Dr. Grimes’ Bottom Line

Wh Should All Be #FacingAIDS

Today (and every December 1st) is World AIDS Day. Do you know anyone living with HIV disease? Or anyone who has died of AIDS? With over a million Americans living with HIV disease, odds are good that someone in your life either has or will be affected by this infection. The scary part is that only 5 out of 6 infected individuals are aware of their HIV status…which means ONE in SIX people infected with HIV are completely UNAWARE they carry and can spread the disease.

This silent presence of HIV is the very reason that back in 2006, the … Read more

Share
Tweet
Share

Got Asthma? Get this Vaccine!

This month I am focusing on vaccinations- the FLU vaccine, Tetanus, Pertussis, and now…the “pneumonia” vaccine.  This vaccine works against Streptococcus pneumonia, the “pneumococcal bacteria” which causes hundreds of thousands of cases of pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis in the United States every year. Before routine childhood immunization against this bacteria, there were also over 5 million ear infections per year caused by this organism. This bacteria has developed quite a bit of resistance to antibiotics, and the more serious pneumococcal diseases have a very high mortality rate ranging up to 37%, so everything we can do to prevent … Read more

Share
Tweet
Share

Did I Hear a WHOOP?

As a Texas Aggie, I generally love to hear a “WHOOP” (especially during football season- gig ’em, Ags!) However, as a doctor, the word or sound “whoop” triggers concerns about Pertussis, the bacteria that causes whooping cough, which has been unfortunately on the rise in our community and across the United States.

What is whooping cough?

This highly infectious respiratory disease only infects humans, and causes nearly 50 million cases of disease each year. In the United States, we only see around 40,000 documented cases/year, but certainly have many more infections that are not recognized and treated.  Smokers, asthmatics, infants, … Read more

Share
Tweet
Share

When was Your Last Tetanus Shot?

Since it’s time for everyone’s annual FLU VACCINE, I thought I’d take a few posts and reflect on a couple other vaccines. Today, let’s talk about the TETANUS vaccine.

What does the tetanus vaccine do? Most people have heard that if you “step on a rusty nail”, you should make sure you are up to date on your tetanus booster. Actually, this should be true for any significant breaks in the skin such as burns, puncture wounds or “road rash”.  The tetanus vaccine boosts our immunity to the bacteria called Clostridium tetani, an organism that lives all around us, but … Read more

Share
Tweet
Share

Restless Legs Keeping You Awake?

Do your legs ache, squirm, feel antsy and seem to want to MOVE to get comfortable when you try to go to sleep at night? How about during the day- do you need to get up and walk around to relieve that same irritating sensation in your legs when you are supposed to be sitting in a meeting or parking yourself in front of a computer? Does walking around or at least moving your legs relieve the discomfort? If so, you may be one of the estimated 3-15% of the population with a disorder known as restless leg syndrome (RLS).… Read more

Share
Tweet
Share

Can’t Sleep? You’re Not Alone…

One in ten American adults have suffer from insomnia (defined as inability to adequately sleep for at least fourteen consecutive nights). Whether it is trouble with falling asleep or difficulty staying asleep (waking up either multiple times or simply way too early), this lack of restorative sleep leads to more than simply daytime fatigue. Sleep deprivation causes trouble with concentration and memory, irritability and other mood disturbances, and actually can lead to higher rates of infection, diabetes, heart disease, and cancers. As such, I’m going to spend the next several blog entries talking about insomnia issues and solutions.

While some … Read more

Share
Tweet
Share

I Got Mine! Did You Get Yours?

As we zip into the holiday season, give yourself the GIFT of a flu vaccine NOW so you are not struck down with this illness at the busiest time of year! Flu shots have been available for a few weeks and seem to be available everywhere.  Clinics, schools, grocery stores, pharmacies and many employers are all offering flu shots these days. Add a flu shot to your grocery list- I’ll bet the pharmacy there is stocked and you won’t even have to add an extra stop on your weekly errands.

Who should get the flu vaccine?
The Center for Disease … Read more

Share
Tweet
Share

It’s BA-ACK! Halloween Candy

Despite the 90 degree days we are still having in Texas, the calendar tells me it is already OCTOBER. Of course, the grocery stores have been featuring HALLOWEEN CANDY for nearly a month already! Did you resist? Or are you tossing in a bag of bite-sized candy on impulse as you check out?

If so, it’s high time to realize that we are now officially in what I call the “treat yourself” season, as we hit the trifecta of food oriented holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hanukkah. We tend to celebrate with nonstop EATING, and then what do we do every … Read more

Share
Tweet
Share

High Heeled Danger!

Attention female shoe lovers– if your closet is packed with high heels, especially those with pointy toes,  you may one day find yourself dealing with a medical problem known as a Morton’s neuroma. A Morton’s what, you ask? Morton’s neuroma- a little balled up group of nerve endings (perineural fibrosis, if you want the medical lingo) along the small digital nerve as it passes between your toes, most commonly in the space between your third and fourth toes.

This malady is most common among women in their mid to late 40’s. High heels cause more weight to be transferred … Read more

Share
Tweet
Share

Cigarettes: The Good News & The Bad News

Let’s start off with the GOOD news – the CDC’s anti-smoking TIPS campaign has turned out to be far more successful than they had dared to hope! Over 1.6 million smokers had a quitting attempt, and at least 200,000 smokers DID QUIT as a direct result of the shocking pictures and stories featured in this unique national program. The Lancet published a wonderful article this week summarizing all the findings: Effect of the First Federally Funded U.S. Antismoking National Media Campaign.

I have always maintained that stories are more powerful than statistics. Sure enough, this campaign is chock-full of stories … Read more

Share
Tweet
Share