Cystic fibrosis is a progressive, genetic disease that predominantly affects the lungs and digestive system. This disease usually shows signs in early infancy and can by treated by a physician to manage complications and improve quality of life. Dr. Rodolfo Amaro-Galvez, director of UT Health’s Cystic Fibrosis Clinic, and Dr. Leslie Couch, pulmonologist, see both children and adults who have been diagnosed with this disease.
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May is mental health awareness month. So, what are some facts about the state of mental health in the United States, in Texas and in our East Texas community? What are some self-care strategies you can use to keep yourself mentally healthy?
A mental illness is a condition that affects a person's thinking, feeling or mood. Such conditions may affect someone's ability to relate to others and function each day. Each person...
Read More »Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. There are two main types of skin cancer: non-melanoma and melanoma. The two most common types of non-melanoma skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Skin cancer is often caused by sun exposure and sunburn. Skin cancer can occur anywhere on the skin, but it is often on the head, face, neck and the back of the hands. The incidence of skin cancer has been increasing over the past few years. This is associated with multiple factors, such as better skin cancer detection, people getting more sun exposure and people are...
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The end of the school year and the beginning of summer is just around the corner. That can mean only one thing in most households – the dreaded declaration every parent hates to hear will soon echo throughout every home. “I’m bored!” Children have come to equate their very existence with constant activity and excitement. The days of being satisfied with making paper dolls and mud pies are a bygone era. Today’s parent has so much to keep up with, including the provision of stimulating...
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For Melinda Leinard, RN, charge nurse at UT Health Henderson, it’s the little things that go a long way.
Leinard, who works the night shift, already is known at the hospital for passing out bookmarks to new patients in the morning that feature an acrostic poem reading GOOD MORNING.
“I thought it would be something to give them in the morning to say, ‘I hope you have a great day. It was a pleasure taking care of you last night.’ Just something to brighten their day a little bit,” she said.
More recently, Leinard has found a soft spot in her...
Margie Smith’s introduction to cardiac nursing came when she was a heart patient 25 years ago.
That experience, Smith says, shaped the patient care she now provides as an RN in UT Health Tyler’s Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit.
“Being a patient has allowed me to be a better nurse,” Smith says. “Had I not gone through what I went through, I’m not sure I’d have pursued nursing.”
Smith first started experiencing heart problems at age 28. By age 32, with four sons younger than 10 at home, she received her first pacemaker.
“I...
Brandon Jones, a Marshall, Texas, native, began boxing and learning kung fu at age 12. He fell in love with the sport and achieved his dream of opening his own kung fu studio and boxing gym in 1996. “Kung fu and boxing is who I am,” says Brandon. “It's a passion of mine and I love sharing that passion with others.”
Brandon’s countless hours in the gym – training himself and teaching others – made him realize that boxing’s benefits could be of major help to those with Parkinson’s disease. This realization eventually led to the program Counter...
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Spring brings with it beautiful blossoms, a chance to spend more time outside and pollen. Allergies cause problems all over the country, but it can seem like this region gets hit particularly hard. “East Texas may be particularly bothersome for allergic patients as the pollination may be more prolific than in other areas and the “seasons” may be prolonged,” explains Dr. Jonathan Buttram, allergist and immunologist at UT Health East Texas. “For instance, ragweed season in the Northeast may last three to four weeks,...
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It’s common for people to say they have the “winter blues” or that they are depressed in the colder, darker months of the year. These comments are sometimes benign, but they may also indicate that this person is suffering from seasonal depression. With the turn of the season, when everything is blooming and the sun is shining, it may be easy to forget about these shifts in mood, but if these episodes happen every year, it’...
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As parents, you protect your baby from a number of things, from sharp corners in your home to sunburns at the park. You also protect their health by keeping up with doctor’s appointments, which sometimes involve receiving vaccinations. Children, from infancy to adulthood, have certain vaccines that are proven to prevent them from contracting potentially deadly diseases.
Dr. Tiffany Hill, pediatrician at UT Health East Texas, has some tips for parents who are hoping to learn more about the vaccination process....
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