Radiation therapy plays an important role in treating cancer. However, it can also produce some uncomfortable or even painful side effects on the skin, such as itchiness, redness, blistering and peeling. Without taking steps to minimize these side effects, dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) say radiation therapy can greatly impact patients’ quality… Continue reading How to Care for Your Skin during Radiation Therapy
Author: Jane Farrell
COVID-19 and Heart Health
As hospitals, health professionals and healthcare systems, governments and leaders work to reduce community spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. and protect the most vulnerable individuals, the American Heart Association (AHA) is offering further tips for heart attack and stroke survivors on preventing a second event in the midst of a pandemic. Reducing risk… Continue reading COVID-19 and Heart Health
On the Horizon: Cancer Treatments without Side Effects
Treating cancer without debilitating side effects has long been the holy grail of oncologists, and researchers at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and Switzerland’s Lausanne University Hospital may have found it. According to a UCI news release, Charles Limoli, professor of radiation oncology at UCI, and Marie-Catherine Vozenin, associate professor of radiation oncology at… Continue reading On the Horizon: Cancer Treatments without Side Effects
Germ Warfare: How to Win It
With the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic, we hear a lot about disinfecting and sanitizing. Here, from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are the basics we need to know to keep healthy., Where are germs found? Germs are a part of everyday life. Some of them… Continue reading Germ Warfare: How to Win It
How to Connect with Your Teen – despite COVID-19
Embracing the new normal of today can be daunting and stressful, especially for teens. So much has changed in their life. Many teens are feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from the world around them. So, how can parents work to reconnect and build up their relationships with tweens and teens struggling during COVID while promoting positive… Continue reading How to Connect with Your Teen – despite COVID-19
Avoiding Halloween Candy Overload
Ah, Halloween, the festival of costumes – and candy. Most people have fond childhood memories of traipsing through neighborhood streets and coming home with as much candy as they could eat, and a lot more than they should have consumed. But the holiday looks very different from a parent’s point of view. They’re concerned about… Continue reading Avoiding Halloween Candy Overload
Five Ways to Reduce Stroke Risk
Strokes don’t discriminate — they can happen to anyone, at any age. And they don’t stop because of a pandemic. About one in four people worldwide have a stroke — the world’s No. 2 killer and a leading cause of disability. But up to 80% may be prevented. That’s why the American Stroke Association (ASA),… Continue reading Five Ways to Reduce Stroke Risk
High Blood Pressure Is Out of Control in America
Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure, and about 75% of those with high blood pressure don’t have it under control. High blood pressure is the leading cause of heart attack and stroke and the most significant controllable risk factor for these conditions. It is also a contributing factor for worst outcomes for… Continue reading High Blood Pressure Is Out of Control in America
What If Your Child Wants Contact Lenses?
These days, eyeglasses can look pretty cool. Still, the day may come when your child asks you for contact lenses. According to a Consumer Update from the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are pros – and cons – to consider. The FDA regulates contact lenses and certain contact lens care products as medical… Continue reading What If Your Child Wants Contact Lenses?
Study: Telehealth Could Be Lifesaver for Hypertension Patients
People enrolled in a pharmacist-led telemonitoring program to control high blood pressure were about half as likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared to those who received routine primary care, according to new research published in Hypertension, an American Heart Association (AHA) journal. Researchers, led by study author Karen L. Margolis, M.D., M.P.H.,… Continue reading Study: Telehealth Could Be Lifesaver for Hypertension Patients
Facial Redness: 10 Possible Causes
Many things can turn our faces red, including sunburn, acne, and hot flashes. From the American Academy of Dermatology, here are 10 less obvious reasons for seeing a red face when you look in the mirror. Seborrheic dermatitis. Seborrheic dermatitis is a common skin condition that causes a red rash, which often appears on the… Continue reading Facial Redness: 10 Possible Causes
Unequal Treatment for Female Heart Attack Patients?
When the heart suddenly can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs after a heart attack, women ages 18-55 get less aggressive care in the hospital and are more likely to die prior to discharge than men the same age, according to new research in Circulation: Heart Failure, an American Heart Association (AHA) journal.… Continue reading Unequal Treatment for Female Heart Attack Patients?
How to Safely Recycle Your Cell Phone
Before recycling or donating your old cell phone, it’s important you take the proper steps to secure all personal information left on your old device. Here are five easy steps to help ensure your sensitive data doesn’t end up in the wrong hands. Back Up Your Data Depending on how long you had your old… Continue reading How to Safely Recycle Your Cell Phone
A Promising Discovery for Childhood Cancer?
Researchers have devised a new plan of attack against a group of deadly childhood brain cancers collectively called diffuse midline gliomas (DMG), including diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), thalamic glioma and spinal cord glioma. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH); Stanford University, California; and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, identified two drugs that worked… Continue reading A Promising Discovery for Childhood Cancer?
High Blood Pressure Awareness and Treatment Declining
Nearly half of adults in the U.S. live with high blood pressure, also called hypertension. It is currently defined as having a blood pressure reading of at least 130/80 mm Hg or taking blood pressure medications for the condition. High blood pressure is the main risk factor for stroke. It can also contribute to other… Continue reading High Blood Pressure Awareness and Treatment Declining
What COVID-19 May Do to The Heart, Even after Recovery
According to a news release from the American Heart Association (AHA), a growing number of studies suggest many COVID-19 survivors experience some type of heart damage, even if they didn’t have underlying heart disease and weren’t sick enough to be hospitalized. This latest twist has health care experts worried about a potential increase in heart… Continue reading What COVID-19 May Do to The Heart, Even after Recovery
Telemedicine and Your Skin Health
As coronavirus cases continue to rise, people are sheltering in place to slow its spread. However, many people still need care from a board-certified dermatologist. To keep patients safe and conserve personal protective equipment — such as masks, gowns, and gloves — many dermatologists are seeing patients virtually through telemedicine. Here’s an overview from the… Continue reading Telemedicine and Your Skin Health
Strokes Associated with COVID-19 Can Be Deadly
Acute ischemic strokes (AIS) associated with the COVID-19 virus are more severe, lead to worse functional outcomes and are associated with higher mortality, according to new international research published in Stroke, a journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association. In “Characteristics and Outcomes in Patients with COVID-19 and Acute… Continue reading Strokes Associated with COVID-19 Can Be Deadly