Why do we have ear wax? Earwax is a normal product of our ears. It is a mixture of cerumen (wax), oil, sweat, and dead skin cells that is produced in the outer 1/3 of the ear canal. Although many consider ear wax to be a nuisance, it serves two important purposes: it lubricates the… Read more »
Medical News
When 24-year-old Western University dental student Angela Hastings started volunteering at the We Care Dental Center in Rancho Mirage, she thought the experience would help increase her clinical knowledge and dental skills. What she didn’t expect was that it would also help her develop an intense feeling of compassion for developmentally disabled children and adults–a… Read more »
Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine (CVVIM), the Valley’s only free medical clinic, just opened a $2.8 million state-of-the-art facility in Indio. They are projected to see over 7,000 patient visits this year, and that number could be 14,000 – the need is here, but they are lacking volunteer medical professionals. CVVIM saw their first patients… Read more »
We all want to look and feel our best. More and more, people are striving to eat a balanced healthy diet, exercise and avoid environmental exposures. And every day our bodies are subjected to a variety of insults–UV radiation and exposure to a variety of toxins which contribute to the formation of free radicals in… Read more »
We all know what our heart loves. We’ve heard it a million times…optimal weight, regular exercise and a heart-healthy diet. In an effort to achieve these goals and continue improving our well-being, most of us have probably given up some of our favorite things this time of year. But we are human, and sometimes that… Read more »
The eyes play a vital role in human communication. We all want to look and feel our best, and our eyes go a long way in making a lasting impression. Ideally, we want to portray and emphasize our inner energy and vitality with a fresh, rested look. With time, however, our eyelids may appear tired… Read more »
More people die of lung cancer each year than breast, colorectal, prostate and ovarian cancers combined. Lung cancer kills, so why be a victim? The current lung cancer screening guidelines are in response to the results of the National Cancer Institute’s sponsored national lung screening trial (NLST). NLST findings published in the New England Journal… Read more »
According to Jennifer Mieres, M.D., American Heart Association (AHA), “to get heart-healthy benefits, you need to get your heart rate up.” Whether it is a structured exercise program or just part of your daily routine, all physical activity adds up to a healthier heart. Our desert, especially this time of year, provides a large variety… Read more »
In eye care, one of the physician quality reporting indicators is the presence or absence of diabetic macular edema. Macular edema is swelling, thickening or fluid retention in the central macular region of the retina. If left untreated, macular edema can have short-term and long-term effects on vision. It is a treatable diabetic condition and… Read more »
Happy 2013 to all! As we begin the New Year, many of us have good intentions to follow through on our resolutions which may include losing weight, finishing projects we’ve put off, quitting smoking, and making more time for your family. There is one New Year’s resolution that I hope everyone over the age of… Read more »
Advances in technology over the past 30 years have allowed clinicians to diagnose and treat patients using less invasive and more accurate methods. The introduction of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) changed the way physicians “looked inside” a body to see if there was an abnormality. Over the… Read more »
Family gatherings should be a joyous time of celebration, spent with loved ones, and reconnecting with friends and family. Grandparents delight in seeing their grandchildren. Many of us catch up with those we haven’t seen since last year. However, these gatherings can be less than pleasant for some individuals. Hearing-impaired individuals, for one, have difficulty… Read more »
My friend Mary was scheduled for surgery to address a chronic condition she has struggled with for years. It caused severe discomfort and Mary was ready for relief. A month before her surgery, she started feeling better, the pain was gone and her range of motion improved. I asked her if she had cancelled the… Read more »
The Desert Healthcare District (DHCD) recently made a significant investment in the new School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside. This investment will pay enormous dividends for the Coachella Valley in expanded access to primary medical care and new programs to improve health outcomes in underserved communities. The decision to grant “preliminary accreditation”… Read more »
Our eyes are the windows into our bodies and give important clues to our overall health status. Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of significant, permanent vision loss in individuals over 60. Approximately 1.5 million Americans have AMD, and roughly 7 million have an early form of the disease. AMD causes loss… Read more »
In my 39 + years of practice, I have worked with hundreds of patients who have suffered from chronic headaches and migraines. Their common solution is to relieve symptoms with pain medication that “makes their headache go away.” But it does not solve the cause of their condition and soon their pain returns. Often it… Read more »
The differences can sometimes be subtle. Common to all three problems is irritation and inflammation of the lining of the nose and sinuses, causing nasal congestion, runny nose, and facial pressure. Sinonasal allergies result when certain substances, typically airborne allergens, gain access to the body through the throat and nose, and stimulate the release of… Read more »
Blood clots are part of our natural healing process. Yet they can also negatively affect our bodies leading to serious health conditions and even death. Over 100,000 Americans die from blood clots each year.1 Blood clots occur when there is an accumulation of particles in the blood that stick inside the blood vessel. This accumulation… Read more »
Eye doctors are now on the look out for sleep apnea in patients with normal-tension glaucoma. Normal-tension glaucoma is the diagnosis in 1 out of 3 new glaucoma patients. Early diagnostic tests such as ocular coherence tomography and frequency doubling visual fields have helped increase early diagnosis of normal-tension glaucoma. In patients with sleep apnea,… Read more »
Atrial fibrillation (A-tre-al fi-bri-LA-shun), or “A-Fib,” is a problem with the heart’s electrical system which causes the heart to beat too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm. While many may consider their fluttering heart a strange but passing sensation, heart palpitations, coupled with dizziness and shortness of breath, are cause for concern. By… Read more »