A common childhood injury after a fall is a radial fracture. Also known as a torus, greenstick, or buckle fracture, this break occurs when a child reaches out with his hand to cushion a fall. Since a child's bones are still relatively soft when compared to an adult,...
Common Symptoms of Depression
Generalizations are risky at best, but a common way of thinking, and are often applied to the symptoms of depression. A person with depression isn't always extremely tearful or outwardly suicidal. There are a vast number of other findings that can indicate the...
A Cost-Effective Alternative to Insurance-Based Medical Care
Medical insurance costs continue to skyrocket out of the reach of more and more people. Additional double-digit out-of-pocket premium increases are becoming the norm, forcing many families out of affordable health care. Those that can manage their monthly...
Screening Test for Alcohol Abuse and Drug Dependency
The CAGE questionnaire was developed in 1970 and is widely used by physicians and mental health specialists to determine whether a patient's alcohol or drug use has become problematic. Although there are many other screening tools that have been created, this...
How to Prevent Constipation
Constipation is defined as having a bowel movement less frequently than three times a week. Many people are prone to this common problem, and there are a number of things that can be done to decrease the chance of constipation developing: Drink plenty of fluids,...
What is MRSA?
MRSA, or Methicillin-resistant Staph aureus, is a bacterial infection which is becoming more frequent worldwide, largely due to the overuse of antibiotics. What makes it problematic is that many common and widely prescribed antibiotics, such as amoxicillin and...
How to Know if a Concussion is an Emergency
Impact to the head can cause a "brain bruise", or concussion. Only about 10% of people who have a concussion actually get knocked out, while most will have other symptoms which occur alone or in combination. Common complaints include headache, dizziness, confusion,...
Corneal Abrasion
I saw a patient a couple of years ago who was driving with his window down when an insect flew directly into his eye, lodging itself under his upper eyelid. He attempted to remove it by rubbing his eye and then irrigating with tap water, but he was unable to dislodge...