Pets and peanuts! The scoop about allergies (VIDEOS)
By yasmapaz from Puerto Rico, via Wikimedia Commons
I like dogs. And I like peanuts. But like many of you, I also have allergies. Many of us have a love-hate situation with dogs, cats, peanuts, pollen, dust, mold, trees, flowers . . .
Take a look at this puppy. Seriously, I can’t even stand the cuteness.
John B. Sweet, MD
So this past week on the Healthy Matters radio broadcast, I coerced my medical school classmate, Dr. John Sweet, into joining me in the studio. I’ve known John for years since we actually sat together in lecture back in med school. He listened to the professor. I just talked in class. Real surprise, there.
Anyway, John became a terrific allergist. So this week after the show, we decided to record a series of short videos in which John gives us a few nuggets of solid medical info about allergies. This post features two of those videos – one about pet allergies and the other about peanut allergies. (Spoiler alert: no one gets rid of their pet and yes you CAN give your little ones peanuts to help prevent allergies).
Not much reading on this post . . . you get to watch videos! We’re all about multimedia so let’s get to it. read more…
Should you trust the latest “medical advance”? And koalas too!
Hey friends!
The plaque in this photo above was a gift from a medical student and hangs on my wall right above my desk. It is a saying reportedly from Michelangelo that I use in teaching medical students and residents fairly often.
I even gave a speech to some graduating medical students called “I am still learning.” I don’t even think Michelangelo actually said this at age 87 but the sentiment still resonates. This post is about learning medicine.
This past week I’ve really been going back to school. I’m now back from several days in San Diego at the American College of Physicians Internal Medicine conference. ACP is my professional organization, and our annual conference brings many thousands of us together to learn about the latest in medical science, pick up tips for our practice from some of the country’s top experts, and re-connect with colleagues from around the world.
In the next several posts, I am going to highlight for you some of what I learned at the ACP conference in San Diego. Look for short posts in the coming weeks about:
- Clostridium difficile infection
- Lyme disease
- Zika virus
- Menopause and depression
- Pain control and opiates
- Sleep disorders
- Restless legs syndrome
- Blood pressure in older adults
- Antibiotic resistance
- Weight loss and exercise
- Iron replacement
- Osteoporosis
I’ll try to keep these future posts really short and helpful.
ColonChat will bust your colon cancer myths
Quick reminder about the upcoming #ColonChat. It is THIS FRIDAY, March 24, from Noon to 1:00 p.m. Central Time. My colleague, Dr. Jake Matlock, will join me and others from the HCMC GI Lab for a fast-paced hour using Twitter to answer questions and bust myths about colon cancer. These are people who look inside intestines all day long so you know they are party-type of people.
It’s fun and informative! All you need to do is follow me on Twitter @DrDavidHilden during the hour. Tweet me your comments or questions during the hour using the hashtag #ColonChat, or if you tend toward the whimsical, you can use #ScopeItOut instead. Look for Dr. Matlock’s responses in real time during the hour. We’re bringing some nurses from the GI Lab to answer questions as well since we all know it is nurses who are the real experts!
Here’s a couple of myths we will shred to pieces during ColonChat hour:
Myth: Colon cancer is deadly so there is no point in looking for it. Wrong. We will tell you why it is important to screen for colon cancer.
Myth: Colon cancer is not preventable. The heck it ain’t! Find out why during #ColonChat.
Myth. Colon cancer is mostly a man’s disease. Nope. Women get it just about as often.
Myth: I feel fine and have normal bowel movements so I can’t have colon cancer. Most colon cancer doesn’t cause symptoms!
Myth: No one in my family had colon cancer so I’m not at risk. No no no! Although there is some genetic risk, most people who get colon cancer did not have a family member with it.
For lots more information on colon cancer, I invite you to check out my two recent previous posts on the subject. Here’s the links to them for you to check out, share on social media, and so forth.
And be sure to tune in to #ColonChat this Friday, March 24, Noon – 1:00 p.m. on Twitter @DrDavidHilden
#ColonChat rules!
#ScopeItOut
-David
