July 7th, 2011 by Peggy Polaneczky, M.D. in Health Tips
Tags: Earlier Appointment, How To Get Your Appointment Moved Up, Internal Medicine, OB/GYN, Physician Appointment, Primary Care, Psychiatry, Scheduling, Sooner Appointment, Too Far Away, What To Do
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A friend of mine had a hard time getting in to see her doctor for an urgent visit last week. Reeling from an unexpected and sudden family upset, she was depressed and anxious, unable to sleep or function, and her therapist was advising an antidepressant. She called her family doc, who works at a large hospital-based multispecialty group, and told the woman at the call center that she wanted to see the doctor on an urgent matter. She was given an appointment 6 weeks in the future.
Summoning her courage, my friend told the woman her story – and that she was really worried about herself and did not think she could wait that long.
“Sorry, that is the best I can do” was the reply.
Increasingly upset, my friend told the woman that if she had to wait that long, she just might kill herself in the interim. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Blog That Ate Manhattan*
July 6th, 2011 by Paul Auerbach, M.D. in Health Tips
Tags: Allergies, Dangers, Emergency Medicine, ENT, Nasal Irrigation, Neti Pots, Risks, Sinuses, When To Use Nasal Irrigation
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Nasal irrigation is sometimes recommended to thin or remove mucous from the nose. The two most common conditions that produce mucous are upper respiratory infections (e.g., the “common cold”) and allergies. Irrigation may also be beneficial to clear out dust, dirt, and allergens, and to allow the cilia within the nose to function more efficiently. Cilia are organelles that work to move mucous and debris in the nose (among other parts of the body) to a location where they can be expelled more easily. Another benefit of nasal irrigation is that it moisturizes the mucous membranes inside the nose.
Methods of Nasal Irrigation
Irrigation can be pulsatile or non-pulsatile (sometimes called “laminar flow”). Each type has its advocates. It is generally felt to be a safe practice so long as Read more »
This post, Everything You Wanted To Know About Nasal Irrigation, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Paul Auerbach, M.D..
July 5th, 2011 by admin in Health Policy, Health Tips
Tags: Cancer, CT Scan, Health, Lung Cancer, NEJM, Radiology, Screening, Smokers
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If you are a smoker, or love someone who smokes, the specter of lung cancer is ever looming. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to detect lung cancer in its earliest and most curable stages, much like the goal of mammograms for breast cancer?
Although it seems like common sense to do such advance checks—a process called lung cancer screening—studies to date haven’t shown that finding lung cancer early translates into fewer deaths from the disease.
A new report in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that screening heavy smokers with yearly low-dose CT scans can reduce deaths from lung cancer by 20% compared to screening with chest x-rays. The results are from the National Lung Screening Trial, which included more than 53,000 current and former heavy smokers between the ages of 55 and 74. (Preliminary results from this trial were covered in the Harvard Health Letter and in the Harvard Health blog.) Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Harvard Health Blog*
July 4th, 2011 by ChristopherChangMD in Health Tips
Tags: Cancer, Cough, Diagnosis, Ear, ENT, Inattention, NPR, Physical Exam, Police
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One June 20, 2011, NPR aired a great story about how a person may not “see” a person getting beat up on the side of a jogging path when they are focused on a task (pursuing another jogger)… even if they pass RIGHT BY THE FIGHT!!!
In fact, only a third of the subjects reported seeing this mock fight when the experiment was conducted at night. Even more surprisingly, broad daylight didn’t improve the statistics (only 40% noticed the fight).
Though the situation and circumstances do not exactly correspond, there is a lesson to be learned here that applies to a medical visit.
As an ENT, I often see patients for a very specific complaint…
“My right ear hurts.”
“I have a bad cough.”
No matter what the complaint, unless it is for a specific task (there is earwax… can you remove it), I most always still do a complete ear, nose, and throat exam no matter the complaint.
Why??? Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Fauquier ENT Blog*
July 3rd, 2011 by admin in Health Tips
Tags: Abdominals, Core Strengthening Exercises, Exercise, Fitness, How To's, Obliques, Physical Therapy, Proper Technique, Tips
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What do slouching, back pain, and a middling forehand or weak shot off the tee have in common? Often it’s a weak core—the girdle of muscles, bones, and joints that links your upper and lower body. Your core gives you stability and helps power the moves you make every day. Whether it’s bending to pick up a laundry basket, swinging a golf club, paddling a kayak, or reaching to pull a vase from the top shelf of a cabinet, a strong and flexible core makes the move more fluid, efficient, and robust. Strong, well-balanced core muscles can also improve your posture and help prevent back injuries. And if back pain does strike, core exercises are usually part of the rehab regimen.
Core Muscles
Click image to enlarge.
Your core is composed of many different muscles in the abdomen, back, sides, pelvis, and buttocks. These muscles work together to allow you to bend, twist, rotate, and stand upright. |
For all these reasons, more and more people are incorporating core exercises into their fitness routines. If you’re among them, or planning to be, it’s critical to pay attention to proper form. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Harvard Health Blog*
A friend of mine had a hard time getting in to see her doctor for an urgent visit last week. Reeling from an unexpected and sudden family upset, she was depressed and anxious, unable to sleep or function, and her therapist was advising an antidepressant. She called her family doc, who works at a large hospital-based multispecialty group, and told the woman at the call center that she wanted to see the doctor on an urgent matter. She was given an appointment 6 weeks in the future.
