“Just another sunny day in paradise,” my father-in-law would say when we came to the desert to visit. Now a local, I repeat it often. We all love our beautiful valley, but living and playing here takes some awareness and preparation. With March upon us, outdoor activities abound as do the many opportunities to celebrate.… Read more »
The gift of choice is what makes us human. The psychologist Albert Bandura wrote extensively about our free will to choose and described our human choice as “agency.” In his words, agency refers to the human capability to influence one’s functioning and the course of events by one’s actions. In our health experiences it is… Read more »
Online learning during the pandemic fueled the rise in mental illness. As behavioral health students in the Health Academy at Coachella Valley High School, we knew that we were negatively impacted by the pandemic and three out of the four of us felt that our abilities faltered through online learning. A survey conducted at Coachella… Read more »
Home hygiene is the most important factor in keeping a healthy mouth and, of course, it starts with our toothbrush. There are two main classes of toothbrushes: traditional manual and electric. The vast majority of Americans still use a manual toothbrush. This is not a bad thing, as a good manual toothbrush with soft bristles… Read more »
Vaccinating the whole world against smallpox was one of the most important scientific achievements of the 20th century. Smallpox is a great example of the success of vaccine-mediated eradication of a deadly virus in humans which required a global initiative that combined high levels of vaccine coverage and active surveillance.1 How viruses spread Transmissibility and… Read more »
Hospitals are expected to be a place of healing, leading to wellness and a return home. However, the longer a patient stays in the hospital, the greater the risk for a health care-associated infection (HAI) from a catheter or surgical site, or a health care-acquired condition (HAC) such as a fall with fracture. With an… Read more »
The Law of Attraction is the belief that “like attracts like.” The principle states that if you think positive thoughts, you will have positive results; if you think negative thoughts, you will have negative results. You attract what you think about. An everyday example of the Law of Attraction is when you start thinking about… Read more »
Many say it’s not a matter of if you’ll get COVID, but when. And chances are that when you do, you won’t be prepared. After two years of following the rules, increasing supplements and trimming our social schedule, my husband, Tommy, and I thought we were playing it safe. Then last November, when events returned… Read more »
Has it been a difficult season for you? Several friends and I have had extra curveballs thrown our way, and together we are searching for hope amidst hardship. When the going gets tough, sometimes it feels as if all reserves are exhausted. That makes this a good time to tune in to your own very… Read more »
As new variants to COVID-19 continue to emerge, along with increasing rates of infection, it is more important than ever to be prepared for a health emergency. Consider whether you are just planning or if you are really prepared for a health emergency by reviewing the list below: If you become ill or are in… Read more »
Prescribing long-term oxygen therapy in patients with chronic lung disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a shared decision-making process between the clinician and patient. This process can encourage patients to accept the American Thoracic Society (ATS) clinical practice guideline recommendation on home oxygen therapy as published by… Read more »
“Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together.” Eugene Ionesco, Playwright Your dreams are an innate gift. They possess the ability to open the sacred dream doorways to the divine. If you lost someone you care about, the opportunity to see them again in your dreams is comforting. These are called visitation dreams and… Read more »
Last January, many of us were relieved, enthusiastic, and ready to embrace new goals. We could see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel and we could not wait to emerge triumphant. Suddenly, a new variant was discovered, and the light dimmed. Last year felt like “Ground Hog Day”- every day seemed the… Read more »
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 14 percent of American adults smoke cigarettes. Although this is a drastic decrease from the prevalence seen during the mid-20th century, that is still about 43 million people who consider themselves smokers. Some of the overall negative health effects of this habit are well known, but many… Read more »
Watching my grandchildren grow has been a mind-blowing and mind-expanding experience, from both a personal perspective and a psycho-therapeutic one as well. I have viewed the positive interactions between parent and child closely. I feel fortunate to have observed patient, kind, and empathetic responses from parents and noted how it directly relates to the positive… Read more »
It’s a fact of modern life: there will always be external crises ready to overtake you. The trick to happy, healthy living is to learn how to thrive despite the calamities. As this new year dawns, you do have a choice: You can focus on fear, division, and polarization, or you can choose to make… Read more »
When challenges occur, we often imagine getting “through” the hard times and then getting “back to normal.” Our society has hoped for this as we have lived with the pandemic, and I had imagined this with my cancer experience over the past 15 months. It has been a surprise to me that the time after… Read more »
With everything going on during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cathedral City High School (CCHS) has taken safety precautions to ensure that the students’ and staff’s health is secured. Students and staff can sign a consent form to allow the school to test them for COVID-19. The free test is conducted on campus and results are given… Read more »
Editorial adapted from study published in American J Managed Care, July 2021. Desert Medical Advances of Coachella Valley (DMA) is a rheumatology clinic specializing in clinical trials for the past 30 years. Recently, our team conducted a causal inference study using prospective data from 39 clinical trials globally compared to over a thousand patients locally… Read more »
Science has now proven what we animal lovers knew all along. Many studies validate that the companionship of dogs and cats lowers high blood pressure, reduces stress, and improves our overall mental and physical health.1 During this time of uncertainty, many people need relief from loneliness and anxiety. At the same time, many pets, whose… Read more »