Author: Washington University Physicians

Your teenage son begins his day with an energy drink, sometimes has one for lunch and then another while he is doing his homework after school. He says it helps him concentrate better. You are worried this is too much caffeine for his system – and you are right. The caffeinated boost these drinks give can cause a variety of health problems.

The popular cable TV show, Masters of Sex, brings to life the ground-breaking work that Washington University researchers, William Masters, MD, and Virginia Johnson, did in the field of human sexuality in the 1960s.

Your dad prides himself on being active and independent – always the life of the party. But lately you’ve noticed he is becoming forgetful, showing signs of depression and is losing interest in doing the things he loves. While life’s later years can be active and satisfying, sometimes obstacles arise.

Congratulations to the Washington University physicians who are on the Best Doctors List for 2016. Out of over 1,200 St. Louis area physicians on the Best Doctors Inc. list, one in every three BEST DOCTORS is a Washington University Physician. Chosen by their peers, this list identifies outstanding physicians across a range of medical specialties.

Chlamydia has become the most common bacterial sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States, but most people with chlamydia notice no symptoms. If left untreated, it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and fertility problems.

Tick-tock — Lyme disease is a year-round problem. Transmitted by tick bite, this unwanted souvenir can be picked up just about anywhere – a walk in the woods, day at the farm, or weekend camping trip. Left untreated, Lyme disease can result in chronic health problems, so it is important to know the signs and symptoms.

When chronic pain is in charge of your life, nothing else matters. Whether the pain is in your back, knees, hips or neck, you just want it to GO AWAY. There is a promising new minimally-invasive procedure called cooled radiofrequency ablation (RFA) which targets nerves that are causing the pain.

If you have ever had a urinary tract infection (UTI), you don’t want to have another one. Is it caused by having sex? How about wearing a wet bathing suit? Does drinking cranberry juice help? Washington University primary care specialist Kirsten Brandt, MD, takes a closer look at what is fact and what is fiction when it comes to causes, prevention and treatment for this very common type of infection.

Do you find yourself on the outside of discussions during family get-togethers? Do you politely smile and nod when someone asks you a question because you’re not sure what was said?

Who would have thought that crib bumper pads – those soft and colorful bedding accessories for precious little ones – are more harmful than helpful and can even be deadly? A new study shows that the number of deaths and injuries attributed to bumper pads has increased significantly in recent years. This discovery has prompted researchers to call for a nationwide ban on the sale of the pads.

Your daughter is 11 years old and insists she is old enough to stay home alone. With the summer months approaching, how do you know if she is ready for this big step?

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, you will want to read this. There is a promising new medicine for the treatment of motor fluctuations in advanced Parkinson’s disease. Washington University neurologists are encouraged by this new therapy and are currently offering it as an option to their patients.

With our aging population, osteoporosis has become a problem of epidemic proportions. Falls resulting in broken bones can sometimes mean the end of independent living. Both men and women need to know the facts of bone loss.

Your doctor says you are a candidate for home dialysis and would like you to consider it. There are many advantages to home dialysis compared to treatment in an outpatient dialysis center.

Scheduled to open April 2016, the Center for Advanced Medicine – South County is a new outpatient facility, jointly owned by Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. It is conveniently located at 5201 Midamerica Plaza near the Siteman Cancer Center at I-55 and Butler Hill Rd.

Your alarm clock goes off and it’s morning – time to get out of bed. But you know as soon as you start walking, the heel pain will start. Most likely your pain is a result of plantar fasciitis – the most common cause of pain on the bottom of the heel.

You could spend hours reading online tips for preventing wrinkles or the latest shortcuts to achieving a younger looking face. What is fact and what is fiction? Washington University facial plastic surgeons Gregory Branham, MD, and John Chi, MD, help shed some light on the most common misconceptions people of all ages have when it comes to aging gracefully.

You’ve just been diagnosed with celiac disease. This explains the abdominal discomfort, gas, frequent diarrhea, and weight loss you’ve been experiencing. The good news is that there is a simple fix for living with celiac disease – eating a gluten-free diet.

