3 reasons to leave earwax alone
In conclusion…
There’s a reason the makers of cotton-tipped swabs put this warning on their packaging: “Do not insert swab into ear canal. Entering the ear canal could cause injury.” But, it still goes on. Perhaps it’s just too tempting or satisfying. Perhaps no one reads the labels of the products they use. Or maybe the myths about earwax are too ingrained to be easily dispelled by facts. Whatever the reasons, now you know to stop putting cotton-tipped swabs into your ears. And that also goes for unfolded paper clips, pen caps, or whatever else you’ve been using!
The post 3 reasons to leave earwax alone appear...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - May 17, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Robert H. Shmerling, MD Tags: Ear, nose, and throat Health Hearing Loss Safety Source Type: blogs
Keep your seasonal allergies in check
Seasonal allergies can be frustrating. When spring crawls in, many people begin to experience all-too-familiar itchy and watery eyes, runny nose, and congestion. Symptoms of seasonal allergies are the result of an immune system in overdrive in response to pollen and other allergens. Those bothersome symptoms are intended to protect you from unwanted foreign particles, but in this situation they end up causing misery. There are quite a few options when it comes to controlling allergy symptoms, but we want to watch out for a few that can be quite dangerous when used incorrectly.
Nasal steroids
The first-line treatment for se...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - May 1, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Dominic Wu, MD Tags: Asthma and Allergies Ear, nose, and throat Health Source Type: blogs
Don ’t let allergy season catch you off guard
The woman next to me in the checkout line looked upset. Her eyes were red and her nose was running. My first thought was to give her privacy, until I saw her shopping basket filled with supplies to fight allergy symptoms, and then our eyes met. “I can’t believe how bad my allergies are this year!” she said, exasperated.
My fellow shopper isn’t the only one suffering. “Warm weather and a mild winter, as we’ve experienced this year, can stimulate trees to pollinate. The southern U.S., which has a warmer climate, is particularly susceptible to earlier allergy seasons. Other climate factors — such as cool evening...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 6, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Heidi Godman Tags: Asthma and Allergies Source Type: blogs
Top Healthcare Companies in Robotics
Robotics has the power to completely reshape the landscape of healthcare both in its structure and its operation. Here, you find my own list about the most relevant companies and start-ups on the healthcare robotics market.
With robotics for the sustainability of healthcare
As I outlined in my open letter to regulators, the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems could be solved by automation powered by digital health technologies, such as artificial intelligence, 3D-printing or robotics. The latter could take over monotonous work from healthcare workers, which would allow them to focus more on patients and to have ...
Source: The Medical Futurist - March 2, 2017 Category: Information Technology Authors: nora Tags: Future of Medicine Medical Robotics GC1 google Health Healthcare Innovation pharma robot companion surgical robot Source Type: blogs
Nobody wants the flu. But what happens if you get it and you ’ re pregnant?
First…
It’s strongly recommended that pregnant women get the flu shot. The flu vaccine is safe throughout pregnancy and is the first step to protecting you and your baby from it.
Of course even if you get the vaccine it is still possible to get the flu so make sure to get plenty of rest and use your frequent trips to the bathroom to wash your hands often throughout the day.
Second…
If you think you have the flu contact your doctor right away. Most healthy adults with the flu become mildly ill, and start to feel better in 7 to 10 days. However, if you catch the flu early, your doctor can prescribe an an...
Source: Cord Blood News - February 15, 2017 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Maze Cord Blood Tags: babies pregnancy flu pregnancy health Source Type: blogs
Let ’s Work Together To Improve Care For Older Adults With Complex Needs
In the three minutes it takes to read this blog post, an average of twenty-one people will turn age sixty-five, joining the largest cohort of older adults that our country has ever known. The simple truth is that we are living and working longer, which also means that we are redefining the meaning of “later life” and that older people are enriching our communities and society in new and vital ways.
But many of us won’t enjoy a gentle retirement. Older adults are arguably the fastest growing subset of what are increasingly called “complex” patients—those with significant health and social needs, often including ...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - February 14, 2017 Category: Health Management Authors: Terry Fulmer Tags: Costs and Spending GrantWatch Organization and Delivery Quality Source Type: blogs
A Stitch in Time
At first I thought the beeping was coming from the television. I had just settled back into the couch after tucking my daughter into bed for the second time. Her tummy was hurting. It had been doing that a lot lately. Especially on Sunday nights with the specter of Monday morning looming large. She was getting headaches, stomachaches, nausea. It had been going on for some time.My son is similar. His headaches and bellyaches come and go. He is famous for vomiting at any given moment and then feeling fine the next. And to think of it, we have all been under the weather lately.&nbs...
Source: In My Humble Opinion - January 30, 2017 Category: Primary Care Authors: Jordan Grumet Source Type: blogs
There ’s absolutely no way to stop a cough. Here’s why.
