Zero to 50,000 – The 20th Anniversary of the Hospitalist
Patients often ask which hospital they should go to in an emergency. I tell them they can go to whichever one they prefer, since my group no longer rounds at the hospital. Our patients are taken care of by the hospital-based doctors. Let’s discuss why this came about and how you can advocate for yourself…
Health News: Pregnancy Risks in Cancer Survivors; Lymphoma in Breast Implants; BRCA Testing Rate; Depression on the Rise; Gum Disease and Shortened Lifespan; Marathon Runners and Kidney Disease…
*Cancer Survivors and Pregnancy Risks* A study from the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina shows potential risks of preterm labor, low birth weight infants, and higher cesarean section rate in women with history of cancer. The study gathered data from 15,000 births of women ranging from 15-39 years old. The…
Talking to Your Spouse About Couples Therapy
Lots of people – mostly women – give my Bethesda psychotherapy practice a call to begin couples therapy. Most of the time, both spouses are committed to seeking help and we’re able to get started right away. Unfortunately, sometimes one partner is desperately wanting couples therapy but needs guidance about how to ask their spouse…
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
Colorectal cancer will strike one of 20 people in the US over their lifetime, including both men and women. Colon cancer is curable by surgery if it is diagnosed early. Therefore, screening is recommended at age 50 for most people, age 45 for African Americans, and earlier for some people at high risk such as…
Helping Teens Understand Unhealthy Dating Relationships
Most adults would agree that the teen years can be a vulnerable period. Teens juggle the mastery of many tasks during this phase. One of the most important is developing the tools needed to form healthy partner relationships. Unfortunately, for many teens, an introduction to unhealthy relationships occurs during this time. According to the CDC,…
Red Dresses Represent More than Valentine’s Day
February has traditionally been designated Red Dress month to raise awareness of the issue of heart disease in women. Now there is a special day and a website as well. The stereotypical heart patient is an older man who may have high cholesterol and high blood pressure. However the leading cause of death in women in the…
Fit or Thin: Which is more important??
In the media and in medical literature, there are debates about which is more important for a long healthy life, being fit or being thin. There isn’t a simple answer, so I’d like to thank my colleagues for debating these points with me recently. For sure, FITNESS is VERY important. Fitness – being able to…
Health Pearls – Breast Cancer Survivors and Brain Health; Extreme Prematurity and Future Health Risks
Breast Cancer Survivors and “Chemo Brain” Long after Treatment A large study from University of California, Los Angeles Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, showed a significant decline in cognitive functions even six months after the treatment ended. The study consisted of 581 breast cancer patients and 364 healthy people…
Health News: Pain Medications and Hearing Loss, Social Support Improves Breast Cancer Outcome, Optimism and Longer Life, Hormonal Contraceptions in Diabetes, Fitness and Bladder Incontinence…
Pain Relievers and Hearing Loss A study from Harvard, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, showed an increased risk of hearing loss in patients who used pain relievers on a long term basis. Those who used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as Ibuprofen two or more times a week for six years reported a…
The Positive Health Benefits of Being Outdoors
Although this post is about exercising and associated health impacts, let me begin by stating that being outdoors is good for your mental wellbeing. Even spending a short time outdoors goes a long way to improve focus, creativity and self-esteem! Perhaps, this is what prompted the great Naturalist John Muir to state “In every walk…