WASHINGTON - Americans struggling with mental illness, depression or addiction often face an added burden: limited insurance coverage compared with people suffering physical ills.

Those days may be numbered, but changing the situation will take approval of the massive economic bailout bill heading for consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Read full story

I never seem to catch the flu, but I always get at least one really nasty cold when the seasons change. My husband doesn’t really catch colds, but it seems like every winter, he’ll have at least a short bout with the flu. It’s never made much sense to us, and we chalked it up to genetic differences since we share the same environment.

Are you a person who can count on catching at least one horrible cold or flu bug each winter? Do you envy your cubicle mate, who never seems to get sick when all around her are sniffling?

FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- As food-safety problems continue to rock the United States, resulting in massive recalls, illness and even death, the federal Food and Drug Administration remains underfunded and understaffed to protect consumers, a new government report concludes.

The report, released Friday by the Congressional General Accountability Office (GAO), found that the FDA lacks the inspectors, staffers and scientists to safeguard the food supply, particularly fresh produce.

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Typical clients of retail health clinics in the United States include patients who don't have regular health care providers and are seeking preventive care or help for easy-to-treat illnesses, says a study by the nonprofit RAND Corporation.

Retail health clinics, which are located in pharmacies and other stores, are becoming increasingly popular. Currently, there are almost 1,000 retail health clinics in the United States, and it's estimated there may be 6,000 by 2011. This is the first study to examine the types of patients who go to these clinics.

I've heard more than once that adults who have frequent illnesses (like colds and infections) may want to think about getting their tonsils removed. Is there any validity to this?

I would love to hear what you think about spouses who pull away, cheat and/or divorce their partner because of a serious or terminal illness …. Or if they’ve become disfigured.

Has this happened to someone you know?

It’s a subject that needs to be discussed.

I have very strong feelings on this subject and will blog on this topic in the next few days. But, would love to hear what your views.

Best in health,

Michelle

(HealthDay News) -- If you have trouble falling or staying asleep, it's important to understand the reasons for your insomnia.

Here's a list of possible reasons for your sleepless nights, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

* Discomfort or illness.
* Depression.
* Stress or anxiety.
* Drinking caffeine or alcohol, smoking, or taking certain medications or illicit drugs.
* An inappropriate sleep environment, including one that's too bright or too noisy.
* Related activities that affect your sleep, such as taking naps or going to bed too early.

Carolyn Bernstein, MD, Medical Director Assistant Professor in Neurology, Harvard Medical School explains why migraines are categorized as an illness.

Should you share news of a recent diagnosis of a chronic illness with your co-workers and bosses? What are the pros and cons of telling vs. not telling, short-term and long-term? We'd love to hear your experience if you had to make this decision. Here's a recent article in the New York Times about this subject: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/fashio...

Hi, I’m Dr. Shoshana Bennett, a survivor of two life-threatening postpartum depressions and one of the PPD empowHer experts.