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Straight, No Chaser: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Do you spend much time typing at work? Are you a construction worker who operates a jackhammer? Do you have arthritis that affects your wrist? Do you have occasional or constant nu
Straight, No Chaser: An Overview of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses
Happy Labor Day. Many of us work in fields in which it is accurate to state “My job makes me sick!” Occupational illnesses and injuries take a massive toll on us. Whether we’
Straight, No Chaser: Dialysis
We previously discussed kidney function and failure. Today’s Straight, No Chaser focuses on dialysis: a treatment of extreme kidney failure has been performed for approximately 7
Straight, No Chaser: Kidney (Renal) Failure
We take our kidneys for granted. They are truly remarkable organs. In this Straight, No Chaser, we will review kidney function and explain kidney failure. Additional posts will add
Straight, No Chaser: How Many Calories Do You Need a Day?
Let’s put this post (at least the end of it) under the category of things you do but really don’t think about. How many calories should you take in per day to function (meaning
Straight, No Chaser: Genetically Engineered Foods (GMOs) – Frankenfoods or Public Health Innovation?
Have you ever bred an animal, say a dog? Have you ever taken a vitamin or supplement? Of course you have, so let’s start the conversation there. Imagine you live in a world with
Straight, No Chaser: The Most Frequent Causes of Death and How to Avoid Them
It is interesting and curious to hear everyone obsess over how esoteric and rare conditions can potentially kill you. Word to the wise: Common things happen commonly. I’m going
Straight, No Chaser: Penetrating Trauma (Gunshot and Stab Wounds)
Penetrating trauma (PT) is of such magnitude in this country that it is nearly impossible to do it justice in short form. This is primarily a medical blog, and as such I’ll defer
Straight, No Chaser: The Drama of Gunshot Wounds and a Nation at War with Itself
Somewhere in the midst of reconciling the parts of me that are physician, public health professional and African-American male, I realized that I don’t have the luxury to sim
Straight, No Chaser: Low Back Pain
Over 40 million Americans suffer from various forms of chronic low back pain. We must work really hard. Lower back pain is a tricky subject for an emergency physician. The lower ba
Straight, No Chaser: Alcohol Facts vs. Fiction
I’m going to put my personal spin on an old favorite because it’s Saturday, and frankly some of you drink too much. Here’s your six-pack (plus one for the road) of c
Straight, No Chaser: Bath Salts – Seen Any Zombies Lately?
You can have an idea how bad a drug is when it has more street names than is remotely necessary. Today’s Straight, No Chaser is about bath salts, which are another group of those
Straight, No Chaser: The Tortured Mind of a Genius
Thinking back to the suicide of Robin Williams brings to mind a saying I’ve had for years: “Genius lives on the other side of the fence from insanity.” This has been demonst
Straight, No Chaser: ALS (aka Lou Gehrig's Disease) – The Reason for the Ice Bucket Challenge
It is a beautiful thing to see the national craze of folks bringing attention to ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, aka “Lou Gehrig’s Disease) via the ice bucket challenge. H
Straight, No Chaser: Self-Assessment for Signs of Early Dementia or Alzheimer's
Each of us has elderly family members for whom we may be concerned about their memory or other possible signs of dementia. You don’t have to stand by powerless and let them
Straight, No Chaser: Dementia – When Brain Health Goes Bad
In case you didn’t pick up on it, the posts regarding brain health served two purposes. The first is to ensure you give yourself the best opportunity to live a healthy, happy men
Straight, No Chaser: Brain Health – Mental Gymnastics to Keep You Vibrant
I always found it odd that we assume our brain will simply perform in every way we need it to once developed. It aaseems reasonable to me that if we choose to diet and exercise in
Straight, No Chaser: The Day You Get Diagnosed With HIV
I’ve had many occasions to tell a patient they were HIV(+). Over the last 20 years of my doing so, that message has changed from a death sentence to the acknowledgement of a chro
Straight, No Chase: Brain Health – Foods and Brain Healthy Habits
We receive many inquires about keeping your brain healthy. Unfortunately too often those requests come at the point when early dementia or Alzheimer’s disease has begun to devel
Straight, No Chaser: Depression – How to Avoid It, When to Get Help
This is the third post in a series on depression and suicide. In our first post, we focused on the magnitude of clinical depression and suicide. In the second post, we provided
