Research on the Brain and Recognition

How do we recognize highly variable pictures of the same person as the same?  And how does hearing their voice or name conjure up many of the same feelings of recognition?  Previously, researchers had found brain cells in specific parts of the brain in people undergoing brain surgery for epilepsy that seemed to turn on only in response to pictures of individual celebrities.  In the present study, researchers have found these brain cells also respond to language.  For instance, they found an Oprah brain cell that responds to three pictures of Oprah Winfrey, to her name written on a computer screen, and to computer synthesized voice saying Oprah.  Another brain cell turned on to different pictures and the written and pronounced names Luke Skywalker from "Star Wars."  It's pretty interesting stuff.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Studies Show No Consistent Link Between Cell Phone Use and Cancer

There are many people who believe that cell phones can cause other health problems.  There's an estimated 276.6 million people who use cell phones, and it's growing.  When we look at this information, there are concerns because they're worried about limiting exposure to cell phone radiation.  The debate over the safety of cell phone radiation has been brewing for years and there is a great divide on the issue.  Basically, on the internet, if you look at these things, it says studies have shown no consistent link between cell phone use and cancer. The concern, however, is where there's smoke, there's fire.  Researchers believe that it is important to look at all aspects.  You should continue to look at studies, stay calm, but obviously look at new information. 

We always appreciate your comments.

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Pedometers Are Useful Exercise Tools

If you’re looking for an inexpensive present that will keep you in shape all year long, consider a pedometer. A pedometer is a small device that can be worn on your hip and it measures the number of steps that you’re taking during a walk or an exercise program. A recent study found that people who used pedometers and kept a record of the daily number of steps they took, actually put them in a diary, they had better results than those who worked out daily with no measurements or record. Here’s the point…we know that walking is one of the most effective forms of exercise. A pedometer can serve as an incentive to get going. People like to set goals and the diary can be a great motivator. You need to have an organized plan and some record.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Treating Throat Infections

There is growing information about throat infections in children. One of the things we can do in the office that I think is very important is a strep culture. We’re able to culture and see if bacteria is causing the problem. If, in fact, it is, we need to make sure that we get an antibiotic on board that can treat it. There are resistant strains and antibiotics always don’t work. But what we find is that certain antibiotics have a much better place in the treatment of these throat infections. We watch for them very carefully, and try to find out which is the best.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Allergies To Penicillin

It’s a drug that seems to have been around forever but it’s actually since the mid-1900s. We’re talking about penicillin. Penicillin is a very effective antibiotic that’s still used in many cases, however, it’s usually a variant form of penicillin. It is an antibiotic, though, that does have some allergic reactions to it. Many people will tell doctors that penicillin is one of their allergies and that means doctors have to be very careful about drugs that are similar to it.

We always appreciate your comments.

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Preventing Ligament Tears

Ligament tears can occur in anybody in any situation, but in women athletes it occurs quite often because you’re stretching or extending the ligaments. When you do that, that stretching with the flexibility can actually cause pain. Ligament tears can cause long-term excruciating pain. If you’re able to stretch and strengthen the muscle groups around the ligament, you have a better chance of avoiding these problems. That’s why conditioning is such a key for women in athletics.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Adolescents and the Risk of STDs

Sexually transmitted diseases do occur in adolescents and they can be problematic. You need to talk to your teens about sex, premarital sex, and what the issues are. Also, talk to them about the risks; the risks of sexually transmitted diseases and the fact that infections can cause a great deal of trouble, short-term and long-term. One of the things many teens don’t know is it can actually affect fertility. Chlamydia and gonorrhea can actually cause scarring in the tubes and can cause difficulty for women who want to have babies in the future.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Ear Infections Are a Part of Childhood

There are many causes of ear infections.  Ear infections can be frustrating because they can come and go, but we're learning more and more that viral infections are by far more common than bacterial as causes of ear infections, so we don't have to treat with antibiotics as often as we used to.  That's a very important point…to make sure we are evaluating children the way we should and that we're not overdoing it with the medications.  Ear infections are a part of growing up and it has to do with the Eustachian tube and the way that infectious agents can get there. 

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Teenagers Should Limit Caffeine Intake

Caffeine is a drug that's being used more and more in teenagers.  It's a medication, in a sense, because, yes, it's legal, yes, it's accepted, but it does act as a stimulant.  Many teenagers use it now with the added pressures of staying up late and having pressures for work.  They tend to push themselves.  It's very important that teenagers do all they can to try to control the amount of coffee they have.  Let them have a cup of coffee if they want to, but that's about it.  You should back off after that.  

