Health Tips for August 25

Health Tip: Staying Healthy

Your lifestyle choices really can make a difference in whether you're healthy or frequently sick, the American Academy of Family Physicians says.

The academy offers these suggestions to help prevent chronic health problems:

• Avoid smoking and any other use of tobacco.
• Limit your alcohol intake. For women, that's no more than one drink per day, or no more than two drinks per day for men.
• Stick to a healthy diet, maintain a healthy body weight and get regular exercise.
• Protect your skin from the sun. Wear sunscreen, and avoid sunbathing and using tanning beds.
• Be safe when it comes to choosing sexual partners and having sex. Always use condoms and spermicide.
• Keep blood pressure and cholesterol under control.
• Make regular appointments for vaccinations and screenings, such as mammograms, Pap smears, cancer screenings and physical exams.

Health Tip: Unexplained Swelling

If you have swelling of the ankles, legs or feet, the cause isn't always obvious.

Here, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, are some common causes of unusual swelling in these areas:

• Standing up for long periods.
• A side effect of your menstrual period.
• Being overweight.
• Being pregnant.
• Prolonged plane or car travel.
• An injury to the foot or ankle.
• Certain medications.

Swelling in the legs may also indicate serious conditions including failure of the heart, kidneys, or liver. So if you have unexplained swelling, see your doctor without delay.