Today’s Health Issues

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A hope-filled approach to dementia

The Rev. Anne Cox Bailey will give a free Ponder Anew Seminar from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28, at Town Hall. In 2006, Bailey’s mother Arlene died of what turned out to be Frontotemporal Dementia, following one of the worst-case progressions she has ever encountered. At the hands of doctors, officials and trusted…

What you need  to know about  coronavirus testing
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What you need to know about coronavirus testing

Testing! Testing! Testing! That’s what the experts say is necessary to move the country back to normalcy. Almost daily, local TV stations in New York City where I live run public service announcements urging viewers to get a test for COVID-19. Those announcements tell how to find a testing site and most point out that…

Today’s Health Issues: Common sense health maintenance …

Number one rule is to avoid extremes: there is no need to climb to a tree dressed in a diaper and eat only nuts for the rest of your life. Neither should we neglect our bodies or plunge into dietary excesses and fight all preventive medicine. It is difficult to determine what is necessary to…

Today’s Health Issues: Dietary supplements …

It is estimated that about half of all Americans take nutritional supplements. The question is why? The Food and Drug Administration states that “unlike drugs, supplements are not intended to treat, diagnose, prevent or cure diseases.” That means that supplements should not be advertised, as is common practice, as if they would “lower blood pressure,”…

Today’s Health Issues: How to choose a hospital …

Sooner or later we are all going to need to be admitted to a hospital. Most of the time the decision is made for us by our physician. Unless you are going to be admitted for a very minor procedure (very few “minor” procedures require hospital admission), I would suggest patients should investigate all available…

Today’s Health Issues: Meningitis outbreak — Are we under regulated? …

As of Nov. 9, 419 cases of fungal meningitis and 32 deaths can be traced to a compound pharmacy in New England. Today, most medications are mass-produced. A compounding pharmacy produces medications, which are custom-made for the needs of a patient. The medications must be prescribed by a licensed physician. The compounding pharmacist follows the…