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Dealing with Night Terrors in Children

They are called night terrors.  Night terrors are where a child will actually wake up screaming, not even knowing that they are screaming. What happens is that they’re dreaming and they’re in a state of sleep where they actually are not responsive. The more you try to wake your child or get your child out of a night terror, the worse it gets. What you need to do in these situations is to protect your child so they don’t harm themselves, but otherwise, let them get through it. It could take twenty to thirty minutes for a night terror to end.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Music’s Influence on Sex in Teens

It is a disturbing report in more ways than one. In an article in the journal Pediatrics, teens who regularly listen to songs that deal with graphic sexual images are more likely to have sex within two years than those who don’t. According to the researchers, the major problem appears to be the fact that women are often portrayed as sex objects…objects without a personality or value. Men are also presented as aggressive conquerors out there to have sex. Although many of the teens in the study were able to recognize the fact these stereotypes are not good, it appeared to have little effect on the onset of sexual activity. Those who argue with the study say other factors like self-image and parental communication can play a valuable role. But it is clear that music does tend to have a role in how we view health and the way we’re dealing with things.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Pregnancy and High Blood Pressure

It’s important to watch for signs of high blood pressure all throughout a woman’s life, but during pregnancy it’s crucial. Blood pressure is the force inside your blood vessels when your heart beats. If your blood pressure is high most of the time, you have high blood pressure or hypertension. That can lead to stroke or heart problems. High blood pressure is a silent killer since it’s possible to have symptoms or no symptoms at all. During pregnancy, high blood pressure can affect the unborn baby. It’s also associated with serious issues at the time of pregnancy called preeclampsia.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Heart Disease in Women

Heart disease is a problem that occurs in women and it's often ignored.  It's ignored because sometimes doctors think that women are complaining, or that they're talking about too many things, or too in touch with their emotions and their physical complaints.  The bottom line is heart disease cannot be ignored.  Women are attacked by heart disease at the same rate as men, just usually about 5 to 10 years later.  As more and more women have picked up smoking and the stress that goes with full-time jobs, it is a problem.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

A Look at Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

It is estimated that 2% to 45% of the population can experience it, and the numbers may surprise you.  Obsessive compulsive disorder is a major psychiatric problem where people have recurrent or persistent, thoughts, impulses, or images they find distressing and they have compulsions in response to the obsessions.  The reason for such a high upper end, 45%, is that it usually doesn't occur all the time in people.  It occurs in short periods and people experience it transiently.  Nevertheless, it is something you should be thinking of and it is a concern.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

A Look at Asthma and Inhaled Steroids in Children

Any study that has to deal with asthma and its treatment is important to notice because of the growing problem of asthma in the country.  When it deals with steroids, a particularly important treatment, it becomes even more pressing.  According to two separate reports in the New England Journal of Medicine, using inhaled steroids to treat asthma in young children does not alter the course of the disease and should not be used for that purpose.  According to two studies, there is no doubt that inhaled steroids such as Pulmicort and Flovent reduce swelling and inflammation in the airways and help control the wheezing and breathlessness associated with asthma.  But some doctors prescribe them to very young children considered at risk of developing asthma in the hope that the disease won't develop in the first place.  This doesn't work.  It's important to know this because steroid medications are not without side-effects and should not be used without caution and worry about limited use.  

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Having the Baby Blues

They are called the “baby blues.” The “baby blues” are a period of time after a baby is born where you essentially can have a feeling of depression. “Baby blues” actually is a period of time for a week or two after you have your baby where you may be a bit down. Mostly counseling and a little bit of extra attention can help you through this. But if it continues, please make sure you get the treatment you deserve; you do not want to ignore it.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Paper Cuts and Serious Infections

We laugh about them, but some of the most important and most difficult injuries to deal with are paper cuts. We’re not talking just about the pain and the irritation, but people who work in environments where they can get infections often have the paper cut as the root of the infection. A paper cut can actually be access to bacteria to get into the skin. With so much concern about staph bacteria and various strains, it’s important that you keep a paper cut bandaged and taken care of.

We always appreciate your comments.

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Treatment for Dry Eyes

It’s tough to treat dry eyes, and it can be frustrating. What you need to do is find solutions that work for you. One of the big things is make sure you get solutions that do not have what we call a vasoconstrictor. Vasoconstrictors do get the red out, but the problem is, over time, it can cause a reaction where the vasoconstriction goes away, and you actually get redder eyes than you had in the first place. It’s an important thing to look at and to evaluate.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

The Brain Needs Sleep

There are some days that start off with the feeling, "I can't wait until I go back to sleep."  For some reason, largely unrelated to the amount of sleep we get, we seem to crave more time; we want shut-eye.  Researchers have studied this phenomenon and say there is far more to sleep than actual catch-up of sleeping hours.  Our brains need the down time as well.  Our brains also need time to process memories.  They are studying this using functional MRIs.  The results are fascinating and clearly there is more to sleep than meets the eye.  

