National Child Passenger Safety Week

Take steps to protect vision

The increased incidence of drug overdose deaths has garnered the attention of the American public due in large part to media coverage surrounding the opioid epidemic, which has reached record levels in recent years.

Optimism is the cornerstone of resilience

Balance is the key

The final stretch of high school

Comprehensive multidisciplinary care for cleft lip and palate

Specialty training and residency positions are a next step

As we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month this May, it can be helpful to focus on the “health” aspect of mental health.

Serving the Shreveport-Bossier community for 50 years

A personal reflection on the impact of substance abuse disorder

Local and international research on diagnosis and treatment

Clinical trials are formal scientific studies that determine the safety and effectiveness of new medications and medical devices before they can receive approval for use by patients.

Thriving on focus, novelty and excitement

What is occupational therapy?

Let’s change mindsets and make hearing care a reality for all

William was a typical 16-year-old. He was fun and energetic and loved playing baseball and video games and spending time with his friends.

Unsung Heroes: The vital role of patient support networks in surgery

The forecast is not optimistic, but programs are available

Treating recurrent ear infections in children

The most common types of heart disease

We have all heard the list of what leads to a healthy heart: eating well, exercising, avoiding smoking, maintaining a normal weight, regular visits with your health care provider, etc.

Recently, a homeless lady in our community was sitting on the sidewalk with all her belongings in the wee hours of the morning. She wasn’t trespassing, disturbing the peace or breaking any law, but a concerned citizen made a 911 call.

Most people have heard of diabetes and know that it’s a condition when blood glucose (sugar) levels are high. What many may not know is that high blood glucose can lead to damage to a lot of organs and tissues throughout the body.

Everybody desires a healthy and long life. Not only is eating a nutritious diet important, but so is completing routine screening tests.

As with many disease processes, we know that prevention is key. Even with dementia or cognitive decline, there are many things we can do throughout our life span, no matter when we start, that can have a positive impact on our cognitive and memory health.

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) celebrates National Physical Therapy Month in October.

Empower yourself by being proactive in your breast health

Over the years, PA Day morphed into an entire week of events and articles celebrating PAs and their chosen profession. PA stands for “physician assistant” or “physician associate,” depending on where you look.

In the world of children and adolescents, the challenges they face are as diverse as their young minds themselves. From the rollercoaster of emotions to the pressures of academic success, navigating these formative years can be tough.

Heart disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, and it’s essential to take steps to prevent it at every age. Whether you’re in your 20s or your 80s, there are simple lifestyle changes you can make to protect your heart and reduce your risk of developing heart disease.

A landmark study developed by the World Health Organization in conjunction with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in 2019 revealed an estimation that one in three people in the world are living with a health condition that could benefit from rehabilitative services.

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Over the past three decades, obesity rates in children in the U.S. have tripled. In the 1970s, 5% of U.S. children ages 2-19 were obese.

Joe Bluhm has worked on Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning animation productions and illustrated a New York Times bestselling picture book.

However, there are countless instances of unintentional overdose that can take a toll no less surprising and no less severe on the individuals and those with whom their lives intertwine.

As we head into Health Aging Month in September, LSU Health Shreveport has some tips to share on how we can all prioritize our health as we age.

The LSU Health Sciences Foundation will host the 12th annual An Evening for Healers at the Shreveport Convention Center on Thursday, Aug. 31.

The summer is over, and it is time for our kids to return to school. While most children adjust to the beginning of the school year in a month, there are certain things that parents can do to help make the adjustment easier. Interestingly, much of adapting to a new school year relates to how the previous school year ended.

People wear their health on their skin. One of the major threats to human skin health is natural sunlight. Premature skin aging and skin cancer are both related to a prolonged history of sun exposure. Skin aging can be divided into two basic processes: intrinsic or programmed aging and photoaging.

Students often begin preparing to apply for medical school as early as middle and high school by taking advanced science courses, attending pre-med workshops, shadowing physicians and even working in medical settings. For others, the desire to attend medical school comes later in their young lives, when they are.

Turning on the news in the morning, we viewers are often informed of yet another shooting in the United States. The U.S. has faced at least 202 mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. There have been more mass shootings than days in 2023.

I can’t wait to see you tomorrow!” an enthusiastic camper claims as she hugs her counselor tightly. For 22 years, Camp Tiger has provided a free, five-day camp for children with disabilities such as Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and more in the Shreveport-Bossier area.

Clinical trial opportunities at LSU Health Shreveport include the New Ideas study (www.ideas-study.org/), which enrolls African American and Hispanic patients interested in receiving an amyloid PET scan. The goal is to determine the utility of amyloid PET scans in treating Alzheimer’s disease and is funded by Medicare.

