Why Respiratory Sicknesses Are Hitting Kids So Hard This Year
You might think that as COVID-19 becomes less of a threat, we would all be spending less time talking about viruses, testing and how to prevent the spread of germs. But it seems that everywhere you turn these days, there are sick kids. Pediatricians are tending to a never-ending stream of patients, and children’s hospitals […]
Everyone Says Don’t Google For Medical Advice. I Did Anyway, And It Might Have Saved My Vision.
I first felt the dull pang in my head on a Wednesday in mid-July 2021. I didn’t think much of it, because like most people, I’m used to having the occasional headache ― usually from PMS or not drinking enough water. I popped an Advil, took a test to rule out COVID, and continued about […]
Opinion | ‘People Need to Make Their Own Decisions’: What We Heard This Week
“As to whether a booster is ‘unnecessary’ in certain age groups, I think we’re at the point where people need to make their own decisions.” — John Moore, PhD, of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, on getting the bivalent COVID booster shot. “We will live the day that they will not undergo surgery […]
Is Diet Soda Really That Bad For You? Here’s The Truth.
Many of us think of diet soda as a way to have our soda and drink it, too. You get the experience of drinking soda, but not the calories and sugar that come with it. And while health experts aren’t exactly gung-ho about diet soda, researchers are still working to understand exactly what it does […]
Suicidal Thoughts Exist On A Spectrum. Here’s How To Handle Each Type.
When people talk or think of suicide, the natural (and fair) reaction is to believe someone is in immediate crisis. However, suicidal thoughts don’t always fit one specific mold. Instead, it’s more like a spectrum. Some certainly are in need of intervention ASAP, while others may not feel attached to living but aren’t at a […]
What Is the Time Value of Money?
We most often think of money in terms of its monetary value. And this obviously makes sense in a lot of ways. Unfortunately, however, monetary value does not capture the whole picture and can lead to bad decisions and worse outcomes. That is why, especially as physicians, we need to consider the time value of […]
Opinion | Physicians, Learn to ‘Self-Round’
I always think of the beginning of July as the New Year in medicine. It’s when medical students become interns, interns become residents, and residents become newly minted attendings. With each change is an increase in responsibility. I remember paying even more attention to the history and physical each time I crossed that threshold, with […]
Introducing a protocol for using robotic pets in memory care
You might think it was a typical therapy session at a long-term care facility. In a quiet room, a therapist sets down a pet carrier, brings out a cat, and sets it on a resident’s lap. As the resident gently strokes the cat’s fur, it purrs, and the therapist asks the resident questions about their […]
The Trouble With Binge Drinking Over Age 30 – MedicineNet Health News
Latest Prevention & Wellness News By Amanda LoudinJune 23, 2022 When you think of binge drinking, you probably imagine young college students overdoing it at big weekend bashes: Kegs, shots, loud music, and bad behavior. And indeed, according to a national survey, more than half of college students (53%) reported drinking in the past month, […]
Opinion | Redefining ‘Self-Care’ for Doctors
For many of us, the term “self-care” is synonymous with self-indulgence. I used to think so too. Our thoughts immediately race toward behavior that would require us to take time away from our loved ones or somehow shortchange them of our responsibilities. As a child, I looked to my parents as prime role models. They […]