News & Articles
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4/4/06 Supplements/Vitamins Why are they important? In this day and age, with high (though not necessarily unusual) levels of stress, in an environment of packaged foods, and production which often depletes them of nutritional value, and an industry that leads to rapid depletion of our soil resources, it is important to be looking at a good program for supplementation of your diet. |
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Article Appearing in the Valley Reporter, Feb. 9, 2006, p. 30 What is Integrative Medicine? I am newly returned to the Valley after leaving here in 1987 to discover for myself... and you... "what is Integrative Medicine?" My practice is built around this model. I would love to share my experiences with you. So let us begin... |
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome We all have days when we can hardly find the energy to drag ourselves out of bed or feel like falling asleep in our coffee cup. For most of us the explanation for our low energy lies in our hectic lifestyle. With modifications in lifestyle, many recover their energy. Yet some 500,000 Americans or 442 out of every 100,000 persons are plagued by unexplainable fatigue that fails to subside. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating condition with few medical answers. Chronic fatigue syndrome was first defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1988. Approximately 98% of the population studied was Caucasian and 85% female. Average age of onset is around 30 years of age. |
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June 3, 2003 Hospitalist-A New Medical Specialty Over the years the American system of medicine has evolved in such a way where a physician cares for patients both in an out of the hospital. American physicians continue to perform in both medical arenas. Physicians typically care for outpatients in their clinics. And if their patients require hospitalization, that same physician admits and manages them in the hospital. In Europe today, medical care is organized differently. A patient has a primary doctor who treats their ills in local clinics. If a patient becomes sick enough to be hospitalized they are referred by their outpatient doctor to the hospital and treated by the ?house doctor?. This physician manages the patients at the hospital, and once well, re-refers them back to their primary doctor. |
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Slips Trips and Broken Hips Everyone knows what it.s like to fall. Falls are a natural part of a baby learning how to walk. Falls are also a part of learning to ice skate or ski. For the young and healthy, more likely a fall results in a painful bruise or scrape. But falls can cause serious injury for many, especially the elderly. |
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"Low in cholesterol!" "Low in saturated fats!" Cholesterol is in the forefront of cardiovascular health awareness for several years and everyone seems to be on the cholesterol bandwagon. Do you know your cholesterol level? And do you understand what it is and why you should care about it? |
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Cold Virus Why is it that some of us suffer for weeks during the cold season with one cold after another while others escape unscathed with little more than a sniffle? A little information about the cold virus is spread, how it can be prevented and treated may help explain this question. |
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May 5, 2003 The Season for Sneezin' It?s wonderful to finally see the warmer weather and enjoy outdoor activities. But for nearly 26 million Americans this time of year signals the beginning of seasonal allergies. Spring is typically when seasonal allergies are at their worst as flowers blossom and trees and weeds produce new growth. These plants release allergens, the provoking substance of allergies. |
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History of Vaccines Many of us recall the seemingly endless shots we received as children. For adults as well, vaccination is part of routine health care. We trust vaccinations to protect us from illness and disease. The routine procedure of vaccination has an interesting history of medical discovery. |
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Sun Sense What Vermonter doesn?t like the sun? We seem to revel in its glory this time of year. But, before dawning that bathing suit or gardening without a hat, consider your skin?s health and the sun?s effect. |
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Tetanus Get outside! Work the garden. Mow the lawn. Trim the trees. With all these summertime activities, do you recall when you had your last tetanus shot? Why? Well living all around us in soil, dust and manure are bacteria called Clostridium tetani. Better known as tetanus, these bacteria can infect a wound and secrete a toxin that causes muscle spasm. These spasms can be severe and result in difficulty swallowing (lockjaw) and breathing, leading to death in 90% of cases. |
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The Winter Blues Every living thing responds to its environment. As the season of autumn approaches, the leaves change colors, a reaction to the subtle shortening of the days. Similarly, as the days grow shorter, animals like bears take cues to hibernate. Research has proven that humans too respond with changes in their behavior from the shorter days of winter. |
