Have a Heart
When the heart fails, it’s time to consider a transplant Glenn Bovard didn’t realize he’d had a heart attack six years ago. The Valparaiso, Ind., resident had been having trouble breathing while lying down at night. He was fatigued, too, but he assumed it was from working long hours as a state trooper. There may […]
What’s the Score
-A response from our editor In the Spring 2011 issue of Chicago Health, we printed a story called, “Heartful,” which discussed the best-ranked Chicagoland hospitals in the field of cardiology. And we caught a little guff from a hospital that was not included. For this particular story, we cited rankings compiled by the Illinois Hospital Report Card and […]
Worth the Risk
Cancer trials come with uncertain outcomes that can lead to innovations When patients are diagnosed with cancer, they are hit with an emotional wallop. Trying an experimental, potentially risky drug might be the last thing they want to think about. But clinical trials of new drugs represent the cutting edge in cancer care, giving patients […]
It’s Not About STDs. It’s About Fighting Cancer.
How immunizing young girls—and boys—against the human papillomavirus can save lives. Odds are you’ve contracted, are carrying, or will be infected by the human papillomavirus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted infection out there. “This is a very ancient virus,” explains Dr. Kenneth Alexander, professor of pediatrics and chief of pediatric infectious diseases at University of Chicago’s […]
Skin Cancer Weapons
Dermatologists have a useful arsenal against skin cancer Whether you’re lying out on one of Chicago’s beaches this summer, riding your bike to and from work each day or just sitting in your backyard on a beautiful sunny afternoon, think about this sobering fact: According to the American Cancer Society, melanoma, the most serious type of […]
Undercover Skin Care
Three Chicago-area dermatologists have some important tips for Chicagoans who are spending time out in the sun this summer. “I see a lot of young people lying out in the sun, and they feel [that] if they don’t burn, they don’t need sunscreen, which is a myth,” says Dr. Diana Bolotin, board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained […]
Spider Veins
Can you get spider veins from crossing your legs? Or wearing high heels? Are they genetic? Well, no, not really. But genetics and your lifestyle can be partly to blame, should they show up. Spider veins often appear on the skin as fine, web-like lines on the thighs, ankles and feet. While both women and […]
Multiple Choice
Breakthrough technologies broaden options for hip and knee replacement hopefuls It had been months since Cheryl Risicato, 56, a retired cake decorator and avid dog lover, first came to Chicago’s Northwest Community Hospital (NCH) seeking partial knee replacement surgery. Risicato, like so many other Americans, suffered from osteoarthritis, a common yet potentially excruciating joint disorder […]
Triathlon Recovery
A lifetime runner gets a second chance with a total knee replacement Fear of immobility caused William Marty to postpone knee replacement surgery until it was almost too late. A professor at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago since 1980, Marty had been an avid lifelong runner. As a college student, he attended Biola University in Los […]
The Surgery Diet
Bariatric surgery is not a permanent fix to obesity, but there are newfound benefits Weight-loss surgery can be life changing when diet and exercise fall short. The field of bariatric surgery has undergone its own transformation in recent years, with new techniques and discoveries that not only help people shed pounds, but control, and even […]
Caught In The Web
Video game and Internet addictions can damage lives It’s a sign of our wired times; it seems that we’re all being increasingly sucked into cyberspace. But when online play turns pathological, it can harm a person’s family, school, work and psychological functioning. Too much time playing video games or surfing the Internet may seem harmless […]
For the Love of Lipitor
Lipitor’s hold on the cholesterol drug market keeps you from saving money, but not much According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. In 2008, the illness accounted for nearly 25 percent of all fatalities. Perhaps it should come as no surprise, then, that one […]
Allergic Food Groups
Caring for a child with food allergies requires knowledge and avoidance of parental diagnosis Chicago mother Lourdes Craelius isn’t sure whether her 8-year-old son is lactose intolerant because she’s never had him tested. Her suspicions stem from hearing her son complain of bad stomachaches occasionally after consuming dairy products. And quite often, he refuses them […]
