To Detox or Not to Detox
The trend to cleanse through detoxification diets may not be worth following By Megy Karydes Our bodies have a built-in detoxifying system, and yet, many people use detoxing diets as a way to cleanse their bodies, lose weight and gain energy. Leah Woock, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, says […]
MERS: What Is It and What It Means for the U.S.
By Carroll Cole Earlier this month, an unfamiliar virus with a name fit for a Hollywood screenplay about a disease-driven apocalypse landed on American shores. The virus, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS first appeared in Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2012. Since then, it has infected more than 500 people and spread to […]
Teen Dating Violence Victims Suffer Long-Term Health Effects
“They grab you, touch your butt and try to, like, touch you in the front, and run away, but it’s OK, I mean… I never think it’s a big thing because they do it to everyone.” This is how Patricia, 13, refers to boys in her school. During an interview for a study on sexual […]
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Makes First Appearance Stateside
The following is an official statement from Community Hospital in Munster, Indiana. Today, May 2, 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) conducted a joint press briefing to announce the first confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the United States. As […]
Chicago Ranks at the Top of the Nation’s Worst Readmissions Rates
By David Himmel In most businesses, a strong and frequent returning-customer base is a sure sign of long-standing success. But hospitals aren’t like most businesses. A hospital wants as few returning customers—or readmissions—as possible. Unfortunately, according to Medicare’s latest report on hospital readmissions rates, Chicago sits at the top of the heap, with 19 hospitals […]
National Infant Immunization Week Special Report
Photo courtesy of Chicago Department of Public Health [spacer style=”3″] The Measles Outbreak: Why It’s Back and What to Do By Carroll Cole When we think of measles, we think of our grandparents and horrific stories of a past before modern medicine. The scary truth is that it’s still around and it’s highly contagious. It’s […]
When Good Food Gets a Bad Rap
By Megy Karydes We’ve been led to believe some foods are bad for our health because of what they contain: dairy, carbs or caffeine. Rene Ficek, registered dietitian and lead nutrition Expert at Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating, dispels the myths commonly associated with six foods that often get a bad rap. Eggs: In the early […]
Combating Childhood Obesity Through Food
Waistlines are expanding in the United States at every age. For the younger generation, it’s particularly alarming, as recent findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 17 percent of American children and adolescents are obese—and that’s triple the rate from one generation ago. More body fat in children equates to a […]
Eating Disorder Therapy
By Nancy Maes Entertainment news has recently chronicled the re-appearance of pop singer Ke$ha after she spent time in rehab for an eating disorder at Timberline Knolls in Lemont, a suburb southwest of Chicago. They’ve quoted her tweet “Feeling healthy & am working on tons of new music,” pointing out that she has now replaced […]
The Environmental Link to Autism and Intellectual Disability
By Tom Mullaney In the largest environmental study of its kind, scientists from the University of Chicago have found a geographic link between the incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). The seven-member research team, led by Andrey Rzhetsky, MD, at University of Chicago Medicine, analyzed more than 100 million U.S. medical […]
Recipes for Living Healthy with Diabetes: Just a Click Away
For those living with diabetes—a metabolic disease in which the body is unable to produce any or enough insulin and causes blood glucose (sugar) levels to rise higher than normal—a constant watch over what they eat is mandatory. A quick online search for diabetes control and prevention recipes results in more than 43 million links. […]
Awareness Related to Colorectal Cancer Helps Reduce the Number of Deaths
By David Himmel March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and here’s what you need to know: Colorectal cancer is tricky. Complicated, really. For starters, it’s really two cancers. Colorectal cancer is the combined term used to reference colon cancer and rectal cancer, but there are many similarities in risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. The […]
Northwestern and Cadence Announce Intent to Merger
Officials at Cadence Health and Northwestern Memorial HealthCare (NMHC) are in talks to form “an integrated academic healthcare delivery system,” according to an announcement made yesterday. No details are available yet as to when the specific discussions will begin. It is anticipated that, upon merger, the new health system will operate as Northwestern Medicine with […]
The Second City Training Center Gives Doses of Laughter to Autism
Photo above: The Second City Training Center Artistic Director Matt Hovde When Nick Johne, who teaches improv at the Second City Training Center (SCTC) and DePaul University, was exploring therapies for his 6-year-old daughter with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), he discovered one thing that troubled him: There were no programs in which youngsters could laugh […]
The Rare Disease that Killed a Comedic Legend
Photo by Justin Hoch [spacer style=”3″] By Rhonda Alexander Many knew Harold Ramis, but few know what killed him. The celebrated Hollywood filmmaker and Chicagoan passed away Monday at the age of 69. The cause of death was from complications related to a condition known as autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, a disease that Ramis suffered from […]
Cold Weather Exercise Alternatives
Mediterranean Diet Lowers Heart Disease
By Megy Karydes Linda Quirk was busy chopping up six pounds of mushrooms for a soup she was preparing for Souper Saturday—an annual gathering where she and about a dozen friends spend the day catching up on life and swapping soups in the process. “I love fresh vegetables,” says the 59-year-old Skokie resident, who was […]
Putting Vitamins to the Test
Recent studies dismiss vitamin supplements’ worthiness, but experts find the data bloated with generalities By Donna Shryer With an emphatic whack that left the global $23.4 billion supplement industry reeling, the December 2013 journal Annals of Internal Medicine issued an editorial declaring “Enough Is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements.” The editorial was in response […]
Commit to Getting Fat: A Resolution Reboot
By Anthony Bonazzo We’re into the second month of the New Year, and if your 2014 resolution to committing to the gym isn’t in full swing, it’s certainly fading away. But, it’s not too late for a resolution reboot. And here’s what I want you to do: Commit to getting fat. I’m not talking about […]
Obesity
The Little Known Truth About Being BIG By Alex Lubischer America’s obesity epidemic boils down to this: We do not move our bodies enough, and we eat too much food. Genetics can play a key factor, but at the macro level, the exponential spike in obesity over the past 100 years is far too rapid […]
Knot Now!
