Health Tips

There has recently been a serious outbreak of measles, with over 100 confirmed cases across 10 states.  I thought we should talk about the importance of having your children, and yourself, vaccinated for measles along with other infectious diseases. Measles and other infectious diseases are still common in some parts…

Since Valentine’s Day falls this week, I thought the heart seemed like a good theme for this week’s Health Tip.  Here are a few interesting items about your heart that you might not know. How big is your heart? Throughout your lifetime, your heart is about the same size as…

Most people will have dry skin from time to time.  Some people do have more serious dry skin conditions, but for most of us, dry skin is caused by environmental factors that can be addressed or controlled.  You can do a lot to improve the condition of your skin, without…

We have known for many years that high blood pressure increases your risk for a variety of conditions, including heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, vascular disease, and vision loss.  We have also known that older adults with longstanding high blood pressure have some atrophy, or shrinkage, of the brain. Based…

We all think of vitamin D to build strong bones, but it has many other functions in the body as well.  Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which is naturally present in only a few foods.  The good news is that your body can make it.  All you need is…

I have recently answered a few questions about pinworm infections, so I thought this would make a good topic for our Health Tip this week. What is a pinworm infection? The pinworm is a parasitic worm which is in the class of worms called roundworms.  It is a tiny white…

Many people prefer to hibernate in the winter months.  I know that it is harder for me to get up to exercise this time of year.  The days are shorter, and boy is it cold here in the Northeast!  Who wants to get out and exercise?  Let’s talk about the…

About 45% of Americans make some form of a resolution for the New Year; with many of those including health conscious goals. Some goals are set too high and may not be realistic. Some resolutions are better for your health than others. For instance, going on a crash diet to…

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that is related to the decreased light exposure in the winter months.  I mentioned it last week as one of the possible causes of the “holiday blues”, but it is an important topic that really deserves a full discussion of its…

We think of the holiday season as a happy and joyous time of year.  Unfortunately, for many people, this is a time filled with sadness, loneliness, or anxiety.  There are many reasons why this may happen.   I thought that I would take some time today to talk about the causes…