When you see your eye doctor, they often put drops in your eyes and then they touch the surface of your eye with a little device. They are testing the pressure within the eye. This is one of the main ways they test for signs of glaucoma. The term glaucoma actually refers to a group
Health news is flooded with reports that researchers have discovered that most women have more miscarriages than live births. The reports claim there are far more miscarriages than live births with the bulk of them coming so early in the pregnancy that the woman is often not aware yet that she was pregnant. My wife’s
Ever hear of Peto’s Paradox? In 1977, statistical epidemiologist Richard Peto questioned the incidence of cancer in different animal species based upon the number of cells in the body. It was once thought that the more cells an animal has, the greater likelihood that animal has of developing cancer. But if that was true, when
Every week, we hear that researchers have inched a little closer to discovering the real causes of Alzheimer’s, all of which would hopefully help them find a way to better treat the deadly disease. Some recent reports indicate new ways to slow the progression and others are that close to finding a cause or identifying
Depending on which source you use, acid reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) between 20% and 25% of the population in the United States suffer from this condition. As the overall diet of most Americans has changed in recent years, the incidents of hospitalizations due to GERD has increased by over 210% from
Many of my patients fear developing Alzheimer’s disease, particularly if they’ve witnessed a loved one’s decline. I know this all too well. My aunt was diagnosed with late-stage Alzheimer’s in early 2016. By summer, she barely knew who we were. By the end of that year, she had lost her memory, and her ability to
And now, a conversation on health care in the age of 23andMe and Ancestry.com. An exploration of the promise and perils of genetic testing and the search for individualized medical care. MPR’s regular medical analyst Dr. Jon Hallberg moderates a discussion at the Bakken Museum with a genetic counselor and a medical doctor. Dr. Gregory
Alzheimer’s is a disease affects over 5 million Americans. It is a progressive and irreversible disease of the brain. Over time, it gradually impairs memory and thinking abilities. In time, the disease progresses to the point that even simple daily tasks become impossible and eventually, it causes death. Most people are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s from
About 27 million Americans suffer from some type of thyroid disease. The two most common forms are hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Women are 7 times more susceptible to develop thyroid problems than men. Hypothyroidism is where the thyroid doesn’t produce enough of the two key hormones that keeps your body functioning normally and hyperthyroidism is where
How many of you suffer for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)? About 12% of people in the United States have IBS. With a population of about 327 million people in the US, that means about 39.2 million Americans suffer from IBS. Numbers are not as high in many countries, but could be even higher in some.
