The thyroid gland is responsible for controlling our metabolism, and as such, it is often blamed for causing all manner of weight loss difficulties. Heck, I had my own thyroid hormone levels checked a few years back when my dieting wasn’t producing the results I expected. In reality, though, only about 10% of women (and […]
Just as most people don't know much about their spleens, they also know very little about their lymphatic system. Perhaps it's no surprise that the two are related? Both the spleen and the lymphatic system (with its vessels and nodes) play an important role in our immune response to disease and infections. Not to sound [...]
The term “anemia” is quite broad, and simply means that there is a problem with a person’s red blood cells (sometimes there are too few, sometimes they are malformed). Red blood cells are manufactured in the bone marrow and are basically tiny sacks of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin molecules (centered around an iron atom) that circulate through […]
Sun safety – describes a range of behaviors that include wearing wide brimmed hats that cover the face and neck; the correct use of sunscreen of at least sun protection factor (SPF) 15 and limiting sun exposure during the hours of peak sun intensity, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. One other important “sun safety” issue […]
Clostridium difficile (known as ‘C. Diff’ for short) is a species of bacterium that can cause severe diarrhea requiring hospitalization. This bacterium normally lives in soil, water, deli meat, and human feces and we are exposed to it on a fairly regular basis. It may not cause symptoms until our normal intestinal bacterial colonies are […]
Did you know that our bodies have mini “air bags,” located around our joints (the largest ones are in the shoulder, elbow, and hip) for protection? They are not actually filled with air – they are filled with fluid and are called bursae (plural). But they are designed to keep the joints buffered from impact. […]
I got heatstroke once when I was hiking in Arizona. As I was coming down the mountain in the final mile, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of nausea and I started dry heaving. At the time I was confused about what was happening, because I thought I had been drinking enough water during the […]
Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the sheath of tissue on the bottom of the foot. It causes sharp foot and heel pain, usually worst when you first get out of bed in the morning. It feels like walking on needles and can be very debilitating. There is conflicting information about how to treat plantar fasciitis […]
You may have heard that there will be an eclipse on August 21, 2017 and that people are planning to view it in specific cities in the U.S. On that date, the Sun, Moon, and Earth’s orbits will line up such that the moon will completely cover the sun, casting a shadow on an arc […]
