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South Macomb Internal Medicine

Warren, MI

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Keep An Eye On Your “Other” Health – Now Is The Time!

June 4th, 2021

By Dr. Scot Goldberg, MD

Okay that’s a strange title for a blog post on a doctor’s website….right?  What the heck is “other” health?  Well most of what we’ve heard and what we were focused on for over a year was Covid-19.  It was pervasive in the news, in our lives and in our collective consciousness, and as a result many OTHER health issues took a backseat in a number of ways.

Other Health

Covid has had an effect on our health collectively – mentally because of the anxiety, isolation, fear, loss – you name it.  Physically because many people stayed away from any “unnecessary” trips to the doctor and worse yet even some potentially necessary trips to the hospital.  While the good news is the medical community forged ahead and didn’t stop working on advances in medical and surgical technologies, the bad news is that as people start to go back to the doctor many are finding that they avoided it for too long and certain illnesses went untreated for too long.

If you hadn’t noticed we have the pandemic under control now in the United States.  If you’ve been vaccinated, great.  If you haven’t yet, please do.  If you’ve been focused on being a part of the solution to the pandemic and done a great job with staying safe from Covid-19, fantastic.  But if you’ve neglected the “other” health, (and you’ve probably figured out by now that the “other” isn’t actually “other” at all) NOW is the time to get on top of it.  If you’ve been putting off getting to the doctor to have something checked out you could be making it worse by neglecting it further.  If this sounds self-serving to get you in to see us then so be it – we can live with that.  Just don’t wait.  Please.

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South Macomb Internal Medicine

28401 Hoover Rd.  Warren, Michigan 48093

Phone: (586) 276-7530

South Macomb Internal Medicine has been designated a Patient Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/SMIMdoc for updates, articles and fun!

Call us and ask to be added to our email newsletter that comes out every couple weeks!

Telehealth and virtual appointments are still available.

Nutritional services are also available with Nanette Cameron, RDN. Don’t forget to ask us for a $25 gift certificate for trying dietary services with Nanette the first time for patients who have insurance coverage!

Feel free to click on the categories and keywords below to find more content as we add more to the website!

5 Great Articles For You If Your Kid Wants To Be A Doctor!

We believe that children are our future……in medicine!  We recently posted a quiz on our Trivia Tuesday on Facebook that was geared towards kids and that got us thinking.  The next generation of doctors will change the world as modern medicine continues to advance and for some the idea of becoming a doctor starts as a dream at a young age.  Some folks just know they want to be one.  We need great doctors so we found 5 fantastic articles for you with tips on what to teach your children, how to encourage them along with some pros and cons of the profession for you to ponder!  We actually are planning a piece soon with our own Dr. Goldberg to discuss his experience and journey to becoming a doctor himself!

5 Great Articles

5 Great Articles For You If Your Kid Wants To Be A Doctor!

  1. Our first selection is Would You Encourage Your Child To Be A Doctor? from White Coat Investor.  This is a great Q & A that pulls no punches.  It’s 6 years old but it’s still really good…
  2. Next we have a fun article about “Little Medical School” from NPR.  This is such a neat idea where kids go to a “kids medical school” where they get a fun foundation in health care complete with white coats at the end!  They learn about the brain with Play-Doh for example!
  3. Here’s a quick one from CBC Kids – it’s the quiz we posted on Facebook for you to give to your child!  Have fun with it and see if they can score 10/10!
  4. This one from the FDA is so cool – it’s a year by year guide to teaching your children how to use medicine safely from ages 3 up to 12!  Lots of good info here.
  5. Last but not least this one from U.S. News and World Report puts an emphasis on how to prepare your child who is planning on med school with some solid tips!

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South Macomb Internal Medicine

28401 Hoover Rd.  Warren, Michigan 48093

Phone: (586) 276-7530

South Macomb Internal Medicine has been designated a Patient Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/SMIMdoc for updates, articles and fun!

Call us and ask to be added to our email newsletter that comes out every couple weeks!

Telehealth and virtual appointments are still available.

Nutritional services are also available with Nanette Cameron, RDN. Don’t forget to ask us for a $25 gift certificate along with a copy of Nanette Cameron’s cookbook The Perfect Day for trying dietary services with Nanette the first time for patients who have insurance coverage!

Feel free to click on the categories and keywords below to find more content as we add more to the website!

5 Reasons To Get Excited About The Future Of Medicine

May 7th, 2021

By Dr. Scot Goldberg, MD

Advancements in medicine have made our lives better on Earth in so many ways over the centuries, and as with all technology it seems to be picking up pace.  Just look at how fast the Covid-19 vaccines were safely developed!  Please get yours by the way!

Future

Meanwhile there are myriads of reasons to be optimistic and excited about new developments but here are a few articles that have caught our eye recently that we wanted to share in one place here on the blog.

