Bad Cough in Elderly: When to Go to the ER
A bad cough in the elderly can mean pneumonia, a top killer of the elderly, so head to the emergency room promptly. If an elderly family member (over age 65) has a cough that seems [...]
Pulmonary Embolism Tied to Excessive Sitting in Women
A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot in the lungs, and can be fatal within a minute, and for women who sit a lot on a daily basis, their risk is two to three times [...]
Premarin vs. Estradiol and Blood Clot (DVT) Risk
Find out which poses a higher risk of a DVT blood clot: estradiol pills or Premarin pills. To help manage menopausal symptoms, women can be prescribed estrogen-type pills, but these carry with them the increased [...]
Trouble Breathing, Chest Pain After Joint Replacement Surgery
Trouble breathing with chest pain after joint replacement surgery never has a benign cause, says Barbara Bergin, MD, an orthopedic surgeon. NEVER assume that chest pain with difficulty breathing following joint replacement surgery is a [...]
Knee Replacement DVT: Patients at Highest Risk?
Certain kinds of patients have the highest risk of a DVT following joint replacement surgery. A DVT is a deep vein thrombosis which could break off and travel to the lungs and be life threatening. [...]
Retrievable (Temporary) IVC Filters vs. Permanent: Pros & Cons
Wondering about the pros and cons of retrievable IVC filters vs. permanent ones? Since you're here you probably know what an IVC filter’s job is: prevent pulmonary embolism. The largest study on following people with retrievable [...]
How Often Does Someone in the U.S. Die from a DVT ?
The rate at which a deep vein thrombosis kills an American will floor you. Every year in the United States, a significant number of people die from VTE: venous thrombus embolism. “DVT kills more people [...]
Can a DVT Go Away on Its Own?
A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can be deadly, but does this mean it can’t go away on its own? If you suspect a DVT, get to the emergency room, because a deep vein thrombosis can [...]
DVT Prevention with a Treadmill Desk
A treadmill desk will go a very long way at helping prevent DVT: deep vein thrombosis. Perhaps you’ve heard that prolonged sitting during air travel or road travel is a risk factor for developing a [...]
DVT Detection with Urine More Accurate than D-Dimer
A urine test may soon replace the D-dimer to screen for DVT (deep vein thrombosis) blood clots. Imagine being in the ER with a suspected DVT (deep vein thrombosis), and instead of getting your blood [...]
Sudden Feeling Shortness of Breath with No Other Symptoms
That's one of the most frightening symptoms: a sudden feeling of being short of breath even though you're at rest. Even if the sensation of being short of oxygen is your only symptom -- it's [...]
Deep Vein Thrombosis Treatment: Drugs plus Ultrasound
Can DVT treatment be more successful with both ultrasound and drugs, rather than just the clot-busting medications alone? DVT stands for deep vein thrombosis, a life-threatening blood clot that can result from surgery (especially joint [...]
Can Pulmonary Embolism Cause Fainting? Yes, Especially After Flying
There's a unique circumstance under which a fainting episode may be caused by a pulmonary embolism. A pulmonary embolism results when a deep vein thrombosis (“DVT” or blood clot) breaks loose and travels to the [...]
Aspirin vs. Coumadin for Blood Clot Prevention after Surgery
Find out if aspirin reigns over the powerful blood thinner Coumadin for blood clot prevention following joint replacement surgery. Typically prior to joint replacement surgery, the patient is given Coumadin (warfarin), a powerful blood thinner, [...]
Is Every Pulmonary Embolism the Same or Can Some Go Away??
There may actually be a such thing as a pulmonary embolus that does not require treatment. “ A pulmonary embolism (PE) is the development of a blood clot, usually in the veins of the legs, [...]
Can High Vitamin D Doses Help Psoriatic Arthritis?
A doctor answers this question as well as if low vitamin D levels can make psoriatic arthritis worse. If you suffer from psoriatic arthritis, you may be curious over whether or not vitamin D in [...]
Why Hunters Aren’t Sissies for Using Hearing Protection
You're NOT a sissy if you use hearing protection, yet many hunters fail to protect their ears from the loud blasts of rifles which can reach up to 160 decibels. Having Healthy Sharp Hearing Is [...]
Pulmonary Embolism Detection with D-Dimer & CT Scan
In the ER a doctor should order a D-dimer test if there's suspiction of a pulmonary embolism based on symptoms. It's alarming, however, that in some cases this procedure is not followed. A study shows [...]
Can a Thin Child Have Sleep Apnea?
Is it possible for a skinny or thin child to have sleep apnea? Yes, believe it or not, a thin child can actually suffer from obstructive sleep apnea without the parent ever realizing it. Because [...]
Is Cervical Cancer Screening Necessary for Gay Women?
Cervical cancer isn't just caused by HPV transmission between a woman and a man, which is why lesbians absolutely should get an annual Pap smear. Though we know that cervical cancer is primarily caused by [...]
