What is a stroke?Your brain needs oxygen to function, and it receives oxygen in the blood. If something like a clot deprives your brain of the oxygen it needs, your brain cells will die, along with the functions they control, such as memory, movement, or speech. This is a stroke.According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is the leading cause of adult disability and the fifth ...

Life in the time of COVID-19 has many of us overanalyzing every throat tickle, sneeze, and, sometimes, even our stool. Should I be concerned about that nose drip? Is my chest tightness anxiety? Or a symptom of something else?With the unknowns of the pandemic plaguing us all, some people are worried that even mild symptoms are a sign of the virus. Having allergy season in full swing only ...

Dear Doctor,It’s time for my yearly mammogram. But the imaging center called to say they’re only performing “essential” examinations during the COVID pandemic. I’ll admit it, I usually dread coming in for my mammogram, but now I’m worried about waiting. How do I know if my examination is essential, or if it’s safer to wait until this crisis has passed?Sincerely,“Missing the ...

Open the refrigerator. Close the refrigerator. Sigh. Repeat. Before starting culinary school, I was one of those people that opened and closed a fully stocked refrigerator, defeatedly thinking there was nothing to eat. I’d look through backlit shelves brimming with fresh greens, eggs, herbs, and chicken thighs, and feel overwhelmed. The ingredients were useless to me without a recipe to ...

I fell in love with labor and delivery when I was a nursing student. After seeing my first birth, I was hooked. There’s nothing like watching a new mom hear her baby cry for the first time. But I have to admit, when I decided to become an L&D nurse, I wasn’t expecting to do it under these conditions.Even in the best of times, having a baby isn’t easy. On television they make it seem ...

What you need to know about allergic rhinitis and asthma:Allergic rhinitis and asthma are some of the most prevalent conditions in the United States. It's common for patients with allergic rhinitis to have accompanying asthma. Still, few seek medical attention for both diseases, and many patients think their asthma is well controlled, although it is often not. Those with asthma must ...

It has been shown that seasonal allergies are a result of increased inflammation in the body, stemming from a weakened immune system. Ninety percent of your immune system’s defenses originate in the intestine, so maintaining a healthy GI tract ultimately plays an important role in reducing the effects of allergens. One way to achieve this is to avoid medications such as antacids, NSAIDS ...

Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy diagnosed in the United States, excluding skin cancers. The American Cancer Society estimates that there are approximately 145,600 new cases each year. It is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the US. However, unlike many other cancers, it is preventable if detected early, which is why colonoscopies are ...

If you are accustomed to working in a cubicle maze, perhaps the idea of telecommuting during the coronavirus crisis sounds kind of dreamy: you, smiling in stretch pants, sipping your favorite coffee, watching a light breeze flutter the kitchen curtains, and hearing nothing but the sound of your fingers on your laptop keys.The reality more likely includes a garbled conference call, a ...

Dear Doctor,My child’s school is closed, and I’m stuck working from home. I want to stock up on some essentials so I can avoid the stores in the coming weeks, but also don’t want to get stuck eating processed junk. What should my shopping list look like?Sincerely,"Holed Up and Hungry"Dear Hungry,With many people stuck at home for the foreseeable future—whether they’re in mandated or ...