A neurologist says that if he can  get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse its debilitating effects. The trick is recognizing when you are having one, diagnosing it, and getting the patient the proper medical care.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify.  The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.  Now, doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

1. Ask the individual to smile
2. Ask the person to speak a simple sentence
3. Ask him or her to raise both arms

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

Also, you can ask the person to stick out his tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked' or if it goes to one side or the other, that is an indication of a stroke as well.

Acne occurs when skin lesions, commonly called pimples, develop because the skin's oil glands overproduce and clog the skin's pores. But what brings about an actual breakout? The National Women's Health Information Center offers this list of common triggers in women:

1. Undergoing hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause or puberty.
2. Taking certain medications, including some antidepressants and some anti-epileptic drugs.
3. Wearing makeup.
4. Applying pressure to the skin, such as when a tight hat or helmet is worn.
5. Having a family history of acne.

Alzheimer's disease and milder forms of dementia are associated with an increased risk of death, but contrary to some earlier reports, the risks are similar for blacks and whites, according to findings in the Archives of Neurology.

The American Heart Association offers some good advice for people who are resuming life just after a heart attack. First, establish a good balance between rest time, exercise and social time. Take a nap when you feel tired, but interact with friends and family again as soon as you can. Be sure to give yourself sufficient time before you return to work. It can take up to three months to recover or as little as two weeks for someone suffering from a less severe attack. Feeling depressed after a heart attack is very common. Seek help from your doctor, friends, family or a counselor and talk about your emotions. Report any chest pain or other symptoms that you experience after your heart attack. Your doctor will surely be recommend cardiac rehabilitation and lifestyle changes that include a healthier diet, exercise, and cutting out alcohol and tobacco.

Estrogen has long been implicated as being heart protective in premenopausal women, and a new study suggests that having just the right amount of estrogen might be helpful for men as well. The study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that men with heart failure who had the lowest levels of estrogen had about four times the risk of dying as men with average levels and that men with the highest levels of estrogen had more than twice the risk of dying as men with average levels of the hormone.

THEM BONES THEM BONES

Because human bone mass peaks when a person is in their 30s, consuming sufficient amounts of calcium, protein and vitamin D (all found in dairy products) during the teen and young-adult years is considered key to lowering the risk of osteoporosis and some other health issues in later life. According to nutrition experts at Harvard University, 1,300 milligrams of calcium a day is recommended for high school-aged children and 1,000 millgrams a day for young adults.

Teeth bleaching products for home use may reduce the surface hardness of tooth enamel and enamel's ability to "bounce back" from normal wear. Still, the public should not be alarmed of the bleaching process. In reality, clinically speaking, these effects may not be detectable.