Tag Archives: family physician

Interesting nail finding

I was teaching at the residency program this week and had an interesting nail finding in a child. The girl had a rash 2 months before on her hands and feet and then all of her fingernails started peeling. She … Continue reading →

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When to potty train?

As a physician of a significant pediatric population, I am often asked questions about potty training… when it goes well, it goes well. When it does not, parents think/talk about it for years. When to start potty training? More than … Continue reading →

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Death certificates

Death certificates.  What are they?  What information is on these?  As much as physicians want to preserve life, death certificates are also a bread-and-butter duty of physicians, especially family physicians. There is a great deal of information on the death … Continue reading →

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Cholesterol

Cholesterol.  I attended a lecture recently from a well-known local cardiologist specializing in cholesterol.  Here are the “pearls” from the talk. What is cholesterol?  Cholesterol are lipids that are carried on particles.  A cholesterol panel estimates what kinds of particles … Continue reading →

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Diabetes management

Diabetes management!  I recently attended a lecture on diabetes management.  Here are the  nuts and bolts… There are three pillars of diabetes management…  It’s best to max out #1 and #2 or you and your physician will need to travel … Continue reading →

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Vocal cord dysfunction

Vocal cord dysfunction. What is this?  Feels like throat tightness, not lung/chest tightness.  Starts less than 5 minutes into exercise and recovers within 5-10 minutes from stopping exercise.  These patients do not benefit from beta-agonist (albuterol) challenge like those who … Continue reading →

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Exercise Induced Bronchospasm

Exercise-induced bronchospasm, non-physicians may call this exercise-induced asthma. What is this? It is respiratory distress or wheezing that starts within 15 minutes of exercise onset. Usually it resolves within 15-60 minutes after exercise stops. This can occur in endurance athletes, … Continue reading →

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What are “red flag” symptoms for those with low back pain?

What are “red flag” symptoms for those with low back pain?  When a patient presents to the office or hospital with low back pain, we are looking for the “red flag” (or VERY concerning symptoms) because it reveals that there … Continue reading →

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What should we do about male-pattern hair growth on females?

What should we do about male-pattern hair growth on females?  The medical term for this condition is hirsutism.  Hirsutism affects 5-10% of premenopausal women and is usually an indication of an underlying endocrine disorder like polycystic ovarian syndrome.  Women with … Continue reading →

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What helps knee arthritis pain?

What helps knee arthritis pain?  It depends on how long the knee present has been present… For those with 4 to 12 weeks of knee pain, beneficial interventions are tai chi, home-based exercise (physical therapy can help get you started), … Continue reading →

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