The holidays are famously a time of celebration, and where there is celebrating, there is usually too much alcohol, too many rich foods, and not enough sleep. Here are some basic tips on not overdoing it — and how to manage when you have. Common sense rules You know the saying “Don’t go to the groce...

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire Holidays are best when they are spent having fun with friends and family — not spent in an emergency room. Yet every year that’s where thousands of people end up, due to holiday-related injuries and illnesses. Here are some tips to help keep your children safe and well...

Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling Picking a health insurance plan can be maddeningly complicated. It may seem that no matter what you do, you’re picking the wrong plan. Should you go with the one with high monthly premiums that covers just about everything and even pays for medications? Or maybe it...

The winter holidays are almost universally experienced as a time of joy, and of familial togethe ess. For many they are the highlight of the year, a time of relaxation, gift-giving, spiritual renewal, and reflection on a year of skirmishes fought on behalf of one’s family. But for people in recovery...

If you are like me, when you get the flu you head straight to the pharmacy and grab the most powerful over-the-counter medicine you can find. But is that really the best approach? After all, your condition, symptoms, and reaction to the virus may be quite different from someone else’s, so why use th...

Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling Some called it the Katie Couric effect. Soon after her husband died of colon cancer in 1998, the jou alist and television personality had a televised colonoscopy to promote the test. Rates of screening colonoscopies soared for at least a year. Or, call it the Angel...

Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling When it comes to serious health problems, you might think a game would be unlikely to help. But a recent study of people with diabetes could change your mind. Researchers publishing in the September 2017 issue of Diabetes Care describe a study in which people with ...

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire A new study tells us that 57% of today’s children will be obese by the time they are 35. And if a child is obese when they are young, chances are overwhelming that they will stay that way. Obesity is a real problem in our country, not just for adults but also for child...

Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling When it comes to heart disease, there’s lots of advice. There are heart-healthy diets and exercise programs to follow. Of course, if you smoke, you’re urged to stop. For those at highest risk or who already have heart disease, there are medications to take and moni...

A while back, I covered the updated evidence-based treatment guidelines for acute (less than four weeks) and subacute (less than twelve weeks) low back pain. I promised a post on chronic (more than twelve weeks) back pain. Well, as I write this, I am suffering from a recurrence of my own low back pa...

Patients are always elated when you can recommend an enjoyable, health-improving, recreational activity. As a runner, my favorite “prescription” while pregnant was exercise! However, more often than not, pleasurable activities are not what’s best for one’s health. But as a dermatologist who speciali...

The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association certainly grabbed the attention of us busy primary care physicians with the recent release of their updated blood pressure guidelines. These organizations had piqued interest by declaring the release date and labeling it as “highl...

Follow me on Twitter @dianewshannon My 18-year-old daughter recently moved to a university about 1,500 miles away to study theater. Tears, texts, and several care packages later, she settled in, only to develop a hamstring injury that prevented her from participating in required dance classes. In sh...

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire Stomachaches are incredibly common in children. Most of the time they are nothing serious at all. Most are just from a mild stomach bug, or some constipation, or hunger — or are a child’s way of getting out of something they don’t want to do. But a stomachache can some...

Information is knowledge, and big tech companies know how important it is to collect and track data. When it comes to your health, it is now easy to measure and track all kinds of information. In the comfort of our homes we can check our weight, blood pressure, number of steps, calories, heart rate,...

Every day, millions of people swallow fish oil capsules, many of them lured by the promise that the pills will help them cast off heart disease. In fact, the label of one popular brand includes the line, “May reduce coronary heart disease risk.” Don’t take the bait: these bold marketing claims haven...

“Take the cookies, bring them home to the kids!” Craig always insists, as he pops a few into my lunch bag. It’s a heartwarming gesture that I love about his Sarasota deli — in addition to the killer turkey on whole wheat. You may not be surprised when local businesses throw in a freebie; they often ...

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire The holidays can be hectic — and tense. Between buying presents (expensive and nerve-racking), holiday events (how many holiday concerts can there be?), entertaining (so much cooking), traveling, and family gatherings (which are not always as pleasant as we might like)...

At the end of a long workday, my husband and I will often trade texts figuring out who will pick up the kids at my mother’s, and who will deal with dinner. Thankfully, we’re equal partners in all responsibilities (except spider-killing, which is strictly Hubby’s job) and dietary preferences. We’re b...

Every once in a while, I’ll have a terrible shift in the emergency department (ED) in which I have to pronounce yet another young person dead from an opioid overdose. I typically have to call their parents, who usually express sorrow but not surprise at the horrific news, as we all know how deadly o...