We always appreciate your comments.

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Out of Body Experiences and the Brain

Doctors in Belgium have reported about an unusual patient. He’s a 63-year-old man suffering from severe ringing in the ear. What the doctors did was they implanted electrodes in the man’s brain to cure the ringing. The electrodes provided no relief for the ringing, but they did cause the man to have a so-called out of body experience. The doctors used a special scan called a PET scan to take images of the brain while the man was having this so-called out of body experience. They found that an area of the superior temporal cortex, the area on the side of the head near the top (it’s believed to be important for self-perception) was active during these out of body experiences. So what they believe is they’ve been able to figure out a part of the body that may contribute to the issue.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Parents in Denial about Children’s Obesity

A University of Michigan survey looked at the fact that many parents are not aware their children are obese, despite the fact they're extremely overweight.  It has gained a great deal of attention because many looking at the issue from the outside wondered how can a parent not know an obese child has a weight problem?  But this is not unexpected.  Parents are often not the most objective appraisers of their children.  Whether its sports, academics, or appearance, parents want to see what they want to see and they often hope there might be big changes.  One of the big issues with obesity is there is a great deal of denial. 

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Mentally Quitting Smoking

There is no doubt that it is tough to kick the habit when it comes to cigarette smoking. If you ask 100 people how they stopped, the odds are quite strong you will get 100 different answers. But there is usually one consistent comment that comes across. It goes something like this. “I was so frustrated with smoking that I finally said the heck with it. I’m quitting.” It is clear that to finally stop smoking, a person needs to take a mental order to do it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the latest drugs, acupuncture, or whatever. You have to want to.

We always appreciate your comments.

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Definition of Autism

We hear a great deal about autism and many people think they have a handle on what autism is, but the definition from the Autism Society of America may be the best. According to the group, autism is a severely incapacitating lifelong developmental disability that typically appears in the first three years of life. It occurs in approximately 15 out of every 10,000 births, and is four times more common in boys then in girls. Symptoms include disturbances in the rate of appearance of physical, social, and language skills.

We always appreciate your comments.

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Study of Cholesterol and Memory

Yet another study looking at the importance of monitoring cholesterol and keeping it at the proper levels.  Cholesterol is important to monitor and to look at and evaluate. According to a report from the journal of the American Heart Association, people who have lower levels of HDL, the good cholesterol, have a higher risk for memory problems than those with higher levels of HDL.  The information was based on a study of 3,700 adults.  The scientists tested the participants 10 to 12 years ago and then a second time between 2002 and 2004.  They found that those whose HDL levels went down between the two tests had a 61% higher risk for memory problems than those with high HDL levels.  This is not an all or nothing study, but it shows that there's a relationship.  We're learning more and more about the link between high cholesterol, heart disease and vascular problems, and dementia.  Clearly, it's something that we cannot ignore.  We have to look at it, understand it, and learn more as time goes on. 

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Sophisticated Social Skills in Toddlers

There is a fascinating report in the journal Science which comes from a study out of Duke. According to the research, higher social skills are uniquely human. Toddlers have more sophisticated social learning skills than this innate proficiency, which is important for learning. It also allows them to excel in both physical and social skills as they progress through life. Two and a half year-old children were compared with chimps and orangutans. It’s interesting, all three groups scored about the same in spatial relations and cause-and-effect, but in social skills, obviously, the humans had the edge.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Understanding Botox

Botox is being used more and more often for the fact that Botox is one of these medications which actually can help to paralyze muscle. In the paralysis of this muscle, you actually are able to get a release of spasm. Here’s the problem with Botox…it is a poison. It’s not something that can be taken lightly and it’s something, obviously, that you need a physician, not just a therapist, to take a look at. You want to make sure it’s evaluated and the treatment is done properly.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Satisfying a Sweet Tooth

For those of us with a sweet tooth, there is no doubt each day we turn down a candy bar or a piece of cake, it takes to tremendous will power. But according to researchers, you don’t have to live a life of total denial. Cornell researchers published their work in the journal Appetite and they found the key to living with a sweet tooth is meeting the tooth halfway. If you’re a sweets lover, try to replace a few sugary snacks with more healthful sweet snacks that are packed with nutrients; not just sugar and calories. The choice, the replacement? Fruit. As the authors of the study point out, the same desire for sugar that leads us to eat candy is also the same that helps us want to have fruit. They conducted a study looking at vegetable lovers and fruit lovers. The researchers found fruit lovers ate more sweet snacks then veggie lovers did. In fact, fruit lovers ate sweet snacks more than 15 times a week.

