How to Enjoy Holiday Parties and Not Feel Guilty About Indulging

From now until New Year’s, you will be tempted and titillated to taste the bountiful treats of pastries, drinks, and lavish meals put before you at parties, family gatherings, and other social events. So how do you come up with a plan to indulge during the holidays but not regret your mischievous... Read More

Untreated Depression May Be the Real Reason Someone You Know Still Smokes

It is hard to imagine how anyone who lives in America today is unaware of the myriad of health problems associated with smoking cigarettes — from developing lung cancer to colon cancer to even breast cancer. You know the ol’ saying that “ignorance is bliss,” but when it comes to the dangers... Read More

Frank Talk About HIV/AIDS with Black Men

HIV/AIDS is increasingly an epidemic in the black community. African Americans account for a whopping 50% of all those living with HIV today, 45% of those newly infected each year and about half of all deaths. If black America were its own country, it would rank 105th in the world for life expectancy,... Read More

Depression Explained

Facts About Depression Depression is a common health condition—5-20 percent of people will experience significant depression at some time in their lives. True depression or clinical depression is not the same as just feeling down or depressed about something. Most people find it hard to determine... Read More

Five Common Health Issues That Can Ruin Your Marriage or Any Relationship If Ignored

1. Premature ejaculation Premature ejaculation (PE) is a very common condition affecting many men. For the average male, the time from insertion to ejaculation is less than three minutes. The definition of PE is ejaculation that occurs prior to when a man wishes or occurs too quickly during intercourse... Read More

African American Women Die from Breast Cancer Twice that of Whites??

Breast cancer in African American women is something we can’t afford to stop talking about. Each year, an estimated 40,000 women will die from breast cancer. Nearly 6,000 will be African-American women. You do the math. African American women make-up roughly about 7% of the U.S. population... Read More

Lower Vitamin D Levels in African-Americans May Up Heart Disease Risks

New research suggests that low blood levels of vitamin D may increase a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke, among other serious illnesses such as: diabetes, peripheral artery disease, high blood pressure, cancer and kidney disease. Vitamin D is found very rarely in unfortified... Read More

Good Sources of Protein

Seafood Seafood is an excellent source of protein because it’s usually low in fat. Fish such as salmon is a little higher in fat, but it is the heart-healthy kind: omega-3 fatty acids. White-Meat Poultry Stick to the white meat of poultry for excellent, lean protein. Dark meat... Read More

Personal Medical History Record, Do You Need One?

The command “Know Thy Health” is not one of the Ten Commandments, but it should be. Most people likely know their car’s history better than their own health history. Why is it that we keep track of the details about certain things in our lives, such as our cars and investments, but we often... Read More

Do Women Really Need Annual Mammograms starting at Age 40??

Guidelines were published on 11/16/09 by the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force, a government-backed physician group, that said women 40 to 49 years of age no longer need to get annual mammograms, unless at high risk for breast cancer. The task force made these recommendations largely due to a... Read More

Goal Numbers for Good Health

Total Cholesterol Less than 200 LDL (“Bad”) Cholesterol Less than 160—for people who are low risk of heart disease Less than 130—for people who are medium risk for heart disease Less than 70-100— for people who are high risk for heart disease HDL (“Good”) Cholesterol 50... Read More

Can Snoring Kill You?

Some people who snore while sleeping may have a health condition call obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or just sleep apnea for short. Often people take this condition for granted, but if you or a loved one has this condition that is not being treated it can cause very serious health problems. Facts... Read More

How to Quit Smoking

Cigarette smoking causes many health problems. I don’t believe that thereis a single person in America who does not know that smoking is bad for theirhealth. Simply put, I think there are very few people who are smoking because they truly want to smoke. For most people, I think that there are... Read More

Am I Having a Heart Attack?

Symptoms of a Heart Attack: Chest Discomfort – Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest. It may last more than a few minutes or the discomfort can feel like one or more of the following: Pressure Squeezing Fullness Pain Upper Body Discomfort – Symptoms... Read More

10 Money-Saving Tips for Prescription Medication

Consider these additional tips to save money on your prescriptions. Most of these helpful suggestions will work for anyone—in other words, no need to qualify to make most of these tips work for you. Talk to Your Doctor. Tell your doctor if paying for prescription medication is a problem. He... Read More

A List of Free Health Care Resources

Click on this link to go to page of free health care resources list: http://www.jeffreybrownmd.com/free-health-care-resources Most of the health resources provide free health-related information, education, and support. The majority of the contacts have toll-free numbers and click-able Web addresses. If... Read More

Can You Get Cancer from Drinking Soft Drinks?

A study conducted by scientists at UCLA found that pancreatic cancer cells grew faster when “fed” with fructose (a type of sugar) as compared to other forms of sugar. Fructose is a simple sugar found in vegetables and fruit. Most soft drinks are sweetened with this type of sugar which... Read More

Sample Letter Requesting Medical Records

People often find the thought of requesting medical records somewhat intimidating. If you do, try to remember that it’s your right to request and receive your own medical information.  All you have to do is ask for it, and I’ve provided a sample letter for you to copy to make the request even... Read More

Is Redundant Medication Costing You Money?

Redundant Medication A very common problem in health care today is over-medication, or even redundant medication. Redundant medication means that a person is taking two or more drugs that have the same or similar effects. This situation is most commonly due to poor communication between... Read More

Drug Allergy Versus Drug Intolerance: Why You Should Know the Difference

Drug Allergy Versus Drug Intolerance: Know the Difference We all need to know the difference between a true drug allergy and drug intolerance. Being aware of the difference could save your life. Drug intolerance means that your body reacts in a mild to moderate way to a medication. It is usually... Read More

Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Orders?

Anytime you are in a hospital, nursing home, or other health care facility you can request a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order from your doctor. You can do this even if you have not completed a living will or a durable power of attorney for health care. Let’s examine a few facts about choosing DNR.... Read More

How to Find the Best Doctor for You

Taking care of your health is a life-long job. It is a job that is 100 percent your responsibility. But you must not overlook the importance of picking a smart, reliable, and caring health care team to give you guidance, insight, and support in meeting your health care needs. Your health care... Read More

Protect Your Rights as a Patient with Advance Directives

You have the right to choose what kind of health care you want—to determine what happens to you if you’re sick and unable to communicate. In addition, you have the right to determine what should happen to your body parts after you leave this world. These decisions can be made by completing... Read More

Questions to Ask Your Doctor Before Starting a New Medication

Let’s review a set of questions that you should ask before taking a new medicine. Don’t forget to ask these questions about the medications you currently take as well. Critical Questions for Your Health Care Provider Ask these questions of your health care provider before taking a new medicine: What... Read More

Do Cell Phones Cause Brain Cancer?

Can long-term cell phone use cause adverse health effects and even brain cancer? The research is split if long-term cell phone use causes adverse health effects or not. Some studies done found no correlation between cell phone use and brain tumors, but yet others have suggested that people... Read More

Herbal Treatment of Hot Flashes?

If you are experiencing hot flashes that are significant enough to impact your day-to-day activities and you want to take an herbal approach to treatment, there are a few options. But this is a tough one because no one thing works well for everyone. Essentially if you want to go strictly herbal,... Read More