A Crash Course in Celiac Disease and Children
In children, the symptoms are many and varied: chronic diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, abdominal bloating, fatigue, growth problems and failure to thrive. Undiagnosed adults might have a completely different set of symptoms including iron-deficiency anemia, infertility or osteoporosis. Or the disease might be asymptomatic, but still dangerously harmful. Those varying symptoms, seemingly disparate, can all […]
The Great Debate
Opinions keep changing on when mammograms should be administered Television personality Giuliana Rancic, 37, a Chicagoan, shone light on a very important women’s health issue last winter with the announcement that she would undergo a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer. While the typical breast cancer patient is older, contradicting recommendations from professionals […]
Health Mastery
HPV and Males: Moms and Dads, Let’s Talk Before my son left for his freshman year at college, I, the single mom, pushed myself to have the talk with him. Not that talk. This talk was about HPV (human papillomavirus), and its link to the increasing number of occurrences of head and neck cancer in […]
Warning signs of video game/Internet addiction
1. Preoccupation with video games/Internet 2. Use of video games/Internet in increasing amounts of time in order to achieve satisfaction 3. Repeated, unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop video game/Internet use 4. Feelings of restlessness, moodiness, depression or irritability when attempting to cut down use of video games/Internet 5. Jeopardizing or risking loss […]
Bringing Healthcare Up to Speed
How electronic medical records are improving an outdated system Once upon a time, to find a book at the library you had to shuffle through drawers of alphabetically listed cards. To check out at the grocery store, the clerk entered every price manually. Identification wristbands at the hospital had your name written on them in pen […]
Less Touch Football
Pop Warner Limits Practice Contact for Youth Football Players Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. – the largest and oldest youth football, cheer and dance organization in the United States, based in Philadelphia – announced rule changes on June 13 that will limit the amount, and type, of contact allowed in football practice. “We’re proud to […]
A Cleaner Lake
Chicago Park District improves monitoring of Lake Michigan As Memorial Day weekend rang in this year’s swim season, the Chicago Park District (CPD) began its summer monitoring of lakefront water quality, ensuring that our city’s 26-mile stretch of Lake Michigan stays safe for swimmers. Many new bacteria-detection and -prevention measures are in place, thanks to […]
Crucial Cool
Staying hydrated and managing your body temp is necessary for Chicago summers Cheryl Carl, 33, never suspected that her tendency to overheat would land her in the hospital. A financial specialist in the nursing home industry and an otherwise healthy Chicagoan, Carl was on a Second City walking tour with her husband Ziggy when a […]
The Price of Prevention
Dr. Mark Rosenbloom is trying to keep us healthier earlier, but can we afford it? At first glance, LIFEFORCE Medical Institute eludes categorization. The Evanston-based practice provides an array of healthcare services including hormone replacement therapy, heart disease detection and a special needs division that offers holistic support to patients grappling with multiple sclerosis. Its […]
Problematic Pills
Can pharma companies fight prescription drug abuse by making pills unabusable? Is this really the answer? Our culture has become very comfortable with declaring war on things. From the war on terror to the war on trans-fats, it seems we’re always battling something into submission. So it’s surprising that the war on prescription drug abuse […]
The Waiting Game
Facing down an incurable cancer with optimism and research In late November of 2006, the pain in Bill Herlihy’s back had become unbearable. At 56, he knew he was at an age when a lot of men suffer regular back problems, but the pain he’d begun experiencing months before had escalated beyond what could be […]
Heart to Heart
A conversation about heart health with Loyola’s Dr. Binh An P. Phan Men and women are different. Should the two sexes be looking for different warning signs of heart disease? One of the biggest things to remember is that heart disease is the number one killer for both men and women. There is a lot […]
Chasing the Shortage
