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 »
Medical News
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 »
Exercise is the single most important factor in maintaining healthy balance and preventing falls. In fact, exercise can also eliminate some types of chronic dizziness! The key is in knowing what kind of exercises to do. Not all exercises are equally beneficial. Many people mistakenly believe that walking is the best form of exercise. Not… Read more »
Desert Regional Medical Center has launched an expansion of its stroke program which includes new technology and a new medical fellowship program. “Desert Regional Medical Center has crossed the Rubicon in stroke care for our community,” said neurosurgeon Javed Siddiqi, MD PhD, medical director for the hospital’s Institute of Clinical Orthopedics and Neurosciences. “Desert Regional… Read more »
Do you ever wonder how many local people share your medical condition? Or are you a non-profit validating the need for your services for a grant application? Are you a teacher or student researching the socioeconomic profile of our local population? Or are you an employer wondering how the health of your employees stacks up… Read more »
Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in men. About 240,000 American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, and in 130,000, the cancer is localized and low-risk. Although most prostate cancers are slow growing and unlikely to spread, most men receive immediate treatment with surgery or radiation. These therapeutic strategies are associated… Read more »
The other day I decided to give blood. I had recently heard that the two blood donor entities in the valley, Community Blood Bank and LifeStream, have combined resources to form one organization called Desert Blood Services. This united organization runs blood donation centers in La Quinta and Indio, with community blood drives at schools,… Read more »
Numerous studies in recent years reveal a strong correlation between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), where breathing stops while you are sleeping, and atrial fibrillation or “A-Fib”, a leading cause of stroke (see “A-Fib” page 3). Two primary conclusions of these studies are: Those with obstructive sleep apnea are at greater risk of atrial fibrillation1,2 A-Fib… Read more »
Excessive tearing is always caused by dry eyes Excessive tearing (epiphora) affects many people and can be quite bothersome, interrupting activities of daily living routines. There are many causes of epiphora and a thorough examination is needed to determine the cause. Some patients may suffer from dry eyes and experience reflexive tearing. The body produces… Read more »