DECEMBER 2005 - Adult diabetes is a disorder that happens when your body does not make enough insulin or is unable to use insulin properly. The inability to use your insulin is called insulin resistance. This problem with insulin causes the level of sugar in your blood to become abnormally high. Click here to read more...
By Roland Larrabee, M.D.
AUGUST 2005 - Allergic rhinitis is a reaction of the lining of the nose to particles in the air. Allergic rhinitis occurs when the nose and usually also the ears, eyes, sinuses, and throat come into contact with allergy-causing substances. The allergy-causing substances are called allergens. The most common allergens are pollens, molds, dust, and animal dander. Click here to read more...
By Roland Larrabee, M.D.
AUGUST 2005 - Athlete's foot is a common skin problem caused by a fungus. Usually beginning on the skin between the toes, the fungus infection becomes scaly and itchy. Over time it may cause a break in the skin and become sore. Another term for athlete's foot is tinea pedis. Click here to read more...
OCTOBER 2005 - Bronchiolitis is a specific kind of lung infection caused by a virus. The average age of children who get bronchiolitis is 6 months. They are almost never older than 2 years. Click here to read more...
SEPTEMBER 2005 - All children younger than 12 years of age should ride in the back seat of the car. This is safer if there is a crash. If the child is not big enough to fit into a safety belt, he or she should use a child safety seat or a booster seat. You will need to change the seat as your child grows. If you are a grandparent, and you transport children, this pertains to you also. Click here to read more...
By Roland Larrabee, M.D.
AUGUST 2005 - Here are some things you should do to take care of a wound caused by a cat or dog bite, and some things your doctor may do to treat a cat or dog bite. Click here to read more...
By Alan Peterson, M.D.
JULY 2005 - Diabetic Ketoacidosis, or DKA for short, happens when your body has high blood sugar (also called glucose) and a build-up of acid. If it isn’t treated, it can lead to coma and even death. It mainly affects persons with Type 1 diabetes. But, it can happen with other types of diabetes including Type 2 diabetes and diabetes during pregnancy. Click here to read more...
By Alan Peterson, M.D.
SEPTEMBER 2005 - Older people who fall can hurt themselves badly. Injuries from a fall can range from bruises and cuts to more serious problems like a broken hip or lacerations that need suturing. Falls may help keep an older person from living alone. Some older people may not do certain things because they are afraid of falling. Click here to read more...
By Roland Larrabee, M.D.
AUGUST 2005 - Food poisoning is an illness that you may get after eating food contaminated by some types of bacteria, parasites, and viruses. Bacteria are all around you--on your hands, countertops, floor--everywhere. Eating a few bacteria usually won't hurt you. However, if you eat some types of bacteria, you may become sick. Click here to read more...
By Roland Larrabee, M.D.
AUGUST 2005 - Heat illness occurs when your body becomes overheated, usually when you are outside in very hot or humid weather. Heat illness includes heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and the most serious, heatstroke. You are at high risk for heat illness if you are an older adult, are overweight, have heart disease, have high blood pressure or chronic illnesses, or work in a hot environment. Click here to read more...
By Roland Larrabee, M.D.
JUNE 2005 - Summer heat waves cause thousands of cases of heat-related illness in the US each year and hundreds of heat-related deaths, especially among the elderly. Chronically ill, elderly, poor and socially isolated persons without air conditioning are particularly susceptible to heat injury. Those with a previous history of heat-related illness are also at more risk. Click here to read more...
By Alan Peterson, M.D.
JULY 2005 - Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infects the liver. You can get HBV infection from blood and body fluids such as saliva and semen. If a pregnant woman is infected with HBV, her baby also may be infected at birth. Usually, you can’t tell. Most people don’t have any symptoms. You may feel tired, your “stomach” may hurt sometimes, or your skin may look yellow. Click here to read more...
By Roland Larrabee, M.D.
OCTOBER 2005 - Influenza, or the flu, is a virus infection of the air passages. Significant outbreaks of the flu occur almost every year, usually in the early winter. Each season a different strain of flu virus may be responsible for an outbreak. In some years, the flu strain may be particularly severe and cause many deaths, particularly if pneumonia develops. Click here to read more...
By Roland Larrabee, M.D.
