When Doctors are Owners, Surgery Goes Up

More and more physicians are owners in surgi-centers, imaging facilities and GI labs.  Some have labeled these ownerships as the "triple dip" because the doctor collects a professional fee as well as the facility profits and the investment value.  A study by John Hollingsworth, MD, a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar,  shows this creates a potential conflict of interest.  The study showed

Gene that Regulates Pain

I've often wondered about people's pain threshold and why some people seem to experience more pain than others.  New research reported in the Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, shows that a rare mutation in a gene (SNC9A) that encodes a protein in a type of sodium channel is associated with disorders of either excessive pain or insensitivity to pain.  Those with a rare allele that is found in about 10% of

Healthy Senior Inspiration

Thanks to KM for turning me on to this inspirational 73 year old grandmother who runs marathons, trains with weights and has a passion for helping other women reach their peak conditioning also. She started at age 56 when she realized she didn't like the way she was looking in a bathing suit. She adamantly denies using performance enhancing drugs or special supplements. She does take Vitamin D

Primary Care shortage Predicted to Worsen

The new reform law which is called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will be a huge disappointment to the millions of previously uninsured people who finally purchase insurance policies when they try to find a doctor. Primary care physicians are already in short supply and the most popular ones have closed practices or long waits for new patients. Imagine when 2014 hits and

Preterm Childbirth Caused by Physicians

Babies born between the 34th and 36th week have more complications and the cost in the U.S. is $26 billion annually. These children have more risk of death, cerebral palsy, cognitive impairment or respiratory problems. In the United States, nearly 13% of infants are born before they reach 37 weeks gestation. According the the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), that rate is much higher

The Uvula

That thing that hangs down in the back of your throat is called the Uvula. Like any tissue, it can get inflamed or infected and swell. This photo shows uvula edema. (or if you are a Brit it is called uvular oedma)This patient was hospitalized for acute pancreatitis and developed difficulty swallowing and a sore throat. He had been vomiting repeatedly and that may have been the cause of the

New York Senator Steals from Community Health Clinics

Citizens are outraged at the New York State Senate majority leader, Pedro Espada, Jr (Democrat), who has been charged with stealing more than $14 million from nonprofit health care clinics and using that money for apartments, Mercedes-Benz, meals, vacations and campaign expenses. Mr. Espada founded the organization and stacked its board with relatives and Senate employees. The foundation board

Aspirin for Migraine Headache

There are many expensive and complicated treatments for people who suffer from migraine headaches but a new literature review shows that a single dose of 1000mg aspirin is effective for more than half of all patients. Compared with placebo, aspirin reduced associated symptoms of nausea, vomiting, photophobia (lights) and phonophobia (sounds) and made severe or moderate pain into no pain after

Surgeon Removes His Own Appendix

You gotta love the British Medical Journal for their report of a surgeon in a remote area of the Antarctic who did emergency surgery on himself. Russian Leonid Ivanovich Rogozov was the only doctor on an expedition ship whose mission was to build a new Antarctic polar base island in 1961. The sea had frozen over and the 12 explorers were alone at the base when the 27 year old team doctor

Good Aspects of Heath Care Reform Bill

The large health care bill has some very good elements in it that should help the average American. One is a provision that will kick in in 2011 that says all health insurers will need to spend 85% of the premium dollar on actually providing care. This means people may actually receive benefits they pay for. What a concept! Before you worry too much about WellPoint and United Health Care,

Insurance Companies Invested in Fast Food Stocks

A new article published today in the American Journal of Public Health shows that U.S., Canadian and European insurance firms hold $1.88 billion of investments in fast food companies like Jack in the Box, McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's/Arby's Groups. Both Health Insurers and Life Insurers have substantial holdings in these companies.One just needs to read "Fast Food Nation" or watch the

Head Lice

It's the phone call every grade school parent dreads..."Come and pick Johnny up from school. He has lice". Before you scream "Ewwww" and hang your head in shame, you should know that head lice are a very common problem. In fact, only the cold is a more common communicable disease that affects school age children. The medical term for head lice is Pediculosis capitis.This tiny insect is

Announcing The Winner

The Winner of the EverythingHealth Made From Earth giveaway contest is...drumroll....Country Midwife. She had an advantage because I am partial to women who work all night bringing life into the world and she has a painful spider bite.The other entries were also good and there will be more healthy contests in the future.Congratulations, Country Midwife. Please contact me with your name and

Surprises About Emergency Room Use

If you think the overcrowding in Emergency Rooms across the country is because of uninsured, think again. A new study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine reports that of patients who are frequent users (over 4 times a year) of Emergency Departments, the uninsured represent only 15% of those frequent users. Also the frequent ED users were more likely than occasional users to have visited a

EverythingHealth Give Away Contest

There may be "no free lunch" but there is a skin serum that is all natural and good for your skin and I'm offering a free give away! I wouldn't offer this to readers if I didn't try it first and love the products. The folks over at "Made from Earth" will send the lucky winner a Rosehip Face Serum and a citrus fresh organic lip balm for free!Made from Earth is an organic, holistic and healthy

Bad Dentist

Insane!!!

Report On The State of U.S. Health

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issue an annual report on the state of health in the United States. The 33rd edition just came out and has some surprising findings, especially about the use of procedures, tests and medical technology. The life expectancy in the United States is now 77.9 years. Are you over that age? Congratulations, you beat the odds.Mortality from heart

Corporate Hall of Shame Award

With the United States undergoing the worst recession since the Great Depression and people everywhere worried about the cost of health care and how health care reform will affect them...isn't it great to know that some special corporate execs got a 51% raise in 2009? Angela Braly, the president and CEO of health insurer WellPoint, Inc, got a nice bonus that raised her salary to $13.1 million

Is Sexual Addiction Real?

Tiger Woods, Jessie James, Michael Douglas,Wilt Chamberlain (remember him?) are just a few of the celebs who admit to being plagued with "sexual addiction". With rehab centers springing up all over, it would appear this condition is on the rise. But is there really a disorder called "sexual addiction" or is it just bad behavior that finally gets caught? Is sexual addiction equivalent to

Ten Things You Didn't Know Are In the Health Care Bill

The health reform bill is 1,017 pages long but it contains a lot that will have an impact on Americans. I am one who believes we had to come into the 21st century and join with the rest of the civilized nations in beginning to provide health care to all citizens. You be the judge. Here are 10 things I bet you didn't know know are in the new Health Care Bill:Menu labeling. Restaurants with