Health Tips

Some of our greatest writers and thinkers, while not medical experts, per se, have provided some of the most profound health advice. “A man’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time … pills or stairs.”   ~ Joan Welsh Regular physical activity is one of…

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently announced that up to 10,000 people who visited Yosemite National Park this summer were at risk for developing an infection caused by Hantavirus.  Most of these potential victims stayed in the Park’s tent-cabins that, unbeknownst to Park authorities, had been infested with mice…

Backpacks have become the most popular means for school age children to carry their books and school supplies.  And in fact, when used correctly, a properly designed backpack is an excellent way to carry the necessities of the school day.  Unfortunately, thousands of children each year experience back pain related…

Over the past decade, the incidence of West Nile virus disease (WNV) was highest in 2006 when 4269 cases were reported with 177 deaths attributed to this illness.  This year, a total of 693 cases of WNV have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), resulting in 26…

Taking a cue from a Guy Clark song in which he sings the praises of practical possessions, such as his “ol’ blue shirt” and his “used car”, today’s Health Tip focuses on simple, yet effective home remedies. Honey for children’s cough. Treatment options for symptomatic relief of a cough associated…

Last week’s Health Tip discussed the usefulness of the EKG, a highly important test used in the diagnosis and management of heart disease.  Like most clinical tests, however, the EKG is not perfect.  Some of the ways in which the EKG falls short in evaluating heart conditions include: Evaluating intermittent…

The electrocardiogram, also called an EKG or ECG, is a test that records electrical activity within the heart.  With each heartbeat, an electrical signal is conducted through specialized nerves from the upper to lower chambers of the heart.  This causes the heart muscle to contract in a synchronized manner and…

Skin tags, known in medical terms as “acrochordons” or “fibroepithelial polyps”, are very common benign skin growths affecting over half of the general population at some time in their lives.  They most commonly occur in skin folds, especially in the neck region, armpits, and groin.  Other common areas for the…

This summer has seen record breaking heat, particularly in the northeast part of the U.S. Based on news reports, this summer may set a record for heat-related illness and deaths also.  Heat-related illnesses (e.g., heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat syncope, or heatstroke) can develop when high temperatures overwhelm the body’s…

What do Michael J. Fox, Mohammed Ali, and more than a million people in the U.S. have in common? All have a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system known as Parkinson’s disease. It is named after the English doctor James Parkinson, who in 1817 called the disease “shaking palsy”,…