Hi, everybody. It’s Leigh Ann Hubbard, managing editor of James Hubbard’s My Family Doctor. I’ve hijacked the blog for a sec.

We need your help. We’re discussing an upcoming article on moles. It covers what to do if you can’t get in to see a dermatologist. But there’s been a suggestion that that’s not even a concern. Is it?

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

The older we get, the more we start to worry about dementia. … What was I saying?  Oh, yeah, dementia, a decline in our memory, thinking, figuring things out.  Declining cognition.  Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia.

Actually, it is nothing to laugh about. The increasing elderly population makes certain it will become a big and bigger public health hazard.  Our ignorance of how to prevent or treat it, or even knowing the causes for certain, makes it fair game for people to want to try anything they’ve heard might help.

Ginkgo biloba falls into that category of hope.

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

The coming holidays turn our hearts and thoughts to family, friends, charity, good will, peace and kids with runny noses.  Check out the column I wrote for Homemaker Barbi on nine ways to keep your kids healthy during the winter. Anything to help, right?

Also, I collaborated with Carole Carson on a post at Basil & Spice titled “Is Holiday Weight Gain Inevitable?” A new study concludes, maybe it is.  Best prevention? Exercise.

by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

I have been treating irritable bowel syndrome, sometimes called spastic colon, since I began practice in the 1980s.  I saw a lot of it when I had a full-time family practice.

Several new treatment drugs have been developed and removed from the market within the past few years, due to bad side effects.  An article in the British Medical Journal shows that really, much has not changed since the 1980s.

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

Your mother-in-law is coming to visit and she’s ALLERGIC TO YOUR CAT?  Potential disaster on the horizon.  Alleviate situation like this by following some simple tips from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

President-elect Barack Obama says one of his first priorities will be to obtain a First Dog.

His daughter Malia has allergies and a canine club called the Association of Friends of Hairless Dogs of Peru has offered one they say is hypoallergenic.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology begs to differ, stating there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog.  Not only more credible, the AAAI has two less “ofs” in their long name.

Here’s their press release, with my comments and a question below it.

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

Do you understand Medicare Part D? Do you even know what it is? How about your elderly loved ones?

Medicare open enrollment starts November 15 and ends December 31. During this time every year, Medicare participants can change or tweak their Medicare Part D (prescription drug) plan.  Start early so everything is in place by the time the new coverage kicks in on January 1.

If you’re under Medicare age, consider helping loved ones with their decision.  There are several options and it can get complicated.

Here’s some help to get you started.

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