I have a ghost story to tell you.  I actually heard this story on a recent Halloween-themed This American Life episode.  The story is from a real account from a patient, written to her doctor on November 15, 1921.  It is an account of a strange series of events that she and her family experienced…...

Holiday meals can be challenging because there are so many different things to cook that require different times and different temperatures. If you only have one oven, this requires a lot of careful planning to make this work.  I am hosting a very small crowd this year, but even that takes planning. Here are five…...

We have talked about influenza in the past couple of weeks, but this is also the time of year that we see another serious viral infection.  RSV can cause severe illness and even death in very young children.  Each year in the United States, there are over 57,000 hospitalizations among children less than 5 years…...

This is a question that comes up quite often, especially this time of year.  The answer depends on several factors, including what type of illness you have and what type of exercise you are doing.  Let's talk today about the role that exercise plays in your immune response to illness and whether that can be…...

We all know that cigarette smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer.  You may not be aware that the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. is exposure to radon.  Radon gas can become trapped in your home and build up to dangerous levels.  In 2005, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a…...

There has been quite a bit of talk recently about how bad sitting is for us.  Some people have even said that too much sitting is just as bad as smoking cigarettes.  I'm not sure if that is true, but it does seem pretty clear that being more active overall is associated with better health. …...

February is Heart Month, so I am trying to use this month to focus on topics that might help raise awareness about our heart health.  One way to understand your risk for a heart attack or stroke is to learn your "heart age."  This is an easy way for us to talk about your risk…...

High blood pressure is a common problem in our country.  Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).  Untreated high blood pressure significantly increases your risk for heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and other serious health problems.  High blood pressure accounts for more deaths…...