Health Tips

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…

Last week, we talked about some risk factors for breast cancer, including both modifiable and non-modifiable factors. This week, we will start by talking about a couple of risk factors that may or may not be considered as modifiable. Then we will talk about the ways in which you can…

In this Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about some ways that you (or your loved ones) might decrease your risk of breast cancer. Breast cancer has many risk factors and some of those are within our control. Today we will talk…

Every October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is a good time to think about breast cancer prevention. I know many women who schedule their mammogram in October every year for this reason. I thought we could talk about some of the common questions I hear about mammograms. What is…

Last week, we started our conversation about suicide, including sharing some basic facts and discussing the warning signs. Today, we will talk more about the risk factors for suicide and how you can help prevent it. I found some more recent statistics since our conversation last week. In 2022, suicide…