Blog Posts by The Editors at Sharecare

Check your local hospital's Safety Score before you have a health problem.By Melanie Haiken, for Sharecare

In May, when Sean Williams' 78-year-old father, Alan, took two sudden falls, he did the right thing: He called the doctor to report he was in terrible pain -- pain that was bad enough to wake him from a deep sleep. Yet two doctors prescribed pain pills and sent him home without performing a physical exam. It took a third doctor (seeing him for an unrelated condition) to realize something was seriously wrong and order x-rays and a CT scan. At which point, it was revealed he'd broken his back in five places. But it turned out those mistakes were just the beginning.

Once in the hospital, his wife arrived to visit him post-surgery and found him vomiting wretchedly. A nurse had given him 17 pills -- his entire day's medication regimen -- all at once on an empty stomach. The nurse's explanation: "I was instructed to give him 'all' his medications before breakfast." Later the Williams' learned that the medication overdose could have been fatal if

Overcoming obstacles is tough -- but doableBy Su Reid-St. John, for Sharecare

I've gained and lost a lot of pounds in my life, but I've got nothing on fitness trainer Drew Manning. In his new book Fit2Fat2Fit, he tells how, in a single year, he gained the weight equivalent of a good-sized Labrador retriever (75 pounds, to be exact) to learn what it was like to be overweight so he could better identify with his heavy clients -- then lost it all again. (Don't try this at home.)

Gaining the weight, which Manning did in just six months, was easy. All he had to do was eat junk food and fast food, drink soda, and trade his gym membership for a spot on the couch. No surprises there. But losing the weight?

Manning thought that part would be simple, too. His starting view, he admitted, was that his overweight clients simply weren't trying hard enough. But he ended up encountering bumps along the way that challenged even his iron will. Here are some of them - along with expert advice on how anyone trying to lose weight

Communication is key to a happy marriage by Julie Hanks, LCSW, for Sharecare

Are you empathetic? Is your partner? It might be the secret to a happier marriage. According to a recent study from Harvard University, being able to accurately read a partner's emotions--and believing that your partner is trying to understand your emotions--is related to couple relationship satisfaction.

Expert Q&A: How can I improve my relationship?

This study highlights certain gender differences that echo dynamics I've seen in my clinical practice and in my 23-year marriage:

1. Women are more satisfied in their relationship if their partner accurately empathized with negative emotions.
2. Men were more satisfied when they could read their partner's positive emotions accurately.
3. Women's ability to read their partner's negative emotions was positively linked to both men's and women's relationship satisfaction.

10 Things Happy Couples Do

The authors suggested that for men, being able to understand and be

Too many vitamins can be toxicby Robin Miller, for Sharecare

Many times in life we get the idea that if a little bit of something is good, then more is certainly better. That, however, is not always the case. Let's look at a couple of examples having to do with how we take care of ourselves.

Vitamins
Vitamins make many of us feel better. They can be good for us. But taking too much can have negative repercussions.

Many people take vitamin A, for example, because it can be good for the skin. However, if you take more than 5,000 IUs a day it can be toxic to the liver and cause serious health problems.

Vitamin D helps with bone density and can also boost heart health and the immune system. It's generally safe in a dose of 1,000 IUs daily. Take more than that and it can be toxic to the liver and cause dizziness and all sorts of problems.

Expert Q&A: What are signs of vitamin D toxicity?

Vitamin E can cause excessive bleeding if taken in high doses. Vitamin K in large doses doesn't

Whitewater raftingby Su Reid-St.John, for Sharecare

Most of us, at one time or another, have been afraid to try something new, especially when it comes to fitness. My most recent fear facing came when I had the chance to do a zipline tour--the kind where you hike through the forest, climb up onto a tiny platform 20 feet above the ground, then cross from tree to tree via zipline and rope bridge and rope swing. The issue? I'm afraid of heights.

But it sounded like such fun that I knew it was time to pull out my five steps to overcoming fitness fear. These are the same ones I used the first time I faced a steep downhill on my mountain bike, took a kayak through the rapids, ventured onto the blue trails on my downhill skis--well, you get the picture.

Here they are:

1. Allow yourself to be a beginner
It always looks so effortless when you watch an expert in motion, right? It's worth remembering that nobody starts out amazing. "When we compare ourselves to those who've already

Get more health tips from RealAge:

Measure how fast you're aging with the free RealAge Test!

Mouth problems accelerating aging?

Aspirin: Answer to heart attack prevention?

Dr. Oz tips that may save your life

Surprising benefits of sex for arthritis pain

Family mealtimeBy Michael F. Roizen, MD

Family dinners can serve up drama and comedy, but they're rarely as fraught or funny as when Mrs. Doubtfire (played by Robin Williams) in the movie of the same name insinuates herself into his (we know, the pronouns are confusing) ex-wife's birthday party so she/he can torpedo the new boyfriend with a pepper-laced entrée.

Food Wars: Help with picky eaters

What's really true about family dinnertime is that sharing a sit-down dinner three or more days a week can transform everyone's health and brighten your children's future. If lower blood pressure and reduced risk of cancer and heart disease isn't incentive enough, consider this: Dishing up dinner will improve your family ties, improve your love life, and boost your kids' health, self-esteem, and grades. Pass the broccoli, please!

Expert Q&A: How can I prevent heart disease?

Here are the facts on eating healthy meals at home:

• Thirty-five percent of kids who have two or fewer

Worst grilling mistakesBy Sean Kelley, for Sharecare

As a volunteer firefighter, I've seen my share of grilling fires. In the Deep South where I live, they are common enough throughout the year, but the frequency of calls involving grass fires, house fires and forest fires caused by backyard barbecues start going up around Memorial Day and don't really let up until the fall.

What are some fireworks safety tips?

Grilling fires are serious business. I have a six-inch burn scar that encircles one of my ankles, the result of an accident caused by a faulty grill. Two months of debriding (cleaning the wound) is painful and no way enjoy grilling season!

Grill fires get started for a number of stupid reasons. Mine flared up because lighter fluid was stored too close to the grill. But I've also responded to fires started because a rickety charcoal grill collapsed, a gas grill sprang a propane leak and because some idiot lit a hibachi on his screened-in porch.

If you haven't fired up your