There has been a paucity of studies published that shows any benefits of growing old. That was at least until an article appeared in the Journal of Neuroscience this last June. In the study, scientist found that people over 50 handled life’s rotten realities and found life’s bright side more effectively than the younger generation. …
Antipsychotic-drug treatment of children and teenagers seen by office-based physicians increased dramatically between 1993 and 2002. In the United States, the number of office prescriptions of antipsychotic medications for young people increased from about 201,000 in 1993 to 1,224,000 in 2002. Nearly all prescriptions were for the newest such medications- clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine- …
Over the years I have treated many cases of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis ( an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid gland). I have found that if treated in the initial stage of the disease the patient can avoid use of medication to control symptoms of hyperthyroidism and also avoid the end stage of the disease which …
If you by chance know an alcoholic that refuses to give up his beers or whisky there is hope he can avoid cirrhosis of the liver. A 2 decade long study found that with each cup of coffee drank daily the risk of cirrhosis dropped about 22 percent. Those who drank more than 4 cups …
Urologists in Canada, England, Mexico and the Dominican Republic are treating prostate cancer with a technique called high-intensity focused ultrasound, or HIFU. It often avoids the irreversible side effects, including impotence, that can arise during surgery, radiation, and the other treatments available in the United States. The procedure is performed by inserting a transducer emitting …
About 10 years ago I remember having a patient that complained of having the sensation of bugs or worms crawling under her skin. She even described these dark filamentous objects that would come out of the skin. These sensations were literally making her crazy. The patient had seen numerous other physicians looking for answers. Because …
People who are in medicine are attracted to this profession because of an innate desire to help others. They find that they often are drawn to those who are in pain. One does not acquire this character trait but rather is born with it. Some health care providers demonstrated this nature at a very early …
Last week I was sitting in a waiting room waiting for my appointment when an employee of the business came up to the receptionist and asked if she had heard the so-and-so was out with a bad case of chicken pox. He then made the comment that when an adult contracts it, it is especially …
I recently came across an interesting article in JAMA in which a physician/surgeon described his personal experience with macular degeneration. “It was during the summer about 3 years ago. I became aware while I was driving, of a subtle change in the shape of billboards. The upper right hand corner of the billboard appeared to …
While reading through an issue of Alternative Medicine I came across an article with the above title. In the article it cited a study done in England where more than 800 otherwise healthy people with lower respiratory infections were treated one of three ways: They either received antibiotics immediately, got no antibiotics or were given …