Client Coverage

Filter Content > Text Video
Weight Watchers / SignatureMD 7 Questions to Ask Your Doctor September 28, 2012

September 27, 2012

7 Questions to Ask Your Doctor

During your next visit, don’t forget to ask these important Qs

Admit it: You probably don’t see your doctor as frequently as you should. When you do drop in for a check-up or a physical, you probably want to get that visit over with as soon as possible. It’s a common guy thing: More than twice as many men as women have not seen a physician in the last two to five years, notes Will Courtenay, Ph.D., a specialist in doctor/patient communication at Harvard Medical School and the author of Dying to Be Men (Routledge, 2011).

So the next time you do see your doctor (are you due for a visit?), use your visit wisely by asking the right questions.

Sure, you know the obvious things to ask, like “So, how am I doing?” (see the sidebar, “Four No-Brainer Questions”, below). But other important questions are less obvious. During your precious face-time with your MD, be sure to work in these seven queries.

Four No-Brainer Questions

Don’t forget to ask these during every visit:

  • How is my health overall?
  • Are you concerned about any aspects of my health? Which ones and why?
  • Are there any tests I need based on my age or for other reasons?
  • Do you have any advice about lifestyle modifications I should make (such as exercising, quitting smoking, changing my diet, etc.)? What specific changes should I make?

1. “Have you noticed my blood pressure going up?”

If your B.P. is 300/90 mm/Hg, your doctor will (or should) say something. But if you’re still technically in the “normal” zone (below 139/89 mm/Hg), he may not think to check your history. If your B.P. has been steadily rising over the years, you may be headed for hypertension — a key risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and even dementia, says Joseph Raffaele, M.D., an age management medicine specialist at PhysioAge Medical Group in New York City. “As soon as I see any rise in blood pressure, I press the patient hard to get into a regular exercise program and drop some weight,” says Raffaele.

2. “How do my lungs sound?”

Unless you’re there for a chest cold, your doctor might not listen to your lungs with a stethoscope. But lung cancer — even among nonsmokers — is the number one cause of cancer death in men, and wheezing is one early symptom. It’s important for your doc to keep an eye (and an ear) on your lung health, and it’s especially critical if you’ve been a smoker. So make sure you’re upfront about your smoking history during your visit.
(more…)

Read More ›
Celebzter / Cliffside Malibu Expert Opinion: Was Johnny Lewis high on PCP when he murdered elderly landlady and dismembered her cat? September 28, 2012

September 27, 2012

Expert Opinion: Was Johnny Lewis high on PCP when he murdered elderly landlady and dismembered her cat?

His history of drug abuse was well documented, landing him behind bars countless times and saw him in and out of rehab.

And all signs are now pointing to the fact that Johnny Lewis was high when he savagely murdered his 81-year-old landlady, Catherine Chabot Davis, on Wednesday.

According to new details which have emerged overnight, Lewis stormed into the apartment of Davis at about 10:40 a.m. He then smashed her furniture, beat and strangled her. He also dismembered her cat, reportedly tearing it apart with his hands.

After the brutal crime, Lewis hopped a nearby fence and confronted one  of Davis’ neighbors, Daniel Blackburn, and a handyman- both were badly beaten  and claim that Lewis showed “super-human strength” and was “phenomenally strong.”

One of the neighbour’s told the Los Angeles Times that Lewis was hardly deterred by the blows he took, that it was  like “hitting him with a fly swatter.”
(more…)

Read More ›
Monsters and Critics / Vaser Magic wand for fat melting? Yes, says top plastic surgeon September 28, 2012

September 28, 2012

Magic wand for fat melting? Yes, says top plastic surgeon

 

Gowns and revealing clothes offer little leeway for stars to look their best, so this time of year has many seeking fixes to their bulging dilemmas.

There are amazing techniques available now that eliminate surgery and utilize technology to literally melt lipids (fat) sub-dermally and even tighten skin, and the best part is that the results are immediate and even continue after the treatment ends.

Dr. Peter Fodor, hailed by U.S. News’ Castle Connolly as part of the prestigious top 1% in the nation for plastic surgery, is the pioneer that the Sound Surgical Technologies company enlisted to research and develop their cutting edge non-invasive fat fighter: VaserShape.

Dr. Fodor’s reputation is internationally renowned as a leader in the field of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and he is highly respected by the profession as a surgeon, teacher and author.

In the area of liposuction, Dr. Fodor bucks the trend of wide-awake surgery and prefers general anesthesia and no lasering for a smoother effect, as he tells M&C that his practice addresses numerous “redo” surgeries from botched lasering and horrific scar tissue knots that leave an uneven rippled effect for many patients.

(more…)

Read More ›
Monsters and Critics / Cliffside Malibu  Actor Johnny Lewis acted out under drug influence, addiction expert doctor weighs in September 27, 2012

September 30, 2012

Actor Johnny Lewis acted out under drug influence, addiction expert doctor weighs in

Actor Johnny Lewis was found dead yesterday in Los Feliz area of Los Angeles, California in what is being described as a horrific crime scene.

Reportedly Lewis’ landlady, Catherine Davis, was bludgeoned to death before he fell to his own death.

Multiple sources – including TMZ and the Los Angeles Times – report he was released from jail less than a week before police say he fatally attacked his 81-year-old landlord, despite two convictions in August that earned him jail time.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Lewis, 28, pleaded no contest Aug. 8 to one count of assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to 365 days in Los Angeles County jail with three years of probation, a district attorney’s office spokeswoman said. Nine days later, he pleaded no contest to a burglary charge in separate case and received 291 days in jail.

He was released from custody Friday afternoon, according to published online jail records show.
(more…)

Read More ›
scarysymptoms.com / SignatureMD Why You See Black and Are Dizzy After Standing September 24, 2012

September 24, 2012

Why You See Black and Are Dizzy After Standing

A cardiologist gives the reason why standing from a seated position can cause a faint feeling, dizziness or a sensation that everything is blacking out.

When you rise after sitting for a while, do you feel faint or like the room is blacking out? This is called syncope or orthostatic hypotension.
“It is a result of a drop in blood pressure after standing,” says Robert M. Davidson, MD, a cardiologist with the Division of Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles.
“It is particularly likely if your blood pressure is usually on the low side,” adds Dr. Davidson. My blood pressure is typically low, sometimes just under 100 over the low 60s or even high 50s.
Usually it comes in at something like 105 over 67. I sometimes experience that blacking out sensation after rising from being seated for a while.
(more…)
Read More ›