Posted 02/09/2010
Does Music Therapy Work?
A psychiatrist's opinion
By Scott Haltzman, MD
Remember the 1989 standoff with Manuel Noriega, the deposed leader of Panama? The American military surrounded his hideout with loudspeakers and blasted rock music, day in and day out. Anyone who's seen footage of Noriega’s capture (or who has a neighbor with a high-powered hi-fi) understands that loud, unpleasant music can drive you crazy. Read More >>
Posted 02/02/2010
Milk and Crackers for Heartburn?
A gastroenterologist weighs in
By Patricia L. Raymond, MD
I am a longtime sufferer of heartburn and have tried every suggestion I have ever received. Well, nothing worked, but I found something on my own. Read More >>
Posted 01/26/2010
What to Do When You Forget What the Doctor Said
A bad case of nerves?
By James Hubbard, MD, MPH
Once I told a perfectly sane, intelligent, and otherwise coherent patient to wait in the exam room to have blood work drawn. He smiled, said thanks, and followed me out the door. I told him again he needed to come back into the room and wait to have blood drawn. He smiled, said thanks again, and walked down the hall to leave. When he opened the door to go to the reception area, I had to gently restrain him so he would actually listen to what I was telling him. Read More >>
Posted 01/18/2010
Johnson and Johnson Recall List: Tylenol, Benadryl, Motrin, Rolaids, More
Trace amounts of the chemical TBA found
By Leigh Ann Otte
Have you heard about the Johnson & Johnson recall? News came out today that they’ve expanded it. Most of the news stories don’t link to the list of recalled products, so we thought we’d post one: McNeilProductRecall.com. Read More >>
Posted 01/12/2010
Melatonin for Insomnia
Did you sleep well last night?
By Edward R. Rosick, DO, MPH
Drug cures are plentiful—and they’re also mostly short lived and sometimes a little too good to be true—but there may be an alternative. Read More >>
Posted 01/06/2010
Do Foods Treat Erectile Dysfunction?
Multiple potential causes
By James Hubbard, MD, MPH
No specific food is known to manage or correct ED, though ginseng may help some men a little. The good news, however, is that your overall diet can play a big role. Read More >>
Posted 12/24/2009
Good Stress, Bad Stress, It All Adds Up
How to cope with economic downturn, holidays
By James Hubbard, MD, MPH
If you are not stressed in these economic times, you should be—or so it seems if you pay attention to the media long enough these days. The holidays are coming up also, and here’s the thing: there’s good stress and bad stress, but your body treats it the same. It adds up quickly. Read More >>
Posted 12/10/2009
George Washington’s Health and Death
When consensus science is wrong
By James Hubbard, MD, MPH
George Washington was tough. Unbelievably tough. Everybody back then was, or they died. In his younger years, he had malaria, small pox, tuberculosis, and dysentery, to name a few. He lost all his teeth by middle age and wore various poor-fitting dentures made from ivory or different animals’ teeth, never wooden. Read More >>
Posted 12/03/2009
Good Sleep Boosts Immunity, Prevents Common Cold
Do you get enough quality sleep?
By James Hubbard, MD, MPH
The real question about one recent study may be, did these “volunteers” undergo torture as defined by the Geneva Convention? Read More >>
Posted 11/26/2009
B Vitamins Prevent Macular Degeneration
Logic fails, then succeeds for leading cause of blindness
By James Hubbard, MD, MPH
A recent JAMA study is fascinating for two reasons. It gives us hope for preventing a leading cause of blindness in the United States, but it’s also a great example of why, while the popular “association” studies give us valuable information, they never prove causation. Read More >>
