From Arthritis to Zoster

Leukemia.
That one word carries more impact for a patient than nearly any other term in the medical lexicon. In years past, a diagnosis of leukemia was always associated with a grim prognosis. Even today, when temporary remission can be achieved in a significant number of patients, long-term survival rates (“cure”) are less than impressive. In fact […]

Is it cancer?
This is often the first question that springs to mind whenever someone finds a lump in his or her neck, groin, or armpit. These lumps frequently represent enlarged lymph nodes, which are mistakenly called “glands” by many people.
Lymph nodes are small organs that filter lymph from the various regions of our […]

Our daughter got her driver’s license yesterday. As she completed the requisite forms, she checked the box that designated her as an organ donor. But it wasn’t just a matter of ticking the square and moving on. In our state, a resident can opt to donate any needed body part or limit donation to specific […]

In one form or another, tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) has been used for its medicinal benefits for thousands of years. The Bundjalung aborigines of Australia revered a lagoon near present-day New South Wales – where Melaleuca leaves fell into the water and decayed for generations – as a site with phenomenal healing powers.
In 1930, […]

 
As we enter the height of cold and flu season, lots of folks are casting about for alternative treatments for the aches, fevers, coughs, and sniffles that accompany these viral illnesses. Probably just as many people are looking for ways to prevent those bugs from ever getting a foothold in the first place.
Purveyors of herbal remedies […]