These professionals have gone by several different names over the years, initially referred to as medical technologists, then later called clinical laboratory scientists. In recent years, they underwent a new name change to medical laboratory scientists, which better depicts what these health care professionals do.

Sheila is a 78-year-old gardener, an avid reader and a retired high school teacher. She has three beautiful daughters and five adorable grandkids. Sheila was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease four years ago and has recently moved to a memory care center.

Few will argue that a strong shower is a great way to start the day. It invigorates you and gets you ready to hit the ground running. On the flip side, low shower pressure first thing in the morning may be quite disappointing. Much like low shower pressure, poor urination in men can be quite frustrating and significantly impact their quality of life.

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, a national observance held annually in the United States. This celebration encourages Americans to lead a healthy and active lifestyle by engaging in regular physical activity and participating in sports.

May is Stroke Awareness Month, an opportunity to raise awareness about strokes and their impact on individuals and communities. Strokes can happen to anyone, regardless of age or gender, and can lead to serious disability or even death. A stroke is a life-altering event for the patient as well as family members and caretakers.

Celiac disease is a disease of the gut that causes small intestine irritation. Celiac disease occurs due to an immune reaction to gluten in the diet. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. More than 200,000 individuals per year will develop celiac disease in the United States.

Everyone agrees that early detection and prevention are key in cancer survival. Getting screened on the recommended schedule gives one the best opportunity to find cancer at its smallest state. The earlier cancer is found, the better one’s chances are for treatment and survival.

very parent can imagine the fear they would experience if their child were to go missing. But what if your child can’t say their name, address or even respond if a searcher were to call their name? This is the fear that many parents of a child with autism live with.

While the most recognized symptoms are motor, including tremors, rigidity or muscle stiffness, bradykinesia, which means small or slow movements, and gait and posture problems, there are nonmotor symptoms for Parkinson’s disease.

Sleep deprivation is when an individual sleeps fewer hours at night or gets up in the morning unrefreshed.

The kidney is a vital organ in the body that cleans the blood of toxins we consume daily in our diet. Each kidney comprises over one million filters that work 24/7 to ensure the blood is free of all potentially harmful chemicals.

Do you have a favorite band you have always wanted to see live in concert? Mine is The Killers, and in 2017, I waited all day in line with my sister so we could have the perfect spot to see them. Although we reached the front row, we found ourselves directly in front of the speakers.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and second leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society and the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable. Colorectal cancer is cancer of the large intestine, comprising the colon and rectum.

amara felt stressed. She had observed that Toby, her 10-yearold son, did not respond when she called his name. He had failed his hearing screen in school twice, and his grades were dropping. Today she had brought Toby to meet with Toby’s ENT doctor, Dr. Leslie Smith.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers to affect women in the United States. Almost one in every eight women will get breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. This means that many people know a friend or family member who has had breast cancer.

There is no doubt that parenting is one of the most rewarding yet also one of the most challenging undertakings in which a person can engage. When a parent has a child with a physical disability, the tasks involved in parenting now seem all the more challenging.

The changing of the seasons is an exciting time for many. Late fall and winter are typically an occasion for holiday celebrations and gathering time for families worldwide. However, the progression toward shorter days, longer nights and colder weather can be problematic for some.

Glaucoma, a disease that decreases vision, is a leading cause of blindness in patients over 60. It affects the optic nerve and side vision in the early stages. As the disease progresses, it impacts central vision as well. The optic nerve is like an electric cable between the eye and the brain that allows you to see.

The holiday season is a special time when we celebrate various cultural traditions with family and friends. For some, however, the chores of cooking, hosting family gatherings and gift-giving can lead to stress and burnout. Nevertheless, if we stay balanced in mind and body, this can be a season of peace, joy and love.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common virus and causes respiratory illness in children. RSV infection can range from asymptomatic or cold-like symptoms to severe infection requiring admission to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis in children, inflammation of the airways in the lungs.

Each year, International Day of Persons with Disabilities is celebrated on Dec. 3 as a way to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.

Caregivers of people with dementia, often viewed as invisible second patients, face daily challenges that negatively affect their quality of life. As a society and individuals, we should commend and support caregivers for their critical role in the life of a friend or loved one.

Cancer is still an unfortunate possibility for people who have never smoked or smoked very little (less than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime). Although most people with lung cancer are or were smokers, up to 20% of all lung cancers occur in those who never smoked.

