by Dr. Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
Asbestosis is a disease that scars your lungs. It happens when you breathe in asbestos fibers over time. Asbestos is a mineral that was used in the past to make things fireproof.
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By Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
Monitoring your blood pressure at home helps you and your doctor choose how to treat your high blood pressure (hypertension). Controlling it can help lower the risk of problems with your heart, kidneys, and eyes. Click here to read more...
By Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
The most healthful breakfast is a whole grain cereal. Check to make sure that the first ingredient listed is a whole grain. Then immediately look through the entire list of ingredients and see if you see the words “partially hydrogenated.” If you see that, put it back on the shelf.
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By Alan S. Peterson, MD
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is when there are changes in your blood vessels and/or heart. These changes are caused by age and unhealthy habits, like smoking, high cholesterol, obesity, and diabetes. They can also run in families.
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Celiac disease causes problems in your intestines when you eat gluten, which is in wheat, rye, barley, and oats. If you have Celiac disease, gluten damages your intestines and keeps your body from taking in many of the nutrients in the food you eat.
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By Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
Cirrhosis is a disease of the liver.
Normally, your liver does many things.
It helps your body digest fat and break down cholesterol, gets rid of poisons like alcohol and drugs, and stores energy.
It also helps your body form blood clots and scabs if you are hurt.
If you have cirrhosis, your liver sometimes cannot do these things well.
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By Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
A cold is a common illness that can be caused by many viruses. It can be passed easily from one person to another. The exposure risk can be over many days. If you have a cold, your throat may become sore or scratchy. After a couple of days, you may have a runny or stuffy nose and a cough that lasts from many days to more than a couple of weeks.
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, is a lung disease that makes it hard for you to breathe. Over time, your lungs become irritated or damaged. Mucus may block the airways. This makes it hard for air to get through. The air sacs in the lungs may become stiff and unable to hold enough air.
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by Roland Larrabee, M.D.
The best way to clean a cut, scrape or puncture wound (such as from a nail) is with cool water. You can hold the wound under running water or fill a tub with cool water or pour it from a cup over the wound.
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By Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
Depression is an illness that makes you feel sad or hopeless. If your child has depression, he or she may seem less confident or lose interest in things he or she used to enjoy. Your child may have trouble focusing, or seem grouchy or angry. He or she may not want to go to school. His or her eating habits may change. Some children with depression have aches and pains.
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Depression: What You Should Know
By Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
When doctors talk about depression, they mean the mental illness called Major Depression.
Someone with major depression has symptoms like those listed below nearly every day, all day, for two weeks or longer.
If you are depressed, you may also have headaches, other aches and pains, stomach problems, and problems with sex.
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By Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
Earwax or cerumen is a wax made in your ear. It protects the skin inside your ear canal.
Can Earwax Cause A Problem? Not in most people. Wax can build up and block your ear canal. This can cause hearing problems, ringing in your ear or dizziness. Those with hearing aids know well what a little bit of wax can do as far as their hearing is concerned.
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by Dr. Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
Hypertriglyceridemia is when you have too much fat in your blood.
This fat is called triglycerides.
People with high triglycerides usually do not have symptoms.
Sometimes it causes heart and liver problems if high enough.
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by Dr. Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
Impetigo is a skin infection caused by bacteria. They can be either strep or staph. It is a rash that starts as a small red spot or bump and turns into a blister frequently. They usually leave a honey-colored crust. Sometimes the blisters can get very large.
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by Roland Larrabee, M.D
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.
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By Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
Insomnia is when you often can’t fall asleep or when you wake up in the night and can’t go back to sleep. Most people need 7-8 hours of sleep every night. People 65 years or older may normally sleep less at night and nap during the day. Insomnia is very common. More than 1 in 3 adults have it every year. Many things can cause insomnia. Click here to read more...
By Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
If you have lactose intolerance, you have trouble digesting milk, cheese, and other dairy products. If you have lactose intolerance, you have trouble digesting milk because your body does not make enough lactase. Lactase is an enzyme that breaks down the natural sugar in milk. This sugar is called lactose.
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by Roland Larrabee, M.D.
Last week, a brief description of Lyme disease was discussed in this column. Brief mention was made of how you feel if you develop the illness, what to do if you have a tick bite, and whether you should get vaccinated. This week, the more important item will be discussed - avoiding tick bites altogether and hence Lyme disease.
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By Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
The body is made of many types of cells. Normally, cells grow, divide, and die. Sometimes cells begin to grow and divide more quickly than normal cells. Rather than dying, these cells clump together to form tumors. Melanoma is the worst type of skin cancer. Most other skin cancers don’t spread, but melanoma can spread through the whole body. If it is found early, it can be cured.
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By Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
Methamphetamine, or meth, is an addictive drug. In small amounts, it can be given by doctors to treat some illnesses, but it is often made and sold by people illegally in very dangerous forms. Over time, using meth causes problems like violent behavior, feeling anxious or threatened, mood changes, confusion, sleeplessness, and hearing or seeing things that aren’t real.
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By Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
Raising a healthy, active toddler takes work, and parents need to know the best foods to give their child. Feeding toddlers isn’t always easy, but knowing about nutrition and eating habits will make the best choices for your child.
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by Roland Larrabee, M.D.
Poison ivy, oak, and sumac belong to a family of plants that produce one of the most common allergic reactions in the United States. Experts estimate that up to 70% of the population is allergic to urushiol, the oil found in the sap of these plants. The reaction, known as allergic contact dermatitis or Rhus dermatitis, occurs when urushiol attaches itself to the skin after a person’s direct or indirect exposure to the oil.
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By Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
The prostate gland is a part of the male reproductive system. Cancer occurs when cells in the body go out of control. This can happen in the prostate gland. Prostate cancer can spread to other parts of the body. Patients with slow-growing cancer should live as long as men who don’t have cancer. Click here to read more...
By Dr. Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
Rosacea is a disease that affects the skin on the face. It often begins as redness that looks like a blush across the nose, cheeks, chin, or forehead. As time goes on, red pimples and pus-filled bumps may appear. Some people also notice small blood vessels across their nose and cheeks.
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By Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
Schizophrenia is a mental illness. People with this disease may hear voices that others don’t hear, think that other people can control their thoughts, think that people are “out to get them,” have trouble making plans, speaking, expressing feelings, or feeling happy, and have trouble making decisions, paying attention, and remembering. These symptoms can make it hard to talk with other people.
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By Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
If you have problems in your brain, you might have a seizure or convulsion or fit. These all mean the same. During a seizure you might jerk or shake. You might repeat movements like smacking your lips or grinding your teeth. One form of seizure just makes you pause for a brief time in your awareness with your surroundings.
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by Roland Larrabee, M.D.
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.
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The Temporomandibular Joint, or the TMJ, connects the upper and lower jaw bones. This joint allows the jaw to open wide and move back and forth when you chew, talk, or yawn. There are many causes of TMJ pain. Repeated chewing (for example, chewing gum) and clenching your teeth can cause pain in the joint.
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By Roland Larrabee, M.D
With late spring and summer now fast approaching, mosquito season will also soon be upon us. West Nile virusis most often spreadby mosquitoes. West Nile virus is a virus that can infect humans, birds, horses and mosquitoes.
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By Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
A work-related eye injury is an injury that you get while at work. These injuries are most likely in people who work outside, in construction, or with machinery. You may be allergic to things at work that make your eyes red and itchy. You can be allergic to food, dust, plants, and work materials. Germs at work can also irritate your eyes. Things can fly into your eyes from work.
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