How Chicago’s top pharmacies are keeping up with historic drug shortages Representatives from Rush University Medical Center, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and University of Chicago Medical Center recently sat down together to devise a plan; what to do if the medicine runs out. “In the past, it wasn’t part of our daily job […]
Uncovering Concussions
How They’re Changing Our Brains and the Game It’s nearly kickoff. Families and friends nationwide gather around the television and bundle up in stadiums and bleachers. They cheer on their sons and sports heroes as they battle over the holy pigskin. Bright lights illuminate sweat-drenched and grass-stained soldiers in their armored uniforms as they crouch, white-knuckled, ready […]
Defying the Odds
Meniscal transplant breathes life into athletic hopes of 16-year-old Lake Forest resident. On a warm afternoon this past July, Chet Baker was startled by the sound of his 16-year-old daughter Kristen bounding down the stairs. That day marked just five months since she’d undergone a meniscal, or cartilage, transplant—three months too early for her to […]
The Misery of Sex
Sex after cancer brings its own kind of debilitation. Women who have faced and beaten gynecologic or breast cancer often survive with a problem rarely discussed. The surgeries and treatments have left them with concerns about their sex life, but they don’t know where to turn for help. “It is sort of a ‘don’t ask, […]
CT Scan Conundrum
Radioactive scans can save lives, but at what risk? Over the past decade, the number of computerized axial tomography scans, better known as CT or CAT scans, has increased dramatically. But their widespread use also has led to questions about their safety. “CT use has exploded,” says Dr. Daniel Appelbaum, director of nuclear medicine and […]
Fitness Tips for Winter
With personal trainer, Anthony Bonazzo Chicago’s freezing temps can make working out in winter more daunting and even dangerous. Yet it’s important to stay active and fit during the deep freeze with proper preparation. We talked to personal trainer Anthony Bonazzo and got his top four tips for winter-fitness success. Bonazzo works at the Fitness Formula Club at Chicago’s […]
A Healthy Guide for the Aging Athlete
Dr. Eric Chehab holds board certifications in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine. He works with the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute and is affiliated with the NorthShore University HealthSystem at the Evanston and Glenbrook hospitals. Unfortunately, as we age, we may find ourselves unable to do the things we enjoy as well as we used to. […]
Critical Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Back Pain
1. Should I change my daily activities or exercise routine? 2. Are there positions or activities I should avoid at work or at home? 3. What are the potential risks associated with the proposed treatment? (This is an especially good question when surgery is involved.) 4. What are the potential risks of not treating my back pain? […]
Brain Tumors: Critical Questions to Ask Your Doctor
1. What kind of tumor do I have? 2. Where is it located? 3. What are the best treatment options? 4. If surgery is recommended: Please describe the surgery. What are the risks and benefits? Will you be able to remove the entire tumor? How will the surgery affect my cognitive and motor abilities? Will I […]
Navigating Back Pain
The spine is, arguably, the most important structure in the human body. It is an extension of the brain, a pathway for the neurological signals that keep us beating, breathing and moving. It is the base of our skeleton, where our limbs and movements begin—it is our backbone. So, it’s no surprise that when something is wrong […]
Questions to Ask Your Vitreoretinal Specialist
1. Are you board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology? 2. Did you do a two-year accredited fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery? 3. Did you train in both medical and surgical retina in your fellowship? 4. What are my treatment options for the condition I have? 5. If treatment is available, what are the most common risks of the treatment […]
Critical Questions for Your Physician and Radiologist
Questions compiled with assistance from Drs. Daniel Appelbaum and Robert Edelman 1. How will this test specifically improve my care? 2. How will the findings dictate changes in my care? 3. Is there another test you can do that doesn’t use radiation? 4. What is being done to make sure that the radiation dose is […]
Age of the Machines
