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Tuesday: Health

Urology Pearls – Part 3: From stones to solutions

This is the third and last in a series of articles about research studies concerning kidney stones. My goal hasn’t been to merely describe the latest research about the prevention and treatment of kidney stones, but to show how researchers and doctors try to simplify their management considerations by asking, then answering, a series of simple questions. Here is the question presented in the research study I will discuss today: can recurrent kidney stones be prevented by diet modification? The study, authored by the late Professor Loris Borghi from the University of Parma in Italy, ...

Health Matters: The lost art and science of the physical exam

Remember some of the old doctor shows, there have been quite a few over the years. The patient would lie down on the exam table and the physician would place their hands on the individual’s belly to palpate their “insides,” amounting to feeling around. Of course, this was always followed with use of a stethoscope to listen to their breathing and heartbeat. At last, voila! The wise healer would provide the precise diagnosis. How did he do it? What magic spell was he weaving with “the laying on of hands?” Our tv doctor was practicing the art, and science, of physical diagnosis. ...

Do weighted blankets help you sleep better? Here’s what to know

NEW YORK — Rhonda James was skeptical when her husband ordered a weighted blanket for her online. But five minutes after she wrapped it around her body, she zonked out. “It felt like a really big hug,” said James, a banker in Charleston, South Carolina. As outside temperatures grow ...

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Vitamin C, also known as L-ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in some foods, added to others, and is available as a vitamin supplement. Unlike most animals, we humans are not able to synthesize vitamin C internally, so it is an essential part of our daily diet. ...

Health matters

Did you know that “germs” are everywhere? A specific term is ubiquitous, meaning they are everywhere, a part of our environment. Certainly, germ is an antiquated term, referring to microscopic biological organisms. Most people automatically associate this with bacteria, but it can also refer to viral particles and fungal organisms. The variety of fungal species is tremendous, with estimates claiming there are over 5 million species. A “guesstimate” is an appropriate term since the vast majority of these have not been properly identified or classified by scientists. And only ...

Health Matters: Evidence on magnesium for muscle cramps unclear

As the science of medicine advances, and more research is performed, our understanding of the importance of nutrition deepens. As the cliche goes, we are what we eat. Our body fuels the minute-by-minute process of cellular growth and provides for tissue repair, via the consumption of solids ...