The upper right side of my mouth started bothering me several months ago and I worried it might be the start of gum disease, but when I went to my dentist’s office for an already-scheduled regular cleaning, it turned out … Continue reading
I’ve had a fair number of medical bills since my car was read-ended at the start of June last year (2017). Every month my insurance company sends me an Explanation of Benefits (EoB), and I’ve been reading them. They are … Continue reading
Pediatrician, author, and medical school professor Dr Aaron Carroll surveys the evidence that cardiovascular stents, which are intended to help keep clogged heart arteries open, may be no better than treatment with drugs alone. One reason this is surprising is … Continue reading
Several years ago, before Obamacare went into effect, I heard an interview with a woman whose brother had a serious medical condition and whose medical insurance had been canceled, though he had faithfully paid every premium and done nothing wrong. … Continue reading
Pediatrician and medical school professor Aaron Carroll responds to research showing that even light drinking may increase the risk of certain kinds of cancer. He points out that the increased risk appears be tiny and practical terms, and the research … Continue reading
A large number of non-communicative patients in California nursing homes are involved in an experiment to see how they respond to music. It seems to calm some of those prone to sometimes aggressive behavior, and it may help evaluate degrees … Continue reading
Novelist and vlogger John Green very succinctly raises the point that humans are often pretty good at dealing with emergencies but often a lot less good at dealing with long-term problems. (But see below.) Link: https://youtu.be/bpyhMMqwX8U Of course, John Green … Continue reading
Here’s a sea shanty from the A Capella Science YouTube channel about the discovery of insulin. The song’s first-person narrator is a man named Leonard Thompson, who is dying of pneumonia but who would have died over a decade sooner … Continue reading
As you surely know by now, this influenza season is turning out to be very bad. This is mainly because the predominant type of flu virus this year mutates rapidly, making the vaccine less effective. But “less effective” doesn’t mean … Continue reading
The number of infants and mothers who die around the time of birth is worse in the U.S. than in the rest of the developed word. We’re making progress in reducing infant mortality, but maternal mortality is actualy getting worse. … Continue reading