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HOLIDAY FOOD SAFETY The holidays are here and many kitchens are a flurry with food preparation. While preparations for holiday feasts are already at hand, consider some simple pointers to prevent foodbourne illness. Foodbourne illness or ?food poisoning? occurs through improper handling of foods. Bacteria are the main culprits of food poisoning. Illness occurs by ingesting food contaminated with bacteria capable of causing disease. Such a bacteria is Salmonella, often found in undercooked meat an poultry. Another way to get sick is through consuming toxins produced by bacteria. A bacteria that uses this mechanism is Staphylococcus aures. Contaminated food like cream salads that sit out too long is an ideal environment for bacteria toxin production. |
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Holiday Stress 'Tis the season to be jolly' and stressed. The holidays are one of the most stressful times of the year. Add family, work, school, and financial pressures, stress tends to affect everyone. Stress is our body's response to environmental, emotional and physical factors. Stress can be advantageous. The fight or flight response allows the body to react to avoid danger. With a stressful insult the body's adrenal gland secretes adrenalin and cortisol. In the short term, these hormones give body a burst of energy to make it through a stressful event (running away from a saber tooth tiger). But if stress is sustained, the body continues to produce these hormones, which then wreak havoc on the body. Headache, high blood pressure, irritable bowels, diabetes, insomnia, immune problems, and heart disease are some of the conditions stress may initiate or exacerbate. |
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Headaches Nearly 45 million Americans suffer from recurrent headaches. Approximately 157 million workdays are lost from debilitating headaches and over $4 billion/year is spent on over-the-counter headache remedies. Headaches rank ninth among causes of visits to medical providers. |
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Be A Quitter You've tried to quit. But somehow found yourself lighting up once again. Cigarettes contain nicotine, an addictive chemical that the body comes to crave. But you can quit. With some guidance and support you can kick the habit. |
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Arthritis We all have days where an occasional achy and stiff joint. But for many, the pain of arthritis is daily torture. Arthritis of some form affects 60 million Americans causing disability and cost Americans $150 billion a year in medical costs and lost wages. Arthritis is defined as joint inflammation. There are over 100 forms of arthritis but osteoarthritis is most common. |
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The spread of a Virus Why is it that some of us suffer for weeks during the cold season with one cold after another while others escape unscathed with little more than a sniffle? A little information about the cold virus is spread, how it can be prevented and treated may help explain this question. |
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Cold Weather Emergencies: Hypothermia and Frostbite Jack Frost nipping at your nose is not uncommon this time of year. Snowy cold weather is great for winter activities, but care needs to be taken to avoid the cold emergencies of hypothermia and frostbite. |
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The Silent Killer Hypertension is called ?The Silent Killer? because it works it damage without symptoms until it reaches a life-threatening stage. Hypertension, more commonly called high blood pressure, affects more than 50 million Americans and nearly one-half of those over the age of 65. Approximately 40% are unaware that their pressure is elevated and for the 60% who are already diagnosed only 27% are controlled. Hypertension is more common in men before age 55, but after that, the opposite is true. Blacks are affected by hypertension more than any other racial or ethnic group. |
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10 Steps To A Better Doctor?s Visit Modern medicine is comprised of state of the art diagnostic equipment, effective drugs to modify disease. Yet, a simple visit to the doctor can leave a patient feeling rushed, confused and alienated. But encouragingly, modern medicine has given the patient the ability to play an active role in their healthcare. Here are some tips on getting the most out of a doctor visit. |
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Breast Cancer Preventative medicine involves working to avoid disease states and maintaining health. By focusing on individual health risks, certain measures can be taken to screen for disease. Screening tests for diseases such as cancer must follow several guidelines. First, the disease must be undetectable or without symptoms at the time of screening. Second, the screening test should be sensitive enough to pick up the disease in its early stages. The test must also be relatively simple to perform, with little risk to the patient. And last, there must be a benefit of early disease diagnoses and treatment. |
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Colorectal Cancer Screening and Prevention March is National Colorectal Awareness Month. An estimated 400 individuals will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in Vermont and 147,500 nationally this year. Colorectal cancer is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among men and women in the United States. An estimated 6% of the population will develop colon cancer over their lifetime. |
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Prostate Cancer Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. In 2002 approximately 190,000 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed and 32,000 deaths were attributed to prostate cancer. Prostate cancer risks are not well defined, but a positive family history, African-American race, a high fat diet, and age increase the risks. In fact, age is the most common risk as 80% of prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over the age of 65. |
