Health Tips

Palpitations are the unpleasant and sometimes alarming sensations of rapid, irregular or forceful beating of the heart.  The term “palpitations” is fairly non-specific since it can refer to a number of different types of disturbances of the heart’s normal “rhythm”. Depending on the nature of the rhythm disturbance, palpitations may…

Eye twitching, or blepharospasm, is a condition that generates a number of questions among our clients. “Blepharo” means eyelid and “spasm” refers to an uncontrolled muscle contraction. There are benign as well as serious causes of blepharospasm. Today’s Health Tip will look at the two most common types. Simple Eyelid…

First of all, let’s be clear: cellulite is fat.  Cellulite is not a medical term, but a term that was coined in European salons and spas to describe deposits of dimpled fat found on the thighs and buttocks of up to 90% of women.  Cellulite occurs primarily in women, rather…

By definition, school violence is youth violence that occurs on school property, on the way to or from school, or during a school sponsored event.  School violence can take on a number of different forms including weapon use, bullying, fighting, and electronic aggression.  Statistically, most youth violence has involved persons…

The Greek word “apnea” means “without breath”.  In sleep apnea, there is an involuntary cessation of breathing that occurs while sleeping.  These pauses in breathing can last anywhere from 10 seconds to as much as a minute.  Snoring is also a common feature of sleep apnea.  While snoring can just…

Most people know that antibiotics are used to fight infections. Millions of lives have been saved by their ability to combat bacterial infections.  Many people are unaware, however, that antibiotics are not effective for all types of infections, specifically those due to viruses.  Inappropriate use of antibiotics has led to…

Lymph nodes, sometimes referred to as lymph ‘glands’, are part of the body’s lymphatic system.  The lymphatic system consists of a system of conduits and organized collections of lymphoid tissue that include nodes, the tonsils, and the spleen.  Coursing through these channels is liquid called lymph that eventually drains into…

We spend approximately one-third of our lives asleep, but sometimes sleep can be elusive.  Almost everyone has experienced transient insomnia–the occasional inability to fall asleep, or waking up feeling unrefreshed. Thankfully, it’s usually short-lived, lasting only a few days. Chronic insomnia, however, lasts much longer. A common condition, it may…

During this time of the year, many eDoc clients write in to ask if their symptoms are more suggestive of a cold or with the flu.  While both are caused by viruses, influenza or “flu” generally causes more severe manifestations than the common cold.  Flu is characterized by the sudden…

The retina is the light-sensing layer of tissue that lines the back of the globe of the eye.  Images that are focused onto the retina by the lens of the eye are sent to the brain via the optic nerve. In the most common type of retinal detachment, a tear…