Dr. Murray Feingold
Dr. Murray Feingold's "Medical Minute" appears weekdays at 11:41 AM and on weekend mornings at 6:41 and 10:41. His interview feature, "One on One with Dr. Murray Feingold" can also be heard on weekday mornings.
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Flu Vaccine and Egg Allergies
For years there have been concerns about children who are allergic to eggs receiving the flu vaccine.
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Women and Alcohol
I recently read about a 22 year old women, apparently intoxicated, who was involved in a serious motor vehicle accident.
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Married Men and Strokes
A recent article reported that single men had a 64% greater chance of dying from a stroke than did married men.
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Social Media
Remember when you were in high school and had a crush on the boy or girl of your dreams.
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Fatty Liver
Today, the diagnosis of fatty liver is being made more frequently.
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Orthorexia
Most people know the term anorexia, but fewer have heard the term orthorexia.
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Emergencies
Many times you thought you should see a doctor for a worrisome medical problem. When you decide to do it, your symptoms are gone.
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Bottled Water
There is a tremendous demand for bottled water. Why is there such a great interest?
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Adult Immunizations
Many adults are not aware that there are certain immunization shots they should receive.
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Stuttering
Stuttering occurs in about 5% of children. It usually starts between ages 3 and 6 and most of the time goes away. However, stuttering is present in approximately 1% of the adult population.
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Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression is a common occurrence.
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Murtha's Surgery
The untimely death of representative Murtha from Pennsylvania raises an important point. There is a risk to any type of surgery.
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Lancet Retraction
Recently, a great deal of media attention was given to the retraction of an article published in 1998 claiming an association between autism and the measles, mumps, and rubella virus.
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Liver Spots
Certain names describing medical conditions are misleading. An example is “liver spots.”
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Computer Addicts
The advent of computers has had a significant impact on our lifestyles.
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Sleep and Aging
A study was recently done to determine the differences in sleep as we grow older.
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Nickel
Recently there was a great deal of media attention given to a report from the Center of Environmental Control regarding the presence of lead in certain handbags.
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Acetaminophen Birth Defects
Certain medications, taken during pregnancy, are associated with birth defects. Therefore, it is a good general rule not to take any medications unless there is a definite indication.
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Body Dysmorphic
Although it occurs in 1-2% of the population, many people are not aware of, and may even have, a condition called Body Dysmorphic Disorder.
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Cell Phones and Brain Tumors
Questions have been raised concerning an association between the use of cell phones and brain tumors.
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Trichotillomania
You may have a condition called trichotillomania and not even know it.
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Children of Deployed Parents
I recently wrote about the emotional toll on spouses of servicemen who were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Overweight Seniors
Studies have shown that being overweight is detrimental to your health. However, is this true for all ages?
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Colon Cancer
Colon cancer is one of the more common types of cancer. It has a good prognosis when diagnosed early, which can be made by colonoscopy. However, many people are reluctant to undergo this procedure, and, it isn’t always accurate.
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Antibiotics
One of the most important advances in the past 65 years has been the development of antibiotics.
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Insomnia
Insomnia is common, affecting approximately 10% of the population.
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Knee Arthritis
It’s medical quiz time and the question concerns a common entity, arthritis of the knee.
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Criminals
Many factors are associated with a person becoming a criminal.
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Autism
Autism has become the pediatric diagnosis of the decade. The diagnosis of autism or pervasive development disorder has increased during this time period.
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Showerhead Infections
For some people, languishing in the shower is one of their favorite times of the day. Not only are they getting clean but it is also a time for relaxation and washing away their worries.
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Snow Shoveling
We have been having a significant number of snowstorms and that means snow shoveling for many of us.
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Hangovers
The type of alcoholic beverage you drink affects the severity of the hangover you may experience.
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Ingrown Toenails
Although ingrown toenails are a common ailment, they don’t seem to get much media attention.
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Vitamin D
Recently there has been a great deal of media attention concerning adults and children having low levels of vitamin D.
