Remember when you were a kid and you didn’t want to go bed? As an adult, you most likely want to go to bed but probably have other commitments that make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is a fundamental need of the human body and getting a good night’s sleep is crucial for optimal functionality and quality of life. The quality and amount of sleep you get effects virtually every aspect of your life – from your social engagements to your work performance. Getting a good night’s ... [Read More]
Internal Medicine
Causes of High Blood Pressure
Nearly half of all Americans have high blood pressure or hypertension. Blood pressure measures the amount of force put on blood vessels as blood flows through the body. High blood pressure means that the body is working too hard to pump blood. This is dangerous because it can lead to elastic arteries, muscular arteries, heart attack or heart failure. High blood pressure can also lead to other health conditions such as stroke, vision loss, and kidney disease. There are many causes of high ... [Read More]
What is a Heart Murmur?
Your heart is one of the most important organs in your body because it does a very important job: pump blood through your body. As blood pumps in and out of the heart, a sound can be detected made up of two beats. Sometimes, another sound can interrupt the normal beating of the heart. This is called a heart murmur. A heart murmur is a different than a heart beat, typically sounding similar to a “whooshing” noise. A doctor can detect a heart murmur through a stethoscope. Although it may sound ... [Read More]
Is Internal Medicine Different from Primary Care?
A primary care health provider or PCP is the doctor who cares for your total health on a regular basis. Primary care physicians provide wellness visits, care for illness, and help manage chronic conditions. They also act as the “point person” for all of your medical care when you require treatment from a specialist for a specific condition, to make certain that everything is going right for you. A doctor of internal medicine, or an internist, often serves as a primary care doctor. Internists ... [Read More]
Why Would My Doctor Recommend a DEXA Bone Scan?
If you’re a woman or man of a certain age and your doctor recommends a bone-density test, don’t be surprised. The test, called a DEXA scan, is a kind of X-ray that measures the strength of your bones, and it’s highly recommended for women at age 65 and men age 70 and up. That’s because there is a greater risk of bone loss, called osteoporosis, in our senior years. Osteoporosis affects more than 50 million Americans, and the sooner it’s detected, treatment options are better and fractures more ... [Read More]