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Tuesday: Health

Urology Pearls: Avoiding the agony of kidney stones

Have you ever had a kidney stone? Do you know someone who had one, perhaps more than one? Kidney stones are common. About 11 percent of men and 6 percent of women in the United States have kidney stones at least once during their lifetime. Once you have a kidney stone, the chance of having another one rises to about 50%. If you had a kidney stone attack, also known as renal colic, you are unlikely to forget it because the pain is intolerable and the event typically leaves such a mark that you would do almost anything to avoid the agony. Can kidney stones be prevented? Can recurrent ...

Veterans with PTSD making progress thanks to service dog program

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — After working at a crowded and dangerous internment camp in Iraq, Air Force Staff Sgt. Heather O’Brien brought home with her anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. A bouncy labradoodle and a Kansas City-area program helped her get back on her feet. Dogs 4 Valor, ...

Drug overdose rates reduced in state

BARAGA — While the opioid crisis continues to plague the U.S., Michigan’s overdose rate has dropped in recent years. Health officials and lawmakers are addressing the crisis by expanding access to life-saving drugs and enhancing support for substance-use disorder treatments. Michigan ...

Urology pearls

Imagine this: It’s the middle of the night and the pain is horrific. It’s 10 out of 10 in severity and it grabs and stabs you at the side of your back. The doctor in the emergency department tells you that it might be a kidney stone and a CT scan confirms her suspicion. She gives you ...

Health matters

Nerves are funny things. Obviously, they are responsible for many important functions. Want to pick up that cup of coffee and take a sip? Activate the nerve controlling the muscles in your arm which allow this to occur. Few of us think about all that is happening with this action, but it’s ...

Virtual nursing initiatives aim to reduce job burnout

MARQUETTE — The implementation of virtual nursing programs in Michigan hospitals focuses on reducing nurse burnout. Programs are being created and operated to combat shortages of health professionals by keeping nurses on staff and allowing them to connect with their patients virtually. Several hospitals around the state have already introduced such programs. Laura Appel, the Michigan Health & Hospital Association’s executive vice president, said there are 4,000 nursing slots that hospitals in the state would like to fill. In addition to being stressful, the profession can be ...