Author - The Durango Herald

Prepare properly and you’ll enjoy your next hike

On the recommendation of a good friend and hiking mentor, my daughter and I recently hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. It was an awesome experience, and we treasured both the time spe...

DATE: May 4, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Healing heels: Take care when caring for them

There is nothing glamorous about the heel bone, known as the calcaneus, the heel’s Latin name. Despite significant improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of calcaneus fractu...

DATE: Apr 27, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Early detection aids autism treatment

Last month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated statistics on the prevalence of autistic spectrum disorder among children. The results, compiled ...

DATE: Apr 20, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Open your mouth – you can learn a lot about your health

Your dental health has a lot to do with your general health. For two weeks during the summer after my first year of medical school, I shadowed a dentist working in a community he...

DATE: Apr 6, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Energy drinks can fill kids with too much caffeine

There’s a disturbing trend in beverage consumption in the U.S. involving caffeine, particularly among children and adolescents. The trend involves rising use of so-called energy ...

DATE: Mar 30, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

You probably haven’t heard of this condition

Much attention has been paid to concussions in the past several years, and it has cast a rather dark shadow, especially on athletes and athletics. There is nothing quite as valua...

DATE: Mar 23, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Common pain relievers give you a headache

It is a matter of common sense that among all the medications on the market, both prescription and nonprescription, people tend to regularly take the medications that make them feel better. ...

DATE: Mar 15, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Lose weight – even a little – for your health

You don’t have to look far to realize obesity is a common problem in the United States. Its impact on the health of our nation continues to grow. In November 2013, the American H...

DATE: Mar 1, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Hey, gentlemen: you’re more likely to lose color vision

Serving in the role of medical examiner for the Federal Aviation Administration was a satisfying phase of my medical career. After a decade or more of doing exams for third-class...

DATE: Feb 22, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

If that throbbing is a migraine, you’re not alone

There are few benign acute health problems more disabling than a migraine. Yet, this common condition affects tens of millions of children and adults each year in the United States, resultin...

DATE: Feb 15, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Fluoridation is a key pillar of public health

Infectious disease control. Proving the dangers of tobacco. Motor-vehicle safety. These advances are a few of what comprise the 10 great public health achievements in the 20th century, accor...

DATE: Feb 2, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Keep marijuana, related edibles out of kids’ reach

One Sunday years ago, I answered a telephone call from a worried mother – her 3-year-old daughter had consumed a marijuana-laced brownie. The clinic being closed, I suggested she stop by my ...

DATE: Jan 25, 2014 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch