Looking for something fun to do this evening?
And were you wondering, by the way, if you have any hearing loss?
Hearing loss associated with aging (and loud-noise exposure) produces high-frequency hearing loss. This makes it very difficult to distinguish consonants such as f and s, or t and p. Did I say fit or sip? It’s hard to tell when you can’t read my lips.
To experience what it’s like to have this sort of hearing loss try this cool hearing test at:
http://www.phonak.com/com/b2c/en/hearing/recognizing_hearingloss/hearingtest.html. Continue reading →
Do you suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness?
Do you have trouble staying awake when your work shift changes?
Or do you have sleep apnea but still feel drowsy despite CPAP?
If you’ve tried caffeine and still can’t stay awake, Continue reading →
You may have heard the commercials . . . Wal-Mart is launching a new prescription drug program, in conjunction with Humana.
This Medicare Part D prescription medication insurance is offered for a monthly fee of $15.10 to Medicare participants, with co-pays as low as $1 (after annual deductible) at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club pharmacies.
I checked other plans in my area, and the Wal-Mart/Humana plan is quite competitive with other offers in my city (annual premium $178 plus $310 deductible).
You can comparison shop by going to http://health.walmart.com/health-information/rxplan-humana/ and entering your own ZIP code.
Happy savings!
Don’t sit this one out, men. Your wife would want you to understand.
To breastfeed or not to breastfeed – that is the question. What pregnant woman hasn’t considered the possibility?
Certainly the medical field is in favor of breastfeeding. Both the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend breastfeeding infants exclusively for the first 6 months.
But what about the cost? Here are 5 ways breastfeeding will save you money. Continue reading →
If I told my kids to stop eating bread, noodles, pizza, white potatoes, rice, and sweets, they’d think I was nuts. Let’s hope they don’t become diabetic.
Every day I see diabetics who find it difficult to follow a diet low in sugar and simple carbohydrates. Yet following such a diet would lessen the need for diabetic medication – not to mention decreasing the complications of diabetes.
According to the CDC, “The estimated economic cost of diabetes in 2007 was $174 billion. Of this amount, $116 billion was due to direct medical costs. . . People with diagnosed diabetes incur average expenditures of $11,744 per year, of which $6,649 is attributed to diabetes.” Continue reading →
A few months ago a reader suggested I check out http://www.zennioptical.com/.
On this Web site you can order single vision, bifocals, or progessive lens eyeware at discount prices. You will need the information from a recent eye exam to input the lens prescription.
Although you will not receive the individualized customer service that your local optician offers, for as little as $8 plus $4.95 S&H you can purchase a set of glasses. Bifocals start at $25 and progressive lenses at $29.95. Continue reading →
Sinusitis is highly overrated.
Picture this scenario. You’re the doctor. Your patient has waited an hour to see you. He complains of congestion, headache, sinus pressure, and post-nasal drainage. Yes, the drainage is yellow. No, he hasn’t missed work. He winces when you tap his sinuses. He wants you to know how miserable he is. You gotta do something, Doc.
Is it sinusitis or is it a cold? Continue reading →
Posted in Congestion - head, Decongestants, Phenylephrine, Pseudoephedrine, Respiratory infections, Respiratory problems, Runny nose, Sinus infection, Sinus infection (sinusitis), Sinus pressure, Sinusitis, Sudafed - pseudoephedrine, Symptoms
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Tagged Conditions and Diseases, Ear Nose and Throat, Nose and Paranasal Sinuses, Sinusitis, Symptom
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Do you plan your day according to the pollen count? Does the sight of a flowering tree fill you with dread?
Though cooler weather bids us outside, those who suffer from allergies are hesitant to accept the invitation. Is a stroll around the block worth a sinus headache? Will your eyes itch for a week after a walk in the park?
As a family doctor suffering from allergies myself, I have great sympathy for those who struggle with itchy, watery eyes, a stuffy nose, post-nasal drainage, or an allergic cough. It’s no fun to feel like you have a cold when you’re not even infected. At least a virus would be gone in a week. Allergies can last for months.
Short of seeing a physician, is there something a person can do to help himself? Continue reading →
Posted in Antihistamine, Benadryl, Cetirizine, Claritin, Congestion, Congestion - head, Decongestants, Medications, Phenylephrine, Pseudoephedrine, Runny nose, Sinus pressure, Sinusitis, Sudafed - pseudoephedrine, Zyrtec
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Tagged Allergy, Decongestant, Health, Histamine antagonist, Nasal congestion, Over-the-counter drug, Spring Allergies
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Image via Wikipedia
No one likes warts, except perhaps the Wicked Witch of the West.
Finger warts. Plantar warts. Genital warts.
They’re all caused by HPV – some form of human papilloma virus. It would be nice if you could take a pill, like penicillin, but so far there is no equivalent antiviral to do the job.
So, what’s it worth to you to get rid of a wart? Ten bucks? $100? A grand?
The trouble with warts is they tend to come back. Continue reading →
Posted in Common wart, Genital warts HPV, HPV Human Papilloma Virus, Human Papilloma Virus HPV, Human papilloma virus, Plantar wart, Rash, Sexually transmitted diseases STD, Wart, Warts
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Tagged Genital wart, Health, Human papillomavirus, Plantar wart, Podophyllotoxin, Sexually transmitted disease, Wart
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Image via Wikipedia
Not really a bruise, but are you familiar with the term “subungual hematoma”?
I didn’t think so.
A subungual hematoma is a collection of blood underneath a fingernail or toenail, usually from an injury, that often hurts a lot due to the build-up of pressure.
So, if someone like my friend Bill (whose last name I won’t mention) happened to hit his thumb with a hammer and got a collection of blood underneath the thumbnail, what would he do? Continue reading →
Once upon a time (last summer) I went to the oral surgeon. Ouch.
The good news is I liked the doctor. The bad news is now I have two holes in my head where teeth once grew.
It was really kind of cool. It’s the first time I had a tooth pulled since my wisdom teeth were removed 30 years ago.
I asked him if he could numb me to the gills, which he did. Once I was numb he went to work. Five minutes later, the teeth were out. No pain (except the shots) – just a lot of pressure. Much less traumatic than getting a crown . . . which is what was supposed to happen yesterday but didn’t. Cheaper, too. Continue reading →
Image via Wikipedia
If you think crabs are something you find at Red Lobster, stop reading this and go out to eat instead.
If you are reading this because you’ve found them on yourself, please continue.
“Crabs” is a slang term for pubic lice infestation. Under a microscope, these tiny lice look like little crabs. Most people don’t know they have pubic lice until they experience itching in the genital area, which usually takes a few weeks to begin after infestation. If you have good eyes, you may see the tiny critters crawling about. Sometimes they look like small black dots in the groin area that appear to move. Unlike head lice, it’s difficult to see the nits (eggs) on the hair shafts.
Gross, you may be thinking. How can I get rid of them NOW? Continue reading →
Posted in Alternative health care, Itching (skin), Lice, Lousebuster, Pubic lice - crabs
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Tagged Conditions and Diseases, Head louse, Pediculosis pubis, pubic lice, Red Lobster, Sexually transmitted disease, Skin Disorders
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