Easier-to-Use Coronavirus Saliva Tests Start to Catch on
As the coronavirus pandemic broke out across the country, healthcare providers and scientists relied on the standard method for detecting respiratory viruses: sticking a long swab deep into the nose to get a sample. The obstacles to implementing such testing on a mass scale quickly became clear. Among them: Many people were wary of the […]
As Coronavirus Testing Gears Up, Specialized Swabs Running Out
The two top makers of the highly specialized swabs used to test patients for the novel coronavirus are straining to keep up with the demand, even as both the Italian and U.S. governments are working with them to increase production, including at a key manufacturing site in the midst of Italy’s outbreak. The nasopharyngeal swabs […]
Facing a Surge, Chicago-Area Hospitals Are Fighting for Coronavirus Tests
Photos courtesy of Rush University Medical Center With a fever, a cough and trouble breathing, Chicago resident Deborah Lielasus, who lives in North Center, was worried that she had COVID-19. Because she is 60 years old and immunocompromised due to autoimmune myelitis — both coronavirus risk factors — she was extra-concerned. She feared that her […]
Additional tests advisable before deciding on treatment for hypothyroidism
By Marius N. Stan, M.D., Endocrinology, Mayo Clinic DEAR MAYO CLINIC: At my last checkup, the doctor told me I have borderline hypothyroidism and gave me a prescription for medication to treat it. She said she’d check my thyroid again in six months. Will I have to take this medicine for the rest of my […]
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 […]
Chemical Deal
Chemicals in Our Products are Wreaking Havoc on Our Health By Megy Karydes Most of us blindly buy products sold in major stores, certain that they have been tested for safety. Why would we think the soap we use to bathe our kids or the products we clean our homes with might be slowly killing […]
The Pap Education
Are women demanding unnecessary tests? By Megy Karydes A cancer that starts the day after a negative Papanicolaou (Pap) test, under the new guidelines, may have three years to develop before the next Pap test detects it. An annual Pap test for a healthy, sexually active woman used to be the norm as a preventive […]
The Possibility of Fewer Football Concussions
In the ongoing battle against the potential lifelong brain damage caused by concussions from contact sports, especially football, the 2012–2013 football season is seeing many changes in the amount, and type of contact allowed in the sport. From the NFL to pee-wee, doctors, youth organizations and league officials are making efforts to not only improve […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
Smart Testing: Health Screenings for Women
Yes, yes. You know you’re overdue for your annual physical. And when was the last time you visited your dentist? Most women know that routine tests can be essential to maintaining good health, but our packed schedules and overflowing to-do lists often shove suggested medical screenings to the side. Still, a short talk with your […]
Smart Testing: Health Screenings for Men
All right, guys, let’s be honest. Where does scheduling an annual physical exam rank in its level of importance? If you’re under 40, probably somewhere between “cleaning the garage” and “not at all,” right? Not too long ago, my wife was having a follow-up visit with her new internist after recovering from surgery to remove […]
