September/October 2014
Medical NewsWhat is This Desert Phlegm?
“I developed allergies after moving to the desert” is a common sentiment which I shared. Or so I thought. Shortly after my arrival from Northern California, I developed this chronic phlegm in the back of my throat. Claritin seemed to help, so I thought it was safe to assume that Read more…
InspirationHealth is a Choice: Involving Kids
When kids are involved in the choice, they are more inclined to take part. That is the philosophy behind FIND Food Bank’s Kids Summer Feeding Program: Don’t just feed the children, make them part of the selection, education and preparation. Teaming with valley Boys & Girls Clubs and local YMCAs, Read more…
Publisher’s NotePromoting Health & Wellness
Excitement is growing for the First Annual Desert Health® Wellness Awards! Designed to enhance the focus on health and wellness in our community, the event will recognize those who are making a difference, and inspire others to take action. Approved nominees will be recognized in the issues of Desert Health® Read more…
Medical NewsSeven Tips for Preventing Heart Disease
If you have diabetes, heart disease can be a serious concern. In fact, cardiovascular disease leading to heart attack or stroke is by far the leading cause of death in both men and women with diabetes, says Dr. Om P. Ganda, a board-certified specialist in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Read more…
Medical NewsTop Honors Awarded to the Desert Healthcare District
The Desert Healthcare District (DHCD) has been named the 2014 Healthcare District of the Year by the Association of California Healthcare Districts. The top honor is awarded annually in recognition of a healthcare district’s noteworthy success in improving the health and well-being of its community. Director Kay Hazen and DHCD’s Read more…
Medical NewsTo Screen or Not to Screen? That is the Question
Making a decision to be screened for certain medical conditions can be difficult, especially when the recommendations and guidelines are constantly changing. September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so it is timely to review the recommendations of various organizations for both of these Read more…
Medical NewsFree Medical Clinic Gets $25,000 Shot in the Arm
Riverside County’s only free medical and dental clinic was awarded a $25,000 Coachella Valley Spotlight grant from the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation. Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine (CVVIM) will use the funds to upgrade its electronic medical records system as well as pay for critical medicines, laboratory tests Read more…
Medical NewsBack Pain: What to do?
Over the last year approximately 20% of my patients came in with a primary complaint of low back pain. The patient can often pinpoint a moment when he lifted an object or moved a certain way, and all of a sudden had onset of pain that ultimately sent him to Read more…
Medical NewsSober Community Connection 24/7
Let’s say you are at a baseball game and 30 days into sobriety. Everyone around you is enjoying beer and the temptation starts to wear on you. Or, say you are traveling; you check into your hotel room and that old pattern of heading to the lobby bar is the Read more…
Medical NewsDry Eye and Sjogren’s Disease
Sjogren’s (SHOW-grins) syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease in which an individual’s white blood cells attack their moisture-producing glands. Although the hallmark symptoms are dry eyes and dry mouth, Sjogren’s also causes serious complications throughout the entire body which can include dysfunction of the kidneys, gastrointestinal system, blood vessels, lungs, Read more…
Natural OptionsAcupuncture and Bell’s Palsy
Bell’s Palsy is a condition resulting from damage to the 7th cranial (facial) nerve, usually affecting only one side of the face. Onset is rapid, with a mild weakness to total paralysis, which can cause the face to seem to “droop,” making smiling and other facial expressions difficult, and Read more…
Natural OptionsGrain Brain Makes You Think
Dr. David Perlmutter’s 2013 book Grain Brain has a lot of people questioning previously held beliefs regarding low-fat diets, grains and cholesterol. Much of what Perlmutter has to say about these subjects is completely opposite from what most Americans have been taught for the past 40 years. Regardless of what Read more…
Natural OptionsFrom the Land of “Haute Cuisine” to the Land of “Not Cuisine”
This summer I had the opportunity to travel to France for the first time. When asked what the most impressionable aspect of my trip was I always mentioned the food, or what I like to call “haute cuisine.” Food in France is taken seriously. The way the French eat reflects Read more…
Integrative MedicineParadigm Shift in Medicine Today
“Most people have no idea how good their body is designed to feel.” – Kevin Trudeau About 20 million Americans have found that yoga is a fabulous way to feel good. I often wonder about this “magic” and how it works. The convergence of the experience of yoga – which Read more…
Integrative MedicineAIDS: Into the Fourth Decade … And Still Here
Unless you are living with it or close to someone who has, you may not realize that 33 years have passed since AIDS was first identified. That was June 1981, when The New York Times reported an ominous “gay cancer” spreading among homosexual men. But few beyond gay activists and Read more…
Integrative MedicineIntegrative Cancer Therapies to Support Breast Cancer Treatment
“Cancer does not grow too much; it dies too little,” states Robert Nagourney, MD. You can think about cancer cells as normal cells becoming immortal. Apoptosis is the process in which normal functioning cells are programmed to die. In cancer cells, this mechanism is over-ridden so the cell malfunctions Read more…
Financial HealthThe Sooner the Better
According to a survey on retirement readiness by the Employee Benefits Research Institute, only 14% of Americans are confident that they will be able to maintain a comfortable lifestyle after retirement. And among those, about 60% have less than $25,000 in savings, so depending on their age, they will most Read more…
