Conditions

Monkeypox: Should the hospitality and transportation industries worry?

Conditions
September 1, 2022

The monkeypox outbreak continues to accelerate worldwide; by some counts, the U.S. now harbors the most significant number of currently known cases. Pathways for the initial spread beyond endemic areas for this current worldwide outbreak are thus far unclear but may be at least in part related to international infected passenger travel. Now, with elevating case counts, there remains an increased risk of infected persons spreading disease …

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It’s time to address pain despite the opioid crisis

Conditions
August 31, 2022

Have you ever felt as if your doctor wasn’t really listening to you or was just rushing through your appointment? Have you ever felt as if your doctor didn’t understand the pain you were in or didn’t take it seriously?

Most health care providers are evaluated based on the experience their patients had, and their payment is often based on those patient experience scores. A major component of patient …

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We’re confusing resilience with grit

Conditions
August 30, 2022

Reading many articles on burnout, physicians are understandably frustrated with being asked to be more resilient in the face of the pandemic, staffing shortages, and oppressive systems, to name a few. Often, when wellness is eluded to, physicians are encouraged to take better care of themselves or show “resilience” when truly what’s going on is that we’re asking them to adapt to unhealthy systems and show intense perseverance without signs …

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Urging patience with patient self-advocacy

Conditions
August 26, 2022

One conundrum patients face is the dichotomy of trusting our doctors whilst deep diving in web searches and seeking additional opinions. Another is when our findings and experiences do not align with our doctors or established practices and guidelines.

How would you react in the first consultation with a new patient who presented as I did: with a radiation oncologist in Houston, outcome data on three curative attempts, a graph of …

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As we get older and the world changes, it’s not always an easy task to say “where”

Conditions
August 25, 2022

“Where does it hurt?”

As a child, I can remember this ubiquitous question being frequently asked of me. Having grown up on a farm, there was always some trouble for me to get into. A common hazard was my older sister’s 26-inch bicycle, which had no training wheels.

At age 5, if I was to be a “big kid,” I had to master the art of riding the “big” bike on our …

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Improving communication requires tough soft skill development

Conditions
August 25, 2022

If we are going to take on the challenge of improving communication and related behavior, a.k.a. “soft” skills among health care professionals, we should be realistic. As nurses, doctors, and other health care professionals, we are keenly aware of how difficult changing behavior can be. We see it daily in our patients’ efforts regarding healthy choices and lifestyles. For example, it can be hard to lose weight, exercise regularly, or …

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Withdrawing life-sustaining treatment over family objections

Conditions
August 24, 2022

“We can keep your loved one alive. but we won’t. Even though you think their life is worth living, we do not.”

The first time I helped a hospital convey this type of offensive message to a patient’s family, it deeply humbled me. My service on a hospital medical appropriateness review committee forged charitable respect for alternative viewpoints that now pervades my work to protect patient rights.

Hospital review committees adjudicate medical …

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When should you consider surgery for scoliosis?

Conditions
August 24, 2022

Most people with scoliosis will never require surgery. But who does need surgery, and how do you know?

Often diagnosed in childhood, scoliosis is characterized by an abnormal curve in the spine that can range from as small as 10 degrees to more than 100 degrees. In pediatric patients, this can result in pulmonary problems if the curve is severe.

However, pediatric patients’ complaints are mostly centered around their appearance due to …

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How hearing is connected to well-being

Conditions
August 23, 2022

As an audiologist, treating hearing loss is a part of my everyday life. Even still, I’m sometimes amazed at the difference hearing aids can make in patients’ lives. For example, recently, when an older patient with longstanding hearing loss was fitted with a pair of hearing aids, he was suddenly able to participate in conversation with his son again. The smile across his face said everything.

Hearing well can slow cognitive …

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Let’s address the needs of millions of students with sensory processing disorders

Conditions
August 22, 2022

As public and private schools around the country gear up for opening their doors to in-person learning later this month, it is important to acknowledge and accommodate the millions of children who deal with sensory processing disorders.

An estimated 5 to 16 percent of school-aged children have difficulties processing the senses either by overreacting or underreacting to sensory information. This includes not only the five senses of touch, …

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Not a cheater? Let’s count the ways.

Conditions
August 21, 2022

Sexual infidelity is the headline grabber when most people think about betrayals in love relationships. But, everyday breaches of trust slide under the radar and can erode even the strongest of relationships.

A small lie about a purchase, a slight exaggeration about a job promotion, a cover-up about a forgotten birthday—each takes a bite out of trust and is a form of cheating. Most of us are disappointed by a love …

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Computers and your hands: Dispelling common myths

Conditions
August 21, 2022

Have you heard that computer use causes carpal tunnel syndrome? In fact, there is a near-universal belief that technology gadgets can cause all sorts of hand problems. Both the lay public and most healthcare providers believe that entities such as “Blackberry thumb” and “repetitive strain injury” truly exist and that common hand problems such as flexor tendonitis and basal joint arthritis of the thumb are caused by repetitive typing or …

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How every doctor should address a patient’s pain

Conditions
August 15, 2022

From medical school to residency, I’ve worked with colleagues who don’t prescribe pain medications for their patients who truly need them. Or they are just very hesitant about doing so. Some simply don’t believe in them. Others fear the legal implications like being named to a med mal or wrongful death lawsuit. And several avoid pain meds, specifically opioids, like the plague because of possible addiction risk even when their …

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A pervasive culture of time constraints in health care

Conditions
August 14, 2022

Picture this. A patient in a hospital or rehab facility has just finished exercising with therapy. He is thirsty, and he thinks he might as well ask for a snack now because he will be hungry in 30 minutes. His therapist sets him up in his wheelchair (brakes locked), tray table with all necessities positioned in front of him, with his call bell within reach. As she approaches the door …

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Our Shakespearean love affair with BMI

Conditions
August 13, 2022

I’m standing outside the exam room, reviewing Marcus, my 16-year-old patient’s growth chart, specifically his BMI. It’s up again, and my heart sinks. I feel that all too common rush of frustration and disappointment and, “Why am I here and what is the point?”

“Am I just here to document weight gain in my patients?”

Marcus has been coming to my pediatric weight management clinic for over two years and has high …

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Breast implant illness: It’s not all in your head

Conditions
August 13, 2022

“It’s just part of getting older.”

“Welcome to being a woman.”

“I hear this all the time from women. You just need to learn to deal with it.”

“Here’s a pill. See you in six months.”

“I have run all the labs I can think of. They are all normal. There’s nothing wrong. I’m sure it’s just stress.”

“It’s probably in your head.”

“There’s nothing I can do for you.”

Every doctor visit was the same. Each …

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5 things I would never do as an allergy and immune system expert

Conditions
August 11, 2022

Jumping on the recent TikTok trend of medical professionals sharing the things they would never do given their knowledge and expertise, I am sharing the five things I would never do as a board-certified allergist-immunologist.

1. I would never rely on a Primatene mist inhaler to treat my asthma or breathing symptoms alone. Primatene mist is a controversial over-the-counter epinephrine inhaler that can be used for mild intermittent asthma. This inhaler …

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