How the da Vinci robot is changing the face of surgery. The idea of machines conducting procedures on human beings has been a stronghold in science fiction for a while. We’ve seen the imagery countless times in books, on television and in movies. But only in the last decade has this futuristic vision become a day-to-day reality. […]
Brain Power
More noninvasive technology really getting at brain tumors The brain is the home for so much of our central being: It’s the place that houses our thoughts and emotions, stores our dearest memories and controls all of our behavior. So what happens when this home is invaded by the likes of a cancerous tumor? According […]
A New Frontier
How a molecule in the cornea could help fight blindness—and maybe cancer This is how scientific discovery begins; a question that doesn’t have an answer meets intelligent people who won’t rest until they find one. “Why is it that the cornea is clear?” Dr. Dimitri Azar, interim dean, College of Medicine professor and head of […]
A Crash Course in Yoga
Suzanne Ko started yoga as an antidote. She was taking strength training and cardio-kick boxing classes. “My muscles were always in flexion with those types of exercises,” she says. “Yoga created a counterbalance because it lengthens the muscles and undoes the tightness.” Ko, a former interior designer, eventually launched SKo-Fit that offers a holistic approach to fitness. […]
Health Mastery
Don’t underestimate the power of belief I remember drinking in the elixir of belief as a 4-year-old during the telling of Peter Pan in kindergarten. Tinker Bell was almost annihilated that day by classmate Johnny Sweeney’s half-hearted, floppy-wrist, air-between-the-fingers, don’t-believe-in-fairies clap. But my friends and I believed. We clapped powerfully and with passion. And through […]
Precious Memories
Gene studies advance medicines and profit for Alzheimer’s Denise Combs remembers the moment when she first realized her husband John might be suffering from memory loss. “He was a real estate broker for 38 years and always wore a necktie, but one Easter morning… he couldn’t knot his tie. He had done [it] all his […]
Drugging our Kids
Will drugs cure ADHD, or are we overdosing? Who isn’t familiar with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADD or ADHD)? Diagnoses increase each year. TV commercials pitch medications that can curb the symptoms. Celebrities such as Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps and Deal or No Deal host Howie Mandel have gone public with their condition. ADD […]
Snow Shoveling 101
Freshly fallen snow can seem peaceful and gorgeous. Heavier wet snow is great for building snowmen and having snowball fights. But shoveling snow can have dire consequences for our backs. Dr. Jeff Winternheimer says the leading cause of back pain is shoveling snow—an activity this city is no stranger to. – CC Here are Dr. […]
Caring for Children with Food Allergies
Renee Frixen had experience with children and food-based allergies. As a teacher of a student with a peanut allergy, she was trained to use an epinephrine autoinjector (the common brand name is EpiPen), just in case of an emergency. But nothing prepared her for taking care of her nephew, who often curled up in pain […]
Where is all the Medicine?
Rampant drug shortages demand the attention of everyone—from patients to Obama Every year, there are periods during which certain drugs are in short supply. Hospitals and pharmacies scramble to make up the difference, and patients are sometimes forced to make sacrifices. The problem is a constant in healthcare, and the causes are difficult to understand. […]
Brain Aneurysms: Questions to Ask Your Doctor
1. What are brain aneurysms? 2. Can you show me a picture or diagram of what an aneurysm looks like? 3. How are aneurysms usually diagnosed and evaluated? 4. What causes brain aneurysms? 5. Are brain aneurysms dangerous? What problems do they cause? 6. Are aneurysms common? 7. Are aneurysms inherited? Do I need to […]
New Age of Diabetes
Rare form of diabetes being treated with new approach November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and unfortunately, the need for heightened vigilance has never been greater. More than 25 million Americans have diabetes, according to the latest statistics from the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Those numbers continue to climb, and the cost of treating so many […]
Just Say Yes?
Legalizing marijuana treatments may improve care and life of sick Marijuana, pot, dope, grass, mary jane or any other synonym you know, remains illegal under federal law. However, 16 states and the District of Columbia have approved the use of medical marijuana to ease cancer pain and muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis among other […]