November is National Diabetes month. This is the time of year individuals, healthcare providers and communities come together to bring attention to diabetes and its impact on millions of lives. Currently, there are 30 million Americans that have diabetes and there are another 84 million people who are at risk of developing diabetes. This year […]
Read moreNot So Sweet
The widespread promotion of low-fat diets in the late 1900’s has increased the dietary proportion of carbohydrates. Unfortunately, since that time, the incidence of obesity and diabetes has continued to rise. In addition, the current consumption of sugar is out of control-especially considering that the average male should consume the equivalent of 9 teaspoons of […]
Read moreMeasles
Measles, caused by the rubeola virus, is a highly contagious and serious infection that can be deadly. It is spread primarily in mucous and phlegm by coughing and sneezing. The virus can live for up to 2 hours in the air and on surfaces in the environment where a person with measles coughed or sneezed. […]
Read moreAdvance Care Planning
Life is precious and should be savored each day with the ones you love. Unfortunately, death is irrevocable, and it is important for your family that you do adequate planning. Advance care planning is an important service that is provided by your primary care physician and is usually covered by your insurance. This allows your […]
Read moreNational Nutrition Month
The month of March brings many reasons to celebrate… day light savings, signs of spring and for dietitians… National Nutrition Month. This month is the time of year that The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics brings to light the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical habits. There is so […]
Read moreNew Shingles Vaccine
Herpes zoster (shingles) results from reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, or chickenpox. We are unable to predict who will have an outbreak of shingles; however, it does tend to occur more often in individuals over 50 years of age. It is possible to have recurrences. Shingles is characterized by a very painful, blistering, rash affecting […]
Read moreNational Diabetes Month
November is National Diabetes Month. Do you have diabetes or know someone that does? It is likely because 30 million Americans have diabetes with another 7 million that are walking around that don’t even know they have diabetes. What is diabetes and why do we need to be concerned about it? Diabetes is a […]
Read moreChest Pain
Chest pain is a commonly encountered complaint in the outpatient setting. Determining its cause is of utmost importance. While the majority of chest pain is caused by musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal etiologies, ruling out cardiac ischemia (poor blood flow to the heart) is of major concern. Other life threatening causes including but not limited to pulmonary […]
Read moreColon Cancer Screening
When I was in my OB/GYN rotation in med school, the senior resident received a phone call while we were in the OR doing a procedure. The senior resident handed me the phone. A third year medical student was the lowest man in training, so I assumed I was in deep trouble. I hesitated and […]
Read moreShingles Vaccine
Shingles has been in the news recently after a new vaccine approval was announced. So what is shingles and why should we try to prevent it? Shingles is a painful rash caused by the virus that causes chicken pox, varicella zoster. After an infection with chicken pox, the virus stays in the cells of the […]
Read more