Doctor Column
Seizure First Aid .. What ‘You’ Can Do to Help a Person Having a Seizure
January 5, 2023
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
When I was an undergraduate, the University organized an October field trip to Vermont for a long weekend. On the second day of the trip, a bunch of us were having lunch on wooden tables and benches. I was seated next to and chatting with Mike, whom I met for the first time the previous day. When I asked him a question and he didn’t answer, I turned, and saw a stiff body staring ahead. I caught him as he keeled over towards me.
‘Leaky Gut’ or Intestinal Hyperpermeability
December 25, 2022
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
Digestion involves the intake and chewing of food, the passage of the food to the back of the mouth, and down the esophagus into the stomach. In the stomach, chemical juices break down the food into a semifluid mass (chyme) which the stomach passes on to the small intestine.
A Peek at Pee: What Do the 8 Urine Colors Mean?
December 15, 2022
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
The kidneys make urine when they filter your blood. Water makes up 95% of urine. The other 5% consists of materials such as creatinine, urea, ammonia and the ions of sodium, calcium and potassium. This ratio is noteworthy because too much or too little water, plus other factors, affect the color of your urine. What are the different colors of the urine? What do they mean? When should I see my doctor?
RSV Threat to Infants and Elderly
December 5, 2022
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
Imagine looking at your 6 month old child or grandchild frantically gasping for air, breathing rapidly with a whistling or rattling sound in the chest, and the baby’s ribs pulling in and out, and stomach moving up and down. You rush the infant to the emergency department (ED) of your hospital in critical condition. When you get there, you discover that the ED is crowded, doctors scurry about, and other children are experiencing similar problems.
Troponin Test and Heart Attacks
November 25, 2022
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
“Doctor, am I having a heart attack?” Everyday thousands of patients with chest pain ask emergency department (ED) doctors that question. With advances in medical research and a blood test, doctors can advise patients with a high degree of confidence: “You’re not having a heart attack.”
CBD: Yellow Light for CBD — “How Can I Separate Fact from Hype?”
November 15, 2022
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
I recently went to my local pharmacist to pick up a prescription. On the counter was a brochure about CBD. A picture of an attractive young woman’s face was 50% covered with words: such as migraine headaches, pain, inflammation, anxiety, memory loss, depression, appetite, sleep fertility motor control, immune function, pleasure and reward. The message was clear; use CBD and get relief from these disorders.
Motion Sickness — What’s Going On?
November 5, 2022
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
It was balmy Saturday morning when I got into an eighteen foot boat with a few fishing poles, bait, and two brown lunch bags that we brought along. There were no inflatable life jackets, but I did notice our GPS system, a compass at the bow, opposite the outboard motor.
Ten ‘Q & A’s About Parkinson’s Disease
October 25, 2022
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive, movement disorder of the brain that usually develops slowly over time that gives rise to unintentional or uncontrollable movements. It is classified as a movement (motor) disorder because it causes tremors, balance instability, slowness of movement and stiffening movements. But non-motor symptoms of PD such as depression, fatigue, anxiety, loss of taste and smell are serious concerns of people with PD.
Omicron Booster Shots Save Lives! Updated COVID-19 Shots
October 5, 2022
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the emergency authorization requested by the pharmaceutical companies Moderna, and Pfizer- BioNTech to distribute their reformulated versions of the COVID — 19 vaccines to be distributed in September 2022. It is estimated that delaying the roll-out of the vaccines till November of this year would result in more than100,000 additional hospitalizations and in thousands of additional deaths.
How To Avoid Medication Errors — Speak Up!
September 25, 2022
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
Before you swallow that pill — Are you sure it’s the right one for you? Medication errors are more prevalent than you think. Errors can happen from the time a physician prescribes the medication to the time you pick up the medicine.
