Ask Hanna Answers, Health Channel
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Ask Hanna answers

Is my office chair affecting my back?

Is my office chair affecting my back?

Most of our eDocAmerica clients regularly use computers at home or at work. In fact, it has been estimated that approximately 70% of the U.S. work force now sit while performing their jobs, many in front of computers. As with many other jobs, there are occupational hazards related to working on a computer. For example,…...
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Why am I seeing spots, flashing lights, zig zags?

Why am I seeing spots, flashing lights, zig zags?

Popularly referred to as "ophthalmic" or "ocular" migraines, this common condition primarily causes visual symptoms and has the official classification from the International Headache Society of "ancephalgic migraine with aura." Ancephalgic means that there is no headache and the term aura refers to the visual symptoms experienced. This condition is distinguished from a classic migraine…...
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Why do my toes and fingertips change colors?

Why do my toes and fingertips change colors?

Raynaud's (ray-NODES) is a condition that affects blood vessels, primarily in the fingers and toes. It was named for Dr. Maurice Raynaud, a French physician who first described the condition in a young woman whose fingertips changed colors when she was cold or under stress. There are two primary types of Raynaud's. The first, known…...
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What does S. A. D. mean?

What does S. A.D. mean?

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a mood disturbance that characteristically occurs in the autumn or winter with remission in the spring and summer. Its development coincides with the fewer hours of sunlight available during the winter. In a given year, up to 5% of the U.S. population is thought to experience mood changes during the…...
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Does my asthma inhaler affect the ozone?

Does my asthma inhaler affect the ozone?

Since 2009, a quiet transition has been occurring to replace the propellant currently being used in inhaled medications with a more environmentally friendly product. By the end of this year, the last two medications that use an ozone-depleting propellant will have been removed from the market. Prior to 2009, chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) were widely used to…...
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What is the best way to treat a common cold?

What is the best way to treat a common cold?

Historical accounts of cures for the common cold abound. An 18th century cookbook offered the following recipe for making tablets for treating colds: "Take pearls, crab's-eyes, red coral, white amber, burnt hartshorn, and oriental bezoar, of each half an ounce; the black tips of crabs-claws three ounces; make all into a paste, with a jelly…...
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What really works to treat a cold?

What really works to treat a cold?

The common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory system. On average, children have six to eight colds per year, and adults have two to four. The common cold places a heavy burden on society, accounting for approximately 40% of time taken off work and millions of days of school missed by children…...
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What is in Hand Sanitizers and How Do They Work?

What is in Hand Sanitizers and How Do They Work?

Plastic containers of hand sanitizer are appearing everywhere---at restaurant counters, offices, gyms, even in campground pit toilets. And no wonder, keeping hands clean through proper hand hygiene is a proven way to avoid getting sick and to prevent spreading germs. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the standard for this is washing with…...
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