Painful Sex, Vaginal Pain: Q & A with a Medical Doctor
Painful sex is a problem for more women than you think. Some women fake sexual pleasure to please their men, but other times, the pain during sex is so agonizing that these women avoid sex [...]
Birth Control Pills: Blood Clot Risk in Nonsmoking Women?
Women who don't smoke take birth controls, and so do women who smoke--and they have a higher blood clot risk. However, nonsmoking women are STILL at an increased risk for a blood clot simply due [...]
Painful Sex in Women: Vaginal Trigger Point Therapy May Help
Vaginal trigger point therapy can treat painful sex in women. Painful sex for women has multiple causes. Sometimes, the pain during sex in women can be relieved by adding a vaginal lubricant, and prolonging foreplay [...]
Can Women with Very Small Breasts Get a Mammogram?
Is a mammogram possible for women with very small breasts? Very small breasts and the mammogram: If you’re a woman who’s approaching the age at which it would be a wise idea to start getting [...]
Can Prenatal Vitamins Benefit a Non-Pregnant Woman?
Does a woman need to be pregnant in order to benefit from prenatal vitamins, or is the "prenatal" just a marketing gimmick to get pregnant women to buy them? Well, I posed these questions to [...]
Are Hoarding and Obesity Linked? Can Hoarders Self-Treat?
Is there a link between hoarding and obesity? Seems that most, if not all, hoarders are obese; you may have drawn this conclusion after seeing TLC’s “Hoarders: Buried Alive,” or even mere previews to this [...]
Can Anxiety Lead to Gum Disease?
The link between anxiety and stress to gum (periodontal) disease is nothing to ignore. Watch that anxiety: It can cause bad gums. Even the stress of loneliness can cause gum (periodontal) disease, says a study. [...]
Why Do Depressed People Want to Get Off Antidepressants ?
Some people know their depression will come back--or take that chance, anyways--if they stop taking their antidepressant. So why would they want to do this and take that risk? Many people are curious why someone [...]
Plantar Fasciitis: Stretching vs. Shockwave Therapy
Have plantar fasciitis? Which is better: stretching or shockwave therapy? “Both therapies can be very effective and often, it’s best to do them both in tandem,” says Dr. Velimir Petkov, DPM, surgeon and sports medicine [...]
How to Strengthen Your Wrists
You can have strong wrists and still sprain them, but stronger wrists are less likely to be severely sprained. Here's how to make your wrists stronger. Plus, a strong wrist will recover better from a [...]
Hip Replacement Surgery: Obesity in Women Hampers Recovery
Not only is there nothing positive about a body that falls prey to hip disease due to obesity, but very plus-size women who undergo hip replacement surgery fare worse than do overweight men. A very [...]
Can Young People Get Bursitis? Best Treatments
Bursitis doesn’t just strike old people; the young can get it too. Bursa are the small sacs of fluid that help muscles slide easily over other muscles and bones. Bursitis is when the bursa become [...]
Single Best Exercise for Curing Low Back Pain that’s Benign
If there’s only one exercise you could do to cure low back pain, I have it. There is one exercise for curing low back pain that stands out way beyond the rest. I had recommended it [...]
Can Torn Rotator Cuff Be Remedied With Exercise Therapy Alone?
Diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff? Have you been told that the only solution for torn rotator cuff is surgery? When the rotator cuff is “torn,” this means that some tendon tissue has been separated, [...]
Best Exercises for Older Knee Replacement Patients
If you’re 65 years or older and have had total knee replacement surgery, you’ll need to know what the best exercises are for recuperation as well as maintenance. For older people, as well as younger, having [...]
10 Minute Carpal Tunnel Release: No Stitches, Fast Recovery
Traditional carpal tunnel release requires up to three months of recovery, leaves scars and requires restrictive bandages up to two weeks following surgery. However, there is a shorter, less invasive carpal tunnel release surgery that [...]
What Exercises Relieve Carpal Tunnel Surgery Pain?
After carpel tunnel syndrome surgery, it’s possible to experience lingering or residual pain that might shoot up the entire arm and affect the shoulder. Remember, the carpal tunnel compression has caused irritation to the median [...]
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Why Post-Surgical Bandages Are So Thick
If you have carpal tunnel syndrome and planning on having the traditional, “open” surgical technique, you'll be required to wear thick bandages that cover the carpal area of your hand for up to a few [...]
Hand Exercises After Carpal Tunnel Surgery to Regain Strength in Senior Citizens
After my mother had carpal tunnel syndrome surgery on both hands, she was left with weakness in both hands; weak fingers and a weak grip. This is because the carpal tunnel syndrome progressed from mild to severe [...]
Do Blacks with Freckles Have Higher Melanoma Risk?
Do freckles raise the risk of melanoma in a black person? Maybe you already know that melanoma risk in blacks, overall, is far lower than in whites or Hispanics, and perhaps you already know that [...]
