Healing Spices
It may be winter, but herbs can grow in flowerpots indoors year-round. Fresh herbs not only look and smell great, but their medicinal benefits can help build your body’s defenses against many viruses and diseases. “Fresh cilantro contains high levels of antioxidants which acts as a digestive aid and helps prevent urinary tract infections,” says […]
Cure to Stress Found in Canadian Waters
Last summer, my love and I canoed the Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. It was beyond exquisite. The trip was truly life-altering, though not for the reasons you might assume, like the beauty, serenity, accomplishment, the unplugged, the man vs. nature. My life changed last summer because I experienced stress that threatened to ruin […]
From Routine Surgery to Family Nightmare
By Anthony Bonazzo In June 2012, my sister, Jennifer, called me from New Jersey. She told me not to worry but that my father, John, was going to the ER. He was nauseated and short of breath. Later, after being admitted to the hospital, we learned that he had had a minor heart attack. The […]
Health Apps and Wearables: The Next Stage
By Tom Mullaney We live in a time of technology disruption. Airbnb has revolutionized the rental markets model. Uber and Lyft have impacted the taxi industry, which, depending upon how you look at it, is either a good or a bad thing. Technology is similarly poised to disrupt healthcare. Healthcare has been slower than other […]
I Don’t Want to Be Like Derrick
We want to play like our favorite sports stars, but we don’t want to be injured like them By Laura Drucker You don’t have to be a serious athlete to get a serious sports injury. Strains, sprains, tears and general pain can happen to weekend warriors and elite athletes alike. In fact, nearly two million […]
An Important Adjustment
Physicians are slowly changing views on chiropractic back care By Karen Grimaldos As an ironman athlete and personal trainer, Lori McGraw has a high tolerance for pain. But something felt wrong when she was lifting weights during a recent strenuous workout. “The pain in my back was excruciating,” she says. “I couldn’t even bend down.” […]
Above and Beyond: Rape Victim
Above photo courtesy of Rape Victim Advocates Rape Victim Advocates Supports Survivors By Megy Karydes What would you do if you found yourself in a hospital’s emergency room after being raped? Should you demand an evidence collection kit? Did you know that a nurse cannot let the evidence collection kit out of her sight or […]
Deconstructing Grief
Ways to help yourself and othersBy Katie Morell Grief is a topic difficult to discuss, but it’s universally felt. Intense grief can surface from a variety of circumstances; from the death of a loved one to the feeling of loss over disastrous current events. Symptoms Processing grief can be difficult. Some people prefer not to admit […]
If I Should Die Before I Wake
Sleep apnea can lead to far worse things than snoring By Megy Karydes It’s been two years since Barbara Wolke, 68, slept in the same bedroom as her husband. Her snoring was so loud that she could be heard throughout her two-story house. She woke herself up so often that she needed four to five naps throughout the […]
Funny Bone
Originally published in the Winter/Spring 2015 print edition
Electronic Cigarettes: Vapor and Mirrors
By Morgan Lord Electronic cigarettes have been marketed as the safer, cleaner way to smoke. However, without Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation and oversight, the long- and short-term health effects of these en vogue e-cigarettes remain unknown. In the sea of e-cigarette advocates and critics, there is one thing that everyone can agree on—e-cigarettes […]
Thyroid Cancer on the Rise
Diagnosis increasing, but many questions left unanswered By Heidi Kiec When Rebecca Smith felt a lump on her neck the Friday of Memorial Day weekend in 2013, she spent the next three days being paranoid that it was lymphoma. “When I found out I had papillary thyroid cancer, it was a relief to me,” says Smith, […]
Noninvasive Procedure Alternative to Knee Replacement Surgery