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New Progress in Cervical Cancer Prevention In 1943 investigator George Papanicolaou, while researching the cells of the female uterus noted cancer formation on the cells of the cervix. After this discovery the routine Pap smear was created and thus began cervical cancer screening. Before this discovery, cervical cancer was one of the top cancer killers of women. But once routine Pap smears screening began in the early 1950?s the incidence and death rate of cervical cancer has dropped by around 97%! Cervical cancer screening is the best example of how routine screening is able to prevent this once deadly disease. |
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The Cantankerous Cough Cough can be more than annoying. Everyone gets one now and then, but long-standing cough could be a cause for further investigation. A sudden, forceful, noisy expiration of air from the lungs, cough is a normal reflex that protects the lungs from injury by clearing materials from the airways. Cough is described as acute, or short term if lasting less than three weeks. An example of this is a common cold. Chronic cough lasts greater than three weeks and is caused by inflammation of the airways by inflammatory, mechanical, chemical, or thermal mechanisms. |
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06-16-2003 Plop Plop Fizz Fizz?Heartburn! Have you ever had a little too much of Aunt Sally?s spicy enchiladas and found yourself groaning from a burning pain in the middle of the chest? Commonly referred to as ?acid indigestion? or ?heartburn? this is a disease of not the heart but of the esophagus. Gerd or gastro esophageal reflux disease is an irritation of the esophagus caused by stomach acid that travels up into the esophagus. |
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08/14/03 Vitamins- necessary or nonsense? Recall the old adage "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." So what about a daily vitamin? Is popping a vitamin beneficial to our health or just a waste of money? |
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08/14/03 Inflammation The previous weekend I took part in an arduous mountain-biking event. The course was technical and treacherous with abundant mud and rocks. Thankfully, I walked away without a broken bone (my teammate was not so lucky and fractured his collarbone). We all acquired our share of cuts and bruises. |
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08/14/03 melanoma Most person?s skin is scattered with pigmented moles and freckles. These familiar pigmented spots often appear in childhood and rarely affect our health. |
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08/14/03 History of Vaccines Many of us recall the seemingly endless shots we received as children. For adults as well, vaccination is part of routine health care. We trust vaccinations to protect us from illness and disease. The routine procedure of vaccination has an interesting history of medical discovery. |
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Diabetes, A Sweet Epidemic Diabetes mellitis is a group of diseases characterized by high glucose or sugar levels in the blood. It results from either poor insulin production in the pancreas, or the ineffective action of insulin on the body. Approximately 18 million persons or 6.3% of the United States population have diabetes. Diabetes cost in the U.S. in 2002 were $132 billion dollars. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., though this is thought to be an underestimate due to the indirect deaths caused by this disease. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, end-stage kidney disease and lower extremity amputaion. |
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Atrial Fibrillation Over two million Americans have atrial fibrillation. And the risk increases with age. Nearly one in ten have atrial fibrillation by age 80. Atrial fibrillation occurs for many reasons. Heart problems, infection, stress to the heart (like extreme exercise) as well as surgery, medications, drugs, and alcohol may cause atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation can be both short term as seen in the .holiday heart. which is caused by alcohol or caffeine induced atrial fibrillation, and long term, which is more common in the older population. |
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Diabetic Complications Diabetes is a complex disease in itself. In addition, long-standing diabetes can lead to medical complications. Adult blindness, kidney failure, limb amputation as well as cardiovascular disease are the major complications common with chronic diabetes. With vigilant control, these diabetic complications can be minimized. Diabetes causes damage to the microvasculature (small vessels), macrovasculature (large vessels), and the nerves of the body. Much of the damage is slow and takes years to progress. |
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Diabetes, A Sweet Epidemic Diabetes mellitis is a group of diseases characterized by high glucose or sugar levels in the blood. It results either from poor insulin production in the pancreas, or the ineffective action of insulin on the body. Approximately 18 million persons or 6.3% of the United States population have diabetes. Diabetes cost in the U.S. in 2002 were $132 billion dollars. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., though this is thought to be an underestimate due to the indirect deaths caused by this disease. |
