Dr. Philip L. Levin is a retired emergency medicine specialist in Gulfport. Learn more or contact him at www.Doctors-Dreams.com.
With the changes COVID has brought to our society, everyone’s stress levels have increased. Being separated from our loved ones, fear of catching this serious illness and even the loss of favorite activities like going to the movies and gathering with friends have created stressful changes in our lives. It’s important to recognize these stresses […]
In 1973, my grandmother slipped on a loose rug in her hallway and fell. Due to osteoporosis, what would have been a bruise for her a decade earlier resulted in a broken hip. At the time, minimal activity was recommended to allow healing. This resulted in her developing bed sores and pneumonia, and within a […]
Siobhan Bailey’s 8-year-old daughter, Georgia, seemed lazy. She struggled to get out of bed in the morning, dragged herself up the stairs to her bedroom at night and rarely had the energy to exercise. One day, Siobhan noticed that Georgia seemed short of breath and, thinking she might have pneumonia, took her to the pediatrician. […]
This June I retired from being an emergency room doctor. For some, “retirement” creates an image of relaxation — gardening, vacations in the RV and popping a few rounds of golf. Not me. Although I enjoy gardening and traveling, I need to feel useful. The abrupt termination of my medical career brought a summer chill […]
No one likes being sick. With its typical symptoms of fever, chills, nausea, body aches, runny nose and fatigue, influenza makes most sufferers snuggle under the covers and hope the world survives without them. Antibiotics won’t help, so those infected must rely on over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen, ibuprofen and cough syrup. The one drug approved […]
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, hand sanitizers became valuable commodities — a scarce resource to be used after each touch of a doorknob, countertop or gas pump. Although washing with soap and water is more effective, sanitizer does kill bacteria and viruses, helping to prevent infection spread. They enjoy a good safety profile, […]
A fish out of water is a frightening sight — desperate wide eyes, mouth gaping open and lungs struggling for oxygen. In the emergency room, I see patients who look similar — frightened asthmatics struggling to get air past their swollen breathing tubes. It’s scary for them, and for me as well. Nationally, 10 people […]
Feeling weak and tired? Anemia is the most common cause of these symptoms in adult women, caused by an inadequate supply of red blood cells. With anemia, the body can’t supply the brain and muscles with adequate oxygen. Climbing steps causes shortness of breath, headaches occur more frequently and the heart may flutter. Of the […]
Life evolved in the sea. Now that humans live on land, we must carry our water within us. Sixty percent of the human body is water, from the brain at 75 percent to bones at 30 percent. Although we can live without food for 30 days, humans will die within two to four days without […]
Waking up to dawn’s sunlight filtering through our curtains, we stretch and let our dreams dissipate like the morning dew. With seven to eight hours of sleep, our bodies and minds refreshed, we’re ready to face the stresses of the day. Sleep isn’t just refreshing; it’s necessary to function. During sleep, our minds consolidate the […]
