(HealthDay News) -- A social phobia occurs when a person has unusually high anxiety before a social situation, such as going to a party, giving a speech, or going to a job interview.

It may include some or all of these physical symptoms, says the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* Blushing.
* Sweating.
* Feeling nauseous.
* Trembling or shaking.
* Having trouble talking to or making eye contact with another person.

(HealthDay News) -- Dieting doesn't mean that you have to completely give up desserts. It just means that you should opt for healthier alternatives.

The American Diabetes Association offers these dessert options when you're dieting or trying to watch your sugar and fat intake:

* Try fresh or dried fruits to soothe your sweet tooth.
* Have only a small portion of one of your favorite desserts.
* When ordering at a restaurant, choose a dessert to share with the people accompanying you.
* When baking, reduce the amount of fat and sugar you use in your recipes.

One in every 12 American teens (about 2.1 million) ages 12 to 17 experienced major depression in the past year, according to a report released Tuesday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

There was a large gender difference, with 12.7 percent of females and 4.6 percent of males reporting major depression. It's defined as a period of two weeks or longer of depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure, and at least four other symptoms -- such as problems with sleep, energy, concentration and self-image -- reflecting a change in functioning.

A new study suggests that more than half of all insured Americans regularly take prescription drugs to treat chronic health problems, with drugs to lower high blood pressure and cholesterol the most widely used, the Associated Press reported.

Cheap earrings that contain nickel are a common cause of earlobe dermatitis, say U.S. researchers who analyzed 277 inexpensive earrings (under $50) purchased from 34 different stores and artists in San Francisco. The study authors noted that repeated exposure to nickel can make it difficult to treat earlobe dermatitis.

The U.S. government-mandated switch to CFC-free inhalers is causing problems for millions of people with asthma and other lung diseases, according to The New York Times. CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), used as propellants in the inhalers, damage the Earth's ozone layer.

A preservative containing mercury and once widely used in childhood vaccines becomes the topic of a U.S. lawsuit this coming week as two Oregon families seek to prove that the substance caused two 10-year-old boys to develop autism.

Health officials have identified at least 85 people treated at two Las Vegas area outpatient clinics over a four year period as having contracted hepatitis C, the Associated Press reported.

A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that only 44 percent of Americans know all five symptoms of stroke and only 38 percent know to call 911 if they think someone is having a stroke.

The analysis of 2005 data from 13 states and the District of Columbia showed that there was no improvement in the public's awareness of stroke symptoms since a similar study in 2001.

The Ortho-Evra birth control patch exposes women to dangerous levels of estrogen -- posing a possible two-fold increased risk of blood clots -- and should be removed from the market within six months, says a Public Citizen petition filed Thursday with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.