The Wizard of Oz
I’m often asked what I think about Dr. Oz’s advice. The Dr Oz Show has almost 3 million viewers per day, which makes him an influential source of medical information. He dresses in surgical scrubs, takes advantage of his standing as a physician, and excitedly reports about ‘miracles’ for weight loss and advocates for ‘anti-aging’…
December Health Pearls: Gardasil 9 Vaccine: Pollution Exposure and Risk of Autism, Dysfuntional Sleep and Childhood Obesity
1. Gardasil 9, the New Version of A Cervical Cancer Vaccine. Earlier this month, the FDA approved the Gardasil 9, Merck’s new version of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine, to be given to females from 9-26 year old, and males from 9-15 years old. Gardasil protects the recipients against nine strains of HPV, as compared…
Caribbean Travelers: Bring Your DEET!
Are you headed to warmer weather for the holiday break? In addition to bringing sunscreen and your bathing suit, do not forget to pack mosquito repellant if you are venturing to the Caribbean islands. One year ago, the first cases of Chikungunya, a viral illness that causes severe joint pains and fever, were detected in…
Heart Attack or Panic Attack?
Sarah comes into the office complaining of chest pain, sweating, racing heart, and shortness of breath. She is worried about having a heart attack. Physical exam and EKG are all normal. What is the next step for Sarah who is having a panic attack? First, of course, we treat her panic attack with a low…
Medical Marijuana – Joint Controversy
As laws change in different jurisdictions, many questions arise. Is marijuana safe? If alcohol and cigarettes kill more people than marijuana does, why are the former legal and the latter generally illegal? Can a doctor legally grow marijuana and prescribe it medically in jurisdictions where both activities are legal? As over 20 states now have…
What Are Neonatal Teeth? And What Is A Dental Home?
It was a regular day at the office when I received a phone call from my Pediatrician colleague about a dental issue with a 1 week old infant in their office. The doctor and lactation consultant were concerned about the presence of 2 whitish tooth-like structures in the anterior part of the lower jaw. I…
Some Points to Consider When Choosing a Health Insurance Plan
Whether you’re looking over choices through an employer or participating as an individual, there are some basic features to explore. This information came my way through MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society. It’s brief and well-organized and meant to be shared with our patients, so rather than re-invent the wheel, I’ll just paraphrase the essentials…
Penicillin Allergy? Superwoman Allergist Says Maybe NOT!
Do you think you have Penicillin allergy? Have you been told since childhood that you should avoid taking Penicillin? I see many patients who have Penicillin listed as a drug allergy. Most of the time, these patients are not referred to me specifically for Penicillin allergy; rather it is something I find out when…
November Health News: Nintendo’s Device, Physical Activities and Depression, V26 Slimming Coffee
1. FDA Warning of V26 Slimming Coffee Product The FDA recently warned that V26 Slimming Coffee Product, a weight loss product, contains Sibutramine, a substance withdrawn from the market since 2010. Sibutramine might increase blood pressure and pulse rate in patients with cardiovascular diseases or stroke. References: FDA.gov, MPR Daily Dose 2. Physical Activities Decrease…
Cologuard – What Is It?
Recently Cologuard has been in the news. What is it? Cologuard is a Medicare/Medicaid approved stool analysis which aims to detect alterations in the DNA associated with colon cancer and precancerous polyps. It combines analysis for a variety of abnormal patterns in your DNA with a fecal immunochemical test or FIT, which assesses for blood in the…