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Overachievers May Turn To Prescription Drugs To Gain A Competitive Advantage

There’s no doubt that prescription drug abuse is a major problem in America, and it’s escalating in epic proportions.  Prescription drug abuse affects men, women and teens.  Concerning trends include older adults, adolescents and women.

On MSNBC’s website, Karen Asp writes, Superwoman syndrome fuels pill-pop culture, and it’s about how “Overwhelmed overachievers turn to prescription drugs for an edge.”

This article is a little misleading since there are many women who are hardworking “superwomen” who do not indulge in illicit drug use. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Health in 30*

A Nurse’s Guide To Heart Attacks

How do you know if you’re having a heart attack? Are you thinking about the classic Hollywood example?

Hollywood Loves Drama – Know the Signs of a Heart Attack

The classic example of a Hollywood heart attack is a person clutching their chest, gasping for a breath and falling to the ground.

After all, Hollywood is hot for drama, and when it comes to portraying a person having a heart attack, the exaggerated Hollywood version is far more riveting than a person sitting quietly wondering if their very slight arm discomfort is anything they should be concerned about.

The Hollywood version can be very misleading. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Health in 30*

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Doctor Visit

Kevin Pho, MD, primary care physician in Nashua, N.H., blogs at KevinMD.com, member of USA TODAY’S board of contributors and a guest to the Health in 30® Radio Show, writes about the importance of doctors engaging in social media to communicate with patients.

He writes in an op-ed in USA TODAY “Doctors ignore Internet at their own peril” on January 27, 2010:

“Raise your hand if you’ve ever left a physician’s office without fully understanding what the doctor just told you. According to The New England Journal of Medicine, half of patients admit to not understanding what their doctor told them during an office visit.

As a primary care physician, being unable to clearly communicate with patients is frustrating. The typical, 15-minute office visit often is not sufficient for a thorough discussion. A better way to connect with patients is needed.”

Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Health in 30*

Kitchen Spoons: Not A Great Way To Measure Medicines

A Spoonful of Medicine:  Not a good thing

A recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that people who use a kitchen spoons to pour liquid medicine aren’t getting the right dosage. Here’s what to use to get it right.

Use your kitchen spoon for food, not to measure medicine

Measuring Precisely is Vital

Ask any pastry chef or professional baker, and they’ll tell you that using exact measurements in baking is critical for a successful end product. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Health in 30*

Tips To Become An Empowered Health Consumer

Empowered health consumers know how to take charge of their health and are proactive in their care.

Whether they’re surfing the web for health information, visiting their doctor or health care professional, or a patient in the hospital; empowered health consumers know how to question and communicate.

This blog is a continuation of the “He Said, She Said” post where I promised to give you tips about how to be an empowered health consumer.

Sabriya Rice, CNN Medical Producer had a similar idea.

Here are my 3 tips to help you become an empowered health consumer: Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Health in 30*

Latest Interviews

IDEA Labs: Medical Students Take The Lead In Healthcare Innovation

It’s no secret that doctors are disappointed with the way that the U.S. healthcare system is evolving. Most feel helpless about improving their work conditions or solving technical problems in patient care. Fortunately one young medical student was undeterred by the mountain of disappointment carried by his senior clinician mentors…

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How To Be A Successful Patient: Young Doctors Offer Some Advice

I am proud to be a part of the American Resident Project an initiative that promotes the writing of medical students residents and new physicians as they explore ideas for transforming American health care delivery. I recently had the opportunity to interview three of the writing fellows about how to…

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Latest Book Reviews

Book Review: Is Empathy Learned By Faking It Till It’s Real?

I m often asked to do book reviews on my blog and I rarely agree to them. This is because it takes me a long time to read a book and then if I don t enjoy it I figure the author would rather me remain silent than publish my…

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The Spirit Of The Place: Samuel Shem’s New Book May Depress You

When I was in medical school I read Samuel Shem s House Of God as a right of passage. At the time I found it to be a cynical yet eerily accurate portrayal of the underbelly of academic medicine. I gained comfort from its gallows humor and it made me…

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Eat To Save Your Life: Another Half-True Diet Book

I am hesitant to review diet books because they are so often a tangled mess of fact and fiction. Teasing out their truth from falsehood is about as exhausting as delousing a long-haired elementary school student. However after being approached by the authors’ PR agency with the promise of a…

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