Doctor Column

What’s Gout All About? Gouty Arthritis January 15, 2020 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Gout is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis causing attacks of severe pain and swelling in your joints. Ninety percent of the time it affects men over the age of 30 and when it affects women, it usually involves postmenopausal women. Corticosteroids and Prednisone: Pros and Cons January 5, 2020 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Corticosteroids (steroids) are a group of anti-inflammatory systemic medications produced naturally in the body or manufactured synthetically outside the body. They relieve redness and itchiness, reduce swelling, used to treat people in shock and are used to counteract severe allergic reactions. Atrial Fibrillation (‘A Fib’) What is Holiday Heart? December 25, 2019 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib or AF, often causes the heart to beat faster with an abnormal rhythm. It is the most common chronic, irregular heart rhythm in the U. S. It strikes more than two and half million people in America and the incidence of AFib rises with age. It’s most prevalent in people over the age of 65 affecting about nine per cent of this population; and there isn’t a predictable pattern to the irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia). How Does the Healthy Heart Work? December 15, 2019 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Have you ever run to catch a bus, worked on a strenuous job, played sports or run up a flight of steps? Whether you’re exercising, stressed-out or working hard, the heart needs to adjust to the added physical or emotional stress. Subdural Hematoma Hospitalizes Jimmy Carter. “What is It?” December 5, 2019 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Former President Jimmy Carter was hospitalized and underwent surgery at Emory University Hospital in November, 2019 to relieve pressure in his brain. The 95 year old and 39th president of the U. S. suffered a head injury after falling which his doctors described as a subdural hematoma (SDH). Floaters and Flashes of Light in Your Eye: “When Should You Worry?” November 25, 2019 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD We recognize people and the world around us when light passes into the eye, travels across the vitreous material of the eye on its way to the retina. The vitreous is a clear, jelly-like substance that occupies about 80% of the space within the eye and is normally attached to the retina. The retina has light sensitive nerve cells in the back of the eye that relays signals to the brain so we can see. Anabolic Steroids: “Bargain with the Devil?” November 15, 2019 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Faust’s legend has been and continues to be reenacted everywhere in modern life. Sell your soul to the devil and Satan will quench your burning desire, in exchange for you being a slave to his every command. No country is out of reach and no person is exempt from its appeal. Dizziness and Vertigo: How Do We Keep Our Balance? November 5, 2019 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Dizziness is an imprecise word people use to describe symptoms of feeling lightheaded, the sensation that the room is spinning or unsteadiness. Most of the time the problem is not serious or long lasting but it can make your life miserable. Less frequently, it can lead to a permanent loss of hearing or the diagnosis of a life threatening disease. ‘Beware’ of Drug Reactions and Interactions October 25, 2019 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD With every new drug on the market, there’s one more chance that you’ll suffer an unwanted reaction that ranges from mild to severe. However, such reactions are not limited to drugs. Food, herbs and supplements can be as dangerous as drugs. Persistent Itching: A Misery Go-Round October 15, 2019 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD “Coming up with the right diagnosis for constant itching is difficult, frustrating and maddening,” according to Cecilia.

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