Health Tips

I was a formula-fed baby myself, which is not surprising considering the year that I was born. In the late 50’s two “modern” baby formulas were introduced, Similac and Enfamil, both of which were aggressively advertised with exaggerated and unsubstantiated claims of health benefits for babies. These ads even subtly…

Infection caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis (also called meningococcus) is a very serious illness. It can cause meningitis, which is an infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, and can also cause infections in the blood, and can result in death or serious disability. This infection…

On a recent visit to see my mother, I watched her check her blood pressure with her home machine.  I was surprised to find out that she wasn’t really following the best procedures for getting an accurate blood pressure reading.  I thought a discussion of home blood pressure monitoring would…

Recently, I was asked a question about when a person should be started on blood pressure medication.  This made me think about how the treatment recommendations have changed over time, several times in fact since I was in medical school.  The latest guidelines for treating blood pressure were published in…

The Greek word “apnea” means “without breath”.  In sleep apnea, there is an involuntary cessation of breathing that occurs while sleeping.  These pauses in breathing can last anywhere from 10 seconds to as much as a minute.  Snoring is also a common feature of sleep apnea.  While snoring can just…

We spend approximately one-third of our lives asleep, but sometimes sleep can be elusive. Almost everyone has experienced transient insomnia–the occasional inability to fall asleep, or waking up feeling unrefreshed. Thankfully, it’s usually short-lived, lasting only a few days. Chronic insomnia, however, lasts much longer. A common condition, it may be…

Stomach “growling” is typically associated with hunger or an absence of food in the stomach.  The medical term for intestinal rumbling is borborygmus (bor-boh-RIG-mus).  If you say this out loud, you may find that pronouncing the word mimics the sound produced when your stomach growls.  In fact, the word borborygmus…

The electrocardiogram, also called an EKG or ECG, is a test that records electrical activity within the heart.  With each heartbeat, an electrical signal is conducted through specialized nerves from the upper to lower chambers of the heart.  This causes the heart muscle to contract in a synchronized manner and…

As hot summer temperatures approach, outdoor activities can become more challenging. When the body’s cooling system is fully engaged, some interesting things happen: Our sweat glands can produce up to 2-4 Liters of fluid per hour! As the sweat evaporates (turns from a liquid to a gas) energy is dissipated,…

I received an interesting question about whether or not a particular diet should be recommended in hot environments. I must confess that because I’m accustomed to air conditioning, I hadn’t given it much thought recently. Significant research has been done on the eating habits of military personnel stationed in both…