Posts related to the head and brain

ER is Open
It may be more dangerous to stay home. As an emergency physician, I pride myself on taking care of anyone, anytime,
social distancing
It’s human nature to crave freedom. But responsibility grants freedom. As I sit in my home looking out the window, I
antibiotics can be harmful
Stop using antibiotics to improve your health. I was young, naive, and trusted my physician. I had my fair share
medications are not all the same
Not all medications are created equal. Changing insurance companies due to new employment may mean you have to change your
shared decision making
How shared-decision making is changing the face of healthcare by respecting patient autonomy and empowering patients to improve their own
choosing a second opinion
Second opinions make all kinds of sense. Here’s my advice on what to do with them. Doctors are not superhuman.
fever
A growing body of research says they’re mostly beneficial — especially in young kids. “Give me a fever, and I
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
And what time teaches us about illness. Time is relative, right? That’s what Einstein proved. Time may bend and widen and
Are antibiotics necessary when you have strep throat? Here's a different way of thinking that challenges the status quo. I
Nosebleeds can be annoying, especially when they start gushing out of the blue. What seems like a runny nose ends
Flu season is coming once again. Anyone who has had the flu knows that it is a terrible experience —
Chest pain can be a serious symptom depending on its cause. But 99 out of 100 times, it is not
It’s hard to find the perfect doctor. Unfortunately, there’s no such thing. But there are certain qualities that make a
You have a right to patient privacy, but when the rules are misinterpreted, your medical care may suffer.
Have you ever wondered whether you really needed to take a baby aspirin every day. This over-the-counter medication, branded a
People in the United States are not good at talking about, or even thinking about, death. Yet, in the medical
Health insurance costs have skyrocketed in recent years. And if you’re like me, there are a number of plans to
Everyone wants to find a great doctor. As an emergency physician, I am privy to stories about doctors, both good
Physicians are masters of medical management, resuscitation, and coordination of care. But one thing they don’t know so well is
One of the most frequent questions I am asked by friends and family is about lacerations. “I cut my finger,
As an emergency physician, I often hear people say to me, "It must be crazy dealing with emergencies all of
It’s completely unfortunate, but medical science is far from perfect, though many patients expect it to be perfect. Misdiagnosis is
Tick bites can cause significant anxiety in our society. Apart from the obvious revolting nature of having a bug buried
Telemedicine is an exciting and expanding field within healthcare, offering a number of benefits for patients. The idea of telemedicine
There are a number of words within the medical field that have different meanings to doctors than they do to patients. This
Middle ear infections are common illnesses that cause significant discomfort, mostly for our children, but also in some unlucky adults.
In light of the massive outbreak of influenza we are experiencing throughout the country, many are asking what's with that
Doctors work hard to give patients the best treatments available. But patients do not always understand all of the information
There are 6 million cases of pink eye (conjunctivitis) each year in the United States, costing the nation anywhere from
As doctors and patients, we all strive to create the best doctor-patient relationship possible. There are some mutual ground rules
Medical problems can happen without warning. Sometimes you’re able to get into your regular doctor. But many times you’re stuck
Tamiflu has been the rage for many years. The CDC recommends it in a number of situations and doctors prescribe
Have you ever wondered your risk for having a heart attack, or a blood clot, or even a brain bleed
Have you ever had chest pain and wondered if it was anything serious? Were you unsure whether you needed to
Sinus infection
Sinus infections are a very common condition. Many “colds” turn into sinus infections because the mucous congestion blocks the sinuses
The Problem As parents, we’ve all been there. Maybe our child fell and hit their head, maybe they tumbled down
Background For years I have thought that the bacteria in our gut are so important to our health. In fact,
              The author has not received any compensation for the views expressed in this
Antibiotics have become a “cure-all” for many people in this country. A number of physicians freely give them out even