5 Reasons To Get Excited About The Future Of Medicine

  1. The fight against Alzheimer’s Disease seems to be progressing.  According to this article Alzheimer’s is the third leading cause of death in non-pandemic years of older adults, surpassed only by heart disease and cancer.  It’s a horrible disease and new hope for people dealing with it is exciting indeed.
  2. The future of specialized and precision medicine means better treatment.  In the future therapies will be increasingly directed based on an individual’s profile. Precision medicine has been particularly successful in targeting various aspects of DNA in the treatment of various diseases, particularly cancer.  DNA repair and other advancements are really encouraging as outlined in this article!
  3. Wearable technology is advancing to the point of providing valuable data to help monitor our health.  Holy moly – it’s amazing where some of this is going.  The latest Apple watches for example are likely to gain blood pressure, blood glucose and blood alcohol monitoring.  It’s really exciting!
  4. The ocean – yes the ocean – is becoming a resource for new drugs to fight cancer.  How neat is this?  As the final quote in this article tells us, “You might think that we know the depths of the ocean and the biodiversity of the ocean, but it is still largely uncharted.  There is really cool new chemistry in the ocean and we just need to be brave to go in and find it.”
  5. MANY MORE – okay I’m going to cheat a little here but this article from the Cleveland Clinic outlines 10 more – some of which are really incredible like breakthroughs in multiple sclerosis and cystic fibrosis treatments!

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South Macomb Internal Medicine

28401 Hoover Rd.  Warren, Michigan 48093

Phone: (586) 276-7530

South Macomb Internal Medicine has been designated a Patient Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/SMIMdoc for updates, articles and fun!

Call us and ask to be added to our email newsletter that comes out every couple weeks!

Telehealth and virtual appointments are still available as well as nutritional services with Nanette Cameron, RDN. Don’t forget to ask us for a $25 gift certificate along with a copy of Nanette Cameron’s cookbook The Perfect Day for trying dietary services with Nanette the first time for patients who have insurance coverage! Nanette is also available virtually!

Feel free to click on the categories and keywords below to find more content as we add more to the website!

Let’s Talk About Allergies In Michigan In 2021!

April 23rd, 2021

Let’s talk about allergies!

Allergies

Allergy season is underway here in Michigan.  Allergies that occur in the spring are usually due to trees, allergies that occur in the summer are due to grass pollen and patients who are having allergy symptoms in the fall are largely allergic to ragweed.  It’s not fun, and this article in the Detroit Free Press says Michigan allergy season is one of the worst we’ve had…

In a bit of a plot twist however, allergy experts say some of the 24 million Americans with seasonal allergies are experiencing less symptoms this year due to wearing a mask because of Covid-19!  How about you – are you noticing that it’s better this year?  Worse?  Typical?  Is your mask helping?  Vaccinations are coming along but we’re not fully there yet and for some people it’s a little scary when you get any symptoms with Covid dominating so much space in our lives.  A recent article in HealthDay helps to breakdown the differences between allergies and Covid-19, and either way be sure to follow the CDC guidelines to be safe, and get your vaccine!  We can actually help you get the Pfizer vaccine scheduled so give us a call.

Allergy Testing

Meanwhile many allergies can be diagnosed with in-office testing. We offer skin tests for many common allergies, and send away lab tests when necessary. Skin allergy tests can be a very effective and quick diagnostic tool.

Skin testing involves introducing a small amount of allergen under the skin’s surface by pricking the skin and inserting a small drop of the allergen extract. The skin test (scratch or prick test) is done with a sterile, disposable plastic prick testing device, generally on the arm or back. It garners a sensation that is described as slightly uncomfortable, although generally not painful. It is a quick testing procedure. If the patient is allergic to the substance being tested, some itching or redness may occur at the testing site.

Test results are typically available within half an hour and diagnosis and treatment plans can then be completed quickly. These are highly accurate and sensitive tests.

If you are scheduled for in-office allergy testing, please call our office to discuss any medications you are currently taking as some may prevent a diagnostic reaction.  If you are interested in more information about in-office allergy testing, please be in touch with any questions or to schedule.

If you use allergy drops to treat your allergies, we can arrange for at-home delivery through Allergen.

We hope you found this valuable and we are here to help!

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South Macomb Internal Medicine
28401 Hoover Rd.  Warren, Michigan 48093
Phone: (586) 276-7530
South Macomb Internal Medicine has been designated a Patient Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/SMIMdoc for updates, articles and fun!
Call us and ask to be added to our email newsletter that comes out every couple weeks!
Telehealth and virtual appointments are still available as well as nutritional services with Nanette Cameron, RDN. Don’t forget to ask us for a $25 gift certificate along with a copy of Nanette Cameron’s cookbook The Perfect Day for trying dietary services with Nanette the first time for patients who have insurance coverage! Nanette is also available virtually!
Feel free to click on the categories and keywords below to find more content as we add more to the website!

Google Isn’t ALWAYS Right When It Comes To Medicine…

April 9th, 2021

We love the Internet.  We do!  Heck this piece is ON the Internet which is where you’re reading it.  We share plenty of great information from all around the web here, on our Facebook page and in our email newsletter (call us to be added to it).  You can even get great and reliable medical information online from the CDC itself just as an example.  BUT – and this is a big but, do NOT use the Internet to self-diagnose if you need medical attention and the Internet is no substitute for a doctor.

