Anita Bennett MD

With our modern lifestyle, we spend most of our time indoors.  In fact, on average, Americans spend nearly 93% of their time indoors.  I think people seem to know instinctively that spending time outdoors in nature is a good thing, but can we prove it?  Over the last 20 years,…

In the United States, thousands of venomous snakebites occur each year.  Because reporting of snakebites is not mandated, the exact numbers are difficult to determine.  This time of year, many of us enjoy activities like hiking and camping, which can put us in a snake’s natural habitat and that increases…

Last week, we talked about kidney stones, focusing on the causes and symptoms.  Today we’ll talk about how kidney stones are diagnosed and treated. How is the diagnosis made? Diagnosis always starts with a good medical history and physical exam.  If your doctor believes you could have a kidney stone,…

You may have had a kidney stone or know someone who has had one.  They are becoming more common, with the prevalence of kidney stones in the US jumping from 3.8% in the late 1970s to 10% or higher over the past several years.  Each year in the US, kidney…

We have talked about the different types of diabetes over the past few weeks.  Today we will talk about the complications that can develop in people with diabetes.  The risk of long-term complications gets higher the longer you have diabetes, but how well diabetes is controlled is also an important…

Diabetes that is diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy is called gestational diabetes.  According to the American Pregnancy Association, between 2 and 5 percent of women develop diabetes during pregnancy.  It can cause some serious complications for both mom and baby if it is not recognized and treated. What…

Over 30 million Americans have type 2 diabetes.  We will continue our discussion of this topic today, focusing on diagnosis and treatment. How is type 2 diabetes diagnosed? Unlike type 1 diabetes, the symptoms of type 2 diabetes can come on gradually and sometimes may not even be noticed.  Also,…

I hope you have had the chance to read the last two Health Tips on diabetes – where we first covered the basics, then did a deeper dive into type 1 diabetes.  We will continue our discussion of diabetes today, focusing on type 2 diabetes.  Over 34 million Americans have…

Last week, we started our discussion of diabetes with some basics about the relationship between blood sugar and insulin as well as the symptoms of diabetes that you should know.  Let’s talk more today about type 1 diabetes in particular. What causes type 1 diabetes? Type 1 diabetes develops when…

Diabetes mellitus, usually simply called diabetes, is a disease the affects the way your body uses glucose (blood sugar).  Glucose is an important energy source for your body, so when your body can’t use it the way it should, all kinds of bad things can happen.  Diabetes can cause complications…