March for colorectal cancer awareness

Conditions and Diseases
March 9, 2015

A 75-year-old woman with progressive constipation. An 82-year-old man with unexplained anemia. A 39-year-old mother of two with intermittent blood in her stool. These are three of my patients. And sadly, they are three of nearly 150,000 Americans diagnosed with colorectal cancer every year.

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month for good reason. In the United States, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer. It is also the …

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March for colorectal cancer awareness

Bill Maher criticizes doctors: A physician responds

Physician
March 5, 2015

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A few weeks ago Bill Maher made a number of critical remarks about medicine and physicians. I sent Mr. Maher the following response in an effort to address his comments. I am sharing this with you in hopes that other physicians will also speak out in defense of our profession.

Dear Mr. Maher,

Let me start by saying that I have been a …

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Bill Maher criticizes doctors: A physician responds

IBS is no BS

Conditions and Diseases
February 14, 2015

Millions of people are diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) every year making it one of the most common gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Despite its prevalence, there remain many misconceptions about IBS among both patients and doctors. Here we review some basic concepts in hopes of demystifying this nebulous syndrome.

What is IBS?

Irritable bowel syndrome is defined by a constellation of symptoms including abdominal pain and altered bowel habits (diarrhea or constipation) …

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IBS is no BS

Say happy holidays to your GI tract

Conditions and Diseases
December 13, 2014

The holiday season is well underway. This is the time of year for celebrating with family and close friends and reflecting on what is truly important to us. It can also be a  time of significant stress, inevitable over-eating and deviation from our usual routines. Essentially, the holidays can be hazardous to your health and this is particularly true when it comes to your gastrointestinal (GI) system. So what can …

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Say happy holidays to your GI tract