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

Do you smoke?  Want to quit?  Want to help a friend quit?  Today is the day to get serious.  It is the American Cancer Society’s 33rd annual Great American Smokeout.  The ACS has great information on their Web site with topics such as ”reasons to quit,” “guide to quitting” and “plan your quit day.”  Check it out or mail the link to a smoker-friend. (You can even download a “Craving Stopper” button, pictured at right, that pulls up a match game to occupy your mind.)

The ACS quitline at 800-227-2345 has counseled 380,000 smokers over the past eight years.

Personally, I have never taken a puff of a cigarette.  The smell, touch, and even sight, of tobacco nauseates me.  It may be that my father smoked for years, finally quitting, but dying of lung cancer.  But I know it is a really hard habit to quit for many.  Over the years I have heard excuses like, “It is my only enjoyment,” or, “You have to die of something.”  Strangely, though, I never heard it from lung cancer or emphysema victims.  It is worth it to quit.

Find out what will happen to your body if you stop smoking right now at Healthbolt.

What do you think?  Have you quit?  Have any tips or words of encouragement?

Like this blog? You’ll love the special holiday offers from James Hubbard’s My Family Doctor, the magazine written by health-care providers.

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.

Waiting for health-care reform?  Guess what.  It’s going to be a while, and no matter what the changes are, it will stay relatively expensive.  In the end, it’s still our responsibility to take care of ourselves, and to find ways to limit costs.  We can do that now.

Here are a few suggestions.

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

D-blog day was created three years ago on November 9 ”to unite diabetic bloggers and create awareness about diabetes“–and we boy do we need awareness.

Almost everyone is affected by diabetes in some way or other.  You either have it or know someone who does.  In the U.S., 7.8 percent of people have diabetes, according to the CDC (PDF download). As many as 1/4 don’t know they have it.  Twenty-five percent of adults have prediabetes, but only 4 percent know it, says the CDC. Talk about needing awareness.

Have you had your sugar checked lately? Is it possible you have prediabetes?  Better read further to make sure.

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

When some say a disease doesn’t exist and others have no test to prove it does, those suffering have problems.

So it’s gone with fibromyalgia, a syndrome that causes ongoing muscle pain and fatigue, along with various other symptoms like decreased concentration and sleep disturbance. There is no objective test for diagnosis.

Some doctors think fibromyalgia is a variation of physical symptoms of depression; others don’t think it exists at all, as a disease.  But people suffer, mostly women.

Now, a new study gives hope. What if fibromyalgia really is all in your head?

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by Leigh Ann Hubbard, Managing Editor

The results are in! Congratulations to our very first Twitter Small Steps contest winners! Thank you to everyone who participated and voted.

Winners receive two subscriptions to James Hubbard’s My Family Doctor, the magazine written by health-care professionals for the general public. Runners up get one subscription. Want to check out what they’re winning? Download a free preview issue here.

(Hint: If you’re giving three or more gifts, call 877-DOC-IS-IN (877-362-4746) for our special holiday discounts: just $24 each.)

And now, the envelopes, please …

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by Leigh Ann Hubbard, Managing Editor

We’re excited to announce the Twitter contest nominees!

On Tuesday, we asked you to tweet the answer to, “What small steps are you taking for your health?” You gave some amazing responses. It was so hard to narrow them down.

Now, we’re giving away 24 subscriptions! (more…)

by Leigh Ann Hubbard, managing editor

What small steps are you taking for your health?

Answer that question today (Tuesday) on Twitter, and you might win two subscriptions to James Hubbard’s My Family Doctor! JHMFD is written by health-care professionals. If you like this blog content, you’ll LOVE the magazine.

The contest runs all day, and you can tweet as many answers as you like. Be sure to include #step in your tweet. (more…)

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

Recently, I took my update on Advanced Cardiac Life Support.  What I learned that everyone should know is:

• If you find someone unconscious, shake the person to see if he or she responds.
• If not, listen for breathing, look to see if the chest is moving, and check for a pulse.  Do this quickly.
• If there is any question, call 911 or yell for someone to, and start chest compressions immediately.  It is the most important thing you can do to save a life.  Put the base of your palms together, place on the chest mid-between nipples, and push down firmly and quickly (one-and-a-half to two inches deep).
• Continue until the ambulance arrives.
• Don’t worry about the mouth-to-mouth if you’re not trained.  It’s the compressions that count most.

They stressed you should do the compressions at a rate of 100 per minute.  That is the most efficient and is important.  We used a metronome for guidance.  I expect you won’t have one when you need it.  I wondered how I will remember the rate in such a critical situation.  Then I read a post at the Health Blog in The Wall Street Journal.  Simplicity is genius.

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