Seeking fuller lips, a larger derriere and bigger breasts, but unable to afford expensive plastic surgery procedures? 

Many women in the U.S. are increasingly turning to the black market to alter their appearance. With the use of tools such as industrial silicone, which is only available at home improvement stores, many women in several states have died after people without medical training injected their buttocks with the silicone.

For as long as I can remember, I was plagued with chronic urinary tract and kidney infections. Growing up in a small town, my mom and I would venture into the local family practitioner’s office almost weekly. The doctor would write me a prescription for an antibiotic and send us on our way, without any answers. Essentially we were treating the symptoms but never curing the ailment. 

Much like the addiction that was soon to come, I remember the pain eroding my quality of life. I’d spend hours crying, running into the bathroom, and begging for relief. One day, I went for my routine office visit and I was greeted by a fill-in doctor. Anxiously annoyed, I updated the doctor on my medical history. He quickly realized that my frequent visits warranted further investigation.

Have you been diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)? If so, then you are well aware of how complex the disorder is. 

It’s estimated that somewhere around 18 percent of women receive this diagnosis. 

The formation of small ovarian cysts cause a plethora of health problems--from infertility and pelvic pain to missing or extremely heavy menstrual cycles.

In some cases, there is nothing that can be done to prevent PCOS. That's because one reason women are affected is simply because of genetics. One study showed that 24 percent of women with PCOS also had a mother with the condition. The same study showed that 32 percent had a sister that was diagnosed with PCOS. There are other reasons PCOS occurs, including a hormonal imbalance or improper diet. 

The good news is, there are a variety of treatment options out there.

Copper is a micronutrient essential for multiple functions in the body. It benefits your health overall, including maintaining beauty, promoting general wellness, treatment of wounds, and even helps in maintaining metabolic processes. 

Even though it is required in trace quantities, copper provides tremendous health benefits. Read on to know more.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety disorders are affecting one in eight children, and that could put them at risk of poor school performance, sleep disturbances and maintaining relationships with peers. 

A child’s nervous system typically can’t handle the fast-paced culture we live in today, which has played a big role in the spike of anxiety in children.

In 2009, then Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the Donda West Plastic Surgery Law, requiring health checks be conducted prior to all major plastic surgery procedures in the state. 

This was following the death of rapper Kanye West’s mother. It was later determined that her heart attack was spawned by a combination of numerous postoperative complications and pre-existing coronary artery disease. 

Today, women especially peruse Instagram and covet a perfect pout, perky derriere and firm breasts seen on Insta models. Just because you may desire cosmetic surgery does not mean you are physically or mentally fit for it NOW.

Regardless of weight or body type, it’s common to see some belly bloat. The foods we choose, how we’re digesting and simply the air we’re swallowing, can all add up to feeling and looking bloated. 

To help us keep our bellies as bloat free as possible, is Dr. Niket Sonpal, Adjunct Assistant Professor at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, Board Certified in Internal Medicine specializing in gastroenterology, digestive health and nutrition, who shares what to eat and what to avoid and why.

Travel nurses work with people from all walks of life and all ages as well. While some nurses stick to their specialties (like pediatric nurses), others work with young adults to the elderly. 

Within this group, nurses may find it a little difficult to care for elderly patients for a number of different reasons. They may have trouble speaking or articulating themselves, they may have unique health issues that take longer to diagnose and care for, or they may have hearing loss, impaired vision, or even memory issues due to dementia or Alzheimer's disease. 

What's more, elderly patients are often subject to more sensitive topics such as end-of-life care, which can lead to delicate conversations or assumptions about a patient's abilities that can result in hurt feelings, fear, and other negative scenarios.

Between 12 and 22 percent of adult women have acne, despite the common perception it’s a teenage affliction. 

However, adult acne often differs from adolescent acne, because it’s typically hormonal in nature rather than a result of clogged pores or overproduction of sebum, the oil the skin creates. 

There are a wide variety of adult acne cures on the market, from antibiotics and contraception to radiofrequency laser treatments. While all these products can help acne, there are fixes that are easier and more natural that you can try first.

Stress is something we all deal with on a regular basis, but we usually don’t realize just how detrimental it can be to our health.

In particular, stress can be very problematic for seniors, who are already dealing with other health challenges that come along with getting older.

Seniors looking to increase their life expectancy and live a happier, more comfortable life should focus on reducing their stress levels, particularly if they are living in senior homes or memory care homes.

Here are some ways that seniors can reduce the stress they experience on a daily basis.

One would assume as a registered dietician my children naturally gravitate toward foods enriched in vitamins and nutrients. In my dreams, perhaps. The reality is it can still be a struggle at times to make meals that are balanced and as green that they should be.

As I tell patients at CHOC Children's, ensuring your family eats right, starts way before any meal hits the table. For me, it begins during my weekly trip to the supermarket. I know anything purchased then will directly impact the food choices my kids make for the next seven days. This is especially true for my younger ones who eat most of their meals at home or from packed lunches.

Admittedly, I can’t manage every morsel of food that goes in my children’s mouth. Nor should I. What I can do, however, is provide balanced meals and a kitchen stocked with healthy foods, so when they are older – or in that I call the “grab-n-go” stage – they’re incline to make better choice. Until then, here the 10 basic rule from which I operate my kitchen and advise my patients.

There’s crash dieting, and then there’s intermittent fasting. 

Crash diets aren’t sustainable and rarely factor in healthy food options. Intermittent fasting on the other hand is gaining attention because people are seeing weight come off, and therefore stay with it. It’s being touted as the go-to way to lose 15, 20 pounds within a month or two. 

Is it just a popular hashtag or can the weight actually stay off leading millions of people to reach their weight goals? 

To get clarity, we turned to Dr. Niket Sonpal who not only is Board Certified in Internal Medicine specializing in Gastroenterology but lost eight pounds his first week of intermittent fasting when he decided to do it himself.