You donate to your favorite charity in hopes that they will one day find a cure for that chronic disease which has plagued your family, or maybe even you, for years. You read about research teams hard at work discovering new ideas, developing promising drugs, and creating hope. On the way to finding a cure,… Read more »
Medical News
Ok, you’ve been told you have a cataract and that cataract surgery is the best way to improve your vision. Now comes the hard part. Not only do you and your doctor have to decide whether a specialty lens is appropriate, but also whether to perform the surgery using traditional surgical technique or laser assisted… Read more »
Proactive community members at the Indio and Coachella senior centers saw their numbers drop by participating in a 4-month educational program conducted by the American Heart Association Coachella Valley Division. The Get to Goal hypertension management program ran from October 2013 through February 2014. Program goals were: increase awareness of the connection between hypertension and… Read more »
Is it hard to walk, stand or just move? Taking the weight off your joints and legs and practicing controlled movements through aquatic physical therapy is a great way to improve mobility without the limits of gravity and pain. The buoyancy of water has significant benefits that go beyond relieving pressure on your body. By… Read more »
Diagnostic tools and medical treatment technologies are continually evolving, and all developments have to be carefully monitored and evaluated by appropriate scientific and regulatory entities. Currently, doctors, scientists and ethicists are evaluating the role of autologous mesenchymal stem cells for regenerative therapy and minimally-invasive pain management, and have arrived at a pivotal time as researchers… Read more »
According to statistics published by the Mayo Clinic and other university studies, the average adult American does not consume enough fruits and vegetables. Estimates are about 70% depending upon the specific study. Obviously, this represents a majority of the population. I, therefore, strongly recommend at least nine different fruits or vegetables, or a combination thereof,… Read more »
Randal Bonnell of Banning went to bed at 11:30pm on a Thursday night and awoke the next morning with half his body paralyzed. His wife, Vickie, heard a noise around 4:45am and realized that her 55 year-old husband had fallen out of bed. Although he said he felt fine, Randall wasn’t speaking clearly and couldn’t… Read more »
Bending forward to put on shoes, a quick reach to catch a falling pencil, or even simply rolling over in bed. Typically, the onset of new low back pain is initiated by a seemingly harmless activity; all of a sudden you go from high functioning to debilitating pain. As you begin to contemplate skipping work… Read more »
What is type 2 diabetes? Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body fails to properly use and store glucose. Formerly called ‘adult-onset’ or ‘non insulin-dependent’, Type 2 diabetes results when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin and/or is unable to use insulin properly (insulin resistance). This form of diabetes usually occurs… Read more »
CLIA, short for Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, is a federal regulatory body that oversees laboratory processes and testing on humans. It also grants waivers for testing that may be done in-office. There are hundreds of CLIA waived tests utilized by different specialties to provide better care, and it is important that these tests be performed… Read more »
Dr. Johnson, I have had GERD for twenty years and have taken PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) for many of those years. However, last year my symptoms returned and my physician doubled my dose. I’m still having issues today and think it might be time to consider surgery on my valve. I would really like to… Read more »
The Coachella Valley has two prominent demographic characteristics: a larger-than-average senior population and one of the highest per capita rates of persons living with HIV/AIDS. You may know one of those people, whether they know their status or not. Nationally, one in five people who have HIV are unaware of it; that rate is likely… Read more »
May is National Stroke Awareness Month. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death with approximately 795,000 strokes occurring annually according to the National Stroke Association. These are big numbers, but there is good news. Despite the damage to brain cells, there is room for improvement, thanks to neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to rewire itself… Read more »
The Affordable Health Care Act (ACA) has been described as offering universal health care coverage to all Americans. As such, some may ask, “If everyone is required to buy health insurance, and sliding scale rates are now available, why do we still need free medical clinics?” While the ACA is significantly decreasing the number of… Read more »
Here in the Desert many symptoms are attributed to allergies, but pneumonia is more common than you think. Early diagnosis and treatment can save you a trip to the hospital and ultimately a visit from me. Symptoms. The most common symptoms of pneumonia include a cough which may produce greenish, yellow, or bloody mucus; fever;… Read more »
There is a new group in the Coachella Valley created to address the issues of substance abuse in our community. As part of the Clinton Health Matters Initiative and led by the California State University San Bernardino Palm Desert Campus, the Substance Abuse Advisory Committee (SAAC) has identified four areas of focus: alcohol abuse, marijuana… Read more »
Joseph Scherger, MD, MPH is Vice President of Primary Care at Eisenhower Medical Center. He is also the Marie E. Pinizzotto, MD, Chair of Academic Affairs, and the Clinical Professor of Family Medicine at both the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine. In… Read more »
Luck, said Aristotle, is when an arrow hits the guy standing next to you. But when that arrow comes out of the blue and hits you—with a diagnosis of diabetes—“it can shake you to the core,” says John Zrebiec, MSW, CDE, Associate Director of Behavioral Health Services at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. After… Read more »
Desert Regional Medical Center’s Chief Nursing Officer, Mary Anne McCrea knows that nurses can be the best at taking care of others, but often the worst at taking time to care for themselves. Her staff of over 800 work twelve hour shifts and often don’t stop to nourish their own bodies. So when integrative practitioner… Read more »
There are disposable contact lenses for vision problems, so why not a similar fix for hearing loss? Welcome to a new direction in hearing solutions, with the introduction of the Lyric 2 hearing aid. The Lyric 2 is a cylindrical shaped hearing aid that fits into the canal and can be left in place for… Read more »