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Category Archives: Health Prevention
About www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com: When Can and Should I Use It?
SMA is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Any time you have a health question or concern is a good time to chat or review the information contained within. For example, l
“What should I look for as an indicator of poor mental health in children?”
Introduction Today’s questions related to mental health in children. “What should I look for in my child as an indicator of mental health issues?” Today’s quest
Straight, No Chaser: Understanding Asthma – Toothpicks and Snot (Part 1 of 2)
Asthma concerns me. I’ve had many close friends and family suffer with the disease. In fact, a very good friend died of an attack while in medical school, because he didn’t ha
From the Health Library of SterlingMedicalAdvice.com: “Is there really a way to eat what you want and still lose weight?”
In all honesty, if you are staying within the daily calorie intake range, then yes, it’s possible. That said, foods that are bad for weight loss cause your blood sugar levels to
From the Health Library of SterlingMedicalAdvice.com: "Why Is It So Hard to Lose This 'Last' 5-10 Pounds?"
It may be that your body has reached its ‘desired’ weight – its effective, genetic set point. Reaching this level is relatively less painful than getting past i
Straight, No Chaser (Unless the Chaser is Mouthwash): Halitosis
Let’s talk about bad breath (halitosis). Putting the silliness of someone’s breath odor (or in some cases, oh dear) aside for a second, the overwhelming majority causes of ba
Straight, No Chaser: How to Perform the Breast Self-Exam
Beginning in their 20s, women should be aware of the benefits and limitations of breast self-exam (BSE). Women should know how their breasts normally look and feel and report any n
Straight, No Chaser: This is How You Self-Assess For Breast Cancer, Part 1
When I started this point, my first thought was “Why reinvent the wheel? There is a massive amount of information available on the web about breast cancer.” However, as
Straight, No Chaser: The Reach of Breast Cancer and Your Risk Factors
Even as a physician, I am left to think about the horror of being a woman with a lifetime risk of acquiring breast cancer that’s 1 in 8. The only thing I can think of off-han
Straight, No Chaser: (El)even More Myths Regarding Breast Cancer
Continuing from the earlier post with additional myths, well because you have so many questions! In fact, I’m doubling up on what you received earlier in Part I of Breast C
Straight, No Chaser: Five Myths Surrounding Breast Cancer
Before I get into the details of what you need to know about breast cancer, it’s important to clear the table of some of the persistent myths and fears that exist. The diseas
Straight, No Chaser: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Breast cancer disturbs me deeply, and if it doesn’t affect you as well, you haven’t been paying attention. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in th
Straight, No Chaser: What Would You Do If Your Tongue Suddenly Swelled? Learn About Angioedema
Here at Straight, No Chaser, we want you to know how to prevent disease and injury because that’s a lot easier than the alternative. However, if and when the time comes, you
Straight, No Chaser: Five Important Questions About Contact Lenses
Question: Which is better: disposable or regular contact lenses? The development of disposable contact lenses has lessened the risk of various eye problems. This isn’t the same a
Straight, No Chaser: What Should NOT Be in Your Medicine Cabinet
Ever notice that people run straight to the medicine cabinet to do harm to themselves or others? I want you to know the harder the effort is to obtain items to hurt oneself, the le
Straight, No Chaser: Contact Dermatitis, Diaper Rash, Poison Ivy and the Like
Let’s pick up where we left off. In our discussion of eczema and psoriasis, we described the common theme of underlying inflammation manifesting in rashes of different appear
Straight, No Chaser: Syphilis Prevention, Treatment and the Tuskegee Experience
Syphilis should be a word derived from something meaning horrible. In an earlier post, we reviewed the rather horrific progression of the symptoms of syphilis. An additionally horr
Straight, No Chaser: The Most Common STD – Chlamydia
For most people, NGU isn’t a college in South Carolina. In fact, non-gonococcal urethritis isn’t really even that anymore, meaning it doesn’t need to be defined b
Straight, No Chaser: Bacterial Vaginosis – No, That's Not an STD
I try to give you straight talk but never crudely. Therefore as I wade into conditions involving the genitalia, I’ll be sure to respect various sensitivities. That doesn̵
Straight, No Chaser: The Doctor/Patient Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Talk
As an emergency physician, my first consideration is to eliminate life threats. Along the way, I cure disease and provide a ton of information. With all of these efforts, I pro
