The demographic transformation in our society resulted from better living conditions and improved health status. Why should we promote health when long life spans only create health, economic, and social problems for us?

Is it dangerous to wax or use a chemical depliatory such as Nair on areas of the skin that have moles? I've seen warnings on some labels regarding this. What could happen to the moles?

I desperately want to attend school in NYC, but have one reservation. I'm asthmatic and I'm afraid that my asthma will be worse in a big city. I traveled to NYC for a week this summer and was fine, but have heard it could be worse in the winter. Can you advise me? I so don't want to let my asthma limit my dream of going to school in NYC.

Why is it that when a person vomits, it causes others to vomit — even when they don't have an illness causing it? Is this something triggered by the brain or is it something that happens by reflex (survival instinct) for someone to vomit since, perhaps, what the first person was eating may affect the second who vomits as well?

I've been eating the yogurt Activia and have felt less stomach grumblings since. I switched to just a low-fat yogurt for cost reasons and have had the grumblings come back. Is Activia really better for digestion or is this all in my head?

Both my boyfriend and I have warts on our hands. Can these warts be transferred to our genital areas?

I was thinking of buying a face powder that says it has an spf of 30. It seems convenient to have a powder sunblock since lotions make my oily face greasy. However, I was wondering if this powder will even be effective as a sunblock since I heard that some moisturizers and other products that advertise an added SPF sometimes don't have a high enough concentration of sunblocking ingredients to make it effective. I would like to know what do you think before I make my purchase.

I am living in a residence hall, and I never realized this until now, but my bowel movements are really smelly. It has gotten to a point where if I don't find a place to do it secretly, it becomes a great source of embarrassment. Could I be eating something that causes my bowel movements to be really smelly?

The few times I have tried anal sex, I get a horrible case of the farts afterwards lasting hours. I do not have the ability to hold it and it's very embarrassing. Is there anything I can do ahead of time or after to stop this?? Thanks

1) I am a male with inverted nipples.

I was wondering if there is any way without surgery to make them come out. They do sometimes come out when it's cold, but go straight back in. I am not overweight, but I do no sports. Would physical activities help???

2) I have inverted nipples. Is there anything that I can do to make them come out? I think that they are unattractive inverted. I have tried massaging them daily as doctors and magazines have suggested, but they do not stay out. They have only come out a couple of times when my boyfriend has sucked on them. Is there something wrong with them? One doctor said that I might have to get a minor surgical procedure.

For years now I've been digesting my meals within an hour or less. I am able to see whole food in my bowel movements of meals that I have just eaten. Any idea as to what's wrong?

My cousin's biology teacher told her class that the water we shower in is not hot enough to actually kill bacteria but it promotes bacteria to grow through its warmth. He said it is best to take as cool a shower as one can stand. Is this true?

I am curious as to whether the nail bed regenerates or not. I used to bite my nails, and slowly I've bitten off some of the nail bed as well, on all ten fingers. It has been two years, and the nail bed does not seem to grow back, and my nails grow according to the new shape of the nail bed. It makes my hands look somewhat ugly, to be honest.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

1) I've heard that the symptoms for heart attack differ for men and women. Could you please send me info on these differences? Also could you give me some possible diagnosis for a feeling of heaviness in the chest?

2) Is it possible to have a heart attack without knowing you're having a heart attack?

Is sleeping on our left side in any way harmful for the heart (or anything else)? Some people tell me we shouldn't do it and others tell me it's actually better than sleeping on our right side. What's the truth?

Thanks!

I am a 26-year-old female and have started getting a yeast infection every month without fail at the end of my period. This started about a year ago and I've cut back on eating bread, I don't eat much sugar and I rarely drink beer. I read online that someone recommended using a douche just before and after starting my period. Is this a reasonable thing to try? I've always been very opposed to douching but I'm sick of the itching and don't want to have to take medication or use cream every month. Any suggestions?

I would like to know the reasons for excess facial hair. Are there any solutions for it? How safe is electrolysis?

