Is Journaling Good for Mental Health?
What is Journaling? Journaling is the process of writing down your thoughts, ideas, and feelings. While writing your way out of depression might not be possible, journaling may help lower symptoms of depression. Journaling is the process of writing down your thoughts, ideas, and feelings. When you journal, you express yourself and understand your thoughts […]
Smartphone sensor data has potential to detect cannabis intoxication: New report demonstrates how phone sensor data, such as GPS, can be used to detect cannabis intoxication in young adults.
A smartphone sensor, much like what is used in GPS systems, might be a way to determine whether or not someone is intoxicated after consuming marijuana, according to a new study by the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research. According to the study, published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, which evaluated […]
My Belly Button Saved My Life
I knew what to look for, but I missed the signs. I went to an ovarian cancer awareness walk a decade before I was diagnosed with it at the age of 44. I took home pamphlets describing it as a “silent killer” because most people miss the symptoms, which include frequent urination, feeling full quickly, […]
Can ADHD Cause Speech Problems?
What is ADHD? ADHD is short for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. ADHD can cause speech problems — including word pronunciation. ADHD is a mental health issue common in children. It can cause speech problems — including word pronunciation. Lack of fluency while speaking can cause pauses and repetition, making children sound as if they are stammering. ADHD […]
Après the Pandemic, the Deluge
If it’s not COVID-19, what else could it be? There’s an old joke in internal medicine about a large team rounding on an inpatient cardiology service, consisting of multiple medical students, interns, residents, fellows, and an elderly senior attending. After a long and detailed presentation of an overnight admission by the post-call intern, the attending […]
10 Things That Frustrate Doctors The Most During Appointments
There are a number of scenarios that could lead to you not getting what you need out of a doctor’s appointment. Sometimes the blame falls solely on the physician, who may not take you seriously when you explain what’s wrong. “There are also patients who come to me with a great deal of medical trauma […]
How I Learned to Stop Reacting to Overnight Calls
I’m currently reading What Happened to You by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD, and being reminded that I react rather than respond when I am in a trauma activation. When that happens, I don’t have access to higher cortical functions like critical thinking. And as Gabor Maté, MD, would say, I don’t […]
ivermectin (Stromectol): Generic, Uses, Side Effects, Interactions & Dosages
What is ivermectin, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic medication. Ivermectin works by binding to invertebrate muscle and nerve cells of parasites, causing paralysis and death of parasites. Ivermectin is active against the non-adult form of Onchocerca volvulus. Ivermectin is also active against the intestinal activity of Strongyloides stercoralis. […]
Why ‘Before And After’ Photos Are More Problematic Than You Think
Before and after photos are ubiquitous for a reason. They’re what marketers call a “social trigger” — a type of content that prompts those who see it to feel or act a certain way. They make it clear to viewers that one situation (the “after”) is more desirable than another (the “before”). Think of before […]
Brain-Eating Amoeba: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Survival
What are risk factors for Naegleria fowleri infection? The source of nearly all of the Naegleria fowleri infections reported since 1962 in the U.S. has been exposure to untreated freshwater during the summer. Activities that pose a risk include submerging the head, jumping feet first, diving, and sports that pull a person behind a boat, […]