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Online Symptom Checkers

Not sure if your current health issue is worth a trip to the doctor? An online symptom checker can help you decide. My favorite online symptom checker is at www.WebMD.com — I tend to go there first with most of my health questions. However, lots of sites have similar programs that can help you decide whether or not you need a doctor. I was browsing through the one on MSN.com just the other day. Why use an online symptom checker? There are some times when you know you have a medical emergency on your hands — severe bleeding, broken bones, … Continue reading →

Swine Flu and Fear: the Doctor’s Verdict

Yesterday, I had swine flu on my mind — I’ve been running a low-grade temperature since Wednesday, and was worried that it was an indicator of something serious. I decided yesterday that if I still had a fever today (Saturday), I’d go to the local walk-in clinic. I woke up this morning still feeling that old familiar body ache and headache. A check of the digital thermometer showed that sure enough, I was still running a fever. Off to the clinic I went! There was a big sign on the door saying that if a patient was experiencing a cough … Continue reading →

The Dangers of Self-Medication

“He who self-medicates has a fool for a doctor.” Have you heard that one? There’s a real danger with home and over-the-counter remedies — do you know what they are? You may have misdiagnosed the problem. That may mean that you’re taking medication you don’t need… and the problem is still raging. You may have correctly diagnosed the problem but are taking the wrong things. Again, this is a situation where the problem might be getting worse instead of better. You may have correctly diagnosed the problem but over-the-counter remedies aren’t strong enough. At best, the problem may be holding … Continue reading →

Help Prevent Medication Mix-Ups

There are lots of medications on the market — name brand prescriptions, generic equivalents, and over-the-counter remedies. A recent study from the United States Pharmacopeia, there are more than a thousand drugs that have names that are similar to others. Similar names creates a potential for confusion — the wrong drug (with a similar name) being substituted for the right one. Look at these sound-alikes for example: Were you prescribed Actos (for type 2 diabetes) or Actonel (for osteoporosis)? Were you prescribed Celexa (for depression) or Celebrex (for arthritis)? Were you prescribed Heparin (a blood thinner) or HESpan (to thicken … Continue reading →

Location Has a Bearing on Health Care

Different regions of the world — or even of a particular country — tend to have different types of health problems and health care strengths and weaknesses. Look at the United States, for example. The Midwest and the South tend to have the highest rates of morbid obesity in the nation. The Northeast is known for female-friendly care: women get more frequent Pap smears and mammograms there than in the rest of the country. So how does location affect the care you get (and the money you spend on health care)? Studies from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center took a look at … Continue reading →