Can’t remember the last time your family ate dinner together around the kitchen table? Is the TV a guest at every meal? Do you let your kids skip breakfast? Do you insist that everyone clean their plate? These are just a few of the reasons children struggle with overeating and weight gain today. It’s within your power to make easy lifestyle changes for the health of your family.

No MCATs required! The 2016 spring session of Washington University School of Medicine’s Mini-Med School (MMS) is now open for registration. MMS is now in its 17th year and is still considered one of St. Louis’ best kept secrets!

Your eight-year-old daughter seems excessively shy and has trouble separating from you. It’s been a constant struggle for years, and it is not getting better as she gets older. You’re worried she is missing out on activities other kids her age enjoy. She might be suffering from an anxiety disorder — the most common form of mental illness in children.

We are living in a digitally connected world with many of us constantly texting, typing on tablets and playing video games. Bending your head to text, type or play can put extra stress on the neck – causing what some doctors are now calling texting neck.

Until recently, very few people had ever heard of the Zika virus — unfortunately, this is no longer the case. Zika is a virus transmitted by the Aedes mosquito and likely can have life-long consequences for an unborn child.

Have you been suffering in silence with a pelvic floor disorder (PFD)? Are you looking for answers to questions you’ve been too embarrassed to ask? You are invited to a free educational event aimed to help women understand PFDs and empower them to pursue individualized solutions for improved quality of life.

Why are female athletes up to nine times more likely to experience an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury than their male counterparts? The reasons lie in the physical differences between male and females — these differences can put greater stress on a female athlete’s knees during sports that involve quick changes in direction, resulting in more ACL injuries.

A sudden nosebleed can be quite alarming. Often they arise from a small grouping of blood vessels in the front part of the septum, the wall that separates the right and left sides of the nose. This area of the nose is the first to receive the inhaled air, causing dryness to develop and producing crusts that can lead to bleeding.

Washington University attracts some of the finest medical professionals in the entire country. When you select Washington University Medical Center for your health care, you not only receive treatment from one specialist, but have the benefit of collaboration by medical fellows, residents and medical students. The more brain power – the better for you.

You can’t remember exactly when you started feeling sick, but you’ve been working with new chemicals at your job over the past several weeks, and wonder if they might be the cause of your symptoms that include headaches and fatigue. Your primary care doctor suspects this might be the case, but can’t confirm it.

Losing weight is not easy. Washington University weight-loss specialists are dedicated to the management of excessive weight. We offer medical weight management programs, traditional bariatric surgery and the recently FDA- approved non-surgical intragastric balloon system. How do you know which one is right for you? Being an educated patient is the first step in making your decision.

For the vast majority of the population, hearing loss is part of the natural aging process. In some cases, a person can have a higher frequency hearing loss that may progress to the point where hearing aids are no longer helpful because they do not provide enough amplification. Cochlear implants for adults are able to restore hearing and give back the gift of communication.

That walk in the woods a few weeks ago might have given you something other than fresh air and exercise. It has recently been discovered that bites from a certain type of tick may make someone allergic to red meat.

Looking for a Best Doctor? Congratulations to the Washington University physicians that have been placed on the Best Doctors List in America for 2015. Of the 1,400 physicians on the list, one out of every three Best Doctors in St. Louis is a Washington University Physician.

Months of careful planning have resulted in a brand new Washington University Physicians website – designed to be informative and easy-to-use. We hope you will take time to explore and make yourself familiar with everything our new and improved site has to offer.

Everyone knows regular exercise is the key to staying in shape, but not many people know how important professional facials are for maintaining healthy skin. Like any fitness regimen, skin care must be done on a regular basis to be effective. A single facial won’t give you a long-lasting result, but the effect from regular facials and consistent application of the right products will last for years.

Youth baseball season is in full swing. However, it now seems that the competitive nature of the sport drives young baseball players to compete year-round. The result? An increased risk for overuse injuries — especially in baseball pitchers.