Coughing is one of the most common reasons parents bring their children to see me. And I can understand why. Coughing is noisy and uncomfortable and gets kids dirty looks in schools and subways. Even worse, coughing keeps kids and their parents awake. We’ve all been there, and no one likes to cough.
But coughing is there, usually, for a reason. Almost all coughs are from upper respiratory infections (that’s fancy talk for common, ordinary colds caused by common, ordinary viruses.) People cough because viral infections cause excess mucus to form throughout your “respiratory tree” — from your nose, down your throat...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - January 23, 2017 Category: Journals (General) Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/roy-benaroch" rel="tag" > Roy Benaroch, MD < /a > Tags: Conditions Pediatrics Source Type: blogs
Preventing and treating colds: The evidence and the anecdotes
Oh, who doesn’t hate colds. You’re miserable, achy, tired, congested, and coughing. You may need to miss work, or go to the doctor. But it seems that no one really feels sorry for the person with a cold because colds are so common. “It’s just a virus, it’ll get better on its own,” says your doctor. “There’s no cure.”
Well, colds cost the U.S. an estimated 40 billion dollars per year considering lost financial productivity, plus spending on medical care, pharmaceuticals, and supplements (and that estimate is from 2003)!1 It’s just a virus? There’s got to be more we can do to effectively prevent and tre...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - January 12, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Monique Tello, MD, MPH Tags: Cold and Flu Health Prevention cold prevention Source Type: blogs
Bronchiolitis: What parents of infants need to know
Follow me on Twitter @drClaire
It starts as a runny nose and a slight cough — and quickly makes babies miserable.
Bronchiolitis is a very common illness in babies during the fall, winter, and early spring. It mostly affects children under the age of two, but is most common in babies three to six months old. While the majority of babies who get it do just fine, some can get very sick. So it’s important that parents of infants know what bronchiolitis is, what to watch for, and what to do.
Ultimately, bronchiolitis is just a really bad cold. There are a few different viruses that can cause it. The most common one is Respi...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - January 3, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Claire McCarthy, MD Tags: Children's Health Cold and Flu Lung disease Parenting Source Type: blogs
Internet Self-Diagnosis: Mapping the Information Seeking Processes
By SUSAN PEREZ
We’ve all been there. It’s early morning, and you wake up feeling groggier than usual, sensing the onset of a sore throat and a runny nose. Before crawling out of bed, you grab your smart phone and, naturally, Google “groggy sore throat runny nose symptoms.” Hundreds of results pop up, suggesting various illnesses and links to seemingly promising remedies. How could anyone filter through page after page of links, ranging from everyday allergies to deadly diseases?
Many of our health choices are made outside the doctor’s office. The simple decision of whether symptoms are severe enough to warrant v...
Source: The Health Care Blog - December 29, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: John Irvine Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
Internet Self-Diagnosis: Mapping the Information Seeking Process
By SUSAN PEREZ
We’ve all been there. It’s early morning, and you wake up feeling groggier than usual, sensing the onset of a sore throat and a runny nose. Before crawling out of bed, you grab your smart phone and, naturally, Google “groggy sore throat runny nose symptoms.” Hundreds of results pop up, suggesting various illnesses and links to seemingly promising remedies. How could anyone filter through page after page of links, ranging from everyday allergies to deadly diseases?
Many of our health choices are made outside the doctor’s office. The simple decision of whether symptoms are severe enough to warrant v...
Source: The Health Care Blog - December 29, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: John Irvine Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
I Like Literary Fiction and I Cannot Lie
This semester I read literary fiction for the first time in my life. In August the following idea entered my mind, in September I acknowledged it, and in October I asked others about this idea to see if I was being absurd or dramatic; to see if I was crazy:Is it possible to learn more about life by reading literary fiction than through actual experiences?Let me explain before you go looking to buy me a straight jacket for Hanukkah. We move through life with just one point of view —our own. We can try putting ourselves in others' shoes and seeing the world from their perspective, but that's nothing more than an exercise i...
Source: cancerslayerblog - December 17, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: life lessons writing/speaking Source Type: blogs
My experience as a patient has made me a better physician. Here ’s how.
The medical assistant swabbed my nose and my throat multiple times. Pricked my finger too. Then, the phlebotomist (or vampire?) drew bottles and bottles of my blood. Along with the physical discomfort, there was emotional discomfort too. What would the test results show? If they were all negative, would I be satisfied without having an answer?
Being a patient can be extremely vulnerable. Not only do you often divulge to a perfect stranger the details of your health, but also you make the choice to relinquish control and be comfortable with uncertainty. You put your trust in a physician to order the correct tests, and you a...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - December 10, 2016 Category: Journals (General) Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/farrell-tobolowsky" rel="tag" > Farrell Tobolowsky, MD < /a > Tags: Physician Primary care Source Type: blogs
