It’s been 40 years since doctors in San Antonio first organized a conference about breast cancer to educate local physicians. A few nationally known experts flew in, and at an airport hotel, some 140 people — mainly men — talked over slide presentations. The event has grown — and evolved — since 1978. This year, [...]
L. monocytogenes endophthalmitis is often difficult to diagnose and requires high clinical suspicion Listeria monocytogenes rarely affects the eye, but when it does, the outcome has often been poor, with reported final vision worse than 20/200. Listeria is a gram-positive bacteria that is transmitted through contaminated food. It can grow at refrigerator temperatures and may cross-contaminate foods [...]
For starters, don’t sleep in contact lenses If you’ve ever slept in your contact lenses, worn disposable lenses past the prescribed replacement schedule, or gone for a dip in the community pool without removing contacts from your eyes first, it’s time to rethink your habits. Why? Because poor choices can lead to serious infections in [...]
Exercising is one of the best ways to ward off falls. But which type of exercise helps most? A small randomized controlled trial — the gold standard in research — found that tai chi is the winner. The study was published online Sept. 10, 2018, by JAMA Internal Medicine. Researchers took 670 older adults (average age [...]
Holidays are best when they are spent having fun with friends and family — not spent in an emergency room. Yet every year that’s where thousands of people end up, due to holiday-related injuries and illnesses. Here are some tips to help keep your children safe and well this holiday season, from the American Academy of [...]
Helpful ways to strengthen your immune system and fight off disease How can you improve your immune system? On the whole, your immune system does a remarkable job of defending you against disease-causing microorganisms. But sometimes it fails: A germ invades successfully and makes you sick. Is it possible to intervene in this process and [...]
Last winter’s dreadful flu season may have had a silver lining: Flu vaccine uptake rose sharply this fall in both children and adults, according to newly released data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday that the number of children and teens vaccinated as of mid-November was up nearly 7 percentage points over last year [...]
The Tocantins State Department of Health in Central Brazil is reporting 14 confirmed Chagas disease cases after a family consumes contaminated juice in Aparecida do Rio Negro, according to a Globo.com report (computer translated). All the infected are from the same family and drank the juice of the bacaba, a type of palm tree from the Amazon. The [...]
Nutritional pharmacology can have profound effects From a low glycemic diet to an anti-inflammatory diet, there has been a resurgence of understanding about how nutrition can be used to fight disease. Mark Hyman, MD, Director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, talks about the dose and application of food as medicine. He has [...]
Try to pick the winning spud Potatoes are a fabulous source of fiber and nutrients (especially if you eat the skin). So should you opt for white or sweet potatoes? Dietitian Lindsay Malone, MS, RD, CSO, LD, compares their benefits: White Potatoes vs. Sweet Potatoes: Which Are Healthier? Source