MBA Elizabeth Ko

5 days ago | rockdalenewtoncitizen.com | Eve Glazier |MBA Elizabeth Ko

Dear Doctors: My lower back went into spasm as I was washing the dishes. I figured it was from bending over, but my mom insists it’s from being so stressed out. (My family is dealing with severe smoke damage in our house from the recent fires in Los Angeles.) Can stress really cause back pain? Dear Reader: Let’s start with back pain, which is one of the most common physical complaints here in the United States.

1 week ago | rockdalenewtoncitizen.com | Eve Glazier |MBA Elizabeth Ko

Dear Doctors: I am 66 years old and an avid cyclist. Last winter, after we went for a long ride, I suddenly felt lightheaded and then fainted. My doctor ordered a series of heart scans that found slight mitral valve prolapse. What is that? Should I be worried? Dear Reader: Mitral valve prolapse is a condition that interferes with the one-way flow of blood through two of the four chambers of the heart. As the name suggests, it involves a structure known as the mitral valve.

1 week ago | rockdalenewtoncitizen.com | Eve Glazier |MBA Elizabeth Ko

Dear Doctors: I am an 85-year-old man with congestive heart failure. I have almost totally lost my balance. My treadmill quit working and my daughter, a physical therapist, thinks I do not need to replace it. She thinks it is dangerous for me. My only alternative is a walker. Can you address this issue? Dear Reader: Your daughter is correct that in certain circumstances, exercising on a treadmill can pose dangers.

2 weeks ago | rockdalenewtoncitizen.com | Eve Glazier |MBA Elizabeth Ko

Dear Doctors: My best friend has breast cancer that has spread to her lymph nodes, and she needs to have a double mastectomy. Can you please talk about how all of this can psychologically affect you? What can I do that will help her and not be a burden? Dear Reader: Learning that you have any form of cancer can have a profound impact on mental health.

2 weeks ago | rockdalenewtoncitizen.com | Eve Glazier |MBA Elizabeth Ko

Dear Doctors: My fiance and I plan to have kids someday. I was wondering if it would be beneficial to keep our babies’ umbilical cords, which would be full of stem cells. We would like to know how that works and if there are already uses for cord blood. Can it help with Type 1 diabetes? Dear Reader: The term “cord blood” refers to the fetal blood that remains in the placenta and the umbilical cord after a baby has been delivered.