Medical

Medical doctors prescribe drugs to create changes in the body’s chemistry and bring symptoms under control.  All drugs have side effects.    The sixth-largest killer in America is drug-related deaths.  But there are times when drugs save lives!  We need to be aware of the goals of drug therapies and whether or not there are safer alternatives.

Women whose skin has poor elasticity may develop a “pooch” in the abdomen after weight loss or pregnancy.  Exercise can tone and strengthen abdominal muscle but if the skin has stretched beyond its capacity to snap back, no amount of exercise can completely reverse the damage.  Excision of the excess skin with plastic surgery is often the only option. 

Last time we talked about frontal headaches, one of the most often seen headaches. Today, we want to talk about side headaches. The meridian line goes though the side of the head so it is obvious that side headaches come from problems in the liver and the gall bladder.

Improvements are not all created equal.  I love dentistry!  One of the things I like best about the profession is that I will never grow bored.  How could I, in a field that changes with the speed of light?  Dental school was a starting ground of basic skills that gave me the ability to grasp this ever changing and exciting world I practice in. 

Parents can prevent a common childhood foot problem by following some simple recommendations, according to two Valencia foot and ankle surgeons.

Valencia foot and ankle surgeons Leslie G. Levy, DPM and Dana Lavian, DPM, FACFAS, say ingrown toenails are one of the most frequent conditions both doctors treat in children. 

Providence Health & Services medical centers in the San Fernando Valley and the South Bay are preparing now for the winter flu season, anticipating more patients because of the new H1N1 flu – a milder strain of influenza than seasonal flu, but one that is expected to spread more easily.

It’s old news that sugar and artificial sweeteners are poison and detrimental to your health. But there is another sweetener and its evil twin that are in many of the products we consume. They actually increase insulin resistance and contribute to that ugly stuff known as “belly fat.”

“The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.”  Does that sound like some radical “New Age” thought to you?  It wasn’t even new when Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180A.D.) said it.

All of us have the ability to change.  However, the willingness to change is a different story.  With each time we’ve come up short, failed or returned to our old behavior patterns, we may start to believe that it’s just too hard. Conquering negative thinking and bad habits may require some major shifts in perspective, not just at a mental level, but emotional and physical as well.

Athlete’s Foot
What it is: Flaky, dry, cracked, itchy skin.  Smelly feet sometimes appear red, moist or with blisters.
What causes it?  Shoes can create a warm, dark and humid environment that encourages fungal growth.  It can also be contracted in dressing rooms, locker room showers, hotel rooms and swimming pool locker rooms.
How to prevent it:

As specialists in the treatment of foot and ankle conditions, podiatrists will often recommend the use of orthotics, or custom shoe inserts.  They can be used for the treatment and prevention of many different conditions affecting the foot or ankle.  I would like to discuss what orthotics are, and some of the reasons why they are prescribed in the treatment of foot and ankle problems.

The human body consumes energy and produces energy. Energy is our life force, without it we’re simply lifeless. So, we constantly burn fuel (Catabolism) and breakdown cells as a normal function of our existence. The higher the quality of nutritional intake, yields an optimally healthy individual. The lower the quality of nutritional intake, yields a malnourished individual. Simply put, the way we feel and perform is directly connected with our nutritional, physical, and spiritual decisions.

Why are you going to lose the tooth? It may be due to a large extensive decay, a crack or fracture from occlusion, a trauma from an accident, or an advanced periodontal problem.
As soon as your tooth is removed, the bone starts to change in volume, height, and width as it begins the healing process. The thin part of the jaw bone, especially the labial bone of anterior teeth and back teeth, will decrease significantly once the tooth is lost.

Back pain is one of the leading reasons for emergency room visits. Learn how to protect your spine and prevent back and neck pain during Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital’s Spine Education program.

“You’ll do fine with the aspirin alone.”  But he didn’t.  “We will not be prescribing your Plavix.” They should have. My 87-year-old WWII Veteran patient has coronary artery disease. I had placed a coronary stent in him that required Plavix (blood thinner) for at least 9 to 12 months.

Seniors can make easy targets for fraud, whether it’s for unbelievable investment returns or fraudulent sweepstakes prizes.  Fraud on seniors can happen by phone, mail, in person, or, less commonly, the Internet (because seniors are online in smaller numbers).  It can happen to wealthy seniors, and those of limited means. 

Headache is a subjective symptom. It can be induced by various acute and chronic diseases. As it covers a wide sphere, this section only deals in detail with headache as the predominant symptom. If headache is an accompanying symptom in the development of a certain disease, it will disappear automatically as soon as the disease is cured. This type of headache is not to be discussed here.

Antacids are the number-one-selling pharmaceutical in the United States.  They are prescribed for heartburn, which is also known as acid indigestion.  Their purpose is to reduce stomach acid and relieve the burning sensation that is caused by foods and acids backing up out of the stomach back into the esophagus.  Reducing stomach acid with medication helps relieve the symptoms, but it further complicates the problem.  Stomach acid is a fundamental component of a healthy digestive system.

With the budget crisis in California, family caregivers are being squeezed more than ever.  Organizations that were created to provide respite for families in need are being eliminated or cut back drastically.