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Depression
In the past, depression was treated with psychotherapy and shock therapy. Now, medications are the main form of treatment.
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Pet Walking
Although I am a pet lover, as a medical journalist it is my responsibility to report the health hazards associated with pets.
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New Year Resolutions
Many people, as they look forward to the year 2010, make plans to lead a healthier life.
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Aortic Valve Replacement
Replacement of the aortic valve is not uncommon. Reasons include aortic stenosis, the valve being closed too tightly, aortic regurgitation, the blood flowing back into the heart, calcification of the aortic valve, or congenital anomalies of the valve.
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Baby Spacing
Your first baby is four months old and you plan to have one or two more. When is the best time to have the next one?
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Mind Reading
By utilizing brain scanning studies, such as MRI’s, researchers can uncover a person’s thoughts and reactions to various stimuli.
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Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a very common skin disorder, reported to be present in 2 to 3% of the population.
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Sexually Transmitted Diseases
There was an interesting article in a recent edition of the American Journal of Public Health.
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Female Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are not uncommon. They include anorexia nervosa, binge eating, and bulimia nervosa, periods of overeating followed by purging including inducing vomiting or the use of laxatives.
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Beverage Tabs
Remember the pull-tabs on beverage cans. Before drinking, you would pull off the tab and discard it.
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Parental Support
A recent study showed that middle-aged parents are much more involved in the lives of their grown children than ever before.
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Bifocals
Many people wear bifocals, and some, trifocals.
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High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure or hypertension has been termed the silent killer because, until the blood pressure gets very high, usually there are no symptoms.
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Turtles for Sale
Although the federal government in 1975 banned the sale of turtles measuring less than 4 inches, these small turtles are still available.
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Children's Emotional Issues
All to often mothers who have emotional problems, more than fathers, are blamed for any psychological and developmental difficulties in their children.
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Adoption Disabilities
An increasing number of people are now adopting children. Because of this increased interest in adoption, the availability of children from the United States to be adopted has decreased.
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Sleeplessness
If you have difficulty sleeping, you are not alone.
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Dupuytren's Contractures
Dupuytren disease or contractures is not a rare condition. It occurs when scar tissue under the skin of the palm of the hand increases and involves the covering of the tendons of the fingers.
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100 or Older
Why do some people live to be over 100 years of age?
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Air Travel
Fewer people are traveling by air than in the recent past. Economics plays a big role.
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Recommendations
Medicine is not an exact science. Ask any woman who is now confused by the change in recommendations concerning when women should have routine mammograms and the preventative value of self breast examinations.
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Post Herpetic Neuropathy
Post herpetic neuropathy, associated with shingles, affects the nerves resulting in excruciating pain involving the area of the affected skin.
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Ear Acupuncture
Back pain is a common symptom in pregnant women, especially in the latter stages of pregnancy.
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Payroll
Recently, the word payroll has been bandied about in family discussions. It is being used in conversations regarding the children who are 20 years or older.
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Football
I enjoy watching football but from a medical point of view it is dangerous to a player’s health. It doesn’t matter if it’s at the high school or professional football level.
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Older Alcoholics
Time for our medical quiz.
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The Cry Translator
There are times when parents cannot determine why their baby is crying.
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Chronic Neck Pain
Are you one of the many thousands of people who suffer from chronic neck pain?
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Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
Abdominal aortic aneurysms are quite common. Over 10,000 people, especially older individuals, die each year from them. More men are affected than women. Smoking and hypertension are risk factors.
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Cough Phone Diagnosis
High tech innovations are an essential part of the practice of medicine. However, at times I think we have gone too far.
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Baby Strollers
This has been a bad week for baby strollers.
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The Flu
The flu, as advertised, has arrived. One pediatrician’s office was described as a mob scene with little ones all over the place snorting, sniffing, and coughing.
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Chocolate Milk
Many children, and adults, enjoy chocolate milk. It can be very tasty.
