I remember vividly the when CT scanners that were first put in The Johns Hopkins Hospital back in the 80’s. There were something like 5 scanners put in all at once. They were revolutionary and they blew our minds. The tests yielded grainy images and took an hour or more to construct via computer. Image evaluation was just beginning as well, so often-time the findings were of unclear significance or meaning.

Nowadays, our scanners take and process the images in the matter of a few minutes for the entire body, the scanners are ubiquitous, and the imaging accuracy & understanding has massively improved. I have seen this revolution during my career and it continues to benefits us through diagnostics and treatment in innumerable ways.

There are so many facets to CAT scanning that are fascinating, from the history of the CT scan as it relates to the music group THE BEATLES and their record company EMI (Read >>>>HERE<<<), to seeing how a modern scanner works behind the scenes view the video here.

Taking drugs from the bench to the bedside is the ultimate challenge for pharmaceutical companies.

Listen to this English researcher clearly explain how the basic scientific principles he uses in his research have led to the development of an extremely effective new therapy in breast and ovarian cancer. Fascinating and well stated.

The value of genetic testing more broadly is controversial, but I think everyone has an interest in knowing if they are at increased risk for cancer.

If you satisfy criteria for testing (positive family history that is considered ‘significant’ by insurance standards) then you can get genetic testing at our office through Myriad labs and your insurance will pay for most (or all) of the testing.

But…if you don’t qualify by specific criteria, you can order genetic testing yourself, for $225 from Millennium labs, and with a simple cheek swab, you can find out if you have increased genetic risk for breast cancer/ovarian cancer (BRCA genes) or 30 other genes associated with cancer risk.

If you are interested….order >>>>HERE<<< and tell them your physician’s name (Doctor Lakin) and they will confirm the testing is to be done and you’ll get results in 2 weeks.

UTI stands for Urinary Tract Infection…also know as a bladder infection.

The are among the most common infections affecting adults in they used to be very easy to treat as the bacteria causing such infections were uniformly sensitive to all the various antibiotics we prescribe.

But over the years, we are experiencing more and more difficulty with these infections due to a variety of factors, most important of which is antibiotic resistance. This is most important for woman, as they get the majority (90%) of the UTI’s in the US.

You can read more about the antibiotic resistance concerns in UTI.    >>>HERE<<<

But to manage UTI symptoms, please read below and know that you can always find this type of information in the Library on this website or in THE NEW GUIDE available at www.doctordougbooks.com

This information and other health topics can be found at….
DoctorDoug.com

URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS:

Bladder infections, also called urinary tract infections (UTI), are commonplace in women. Although they may occur in men, this is very rare.

Risk Factors:
Most urinary tract infections occur spontaneously and are not the result of personal habits of hygiene. Risk factors for recurring infection include:

• Previous UTI
• Sexual intercourse
• Lack of hormone (post-menopausal state without hormone supplementation)

Symptoms:
Most people are aware of these, but if you’ve not had a UTI previously, here is the list
• Frequent urination
• Burning with urination (painful)
• Cloudy urine
• Blood in the urine
• Fever (low grade or high temperature)

Evaluation:
If possible it is best to have a urine specimen checked for infection. This is the simplest way to diagnose a UTI. If you have had UTI’s in the past and are familiar with the symptoms, then testing the urine is not required. Typically, the urine specimen shows the presence of white blood cells or red blood cells. Culture can confirm the specific bacterial germ involved.

Treatment:

Antibiotics are the required treatment. As most antibiotics concentrate in the urine, as they are cleared by the kidneys, antibiotics tend to be very effective for treatment and a virtual ‘guaranteed’ cure, so long as the causative bacteria is not resistant.

A Patient Emailed Me:

Hi Doc,

Should I be concerned and switch my anti-depressant since it’s on the list of medications potentially causing dementia?  I tried other medications in the past but they didn’t work as well & I felt awful and went back to Paxil.  I’ve been on it for 18 yrs now, so maybe it’s too late. 

Good news…I found my car keys and know where they go🚗

Sue

I Responded:

This is not a major concern…..there is a ‘questionable’ association…..but no proof of connection.

All medications have different kinds of ‘questionable’ statistical associations of different sorts….Advil/Aleve…..with stroke/heart attack…..……aspirin….with bleeding issues. The list is endless.

This is a ‘sexy’ topic…so it gets quite the attention, but the over-riding focus should be on the definitive benefits you are getting now. If they are definite in your mind, then you should continue to stay on the medication unless we hear clear-cut evidence.

D

PS…Driving your car is 10,000 times more risky then your medications.