Concussions from head injuries are unfortunately all too common. Having too many (and no one really knows what that magic number is) can lead to permanent brain damage with seizure and personality changes. After a head injury which knocks you out or causes a severe headache, nausea vomiting or confusion, [...]
Steroids are taken for many reasons and have some serious side effects. However, up until recently short term steroids were felt to be pretty safe. Short term steroids that is for under a week, are used for respiratory infections, skin allergic reactions and asthma among many other things. These steroids [...]
Who doesn't love to smell food before you eat it? Just imagine a grilling a steak on the barbecue and that delicious barbecue flavor! Well, according to a recent article, smelling food, at least for mice, leads to more weight gain. In this study mice were fed a fatty diet. [...]
Wild fires are more common than ever, especially with global warming (and yes global warming is a fact and not fake news!). The fires make the air smoky, which can irritate your airways. The result for most people is a cough, sore throat, itchy eyes and headache However, for those [...]
Can a urine infection really make you weak? After all, it is just some bacteria in your bladder which can easily be treated, right? The answer is that most of the time a UTI or urinary tract infection is easily treated and other than some burning, frequency of urination with [...]
Coconut oil sounds good, after all it is from coconuts which grow on these awesome tropical islands. And 72% of Americans, according to a recent poll, think the same. Unfortunately, coconut oil is not at all that healthy. It raises LDL cholesterol or the bad boy of cholesterol, which increases [...]
if you have chest pain, generally you should go to the ER right away. However, there are some causes of chest pain which, believe it or not, are relatively benign. For example, pain from stomach ulcers or reflux of acid from the stomach into the esophagus can give you chest [...]
Concussions are unfortunately fairly commonly seen, especially after sport related injuries. There is agreement that contact sports should be avoided and the length of time recommended varies widely. What about non contact sports such as biking,running and swimming? Well, a recent study showed that exercising does not by itself make [...]
This year on August 21 in many parts of our country there will be a major solar eclipse. The moon will briefly be directly in front of the sun and in those lucky areas with totality, the sky will actually briefly become dark. With darker skies and the sun hidden [...]
Do all elderly patients really need ICU care? What about those individuals who have endstage emphysema, advanced cancer or severe heart disease? For such patients palliative care might just be the right option. Palliative care will treat symptoms of the disease without going for a cure. This differs from both [...]