Tag Archives: Family Doctor

Tattoos? Think before you ink.

As of 2012, 1 in 5 adults had a tattoo.  This is up from 14% in 2008.  Truthfully, tattoos are usually trouble-free.  But tattoos can pose health risks… Unsterilized tools. Contaminated ink. Scarring. Blood-borne diseases (HIV and hepatitis). Toxins in … Continue reading

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Patients don’t fill their prescriptions?!

What?  Actually, 1/3 of prescriptions go UNfilled.  The fancy word for this is “nonadherence.” A Canadian study followed nearly 16,000 patients.  The results: nonadherence most often this occurs due to prescribing expensive drugs and preventive therapies for chronic conditions. Also, … Continue reading

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Antibiotic use may be related to developing asthma later in life.

We know that the number of people with asthma has significantly increased over the last three decades. In addition, a recent study out of the United Kingdom found that children who were given antibiotics during infancy were at a higher … Continue reading

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Pregnant mothers are encouraged to eat peanut butter

Yes.  It was found that consumption of peanuts and tree nuts during pregnancy may prevent their children from developing nut allergies. The study supports the thought that early allergen exposure increases the tolerance and lowers the risk of childhood food … Continue reading

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Traveler’s diarrhea

Summer is traveling season. . . this brings up the age-old question of … What to do to avoid diarrhea?  What to take?  When to take it? What is traveler’s diarrhea?  It is defined as passing 3 or more loose … Continue reading

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Over the counter treatment for benign prostatic hypertrophy symptoms

Benign prostatic hypertrophy?  BPH symptoms in men are urinary frequency, difficulty starting and stopping stream of urine, weak urine stream, and needing to get up from bed at night to urinate. Who gets this?  Only men.  More than 80% of … Continue reading

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Need sexually transmitted infection screening?

If you are a sexually active woman under the age of 24 you most likely need STD screening.  A federal task force is suggesting that STD screening should be regularly done in all American women who are sexually active.  Gonorrhea … Continue reading

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When pregnant, stay away from medicines

There are some medicines that are thought to be safe during pregnancy. . . but we keep learning more from research daily. Prenatal exposure to acetaminophen (Tylenol) was associated with a significantly increased risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity-like behavioral problems in children. This … Continue reading

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Late-life depression may be prodrome to dementia

There is a relationship between elderly patients with acute depression and progression to Alzheimer’s disease.   It is unclear whether depression in the elderly is a risk factor for dementia or if it’s a prodrome of the disorder. It’s important to … Continue reading

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Should you take zinc to help ward off or treat colds?

Maybe. Zinc may help decrease the duration of a cold, but not the severity of symptoms. The studies show that the mean difference in reduction of duration as 1 day. Zinc is included in almost all over-the-counter daily vitamins and … Continue reading

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