Winter Sports Safety
The number one cause of a trip to the emergency room is injury from skiing and snowboarding followed by sledding.
Continue readingThe number one cause of a trip to the emergency room is injury from skiing and snowboarding followed by sledding.
Continue readingGlaucoma is an eye disease that if left untreated can cause damage to the optic nerve and blindness.
Continue readingYes, you read that correctly, exercise is medicine and it doesn’t taste bad! In fact, it can make you feel better immediately. A lot of our thinking around exercise has to do with losing weight.
Continue readingBreast cancer remains one of the most common cancers among women, and certainly one that the vast majority of my patients worry about. Breast cancer affects roughly 1 in 8 women. Only cancer that’s more common in women is skin cancer.
Continue readingAs wildfires become more intense and frequent, it is valuable to learn how best to protect yourself and your family from the smoke they cause.
Continue readingWomen of all ages are most at risk of UTIs because our urethra (the tube from the bladder to the outside of our bodies) is much shorter than the guys’ so the bacteria can more easily make the trip from our vagina and up into the system.
Continue readingThough usually not considered a serious medical issue, moms-to-be are not thrilled to see these babies pop out along with their hormonal acne.
Continue readingTiny Vampires
We are gathering carefully outdoors more than ever this summer in order to stay COVID-safe. And who else likes to have a meal outside on a warm evening? Mosquitos. All they want is a little of your blood, but what they leave behind under your skin is an unwelcome parting gift –their saliva. Mosquito saliva contains highly irritating proteins which alert your immune system to send out the histamine troops to get those foreign proteins under control. So, those itchy, red welts that last a couple of days are from your system trying to help out.
Here’s what I’ve learned from 5 trips to Tanzania and 2 to Honduras where mosquitos transmit malaria, dengue fever, zika, and chickungunya. In Tanzania, I was also bitten by Tsetse flies and Nairobi sand flies. Both leave huge painful welts, so I’m all about prevention and protection.
Go with Prevention
Mosquito & Tick-Borne Illnesses
There are reasons beyond the annoying itch to avoid getting bit by mosquitos or ticks. Mosquitos can carry a variety of diseases: West Nile, Zika, or encephalitis viruses, and also in other countries, chikungunya, dengue, and malaria.
While I was in Honduras, I cared for many people with Malaria, Dengue, and Zika.
Ticks
Ticks are found in grassy and woodland areas in most of the US. They drop from trees (wear a hat!) and jump from tall grasses and hitch rides on unsuspecting hikers and campers. And check the dog too, especially in the crevices in their paws. Ticks can carry several illnesses:
First Aid for Bites
Or, this ancient Chinese remedy – rub the inside of a banana peel directly onto the bite and leave for a while. Can’t hurt.
I hope these help. Do send me your tried and true tips for avoiding bites this summer.
Alzheimer’s and dementia have touched the lives of so many of us. Not only the people afflicted, but their families and friends.
Continue readingGlaucoma robs us of our eyesight usually without warning signs. Its most common form is called primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and occurs when the fluid within the eye very slowly builds up over time due to clogged drainage systems.
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