To Your Good Health

Sometimes screening tests make a great deal of sense; other times they don’t. It all depends on how likely it is that a person would have the condition in question.

In general, screening for blockages in the carotid arteries that provide blood flow to the brain is not recommended, but occasionally I do see people who get the diagnosis made as part of a study or as a result of a diagnostic test that was performed for some other reason.

Although I don’t think olive oil is a cure for all ailments, there are certainly health benefits when using olive oil compared to most oils.

Although most people think that asthma causes wheezing, cough is a very common symptom of asthma.

Bigeminy, more precisely ventricular bigeminy, is a term most people probably haven’t heard of, but most people have heard of a premature ventricular contraction. Ventricular bigeminy is when every other beat is a PVC and alternates with regular beats.

Scombroid is the most common foodborne illness from seafood.

Recurrent shingles happens more commonly in people with immune deficiency, women and older adults.

An aneurysm is a weakening in the wall of the artery, which causes part of the artery to enlarge.

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome is still mostly called “trochanteric bursitis,” despite the fact that the hip bursa really isn’t inflamed.

“Floaters” are bits of cellular debris in the vitreous humor, which is the gel-filled space in between the lens and the retina.

Anesthesia does not cause dementia. However, some people do develop a complication called postoperative delirium.

People with unexpected osteoporosis should be considered for celiac disease testing. Celiac disease is a condition of damage to the small intestine due to gliadin sensitivity.

I unfortunately hear about people — more commonly women — having a potentially serious medical condition that gets ignored for many years.

The songbirds you are attracting to your feeders, such as cardinals, sparrows and woodpeckers, are not likely to be infected with avian influenza, or “bird flu.” It generally infects waterfowl such as gulls and ducks.

Testicular cancer is one of the most curable cancers because it is sensitive to both radiation and chemotherapy. However, both of these modalities can lead to problems years after the treatment was successful.

I have seen many patients with stomach cancer and have never seen this degree of weight loss, but weight loss is very common after removing the stomach.

Stress testing may be done for several reasons, but the most common is to determine whether there are blockages in the arteries in the heart that are severe enough to limit blood flow.

DMSO is indicated by the Food and Drug Administration for the symptomatic relief of interstitial cystitis, a chronic and painful bladder condition.

Proton-pump inhibitors like pantoprazole are often used in people after surgical treatment for esophageal cancer. They reduce acid reflux.

I often recommend the vaccine to prevent shingles, but the vaccine isn’t perfect.

Dementia is diagnosed presumptively by a clinical exam that notes impairments in cognitive functioning such as memory, language and attention.

It is true that excess sodium has health risks, and I agree with public health officials in recommending that people consume less sodium. High sodium increases blood pressure levels for most people. However, sodium is an essential nutrient.

Older men are less likely to get their partners pregnant, and this difference is apparent by the age of 35.

Melatonin is safer and has fewer side effect, one of them being vivid dreams. However, 5 mg is a big dose.

As a medical student, I remember seeing what RA looked like before we had effective medications such as methotrexate and TNF inhibitors like Humira.

FRAX is a tool to evaluate fracture risk based on individual patient models, incorporating clinical risk factors and bone mineral density at the femoral neck.

PCOS doesn’t go away after menopause, but it’s harder to diagnose. There aren’t good data to help guide treatment, so understanding what’s happening at a biochemical level is important.

All types of UV light exposure, whether they lead to a sunburn or suntan, cause damage to the skin and lead to an increased risk of skin cancer.

The most common symptom of uterine cancer is abnormal uterine bleeding. This usually takes the form of red, pink or brown spotting.

Changing your body’s circadian rhythm isn’t always easy, and after such a long time, it will take longer for you. But it shouldn’t be as difficult as you might fear.

Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer of the bone marrow. The cells in the bone marrow, called plasma cells, stop responding as they should and make large amounts of antibodies.

Because so many people have high blood pressure and the consequences of untreated or poorly treated high blood pressure include a risk for heart attacks and strokes, it’s critically important to understand this thoroughly.

In general, we recommend surgical repair for symptomatic hernias, as the pain tends to gradually increase over years. No surgery comes without a risk, but the risk is not enormous.

Alendronate, with the brand name Fosamax, is in the class of drugs called bisphosphonates. These are powerful drugs that should not be prescribed lightly.

Although aspirin is better than nothing, it has been proven to be less effective than Xarelto and similar medicines in people who are at risk for blood clots.

Intestinal metaplasia is when the lining of the stomach develops a microscopic appearance, similar to the intestines. This can predispose people to stomach cancer.

Isotretoin is the most effective treatment for acne, but it has the potential for serious side effects and can only be given after a thorough review of its risks.

The initial treatment for OAB symptoms usually consists of lifestyle changes — quitting smoking and avoiding medications that worsen symptoms at night — pelvic floor muscle exercises and bladder training.

There are many causes of high blood calcium levels, and some of them are quite scary to read about.

Allergy immunotherapy continues to be a commonly used and valid treatment for many allergies, including environmental allergies, insect venom allergies and, more recently, food allergies.

Diabetes is not a result of consuming too much sugar. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder where the cells that make insulin are destroyed by the body. Type 2 diabetes is a disease of insulin resistance.

Rectal cancer is often treated with radiation, or combined chemotherapy and radiation, either prior to or after surgery. The dose of radiation is quite high compared to some other cancers, and the complications can be significant.

While it is true that not exercising can lead to poor mobility, most of the time, it isn’t a person’s fault that he has difficulty with mobility. Arthritis can happen to a person of any weight and at any level of exercise.

Paralysis of the vocal cord is often the result of damage to the nerve that leads to the vocal cord. There’s one on each side.

Osteoarthritis in the neck is a common and painful condition, and there are not always good treatment options.

Most people who exercise do have a slower heart rate, and it’s a good sign of a healthy heart. However, some older people can develop heart block when the electrical impulse from the natural pacemaker of the heart fails to pass to the ventricles.

AGS is an allergy to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, a carbohydrate allergen found in all mammalian meats, such as beef, pork and lamb.

A stroke is caused by the death of brain cells, most commonly due to poor blood flow in the brain, and it’s critical to avoid any medication that will increase the risk of stroke.

There is not a definitive answer on whether PPIs, like omeprazole, increase the risk of AFib.

For most people with dry eyes, starting with artificial tears is usual and effective, but I certainly have had patients use artificial tears many times daily and still have unpleasant symptoms.