JUNE 2005 - Insect repellents have been used on the skin for many years, primarily to prevent mosquito bites, which transmit malaria, West Nile virus infection, and various types of encephalitis (brain infection). With increased concern about Lyme disease in recent years, skin and clothing repellents are also recommended for protection against ticks. Click here to read more...
NOVEMBER 2005 - People who have insomnia may not be able to fall asleep. They may wake up at night and not be able to fall back asleep, or they may wake up too early in the morning. Many things can cause insomnia, such as stress, too much caffeine, depression, changes in work shifts, and pain from medical problems. Click here to read more...
By Alan Peterson, M.D.
SEPTEMBER 2005 - Older people who fall can hurt themselves badly. Injuries from a fall can range from bruises and cuts to more serious problems like a broken hip or lacerations that need suturing. Falls may help keep an older person from living alone. Some older people may not do certain things because they are afraid of falling. Click here to read more...
DECEMBER 2005 - Myocardial infarction (MI) is a heart attack. It occurs when there is a sudden, complete blockage of blood flow to a part of the heart. Myocardial infarction may occur at any time and often occurs without warning. As we grow older, our coronary arteries may become narrowed by the buildup of cholesterol plaque. When the arteries narrow, less blood can go through them, and less oxygen gets to the heart muscle. Click here to read more...
By Alan Peterson, M.D.
JULY 2005 - In osteoporosis, bones lose calcium and become porous (filled with holes). This is called losing bone mass. It weakens the bones and makes them more likely to fracture or break. Osteoporosis is more common in women. However, by age 65, men lose bone mass as quickly as women do. The more risk factors that you have, the higher your risk for osteoporosis. Click here to read more...
By Alan Peterson, M.D.
JULY 2005 - Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) is a clogging of the arteries usually caused by atherosclerosis. Arteries are blood vessels that take oxygen-rich blood from the heart to all parts of the body. Atherosclerosis is the hardening and narrowing of the arteries caused by a slow build-up of fatty material in the walls of these arteries. In PAD, atherosclerosis affects the arteries of the legs. Click here to read more...
NOVEMBER 2005 - Despite widespread use of the childhood vaccine, pertussis remains a significant public health problem, with reported rates higher than they have been in many decades. It’s often milder in older persons and that can make recognition of the disease challenging. But with new vaccines licensed for use in adolescents and adults, the time is right for more prevention. Click here to read more...
DECEMBER 2005 - Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a cause of insomnia (trouble sleeping) for many people. RLS sufferers experience an uncomfortable sensation in the legs, typically occurring with inactivity, especially around bedtime. Sensations include aching, twitching, tingling, burning, or prickling sensations in the lower leg muscles when they lie in bed or sometimes when they are sitting down. Click here to read more...
NOVEMBER 2005 - Older adults might get sleepy earlier in the evening, or they may have trouble falling asleep when they go to bed. They might not stay asleep all night. They might wake up very early in the morning and not be able to go back to sleep. These problems can make older people very sleepy in the daytime. Many things can cause sleep problems. Click here to read more...
By Roland Larrabee, M.D.
JUNE 2005 - I hear this question frequently from parents of infants and young children (age less than 6 years). Thus, it would appear to me that guidelines are not readily available for parents to answer the question of whether these products are safe to use in this age group. I hope the following will be of some help during the summer months. Click here to read more...
By Roland Larrabee, M.D.
JULY 2005 - A taste disorder is a condition that causes a change in your normal sense of taste. Changes in your sense of taste, which is closely connected to your sense of smell, may be temporary or permanent. More than 2 million Americans suffer from some permanent smell or taste disorder. Most often, such disorders are not considered serious problems. Click here to read more...
SEPTEMBER 2005 - A lower urinary tract infection (UTI) is a bladder infection or cystitis caused by germs. If you have a UTI, it may hurt to go to the bathroom and you may have to go more than usual. Bladder infections are found most often in young women. Click here to read more...
NOVEMBER 2005 - Safe Kids Worldwide recently released its recommendation that no children under age 16 be allowed to ride an ATV under any circumstances. The reasons given for tighter restrictions on youth operating ATVs include their lack of judgment, maturity and physical development, the inherent risks associated with ATV operation, the increased numbers of injuries to youth operators in recent years, and a lack of safety devices to protect children against injuries common to ATV riding. Click here to read more...
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