By Karen Schwartz Batavia resident and longtime osteoarthritis sufferer Barbara Ford was only 50 years old, yet she experienced knee pain so severe she had to walk with a cane. Even after she had total knee replacement in 2012 on her left knee to help soothe the pain, she had to turn down much-cherished shopping […]
The Blue Man Group Goes for a Hit with Autism-Friendly Show
By Nancy Maes When some of the staff members of Blue Man Group read a newspaper article about a special performance of the Broadway production of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, adapted for people with autism, they decided they wanted to do an autism-friendly version of their wild-and-crazy show that is performed by three mischievous […]
Getting Ready for Marathon Health
With the Chicago Marathon just two days away, the approximately 45,000 participants are as likely ready for the 26-mile run as they’ll ever be. But even the most prepared runner risks injury. Chicago Health spoke with Lowell Weil, Sr., MD, of the Weil Foot and Ankle Institute about the top five injuries that runners—marathoners or […]
Institute of Women Today Maintains 40-Year Focus on Social Health
Photo courtesy of the Institute of Women Today By Megy Karydes When the Institute of Women Today (IWT) started in Chicago 40 years ago by Sister Margaret Traxler and a group of interfaith women, the goal was to advocate on women’s issues. The eclectic group, consisting of women from all walks of life—from attorneys and […]
Decoding the Drugstore Aisle
By Megy Karydes The drugstore aisle can be a confusing place to visit on days that you’re feeling well, let alone when you’re feeling ill. How does one know when to choose Tylenol over Aleve? Or Advil? And do we need to take a multivitamin daily and if so, which one? Chicago Health spoke with […]
Impersonation Is Not Always a Form of Flattery
Hospitals upgrade their defenses as medical identity theft continues to rise By Nancy Maes According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), about nine million Americans have their identities stolen every year. Medical identity theft, a fast-growing part of that fraud, creates a variety of problems. A clever thief may use a victim’s name and his […]
FDA’s Notice on Morcellation Stirs Up Fears and Not Enough Questions
By Ruth Kaufman Last December, a Boston anesthesiologist and her husband, a surgeon, launched a campaign to end the use of a popular surgical technique used during hysterectomies and myomectomies. They say that the technique, known as laparoscopic power morcellation, caused her undetected cancer to spread dangerously fast throughout her body. In response, the U.S. […]
Chicago Bears Tackle Skin Cancer
By David Himmel The Chicago Bears have teamed up with the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) to help protect fans from the dangers of skin cancer by offering free skin cancer screenings at the team’s Meijer Family Fest at Soldier Field on Saturday, August 2, from 3 – 7 p.m. The screenings are part of […]
Game On
The jury’s still out as to whether online brain training works the mind or just the wallet By Donna Shryer Online brain-training games promise to make the mind smarter, quicker and stronger. While some studies show cognition gains from brain exercises, others aren’t as supportive, saying that the cognition gains don’t transfer to areas beyond simply […]
How Hysterectomies Happen
The rate of hysterectomies in this country has led to innovative procedures By Ruth Kaufman Hysterectomies are happening quite often. Their frequency and the desire for so many of these women to recover quickly has caused a wave of innovative procedures to emerge. DuPage Medical Group’s Donald Adeli, MD, obstetrician and gynecologist, says the need for […]
Gird Up for Good Health
While men in their 30s and 40s need not worry much about disease, they must make healthy changes now By Leigh Page Generally, men in their 30s and 40s experience enormous changes in lifestyle that can impact their body and their health. It’s a time of greater accountability: getting married, having kids and landing a […]
PRP: A Promising Panacea or a Premature Procedure?
