Health Tips

Last week, public health officials urged Americans to get their flu shot early this year.  Let’s talk about the reason for the warning, and whether you should get a flu shot. You may not realize that influenza viruses are constantly mutating and changing.  Because of this, the strain of influenza…

Recently four major health organizations came together to support the first-ever consensus recommendation about healthy drinks for kids. There are so many drinks available in stores these days, and many of them are advertised as kid’s drinks. Unfortunately, many drinks that are advertised for kids are not actually healthy for…

Last week, we talked about the symptoms and causes of gout.  This week, we’ll talk about the diagnosis and treatment of gout, including dietary changes.  My husband has had gout for many years, so I am very familiar with the dietary triggers for gout flares! If you have symptoms, how…

Gout is a complex form of arthritis.  It typically causes sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness, and tenderness in the joints.  The most common joint affected is the base of the big toe.  Most patients will have episodic flares, with little or no symptoms between flares.  There are ways…

Last week we talked about osteoporosis, including risk factors and complications.  This week, I wanted to talk about things that you can do to try to prevent osteoporosis.  We will also talk about ways that it can be treated, if it does develop, in order to decrease the risk of…

Osteoporosis is a medical condition in which the bones become brittle and fragile as a result of loss of tissue.  This is typically a result of hormonal changes, or deficiency of calcium or vitamin D.  The complications of osteoporosis, including hip fractures and spinal fractures, can cause significant disability. We’ll…

Last week we talked about the different causes of food poisoning, and the symptoms they cause.  This week I wanted to talk about how to keep yourself safe and prevent food poisoning.  You have probably heard the basic rule which says to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. …

Protect Your Skin from the Summer Sun This is the time of year for outdoor activities.  I know that I have really been looking forward to the warm summer sun throughout the long New England winter.  Whether it’s a backyard cook out, or a day at the lake or beach,…

We’ll continue the series on hepatitis this week by focusing on hepatitis B.  Hepatitis B is another viral infection that causes inflammation of the liver.  The symptoms of hepatitis B are the same as those we previously discussed in the Health Tip on hepatitis two weeks ago. Unlike hepatitis A,…

Any inflammatory condition of the liver is called hepatitis and there are many possible causes.  Hepatitis can be caused by infection, auto-immune disease, or a variety of toxic substances.  The CDC estimates that there are around 60,000 new cases of acute infectious hepatitis in the US each year, and an…