Finally, we are receiving vaccines and working our way towards defeating this pandemic! It is exciting, frustrating and a little scary still. Exciting that we are getting supply and getting the most vulnerable vaccinated, that Washington State is one of the (still few) states that have more folks vaccinated than folks with Covid, and our death rates are decreasing with … Read More
Our Brain Health
Summer 2020 will certainly go down as a memorable year! I think we are all going a little crazy after some 4 months of isolation and health precautions for COVID-19. June is, quite fortuitously, National Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month in the U.S. Dementia is one of the more frightening concerns for our adult population. In Washington state, there are … Read More
Colorectal Cancer: Signs & Symptoms
Colorectal cancer is a cancer that starts in the colon or the rectum. These cancers can also be named colon cancer or rectal cancer, depending on where they start. Colon cancer and rectal cancer are often grouped together because they have many features in common. Cancer starts when cells in the body start to grow out of control. Cells in … Read More
Vitamin Supplements Under a Doctor’s Supervision
Vitamin supplements are certainly the rage these days – especially among our “aging population” (including myself!). There are substances marketed for improving your brain power, your emotional health, your skin, sight, weight, aging, digestion, bone health, etc. Quite a few things are helpful, but many are more beneficial to the marketers than the people who take them. How do … Read More
New Shingrix Vaccine for Shingles
New Shingles Vaccine A new vaccine for shingles was approved by the FDA last Fall, with formal recommendations for use released from the CDC earlier this year. The most common question that has arisen regarding the shingles vaccine is, “Should I get the new vaccine?” The short answer is “yes.” The new medicine, called the Shingrix Vaccine, has multiple advantages … Read More
Blood Pressure Guideline Changes
Olympic Internal Medicine Blog: New Blood Pressure Guidelines As many of you may have heard, a new guideline for high blood pressure was recently (November 2017) released by the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association (ACC/AHA). The big news grabbing part of the guideline was the change in definition of hypertension, down to anything over 130/80, which means … Read More
A Healthy Lifestyle Allows you to achieve your potential
A Healthy Lifestyle Allows Us to Enjoy Our Passions We all want to be healthy and live long lives—enjoying our families, remaining independent, and pursuing our favorite activities as long as possible. The kind of lifestyle we live—from childhood through adulthood— is an important factor that determines how healthy and active we will be. Chronic diseases—such as heart disease, stroke, … Read More