Health News

Features

Alzheimer’s Awareness

Recognizing Early Warning Signs Can Improve Lives by CHERYL ROGERS Early warning signs can improve quality of life for dementia sufferers and their families. Here’s what to look for. As people age, they may forget things. They may walk from one room to another to get something, only to forget what it was. That is…
The Struggle is Part of Their Story

Clay and Beranda Mock Share Their Story as they Continue Their Journey to Parenthood by LENORE DEVORE She was 23. He was 19. They were young, but Beranda didn’t have time to play games. She told Clay Mock right away that she only wanted a serious relationship, one that would involve getting pregnant quickly. Time…
Pop Quiz: See How Much You Know About Tooth and Gum Disease

by ERIKA ALDRICH Tooth and gum disease are important health considerations well beyond childhood, but they are not as high in our social health consciousness as they need to be. Since knowledge is power, knowing as much as possible about oral health can help you to decrease your chances of having cavities, losing teeth,…

Brain Attack (Stroke or Mini-stroke): Are You at Risk?

Approximately 700,000 strokes occur in the United States annually. Stroke or brain attack is a disease that involves the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that brings oxygen to the brain gets blocked by a blood clot most commonly. With the oxygen supply to the brain…
Punctal Plugs

Many patients suffer from dry eye, and eye care professionals have many tools at their disposal to help with symptoms. For many patients, over-the-counter lubricating drops such as Blink or Systane can be helpful. It is important to avoid redness relieving drops, as these tend to cause more problems over time. When over-the-counter drops are…
Understanding Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Last year, I wrote about heart failure. At that time, I had said that about half the patients admitted with congestive heart failure have normal systolic function. This is true. The most common way to express heart function is by measuring ejection fraction (EF). This is the proportion of the amount of blood in the…