To my fellow road warriors, I have a question for you: What's worse for your health than a six-hour flight sitting in coach?

The Answer: A six-hour flight sitting in a window seat in coach, according to new guidelines from a group of expert doctors.

Just last week,...

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the sickest of them all? A new study says it might be the guys who are always looking in the mirror!

We all remember those guys who were popular the second they walked into a room. They were probably also the "love 'em and...

That's still a common phrase you might from the doctor after you've have some lab test, biopsy or imaging study like a CT scan. Sometimes the doctor will say "If you don't hear from me, everything is fine." Well, given the complexity and comprehensiveness of medical exams nowadays, that's probably...

I'll be honest -- I like technology and gadgets! When used correctly, they certainly can improve medical care. For the past 15 years of providing clinical care, I have often used an electronic health record when interacting with patients. Since I often fill in for doctors in under-served areas, the...

For anyone on the fence about getting married, there is new data that may assist in your decision to take that walk down the aisle or not. No, it's not about potential changes to the tax code! Rather, it's about surviving a heart attack. A recent study suggests that

Have you noticed your waist getting bigger as you're getting older? It's interesting that we often call this excess weight "love handles", but are those extra rolls of fat around our mid-section really helping to boost your sex life? Turns out, probably not. While this may be disappointing news for...

The weather has been pretty gorgeous lately, and I bet you've been heading outside most chances you get. You've got your hat and sunglasses on when all of a sudden -- slap! -- oh hello mosquito!

The thought of stepping out only to become a blood buffet for these...

With the unofficial start of summer comes lots of heat (it feels like a swamp right now in Washington, D.C.!) and lots of travel. It's often during the summer that I enjoy traveling on the train. It's quiet, there's legroom and we don't have to take our shoes off to...

Dizziness? Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes? Slurred speech? Numbness on one side of the body that occurs out of nowhere? Weakness that's worse than usual?

These symptoms are not normal. If you are having these symptoms, you need to call someone. Whom should you call first? The...

Does your son play high school football? If so, he could be among the 13 percent of teens playing high school football believed to be currently using steroids. So your daughter is surely safe if she plays a sport like basketball, right?

Sadly, no. The rate of steroid use...

Spring is upon us, and with it the time to strap on some fun, stylish flip-flops and start enjoying the season's beauty. So run to the local drug store, grab some inexpensive flip-flops, and head outdoors, right? Wrong.

The truth is many of our favorite flip-flops can be sending...

Years ago, I worked at the federal agency that administers the Medicare program. And hardly anyone would ever say that Medicare is very forward-thinking, and socially aware. But I think that might change. Did you hear that Medicare might start to cover testing for sexually transmitted infections (STI) for Medicare...

Most people know it is Black History Month and there is certainly a great deal to celebrate. Black people have made significant advances socioeconomically as well as politically -- especially in the last few years. However, in the field of health, there's not a lot to celebrate.

If you're black,...

Have you been moody lately? Or maybe you've lost interest in sex? Do you feel weak and tired a lot?

You might be thinking these questions are geared towards women, but if you are a male and experiencing these symptoms, you might be going through male menopause.

In recent years,...

Well, summer is winding down. And many of you probably have a golden tan or still might be working on one. I hope most of those tans are from a bottle or a can! Please tell me you've been wearing sunscreen!

You know who doesn't wear sunscreen practically at...

When I see patients, a typical encounter goes something like this:

1. Patient gives complaint
2. I ask questions; patient answers
3. I offer my diagnosis and recommend treatment
4. Patient goes home happy (usually)

Do you see anything wrong with that exchange? In fact, given the...

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. That usually applies to the artistic realm, but we now are learning that it also applies to medicine. (And they do say that medicine is an art as well as a science)

The way information is presented can impact your decisions,...

It's always somebody else's problem. Even when it comes to our own health, we always think the latest risks never apply to us. Most patients know that being overweight predisposes them to diabetes. But nine times out of 10, when I tell my patients with diabetes that if they lost...

I always ask my elderly patients whether they have children who are active in their care. It used to be that if they replied yes, it implied they had a daughter; sons were rarely involved. But now we're seeing that men are more often assuming the role of caregiver. In...

Imagine that your doctor told you that you suffered from a disorder that was "not otherwise specified." How would you feel about the seriousness of your condition? Would you feel nervous? Or maybe you would dismiss it as unimportant? These are the questions that confront nearly 70 percent of patients...