It’s time to seek professional help if anxiety turns your nerves into a tangled mess By Donna Shryer When studies said that red wine—in moderation—reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, we toasted the news. When research divulged that moderate exercise is just as beneficial as vigorous activity, we jumped for joy. The same sweet […]
Heads Up
While concussions are prevalent in contact sports, millions of nonathletes incur dangerous concussions, too By Eve Becker The images are jarring: A football player thrown to the ground and lying motionless; an ice-hockey player slammed into a wall; two youth soccer players colliding midfield. While previously dismissed, now athletes and coaches realize that these blows […]
Managing Sports-Related Concussions
Tom Waddle, wide receiver for the Chicago Bears from 1989 to 1994, has suffered his share of concussions in what he calls an “occupational hazard.” “I look back in time, and I am amazed that we didn’t know more—not just the athletes, but the medical community,” Waddle says. “I played the fourth quarter of a […]
Health Mastery
Prescription: A Dose of Compassion By Kathleen Aharoni Recently, Louis Weiss, publisher of this magazine, sent me a YouTube video from the Cleveland Clinic, entitled Empathy: The Human Connection to Patient Care. This emotional video begins with the following quote from Henry David Thoreau: “Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look […]
Doctor’s Orders
Shattering the Stigma of Depression By Dr. Gena Vennikandam Since the mid-20th century, when cognitive psychotherapy was being introduced, depression has been talked about in hushed tones in small circles. Sadly today, depression can still be seen as the elephant in the room, a condition that is not getting the light it deserves and is gravely […]
The Prevention Column
Getting Started When You Think It’s Too Late By Anthony Bonazzo A lot of Americans have an all-or-nothing mentality, especially when it comes to fitness. Think of fitness like golf; it requires a daily commitment, and it’s never too late to pick up the game. If you’re currently living with health concerns related to being overweight or […]
Scientific Snacking
The good, the bad, and the delicious Americans love to snack, but snacking on the right foods is the hinge of good or bad health. According to a study conducted by the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina, the number of snacking occasions per day and calories in snacks has increased substantially over […]
Health Tech
5 Smartphone Apps to Help You Eat Better and Exercise More By Megy Karydes In this issue, we continue our look into the personal technology that is changing the ways we manage our health. We all know the drill to becoming healthier overall: Eat better and exercise more. Easier said than done when the biggest hurdle is getting […]
What Your Body Is Telling You In Your 30s and 40s
By Morgan Lord When we women leave our 20s and enter our 30s and 40s, we finally peak—comfortable in our skin, we exude confidence. But although our minds, like whiskey and leather boots, become better with age, our bodies are working in reverse—bone mass declines, our metabolism slows, and we’re more susceptible to a slew […]
The Testosterone Effect
Testosterone is linked to men’s overall health, but levels decline with age and are lower in each new generation. Could male hormone replacement therapy provide the solution? By Patrick Kenney Testosterone is manliness and virility; muscles and hairy chests. It’s also crucial to many other aspects of a man’s life. Falling testosterone levels can leave […]
Being Cared For
Above photo: Daniel Johnson, MD, Comer Children’s Hospital at The University of Chicago Medicine Chicago boasts several nationally leading pediatric hospitals thanks to a holistic approach to healing By Rhonda Alexander Everyone needs healthcare, and for children—especially those with acute or chronic illnesses—reliable, quality holistic healthcare can mean the difference between simply managing […]
Questionable Screenings
Timing is everything in avoiding unnecessary risks that can come with cancer screenings By Nancy Maes Screenings for cancer are filled with a haunting question: what if they find something? People might be so fearful of the disease that they cling to the notion that no news is good news. But statistics from screenings should […]
Critical Questions: What to Ask Your Doctor During a Consultation
By Eve Becker Even if a doctor is in a rush, patients have the right to make sure that their questions are answered. The National Patient Safety Foundation’s “Ask Me 3” program encourages patients to ask basic questions about their care including: 1. What is my main problem? Make sure you understand the diagnosis and […]
Health Literacy
Simplifying patient communication can lead to better health outcomes By Eve Becker When patients leave the doctor’s office, the control of their care is largely in their own hands. They are responsible for taking their medication and implementing the doctor’s instructions on their own, at home. But if patients don’t adequately understand those instructions, they are […]
The Evolution of Cataract Surgery
Simple and effective, removing a cataract is the sensible and first step to better sight By Terri Yablonsky Stat Gone are the days of wearing thick Coke-bottle glasses following cataract surgery. Today’s modern cataract removal procedures not only remove the cataract, but they can correct the faulty vision underneath at the same time. A cataract is a clouded lens of the […]