Okay we got that out of the way.

Google

Now when it comes to a medical BLOG like the one you’re reading right now a lot goes into writing and publishing these articles so that you’re informed and even entertained.  And even a medical practice can look to the Internet for answers like we just did – you see we thought we would Google some good ideas for medical blog posts and well, let’s just say Google doesn’t seem to have understood the question.  Let’s look at the first few results and ponder whether these are good suggestions shall we?

Google

Let’s take these one by one:

How To Guides:  Okay not horrible we suppose in theory, but how to draw blood, how to administer an EKG test?  Instructions for listening to someone’s lungs?  I think we’ll leave the how-to-ing to the doctors thanks.

Politics: YEAHHHH!  That’s a GREAT idea right?  A healthy dose of politics on our blog?  That won’t raise anyone’s blood pressure….  Sheesh.  No.

Bacon:  Hello?  Now would that be responsible?  No.  No it would not.  Please limit your intake of bacon and we’ll leave it at that.

Recipes:  Okay – now we’re talking.  We already know this, and we talk nutrition here all the time with Nanette Cameron!

Beginner Guides:  From a doctor’s office?  A beginner’s guide to what?  Being a doctor?  Going to the doctor’s office?  Nope that one doesn’t seem to fit either.

 

Google FAIL right?  We guess we’ll have to figure this one out on our own…. lol.

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South Macomb Internal Medicine

28401 Hoover Rd.  Warren, Michigan 48093

Phone: (586) 276-7530

South Macomb Internal Medicine has been designated a Patient Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/SMIMdoc for updates, articles and fun!

Call us and ask to be added to our email newsletter that comes out every couple weeks!

Telehealth and virtual appointments are still available as well as nutritional services with Nanette Cameron, RDN. Don’t forget to ask us for a $25 gift certificate along with a copy of Nanette Cameron’s cookbook The Perfect Day for trying dietary services with Nanette the first time for patients who have insurance coverage! Nanette is also available virtually!

Feel free to click on the categories and keywords below to find more content as we add more to the website!

 

The Vaccine Is Becoming Available To All & Here Is Why You Should Get It

March 24th, 2021

By Dr. Scot Goldberg, MD

A year into the pandemic we are finally in the home stretch in terms of the vaccination rollout and getting back to a lasting bit of normalcy.  We clearly can’t let our guard down just yet with the virus currently surging in Michigan – and that’s not just some “disclaimer” – that’s serious.

But having said that the vaccine rollout is indeed rolling out – as of today 6000 doses per day are being administered just at Ford Field alone.  So we came across a great article about the vaccine(s) and with permission from the author I want to share it here and point out a few things.

The Vaccine Is Becoming Available To All & Here Is Why You Should Get It

Vaccine Is Becoming Available

 

So here is the article I’m referring to:

I’m a Doctor This is the #1 Worst Mistake You Could Make Right Now

Click the link above and give it a read.  The “mistake” is not getting the vaccine.  The doctor is Deborah Lee, MD.
This was written in February as the vaccine rollout was beginning but before it was available to vast segments of the population like it is now, so it bears repeating at this moment since more of us are able to get it.
The first few reasons are general facts about vaccines – they save lives, can eradicate diseases or at limit greatly viral infections from them and keep us from getting infected at all.  We know this.  Smallpox was wiped off the planet with a vaccine.
Every one of Dr. Lee’s 14 main points in this article are well put and important for you to read, including addressing folks who are immunocompromised and vaccine safety basics, but in the age of social media and sources of misinformation we want to call particular attention to number 11: “Debunking Vaccine Myths”.  Some of these myths are more ludicrous than others and we’ve seen worse – even in the comments of our own posts on Facebook once in a while!
Here is point #11 – from the article with permission:

Debunking Vaccine Myths

There are a whole host of incorrect facts being bandied about regarding the COVID vaccine. Please take a look at the following statements and rest assured these are all telling the truth:

  • The COVID vaccine will not change your DNA
  • The COVID vaccine does not contain material from a dead fetus
  • The COVID vaccine does not contain heavy metals
  • The COVID vaccine does not contain  a microchip
  • Vaccines are not a cause of autism
  • Just because the vaccine was produced in record time does not mean its not safe

If you want more details about all these points see this extremely eloquent post by Chris York at The Huffington Post.

So please, make an appointment.  Get the vaccine.  For your health and your protection.  For your fellow humans.  For the greater good and a back to normal life for all of us.

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South Macomb Internal Medicine

28401 Hoover Rd.  Warren, Michigan 48093

Phone: (586) 276-7530

South Macomb Internal Medicine has been designated a Patient Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/SMIMdoc for updates, articles and fun!

Call us and ask to be added to our email newsletter that comes out every couple weeks!

Telehealth and virtual appointments are still available as well as nutritional services with Nanette Cameron, RDN. Don’t forget to ask us for a $25 gift certificate along with a copy of Nanette Cameron’s cookbook The Perfect Day for trying dietary services with Nanette the first time for patients who have insurance coverage! Nanette is also available virtually!

Feel free to click on the categories and keywords below to find more content as we add more to the website!