Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Medical Advisory Board Glaucoma is a chronic eye disease that progresses slowly over time causing loss of eyesight. There is a buildup of pressure within the eye, because the eye’s drainage system is malfunctioning. A narrowing or complete blockage of the drainage system prevents fluid from flowing out of the eye in a normal fashion. This causes an excessive buildup of pressure within the eye that
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Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Medical Advisory Board Several years ago, I spoke with a parent and his son, Adrian, who excelled in the classroom and was a star football athlete. In his junior year of high school, he was on top of the world sifting through scholarship offers from first-rate universities. He was upbeat and confident about the future. That all changed in his senior year
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Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Medical Advisory Board In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a medical procedure used to help couples have a baby who are dealing with fertility issues. It is the most common form of assisted reproductive technology (ART) which involves combining an egg and sperm outside the body in a laboratory. Couples are evaluated to understand the reason(s) for the infertility and treatment strategies using IVF
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Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Medical Advisory Board Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a type of blood cancer that grows slowly, more commonly in men and typically diagnosed after the age of 60 years. It is rarely seen in children. The cancer particularly damages B lymphocytes which are white blood cells. The lymphocytes develop from stem cells in the bone marrow. The cancer interferes with B lymphocyte production
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Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Medical Advisory board Puberty is the time of life when boys and girls transition from childhood into adulthood. During this period of development, their bodies go through physical, hormonal and psychological changes. It happens typically for boys between 9 to 14 years of age and for girls between 8 to 13 years of age. Some of the changes include the development of secondary sexual characteristics, growth
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Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Medical Advisory Board T-cells are white blood cells, also called T lymphocytes which partner with B-cells to protect us from infections and harmful intruders such as cancer cells. T cells are part of the immune system that behave like specialized sentinels guarding, responding, and neutralizing threats to our bodies. They develop from stem cells in the bone marrow and
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Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Medical Advisory Board Like an office building using a surveillance system and a man to identify and prevent unwanted visitors from entering the premises, the immune system uses an army of specialized cells and organs to identify, and prevent foreign invaders from debilitating our bodies. An indispensable part of the body’s defense system includes B and T cells which are special units
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Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Medical Advisory Board Music can be a powerful tonic or a painful memory and many things in between. It surrounds us at home, in the car, and even in the elevator. It’s ubiquitous. Governments unify a nation with their anthems. The military arouses its army with their patriotic melodies. Religions use it as part of their rituals. Families observe togetherness with music; for example, at birthdays,
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Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Medical Advisory Board Physicians know to treat the patient, not the Xray or the thermometer. Mitchell, a 34 year-old CPA, complained over the past two days of coughing, difficulty swallowing, having a severe sore throat and “running a high temperature.” Examination: His throat was slightly red with yellow mucus dripping down the back of his throat. There were swollen
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Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Medical Advisory Board “Traditional Vaccines, I noted, “are made of whole or parts of dead or weakened viruses or bacteria. Once a person is vaccinated against a specific virus, for example, the Hepatitis B virus, the immune system manufactures neutralizing antibodies against that virus. It also puts the ‘face’ of the virus into its memory bank. The next time the person is exposed to the
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