Health Whys
Holiday gift guide: Choosing safe toys for children
More than 180,000 children were treated in U.S. emergency rooms for toy-related injuries last year. Here, two UNC Health Care experts offer toy-safety tips for the kids in your life.
Avoiding nasty germs and flaming turkeys on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving can be a time of great joy, but you should use caution in preparing the holiday meal. UNC’s experts offer preparation, cooking and nutrition tips to help you avoid common health and safety hazards.
What about our daughters? Women's health begins in childhood
The term “women’s health” implies a separation between what a female does during adulthood to stay healthy from what she did – or had done for her – as a child. However, more attention than ever is focusing on urging and enabling children to adopt healthy habits that will last a lifetime.
Can a short leg cause knee or hip pain?
If one of your legs is shorter than the other, that may increase your risk of pain in your knees or hips, some researchers suspect. UNC’s Yvonne Golightly, PT, PhD, explains what researchers do and don’t know about this surprisingly common condition.
September is peak month for hurricanes in North Carolina
More hurricanes and tropical storms hit North Carolina in September than in any other month. Two UNC experts explain how state residents can stay safe and healthy before and after a dangerous storm.
Coping with back-to-school anxiety
Many children feel nervous about going to school for the first time or returning to school after a summer off. Here are tips for kids – and parents – on managing the back-to-school jitters.
When cystic fibrosis patients grow up
In the 1950s, children diagnosed with cystic fibrosis usually died before they reached school age. Thanks to improved treatments, many patients now survive for decades, changing the ways that their doctors care for them.
Music therapy helps patients cope with illness, regain health
Recent news stories highlighted how music therapy helped Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords recover from a gunshot to her head. At North Carolina Children's Hospital, music therapist Elizabeth Fawcett engages chronically ill children with singing, song writing and playing musical instruments as a way to help them cope with their diseases.
The skinny on fat: Debate rages on pros, cons of low-fat diet
In recent years a fierce debate has raged among nutrition experts over the wisdom of prevailing dietary guidelines that emphasize eating less saturated fat. Two experts from the UNC Department of Nutrition cut through the chatter and explain what you can do to eat healthy.
UNC researchers unravel clues, develop interventions for autism
As World Autism Awareness Day, April 2, approaches, scientists at the UNC School of Medicine hunt for new treatments and interventions for the disorder.
Managing anxiety on the run
Jonathan Abramowitz, PhD, director of the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Clinic at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, explains how you may be able to quell anxiety and stress with exercise.
How to fight winter’s ailments
Three University of North Carolina medical professionals explain how to stay healthy in winter.
Creating an "Alzheimer's friendly" home for your loved one
Susan Coppola, an associate professor of occupational therapy at the UNC School of Medicine, explains how making simple changes at home can help an Alzheimer's patient stay healthier, happier and more independent.
Should you go gluten-free?
The market for gluten-free food, touted as a cure for all ills, has grown by double digits in the past five years. But are such health claims half-baked? Maya Jerath, MD, PhD, the director of the Allergy and Immunology Clinic at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, gives the “dough-down” on the gluten-free diet.
Can you prevent Alzheimer's disease by doing crossword puzzles?
For National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month this November, two Alzheimer's disease experts at the University of North Carolina explain what researchers know – and don’t know – about preventing the disease.
Facts and myths about Halloween candy
A holiday devoted to vampires, goblins and ghouls is a recipe for a ghastly night of fright. But false stories of marauding strangers and poison-laced candy can make the evening scarier than it needs to be.
Is being a 'weekend warrior' bad for your health?
Work and family obligations keep many people from exercising on a regular basis. But working out only once a week or less puts you at risk of injury. Jeffrey Spang, MD, an expert at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, explains how you can develop a long-term, healthy approach to exercise.
How to tailgate the healthy way
For fans, part of the joy of football season is the chance to eat tailgate food – and to drink plenty of alcohol. Cynthia Bulik, a professor of eating disorders at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, explains how you can stay healthy at tailgate parties from before kickoff until the final touchdown.
Whooping cough on the rise: Add vaccine to your back-to-school checklist
California declared a whooping cough epidemic this summer when more than 2,700 cases were reported in the state by mid-August and seven infants had died. Prevent an outbreak in North Carolina by immunizing your family before school starts.
A healthy school lunch for your child, tater-tot free
Childhood diets have been blamed for everything from the obesity epidemic to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Liz Watt, a registered dietitian at the UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont, explains how to make packing a healthy school lunch easy.