Can a patient’s own platelet-enhanced blood augment traditional orthopedic procedures and reduce post-surgical healing time? The soreness in Brent Jurceka’s shoulder was not only causing him terrible pain but getting in the way of his pitching at his college baseball games. That’s when he contacted Rush University Medical Center orthopedic surgeon Brian Cole, MD, to schedule […]
Alternative Approaches
Integrative medicine gains foothold, providing hope for chronic disease So much of modern medicine comes down to a pill for an ill—treating disease by using drugs, surgery or other interventions. But more people are starting to look beyond that, finding alternative treatments to either replace or complement conventional treatment. Integrative medicine or functional medicine doctors […]
Skin Cancer: A Cautionary Tale
Diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, everything is called into question By David Himmel You wouldn’t have known it by looking at me—and it was barely visible in photos—but back in March, my face was being eaten alive by cancer. I’m not sure how long the cancer had been making a meal of me, or even […]
Demystifying Doctor and Hospital Ratings
When looking at online doctor ratings sites, consider the source By Leigh Page With thousands of doctors and more than 100 hospitals in the Chicago area, it can get pretty tricky to choose the best physician for your needs. Healthcare consumers are increasingly turning to online rating sites, but those options are just as dizzying, […]
Bedside Manner Matters
Hospitals recognize that patient care is more than medicine By Eric Warner In May 2013, I headed to St. Louis to visit my mom. But instead of going to the house where I grew up, I visited her in the cardiac intensive care unit of Mercy Hospital St. Louis. After a concerning echocardiogram, she had […]
Funding the Cancer War
Despite the money spent on fighting the disease, we’re still searching for the cure to win by Alex Lubischer Bad news first: Cancer is still here, despite the hundreds of billions of dollars the United States government and its citizens have spent fighting it. And it’s not going away any time soon. The good news, […]
The V–Y Island Advancement Flap Reconstruction
• The V–Y island flap is named because of the type of incisions made. First, an incision is made in the shape of a V near the wound. (Fig. 1a) The tissue is moved into place to fill the wound. (Fig. 2a) That V is then extended from the bottom so it looks more like […]
Mohs Procedure
Illustrations by Ron Guastaferri [spacer=’3′] • The site of the cancer is prepared and numbed with local anesthetic. The superficial part that appears to be cancerous, based on color, texture and other factors that distinguish it from the surrounding skin, is removed with a sharp scalpel. (Fig. 1) This piece is marked to determine which […]
The Zeitgeist of Love and Lust
How Viagra has affected our culture of relationships By John Taylor Above photo by Ellie Pritts It’s another bone-chilling wintry Monday night in Chicago’s infamous Viagra Triangle district, but record-breaking temperatures have done little to sway the faithful from their favorite watering holes on Rush Street. This nightlife hotspot, notorious for its glitzy cocktail bars, […]
Brightness on the Spectrum
While autism’s numbers rise, new treatments provide hope By Tom Mullaney Photo above courtesy of CARD, Inc. Cases of autism are rising precipitously; more children have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than ever before, recognized in part due to an increase in earlier diagnosis. While the numbers are daunting, programs in the Chicago area are showing […]
Surrogate Success
For same-sex couples, surrogacy offers a chance to build a family By Rhonda Alexander Advances in technology have made it possible for same-sex couples to realize their dream of building their families in much the same way as heterosexual couples—with their own genetic material. Increasingly, the option they choose is surrogacy. Gestational surrogacy—using the egg or […]
High Performers
Tech-savvy devices help with health and fitness By Megy Karydes Above photo courtesy of Athos Technology has the power to transform and even save lives. The latest health and fitness devices use state-of-the-art technology to help you get healthier faster than ever before, providing detailed data to fuel your efforts. Here are three pieces you’ll […]
Get Cooking
Cooking classes focus on healthy, seasonal cuisine Our food-loving town is filled with a myriad of eating opportunities with a host of restaurants, bistros and gourmet food markets, and an increasing interest in sustainable, farm-to-table cuisine. However, the desire to seek out eco-friendly, locally grown eats doesn’t stop at restaurants. Chicagoans are turning to local cooking […]
Finding Support