Every year, national Physician Assistant (PA) Week kicks off on Oct. 6 with PA Day and ends on Oct. 12. While the PA profession is over 50 years old, many are still unfamiliar with what a PA does. Considering the evolution of the profession, this is not surprising.

Oct. 22 is recognized as International Stuttering Awareness Day. This year’s theme of “Being Seen, Being Heard” focuses on normalizing a disorder that affects approximately three million Americans and over 70 million people worldwide. (www. stutteringhelp.

As medical education and technology improve across our nation, so must the training curriculum and teaching spaces at LSU Health Shreveport.

A l z h e i m e r ’s disease is accurate identification of the disease. In many diseases, like chickenpox or COVID, there are unambiguous clinical signs or reasonably accurate diagnostic tests. But the main sign of Alzheimer’s, evaluation for depression or other mental health conditions.

Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder in the world, and according to the CDC, as of 2015, 1.2% of the U.S. population had active epilepsy. This is about 3.4 million people with epilepsy nationwide: three million adults and 470,000 children.

Did you realize that newly minted doctors are not eligible to begin seeing patients after graduating from medical school? This is largely due to doctors of the 1900s expressing the need for more medical training, so Graduate Medical Education was born.

Each year, An Evening for Healers shines a light on the Shreveport-Bossier community’s first responders, physicians, nurses, allied health professionals and other healthcare providers who play a vital role in saving the lives of patients at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport.

500 people in Louisiana contract hepatitis C each year. Most go undiagnosed. Hepatitis is a general term for inflammation of the liver, and there are several very different causes of hepatitis. Hepatitis C is one type of viral hepatitis – the viral type that causes the most death and disability in the United States.

As an otolaryngologist with special interest in hearing loss, I see many older adults with hearing loss. Most have delayed seeking treatment until they cannot communicate with their loved ones and their quality of life begins to suffer. One out of three persons above the age of 60 and one out of two above the age of 85 has agerelated hearing loss.

When taking your socks off at the end of the day, do you notice “sock lines” or swelling in your feet or legs? If you take a road trip, do you notice your shoes feel tight at the end of your journey? Many people experience swelling, or edema, in their legs for different reasons.

I used to exercise after work every day until I met a girl and got married. Going home, cooking and eating just seemed more attractive than going to the Y. Earlymorning workouts became the new norm –- until kids. Somehow being biologically fit (i.e., reproducing) seemed to negatively impact my personal fitness.

April is Autism Awareness Month, and to detect the first signs of autism. Autism this is an excellent opportunity to can be accurately diagnosed as young as focus on increasing understanding and 24 months, so it is critical that pediatricians acceptance of people with autism.

We were excited that we would be living in the same residence hall. Our biggest concerns were finding a parking spot, locating our classes and adjusting to dorm life. None of us anticipated that two of the young women would experience a sexual assault during the first six weeks of college, making them a statistic.

When I enter a patient’s hospital room, I always introduce myself as the occupational therapist who would be working with them. Many patients are very quick to assure me they were retired and did not need a job. OTs do not find people jobs, but we will put you to work!.

It is difficult to count the number of times I have been asked, “What is public health?” and “why is it important?” These two very straightforward questions are not so easily answered. The Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) created a YouTube video in 2008 entitled “This is Public Health.

Congenital ear deformities occur in up to 20% of newborns. Studies have shown that the deformation should self-correct within one week, or it will need treatment. Other studies have shown that only 30% of infant ear deformities will self-correct. Most deformities can be corrected surgically later in life.

Spring has returned with all of its greenery and glory! Unfortunately, not everyone looks forward to this season. Springtime can be challenging for people who suffer from allergies. Tree pollen is the biggest culprit for triggering allergy symptoms in early spring.

Today’s message to all women is that you deserve and should make your nutrition a priority. Proper nutrition is essential for women to live their best and longest life. Women have unique nutrient needs, which change during each stage of a woman’s life.

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a comprehensive, patient-tailored program of education, exercise training and behavior change. Depending on the program, sessions take place two to three times a week for eight to 12 weeks.

Believe it or not, children can children. For this reason, many dentists begin to develop cavities as early will have meet-and-greet appointments. as their teething stage. This age Meet-and-greet appointments are a marks the beginning of their dental great way for children to start getting hygiene journey.

Heart disease refers to several types of heart conditions, also known as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including diseased vessels, structural problems and blood clots. This disease category is common, representing one in every four deaths in the United States.

August and September are Parathyroid and Thyroid Awareness Months, respectively. Endocrinologists and surgeons treating parathyroid disorders are also experienced in thyroid disorders. People are familiar with thyroid diseases but have rarely heard about the parathyroid gland and its disorders.