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Miscarriages
It has been estimated that a miscarriage in the first three months of pregnancy occurs in approximately 50% of all conceptions.
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ER Wait Time
When you go to a very busy restaurant you may be given some type of gadget that lights up when you are ready to be seated.
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Canine Peanut Detectors
Peanut allergies can be very dangerous. Peanuts are present in many foods and unsuspecting children, and their parents, may not be aware of their presence.
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Halloween
Have you noticed how much Halloween has changed?
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Headaches in Adolescents
Headaches are a very common symptom in adolescents, but do these headaches persist as the child becomes an adult?
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The Unemployment Blues
The dire economy has resulted in a dark emotional cloud hovering over our populace. And, it affects a lot more people than many realize.
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Chocolate
Chocolate contains a lot of fat and calories so it may not be considered an ideal health food. However, like most things, it is not all bad.
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Optimistic or Pessimistic
We all know people who appear to be happy, are optimistic, and think the glass is half full.
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Dislocated Elbow
It’s not unusual to see parents swinging their little children by the child’s extended arms.
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Traffic
Whenever I drive, I usually encounter some type of traffic congestion, and it is getting worse, not better.
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Naps
Are you one of the many people who take a nap during the afternoon?
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School Vending Machines
There has been a great deal of concern regarding the epidemic of obesity in children. Many of the excessive calories ingested by these youngsters come from eating snacks such as candy, potato chips, and sodas.
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Sleep
A recent article addressed the issue, who sleeps better—older men or older women.
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Physical Education
One place you would suspect your child to be safe is at school. But that’s not exactly true.
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Back Pain
Back pain is a common ailment and when severe enough it can significantly limit a person’s lifestyle.
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Febrile Seizures
Febrile seizures in young children are not uncommon. They occur in 3 to 5 percent of children between the ages of 6 months to 6 years. After one such seizure there is a 20% to 30% chance that it will recur.
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Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a relatively common condition.
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Newborn Testing
Newborn screening tests detect a variety of diseases, such as PKU, hypothyroidism, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell anemia.
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Aortic Aneurysm
Aortic aneurysms are not uncommon but are more frequent in individuals over age 65.
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Middle of the Night Calls
Phone calls in the middle of the night are not good for your mental health.
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Nickel Allergies
Although it is a common condition, many people are not very knowledgeable about allergies to nickel.
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Joint Replacement
Today, most people know someone who has had a joint replacement. The most common ones being knees and hips but other joint replacements are also increasing.
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Kidney Stones
If you ever passed a kidney stone you know how painful it can be.
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Aspirin and Pepcid
A large number of individuals are taking low dose aspirin to help prevent a heart attack. A side effect of taking aspirin is gastrointestinal bleeding, usually from ulcers.
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Colic
If you have ever had a baby with colic, you know how difficult it can be, for baby and parents.
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Salt Intake
Most people are aware of the association between consuming sodium and high blood pressure. A major source of sodium is salt. Salt is 40% of sodium by weight.
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Radiation Scans
One of the most important advances in diagnostic medicine is the use of varying imaging studies. Some of them, like CT scans, are associated with radiation exposure. Others, like MRI’s, are not.
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Palliative Care
In a medical setting, the term “palliative care” generally means providing care that helps alleviate pain and discomfort in patients who have conditions in which no other treatments are available.
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Video Games
Two recent articles discussed the health effects of two activities that children frequently engage in–watching television and playing active video games like Wii.
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Chocolates
I enjoy reading medical articles that support my personal life style. For example, I like eating chocolate, the less expensive the better it tastes.
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Child Rearing
Child rearing practices change from generation to generation.
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Gout
Gout is a fairly common condition.
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Archive
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Dr. Murray Feingold's "Medical Minute" appears weekdays at 11:41 AM and on weekend mornings at 6:41 and 10:41. His interview feature, "One on One with Dr. Murray Feingold" can also be heard on weekday mornings.