Acupuncture: Getting to the Point of It
There are some amazing treatments when the Western and Eastern hemispheres treat illnesses together By Maryann Pisano Photos by James Foster Patricia Piant, MSTOM, Dipl.OM., L.Ac., is a licensed, board-certified acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist at NorthShore University HealthSystem. She treats patients for pain every day; all types of pain for people from all walks of […]
Repeat After Me: “Do Not Repeat”
Carpal tunnel syndrome is not just the plague of the typistBy Karen Schwartz You’re writing an e-mail, aware of a constant tingling in your wrist as you type. Or maybe you’re a musician jamming with some buddies, and you notice that there’s some numbness in your hand and wrist as you strum your guitar. It […]
Indie Docs Versus the Networks
The pros and cons of hospital groups and independent physicians comes down to groups of independent patients By Tom Mullaney Roughly 30 years ago, choosing a doctor was fairly simple. It was either the family doctor, one recommended by a friend or the physician closest to home. Today, it seems that patients now confront a […]
Critical Questions: What to Ask When Choosing Medical Care
Choosing a primary care physician is critical to your health and wellness. It can be difficult when the marketplace is full of transformations like it is today. Asking your co-workers, friends and neighbors about their doctors and healthcare choices is a start, but there are many things that the smart consumer needs to think about. […]
Long-Term Care Insurance
Why you should start considering it now By Morgan Lord The fact is, you’re getting older every day. And as long as that keeps happening, you’re going to live longer. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 70 percent of people turning 65 years old can expect to use some form […]
Above and Beyond: Nutrition
By Megy Karydes Obesity affects approximately 17 percent of children aged 2 to 19 years, and the figure has nearly tripled since 1980. There are many possible reasons why this figure continues to grow including societal changes that promote inactivity and food consumption. One study published in The New England Journal of Medicine suggests that […]
News In Brief: Winter Safety Tips
• Wear layers. It is better to wear multiple thin layers rather than fewer thick layers. Layers help indoors, too. • Minimize your time outside but when you need to be outdoors, say to walk the dog, bundle up with a long winter coat, gloves, a hat and a scarf. Use the scarf to […]
Welcome Home Mono
Students returning home for winter break could be carrying the kissing disease By Maryann Pisano With the holidays right around the corner, both parents and college students are awaiting a long winter break. But, unfortunately for some, students return home with more than the battle scars of a first semester and a duffle bag full […]
Swap This For That: Healthier Eating
By Megy Karydes “There are many ways to kick-start healthy eating,” says Kim Gracen, executive chef, Heartland Café in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood. Hint: It doesn’t start with the food we eat. “When we think of nourishment, most will correlate that to nutrition,” says Gracen. “However, we humans eat for many reasons, only one of […]
When Things Get Steamy
Can Vagina Steams Aid in Vaginal and Uterine Health? By Megy Karydes Spread your legs wide, she instructed. I obliged, feeling ridiculous as I sat naked on a stool with a circular hole and a salon-style gown wrapped over me like a tent from my neck to the ground. A large, pot of boiling water […]
The Benefits of Kegels
Is there really one exercise that can prevent pelvic floor disorders? By Emily O’Brien Kegel exercises. Popular for potentially being advantageous for women who have difficulty reaching orgasm. They’re discreet enough to perform anywhere. But there’s more to it than that. The simple clench-and-release exercise, named after its gynecologist inventor, Arnold Kegel, can bolster the […]
The Prevention Column
Fitness Tips for the Traveler By Anthony Bonazzo Just because you are traveling, doesn’t mean that your fitness routine needs to go out the window. The old adage that “failing to plan is planning to fail” will ring true but can easily be avoided with minimal effort. First, call ahead. If you’re staying at a […]
Navigating the airwaves of traveling with breast milk and prescriptions
By Megy Karydes “Breast milk doesn’t taste very pleasant!” exclaims Adam Sommer, a travel writer based in St. Louis, Mo. OK, but why was Sommer drinking breast milk in the first place? While traveling with his wife and baby, security personnel at an Italian airport insisted that he swallow—not just taste—some of his wife’s breast milk […]
Scaredy Kids
The trick to mastering a kid’s fear makes for a real treat By David Himmel One of my life’s crowning achievements came when I was 8 years old. It was Halloween, and I won my second-grade class’ Scariest Costume award. At the time, Teen Wolf was my favorite movie, so that’s what I chose as […]
The Spooky Truth
Limiting some candies and brushing more often helps reduce risk of post-Halloween cavities By Donna Shryer “Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble.” Shakespeare’s three witches hissed this incantation to mess with Macbeth, but come Halloween, it becomes the cavity goblin’s chilling jinx. As nougat centers and licorice whips replace eye of […]