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Cardiovascular Disease-Prevent This Common Killer Cardiovascular Disease is the leading cause of death in the industrialized world. Diseases of the cardiovascular system include heart attack and stroke, as well as peripheral vascular disease and coronary artery disease or atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. All of these terms describe the slow damage and ultimate break down of the lining of blood vessels. Think of the blood vessels, as the roads of are body, carrying a cargo of blood. Over time, years of slow damage to vessels leads to .cracking. of the vessel wall much like asphalt cracks with wear. In an effort to repair the crack, the body over compensates its efforts. Platelets, like new asphalt, attach to fibrin, like rods, to form a clot, which then occludes the vessel. This clot, called a .thrombus. is the cause of most heart attacks. |
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Is Santa.s Rosy Cheeks Rosacea? Jolly Old St. Nicholas, or at least in popular illustrations, show a portly man with a round nose and rosy cheeks. Santa perhaps, as well as many others, share a common dermatological condition called rosacea. Rosacea is a chronic condition that causes redness of the skin, typically involving the nose cheeks, tiny veins called telangiectasias, pustules, swelling and oiliness of the skin. It is often mistaken for acne. |
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How to Lose! Well, how do you do it? How to lose the extra weight? It can be confusing. The history of weight loss fads goes back years and the schemes tried to lose those pounds are incredible. In the early 1900.s people used to eat worms in order to lose weight! Remember the fat vibrator in the 70.s that touted weight loss by vibrating the belly? Today there are fad diets galore, diet pills, some of which are dangerous, and many other schemes that promise fast and easy weight loss. Don.t believe them. Weight loss, like the weight gain, is not a quick process. Also, weight loss is not easy. Your body doesn.t like to feel hungry, and if pushed to exercise when not used to it, your body aches and fatigues. But this should not stop you. Here are some pointers to get you started on a weight loss and maintenance program. |
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Shingles If it?s not enough to develop the chickenpox as a child, the varicella virus often returns to in the form of varicella zoster or shingles. Most common after age 50, this painful blistering rash can affect anyone who has had chickenpox. About 500,000 Americans develop this disabling rash each year. |
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Flumist-an Alternative to the Shot? This season marks the initiation of Flumist- an effective, nonpainful alternative to the flu shot. But does the inconveniences and price make it an effective treatment alternative? |
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Heart Failure The heart is an amazing organ. The heart beats 2.5 billion times and pumps one million barrels of blood in a lifetime. But despite its capabilities, the heart can fail. |
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01/08/04 Air Travel Health Americans fly a lot. According to U.S. statistical abstracts, there were 612 million paying passengers last year. These travelers flew an average of 1,046 miles per trip. Whether a regular business traveler or an occasional holiday traveler, there are aspects of air travel that can affect your health. Obvious airline accidents and terrorist threats are often foremost in the minds of travelers when it come to their health, but less subtle health concerns can also threaten the health of the travelers. |
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Good Chocolate Tis the season to be jolly and enjoy all the goodies of the season including chocolate santas, fudge, chocolate cookies, chocolate cakes?????.well now research is touting health benefits of cocoa consumption. |
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03-22-2004 Therapy Dogs of Vermont We have gone to the dogs. Most folks who come to our office know that Dr. Endacott and I have our dogs with us. Our dogs are not merely for show. They will be the Valley's licensed Vermont Therapy Dogs. Did you know Vermont has had a therapy dog program for ten years? Steve Reiman began the program ten years ago. Dr. Endacott and I entered our dogs into the therapy training sessions about two months ago. We know from personal experience and scientific studies that animals can have a profound effect on a person's health. |
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02-12-2004 The Biology of Obesity What makes us fat? The biological perspective of obesity is easy.and difficult. The simple scientific explanation for obesity is that one consumes more energy than one expends, and the excess is stored as fat. But the intricacies of hunger, appetite, satiety and energy metabolism continue to be the focus of much research. The .thrifty genotype., .set point.,. and .thermogenesis., theories as well as the role of brain chemicals have been studied in hopes of clarifying the mysteries of why we get fat. |
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02-21-2004 How to Lose! Well, how to do it? How to lose the extra weight? It can be confusing. The history of weight loss fads goes back years and the schemes tried to lose those pounds are incredible. In the early 1900.s people used to eat worms in order to lose weight! Remember the fat vibrator in the 70.s that touted weight loss by vibrating the belly? Today there are fad diets galore, diet pills, some of which are dangerous, and many other schemes that promise fast and easy weight loss. Don.t believe them. Weight loss, like the weight gain, is not a quick process. Also, weight loss is not easy. Your body doesn.t like to feel hungry, and if pushed to exercise when not used to it, your body aches and fatigues. But this should not stop you. Here are some pointers to get you started on a weight loss and maintenance program. |
