LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- If you're trying to get healthy, we have some great information for you from Marie Clarie and Yahoo Shine! on this Medical Monday.
1. Dropping pounds with diet drinks - A University of Texas Health Science Center study found that people who had one diet soda a day for seven years were 41 percent more likely to be overweight that non-diet drinkers. Diet drinks often lead to overeating. Also, there is evidence that artificial sweetners may increase your appetite for sweets.
The solution - Sip water, coffee or unsweetened tea. If you are craving that sweet taste, use a half a teaspoon of real sugar or natural agave syrup.
2. Skipping the second opinion on a major condition - A second opinion could see things your doctor missed or didn't mention.
The solution - Try an online consultation service like the Cleveland Clinic's MyConsult or Johns Hopkins University's Remote Medical Second Opinion.
3. Quitting antidepressants cold turkey - Although you may feel better, quitting cold turkey can lead to flu-like symptoms, insomnia, nausea, and depressed for at least a week.
The solution - Don't give up. "If you're feeling better, it means your antidepressant is working," says Dr. Nada Stotland, president of the American Psychiatric Association. If you have to stop, work with your doctor.
4. Forgoing a follow-up - This is especially important for women who have an abnormal Pap test. Fear and inconvenience are the main reasons why 30 to 50 percent of women don't go back. Catching cervical cancer in its earliest stages boost your odds of survival to 92 percent.
The solution - Check in with your doctor right away. If your test is abnormal, you may need another in four to six months to test again.
5. Popping extra acetaminophen - "Acetaminophen is misused because it's considered 'safe and mild,'" says Dr. Anne M. Larson, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. If you take more than the recommended dosage, it can lead to liver damage or even failure and kills about 100 people a year.
The solution - Stick to the advised dose. Also, don't mix acetaminophen with other drugstore remedies.
6. Getting too tipsy - A drink a day may be heart healthy, but drinking too much isn't the plan. Getting tipsy just once a month triples heart disease risk. Says Suzanne Thomas, Ph.D., of the Medical University of South Carolina's Charleston Alcohol Research Center: "Alcohol is especially toxic for women because we're smaller, we have more body fat [which processes alcohol more quickly than muscle], and we have lower levels of stomach enzymes that metabolize alcohol than men do."
The solution - Save the wine for dinner and sip on club soda. The food in your stomach will slow the alcohol absorption.
(Source: Marie Clare and Yahoo! Shine)