Diagnosing Strep Throat

Pharyngitis, or strep throat, or sore throat, are all terms that we use interchangeably, but actually, not every sore throat is a strep throat. Strep throat is a bacterial infection caused by the Streptococcus bacteria. That bacteria actually needs to be treated with an antibiotic. Believe it or not, in most cases, you don’t need an antibiotic for treatment. In most cases, it’s a viral origin. Now, how do doctors tell that? The best way to tell is through a test to see if there is a bacterium. If there is a bacterial infection, then doctors go ahead and treat it with an antibiotic.

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Risks Associated with Concussions

There are professional football players who have won great awards, but they have also suffered incredible injuries. Some of the most severe are through concussions. Basically, when a person sustains a concussion, they have a certain degree of pain, a certain amount of problems, some neurologic changes, but it’s hard to measure what the long-term effects are. Once a person has a concussion, we know this. There is a greater risk of multiple concussions and potential brain damage. Rest can help, but not in all cases.

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Vitamin D and Breast Cancer Risk

Boosting levels of vitamin D and calcium in post-menopausal women did not help them reduce their breast cancer risk.  This is the first real test on whether vitamin D actually causes poor health as opposed to just being a marker for poor health, and it failed.  So far, we have a few good studies to show that people with low vitamin D levels are more prone to illnesses such as cancer and heart disease, but there is no evidence yet that giving people vitamin D supplements will reduce their disease risk.  In a study of more than 36,000 post-menopausal women, those taking vitamin D and calcium supplements for seven years did not have any lower risk for breast cancer than those taking a placebo.  However, the door isn't closed on vitamin D and breast cancer just yet.  It is possible women need to take the supplements when they're younger to get benefits, or perhaps they'll even need higher doses. 

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Possible Causes of Irregular Periods

Many women complain about irregular periods and there are all sorts reasons for this. One of the classic reasons is something that a lot of people aren’t aware of…if you’re not eating a proper diet, or you’re exercising too much, or you’re too thin, it can actually affect the hormonal balance in the body. As a result, you can get periods which are not following the normal cycle, and when they don’t, that’s when you run into these difficulties. It’s very important that if you’re someone who deals with irregular periods and has to deal with the frustration, you understand that you get worked up and have the hormonal issues looked at.

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A Look at Migraine Headaches

Migraine headaches are very interesting. They’re difficult to treat because in many cases it’s tough to tell if someone has a migraine. The thing about migraine headache that’s important to realize is there’s often some sort of aura, some sort of sense that something’s not right. Perhaps there’s a strange smell. The smell of coffee when there is none, or a zigzagging of lights, that sort of thing. Migraine headaches can be treated with medication, especially if they’re treated what we call prophylactically, before the headache occurs because you sense it’s coming on. It’s a very good way to approach it.

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Evaluating Calf Tenderness

Calf tenderness is a problem which definitely has to be looked into.  It's a key issue because if it's ignored, it can lead to problems associated with a rupture or a pull of a muscle in the calf.  That's important because that's not as easy to treat as the simple calf tenderness.  People who have those sorts of pulls or problems actually can have difficulty walking and have more severe damage as time goes on.  The most important is stretching.  

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Holiday Advertisements and Depression

One thing doctors hate about this time of year, for their patients’ sake, is the fact that there are so many advertisements showing people celebrating and being happy. If you’re not in that situation, and how many of us are, that you’re constantly celebrating, you tend to feel down. You suffer from feelings of depression. Here’s a major belief; you need to realize that a lot of the advertisements that are done at this time of year are done to sell product. They don’t necessarily mean that this is reality. You have to be very careful and not get carried away.

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Women Need to Take Heart Disease Seriously

You know, it’s about time that women start to be treated seriously for heart disease. Heart disease is a major health problem in both men and women. What many women aren’t aware of is that heart disease is the leading killer in women, however, many physicians don’t take it as seriously as they should. They look at the problem in women and they more or less tend to think there might be some psychological issue or complaining. We cannot afford to make that mistake, and doctors and women need to take heart disease more seriously.

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Study Looks at Health of Clergy Members

While medical studies at various denominations indicate that clergy members live longer than their comparable civilians, an emerging body of evidence over the last two decades has shown that ministers are more vulnerable to diabetes, depression, hypertension, gastrointestinal distress, and heart problems.  Thus far, the program has conducted focus groups with nearly 90 Methodist ministers and assessed ministers on their physical and mental health.  They surveyed 1,800 pastors on topics like isolation, stress, happiness, friendship, exercise, weight, diet, and connection to God.  Two dozen Methodist leaders from North Carolina went through two days of medical tests and health education at a denominational hospital in Memphis.  It's really interesting that this study is being done, and now they're looking at whether or not having a minister or another member of the cloth can actually increase someone's life if they're dealing with them.  They're interesting studies and worth looking into. 

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The Mediterranean Diet Has Medical Benefits

There has been a great deal of news lately surrounding the Mediterranean diet.  We know this diet is definitely a big help when it comes to fighting heart disease, and there are numerous reports that it can increase life expectancy.  Recently, there have been several reports looking at whether it helps prevent Alzheimer's disease.  The debate goes back and forth, and certainly there has been some groundbreaking work by Columbia University looking into the matter, but I think it's time to make a commonsense point.   There is great reason to continue studies here, but we also know the Mediterranean diet is just good for you.  

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Treatment for PMS

PMS, or Premenstrual Syndrome, used to be something that was taken lightly. It was not taken seriously. It was considered quote on quote ‘in a woman’s mind.’ Well, studies have shown, and time has shown, that this is a real problem and it can respond to treatment. One of the most effective treatments for PMS actually is to try and find out in the cycle what’s going on, and give medications that can affect hormones. Antidepressant medications can help in severe cases. There are certain ones, the SSRIs, that are very effective.

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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 15 to 17 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.   

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