Friday, February 25, 2005
Quitting smoking is very difficult. Many people try to quit only to find themselves smoking again. They may start smoking again in a matter of days, months or even years. By failing to quit, they become discouraged, feeling that it's impossible for them to quit. In fact, after one or two failures,... Sign in to see full entry.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Surviving Hospitals - Part 2: Hospital-Acquired Infections
Hospitals are places we sometimes need to go to recover from illnesses. The last thing we should get while there is another illness. Unfortunately, the risk of acquiring infections in the hospital is real, and the dangers these infections impart are great. Infections acquired in the hospital are... Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Reassessing the Low-Carbohydrate Diet
The late Dr. Atkins espoused a diet plan composed of low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat choices. Millions of people started the Atkins diet and lost dramatic amounts of weight. Books were written, and imitators were revealed. The "low-carb" craze had begun. Recently, however, the efficacy of... Sign in to see full entry.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Anemia in Women - Is it the Menses, or Something More?
Anemia is a condition wherein not enough red blood cells are circulating to supply your organs with the necessary amount of oxygen for their normal functioning. General causes of anemia include increased red blood cell loss, increased red blood cell destruction and reduced red blood cell production.... Sign in to see full entry.
Friday, February 18, 2005
How to Manage Subclinical Thyroid Disease
Thyroid dysfunction, either hyper- or hypothyroidism, is relatively common. We test for thyroid dysfunction with a thyroid stimulating hormone assay, or TSH test, when relevant symptoms exist. However, sometimes a TSH is ordered routinely as part of basic bloodwork, or during the investigation of a... Sign in to see full entry.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Surviving Hospitals - Part 1: The Hospitalist
Today, I'll be starting a series of intermittent entries entitled "Surviving Hospitals". I'll focus on what you need to be aware of should you be admitted to a hospital for an acute illness. Hospitals are the ultimate sites for intense medical care, but they can also be homes for intimidation,... Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
With Atrial Fibrillation, It's OK To Be Irregular
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a condition wherein the atria contract irregularly, guided by faulty electrical coordination. This irregular contraction results in inefficient flow of blood to the ventricles (an overall reduction of 10-20%) and, therefore, to the rest of the body. The impairment of... Sign in to see full entry.
Early Signs of Diabetes
Millions of Americans are struck with type 2 diabetes mellitus, the most common form of diabetes. And since type 2 diabetes mellitus has a 90% concordance within families, many of their relatives will likewise become diabetic, if they're not already. It's commonly accepted that people often have... Sign in to see full entry.
Friday, February 11, 2005
Is It Dementia...Or Depression?
Dementia is a not uncommon condition, affecting as many as 17% of people over the age of 75 years ( source ). Dementia is characterized by the development of forgetfulness and confusion. Those with dementia will forget how to do otherwise common tasks, such as how to drive to the supermarket, write... Sign in to see full entry.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
High Blood Pressure and Headaches
There are many causes of headache. Some forms of headache, like tension, migraine and cluster, are difficult to qualify. One that's easy to document, however, is high blood pressure. But how high does your pressure need to be before you develop a headache? Not as high as you might imagine. If it... Sign in to see full entry.