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The A1C blood test provides information about average levels of blood sugar and can be used to diagnose certain types of diabetes.

Some medical imaging tests can involve exposure to ionizing radiation, and patients should know the risks.

The medical field has made substantial investments in developing new, ground-breaking pharmaceuticals designed to support those on a path to health and wellness. Though, a one-dimensional emphasis on external sources of therapeutic help doesn’t take into consideration one of the most powerful tools available. 

For several months, news has spread of a previously undocumented illness that physicians are linking to the use of e-cigarettes or vaping.

Every two minutes in the United States, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. It is the most common cancer in women other than skin cancer. The good news is that since about 1990, the chances of surviving breast cancer are continuing to improve, probably due to early detection, increased awareness and improved treatment techniques.

Nursing a newborn is a labor of love, one that requires a mother’s body to produce a wholesome, fully nourishing and protective substance called breast milk. 

A hernia is when something bulges through a space that should not exist. The confusing thing is that there are MANY types of hernias and not all hernias cause problems for patients.

Most people hearing the term “TBI,” or Traumatic Brain Injury, may automatically assume the cause is a catastrophic car collision, or perhaps a fall from a ladder.

If you want to prevent suicide, it's important to understand depression. While most of us feel sad or low, sometimes, feelings of depression are longer lasting and often more severe for those experiencing it.

For many people, coming down with the flu can mean about two weeks of illness, without the need for advanced medical care.

This healthy option for a popular meal or snack makes four servings. Take fresh pico de gallo (also called salsa Fresca), combine with cooked chicken, vegetables and cheese to make this healthy baked, not fried, meal.

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month and reminds parents to schedule an eye exam and vision screening as children ready for back to school time.

Most of you have probably seen the television commercial where a woman falls and says, “I have fallen and can’t get up!” That ad illustrates that we often think we do not need help until we actually really need help.

Early next month, residents of Lompoc can learn the basic skills to keep people with potentially life-threatening injuries alive until professional help arrives. The Lompoc Hospital District Foundation has asked me to present FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) training called “Stop the Bleed.” The lecture and training will be given from 6 to 8 pm September 4, but reservations are required by August 31. The class will be held in the Ocean’s Seven Café at Lompoc Valley Medical Center.

In their counseling sessions, parents often have questions for me, or other counselors, regarding social media and how it’s affecting their children.