Sugar for Your Sweetheart?

As Valentine’s Day approaches, our thoughts turn to HEARTs, right? And maybe chocolate? Perhaps…but we also need to think about the heart muscle keeping us alive right now, and we have yet another medical study that shows the EXCESS SUGAR in our diets is taking a toll on our heart health.

The recently published Journal of the American Medical Association report, “Added Sugar Intake and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Among US Adults” confirmed that American adults consume too much added sugar (such as the sugar we directly add to coffee and foods, as well as the “added sugar” in sodas, fruit … Read more

Can’t Stop Sneezing?

Ah, the beautiful golden mist floats above our Austin trees…ACHOO! It’s cedar fever time in central Texas, and many of us are suffering. Itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, stuffy nose, ear pain and very sore throats are all part of the package. Often people are afraid they have the flu or strep throat, because their symptoms are so intense, but one clue with allergies is the LACK of a fever- while you might have an elevated temperature of 99-100*, allergies don’t cause the 101-104* fevers and chills that infections can trigger. That being said, some of the most PAINFUL … Read more

Gardasil: What’s Up Down Under?

The HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) vaccine, Gardasil, was FDA approved in the United States for use in young women in June, 2006, then extended for males in October, 2009. In October of 2011, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP- the group that creates our national guidelines that you see posted on your doctor’s office walls) extended their official recommendations to include ROUTINE VACCINATION of both boys and girls at age 11-12 years, with “catch up” immunizations for those youth  ages 13-21 who had missed getting this vaccine series.

Why are we vaccinating?
We vaccinate primarily for CANCER PREVENTION. Each … Read more

Resolutions for BETTER HEALTH in 2014

Happy New Year! Many people start each year with resolutions surrounding their health, so I’d like to  jump in and suggest that you put one EASY resolution at the very top of your list. This resolution should take up well less than an hour of your life, yet can make a tremendous difference in your health for 2014…so here it is: GET YOUR ANNUAL FLU VACCINE!

If you have already received yours, pat yourself on the back & remember to encourage your friends and family to get theirs. I will confess that certain members of my family kept putting … Read more

Signs & Cure for Skier’s Toe

Downhill skiing is a ton of fun, but there are several common injuries that crop up with this sport. Perhaps the most common is the infamous skier’s toe. Typically discovered at the end of the day, “skier’s toe” shows up as a very painful BLACK TOENAIL- usually the great toe. The medical term is a subungual hematoma, which simply means below the nail bleeding.  This can occur from a single instance of trauma like dropping something on your toe, or from small, repetitive trauma like a too-small or too-big (so your foot slams back and forth) ski boot. As the … Read more

Snowboarding Can Be a Pain in the Rear…

Downhill skiing is a ton of fun, but there are several common injuries that crop up with this sport. Perhaps the most common is the infamous skier’s toe. Typically discovered at the end of the day, “skier’s toe” shows up as a very painful BLACK TOENAIL- usually the great toe. The medical term is a subungual hematoma, which simply means below the nail bleeding.  This can occur from a single instance of trauma like dropping something on your toe, or from small, repetitive trauma like a too-small or too-big (so your foot slams back and forth) ski boot. As the … Read more

An Altitude Adjustment

Going skiing for winter break? Mountains are my favorite destination, but…please remember that the high altitude can come with a couple medical challenges. First of all, don’t be fooled that cool weather means no sunburns! Check out this blog on sunscreen so you don’t end up with a high altitude burn. Secondly, be aware of signs and symptoms of “mountain sickness” (aka. altitude sickness).

 HOW HIGH do you have to be for altitude sickness?
There is not a set elevation for typical mountain vacations that affects everyone. Symptoms are uncommon at altitudes below 5000 feet above sea level, and fairly … Read more

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

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

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