Family Health Blog

If you wear a fitness tracker, you may have noticed a category you’re not familiar with—heart rate variability (HRV). We talked with Brad S. Lichtenstein, ND, BCB, BCB-HRV, a member of our Medical Advisory Board, naturopathic physician, and a former professor and clinical faculty member at Bastyr University about what HRV is and how it... Read More

It’s your first visit to an orthopedist for knee pain. As you complete your pre-appointment paperwork, you focus on the symptoms you’re experiencing and the treatments your primary care physician has recommended before referring you to a specialist. You don’t mention that you had surgery on the ankle on the opposite leg a few years... Read More

Snowstorms in Texas. Floods in the South. Wildfires in the West. Powerful hurricanes like 2021’s Category 4 Ida, which caused numerous deaths and millions in property damage from Louisiana to New England. As the U.S. and the world are confronted with an increasing number of natural disasters being prepared before a disaster strikes becomes even... Read More

Many children have butterflies when heading back to school. Will they like their new teacher? Will their friends be in their class? What if they forget their homework? But beyond these typical worries, some school age children experience higher levels of anxiety and other mental health issues like depression. The disruptions of the pandemic—remote learning,... Read More

If you have a first year college student in your house, you’ve got a busy summer on your hands. There are forms to complete, supplies to buy, bags to pack, and travel plans to make if your child is going away for school. One thing that might not be on your to-do list is helping... Read More

A little over a week ago, the World Health Organization declared the current global monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, the organization’s highest alert level indicating that the outbreak is a threat that requires a coordinated international response to prevent further spread of the disease. Globally, more than 23,000 cases have been... Read More

If you feel like there have been more very hot days this year, you’re right. Data gathered by NASA projects that there’s a 99% likelihood that 2022 will rank among the ten hottest years on record. But what does this excessive heat mean for your health? Very hot weather increases the risk of heat-related illness.... Read More

A lot of younger people think preventive care and building a healthy strategy isn’t needed when you’re young and healthy. In fact, the number of people in their 20s who have a primary care doctor has dropped significantly. A Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll found that among people between the ages of 18 and 29,... Read More

As the U.S. population ages, the number of people living with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss in people 55 and older, has grown substantially. Less than 10 years ago, CDC data noted that 1.8 million Americans had been diagnosed with this disease. Today, according to the National Eye Institute, 11... Read More

If you’re trying to start a family and are having trouble getting pregnant, you may want to consider consulting a fertility or reproduction medicine specialist. Fertility specialists also help same sex and trans partners conceive. Fertility issues are more common than many people realize. According to CDC data, 19% of heterosexual women between the ages... Read More