There are millions of types of fungi living in the environment, and they live on surfaces everywhere. Today, fungal diseases are very common and can affect anyone. Fortunately, there are a limited amount of fungi that can cause sickness in people. These can take the form in: Allergies Asthma Skin or nail infections and rashes Lung infections Infections in the bloodstream Meningitis Some fungi move through the air as spores that you may inhale. Others can merely land on a surface or your body. Consequently, fungal infections often begin on the skin or may even begin in the lungs. When...

Over the years, we’ve seen trends come and go with regards to breastfeeding. Changing Popularity of Formula Feeding Vs. Breastfeeding Over the Years In the 1950s, commercial baby formula became available. Like all things new and convenient for the average mother during that time and propelled by strong marketing campaigns and women joining the workforce, formula was embraced as the new way to feed infants which eventually pushed breastfeeding out of favor. But the 1980s brought new information to light about the benefits of a mother’s natural milk and during subsequent years, there have been many fluctuations in the popularity...

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver and can have many causes, the most common being viruses with the labels A, B and C. Chronic viral hepatitis can lead to lifelong liver disease, cancer and cirrhosis. Hepatitis A virus can be easily spread through food and water contamination and can infect groups of people who come into contact with it. It usually causes short-term symptoms that will most often get better on its own but it can be more serious with aged populations. Hepatitis B, however, can create both short-term illness and chronic illness. It is spread through bodily fluids...

Here in South Florida, we know about the sun. Most of us have had the unfortunate experience of suffering from too much after a day out in our tropical weather climate. But not all UV exposure comes from the sun (think: tanning beds). Most of us understand that too much UV exposure is not healthy and puts us at risk of skin cancer. We understand the necessity of applying adequate sunscreen and keeping our skin protected during certain times of the day. But there are many factors that come into play when it comes to UV rays and how we...

As we age, we begin to understand that it’s not just about quantity but quality. As a society, we have become adept at furthering our chronological age but less skilled at maintaining our health as we go. What is the purpose of living into our golden years if those years are fraught with chronic disease, ailments and medication? And yet, that is exactly what we are seeing in the United States today. Our population is aging but we are becoming more dependent on medications and the medical system with each passing year. The Basic “Shoulds” Unless you live in a...

June is National Safety Month. And in these days of COVID-19, the term safety has now taken on new meaning. The National Safety Council reported that one of the things people are most concerned with as the country is endeavoring to “re-open” is a return to work and other required activities. Consequently, many people are anxious about going into a medical or hospital setting in light of these concerns. Your Safety is Our Priority For many of the patients we see, an in-person procedure has been ordered by their physician to be done as soon as possible. Over the last...