Patient advocates assist with navigating healthcare complexities With the increasingly complex world of healthcare, it’s easy for patients to get entangled in the red tape, frustrations and runarounds that are so often part of sorting out medical care. Enter patient advocates, who are enlisted to help patients conquer their complicated health and financial challenges. Though […]
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The Prevention Column
Save Your Life by Going to Sleep By Anthony Bonazzo On average, we sleep a third of our lives. This is a significant amount of time to spend with our eyes closed. But it is not time wasted. Research shows that if you sleep less than a steady six to eight hours in a 24-hour […]
Health Mastery
Living in the Is: One Family’s Journey with Autism I know an amazing woman. She—without all the coaching and spiritual work that I have done—embodies and lives all that I have been taught and now passionately pass on to others. And she has lived these ideas while traveling through, what she calls, the nightmare of […]
Doctor’s Orders
Chronic Pain Should Not Necessitate Chronic Drug Use By Dr. Gena Vennikandam Aches and pains are a part of life. They are the most common reasons why patients visit their doctors and perhaps the most frustrating, because many patients leave without a definitive cure to end the chronic suffering. This can be the impetus to […]
Adults with Autism and Brain Injuries
Image courtesy of The Julie + Michael Tracy Family Foundation [spacer style=”3″] When faced with medical or developmental challenges, it helps to have aid from resources that offer support. And when those resources don’t exist, motivated parents create them. That’s the case with these two Chicago-based nonprofits. By Megy Karydes The Julie + Michael Tracy […]
Listen To Your Heart
What to know about your risks of an attack and what to do when having one By Mary Lorenz Last October, Jeff Espina was playing volleyball when he started to feel symptoms of what he thought was heartburn. Then, on his way home, he noticed his arms and limbs were starting to feel weak. “For a second, I thought, ‘Something’s going on,’” Espina […]
Silver Palate
Retirement communities dishing up creative meals for senior ‘foodies’ By Nancy Maes Pictured above: Octopus at The Clare. Photo by Chef Hagop Hagopian Not too long ago, the stereotypical meal in a retirement home might have included nondescript meat, vegetables from a can and bright-colored Jell-O offered in a dreary setting. But as the culinary […]
Staying A Step Ahead
Flimsy flip-flops may present a summer health hazard After a long, cold winter, Chicagoans relish every minute of the summer months—especially after this last winter. We hit the streets in stylish, warm-weather gear, riding bikes to the beach and hoofing it through street fests. But, depending on the type of shoe you are wearing, you […]
Grill Healthier this Summer
By Morgan Lord It’s early summer, which means that grilling season has reached its peak (June and July, according to the National Fire Protection Agency). This year, before putting your Kiss the Cook apron on, check out these tips from Karen Collins, nutrition adviser to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), and grill healthier. Beat […]
June is Scleroderma Awareness Month. Do You Know What That Is?
By Kate Silver In 2005, Stephanie Somers’ mom was diagnosed with a disease she’d never heard of: scleroderma. The disease is an autoimmune disorder, which can involve the thickening and tightening of skin, and it can also impact internal organs. Somers’ mother had been experiencing shortness of breath and visited a number of doctors seeking […]
Chicago-Based Website Helps Individuals Buy Health Insurance
By Leigh Page GoHealth is a Chicago-based website that people can access if they can’t get group coverage through their employer. It bills itself as the easiest way to purchase health insurance on the individual market. Navigating the individual market can be confusing. There are dozens of different policies offered in the Chicago area by […]
Is Juicing a Healthy Way to Detox and Lose Weight?
By Megy Karydes The appeal was strong. A three-day juice cleanse was half off on Groupon, and it promised to detoxify the body and bloodstream as well as bolster the immune system to help fight off sickness. Chicagoan Victoria Kent, who wanted to jump-start a healthier routine, thought the juice cleanse, combined with an elevated […]
A Golfing Lesson from Illinois Bone and Joint Institute
By Nancy Maes Back in March, Tiger Woods announced that he was withdrawing from the Arnold Palmer Invitational because he was still experiencing pain from back spasms. Gary Shapiro, MD, spine specialist with Illinois Bone and Joint Institute who is not involved in Woods’ medical treatment, says that back spasms are common in golf professionals […]