Misdiagnosed
Patients turn to doctors for answers, but what happens when the answer is wrong? When Jessica Gray was 16, numbness and loss of feeling in her arm landed her in her pediatrician’s office. Perplexed, the pediatrician referred her to Lurie Children’s Hospital for testing. Gray went in multiple times for imaging and blood work. On […]
Life After Death
Some answers only reveal themselves after a person dies. For those paying attention, the information can change perspectives and save lives. Pick any afternoon in the Illinois Medical District — home to multiple major medical centers — and quiet isn’t the first word that comes to mind. Traffic-logged highways encircle the area, and ambulance sirens wail […]
Meaningful Movements
Trauma-informed yoga creates space for physical healing When a person experiences trauma — gun violence, abuse, or military combat, for example — the body holds onto those memories in tissues, muscles, and physiology. Even as the person mentally tries to work past the experience, physical reactions that helped them through the traumatic experience may persist. […]
Nutritional Surplus
Can you overdo the supplements? America’s dietary supplement industry is big business, with an estimated 85,000 products in the marketplace. But believe it or not, most people don’t need them. “For most healthy individuals, supplements are not a necessity,” says Emily Smith, MD, a Chicago-based endocrinologist and obesity medicine physician at Form Health, an online […]
Medical Essentials
5 health tools to keep in the house First, it was a new thermometer, with a battery and display. Later, a blood pressure cuff showed up. I noticed a pulse oximeter on the nightstand once the pandemic started, and recently I saw an ad for a blood sugar monitor that implied that everyone should have one, […]
Feeling Flexible
Flexitarian diets let people prioritize plant-based options — without totally saying bye to meat You’ve probably heard that eating less meat will protect your health and the health of the planet. But does that mean you can never have a steak again? Not so fast. A flexitarian eating style offers a perfect middle ground for people […]
Eating Disorder Surge
How Covid-19 created a wave of eating disorders among America’s youth From age 12 to 25, Mackenzie Carmichael felt controlled by the food she both ate and didn’t eat. At 24, after denying her eating disorder (ED) for years, she hit her version of rock bottom and went through inpatient treatment after her friends held […]
Navigating Epilepsy
In the wake of mysterious symptoms, Renato Tosoc searches for answers and a treatment protocol that works for him For 42-year-old Renato Tosoc, the mystery began in fall of 2019, when he moved from Chicago to the Philippines for a one-year work assignment to help set up a new call center for JP Morgan. His […]
Pins and Needles
5 common causes of peripheral neuropathy At 7 weeks old, Angel Mason’s doctor diagnosed her with type 1 diabetes. Twenty years later, she developed diabetic neuropathy. It’s the most common form of peripheral neuropathy — a degenerative nerve disease that causes numbness, pain, and disability. Some 20 million Americans — most over age 50 — […]
Take Heart
How your legs’ health affects your heart — and vice versa Count to 40. In the time it took you to do that, someone in the U.S. had a heart attack. It happens every 40 seconds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And while most people recognize arm pain as a common […]
How to Keep a Symptom Diary for the Most Accurate Diagnosis
When you’re dealing with an illness you can’t figure out or if you visit multiple doctors, a symptom diary is a useful way to track and convey what you’re experiencing. But it can be difficult to know what exactly to include — especially if you aren’t already working with a doctor whose specialty relates to […]
How To Avoid Self-Diagnosis
In an ideal world, if you notice something wrong with your body, you could immediately get a medical appointment — and answers — with no fear about the unknown. Strange or unexpected symptoms always carry a level of worry, though, and doctors are often booked months out. So where do we often turn while waiting […]
Healthcare Power of Attorney: An overlooked college essential
When teens turn 18, they’re legally classified as adults. But with nearly half a million 18-year-olds starting college this year, guardians should talk to their teen about establishing a power of attorney (POA) to protect their teen in case of medical emergency. “A power of attorney document can avoid doubt, and give certainty and comfort that […]
Have You Heard?
