Traumatic News Events Can Affect Your Physical and Psychological Health
The news can be hazardous to your health. Distressing headlines about traumatic events such as school shootings, hate crimes, terrorist threats and even the contentious presidential election are so constant that it can rattle some people to their core. “Unfortunately, we’re living in a traumatic world right now and there’s no escaping it,” says Michael […]
Easy Tips for Anti-Inflammatory Eating
What do a new restaurant in River North, the anti-inflammatory diet and a Harvard-trained holistic health expert have to do with one another? True Food Kitchen, a restaurant that opened in Chicago last month, puts into place the nutritional philosophies of Andrew Weil, MD, an integrative medicine physician and wellness expert. Inflammation may be behind […]
New Recommendations for the Flu Season
Chicago’s fall weather has been unseasonably warm, but don’t be fooled. Winter is coming and, with it, the flu. Influenza is a contagious respiratory virus that can impact the nose, throat and lungs. The severity of the illness ranges from mild to severe, and in its worst cases can lead to hospitalization or even death. […]
Know Your Breast Cancer Risk and Take Steps to Reduce It
From a young age, women spend a lot of time thinking about their breasts. Among these thoughts come many worries. And though all women have breasts, their thoughts and worries are not the same. Except for one. About 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime, according to the American Cancer […]
Trending Physicians Take to Social Media
Repeated run-ins with insurance companies can infuriate David Rubin, MD. As chief of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the University of Chicago Medicine, he is invested in helping his patients with inflammatory bowel disease. So when insurance companies refuse to cover his patients’ medications, Rubin turns to an untraditional platform for physicians: Twitter. Last year, […]
Speaking Up About Prostate Cancer
Above photo: Ken Griffey Sr. Ken Griffey Sr. had reason to be worried about his prostate health. The former Cincinnati Reds baseball player, father of National Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., lost four uncles to prostate cancer. His mother continually stressed to him the importance of regular prostate screenings due to his family’s […]
Slow Eating May Help You Consume Less and Lose Weight
Slowing down can be a challenge in our fast-paced society, but when it comes to how you eat, there can be big benefits to taking your time. Eating slower and more mindfully allows you to savor the flavors of food, as well as to enjoy the moment free of distractions. It might even help you […]
High Frequency: The Connection Between Everyday Noise and Long-Term Hearing Loss
We’ve known for a long time that excessively loud noise can damage the human ear. During the 19th century, workers often lost their hearing because of the ear-splitting noises of the new machines ushered in by the Industrial Revolution. Today, you don’t have to be a factory worker to experience the dangers of deafening noises. […]
Not Drinking Enough Water? Bloated Belly and Sweet Cravings Can Result
You know that you’re supposed to drink plenty of water every day, but do you know why? Not drinking enough water can have some startling consequences, including a bloated belly, constipation, even weight gain. Maintaining the right balance of water is essential to keep the body functioning properly—especially during warm weather when you so easily […]
Brain Drain
As we age, our brains begin to decline, and problems start to arise The brain is the epicenter of our existence. It controls our thought, memory, motion and reasoning. But as our bodies age, our brains do, too. As neurons die, regions of the brain begin to shrink. Some people experience a progressive decline into […]
Beyond Chemo
Immunotherapy treatments rev up immune system to fight cancer Six years ago Henry Kawell, then 72, heard news that rerouted his life: He had a tumor growing in his right lung. His oncologist ordered the tumor removed via surgery, but there was more cancer in the lining of Kawell’s lung. He underwent two years of chemotherapy and could […]
Don’t Forget About Alzheimer’s
There’s no cure, but researchers are hoping to prevent the most common type of dementia Traffic unexpectedly slowed on Green Bay Road through Winnetka. Glenview resident Jean Buchband was running errands following a workout session across town. After what felt like an eternity of riding her brakes and getting nowhere, the problem car pulled onto […]
Could It Be Crohn’s?
Young people with the disease often go undiagnosed Imagine jolting awake from a deep sleep with a horrible pain in your stomach and running to the toilet just in time for a wave of blood and diarrhea to pass through your system … for two weeks straight. Imagine the anxiety caused by an evening out […]
Self-Paying Your Way to Better Healthcare
Even with the Affordable Care Act, millions are still uninsured, and health insurance rates continue to climb for millions more. In response, many consumers opt for high-deductible plans with lower premiums that actually cost more to use. In 2014, we saw the largest ever one-year enrollment increase in such high-deductible plans, from 18 percent to 23 […]
Dental Tourism
Getting a root canal in Mexico slashed my expenses—and I got a vacation out of it When my Chicago-area dentist told me I needed a root canal and a crown—and that the bill would be $2,430 out-of-pocket—I decided to become a dental tourist. Looking up Mexican dentists online, I found one with impressively high customer ratings whose […]
Why Memory Care Matters
Alzheimer’s care facilities support residents as well as families The story about Alzheimer’s disease, a powerful degenerative malady that shrinks brain cells, robbing its victims of their memories as well as their physical and mental abilities, isn’t about the cure—there isn’t one. It’s about the care. Alzheimer’s shrivels brain cells, making its victims lose their short-term […]
An Aspirin a Day May Keep Heart Attacks and Strokes Away
Aspirin is like the Swiss army knife of medications—it can relieve pain, fever and inflammation and can also help prevent heart attacks and strokes. Earlier this year, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended that adults aged 50 to 59 who are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (but not prone to bleeding) take a […]
Recovering from Stroke
High-intensity therapy helps patients rebound Stroke is a silent killer, striking with little warning. The fifth leading cause of death in the United States, stroke occurs when the blood flow to an area of the brain is cut off. Brain cells are then deprived of oxygen and begin to die. Today, there are more than […]
Floating Toward Mindfulness
Photo courtesy of Float Sixty Finding tranquility in a salt water tank Mindfulness. The practice of living in the moment, of acknowledging and accepting thoughts as they come in rather than judging and stressing over them. Touted by Buddhist monks and psychologists alike as one of the keys to a healthy life, mindfulness remains, for […]
Eating for Brain Health
Eating well is important for your brain, not just your body. And tops among brain food is salmon, particularly wild salmon, which stars in this recipe for Pumpkin Seed Encrusted Salmon with Blueberry Balsamic Reduction. Both salmon and pumpkin seeds boast high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential in brain tissue development and […]
Developments in Male Birth Control
Men’s choices are limited, but promise is on the horizon It’s not uncommon to see conversations on women’s birth control making headlines, but where does that leave men in the family planning equation? When it comes to innovations in male birth control, there’s a surprising dearth of procedures and products, says Donald Waller, PhD, professor […]
Changing the Culture of Aging
Resident-centered care aims to meet the needs of individuals What would you like to do today? It seems like such an easy question, and often the reply is taken for granted. But as we age, deteriorating health can affect our ability to live the life we choose. If you are no longer able to live alone, and living […]
Knee Needs
ACL and MCL injuries common in athletes Britta Alpen was playing in a soccer game for the University of Missouri at Kansas City when she tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus in her left knee. “I was trying to beat the other girl to the ball, and she hit my right foot that was in the […]
Hold Your (Charley) Horses
Has a nocturnal leg cramp jolted you awake recently? That intense knotting in your calf, commonly called a charley horse, can be your body telling you that you’re dehydrated or low on electrolytes. “Nighttime leg cramps can be brought on by low levels of potassium, calcium or magnesium, made worse by dehydration, and are more frequent in people with […]
Seeking Drug to Treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Chicago-area families are advocating for new medications for what would be the first and only treatment in the United States for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Duchenne, a genetic disorder that mostly affects boys, results in progressive muscle weakness and can lead to heart-related death before the age of 25. There is no cure for Duchenne and currently […]
Curiosity: The Brain’s Superfood
I get really excited about the brain! It is the superconductor of my world. And what I continuously learn, whether I’m studying the brilliant neurological reprogramming methods of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais or reading books by people who have recovered from major brain trauma such as Jill Bolte Taylor, PhD, My Stroke of Insight, or Clark […]
The MIND Diet
New eating approach can help your brain Your brain health is closely linked to what you eat. New research looking into diet and dementia reveals that your daily food choices can play a powerful role in preventing cognitive decline and dementia, the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Two plant-based diets have […]
Innovation in Medical Pricing
HealthEngine lets patients compare costs of procedures Healthcare accounts for 18 percent of the gross national product in the United States, a number that is more than two-and-a-half times that of most other developed nations. As Americans shoulder greater healthcare costs, they are hungry for more transparency and better price information. A local company is […]
Gaining Strength
Post-op exercises help breast cancer survivors win control When a woman is first diagnosed with breast cancer, it can feel like her body is under assault with endless procedures: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and reconstruction. Fortunately, many local medical centers have programs that emphasize regaining movement and strength after breast cancer surgery. Postoperative programs for women […]
The Funny Bone
Originally published in the Fall 2016 print edition
Brain Boosts
Nourish Your Noggin with Lifestyle Changes Your brain needs to be well fueled, exercised and nurtured to be at its healthiest. While supplements and iPhone games might promise quick boosts, lifestyle changes can have a huge impact on your brain’s health. Here are the easiest ways to keep your brain youthful and strong—no phone app purchases required. Infographic by […]
Erie Family Health Center
Innovative program trains medical residents; helps community members Luis Rivera, MD, Erie Family Health Center. Photo by James Schnept As a child growing up in South Chicago, Luis Rivera, MD, dreamed of becoming a physician and helping families in underserved communities. Today, Rivera is living that dream as a resident physician at Erie Family Health […]
ABCs of Learning Disorders
Students’ issues can be hard to detect Cheri Easterwood first noticed one of her twin daughters struggling in kindergarten. Both girls received speech therapy through their Northwest Side Chicago Public School, but it became increasingly obvious to Easterwood that one was having a harder time than the other. “At first I blew it off as different kids […]
Almost Home Kids
Facility bridges the gap between hospital and home Mary*, 9 months old, with skeletal dysplasia and chronic respiratory failure, was getting ready to be discharged from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, yet her family wasn’t quite prepared with the services and caregiver training they would need to take their daughter home. That’s where Almost Home Kids stepped in. The […]
The Doctor Is In
Ear infections were du jour in my house when I was growing up. If one of us had ear pain, my mother would pack us into the car for a trip to the doctor. After a poke and prod by our friendly family physician, we picked up amoxicillin (the wonder drug of the ’80s) and […]
Sneak in Fitness
Kick the sitting habit with exercises for body and soul Above photo: Mary Lou Cerami paddleboarding “Sitting is the new cigarette,” says Angie McDermott, certified athletic trainer and owner of Konscious Body in Kenilworth, relating a popular thought among health professionals. “I get what they mean.” Most of us think of exercise as something we […]
Your Integrative Medical Home
Programs combine traditional and complementary medicine Often, medicine seems like it operates in separate silos, especially when it comes to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Your oncologist, nutritionist and acupuncturist may all work out of different buildings. It seems that none of them interacts and consults each other about your care. In response to that separation, programs […]
Heart Monitors
Area hospitals move to noninvasive tests for cardiac disease Amit Patel, MD, seen through a CT scanner. Photo courtesy of University of Chicago Medicine. Move over stress test. The treadmill test for heart disease, though common, can be costly and time-consuming; sometimes with inaccurate results. Now, new noninvasive options for heart disease testing are […]
Seeing a Future
Advances help age-related macular degeneration Just because you can read the words on this page now doesn’t mean that will always be the case. An aging population in the United States is facing an ocular health epidemic—but many people don’t yet see the problem. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) causes vision loss in more people […]
Putting It to the Test
Navigating genetic screening before and during pregnancy Sequencing the human genome has led to new advances in genetic testing before and during pregnancy. With new, noninvasive technology, women have more choices—and more decisions—regarding their potential offspring and genetic mutations. Genetic testing became widely available with the completion of the Human Genome Project in the early 2000s. […]
Myth or Fact?
