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 »
Medical News
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 »
We often don’t think about how much we use our hands until symptoms of arthritis start to affect them. The activities we enjoyed become challenging or even impossible. Hand arthritis imposes limitations on those afflicted. According to the Center for Disease Control, of the nearly 50 million Americans with arthritis, about 2 million say that… Read more »
Over the last two decades, prescription drug use has grown in the U.S. from an average of 7.3 prescriptions per person in 1992, to 11.6 per person in 2002, to 12.6 per person in 2009 (the latest statistic). Along with increasing prescription drug use come many adverse symptoms that affect the eyes. When diagnosing symptoms,… Read more »
Lung Cancer is the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States and it is still on the rise. In 1964, the Surgeon General’s report concluded that tobacco smoke was a cause of lung cancer. Today, smoking is thought to cause up to 90 percent of lung cancers. Currently, the… Read more »
Profession: Board Certified Thoracic Surgeon practicing minimally invasive non-cardiac surgical operations (in the chest cavity) Studied: General surgery residency at St. Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center (NY, NY) after graduting from Ross University School of Medicine with honors Cardiothoracic Fellow at LSU (New Orleans) Cardiothoracic Fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center (San… Read more »
Osteoporosis literally means “ porous bones”. It is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and density, which makes the bones weaker and more prone to fracture. As bones become weak, they can break from minor everyday events such as sneezing or bumping into furniture. One out of every two women and one… Read more »
The eyelids perform many vital functions in maintaining ocular health and comfort. Not only do they protect the globes from foreign bodies and serve as protective barriers, they are also responsible for production of the oily layer of the tear film. This outermost layer prevents premature evaporation of tears, and ensures that a healthy tear… Read more »