Author - The Durango Herald

Manage your medications responsibly

The development of medications to treat a broad range of diseases and unpleasant symptoms has accelerated in the past several decades. If you think about it, a century ago, with...

DATE: Dec 21, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Herd immunity is strong case for vaccination

When I was in medical training, I had the unfortunate experience of participating in the care of a small child who developed a serious bacterial infection caused by common bacterium known as...

DATE: Dec 14, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Quarantines used to protect against disease

One joke told many times in the emergency room goes something like this: ER doc to patient: “Sir, you seem to be pretty sick – headache, low fever, chills, malaise, nausea, aches ...

DATE: Nov 23, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Breakthrough offers promise of diabetes cure

Researchers have announced a scientific breakthrough, which might possibly lead to a cure for Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus is a disorder that results in elevation o...

DATE: Nov 16, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Seven habits to keep you healthy, happy

Let’s face it: The human body doesn’t come with an instruction book. Yet, it is one of the most complex machines in the universe. Machines break for lots of reasons. But, ask an...

DATE: Nov 2, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

It’s hard to hide from the threat of food poisoning

Food poisoning has grabbed plenty of attention lately and ranks second only to the common cold in frequency of occurrence. The very young, the chronically ill and the aged are th...

DATE: Oct 26, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Outbreak turns Ebola into a moving target

I have been contemplating how to address the topic of Ebola in the context of the La Plata Health Watch. The fact of the matter is that the current pace of the outbreak makes it ...

DATE: Oct 19, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Consider vaccine to avoid misery of shingles

If you are at least old enough to remember Captain Kangaroo or Mister Rogers, then you probably remember when chicken pox was a right of passage for young children. When I was si...

DATE: Oct 5, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Double trouble: Mental illness and alcoholism

It was a rude awakening in the wee hours – forceful drubbing on our kitchen door, all the more audible as the bedroom was directly above. Crossing the kitchen, I recognized a sta...

DATE: Sep 28, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Respiratory virus a reminder to take precautions

As every year, with the start of school, the respiratory viral season is upon us. This year, as you may have heard, there is a somewhat unique virus that is contributing to cold symptoms. ...

DATE: Sep 14, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Sleep crucial to teenagers as demands pileup

How many adults remember what it was like to be a teenager? It's a bit of a roller-coaster ride. Adolescence is a mishmash of physical, social and intellectual changes designed t...

DATE: Aug 31, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

You can prevent acid reflux by watching diet

There’s a children’s rhyme about how when our food does not like the atmosphere of our stomach, it “pops back up to say hello.” For many of us, this all-too-common second greeti...

DATE: Aug 17, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch