Expert Health Articles

  • Flea and Tick Safety in the Summer
    Warmer weather and sunshine bring people outside for cookouts, swimming, hiking, and all-around fun. While enjoying the outdoors, we need to be mindful of those annoying little critters known as fleas and ticks. They can be harmful to humans as well as pets.
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  • The Winter Blues: Checking in on Your Teen’s Mental Health
    For most people who experience these “winter blues,” spring brings with it renewed life and increased optimism. However, some will have persistent symptoms that carry on long after the flowers have begun to bloom. Now is as good a time as any to check in on your loved ones and offer them support.
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  • SIDS & Safe Sleep Practices for Infants
    There has been a recent increase in cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in our community. SIDS is the leading cause of death for children under the age of one. These losses are heartbreaking for the families and for our community. While not every infant death has a preventable cause, the majority of them are associated with risk factors, including unsafe sleep.
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  • The Life Cycle of Philanthropy & How it Supports Healthcare/Nonprofit Organizations
    Have you ever considered that philanthropy has a life cycle? Many people assume that they need to be fully retired or extremely wealthy to make a gift to a nonprofit organization. I did not think I could help any charitable organization in my early career because I could not make a five-, six-, or seven-figure gift. This was not true.
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  • Asthma-Related Health Disparities
    Asthma is a heterogeneous respiratory disease that affects an estimated 25 million Americans, with six million being children. The financial cost of asthma exceeds $81 billion every year and despite all the resources invested, asthma is responsible for over 3,500 deaths annually in the nation. The prevalence of asthma is proven to be higher among individuals of low socioeconomic status in contrast to those with higher socioeconomic status.
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  • The Importance of Crawling
    The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently eliminated a total of 216 milestones from their guidelines, including crawling. While the CDC has stated that there is no evidence that supports the idea that 75 percent of children will crawl, many therapists (including myself) still strive to encourage and teach our pediatric patients to crawl.
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  • Summer Sun Safety
    As we enjoy the warmer weather, it is important to remember the importance of sun safety. While the sun and ultraviolet (UV) radiation can be beneficial for vitamin D synthesis and can increase mood, it is also responsible for numerous damaging effects on the human skin. Some of the effects of unprotected sun exposure include sunburn, early skin aging and skin cancer. With these risks, The American Academy of Dermatology recommends sunscreen and sun safety practices to reduce the harmful effects if UV exposure.
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  • Drowning Prevention Tips
    Drowning is a serious and preventable cause of death in children in the summer. As a parent, caregiver or healthcare provider, it is important to take steps to prevent drowning.
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  • The Benefits of Playground Play for Children
    The playground offers a unique environment for building skills. There is a lot of development and therapeutic growth that can happen in an environment like a playground. Other than the obvious areas of development, such as strength and gross motor skills, children also learn body awareness, sensory regulation, executive functioning skills and self-esteem.
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  • Sun Protection Tips for Children
    With summer quickly approaching, it’s important to remember the value of using sunscreen, especially on our children. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. Having five or more sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer.
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  • Avoiding Burnout
    Burnout is “A state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.” We see this in family life, work life and even as a whole community. How do we know if we’re suffering from burnout? Here are just a few signs: fatigue, this does not mean just sleepy, but also unmotivated or lack of energy; feeling apathetic or dissatisfied with work; headaches; cynical outlook; changes in sleep pattern.
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  • Acute Strep Pharyngitis (Strep Throat)
    Acute strep pharyngitis, commonly known as strep throat, is a bacterial infection that affects the throat and tonsils. It is caused by the group A Streptococcus bacterium that can be easily spread through contact with an infected person's saliva or nasal secretions.
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  • Harmful Effects of Marijuana Use During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
    Most people are aware of the adverse effects of smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol during pregnancy. However, many remain unaware of the dangers of utilizing marijuana during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Marijuana is legal in many states, but using it during pregnancy may result in higher-risk pregnancies, developmental and/or behavioral problems for the child, and other consequences.
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  • Allergies in Pollen Season
    Those who suffer from pollen allergies may find it difficult to control symptoms during pollen season. Fortunately, there are many treatment options including limiting exposure, over-the-counter and prescription allergy medication, allergy shots, or oral allergy tablets. Your physician and/or allergist can help you decide which treatment is best for you.
