edocamerica

What is tinnitus? Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, is a symptom that affects around 30 million people in the U.S. Of these, 1 in 5 report that their tinnitus is severe enough to be considered disabling. People with severe cases of tinnitus may find it difficult to hear, work,…

Last week we looked at the use of the Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference measurement in assessing obesity. Frequently, people are bothered by the presence of visible (subcutaneous) abdominal fat and don’t consider the dangerous health consequences of visceral fat, the fat that is deep in the abdomen…

According to recent statistics, over two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese. While the “middle-age spread” is considered by many to be an inevitable aspect of aging, it should be recognized that along with an increasing waistline comes increased health risks. The development of an “apple shape”…

The bulk of the tongue is made of muscle that is covered with a moist tissue called mucosa, the same tissue that lines other parts of the inside of your body, including the nose, mouth, and lungs. Small bumps called papillae cover the upper surface of the tongue and between…

Modern medicine effectively incorporates a multitude of tests and procedures to improve the health of patients. However, an estimated $500 billion a year goes toward unnecessary medical practices – tests, procedures, and treatments – that do not benefit patients. “Promoting Good Stewardship in Medicine” is a project of the National…

For a variety of reasons, people spend time outdoors in the winter. Exercising, shoveling snow off sidewalks, or just getting to work or the grocery all expose our relatively poorly insulated bodies to the cold. This is where wearing the right clothing can make the difference between being protected and…

Each year, in the United States, over a half million women undergo removal of the uterus (hysterectomy). Along with removal of the uterus, the ovaries and fallopian tubes are usually taken also. While this procedure may relieve troubling symptoms, loss of these important organs can have adverse long-term consequences on…

What if you were accidently prescribed Lamisil instead of Lamictal? Or Losec instead of Lasix? Would you notice the prescription error? According to the U.S. Pharmacopeia’s (USP) eighth annual national report, more than 1,500 commonly used drugs are involved in errors linked to drug names that “look alike or sound…

Lose 5 pounds this year? Spend more time with your family? Find a new job? Millions of people make New Year’s resolutions, but relatively few are successful in keeping them. This is evidenced by a 2007 study conducted by British psychologist Richard Wiseman who found that 88% of all resolutions…

While researching today’s topic, I ran across a related concept from blogger, Corey Allen, who wrote ‘‘my father-in-law aptly stated it this way: one of the best things about the holidays is seeing the headlights of family members coming up the driveway to visit. The second best thing about the…