Health News

Features

Antibiotics: Fact vs. fiction

Modern Wonder Drugs Not a Cure-All Since it was used in World War II, penicillin has saved countless lives. The use of antibiotics has grown— to the point where it’s become a medical standby. But antibiotics can be overused. Our bodies contain bacteria, or “normal bacterial flora” on the skin and other places. “By exposing…
Pop Quiz: Is work-related stress affecting your health?

Find out where strain at work may lurk and if the stress is helping or hindering your well-being. We’ve all heard before that jobs can be stressful, but could your regular nine-to- five responsibilities be causing you just sleepless nights or putting you on the fast track to a heart attack? Learn more about job…
Creative ways to say ‘thank you’ to the family caregiver

Chances are, you know someone who is a family caregiver even if you aren’t one yourself. According to the Caregiver Action Network (CAN), 90 million adults— two out of every five in the entire country— are responsible for the bulk of a family member’s care. November is National Family Caregivers Month, and this year is…

Antiplatelet and Anticoagulation Therapy

With the increase in longevity and improvement in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, a sizable proportion of Americans are on either an antiplatelet agent or full anticoagulation. These are commonly known as blood thinners. In the next two columns, I’ll talk about the most commonly used blood thinners. Common indications for requiring antiplatelet agents are…
Celebrating Glaucoma Awareness Month

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. What is Glaucoma? Glaucoma is a disease where the optic nerve in the eye becomes damaged over time. Each eye has an optic nerve. This nerve acts like a cable sending information about what you see to the brain. This is just like a cable to your television. Without treatment,…
Smoking Hurts More Than Your Lungs

I cannot really believe that the holidays are upon us already. This year has been like no other with its usual mix of pain and pleasure. I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize the role of lifestyle in the management of vascular disease that can lend a sense of control in its otherwise…