Speaking Doctor

Only Have Higher Blood Pressure at Doctor’s Office? The Doctor Is Innocent »

Only have high-blood pressure when you see the doctor? This so-called “white coat” hypertension is more serious than doctors have thought—not just a patient’s response to the stress of an office visit.

You, the Patient

Did Your Mother Tell You Not to Swallow That Gum? Not to Worry If You Did »

A new book de-bunks 11 “facts” everybody has heard about health, myths which are demonstrably not true or, at least, not proven. Cold weather does not make is sick, for example.

Friends & Families

Swine Flu Q and A »

This is a link to the CDC’s comprehensive Q and A on Novel H1N:
CDC
What is novel H1N1 (swine flu)?
Novel H1N1 (referred to as “swine flu” early on) is a new influenza virus causing illness in people. This new virus was first detected in people in the United States in April 2009. Other countries, including Mexico [...]

BBC: “Experts Adamant…World Never Better Prepared for Flu Pandemic” »

BBC’s overview of pandemic preparedness world-wide. Read all about it.

Swine Flu Monitor: Add Stomach Upsets to the List »

This story by Maggie Fox also quotes a CDC expert, Terrence Tumpey, M.D.
He told Fox that mutations let the new H1N1 virus live in the small intestine — something seasonal influenza cannot do. Although still not confirmed, this difference could explain why so many swine flu patients have stomach upsets such as nausea and diarrhea. [...]

Swine Flu Monitor: Two Important Swine Flu Symptoms Which Require Medical Attention »

Here are two tell-tale symptoms of swine flu (H1N1) the World Health Organization says you should know, one for adults and the other for children.

Patient's Own Decision-Maker

JAMA: “The Next Frontier for Patient Safety Is In Plain View…” »

This one especially is for you if you are the one in your circle of family and friends who makes the decision about when to call the doctor—or even which doctor to call.

Communication Technology

It’s 2012…Where Will Your Electronic Medical Records Be? Will They Be Secure? »

In 2008, the Markle Foundation convened a group of organizations, each of which had an strong interest in how consumers could use the Internet to collect, use and protect their personal health information and patient privacy.
Today, the group has announced  a consensus statement—a broad framework of how this could work.
View the framework .  You may [...]

We don’t do recipes. This may be the first and only time we do one.
However, a chocolate chip cookie crisis calls for action in the summer of 2009.
As the food safety scientists are investigating the cause of an E.coli outbreak in Nestle refrigerated cookie dough produced in Virginia, emergency measures are called for. Kids already [...]

One new study finds that the more television very young children watch, the less likely their parents are to talk with them. The result may be in delayed or diminished language skills.
This Medpage Today story is a short, excellent review of the pros and cons of children, television and other language-related tools.
For parents of very [...]

Elders, people older than Baby Boomers, are hopping online at a great rate. Read why.

The billion-dollar question is: Why do some people in their 80s and 90s remain mental champions?

Lying to your doctor — regardless of the reason — can mean you don’t get needed care or you don’t have the kind of working relationship you want with your physician.

Google Voice will be a help for patients whose family and friends are widely dispersed. The ability to conference in farflung loved ones will make communications work more smoothly when the patient’s problem is serious.

Tara Parker-Pope, The New York Times Well columnist, reviews a new book by a leading public health expert, pediatrician and former head of the Food and Drug Administration.
He explains how food companies have figured out the perfect combination of ingredients—-no one of which could win us but which, together, are hard to resist.
He was helpless [...]