How to Have a Successful Doctor-Patient Relationship with Your Primary Care Doctor

Many factors contribute to your good health — and one aspect that may not surprise you is having a good rapport with your doctor. Naturally, patients want a primary care physician who can skillfully diagnose and treat their illnesses. But the most successful doctor and patient relationships pair the doctor’s knowledge with collaborative communication, involving a two-way exchange of information.

Many women chalk up menopause to be simply being the end of their monthly cycles. And while this is true, there’s a lot more involved.

For example, most women don’t know that starting their period at a young age can lead to an earlier menopause, according to MDVIP’s Women’s Health Study. The average age of menopause is only 51 – many women experience it in their 40s. Being a smoker or having a chronic illness can speed up the timeline.

Read on to answer your questions about menopause.

Covid & Mental Health Concerns

Mental health has always been an important issue in the U.S., but it shifted to the forefront of concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, 41 percent of American adults described symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder in January 2021, according to an analysis conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). The analysis also indicated more women than men were depressed or anxious during this time. 

How to Prevent Osteoporosis Before It Becomes a Problem

Osteoporosis is referred to as a silent disease because it often develops without you knowing it. Since you can’t feel bones weakening or becoming brittle, you may not realize you have osteoporosis until your first bone fracture. 

The problem is not new. For decades, women have complained that their doctors don’t listen to them, believe them, or take their symptoms seriously.

Why are doctors not listening to their female patients?

It’s not so much that doctors aren't listening to women. There are many other factors involved. I think the biggest problem is that men’s and women’s bodies don’t work the same way, which means doctors need to recognize this and treat genders differently.“

1. How Much Water Should I Drink to Stay Hydrated?

The average man should drink about 15.5 cups of water per day and the average woman should drink about 11.5 cups of water to remain hydrated according to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Unfortunately, the average American drinks only 2.5 cups of water each day, which is why an estimated 75 percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

2. Signs of Dehydration

Signs and symptoms of dehydration include:

Chronic pain affects about 50 million Americans. Sitting in meetings all day can shorten muscles and compress discs, causing aches and pain in hips and back. However, there are some steps you can take to ease and/or prevent pain. Try these tips whether you’re working at home or in a workplace setting.

1. Move around, get some walking in during the day.

Muscles tighten if you sit too long, which can ultimately cause low back pain, neck aches and even headaches. Take time throughout the day to stand up, walk around, maybe even stretch a little.

Diabetes and the Brain

Scientists have known for years that having type 2 raises your risk for dementia. In fact, scientists have considered using the term type 3 diabetes to describe Alzheimer’s disease – a debilitating form of dementia that progressively impairs cognitive health. Why? Dementia is very much influenced by the mechanics of blood glucose levels and insulin resistance.

Studies suggest that insulin resistance and too high blood sugar levels may surpass other known causes of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began a year ago, a lot of pundits, experts and epidemiologists have been talking about herd immunity. Herd immunity occurs when a high percentage of a population achieves immunity to a disease, either through exposure or vaccination, making spread of the disease unlikely, even among those who are not immune.
We hope that if we can achieve herd immunity, we’ll be able to go back to normal. But some scientists are uncertain that herd immunity is achievable for this coronavirus and a lot is up for a lot of debate.

If you have asthma, there’s a good chance that you’ll be prescribed a steroidal medication to ease airway constriction, coughing and wheezing. However, taking steroid inhalers or tablets to manage asthma or treat flare-ups raises your risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures, according to a study published in Thorax.