It’s a standard instruction during safety demonstrations on airplanes: “In the event of a sudden loss in cabin pressure, an oxygen mask will drop down in front of you. Put your mask on before helping others.” But why is that? Wouldn&#…
Category: Conditions
A matter of trust: Bill Maher loses trust in medical professionals
I was at my gym last night. Billy Joel’s ballad about trust was the metronome to my squats. Though vaccinated and boosted, I was wearing my mask. I know the latest evidence about vaccines and natural immunity, the dramatic transmissibility but mild vir…
Dislocations: an exception to the rule
There are not many situations in general medicine where a doctor can affect an instant cure, and the patient will call them a “miracle worker.” Most patient visits end with a prescription or two or some instructions along with the admonitio…
What to do when your child suffers a concussion
This spring, kids will be returning to extra-curricular activities and organized sports in the community, much of which was canceled over the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As these activities resume, now is a good time to learn what to d…
Reversing the impact of the pandemic on childhood obesity
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments and communities had to take rapid and decisive action to protect their citizens against this novel virus. While it was yet unclear how dangerous the COVID-19 infection may be to children, their te…
The surprising role for lifestyle medicine in palliative care
In his bestselling book How Not to Die, physician Michael Greger described how his grandmother, diagnosed with advanced heart disease at 65, transformed her health and lived for many years after switching to a whole-food, plant-based diet. It was a sem…
Prevention of health care burnout in the COVID era
They were everywhere. Headlines to the effect of “Health care workers face mental health crisis” were all too common for a majority of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Even though they have mostly disappeared, with the exception of an appearance …
How to maintain your relationships during nursing school
Maintaining a relationship during nursing school takes some effort. Your time is taken up by studying, classes, clinicals and labs. Oh, did I mention studying? At the end of the day, there is just not much time left for significant others. Now, I am re…
A patient hit me: Why I say anti-assault prayers
I thought it would be easier than ICU nursing. After 33 years as an ICU nurse, I had to leave. I just couldn’t take the pounding on the chests of little old men and women. Hearing and feeling their ribs crack while CPR was performed. I couldnR…
Prostate cancer, sex drive, male menopause and conversations to have with your doctor
Americans are having less sex than ever before. Should we be worried? Ask your prostate. A 2022 study from the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior found that the rate of all types of sexual intercourse have declined from 2009 to 2018. While t…
