Health Tips

According to the CDC, 25.8 million children and adults in the United States – representing 8.3% of the population – have diabetes. This represents an increase of roughly 15 percent in just the past few years. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of misunderstanding about this disease, some of which…

Moderate alcohol use—up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people—is not considered harmful for most adults (a standard drink is 12-ounces of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits). Many people, however, exceed this level…

For some time it has been known that the earlier that colon cancer is detected, the better the survival rate. For example, when colon cancer is diagnosed at an early, localized stage, the five-year survival rate is 90 percent, as compared to a five-year survival rate of only 10 percent…

The decision to postpone or decline childhood immunizations is one that has important implications for the child, his or her family, and others in the community. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control, along with the American Academy of Family Physicians and American Academy of Pediatrics, released a statement outlining the…

What is tinnitus? Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, is a symptom that affects around 30 million people in the U.S. Of these, 1 in 5 report that their tinnitus is severe enough to be considered disabling. People with severe cases of tinnitus may find it difficult to hear, work,…

Last week we looked at the use of the Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference measurement in assessing obesity. Frequently, people are bothered by the presence of visible (subcutaneous) abdominal fat and don’t consider the dangerous health consequences of visceral fat, the fat that is deep in the abdomen…

According to recent statistics, over two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese. While the “middle-age spread” is considered by many to be an inevitable aspect of aging, it should be recognized that along with an increasing waistline comes increased health risks. The development of an “apple shape”…

The bulk of the tongue is made of muscle that is covered with a moist tissue called mucosa, the same tissue that lines other parts of the inside of your body, including the nose, mouth, and lungs. Small bumps called papillae cover the upper surface of the tongue and between…

Modern medicine effectively incorporates a multitude of tests and procedures to improve the health of patients. However, an estimated $500 billion a year goes toward unnecessary medical practices – tests, procedures, and treatments – that do not benefit patients. “Promoting Good Stewardship in Medicine” is a project of the National…

For a variety of reasons, people spend time outdoors in the winter. Exercising, shoveling snow off sidewalks, or just getting to work or the grocery all expose our relatively poorly insulated bodies to the cold. This is where wearing the right clothing can make the difference between being protected and…