by Leigh Ann Otte

Did you know your feet keep getting longer and wider as you age? That they can be larger at the end of the day? That foot doctors say the break-in period just doesn’t exist?

Yep. It’s all true.

Family doctor Susan Louisa Montauk compiled seven quick, simple tips to help you buy fashionable shoes that can help you avoid foot problems down the road. Here’s the list. Have foot problems already? She also wrote an article about that for us. It’s got remedies for foot odor, calluses, ingrown toenails, hammertoes–just about anything you can think of.

Do you have a favorite pair of comfortable shoes? What makes them so great, and how did you find them?

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Leigh Ann Otte is the managing editor of MyFamilyDoctorMag.com and a freelance writer, editor and blogger.

by Leigh Ann Otte

Yes, you really are, according to our feature article this week. Theories as to why involve adrenaline and the cardiovascular system getting geared back up.

But the remedy isn’t sleeping in.

… On second thought, don’t tell anybody I said that. … Pushing snooze …

Read the article here. Are you surprised this rumor is true?

Leigh Ann Otte is the managing editor of MyFamilyDoctorMag.com and a freelance writer, editor and blogger.

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by Leigh Ann Otte

Sometimes, a C-section is medically necessary. But what if it’s not and you want one anyway?

Some women schedule C-sections so they can have their baby on a certain date. Others do it because of fear for themselves or their child, says ob-gyn Annette Perez-Delboy in this week’s feature article. And those aren’t the only reasons. But are they good ones?

Some doctors say yes, a woman has the right to choose. Others disagree. They argue that elective C-sections—surgeries—are riskier for the mother and baby, so why have the option?

We asked two doctors to debate this issue. Here’s what they had to say. What do you think? You can weigh in below or at the bottom of the article itself.

Leigh Ann Otte is the managing editor of MyFamilyDoctorMag.com and a freelance writer, editor and blogger.

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by Leigh Ann Otte

“My heart skipped a beat.” It’s a nice saying. But when it really happens—and happens a lot—it can seem less romantic.

In this week’s feature article, family doctor Eva Briggs talks about heart palpitations, whether they’re dangerous, and when to see a doctor. She also explains what often causes them. They’re not actually skipped beats. They’re just mistimed ones.

Have you ever had heart palpitations? Did anything in particular seem trigger them?

Leigh Ann Otte is the managing editor of MyFamilyDoctorMag.com and a freelance writer, editor and blogger.

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by Leigh Ann Otte, Managing Editor

Got a nagging cough that’s gone on a while? Don’t want to have it checked out? Chances are, your spouse or co-workers want you do. I’m just sayin’ …

Well, actually, our publisher Dr. Hubbard is. He’s been in your shoes. He found out his chronic cough was caused by sleep apnea, of all things. Sleep apnea (stopping breathing when you’re sleeping) can lead to heart problems and an early death. What a good thing that cough turned out to be.

In “What Causes a Chronic Cough? 8 Reasons—and Treatments,” Dr. Hubbard lists some common things that can lead to coughing. They range from the everyday (allergies) to the serious (cancer, asthma) to the unexpected (heartburn, medications).

So get to the doctor already! You may be thanking your cough afterwards.

Pssst … sign up for our free e-newsletter! You’ll get fascinating articles delivered once a month.

by Leigh Ann Otte, managing editor

Seasonal allergies can be so frustrating. It can feel like you have two choices: Feel miserable from the allergies or feel miserable from the medication.

Fortunately, though, those aren’t your only options. In “19 Tips From Allergists for How to Prevent and Treat Allergies,” allergists give their tips on dealing with indoor and outdoor allergies—without medication.

If you do need medicine, check out “Allergy Treatment: What Medicines to Take for Allergies—and How to Take Them,” which features an in-depth, practical rundown of your options—and how to use them best.

Do you have allergies? What has helped you?

Pssst … sign up for our free e-newsletter! You’ll get fascinating articles delivered once a month.

by Leigh Ann Otte

NERD is weird.

“NERD” is the aren’t-scientists-funny acronym for the most common kind of heartburn, non-erosive esophageal disease. And this type of GERD is not like what you’d expect.

In our feature article, witty gastroenterologist Patricia Raymond offers a fun-to-read guide to this not-fun disease. If you have ongoing heartburn and acid-reflux medications don’t get rid of it, this may be your culprit. Here are a few unexpected characteristics you’ll read about:

• Though it’s painful, NERD doesn’t leave erosions or ulcers in your esophagus.
• You may have pain with relatively little acid.
• That little flap on top of your stomach that keeps acid down? It probably works just fine.

Do you have heartburn? Have you seen a doctor about it? What’s helped you?

Leigh Ann Otte is managing editor of MyFamilyDoctorMag.com.

by Leigh Ann Otte

Choosing skin-care products can be daunting. There are so many claims, ingredients, formulations—and prices!

So we went straight to the experts. We asked three dermatologists which products they’d recommend—brand names and all. And they said there are plenty of great finds right in your neighborhood drugstore.

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

Once, I told a perfectly sane, intelligent and otherwise coherent patient to wait in the exam room to have blood work drawn. He smiled, said thanks and followed me out the door. I told him again he needed to come back into the room and wait to have blood drawn. He smiled, said thanks again and walked down the hall to leave. When he opened the door to go to the reception area, I had to gently restrain him so he would actually listen to what I was telling him. He had no fear of the lab work itself. He was just nervous about being in an unfamiliar setting and didn’t comprehend what I was saying.

If you’re like a lot of patients, you forget much of the advice your doctor gives by the time you walk out the door. You’re nervous, traumatized or more concerned about getting out of the building in one piece. Either that or the doctor was too rushed to give you the information in the first place.

We have a new article that provides general instructions on what to do after treatment for some common ailments. (The advice is generic. Always get specifics for your case.) I also wrote a follow-up on common misconceptions I see in my office.

Have you ever made any mistakes treating yourself at home?

James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H., is the publisher of www.MyFamilyDoctorMag.com, a Web site written by health-care providers for the general public.

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by Leigh Ann Otte, managing editor

We’re tired of wondering.

As the world’s governments prepare for a potentially huge outbreak of H1N1 this fall, we regular people are left to wonder, what’s the big deal?  Are we supposed to be worrying?  Running around in mass panic?  Moving to caves in the hills?  Or is this all just a bunch of sensationalism?

So we’re going straight to the experts—to ask them our questions, and yours.

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