Scientists Mark Changizi and Kevin Rio, in a study published re­cently in the journal Medical Hypotheses, argue that the typical hospital gown colors -- usually a solid blue or green or a print on a white background -- may not help health professionals see if skin tones are changing, signaling a se­rious condition such as cyanosis.  

The old adage about an ounce of prevention equaling a pound of cure may ring true, according to medical experts - if you have a first aid kit on hand.

Children are a resilient lot. They adjust to physical and cognitive difficulties with aplomb and hard work that embarrasses adults with similar problems. Unfortunately, their peers, and the parents of their peers, often have problems dealing with playmates who are changed because of accidents or illness. Unfortunately, their peers, and the parents of their peers, often have problems dealing with playmates who are changed because of accidents or illness.

A diagnosis of a chronic, debilitating or life threatening illness is bad enough. Often, it's just the first layer of stress. Other stressors come rapidly and when you're least prepared to deal with them.

Is your home making you sick? Martine Davis says it's possible. The president of Indoor Environmental Testing Inc., Davis started feeling headaches, fatigue, sinus infections and other symptoms months after she and her family moved into a home in a small community outside of Springfield. After starting to work from home, she experienced dizziness, tremors and hair and memory loss.      

We wash our hands, bundle up and take extra precautions in the classroom and the office to keep ourselves well during flu season. But how much effort do we make to keep our brown-bag lunches safe from bacteria? Ensuring a nutritious meal means more than packing fruits and veggies in a brown paper bag. Methods of cooling, heating and storing on-the-go lunches can contribute to the amount of bacteria the body consumes daily. 

Veteran central Illinois broadcaster Bob Murray lost 170 pounds on a liquid diet and got down to 210 - his "perfect weight" - in 2002. He maintained that weight for several months before beginning a slide into his old habits as a "volume eater" and food addict. He switched jobs and worked a new schedule that didn't allow him to continue attending a weight-loss support group. After noticing he was gaining weight, he became self-conscious, and his daily workouts at the YMCA in his hometown of Decatur became less frequent.  

People want to believe they can live fairy-tale lives. But some people know how to take advantage of that wishful thinking and make a relationship unhealthy, leeching off people as they "bunny hop" from one relationship to the next, says Bernadette Jones, director of Preventing Abusive Relationships Inc., 1314 S. Eighth St.  

You may be worried about saying the wrong thing when you learn someone you know has cancer. But with these tips, you can help your friend or loved one stay connected.

The Sangamon County Health Department received more doses of injectable H1N1 vaccine recently, which will allow the department to keep taking calls from people who want an appointment for a flu shot. The free shots will be given by appointment only, and the only way of making an appointment is to call 753-3333 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The department has enough flu shots to last through Dec. 11, said Gail O'Neill, assistant director of public health.  

Hospital stays are never fun, but some preparation can make them more tolerable. For Tressa Krippel of Rochester, being prepared for a hospital stay involved many things when it came time to give birth to her and her husband Todd's four sons. Knowing where to enter the hospital after hours was among things that came in handy. For the Krippels - who had three sons born at Memorial Medical Center and one son at St. John's Hospital - the rides to the hospital occurred between 10:30 and 11:30 p.m.