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22 Results for search "Doctors".

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Like most people, you probably have a file of important papers -- everything from the warranty for the new vacuum to records of your cats' rabies shots. But you may not have a stash of the most important documents of all: Your medical records. Why? Because your doctor has them -- a necessity, to be sure, but one that isn't going to do you much good if you need your records in an emergency. One so...

It pays to have back-up when serious illness strikes, judging from the legions of patients who turn to Web merchants selling customized medical information about specialists, clinical trials, and treatments. But the true value of such services, which cost $75 to $550 or more, isn't clear. Among the believers is Edward Barr, 71, a food manufacturer in Toronto, Ontario. Lying in intensive care after...

How do you tell whether an online pharmacy is legitimate? Armed with the information below, you can easily weed out unscrupulous sellers and take advantage of the convenience of buying prescription drugs online. How do I know if a pharmacy is legitimate? The National Association of Boards of Pharmacies has an excellent screening tool: It issues a seal of approval, called VIPPS, which is short for ...

Whether you're shopping for soda or blue jeans, chances are you'll recognize a brand name. Companies like Coca-Cola and Levi Strauss Co. have spent billions trying to win our loyalty, and in recent years, changes in federal law have allowed drug manufacturers to advertise directly to consumers, too. Watch the nightly news or read a magazine, and you'll see ads for brand name medications. These ad...

It took a freak accident to get pediatrician Betsy MacGregor to do something about a life on the verge of breakdown. MacGregor had always been passionate about her job, and for 15 years she thrived as head of adolescent medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York Center. Working with teens, she says, taught her that medicine should treat the whole person, not just the disease. So engrossin...

Hospitals are supposed to be places of recovery and healing. But they can also be dangerous. A 1999 landmark study sponsored by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimated that medical errors in hospitals kill between 44,000 and 98,000 Americans each year. Approximately 7,000 of these deaths are due to errors in medications. The message is clear: Whether you're being treated for a heart attack or a ...

In an ideal world, doctors would always prescribe the right drugs, pharmacists would never mess up orders, and patients would always carefully follow the instructions on their medicine bottles. In the real world, people sometimes make mistakes. And when it comes to medicine, mistakes can be dangerous. According to a 2006 report from the Institute of Medicine, 1.5 million preventable medication er...

Out of desperation, many people turn to the first fertility specialist they find in the phone book, or someone they've heard about from a friend. But it's important to find the right doctor for you, one who can come up with a treatment plan tailored to your needs and be sensitive enough to help you through the rough times. It's also crucial to educate yourself about infertility and its possible c...

Of the 1.1 billion medical visits Americans make each year, almost half are to primary care doctors. They are on the frontlines of medicine, doing everything from diagnosing strep throat and setting broken bones, to treating chronic diseases like diabetes, asthma, and high blood pressure. They also help patients make certain lifestyle changes, like following a healthy diet, getting more exercise, ...

Why do I -- or members of my family -- need to see an eye doctor? Sooner or later almost everyone will need to use eyeglasses. Vision problems are generally divided into two categories: nearsightedness (being able to see clearly only when things are close up or nearby), or farsightedness (being able to see things far away, while small nearby objects, such as printed words, appear blurred). People...

Medical Specialties Acupuncture An ancient medical practice originating in China that uses the insertion of needles into various parts of the body to restore the body's life energy and balance (called Chi). Disruption of the Chi flow results in pain and/or illness, according to practitioners. Addiction Medicine The diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of substance abuse disorders, including helpi...

An estimated 20 million Americans currently have asthma, and government health officials report that that number is rising as our air becomes dirtier with pollutants and other irritants. For severe asthma sufferers, having an attack feels like breathing through a straw, yet many people don't think the problem is serious enough to consult a doctor. If you're a chronic asthma sufferer, ask your doct...

If you've felt sad and listless for any length of time, you're not alone. About 7 percent of adult Americans suffer from depression in any given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Depression can be brought on by biochemistry as well as the loss of a loved one, unemployment, or even a bout of ill health. Although research has shown time and again how our feelings can affect...

Allergies are a highly individualized form of misery. Some people turn into an itchy, drippy wreck whenever they're around cats, while others can't get within 100 yards of ragweed in the spring. Still others have allergies to food so severe that a peanut or other substance can send them to the emergency room with a life-threatening reaction. Meanwhile, some people barely notice their allergies and...

Doctors play a vital role in the fight against Alzheimer's disease, but they need help. Close cooperation between doctors, family members, and patients is a vital part of treatment. Doctors need to understand a patient's situation and symptoms in order to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the right medication. Meanwhile, patients and family members need to know about the course of the disea...

Whether you're looking for the aspirin in your medicine cabinet or recuperating in a hospital bed, safety should be uppermost in your mind. How much do you know about protecting yourself? Take this short quiz to find out. 1. According to a report from the Institute of Medicine, mistakes in hospitals kill about half as many Americans each year as car accidents. True or false? True False 2....

When the troubled patient from Puerto Rico arrived at Dr. Hector Flores's office, she had already been seen by three other doctors for depression. None of their treatments seemed to have had any effect. Despondent and anxious after her failed marriage, the woman was unable to work. Although she was well educated and understood why Flores prescribed antidepressants and therapy, the patient nonethe...

If you've attended a large family reunion lately, it may come as no surprise that women tend to outlive men. In the United States, the life expectancy of men is about five years less than women, according to the American Journal of Public Health. For African American men, it's still worse: They tend to live about six years less than white men. Nearly all of the biggest killers in America -- inclu...

The world would be a healthier place if everybody followed their doctor's advice. People would get more exercise and eat healthier foods. They'd get regular checkups. And they'd even take their medicine as prescribed. In the real world, though, all sorts of things can get in the way of good self-care. Many people have trouble finding the time or the money to see a doctor or buy medicines. In some...

A diagnosis of depression shouldn't feel like a life sentence. Doctors and mental health professionals have more tools than ever to help: Antidepressant drugs can lift your mood, and counseling or psychological therapy can help you understand what's responsible for your dark thoughts -- and how to get rid of them. Equally important, such treatment can help renew your love of life and encourage a m...

For all of the good they do in the world, medications can also be extremely risky. Even if you take your medication exactly as you're supposed to, you could still suffer side effects. Taking the wrong pill at the wrong time in the wrong way will only increase the danger. If your doctor recommends a prescription drug, you need to become an expert in your own treatment. Your doctor needs to be info...

When Dr. Paul Farmer arrived in Haiti in the 1980s, he was a confident young doctor determined to bring modern health care to a population in need. One of his challenges lay in finding a way to get tuberculosis patients to take their medicine. Many were not and were dying because of it. Part of the issue: Most Haitians believed the disease was a product of sorcery, so many considered taking medici...