Breathing your way out of stress: the simple solution to a growing epidemic

Conditions
February 15, 2023

Stress is ubiquitous, and Americans are struggling to deal with it effectively. The tag #mentalhealth on TikTok has amassed 65.5 billion views and counting.

Still not sure about that?

Answer this question quickly:  What do you do when you’re hungry? Many would respond that they eat; it’s a straightforward answer to a common experience.

But what if you tweak the question with one word: What do you do when you’re stressed? This, …

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The fall of the patient-doctor bond: How corporate medicine is changing health care

Physician
February 15, 2023

Fifty years ago, medical graduates’ licensing required membership in the AMA, the state, and the local county societies known as organized medicine (OM). Physicians, through their OM, wrote the rules and guidelines of the practice of medicine, controlled the hospitals through their medical staff organizations, and jointly approved what health insurance covered with the insurance carriers.

In the last 40 years, gradual changes in our country have affected our patients and …

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Navigating the new norm: a physician’s perspective on caring for sick patients in the age of COVID

Physician
February 15, 2023

I have three adult daughters, all college graduates. All are in long-term relationships with men, children, dogs, and careers. I am “Dad” and will always be Dad. I additionally happen to be a physician who cares for adult patients. If they are ill or have a medical problem, their first phone call is to my cell phone. If it’s not a phone call, it’s a text message. I do not …

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Lessons from a civil rights icon: How to lift as we climb

Physician
February 15, 2023

Mary Eliza Church Terrell famously wrote, “And so, lifting as we climb, onward and upward we go, struggling and striving, and hoping that the buds and blossoms of our desires will burst into glorious fruition ‘ere long.”

Lift as we climb.

Terrell lived her life by this motto, as an organizer in the women’s suffrage and civil rights movements, and as a founder of the National Association of Colored Women and the …

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Navigating institutional betrayal in health care [PODCAST]

Podcast
February 14, 2023
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes!

In this episode, we’re joined by Susan MacLellan-Tobert, a pediatric cardiologist, to discuss the issue of institutional betrayal in health care. The pandemic has put a strain on health care systems and workers, leading to a term …

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A dentist’s journey to improving oral health for special needs patients

Conditions
February 14, 2023

When I was a dental student, a 5-year-old child with special needs started coming to the clinic for dental care. I remember him as inquisitive but lacking the ability to focus or respond correctly to some verbal prompts. He would sit quietly in his mom’s lap on the dental chair, but when we approached him holding any instruments—including a toothbrush—he would fight so much that once he even vomited. Three …

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6 tips to make a lasting impact in the medical field

Physician
February 14, 2023

We were best friends and classmates in elementary school until the Persian revolution hit in 1979. We both escaped Iran with our families, emigrated to Los Angeles, and have been friends ever since. Our experiences early in life provided us with the life lessons needed to find success, and we hope that by sharing our lessons, we can help impact the next generation. Below are some tips we wanted to …

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Hug it out: the power of oxytocin on Valentine’s Day

Physician
February 14, 2023

Valentine’s Day marks the most romantic day of the year. For this Hallmark holiday, this country displays our love for each other by spending approximately $25 billion on cards, roses, chocolates, and dinners. Why so much? WTF!

Like one’s dating status on Facebook, the origin of Valentine’s Day is “complicated.” Formal messages or valentines appeared as printed cards in the late 1700s. Today, Hallmark sells about 145 million cards at an …

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Proposing solutions to end bias in the medical residency selection process

Education
February 14, 2023

Getting into medical school is arguably the largest barrier to entry into the physician profession, but it is not the only one. Previously, I covered who gets to succeed in medical school and who gets to graduate. In this article, I look at who gets to be a resident.

After completing medical school, the next step for a graduate is residency—the post-graduate training that every new physician goes through to practice in …

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How can a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease help patients and their families? [PODCAST]

Podcast
February 13, 2023
YouTube video

This article is sponsored by the Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning, an independently owned and operated full-service medical education company that has been developing certified health care education for nearly twenty years.

With a special thanks to …

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Breaking the stigma: Why doctors are afraid to seek mental health treatment

Physician
February 13, 2023

We are over 25 years apart in our careers. One of us began her medical career in a time before the internet and email. The other is a digital native. Remarkably, though, our experiences have been very similar in one respect. We have spoken with colleagues who decided to avoid seeking care for their mental health concerns. Why? Due to fears that this type of medical care might adversely impact …

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Holding my Black son tight: a mother’s reflection

Physician
February 13, 2023

In the wake of Tyre Nichols’s murder, I find myself wanting to hold onto my Black son a little tighter.

He is 7.

Young enough to still be deemed cute by some, but old enough to not be given as much grace for simply “being a kid” by others.

Sometimes I spoil him a bit more than I’d like to.

It’s only really because even though I know technically he’s a kid until age …

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Unlocking the potential of occupational therapists: a solution to undertreated hand conditions

Physician
February 13, 2023

Hand disorders and injuries often result in significant functional deficits if not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. Unfortunately, in Canada, hands are often undertreated or treated too late, with potentially serious consequences for both the patient and society due to prolonged disability.

Hand conditions are complex and require specialized knowledge to diagnose and treat correctly. Unfortunately, primary care physicians rarely have the training or expertise to accurately diagnose and …

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Finding the right balance: Fleishman is in Trouble takes on parenting in the 21st century

Physician
February 13, 2023

For those who haven’t yet seen Hulu’s dramatic series Fleishman Is in Trouble, it’s really about the different forms of existential crises people face in middle age. The show contemplates the challenges of maintaining a marriage, parenting in the digital age, job dissatisfaction, and suburban listlessness, and how a responsible adult might reconcile these dilemmas and chart a new course forward.  It manages to explore these weighty themes with earnestness …

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Addressing health disparities to improve patient safety

Physician
February 13, 2023

A guest column by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

Health disparities affecting minority and vulnerable populations are increasingly well-recognized after the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Across a large number of quality metrics, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s latest National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report found that Blacks, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, …

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Beyond the physical: How hand injuries affect identity and expression [PODCAST]

Podcast
February 12, 2023
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes!

In this episode, we’re joined by Peter T. Hetzler, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, to discuss the importance of the hand in human identity and expression. In the U.S. private sector, hand injuries were the second most …

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Gaslighting and dismissal: the consequences of invalidating patients’ concerns

Physician
February 12, 2023

Social media has really exposed the trauma caused by gaslighting, dismissal, and misogyny by medical professionals. Chronic illness groups are rife with posts recounting the poor treatment they suffered at the hands of doctors. Imagine presenting with extreme fatigue, intermittent balance problems, and tingling in your hands and, after a cursory exam, being told your symptoms are due to stress and to lose weight. Two years later, you are diagnosed …

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A look into the safety of children products following baby formula recalls

Conditions
February 12, 2023

We previously reported about the national baby formula shortage that began in February 2022 and lasted for several months, affecting countless infants, parents, and caregivers and intensifying distress amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, these supply chain disruptions were largely exacerbated by the novel coronavirus for numerous industries, including the food and infant care sectors, thereby further compounding the already precarious situation. As a result, these industry-wide shortages …

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