Category: Uncategorized
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“Is an IUD right for me?”
This is a question I deal with often, as I counsel frequently on contraceptive methods with my female patients. There are multiple methods, including family planning (“rhythm method”), birth control pills, barrier methods (male and female condoms, diaphragms), the patch, the “shot”, implants, and IUDs. At my clinic, I place IUDs (intrauterine devices) of the…
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Sneaky skin cancers
I’ve been fooled recently. I’ve been fooled by abnormal skin lesions of patients, and I’m not afraid to admit it. I see a good bit of dermatology in my practice, as I’m usually at the front line of diagnosis for my patients. Here are three recent cases that surprised me. The first is of a…
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Deer ticks, and dog ticks, and mites….oh my!
Tick season seemed to start earlier this year than usual. One of my partners in our practice in March said she awoke one morning with a deer tick, and we knew the season was here. This month alone, June that is, I’ve treated 3 cases of RMSF, or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which is one…
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Autism and Children’s Vaccines-still puzzling?
One of the joys of being a Family Physician is I have the opportunity to care for the entire family. With this, I care for many babies and children in my practice, giving physicals, providing school vaccinations, and seeing them when sick. So, of course, the conversation arises often of potential side effects of vaccines,…
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‘Tis the season: Allergies vs. Sinus Infections vs. Colds
‘Tis the season for pollen, mold, and trees. Yesterday in clinic, I think half of my 20 visits involved complaints of “I think I have a sinus infection”. The answer to my “Why?” included many common truths and misconceptions, ranging from “because I’ve congested for a week” and “because I have green and yellow mucus”…
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Back to school‐‐ADHD
Back to school‐‐ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition I see and treat often in my practice as a Family Physician, and it is a controversial and passionate topic for a lot of my patients. I have those parents and children who do not agree with the opinions and impressions of teachers and…
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Is every dry, flaky rash from “eczema”?
It would certainly seem like it, wouldn’t it? Eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, is the most common skin disorder I see in practice, particularly in the African-American population. Eczematous rashes are all generally dry, itchy, flaky, bothersome lesions that occur most frequently in the elbow area (antecubital fossae), knees (posterior patellar regions), and behind the…
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Healthy Women, Sound Minds
During this past winter, I spoke to the ladies of Triumphant Tabernacle Church in Durham for their Empowered Women conference. I was given the theme of “Healthy Women, Sound Minds,” which was a timely topic to speak on and around. We had some fruitful conversations and I thought I’d share a bit about what these…
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Eyelash growth serums—all talk?
“Please excuse the mess as we try to expand” was the Facebook status I used a couple of months ago to explain the uncoordinated look of my eyebrows as I’ve let them grow out of their “manicured” shape. I’ve been plucking, waxing, and threading my eyebrows since my freshman year in college to get that…
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STDs
There must be something about the warm weather and sunshine of the summer that causes some young (and some old) minds to become reckless. I say this in awe, as I seem to have been treating many more sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) within the past couple of months than I have all year long! And…
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