At times I find myself struggling with insomnia. On a daily basis, I speak with patients about their struggles with sleep. For this reason, I thought it important to stress the practices of "sleep hygiene". As I write this, I realize I need to practice what I preach. 13 simple steps to sleep hygiene: Follow a consistent sleep-wake schedule Avoid afternoon naps Exercise daily [...]
Melanoma Overview Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, develops in the cells (melanocytes) that produce melanin — the pigment that gives your skin its color. Melanoma can also form in your eyes and, rarely, inside your body, such as in your nose or throat. Knowing the warning signs of skin cancer can help ensure that cancerous changes are detected and treated before the [...]
What is monkeypox? Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by the monkeypox virus. The monkeypox virus usually affects rodents, such as rats or mice, or nonhuman primates, such as monkeys. But it can occur in people. Monkeypox usually occurs in Central and West Africa. Cases outside of Africa are often due to: International travel Imported animals Close contact with an animal or person with monkeypox [...]
COVID Treatment and Paxlovid Rebound Hello to all patients. COVID seems to be running rampant out there. Stay vigilant and please do everything possible to protect yourself and others. If you do develop viral symptoms, I recommend you assume that you have COVID until proven otherwise. If you have viral symptoms, I generally recommend daily testing for COVID until you have multiple (about 7) [...]
COVID-19 "Long Haulers" Most people who have coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) recover completely within a few weeks. But some people — even those who had mild versions of the disease — continue to experience symptoms after their initial recovery. These people sometimes describe themselves as "long haulers" and the conditions have been called post-COVID-19 syndrome or "long COVID-19." These health issues are sometimes called post-COVID-19 conditions. They're generally [...]
Skin Cancer Overview Skin cancer (the abnormal growth of skin cells) most often develops on skin exposed to the sun. But this common form of cancer can also occur on areas of your skin not ordinarily exposed to sunlight. There are three major types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. You can reduce your risk of skin cancer by [...]
Nail Fungus Overview Nail fungus is a common condition that begins as a white or yellow spot under the tip of your nail -- fingernail or toenail. As the fungal infection goes deeper, nail fungus may cause your nail to discolor, thicken and crumble at the edge. If your condition is mild and not bothering you, you may not need treatment. If your nail fungus [...]
Tremors -- Is it Parkinson's? Essential tremor is a nervous system (neurological) disorder that causes involuntary and rhythmic shaking. It can affect almost any part of your body, but the trembling occurs most often in your hands — especially when you do simple tasks, such as drinking from a glass, tying shoelaces, writing or applying pressure to the arm of a chair to get up. Essential [...]
Vascular Disease In this newsletter, I am focusing on vascular disease and I am specifically concentrating on arteriosclerosis or atherosclerosis -- the development of "hardening of the arteries" or "plaque" that forms in our arteries leading to bad things like a heart attack and stroke. Atherosclerosis can affect arteries anywhere in your body. Mild atherosclerosis usually doesn't have any symptoms. You usually won't have atherosclerosis [...]
Low Back Pain & Sciatica It is estimated that up to 84% of adults have low back pain at some time in their lives. The vast majority of patients seen in primary care (>85%) will have nonspecific low back pain, meaning that the patient has back pain in the absence of a specific underlying condition that can be reliably identified. For most of these individuals, [...]