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  • Acne and Post-acne Treatments
    Active acne is caused and influenced by a variety of factors and can also lead to the development of post-acne scarring, both of which can be damaging to self-esteem. There are many treatment options available for both acne and post-acne scarring including facial services, chemical peels, microneedling, laser services and more. Speak with your dermatologist or medspa physician to find out which treatment is best for you.
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  • Bipolar Disorder
    Many individuals misunderstand the seriousness of bipolar disorder and instead use it in every day conversation, usually in reference to someone experiencing mood swings. However, mood swings are quite common for humans, whereas bipolar disorder is a diagnosis of symptoms including rapid speech, impulsive behaviors, paranoia and the lack of need to sleep. If you or a loved one are experiencing symptoms of bipolar disorder rather than minor changes in mood, speak with a psychiatrist for help.
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  • Hospice Care is Not a Death Sentence
    Many patients and their families decline hospice care because they fear it automatically resigns the patient to death. However, this is not true. The goal of hospice care is to maintain and/or improve the quality of life for patients with an illness, disease or condition unlikely to be cured. In fact, some patients who receive hospice care have been known to live longer than expected due to the improvements in comfort. Additionally, hospice care is a great resource for families as it offers support, guidance and counseling more so than traditional medical care.
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  • Pull Right for Sirens and Lights
    During emergencies, seconds count. That is why it is crucial for drivers to follow the rules of the road by pulling to the right for emergency vehicles with activated lights and sirens. This article discusses the “do’s” and “don’ts” of moving over for emergency vehicles. Assist both first responders and victims in emergency situations by following these rules.
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  • Children’s Migraine and Tension Headaches: Massage Therapy Solutions
    Children who experience frequent migraine and tension headaches may benefit from massage therapy. There are many causes for both tension and migraine headaches that can be resolved by therapeutic massage. However, there are certain symptoms associated with migraine headaches in particular that should alert parents to take their child to receive medical attention.
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  • Hearing Loss
    While age is the greatest factor in hearing loss, people of all ages may experience hearing loss and could benefit from treatment. The best way to prevent noise-induced hearing loss is to avoid loud noises and protect your ears with earplugs in loud environments. There are many signs of hearing loss that make encourage you to seek an audiologist’s advice.
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  • Technology's Toll on Productivity and Connection
    Although many believe technology helps people connect with one another, it may have a negative effect on how we interact. Mirror neurons are brain cells that activate when we are present with each other and allow us to experience empathy and compassion. However, mirror neurons do not activate when we are communicating via technology. Additionally, technology gives us a false sense of productivity, since multitasking actually harms our performance. It is important to take time away from our devices and cherish our in-person conversations, as they are crucial to our success and relationships.
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  • Foodborne Botulism
    Summer brings many fun gatherings – graduations, weddings, parties and barbecues. Food safety is important for all these gatherings, and typically focuses on food preparation in the home. It is important to follow food safety instructions in the kitchen, especially when grilling and home-canning. Botulism has no smell or taste, so it is difficult to detect, but can be deadly. Therefore, it is important to learn how to prevent this foodborne illness.
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  • If You Think You Are Having A Heart Attack – Call 9-1-1
    Imagine in the middle of the night you are jolted awake by an unfamiliar queasy feeling. A throbbing pressure begins to fill your chest, and your arm begins to tingle with a sensation similar to pins and needles.
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  • Summer Food Safety
    With warm weather here to stay, people are spending more time outdoors again. With the increase in outdoor activities, we tend to take eating outdoors and can easily lose sight of food safety.
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  • Getting Through Annual Reminders
    Annual reminders such as Christmas, birthdays or wedding anniversaries can be increasingly difficult when dealing with the loss of a loved one. But, there are many ways to alleviate the stress of these reminders.
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  • Hospice
    Hospice is a medical service that is designed for people whom doctors think are in their last six months or so of life. It’s for people who are ready to switch from life-prolonging medical care to comfort-based care.
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  • Grieving an Adult Child
    The death of a child, regardless of age, is overwhelming as parents are never prepared for the days, weeks, months and years to follow. But with the death of an adult child, there are unique factors that may affect the grieving process.
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  • Advance Directives
    Many think of advance directives as something that people only complete when they have a life-limiting illness. In actuality, this is something that should be thought about early on in life.
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