Our nation’s most abused drug is legal and sitting in the medicine cabinet. Fatal drug overdoses are an epidemic, with opioid prescription painkiller overdoses accounting for the majority of these deaths, says the National Safety Council in a press release.
In the U.S. at any given time, 20% of the population is serving in the role of caregiver for a loved one – and not always enthusiastically. Based on family dynamics and the cost of assisted living and nursing facilities, many families choose to share the role of caregiving for a loved one until such time that the loved one needs greater ongoing medical oversight than the family is capable of providing.
Almost everyone suffers from trouble sleeping at one time or another, reports the Harvard Medical School HealthBeat. Insomnia—the inability to sleep—isn’t a single disorder itself, but rather a general symptom like fever or pain.
With several popular hypnotic sleep aids, including zolpidem (Ambien) and temazepam (Restoril), now linked to an increased risk of death, the July 2012 issue of the Harvard Women’s Health Watch offers eight tips for getting a better night’s sleep without medicine.