I find it relaxing, along with rubbing my face, to rub my eyeballs (with my eyelids closed, of course). It feels good to massage the muscles and squeeze out the air that builds up back there. Is this safe? Do I risk deforming my eyeballs and changing my vision?

I recently saw a health show on TV that said you should wear darker sunglasses because they filter more light. Previously, I had heard that darker sunglasses cause the pupil to open wider and make the eyes more vulnerable to harmful light; ergo, you should wear lighter sunglasses with good UV protection. I have very light colored eyes, so my eyes are especially vulnerable to harmful light anyway, which is why I really want to get this right. Can you give me a definitive answer on this one?

1) I have a really embarrassing problem... I have hair on my chest and I am a woman! It's not really thick, but it's very noticeable, and I hate it! Is this a hormone problem or is it normal? Please help, 'cause to me, it's gross and I will do anything to get rid of it. I have been shaving it, but it just grows back within a few days or so. Please help!

2) I am a 24 year old female and for the past few years I have had facial hair. I tend to get it on my chin and the side of my face. It is usually light but you can feel it, and I will never let my boyfriend touch my face unless I have just shaved it.

I don't want to go for laser treatment, is their anything else you could suggest? I feel disgusting and very unwomanly.

I was wondering about the chemical sodium laureth sulfate. I have received several forwarded e-mails about this causing cancer by a lawyer looking into the matter. This chemical was said to be in many shampoos to create a nice lather, but it's actually a garage cleaner and is a cheap substance for the manufacturer, and in the past, only 1 in 2000 would get cancer from this, and now it's about 1 in 10. I was just curious if it really causes cancer, or is it just a prank? And if it really does cause cancer, what kind of cancer is it? Thank you. I would appreciate an honest answer.

What do you know about the medical uses of acupuncture and acupressure? Have either of these practices been helpful in treating any medical conditions? Thank you for any information you can provide me.

I fell on my roller blades yesterday and skinned my knee. Now I'm watching my knee change and I am fascinated by the healing process. Could you explain to me just what is happening?

A couple of months ago I developed a hard, bony growth on my instep. I noticed that the top of my foot was hurting, and when I took my shoe off, there was a red lump the size of a quarter (it's not red all the time, just from rubbing against the shoe). A friend of mine who is a nurse said that it's probably a ganglion cyst and the best thing to do would be to, and I quote, "hit it with something really hard," like a dictionary, or a hammer. It should break up immediately, she told me. She hasn't seen it, by the way — this was over the phone.

I'm surprised that she thinks it's a cyst, because it's awfully hard — I would have just thought that it was a bone spur. What do you think? And is smacking a cyst with a dictionary really the way to go?

I plan to do some nude sunbathing this summer. What extra precautions should I take with the areas that have never seen the light of day? Should I use a higher SPF on my "naughty parts" than on, say, my arms and legs?

I have a friend who thinks he may have testicular cancer. I am the only person who knows. He is really embarrassed about it and refuses to tell anyone else. But I think his main problem is that he's afraid of what would happen next if it turns out that he did. I'll often tell him that it's not that embarrassing and he can tell his parents, but since I'm a girl, I just don't understand.

I have tried absolutely everything to make him tell someone, anyone really. But he won't. I am truly scared for him and have no idea what I would do without him. What should I do? Thanks for taking the time to read this, I really appreciate it and could really use the help.

I am 21 and have had consistent acne. I have tried topical creams (benzoyl peroxide, Retin-A, and topical antibiotics; as well as oral antibiotics for a number of months before). But, the acne keeps coming back.

For acne, does taking omega-3 fish oil supplements help? If so, how does it help, for what length of time should it be taken, and how many milligrams should one take?

Here's a question I have been debating with a friend for a while, and seeing as how I'm not scheduled to go to the dentist again for a while, I thought you could shed some light on the issue: when brushing one's teeth, should one also brush one's tongue? I would think yes, because what's the point of brushing germs off teeth if the tongue still has them there, and will transfer them to the teeth as soon as you're done brushing. My friend thinks it makes absolutely no difference. So does it matter? We have an ice cream wagered on this one! I hope I'm right!