DocSwiner's Superwoman Complex Blog

Question and answer time   Published Wednesday, March 5, 2014 by C. Nicole Swiner, M.D., Columnist Here are some recent questions from my Facebook page. Q: How can dental problems impact physical health? – JRB, mother of two A: Tooth health, and lack thereof, can lead to and be a clue to many health problems.…

Published Wednesday, February 19, 2014 by C. Nicole Swiner, M.D., Columnist Why didn’t you get a flu shot this season? I asked this question recently on my Facebook page, and people were surprisingly silent. This is interesting because, when asked in person, patients are very vocal about why they refuse to get the seasonal vaccine.…

Published Wednesday, February 12, 2014 by C. Nicole Swiner, Columnist By the age of 50, most women have experienced or are experiencing menopause. This feared phenomenon is a natural progression of a women’s menstrual cycle, and after a full year without a period, we consider it done. However, the stopping of menses is just one…

Get heart healthy this month   Published Wednesday, February 5, 2014 by C. Nicole Swiner, M.D., Columnist  What better way to celebrate February, heart healthy month, than by thinking about prevention of heart disease. In light of this, I decided to review the brand new recommendations on screening and treatment of patients with high cholesterol.…

Ask Dr. Swiner Prostate cancer screenings Published Wednesday, January 8, 2014 by C. Nicole Swiner, M.D., Columnist Happy New Year to all! I pray 2014 brings us all a renewed outlook on life, and hope for more healthy bodies, minds and spirits. I wanted to address a conversation that I’ve had with my male patients…

Published Wednesday, November 13, 2013 by C. Nicole Swiner, M.D., Columnist The holidays are approaching, which, for most people, is something to be excited about. However, for many, the holidays can be stressful and a reminder of sad times or missed loved ones. Recently, there’s been more sadness, despair and desperation in the local news.…

After taking some time off from writing, I was asked to comment on the importance of being honest with your doctor. This can be approached from many different angles. The simplest route is to apply the “proof’s in the pudding” explanation. This means that if testing is done, I’ll eventually discover what’s going on after…

For this topic, I’ll begin with a recent patient encounter: “11y/o male patient with history of asthma and allergies, seeing me for first time with Mom, has been seen with our providers here for the past 3-4 months for a chronic, persistent cough. In review, he was seen and treated by 2 of our for…

Published Wednesday, April 3, 2013by C. Nicole Swiner, M.D., Columnist  Two of the most difficult things to balance as a medical provider are seeing enough patients during the day and staying on time. Patients who schedule us for care check in at the front desk (on time, hopefully) and usually have to wait a while…

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…