Smoking is the number one cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema. But nonsmokers have been diagnosed with it more and more frequently. Why? The answer may be ozone. Good Versus Bad Ozone You remember the hole in the ozone layer. It is not that ozone. Ozone in the stratosphere is good ozone. Over six miles above the ground, ozone...
Read MoreDid You Know that Pain Psychologists Exist?
Chronic pain is not well understood, especially its mental and emotional facets. That’s why pain psychology as a psychological specialty is so beneficial. Pain psychologists are PhD level clinical psychologists who have completed an APA-accredited post-doctoral fellowship in chronic pain. Pain Sufferers According to a report by the CDC, approximately...
Read MoreWhy Speaking Up Matters And Why It Is Difficult
Recently researchers added a question to a common survey that patients can complete after they are discharged from the hospital. The question – “How often did you feel comfortable speaking up if you had any problems in your care?” available answers included: “(1) no problems during hospitalization, (2) always felt comfortable...
Read MoreGuest Post: Excerpts from “Remnant of My Heart”
Phantom pain–pain experienced after limb amputation– used to be understood as something “in your head” but now it is recognized as real; fMRIs have shown that peripheral and central nervous system changes occur which cause this pain. The brain image on the left shows how the person with phantom pain has a greater amount of their brain lit up...
Read MoreWatch Out: PFAS
When you buy bottled water, you are buying it for its purity compared to water from the tap. But you may be making a mistake. At least that is the case with bottled water that is on the shelves of many stores in the United States. Recently, the Environmental Working Group, a non profit based in Washington, DC released a report naming 610 places in 43 states...
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