoking. Also known as a narghile, shisha or goza, a hookah is a water pipe with a smoke chamber, a bowl, a pipe and a hose. Specially made tobacco is heated, and the smoke passes through water and is then drawn through a rubber hose to a mouthpiece. The...

A stroke may be caused by a blocked artery (ischemic stroke) or the leaking or bursting of a blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke). Some people may experience only a temporary disruption of blood flow to the brain (transient ischemic attack, or TIA) that doesn't cause permanent damage. Ischemic stroke About 80 percent of strokes are ischemic strokes....

Healthy kidneys do many important jobs. They keep your whole body in balance. They remove waste products and extra water from your body, help make red blood cells, and help control blood pressure. When you have kidney failure, it means your kidneys are damaged. They cannot do these important jobs well enough. Having kidney failure...