Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a condition that can lead to the loss of central vision. For a long time, a patient that progressed to the more advanced “wet” form of the disease was inevitably going to lose the central vision in the eye. Prior to 2005, retina specialists would use laser to destroy the… Read more »
Medical News
Coachella Valley is home to an innovative program launched last summer by the American Heart Association, Coachella Valley Economic Partnership, and a group of enterprising students from Palm Desert High School and Cathedral City High School (Desert Health® Nov/Dec 2014). The objective was to come up with a way to improve the heart and brain… Read more »
The mouth truly is a window into the health of the rest of the body. Several current studies show a strong correlation between oral health and many of today’s most common chronic diseases. In a time in which prescription pharmaceutical use in the United States is continually growing, the possibility of reducing the risk of… Read more »
Psychotherapy generally focuses on change and growth. Why then, would senior adults seek treatment at this stage of their lives? Surely they have experienced decades of growth and change. Have not these unique dimensions of their lives been completed by now? As a psychologist, I am always impressed when seniors quest new learning. Learning is… Read more »
The majority of Americans experience heartburn at one time or another, leading to the real question, “When should you see a health care professional for this condition?” Heartburn, acid reflux and indigestion are all interchangeable words describing acid entering the esophagus and causing a burning sensation or pain. Another commonly used term for heartburn is… Read more »
The Healthcare Industry Council (HIC) is one of three industry councils facilitated by the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP). The primary goal for the HIC is to invite business leaders in the field of health care to help shape the course of career specific learning. Ultimately, the HIC efforts connect the appropriate people from the… Read more »
It’s surprising to learn of the number of people in our community who don’t greet each new day with a smile. For them, mornings are a struggle, and the bright desert sun may be shaded by dark thoughts and feelings that cloud their mind and deplete their energy. They are of different ages, shapes and… Read more »
I always fill out the forms quickly in the doctor’s waiting room. Do you have a history— No. Have you ever— No. I didn’t have a family history of breast cancer or any cancer. But a year ago this past December, my mother was diagnosed and ended up receiving a double mastectomy. The key is… Read more »
Do you stiffen up even at the mention of the word “arthritis”? May is National Arthritis Awareness Month, and according to the Arthritis Foundation, more than 50 million Americans are living with the condition. Despite how common arthritis is, there are a lot of misconceptions about this disease – namely, that it’s just a fact… Read more »
“Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity.” – Hippocrates The patient doctor relationship has long been revered. However, there are many challenges currently assailing this time honored relationship. Modern times have brought new factors into consideration. Lack of timely access to care and the high cost of medicine… Read more »
If you don’t have a disability (or at least won’t admit to having one) or you don’t work in the disability industry, it is unlikely this is a topic of conversation you are likely to have over coffee and a croissant. But it is a discussion to be held across our valley if we are… Read more »
HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) – JUMP (Junior Upcoming Medical Professionals) is a student-led organization designed to be a stepping-stone for 7th to 8th graders interested in entering the health science and medical technology field. Through the program, HOSA-JUMP members have the opportunity to participate in career exploration through guest speakers, field trips, and… Read more »
“Get your hearing checked!” My friend Pam and I had each heard this from our husbands for several years. But she is only 45 and I just turned 50, so we thought we were way too young to be losing our hearing. It must be them. But when my mom chimed in, I listened. She… Read more »
They say the eye is the window to the soul. While this may indeed be the case, what I see when I peer into a patient’s eye (and I have seen a lot of eyes in my career), is essentially a map to an individual’s health. When your doctor dilates your eye to examine the… Read more »
Many physicians use medications that are approved and marketed for one condition in order to treat alternative or other conditions. This practice is not only permissible; in fact, it’s good medicine. The Alliance of Specialty Medicine’s position states that “the FDA acknowledges that physicians may prescribe any legally marketed product for an off-label use, as… Read more »
Desert Regional Medical Center has opened the Advanced Wound Healing Center, with locations in Palm Springs and La Quinta, to provide sophisticated medical solutions for patients with difficult-to-heal wounds, including individuals with diabetes and other chronic conditions. If a wound has not healed within a month, it is considered a chronic condition that requires medical… Read more »
If disaster were to strike during school hours, would you know what to do? Members of the La Quinta High School Medical Health Academy (MHA) sophomore class are now more prepared to help themselves and their friends after taking a national disaster training program offered by FEMA called Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). In January,… Read more »
I don’t know when I finally awoke and decided, “OK, enough thinking about it, it’s time to act.” A kidney transplant was a big personal commitment and would create the chance to make a huge difference. Patients that are candidates for kidney transplantation have already used up all their options and the end of the… Read more »
Low back pain is a very common health problem for 60 to 70 percent of people, according to the World Health Organization. Studies suggest the highest incidence of low back pain starts when patients are in their 30s and increases until the age of 60-65. The 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study estimated that low… Read more »
When the latest diet craze gains momentum, many shrug it off as just another passing American fad. I heard several people say this after the author of Wheat Belly, William Davis, M.D., spoke here in January. His on-going conversation details the biophysics, consequences, and science to support a growing intolerance to today’s wheat and grains.… Read more »