Doctor Column

Five Congressmen: “Self-Quarantine.” What Might They Be Doing at Home?

April 05, 2020

Joseph R. Anticaglia MD Medical Advisory Board Five members of Congress announced they have self-quarantine themselves after having contact with a person who tested positive for Coronavirus Disease-19 [COVID-19] at a Conservative Political Action Conference in late February of this year. What might they be doing and what must you do to self-quarantine? Isolation vs. Quarantine Isolation separates “sick” people with a communicable disease from

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How is COVID-19 Different from Allergies, the Common Cold and the Flu? “When Should I Call the Doctor?”

March 25, 2020

Joseph R. Anticaglia MD Medical Advisory Board Some questions people ask about COVID-19 are: What are the symptoms? How does it spread? Should I be tested for this coronavirus? How is it treated? COVID-19 patients have a typical triad of symptoms. A U. S. congressman, infected with the disease, put it this way: “I was coughing, had a temperature of 103F and ‘I had trouble breathing.’ It was getting

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Sore Throat: “When Should You See the Doctor?”

March 25, 2020

Joseph R. Anticaglia MD Medical Advisory Board Sore throats are most commonly caused by viruses. However, about one third of the time they’re due to bacteria, especially Group A Streptococcus. Group A streptococci are found in the nose and throat and easily spread from person to person by coughing, sneezing or touching something with infected droplets on it. How can one set apart a viral from

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Dr. Li Wenliang and COVID-19: “The Chinese Hero Who Told the Truth”

March 15, 2020

Joseph R. Anticaglia MD Medical Advisory Board Physicians in different specialties frequently participate in morbidity and mortality conferences. At these conferences, the medical records of patients are presented, diseases discussed, procedures reviewed, complications noted and medical and surgical outcomes evaluated. Besides being a teaching and learning experience, the purpose of the M&M conferences is to get at the truth. If a medical or surgical procedure went badly,

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CDC Warns of Inevitable Coronavirus Outbreak in the U. S.

March 05, 2020

Joseph R. Anticaglia MD Medical Advisory Board COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) was first identified in the city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, China in December 2019. People over the age of 60 and those with significant medical conditions are more prone to have severe reactions. This virus is not slowing down! As of February 27 of this year, it has invaded fifty countries and infected more

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Vaccinations Are Not Just for Kids. They’re Crucial to Your Health and Public Safety

February 25, 2020

Joseph R. Anticaglia MD Medical Advisory Board You may think vaccinations are just for kids. Not so. Your need for vaccinations continues as you get older. For instance, you benefit by getting vaccinated against influenza annually during the fall or winter seasons. Moreover, you can benefit from newer vaccines which were not available when you were a youngster. People

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The 2019 New Coronavirus Outbreak: What You Need to Know — What to Do?

February 15, 2020

Joseph R. Anticaglia MD Medical Advisory Board On December 31, 2019, the Chinese authorities announced the discovery of a new coronavirus that has subsequently infected thousands of people worldwide, but primarily in China. The strain of this novel (new) coronavirus, also referred to as (2019-nCov), has never been previously found in humans. What You Need to Know? 1) How does the 2019-nCov spread? It’s thought

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Viruses 101 and the Body’s Battle Against These Relentless Invaders

February 05, 2020

Joseph R. Anticaglia MD Medical Advisory Board In the film, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” several people in the fictitious small town of Mira, California visit psychiatrist, Dr. Miles Bennell. They have similar complaints: the personality of their loved ones have been hijacked by some outside force changing them eventually into emotionless, robotic humans. Initially, the doctor dismisses the patients’ concerns

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Kidney Stones: “Drink Lots of Water!”

January 25, 2020

Joseph R. Anticaglia MD Medical Advisory board Have you ever heard that passing a kidney stone is more painful than giving birth or having a heart attack? That’s what Veronica told her family doctor after being asked about her medical history. She has given birth to birth to three children, suffered a heart attack and was treated for kidney stones. She said,

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What’s Gout All About? Gouty Arthritis

January 15, 2020

Joseph R Anticaglia MDMedical Advisory Board Gout is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis causing attacks of severe pain and swelling in your joints. Ninety percent of the time it affects men over the age of 30 and when it affects women, it usually involves postmenopausal women. Gout is caused by too much uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia) and in the tissues. At a certain point, uric acid forms crystals

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