A full listing of articles and links on UpNorthHealth, sorted chronologically.

• Flu report 2008.12.01 During week 47 (November 16-22, 2008), a low level of influenza activity was reported in the United States.
• United Way distributes FamilyWize prescription drug discount card 2008.11.24 Char-Em United Way is providing these cards free-of-charge to everyone in the community. There are no age restrictions, no income restrictions, no limit on how many times you can use it and no waiting to get a card.
• Alcohol's damaging effects on the brain 2008.11.18 Approximately 100,000 accidents per year are directly related to drowsy driving, and about 1,500 people die in such accidents.
• Disruptive behavior by autistic kids stirs furor 2008.11.17 Motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death among children in the U.S.1 But many of these deaths can be prevented. Placing children in age- and size-appropriate car seats and booster seats reduces serious and fatal injuries by more than half.
• Study says too many arthroscopic knee surgeries 2008.11.17 Two studies call into question whether many people with arthritis are needlessly undergoing one of the most common operations in America: arthroscopic knee surgery.
• Watch out for drug names that look, sound alike 2008.11.17 Mixing up drug names because they look or sound alike is among the most common types of medical mistakes, and it can be deadly. Now new efforts are aiming to stem the confusion, and make patients more aware of the risk.
• Tea steeped in health benefits 2008.11.17 After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage around the world.
• Seniors, substances and suicide: A silent epidemic? 2008.11.17 Maybe there’s a problem, family members have often wondered. But maybe not; they’re getting older, and who has the right to tell them how to live their life?
• Ovarian Cancer awareness 2008.11.17 Many women don’t seek help until the disease has begun to spread, but if detected at its earliest stage, the five-year survival rate is more than 93 percent.
• Advancements in treating macular degeneration showing clear results 2008.11.17 Bebe Corts knew something was happening to her eyesight when she had to keep moving closer to the monitor during regular Bingo outings with a girlfriend.
• An interesting story, with a twist of lime 2008.11.17 She has an extended scar down her right thigh and around her knee, and one afternoon she mentioned it, so I asked how it happened.
• Got a fat gene? Get active for 3-4 hours a day 2008.11.17 Maybe you CAN blame being fat on your genes. But there’s a way to overcome that family history — just get three to four hours of moderate activity a day.
• China’s new prosperity fuels fitness craze 2008.11.17 The 90-minute workout is routine to Wu, a 36-year-old ad sales representative. But the surroundings — a four-story fitness club catering to different fitness levels and needs — would have been unimaginable just a decade ago.
• Elderly brace for more costly drug coverage in ’09 2008.11.14 No matter what the problem, there are things you can do to help protect your vision from aging.
• Elderly fare well in open-heart surgery 2008.11.11 Eighty-year-olds with clogged arteries or leaky heart valves used to be sent home with a pat on the arm from their doctors and pills to try to ease their symptoms. Now more are getting open-heart surgery, with remarkable survival rates rivaling those of m
• End of Life Issues 2008.11.04 Sometimes, in spite of treatment, a condition or illness will cause death. In those cases, patients can decide what they do and do not want done.
• Local E coli cases unrelated to outbreak downstate 2008.11.04 The Health Department of Northwest Michigan is reporting that the five recent cases of E coli in Emmet and Antrim counties have been found to be unrelated to other cases in the state.
• Brain slows at 40, starts body decline 2008.11.04 Think achy joints are the main reason we slow down as we get older? Blame the brain, too: The part in charge of motion may start a gradual downhill slide at age 40.
• The Truth About "Light" Cigarettes: Questions and Answers Key Points 2008.10.28 The lower tar and nicotine numbers on light cigarette packs and in ads are misleading
• Panel calls for vaccine for adult smokers 2008.10.24 A government panel decided Wednesday, Oct. 22 that adult smokers under 65 should get pneumococcal vaccine. The shot — already recommended for anyone 65 or older — protects against bacteria that cause pneumonia, meningitis and other illnesses.
• Kinesiotaping an option for pain control, injury management 2008.10.22 When U.S. Olympic volleyball team player Kerri Walsh wore an interestingly-shaped, smooth and thin shoulder patch during this past summer’s games, it left many wondering if it was a strange tattoo or some kind of therapy device.
• Dance Zumba, Dance! 2008.10.22 Christi Roman has brought Zumba, a high-energy, Latin-inspired dance class to Northern Michigan — and tightened a couple notches on her own belt since becoming an instructor.
• Bedwetting: More common than you think 2008.10.22 When children are wetting their bed well into the adolescent and even early “tween” years, it can mean added stress on a family and a great deal of embarrassment for the child.
• Halloween treats: The horror, the horror! 2008.10.22 Not that any of us will likely do anything about it, but just for giggles, the News-Review Health Staff decided to look into the calorie and fat content of some favored Halloween treats.
• Liver Cleansing: Beneficial or Harmful? 2008.10.22 Michael, 40, of Petoskey, actually counts the hundreds of small gallstones that are deposited in his commode after his yearly round of “liver cleansing.”
• Computers help docs spot breast cancer on X-rays 2008.10.22 One in four teen girls have rolled up their sleeves for the relatively new vaccine against cervical cancer, federal health officials said Thursday.
• 1 in 4 US teen girls got cervical cancer shot 2008.10.22 One in four teen girls have rolled up their sleeves for the relatively new vaccine against cervical cancer, federal health officials said Thursday.
• US guidelines set healthy activity levels 2008.10.22 Get moving: New exercise guidelines released by the U.S. government Tuesday set a minimum sweat allotment for good health. For most adults, that is 2 1/2 hours a week.
• Gene-testing startup's study responds to critics 2008.10.22 A Silicon Valley gene-testing startup is responding to criticism that the tests could spur bad health-care choices by teaming up for a broad study of how the results affect behavior.
• Avoid over the counter cold remedies for children under 4 2008.10.22 "The best thing a parent can do is comfort their children," said Dr. Laura Herrera, a Baltimore family practitioner and mother of two. "Keeping them as comfortable as possible is certainly better than giving cough and cold medicines."