Skin cancer can be quite common here in the Coachella Valley. Our beautiful weather also brings with it intense ultraviolet exposure. Cumulative exposure to UV rays is the most significant cause of skin cancer, and our eyelids are no exception. The eyelids are among the thinnest, most delicate tissues of the body and are an… Read more »
Helen Davis has suffered with arthritis for 20 years. She is on two different medications for two types of arthritis, yet has seen the condition progress. This past January, she had an arthritic flare up that left her totally helpless. Her family feared for her life. “I have always been healthy and active,” she proudly… Read more »
“I never had allergies before moving here” is often echoed among Coachella Valley residents. And it begs the question, is it age or location? Turns out it may be a little of both. But the good news is that you don’t have to suffer every spring or fall. With a little patience, practice and discipline,… Read more »
Dry eye is one of the most common issues that I see in my practice. Patients often have symptoms like burning, itching, red eyes; sensitivity to light; and significant tearing. In fact, because their eyes are tearing, patients don’t believe they have dry eyes. The tearing occurs due to lack of good basic tears needed… Read more »
If only life could be as portrayed on television…Good conquers evil, the hero wins the girl, and indigestion is cured with a simple pill. In reality, life isn’t so simple…and neither is heartburn! The heartburn medication industry has exploded in the past decade. In 2007 and 2008, two of the top five prescription sales in… Read more »
The #1 reason why people seek acute medical attention is because they can’t breathe. Most people will walk around in pain, but if you cannot breathe it’s pretty scary. Pleural effusion, an abnormal amount of fluid around the lung(s), is one of the conditions that affect a person’s ability to breathe easily. Causes. The pleura… Read more »
Our eyelids are vital structures in maintaining ocular health and comfort. They protect the globes from foreign bodies and serve as protective barriers. Eyelids are also responsible for production of the oily layer of the tear film which prevents premature evaporation of tears, thus helping to ensure a healthy tear film is bathing the eyes.… Read more »
Spring is allergy season and in our desert the spring season starts earlier and runs later (due to the multitude of plants) than most American cities. This means daily and persistent high pollen counts, which can soar when the wind blows and agitate most allergy sufferers. Patients often show multiple allergy symptoms related to more… Read more »
Many people have transitioned from reactively treating allergy symptoms to proactively fighting their allergies. While common allergy medications such as oral antihistamines and nasal corticosteroid sprays often control symptoms, when you stop taking the medication(s) your symptoms return shortly afterwards. An alternative approach is to desensitize your immune system to the antigens that are triggering… Read more »
The Coachella Valley is coming together in the name of good health and longevity. We accepted the challenge from the Clinton Foundation to serve as the first model city for the national Clinton Health Matters Initiative (CHMI) and action steps are underway. The mission of the CHMI is to improve the well-being of our nation’s… Read more »
What Is Hyperhidrosis? Hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, is a common disorder which can produce a lot of unhappiness. An estimated 2-3% of Americans suffer from excessive sweating of the underarms (axillary hyperhidrosis) or of the palms and soles of the feet (palmoplantar hyperhidrosis). Underarm problems tend to start in late adolescence, while palm and sole… Read more »
When we envision the classic heart attack, images of TV’s Fred Sanford grabbing his chest and calling for Elizabeth may come to mind. But if you have spoken with men or women who have survived a heart attack, you realize that the true picture is often very different. Because symptoms of a heart attack can… Read more »
What’s the most common surgery procedure performed in the United States? The inguinal hernia repair. In 2003, an estimated 770,000 repairs were performed. It was first described in the Egyptian medical writings around 1550 B.C., yet effective treatment was not discovered until the 19th century. Until then, treatment of hernias included ligation of the hernia… Read more »
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 »
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 »