Adults who believe they have mild or moderate hearing loss can now buy over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids without seeing a hearing care provider, as of October 2022. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule is timely for an aging population: About 30 million people in the U.S. have hearing loss, but only 20% use […]
Ask the Doc
Your embarrassing questions answered! By Harold Boutté Jr., MD Q: I’m having some, um, issues with, uh, pooping. Is what I’m experiencing normal? How do I talk to my doctor about it? A: Strong-smelling farts and accidents during the night while sleeping are the most common bowel issues people are embarrassed to talk about. Without question, not […]
Never Not Hunting for a Diagnosis
My two boys are perfect. They are void of the trappings of time: wrinkles, scars, clogged pores, hunched shoulders, bulbus knuckles, squinty eyes when trying to read. But wait…what’s that? Where did that bruise come from? Oh, no…it’s leukemia, right? What’s that cough? It’s RSV. Why is my 4-month-old smiling and laughing so much? There […]
Seeing Clearly
How a routine vision check can save your life Jackie Memije assumed she was just stressed out, so she ignored her symptoms. The whooshing in the ears, the bad headaches, the back pain, and the visual flares that looked like lightning. Memije, a project billing specialist based in Round Lake Beach, figured anxiety from the […]
New Health Laws
Bodily Autonomy Ordinance This new Chicago law prohibits city departments and agencies from participating in investigations or proceedings related to reproductive and gender-affirming care by another jurisdiction. In other words, if an anti-abortion state comes around seeking information about a citizen who may have received care in Chicago, the inquirer won’t be able to access […]
Finding the Pain
How orthopedic specialists go beyond imaging to diagnose and treat pre-arthritic knee pain Sofía Stutz went bouldering for the first time in September of this year, when she suffered an injury that left her reeling with pain. After Stutz, 22, climbed an indoor rock wall to the top and started slipping, she did what many climbers do: […]
Invisible Ailments
Hormone disorders can be tricky to diagnose, but often the root cause is something else With a mix of concerning symptoms, a 54-year-old Grayslake woman visited her endocrinologist. Heart palpitations, severe headaches, panic attacks — she wanted answers. George Thott, MD, endocrinologist at Northwest Community Healthcare, part of NorthShore University HealthSystem, screened the woman for adrenal […]
Teens & Opioids
Conversation starters and strategies to guide young people toward treatment If opioids hijack your teenager, keeping them safe while they use can be the buoy that saves them. Telling a teen in the throes of an opioid addiction to just stop or say no won’t work once cravings, withdrawal, and other elements of addiction have […]
The Art of Practicing Yourself
I couldn’t believe that my editor deleted the phrase “practice yourself” from my last column. She said readers wouldn’t understand the concept. I balked, then remembered that in 2009 when I offered a course called The Art of Practicing You, I received no responses. Nada! Zippo! So I ask: Do you know what it means to […]
Private Practice Physicians Disappearing
The American Medical Association (AMA) last year noted that most patient care physicians now work outside of physician-owned medical practices. This marked the first time physicians in private practices dropped below 50%. The AMA study cited contributing factors to the shift, including practice closures and job changes. Marco Fernandez, MD, founding member of the Association […]
Primary Care at Home is on the Rise
Advances in portable medical technology, care reimbursement models, and changing consumer preferences are bringing more healthcare into the home. Modern house calls provide care to medically complex people or those who have trouble getting to a doctors office. And the Chicago Department of Public Health offers a form of home healthcare with Covid-19 and flu vaccine […]
Planet Diet
How plant-based meals benefit people and planet March is National Nutrition Month, and this year’s theme — Fuel for the Future — focuses on using food to nourish not only ourselves but the planet. The key: Opting for plant-based meals and snacks, which can make a difference in managing and preventing chronic diseases — all […]
Healthcare Surrogates
Turning 18? Graduating high school? Make sure your medical affairs are in order with a healthcare power of attorney. Like every mom, I want my children to be safe and healthy. But as I packed up my oldest to attend college more than 2,000 miles away this past fall, I realized I was losing control […]
Medical School Reflections
From dream to disillusion, writer Hana Ahmed navigates the first year of medical school. To make it through medical school, being a doctor nearly must be your calling. For me, I thought it was. I crack jokes with my parents, reminding them that they got lucky: They never had to abide by the Asian immigrant […]
Op-Ed: Preventing Cervical Cancer
How HPV vaccination decreases cervical cancer risk. Chicago Health is committed to publishing a diversity of opinions. The opinions expressed in this op-ed article are the author’s own. Studies predict it may be possible to eliminate cervical cancer by 2120, primarily by implementing health strategies focused on high rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for children […]
Our Top 10 Stories of 2022
Happy 2023! We’re celebrating by taking a look back at our top 10 most-read stories of the past year. Covid-19 no longer tops the list (or fills it completely, as it did in 2020), but a couple of our top stories this year did deal with Covid-19, specifically the virus’s long-term impacts. Stories on disease […]
Emergency Ready
Prep your first-aid kit, keep yourself safe, and respond to emergencies and accidents Make a resolution to brush up on first-aid skills. Even if you’ve taken a course before, refreshing your skills or reviewing what you learned will ensure you respond effectively to an accident or emergency situation. “The American Red Cross recommends that people […]
Beyond Bullets
Can changing the way we medically treat gunshot wounds stem gun violence? If you watch local news in Chicago, you can’t escape stories about the city’s gun violence. But the stories don’t often go beyond the shootings themselves — and neither do most medical treatments. As of early December 2022, gun violence has killed 583 […]
Traditional Foods
Trailblazing chef Jessica Walks First is reclaiming healthy Native American culinary traditions Jessica Walks First was feeling tired one day in early November — exhausted actually, but inspired to be doing work she felt called to do. November is Native American Heritage Month, and Walks First, a Menominee chef, had been in high demand. As […]
