If you’ve ever struggled with low back pain, you know that it can be surprisingly debilitating, even if the discomfort is short-term. You may find it difficult to grocery shop, do housework, play sports, or even tie your shoelaces. When back pain is chronic, lasting 12 weeks or longer, it can impair quality of life …
Back pain: Will treatment for the mind, body—or both—help? Read More »
Editor’s note: in honor of Pride Month, we’re re-publishing a 2019 post by Dr. Cecil Webster. Generally speaking, discussing what happens in our bedrooms outside of the bedroom can be anxiety-provoking. Let’s try to make your doctor’s office an exception. Why is this important? People in the LGBTQ+ community contend not only with a full …
Talking to your doctor about your LGBTQ+ sex life Read More »
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, and rates are rising, particularly in adults ages 20 to 49. Unfortunately, approximately 30% of eligible people in the US still have not been screened for CRC. Colon cancer may be prevented with screening tests that look for cancer or …
Colon cancer screening decisions: What’s the best option and when? Read More »
Let’s not kid ourselves: the pandemic is still with us, despite how it may sometimes seem. Increasingly, people are going back to work in person. Schools reopened this spring. And mask mandates are history in most parts of the US. In many places, case rates are falling and deaths due to COVID-19 have become uncommon. …
Year three of the pandemic is underway: Now what? Read More »
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects an estimated 37 million people in the United States. Often, it begins and progresses silently, causing no obvious symptoms until kidney function is severely impaired. During early stages, up to nine in 10 people aren’t aware that they have it. If kidney disease is caught early and treated properly, serious …
Younger adults with kidney disease struggle with health disparities Read More »
A forest fire in northern California and a mile-long glacier breaking apart appear in your news feed. The stark reminders of climate change are constant, and may cause additional stress to your daily tasks. For example, in surveying your shopping cart filled with wipes, sandwich bags, and packets of baby food, you may question your …
If climate change keeps you up at night, here’s how to cope Read More »
It’s an old line: everyone complains about the weather but no one is doing anything about it. But if you’re a person with bad allergies or asthma, stormy weather can be more than an annoyance; it can be a serious threat to your health. “Thunderstorm asthma” was first reported in the 1980s in England and …
Thunderstorm asthma: Bad weather, allergies, and asthma attacks Read More »
This spring, many parts of United States experienced historic heat waves. Now summer is officially underway, and experts are predicting hotter than normal temperatures across most of the country. Extreme temperatures increase health risks for people with chronic conditions, including heart problems. If you do have a heart condition, here’s how to keep cool and …
Heart problems and the heat: What to know and do Read More »
“The horse has left the barn.” Those six words, said by my husband’s oncologist, changed our lives forever, although the sense of impending loss had begun weeks earlier with a blood test. There would be more tests, exams, and visits to specialists. As George and I waited for a definitive diagnosis, we bargained with ourselves …
Active surveillance for prostate cancer has its tradeoffs. Available to men with low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer, the process entails monitoring a man’s tumor with periodic biopsies and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests, and treating only when — or if — the disease shows signs of progression. Active surveillance allows men to avoid (at least for …
An emerging treatment option for men on active surveillance Read More »