Why health screenings are important:Knowing your risk factors for disease is one of the first steps toward prevention and treatment. At Northwell Health, we recommend regular health screening tests so that you truly understand your risk factors. Then you and your primary care physician can work together to address health problems before they start.What are health screenings?Health ...

There are few things more exhilarating than zooming downhill on a bike. When I used to live in New York City, I rode my bike to work nearly every day. It was a healthy habit, and the daily exercise felt great! Only the snow would send me to the subway. There is no question, riding a bike is as fun now as it was when I was a kid. But it can also be dangerous. Accidents happen. Yet, there ...

Dear Doctor,My kids are spending a lot more time outside now that the weather is warmer. I’m seeing some moms switching to mineral sunscreen this year. Should I be using it instead of what I’ve relied on for years?Sincerely,“Searching for SPF”Dear Searching:Kudos to you for being on top of sun protection. Shielding kids’ skin from the sun’s damaging rays is essential: Sunburns during ...

Dear Doctor,As the parent of three young kids, I’m kind of freaked out by the recent news that there’s a new life-threatening complication of COVID-19 in children. What do we know about this problem, and how worried should I be?Sincerely,“Panicked Parent”Dear Panicked:It’s totally understandable that you’re concerned about this new complication called multisystem inflammatory syndrome ...

Your spine is an essential part of your body, constantly working while you stand, sit, and sleep. When you experience discomfort in your back and spine, managing that pain can be a challenge. The Spine and Back Pain Program at Phelps Hospital, Northwell Health offers a comprehensive approach, including customized treatment plans and pain management evaluations, to address your pain. Our ...

What is a stroke?Your brain needs oxygen to function, and it receives oxygen in the blood. If something like a clot deprives your brain of the oxygen it needs, your brain cells will die, along with the functions they control, such as memory, movement, or speech. This is a stroke.According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is the leading cause of adult disability and the fifth ...

Life in the time of COVID-19 has many of us overanalyzing every throat tickle, sneeze, and, sometimes, even our stool. Should I be concerned about that nose drip? Is my chest tightness anxiety? Or a symptom of something else?With the unknowns of the pandemic plaguing us all, some people are worried that even mild symptoms are a sign of the virus. Having allergy season in full swing only ...

Dear Doctor,It’s time for my yearly mammogram. But the imaging center called to say they’re only performing “essential” examinations during the COVID pandemic. I’ll admit it, I usually dread coming in for my mammogram, but now I’m worried about waiting. How do I know if my examination is essential, or if it’s safer to wait until this crisis has passed?Sincerely,“Missing the ...

Open the refrigerator. Close the refrigerator. Sigh. Repeat. Before starting culinary school, I was one of those people that opened and closed a fully stocked refrigerator, defeatedly thinking there was nothing to eat. I’d look through backlit shelves brimming with fresh greens, eggs, herbs, and chicken thighs, and feel overwhelmed. The ingredients were useless to me without a recipe to ...

I fell in love with labor and delivery when I was a nursing student. After seeing my first birth, I was hooked. There’s nothing like watching a new mom hear her baby cry for the first time. But I have to admit, when I decided to become an L&D nurse, I wasn’t expecting to do it under these conditions.Even in the best of times, having a baby isn’t easy. On television they make it seem ...