As recent news coverage here in Tampa revealed, a home is meant to protect you and your family from the outside elements, not expose you to a host of allergens, airborne irritants, and toxins that can make you ill. The biggest potential problem — as we covered through a post titled Responding to the Mold Outbreak at VA Bay Pines Center — is mold, but other airborne irritants can also pose a problem, such as pet dander, dust, and dust mites. In this post, we encourage you to reduce your exposure to indoor airborne irritants and provide guidance to reduce the levels of airborne irritants in your home. Keep the Air Conditioning on in the Summer Mold grows best in warm, humid conditions, so it makes sense that air conditioning is one of the most powerful weapons in the battle against mold. One of the most effective ways to prevent mold […]
Approximately 30.8 million Americans, representing 9.5 percent of the adult population, suffer from chronic sinusitis — inflammation of the nasal passages that lasts for at least three months despite treatment. And in Tampa, where chronic nasal issues are rampant, residents are similarly at risk. Symptoms include the following: Nasal congestion Thick, discolored discharge from the nose or throat Post-nasal drip Pain, tenderness, and swelling around the eyes, cheeks, nose, and forehead Impaired or lost sense of smell Persistent cough Symptoms may also include these: Earache Aching teeth or upper jaw Sore throat Bad breath Fatigue Many people who suffer from chronic sinusitis try to
Many people who suffer chronic pain and fatigue find little to no relief from conventional medicine. At best, they are given what we refer to as a “waste-basket diagnosis,” such as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia, or depression. Worse yet, the doctor runs numerous tests and explains that all the results came back normal — the implication being that the symptoms are all in the patient’s head. The problem with these waste-basket diagnoses is that they are unscientific. Conventional medicine has no test for chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, or depression. Doctors arrive at these diagnoses in one of two ways: They look at a cluster of symptoms and assign it a label. If the patient complains primarily of pain, he or she is likely to be diagnosed as having fibromyalgia. If fatigue is the primary complaint, the patient is diagnosed as having chronic fatigue syndrome. If the symptoms are mood-related,
Living and working in Tampa, Florida, as we do, we witness on a weekly basis at least one patient who displays signs of mold sickness and depression. We can put much of the blame for this malady on water-damaged buildings, which are found in abundance in our humid, damp, tropical southern climate. Because of these climate-specific surroundings, we almost always ask our patients about their living and working environment because we are strong believers in the notion that there is a direct link between water-damaged buildings that can cause mold sickness and associated depression. Mold-related Signs of Depression Some signs of depression — no matter the cause — often include the following:
At BioDesign Wellness, pellet therapy is now offered on our existing menu of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (HRT) options. Choices for HRT now include: Pellets (mainly for women), surgically inserted just below the skin every three to five months. (Note: While we often recommend a different approach for men, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy through the delivery of pellets placed just below the skin is available.) Capsules, taken orally by prescription Topical creams Injections Your choice depends primarily on personal preference. Many women who can benefit from HRT opt for pellets to avoid taking medication daily, but capsules, creams, patches, and injections have their own advantages, as you’ll see later in this post. Do I Need Hormone Replacement Therapy? We take a conservative approach to HRT for both women and men. First, we seek to understand and then address any underlying health issues that may be hindering you from feeling your absolute
Recent reports published in the Tampa Bay Times— one in which our Dr. Matt Lewis is referenced in — call attention to a serious health problem at a military housing facility and VA medical center in South Florida… chronic, recurring mold outbreaks that are literally making military personnel and their family members, patients, and treatment providers sick. The reports focus specifically on mold present in housing at MacDill Air Force Base and a mold outbreak at the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center. However, mold poses a serious health risk throughout Florida, where heat and humidity provide the ideal environment for it to grow. According to the World Health Organization, more than a quarter of U.S. buildings are water-damaged. One can logically conclude that the percentage is significantly higher in Florida, where we receive an average annual rainfall of 60 inches. Nearly 45 million people across the U.S. live or