We always appreciate your comments.

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Increase Seen in Bipolar Disorder Diagnoses

Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness where one's mood switches between periods of highs or mania, and periods of depression.  In many cases, it requires medication to control, and at the very least it demands therapy and follow-up.  What we know is that we have seen a huge increase in the number of children and adolescents being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  Certainly, doctors are recognizing it more and according to experts at Johns Hopkins, they might be over-treating it.  They say if one looks at diagnoses that go along with prescribing, clinicians are using bipolar as a diagnosis 40 times more often than before.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Diagnosing Golfer’s Elbow

Golfer's elbow is a problem that doesn't get diagnosed as much as tennis elbow because not as many people know about it.  It’s a tendinitis in the medial tendon, not the lateral tendon.  So what you essentially have is that inside of the elbow.  The best way to describe it is if you take your hands and put them down to your side and have your thumbs point outward; in other words, your palms are facing forward, the part of the elbow that's bothering you will be that part that is associated with the thumb side.  That pain can be severe and be a real problem.  

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Brain Tumor Diagnosis

The numbers are startling. Over the next year, more than 200,000 people will be diagnosed with a brain tumor. The tolls are high. Brain tumors are the leading cause of solid tumor cancer deaths in children, they are a problem in women, and they’re the second leading cause of cancer death in people who are in their twenties. One of the most difficult things about brain tumors is that they can dramatically affect the lifestyle of people saddled with them. That’s because tumors can press upon parts of the brain that control everything from our emotions to our ability to walk and talk.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Heart Murmurs Need to Be Detected

Heart murmurs are very difficult to deal with.  They're also very tough to recognize for physicians as to whether they are serious heart murmurs, or what we call the benign ones.  I won't get into specifics here, but basically there are two types of murmurs that can be a problem.  The ones that are more serious could actually cause extra stress on the heart, extra pressure.  Down the road, that can lead to long-term damage, even enlarging of the heart and problems like that.  So, it's very important that murmurs be detected and worked up. 

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Pluses and Minuses of Three-In-One Pills

They are called three-in-one pills. There’s a growing theory that we should have pills to help control cholesterol, blood sugar, high blood pressure, and there’s many people who are trying to find out ways to have one pill do everything. Now there are positive sides to this. It will help people try to be compliant, in other words, to take their drugs. But the downside is that many of these medications would be so complex that if something was going wrong it would be hard to figure out what aspect of the medication was causing it.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Muscle Tension Associated with Allergies

Muscle tension is a problem that can be associated with allergies. If you suffer from allergies over a prolonged period of time, you can actually get very upset and frustrated about it. One of the problems we see with the muscle tension headaches is that it can actually cause issues, issues that can be problematic. Muscle tension can be treated effectively by explaining to people what their allergies are and slowly trying to get rid of those symptoms.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

A Look at Alzheimer’s Disease

The statistics are quite dramatic.  It's estimated that 4.5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease and there are some who estimate the number could be as high as 6.5 million.  One of the difficult things about Alzheimer's is that it has a gradual onset and may not be apparent for 5-to-15 years.  The signs and symptoms in the earlier stages are very vague, but as time goes on symptoms include problems with memory, communication, and a progressive decline in memory overall.  Many people think there is no cure for Alzheimer's so why get tested or have a diagnosis made?  But it is important to realize there are many other causes of memory problems and mental decline.  Things like depression or altered chemical balances in the body can lead to change.  In addition, there are medicines that can slow the decline.  If you have concerns or are concerned about a family member, take the time to see your doctor. 

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Don’t Suffer Alone With PMS Pain

PMS. It is a source of pain. It’s a source of pain that often, unfortunately, goes undiagnosed. Women can be embarrassed to talk about it, or in fact, it may be ignored when they go to the doctor. PMS occurs the same time every month. That’s why we know, during that pre-menstrual period, it can be an issue. There are treatments for PMS. In fact, there are medications for severe PMS. You should talk to our doctor, and make sure you get some sort of evaluation so that it can be dealt with and treated effectively.

We always appreciate your comments.

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

The Key to Successful Dieting

What do you do when you go on a diet? Well, many people actually just cut calories and they suffer. That really isn’t an effective way to diet. The problem with that is you can’t prolong it. People who are going to diet and do well have to do something they can do over time, to be proud of it, to prolong it, to make sure it’s something that lasts. If you’re going to be someone who is going to diet, then you need to make sure that you evaluate things on a regular basis. Look at your calories in, your calories out, and make sure you can sustain it over the long haul.

We always appreciate your comments.

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.