The holiday season is notorious for adding a few unwanted pounds to most Americans festive frames. Holiday parties and family get-togethers tempt us with seasonal and calorie-packed treats and sweets that can quickly add up if not limited or resisted. But not all holiday snacks are unhealthy. Nuts have been an important staple of human and animal diets for thousands of years. By definition, the nut is a fruit consisting of a hard or tough shell around an edible kernel. The botanical definition has the additional requirement that the hard, stony or woody shell does not open to release the…

Shoulder pain is among the most common musculoskeletal complaints for those seeking medical care. Injuries to the shoulder can occur suddenly, such as with a fall, or develop over a longer period of time due to repetitive overuse, such as with throwing or repeated lifting. The shoulder joint is a very shallow joint. The upper arm bone, the humerus, has a rounded end that sits on the small and concave surface of the shoulder blade or scapula. Ligaments and muscles are strategically placed to keep the shoulder joint in place. This configuration allows the arm a wide range of motion,…

Cold and damp weather marks the beginning of the cold and flu season. The average adult will get two to three colds each year. Children can get even more. Our respiratory system is designed primarily to exchange gases. Each time we inhale, oxygen is brought into the lungs to be absorbed into our blood stream and distributed throughout the body for energy production. When we exhale, carbon dioxide, a byproduct of normal metabolism, is eliminated. The components of this system, the nose, pharynx, larynx, bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli of the lungs, are all lined with specialized cells that aid in…

A recent Kaiser poll showed that most Americans agree that medications cost too much. In fact, the majority of Americans are more concerned about the cost of drugs than any other health issue facing our nation. While about three-quarters said they could easily afford their medicines, about 20 percent said they have difficulty footing the bill. One in four said they did not fill a prescription within the last year because they couldn’t afford it. The cause of high drug prices is somewhat complex and hotly debated. While most blame the pharmaceutical companies, there are other players in the mix…

Football season is in full swing and we are reminded of the importance of recognizing, treating, and preventing concussions. Though football may be more often associated with concussions, they can occur in any sport where contact is possible. The short and long-term effects of concussions have been responsible for many rule changes and guidelines in high school and pro leagues. A concussion is defined as a temporary disruption in brain function that results from a direct impact to the head. In its broadest sense, the term “concussion” is usually used to describe any blow to the head, ranging from mild…

The FDA recently strengthened the warning on a group of the most commonly used prescription and over-the-counter medications. These drugs, known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, include popular painkillers like ibuprofen and naproxen. NSAIDs have carried warnings for years about potential risks of heart attacks and strokes. The new warning comes in light of new safety information on both over-the-counter and prescription forms of the medications and the FDA determined that the risks are greater than originally believed. The risk applies to even short-term use of these medications and it’s true for people with or without heart disease. The…

Electronic cigarettes were introduced to the US market in 2007. Though much of the initial marketing was aimed toward smoking cessation, these devices have quickly become a popular source of nicotine for many individuals, both teens and adults. An e-cigarette is made to deliver nicotine to its user by aerosolizing a nicotine-containing solution. The device has four parts: the battery, the heating element, the vaporizing chamber, and the solution cartridge. Some devices are manually activated by pressing a button. The solution is heated, aerosolized, and the vapor is then inhaled. Other machines automatically activate when the user draws on it…

In just a matter of days the children in our area will be returning back to school. When the kids get back in school, so do many of the common contagious germs. Staying healthy during the school year requires a combination of both common sense and medical science. Parents, schools, health departments, and medical offices gear up this time of year to help prevent children from getting sick. Among the most effective first lines of defense against unwanted illness are vaccinations. Mandatory vaccinations prior to entering school have greatly decreased the incidence of some of the most common and, at…

One medical condition that is being diagnosed more frequently is sleep apnea. This is probably because doctors and the public are becoming more aware of the problem. It is estimated to affect about 18 million Americans and it is seen more often in men and people who are over 40 years old, but it can affect anyone at any age. People who have sleep apnea stop breathing while they are sleeping. These periods of not breathing can last for 10 to 30 seconds at a time and can happen up to 400 times every night. With each episode the individual’s sleep is…

Chigger bites are a regular summertime annoyance in Central Virginia. Most commonly found in grassy fields, gardens, forest areas, and parks, chiggers thrive in moist, vegetated areas with high humidity, hitching a ride on the unsuspecting human passer-by. Also called the harvest mite or red mite, chiggers are the six-legged, wingless larva form of the Trombiculidae mite. They are arachnids, like ticks and spiders. Barely visible to the naked eye, chiggers are red in color and may only be seen if they are clustered together on the skin or a plant. The mites will attach to the skin or clothing…