We have known for many years that high blood pressure increases your risk for a variety of conditions, including heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, vascular disease, and vision loss.  We have also known that older adults with longstanding high blood pressure have some atrophy, or shrinkage, of the brain. Based on increasing objective data about…...

Most people will have dry skin from time to time.  Some people do have more serious dry skin conditions, but for most of us, dry skin is caused by environmental factors that can be addressed or controlled.  You can do a lot to improve the condition of your skin, without seeing your doctor. What are…...

Since Valentine's Day falls this week, I thought the heart seemed like a good theme for this week's Health Tip.  Here are a few interesting items about your heart that you might not know. How big is your heart? Throughout your lifetime, your heart is about the same size as your fist.  It grows at…...

There has recently been a serious outbreak of measles, with over 100 confirmed cases across 10 states.  I thought we should talk about the importance of having your children, and yourself, vaccinated for measles along with other infectious diseases. Measles and other infectious diseases are still common in some parts of the world.  We often…...

We have all had itchy skin from time to time, whether it is from poison ivy, eczema, or dry skin.  It is always nice to have a good home remedy available that really works.  An oatmeal bath is a great alternative to anti-itch medications.  People have actually been using oatmeal to sooth irritated skin for…...

Stroke is the 5th most common cause of death in the US, and a leading cause of disability.  A stroke occurs when an artery that carries blood to the brain either becomes blocked by a clot, or ruptures.  When this happens, the part of the brain that is supplied by this artery cannot get the…...

Any inflammatory condition of the liver is called hepatitis and there are many possible causes.  Hepatitis can be caused by infection, auto-immune disease, or a variety of toxic substances.  The CDC estimates that there are around 60,000 new cases of acute infectious hepatitis in the US each year, and an estimated 4.3 to 5.7 million…...

I'm continuing my series on hepatitis by focusing this week on hepatitis A, which is a virus that causes a highly contagious liver infection.  This is an acute form of hepatitis, although symptoms can last up to 6 months in some cases.  Most people who become infected with hepatitis A will recover completely with no…...