Fresh Access
Englewood’s Go Green Fresh Market reimagines food security and prioritizes community engagement At the corner of South Racine and 63rd Streets, just down the street from a boarded-up CTA green line station, Go Green Community Fresh Market has changed what it means to be a convenience store. Fresh Market replaces traditional convenience store items, such […]
Maxed Out
When shopping becomes an addiction Do you spend a lot of time thinking about shopping? Do you hide purchases from loved ones? Compulsively buy and then return items you never use? Do you continue to accumulate consumer debt from your shopping habits? If so, you may have a shopping addiction. About 20 million Americans have […]
I Took My Daughter to an Amusement Park. Then a Shooting Happened
This story originally ran on Healthline in September. Cathy Cassata is a writer for Chicago Health and Healthline. Going to Six Flags Great America amusement park in Gurnee, Illinois, has been a part of my life since I was a kid. My sister and I had season passes throughout our teen years in the ’90s and now […]
Teaching Hospitals
Chicago area hospitals take steps to increase patients’ overall health through health literacy Greg Banks had one month in which he walked less and ate more cookies than he intended. And he knew Zaundra Boyd would have a conversation with him at their monthly check in about doing better. “I slacked off, I have to […]
Health Literacy
Roughly half of American adults read below a sixth grade level. Yet, most health information — educational pamphlets, discharge instructions, medication details — is written at a 12th-grade level. This gap leaves room for misunderstandings and mistakes for patients, which can lead to poor health outcomes and increased medical costs. At the broader public level, […]
From the Frontlines
We asked nine area healthcare professionals to answer… What is the most important thing about healthcare that you wish more people were aware of? “That we care for them.” —Frances Terry, LPN, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center Patients need to recognize that public health is really, really important. We can’t only think about our own individual […]
Healthcare Guides
Health literacy nonprofits highlight crucial need for patient advocacy The U.S. healthcare system is daunting, and often people have to navigate it when they’re feeling their worst. Patients need to understand what their doctors tell them and to ask questions if they want more information. But they’re not always capable of doing this — and […]
Reason to Smile
Chicago-area dentist travels to rural Mexico to care for patients At a make-shift dental clinic in Mexico’s Southern Sierra Madre Mountains, adults and children sat in portable wooden and plastic chairs, their heads tilted back and mouths open wide. While an assistant shined a flashlight into patients’ mouths, James Orbon, DDS, worked primarily on extractions. […]
Denying Depression
Expanding mental health literacy in the Black community It’s an understatement to say that coming to grips with my mental health has been an uphill battle. For years, I trained myself to suppress my mental illness to cope with these unwanted feelings. Professional help never crossed my mind. Black people don’t go to therapy, I’d […]
Breaking Barriers
Interpreters and community health workers build healthcare connections A confused, non-English speaking patient arrived for chemotherapy at a local community hospital one afternoon. She wanted to know why she always felt worse after treatment. Perplexed, the woman’s care team called an on-staff interpreter to help both sides understand what was happening. The interpreter deduced that […]
Heading Home
Planning for hospital discharge Hospital discharge — the process when a patient heads home after a hospitalization or procedure — brings a sense of relief for some, a moment to celebrate for others, and a time fraught with problems and worry for many. No two discharge experiences are alike, due to so many moving parts, […]
Take Charge of Your Numbers
Your blood contains secrets about your overall health. It can indicate whether you’re at risk for heart disease, show that your kidneys aren’t functioning correctly, or reveal that you are developing diabetes. That’s why annual exams typically include a blood draw. In fact, blood work ranks among the most common diagnostic methods. Looking at lab […]
Records Request
How to access your medical records Your medical records are a gold mine of information about your health. They contain details about your doctor appointments, tests, medications, hospital visits, surgeries, and more. The question of who owns those records is a little hazy. Federal law hasn’t decided, and ownership laws vary by state. In Illinois, […]
A Simple Test for Fentanyl
Even in tiny amounts, the synthetic opioid fentanyl can be deadly. Dealers cut it into everything from heroin and cocaine to counterfeit versions of Xanax and Adderall, in attempts to stretch quantities and increase potency. In fact, four out of every 10 fentanyl-laced pills contain a potentially lethal dose, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement […]
New Health Laws
Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act – HB3739 This law upgrades Illinois’ outdated water infrastructure and protects human and environmental health. Illinois’ high percentage of lead service lines — an estimated 1 in 6 — contaminate drinking water. Lead, a heavy metal and neurotoxin, causes brain damage in children and heart disease and kidney […]
Chronic Migraines — Better with Botox?
Pounding, debilitating, chronic migraines may qualify for an unexpected treatment: Botox. Merle Diamond, MD, director of the Diamond Headache Clinic, has used Botox for more than 10 years to treat patients’ migraines. She considers the drug safe, easy, and affordable — decreasing the number of headaches people experience by more than half. Private insurance and Medicare […]
Creating Jobs, Smoothies, and Community
Misericordia, a care community in Chicago’s West Ridge neighborhood, opened the Hearts & Flour Bakery and Café in April 2022, hoping to foster independence for its residents through jobs. The cafe employs 12 of Misericordia’s 600 residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities who live within the 34-acre campus and 14 surrounding homes. In the spacious, […]
Virtual Reality Transforms Occupational Therapy
Imagine an occupational therapy session next to a beautiful lake or in an art studio. When Michael Swayne goes to therapy at OSF Rehabilitation in Peoria, he might catch virtual fish or create an imaginary masterpiece. With a virtual reality (VR) technology called REAL y-Series, launched in 2022, occupational therapist Anne Horowitz helps Swayne improve […]
