By Russ George Guest speaker for the Diabetes Club of Fox Valley’s September 14 membership meeting, was Maricela (Mari) Perez-Renteria, MSN, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, a nurse practitioner and owner of Santa Maria Health, in Aurora. Mari worked for Aunt Martha’s for 17 years prior to the opening of Santa Maria Health.
Is Neosporin a Devil in Disguise? Neosporin, known as triple antibiotic ointment, is a medication that’s been used to reduce the risk of infections following minor skin injuries. It was created in the 1950s and approved for use by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in 1971. It does not
Story One. You’ve probably heard the story about the cocktail party. There was small talk and a smattering of serious conversation as well. Cedric, a small business owner, was in a group with Anna, an attorney. Cedric posed a legal question to which Anna hesitated to reply in detail. After
June, Men’s Health Month, is an opportunity for men to focus on their physical and mental health and consider the steps needed to prevent and detect health problems. In addition, it’s a time to raise awareness relative to men’s health issues and encourage men to prioritize their health and well-being.
Wikipedia defines Artificial Intelligence (AI) as “… perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by humans … [including] speech recognition, computer vision, translation between languages, as well as other mappings of inputs.” Currently, AI is reported as either dangerous, useful or just silly. Some reports
Aurora African American Health Coalition will hold its 16th annual health fair from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 10 at Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Avenue in Aurora. The event will open with free health screenings at 7:30 a.m.. Sign up at empower.health. The public is invited. Admission
Salt, table salt, sodium chloride, NaCl, has a history that stretches back millennia. It’s mentioned in several old texts, including the Bible, and it would be rare to find anyone who doesn’t know what it is and what it’s used for. In most of our history, salt has been on
Risk is a relative term that applies to groups, not individuals. If all is held equal in a group, changing one element can increase or decrease overall risk for the group, but not the risk to each individual who makes up that group. What’s the point in making a change
The United States and New Zealand are the only two countries in the world that allow drug companies to market prescription drugs directly to potential patients on TV, radio, print, and social media. Visitors from other countries are often shocked when they see ads in the U.S. which promote expensive
Media unrelentingly blasts us with drug advertising. Most often, the drugs are referred to medicines, or treatments. In recent years we’ve been hearing about adjunct treatments – which generally means that there’s another drug that a person can take along with the drug(s) they already take, which might help the
The Standard American Diet (SAD) often fails to supply the amount of useful nutrition we hope it would. Convenience seems to have taken the lead when it comes to getting food from the fields to our tables. Science and business have joined hands in altering food items so they will
It used to be called “cold and flu season”. Since the COVID years, we seem to want to ignore that seasonal changes bring on troublesome symptoms. For the moment, let’s sidestep the health complaints associated with actual infections, bacterial and otherwise, and turn our attention to less onerous maladies. As
“Scott Raymond Adams is an American author and cartoonist. He is the creator of the syndicated Dilbert comic strip, and the author of several nonfiction works of satire, commentary, and business.” (Wikipedia). I listen to his blogs, and I’ve read several of his books. He’s entertaining and informative. In recent
After a visit to my doctor, it was once again time to add a prescription to my roster of medications for mysterious maladies affecting me, maladies that can’t be controlled by consuming mass quantities of Bud Lite. I picked up my new prescription, some medication I hadn’t had the pleasure
Jean Benson of Aurora gets a blood-pressure check at Active Senior Expo Wednesday, Sept. 14, at Courtyard Banquets in Warrenville.
Commonly, a profession is a paid occupation, one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification. Someone talented at a sport, for example, who works diligently at perfecting her skills, is a professional athlete when she gets paid for playing her sport. Most of us could paint a house, and
Scott Adams is the creator of the comic strip Dilbert. He’s the successful author of non-Dilbert-related works, including a popular novel called “The Religion War.” He recently proclaimed that we are all living at the threshold of the Golden Age. How can anyone possibly think that things are improving when
The phone number 988 is now active across the United States for those who are experiencing a suicidal crisis, mental health crisis, and/or emotional distress. You can: • Call 988 or • Text 988 or• Chat online at 988Lifeline.org/chat Those in need of care will be connected to trained and
Popular for decades, the Doris Day song, “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be Will Be)”, speaks directly to a belief system that many people want to disagree with. There’s a deeply-held trust that everything is caused by something else, often referred to as cause-and-effect. It appears that way, but what
The ECHO Group, an Aurora non profit, is offering free COVID-19 testing at Wesley United Methodist Church, 14 N. May Street in Aurora. The public is invited. Parking is free. Use door 3 on the church’s southwest side. Tests are offered from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays. Walk-ins are welcome.
