Health Tips

Alpha-gal syndrome is a recently identified condition that has gained attention due to its unusual dietary restrictions and unique cause. This syndrome results from an allergic reaction to a sugar molecule found in red meat and other mammalian products. It is a serious and potentially life-threatening allergic condition. It is…

I don’t know about you, but it has been cold where I live. When I got up this morning and took my dog outside, it was 16° F. Based on the forecast, that will be the high temperature one day next week! In fact, a large portion of the US…

Each year in the US, about 20,000 adults die from alcohol-related cancers. According to the American Cancer Society, alcohol use accounts for about 6% of all cancers, and 4% of all cancer deaths in the US. Last week, the US Surgeon General recommended changing the warning labels on alcohol to…

Most people are well aware of the increased risk of cancer caused by tobacco, but relatively few people are aware of the increased risk of cancer associated with alcohol use. On Friday, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new advisory focused on alcohol and cancer risk. I…

The holidays can be a season filled with joy and wonder, but they can also be stressful and can significantly affect your mental health. Although this is especially true for those who are already impacted by mental health challenges, it can also affect those of us without a history of…

December is Safe Toys and Gifts Month. It is an important time to focus on putting safety first when buying toys, decorating for the holidays, and even cooking. There are a surprising number of holiday-related hazards. I have reviewed information from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the American…

You may have heard about recently recalled cucumbers due to salmonella contamination. These cucumbers were sold in 32 states in the US as well as in Canada. There have been several recent salmonella outbreaks in the US, including another linked to cucumbers earlier this year, as well as outbreaks linked…

Last week, we talked about walking pneumonia. Today, we will talk about Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which is one of the common causes of walking pneumonia. It can cause other respiratory infections as well. Infections caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae are on the rise. Let’s talk about what you need to know. What…

Last week, we talked about pneumococcal disease, which causes more than a million hospitalizations and more than 50,000 deaths each year, according to the American Lung Association. Today, we’ll pick up where we left off and talk about who is at higher risk for pneumococcal disease, how it spreads, and…

In October 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended lowering the age for the pneumonia vaccine from 65 to 50 years old. This is a big change and could protect many more adults from serious illnesses caused by pneumococcal bacteria. Pneumococcal disease can affect people of all…