We asked leading Chicago doctors to weigh in on some common health conceptions MYTH OR FACT? Vitamin D deficiency is associated with heart disease, osteoporosis and depression. FACT. While many people know that vitamin D deficiency can be associated with decreased bone strength (osteoporosis), it can also be associated with heart disease, depression, diabetes and even […]
Rolling with the Punches
Steve Hamlin works with his personal trainer at rock Steady Boxing. Photo by James Foster Steve Hamlin’s arms weren’t swinging when he walked, and he was starting to stoop over and shuffle. “I had a lot of discomfort in my back and legs, and I was having a hard time multitasking and remembering what […]
Pure Oxygen Helps Wound Healing
Normal wounds often heal quickly on their own. However, the healing process can be more complicated in certain compromised wounds—like those in patients who have diabetes, trauma or radiation therapy for cancer. Damaged small blood vessels or capillaries can cause local tissue oxygen starvation, which stalls the body’s healing process. Fortunately, there’s a way to […]
Safe drug lowers diabetes risk in women with PCOS
The Medicine Cabinet: Ask the Harvard Experts By Howard LeWine, M.D. Q: My daughter has polycystic ovary syndrome. Her new doctor prescribed metformin. But she doesn’t have diabetes. How is metformin helpful? A: A little background on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) first. Normally the ovaries produce estrogen, progesterone and only a small amount of testosterone. […]
Sciatica often resolves with time and treatment
Mayo Clinic Q&A DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Three weeks ago I was diagnosed with sciatica. I didn’t have much pain initially, but it has been extremely painful the past few days — usually when I’m sitting. Would physical therapy be an option for treatment? I don’t like to take medications for pain. Are there other treatments […]
Five ‘bad’ foods you should be eating
Spend enough time with a friend who is a registered dietitian, and sooner or later, she’ll probably reach for the peanut-butter jar — the full-fat, natural kind. You might be shocked — after all, isn’t peanut butter high in fat? — but just because peanut butter is high in fat doesn’t meant it’s fattening. Remember […]
Effects of alcohol increase after gastric bypass surgery
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: After undergoing gastric bypass surgery last year, having a glass of wine affects me much more than it used to. Is this typical? ANSWER: Yes. In fact, the effects of alcohol are nearly doubled in people who have had gastric bypass surgery, compared with those who haven’t had the procedure. Gastric bypass […]
Can you use homeopathic products to relieve your child’s illness?
The Kid’s Doctor By Sue Hubbard, M.D. I am sitting here writing this while sucking on a honey-lemon throat lozenge and drinking hot tea, as it is certainly cough and cold season and unfortunately I woke up with a scratchy throat. I am trying to drink enough tea to drown it out. While I am […]
Cultures for Health: The Benefits of Fermented Foods
For centuries, fermented foods have played a large role in many cultures. Ancient Greeks thrived on yogurt, ancient Chinese sipped on kombucha, Eastern Europeans craft sauerkraut, Koreans make kimchi and Middle Easterners whip up labneh or yogurt cheese. Fermented foods not only last longer but also typically have robust flavors and offer nutritional benefits from […]
Can you be held responsible for your parents’ long-term-care costs?
When an older adult racks up unpaid long-term-care bills, who’s responsible for paying the debt? In a growing number of cases, adult children are being held legally responsible for their parents’ nursing-home or other care expenses. The reason: More than half of U.S. states have “filial responsibility” laws obligating adult children to financially support their […]