Health Topics

When you become a patient either with a new physician or in the hospital you are always asked if you have any allergies to medications. Several different types of symptoms can result from an allergic reaction, from a mild localized rash to serious effects on organs. The body’s response can affect any organ system, but …

Diabetes mellitus is a medical condition most people have heard talked about.  In fact, this medical condition is so prevalent, most people probably know someone who has this condition.  So what is diabetes mellitus?  It is a disease of the pancreas, an organ located in the abdominal cavity.  The pancreas is part of the endocrine …

October is breast cancer awareness month, which is an annual campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer as well as raise money to advance breast cancer research.  Breast cancer affects one in eight women and 100 times more common in women, but men can also have breast cancer.   It is the most common type of …

We are getting to that time of year again, cold and influenza season.  Your co-workers and friends will start having a cough, runny nose, congestion, and fevers.  You may be wondering, what is the difference between an upper respiratory infection also known as the common cold and influenza? Both influenza and colds are caused by …

Well, it is that time of year again, summer. With the warmer weather, most people will be enjoying an increase in outdoor activities such as baseball games, gardening, and swimming. As we spend more time outside, we increase our exposure to ultraviolet radiation. If the proper precautions aren’t taken, this increased exposure to UV rays …

We have all heard the term shingles and possibly have even heard commercials advertising a vaccine for shingles. So what exactly are shingles, and how does an individual become infected with shingles? The medical name for shingles is herpes zoster virus. It is a reactivation of a previous infection with the varicella-zoster virus, which is …