Charlotte Edition

By Alyssa Parker – Pneumatic compression devices are one of the most highly recommended treatments for limb swelling and are a Medicare approved treatment option. Dating back to the 1960’s pneumatic compression pumps have been used for the treatment of limb swelling due to acute and chronic conditions. In most cases compression pumps are used for swelling associated with lymphedema …

Marc A. Melser, MD Unfortunately, aging brings on additional health concerns. One of these is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). BPH is a condition where the prostate gland becomes enlarged. This is extremely common in men. There are two main stages of a man’s life when his prostate undergoes significant growth (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). The first stage occurs …

By Dr. Alexander Gaukhman As you might guess, the number-one dental problem among preschoolers is tooth decay. • One out of 10 two- year-olds already have one or more cavities • By age three, 28% of children have one or more cavities • By age five, nearly 50% of children have one or more cavities “Many parents assume that cavities …

You probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the butterfly-shaped gland in your neck which helps regulate metabolism, heart rate, energy levels and body temperature. But thyroid disorders are very common. It’s estimated that 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease, and as many as 60 percent of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their …

Your heart works hard for you nonstop for your whole life. So show it some TLC. Making small changes in your habits can make a real difference to your ticker. You don’t have to work on all 10 steps at once. Even if you improve just one or two of these areas, you can make yourself less likely to get heart …

By Anne-Marie Chalmers, MD Think fish oil. If your gut reaction is “yuck,” you are in good company. Whether it’s from remembering Grandma’s cod liver oil or taking the foul horse-pills in the cupboard, the majority of us believe that fish oil ought to taste bad. We put up with the fishy taste and smell because, well, it’s hard to argue …

We’ve all seen the movie scenes where a man gasps, clutches his chest and falls to the ground. In reality, a heart attack victim could easily be a woman, and the scene may not be that dramatic. “Although men and women can experience chest pressure that feels like an elephant sitting across the chest, women can experience a heart attack without …

CPR & SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST While the terms heart attack, cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death are often used as if they are synonymous, they aren’t.  A heart attack occurs when the blood flow supply to the heart muscle through a coronary artery is severely reduced or cut off completely. Typically this is from a clot, leading to damage to …

Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, or just trying to maintain your New Year’s “get fit” resolutions, February is Heart Health Month and a good reminder of the importance of keeping our tickers in top notch.  For people with heart and vascular disorders, this is of critical importance. In recent years there has been a multitude of studies on the effectiveness of …

On July 20th, 1969 America did the impossible: it landed two men on the moon. To say this was an unfathomable concept for its time would be an understatement. In a time where basic computers filled entire buildings, the technology and know-how to launch a manned flight seemed decades beyond our grasp. In truth, the Apollo Program was an extraordinary …