Swallowing is something all of us takes for granted. I mean, who really thinks about it, except perhaps when you have a sore throat. And swallowing is not only important for delivering energy (read food) to the stomach, but also to prevent aspiration. For some who have suffered a stroke, [...]

Sore throats are certainly not too much fun.  You can forget about that super spicy red curry and instead must satisfy your palate with bland alternatives such as soup, rice and yogurt. What causes sore throats? Infections such as viruses are on the top of the list. You might feel [...]

Uterine fibroids are usually benign tumors, which occur within the uterus. These tumors can cause pain, infertility and excessive vaginal bleeding. Therefore when they become unmanageable, they are often removed. Traditionally, the tumors are removed using standard surgical techniques. This may or may not involve a laparoscope, which is a [...]

In order to see well, many things need to work well including the visual command center in the brain, the nerves to and from the eye and of course the eye itself. One all too common condition  which affects vision is cataracts. Cataracts, like many conditions, are much more common [...]

As we age, we tend to have more chronic conditions. As a result more medications are prescribed. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see elderly patients bringing in a paper bag, filled with medications from several doctors. Do these patients really need all those pills? Probably not, as often different [...]

Quite a few things can be bad for your heart including untreated high blood pressure, elevated lipids, diabetes, 0besity and lack of exercise.  And it turns out that you can add a bad marriage to the list. A recent study involving 1000 older married couples from ages 57-85 revealed that [...]

It is simply one of those facts of nature that women possess a greater ability to perceive colors than men. Just ask any wife (especially mine) who has tried to help her husband pick out his clothes. "Crimson does not go well with mauve", your wife notes as you look [...]

Chinese medicine has been around for thousands of years. Does this mean that it is effective? Well, without a doubt some of the folk remedies work, but many do not. But whether these therapies work or not has absolutely nothing to do with how long they've existed. The earth for [...]

When we think of arthritis, we think of an older person with a crooked back, spindly, deformed hands and swollen knees. Certainly, older people are at risk for the most common form of arthritis-osteoarthritis. What this means is that not only are the joints painful, the bones, which make up [...]

Very few of us thrive in a so called lean office, where tidy desks with computers and office chairs are the main attractions. It's bad enough that we have to work since we haven't won the Lotto, we have to pay for our children in college or we're not trust [...]