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Straight, No Chaser: Treating Your Gas and Gas Pains
So… you have problems with gas. What are you to do? Well, given that gas production is a natural occurrence, it’s not like you’re going to eliminate having gas (no pun intend
Straight, No Chaser: Eructation (Belching) and Flatus (The Other One)
Here’s one of those conversations that everyone wants to have but rarely does. Gas is a natural phenomenon. That’s a given. However, all of us probable want to and would benefi
Straight, No Chaser: Abscesses (Boils)
Whether you call them boils, pus pockets or abscesses, they hurt. Abscesses are infections that localize and collect pus beneath the skin. Although previous Straight, No Chaser pos
Straight, No Chaser: Preventing and Treating Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
At some point, you’ve got to be on board with the notion that you need to prevent some of the things that ail you. All men who have UTIs are at higher risk for having another one
Straight, No Chaser: Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
Ladies, have you ever been told that you get “bladder infections” because you didn’t wipe front to back instead of back to front? Men, have you ever been told that this could
Straight, No Chaser: Treatment of Food Poisoning
The vomiting, diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps and all around bad feelings you may get with food poisoning is extremely unpleasant. We’ve previously discussed preventative measu
Understanding Food Poisoning (Foodborne Illness)
We make a decision with everything we place into our mouths. We also exhibit a large amount of trust that the food we eat is safe. Most of the time that’s true, but unfortunately
Straight, No Chaser: Food Contamination and Protecting Yourself From Foodborne Illness
Those of you who are regular readers of Straight, No Chaser may have heard me say that everything you place in your mouth either harms or helps you. Your mouth is the direct point
Straight, No Chaser: Tetanus (Lockjaw)
If there could possibly be anything cool about tetanus, it’s that the overwhelming majority of us have never seen it and never will. At first thought, that could seem odd becaus
Straight, No Chaser: Sexual Deviances and Perversions (Paraphilias)
This is a serious conversation that I won’t sensationalize or joke about. The mental health disorders known as paraphilias (commonly referred to as sexual deviancies or perversio
Straight, No Chaser: Questions You Should Ask When You Have a Laceration
I wonder if any of us avoid lacerations over the course of our lives. It seems that everyone I know or every patient I have cared for has a scar and a story to accompany it. Fortun
Insect Bites – Clues on What Bit You
Introduction This Straight, No Chaser focuses on insect bites and offers clues as to what type insect may have stung or bit you. One of the really interesting things about being a
Straight, No Chaser: Early and Delayed Puberty
The onset of puberty is an anxious enough time without it being complicated by being early or late. You may be familiar with the changes related to puberty, but you also should kno
Straight, No Chaser: Personality Disorder Screening Quiz – Now It's Your Turn!
It’s been an interesting week of responses from you on the series of personality disorders. The most common comment was a request for an ability to test oneself. I’ll p
Straight, No Chaser: Obsessive-Compulsive, Avoidant and Dependent Personality Disorders
The final group of personality disorders we will review involves excessive fears expressed through thoughts or behaviors. They include avoidant personality disorder, dependent pers
Straight, No Chaser: Narcissistic, Histrionic, Antisocial and Borderline Personality Disorders
Again, I need to start with a disclaimer, lest all the armchair psychiatrists out there start diagnosing everyone you know. The Cluster B personality disorders are defined by drama
Straight, No Chaser: Paranoid, Schizoid and Schizotypal Personality Disorders
I’d imagine that if you’re reading this, it’s not necessarily because the topic is interesting but because you may be wondering if these are applicable to someone you know. W
Straight, No Chaser: Understanding Personality Disorders
Mental health really is taken for granted. Your ability to cope and exist within your environment is a fundamental determinant of your quality of life. Psychoses are severe, unheal
Straight, No Chaser: COPD
You already know a lot about COPD without realizing it or even having to think about it. You’ve seen patients walking around with the oxygen tanks or tubes in their noses. Howev
Straight, No Chaser: X-Ray Safety
After the question of “Can I get an x-ray,” the next most common question I get (which should be the first) regarding x-rays is “Do I need this x-ray?” The answer is not ju
