Poisons can be found throughout every household. In fact, medication in our medicine cabinets pose one of the biggest potential risks for poisoning. Even if medication is prescribed to you, there are still possible dangers.
To keep yourself and everyone in your home safe, follow these tips by UT Health’s Dr. Scott Holland.
Check the Label
After you grab your bag from the pharmacy, don’t leave before checking out the medication for yourself. Both pharmacists and...
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Living independently is a luxury many of us enjoy even into our later years. Of course the freedom of living at home does come with several possible risks, which are even more pronounced as we age. However, there are many ways to add safety features to your home and to prepare for any potential accidents.
If you are a senior living at home or have a loved one who is, follow these tips to create a safe environment throughout the whole home.
Light it Up
Keeping rooms and walkways well-lit is a big part of home safety. For rooms,...
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Dr. Julian Deese, board-certified gastroenterologist at UT Health Pittsburg, has heard a thousand patient questions and noticed a lot of misinformation floats around when it comes to colon cancer. Since having accurate information can significantly impact your health journey, Dr. Deese has compiled a list of the top colon cancer myths so you can make the best choices for you and your family.
Colon cancer is not preventable.
Truth: A...
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Getting a good night’s rest is connected to a person’s overall health and well-being, which is why insomnia can be so disruptive. One group that is hit especially hard by this condition is the geriatric population. Dr. Emad Shoukry, gerontologist at the UT Health North Campus Tyler, shares more about this issue and ways to treat insomnia.
Insomnia is a common problem in the geriatric population (people ages 65 and older). Its assessment requires getting a detailed history, usually from the...
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What do koalas and human infants have in common? They all sleep up to 17 hours per day. As children grow older they don’t need quite as much sleep as Australia’s favorite animal, but it still plays a critical role in their development.
The Importance of Children Catching Those Zs
It’s true that both children and adults need to get enough sleep or else it can have a negative ripple effect on their health, but for children the need is even more pronounced. “Infants, children and teens need more sleep because of their increased mental and physical growth,”...
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Nutrition can play a big role in preventing chronic conditions such as type two diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. “Several chronic conditions are related to diet,” says Dr. Sarah Kuruvilla, Assistant Professor at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. “Common conditions include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and gout. When uncontrolled, some of these diseases can cause an increased risk of heart attacks or strokes.” While some risk factors such as gender and ethnicity are...
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Loud snoring and daytime fatigue may not seem like a big issue, but these could be indicators that someone is suffering from sleep apnea. “Sleep apnea is a condition in which air flow to the lungs is either partially or completely compromised during one’s sleep due to either narrow or completely closed airways,” says Dr. Tashfeen Mahmood, UT Health North Campus Tyler pulmonologist. “In the United States, about 20-30% men and 10-15% woman are estimated to have sleep apnea, which is a huge portion of our population...
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Endometriosis is a condition that affects millions of women, often causing extreme pain and, in some cases, infertility. Even though this serious condition is fairly common, it is often difficult to diagnose, leaving many women suffering for years.
Dr. Francine McCain, board-certified OB-GYN, shares more information on how to diagnose and treat endometriosis.
What Endometriosis Is
Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of...
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You see awareness events and articles for breast cancer and lung cancer all the time, but this month we are here to spread important information on colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in males and second in females, with 1.8 million new cases in 2018. (World Health Organization) It is also one of the most fatal cancers, leading to 50,630 deaths in the United States, making it the second leading cause of cancer deaths.
Dr. Umair Sohail, gastroenterologist at UT Health,...
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Violence in a relationship does not only happen during adulthood, but can be present in teenage relationships. “Teen dating violence can come in many forms,” UT Health licensed counselor Jennifer Peoples says. “When most people hear the word violence they think of something physical occurring. However, relationship violence can also consist of emotional abuse, which is very subtle in nature, and sometimes very difficult to identify.” Abuse can start small with name calling, but escalate over time, happening in...
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