Blog | Navigating Healthcare

GI Doctor, GI Health, Natural Treatments March 24, 2016 0Comments

Natural Ways to Prevent Constipation

Constipation is a problem for many people, it is something that can have a direct impact on our overall health and can also cause long term damage to our bodies. Constipation can be a sign of an unhealthy diet or stress or that you aren’t getting enough water or it can be a sign of another medical condition. If you are constipated often you should go to a gastroenterologist in Flushing and get a check up.

The recent death of character actor, Abe Vigoda, caused the media to haul out sound bites and videos of some of his most memorable scenes. Of course, there was dialogue of Vigoda playing Tessio in “The Godfather”, as well as his character Fish in the “Barney Miller” series. But oddly enough, many of the sound bites and still shots of Fish in “Barney Miller” had that character’s hand dipping into a box of prunes while extolling their virtues. He said “I’ve been eating prunes for 40 years. When I was 13, I gave a girl a necklace of prune pits. Her mother thought I was into voodoo.”

GI Doctor, GI Health, Natural Treatments March 24, 2016 0Comments 0Likes

Dermatologist, Dry Skin, Skin Cancer, Skin Health January 20, 2016 0Comments

How to Care for the Biggest Organ in Your Body

You read that right… your skin is not only an organ, it’s the biggest organ in your body. Face it… your skin is everywhere! Regardless of your shape or size, your skin is huge. In fact, at this very moment, you’ve got about 19 million skin cells… per square inch … which equals about 20 feet of skin! And all those varied areas of skin all over your body can make it tough to care for, especially considering the fact that the skin in different areas of your body gets different types of exposures. That means that each area’s skin requires different types of care. Think about it. The skin on your face is vastly different from, say, the skin on your feet, isn’t it? Just one reason is because the skin on your face is constantly exposed to the world, whereas the skin on your feet isn’t. Another reason is because the skin on your feet gets a whole different kind of beating compared to that of your face. So what do you do to care for the various areas of skin located all over your body? Here are some tips from dermatologists about how to care for the many different types of skin your body contains.

Dermatologist, Dry Skin, Skin Cancer, Skin Health January 20, 2016 0Comments 0Likes

Dermatologist, Dry Skin, Skin Cancer, Skin Health, Winter Health January 13, 2016 0Comments

How to Prevent Sun Damage in Winter

Everyone loves the magic and allure of a winter wonderland, with its Christmas sparkle and rich, crystal beauty. But nobody loves what winter’s harsh winds and dry air can do to their skin. First, there are those harmful UV rays. Did you know they can age you faster than just about everything else? This is a fact, which is why you not only need sunscreen on those days you head out for a sunny day at the beach; you also need it through the winter to minimize the sun’s effects, especially for skin cancer prevention. Then there’s the cold. Those frosty winds whipping around your face and other skin surfaces can dry out your skin, leaving it rough and scaly. And, finally, because of all those frigid temps, you’re likely turning up the heat inside your home, which is like adding insult to injury on your poor skin cells. And there you have it… the perfect combination for turning soft, supple skin into a veritable alligator bag. Following are some tips from dermatologists in New Jersey on how to prevent sun damage to skin in winter.

Dermatologist, Dry Skin, Skin Cancer, Skin Health, Winter Health January 13, 2016 0Comments 0Likes

Ear infections, Swimmer's Ear, Swimming January 6, 2016 0Comments

Are Q-Tips Safe?

Naturally, cleaning your ears is important, not just for proper hearing, but also for preventing infection. Because the ear canal is susceptible to all manner of dirt, bacteria, and viruses that can wreak havoc with your health, it’s vital to keep the areas inside the ear clean and free of debris. But it’s not enough just to clean your ears. It’s also important to keep them free from moisture. If you’re a swimmer, you likely know about a medical condition known as swim ear or swimmer’s ear, which is an infection caused by excessive moisture within the outer ear canal. Unfortunately, though, swimmers aren’t the only ones who can get swim ear. In fact, anyone can contract it, and of swim ear causes there are many, including showering, ear buds, and even the use of Q-Tips. Swim ear drops are effective at helping to clear up swimmer’s ear infections, but isn’t it better not to get an infection in the first place? That’s why it’s important to know the right way to clean your ears and the wrong way. Though Q-tips and other cotton swab products are effective and useful for other endeavors, healthcare professionals strongly recommend against their use for the cleaning of the ear canal.

Ear infections, Swimmer's Ear, Swimming January 6, 2016 0Comments 0Likes

Dermatologist, Dry Skin, Healthy Skin, Men's skin care, Skin Health December 30, 2015 0Comments

Fun Facts about Skin

Skin is a funny thing. We see it all day every day, but most of us probably don’t give our skin much thought most of the time (over and above those little signs of aging, that is). You see it every time you look in the mirror. You see it right in front of you all day long. In fact, your skin is probably one of the first things you see when you wake up in the morning.

But just how much do you really know about your skin? For instance, did you know that, like your heart, your liver, and your lungs, your skin is actually an organ? It’s true, but to be more precise, your skin just happens to be the largest organ in your body. And, besides being the human body’s largest organ, the skin has loads of other cool things going on, as it’s definitely one of the most fascinating organs in the body. Here are more fun facts about skin from top dermatologists in New Jersey that might just make you, well, jump out of your skin!

Dermatologist, Dry Skin, Healthy Skin, Men's skin care, Skin Health December 30, 2015 0Comments 0Likes

Exercise, Swimming, Weight Loss, Winter Health December 23, 2015 0Comments

Cold Weather Exercise Ideas

Do you dread winter? Do the short days and below-freezing temperatures make you want to hole up in your house, cuddling under blankets and watching your favorite program’s all-day marathon? If this sounds like you, you’ve got to know you’re not alone. Millions of folks see winter’s chill as vindication for their inactivity. So what happens when that thaw comes and you realize you’ve not only spent four months lounging around the house… you’ve also allowed winter’s heightened snacking to gravitate right to your hips? Luckily, there are answers to this yearly question. The good news about cold weather is that it comes with its own special set of workouts that not only help keep you from gaining winter’s typical 10 pounds; they can also help chase away those winter doldrums and lift your spirits ‘til summer. Here are some great ideas for winter workouts, from those that are meant to be performed in the cold such as skiing and ice skating, to those you wouldn’t normally consider this time of year, such as walking and swimming (with extra tips on swimmer’s ear prevention).

Exercise, Swimming, Weight Loss, Winter Health December 23, 2015 0Comments 0Likes

Cavities, dental care, Dental Health, Halloween health, Healthy Foods October 28, 2015 0Comments

The Best and Worst Halloween Candy for Teeth

Halloween can be pretty scary, and not just for its ghosts, witches, and goblins. Halloween has been known to frighten more than just a few parents for what all that gooey, sugary candy can do to their kids’ teeth. Thankfully, as a parent, you don’t have to make your kids opt out of all the Halloween fun just because you don’t want their teeth to end up looking like that candy corn they’ve been scarfing by the boatload. In fact, it likely will surprise you to learn that some of the candy they get for for trick or treat may even be good for their teeth. For instance, sugarless candies can actually benefit teeth. But what about the rest of them? Is one sugary candy just as bad as another? Or are all Halloween candies that contain sugar as ghastly as those costumes they picked out? Here are some dental health tips for parents at Halloween about the best and worst Halloween candy for teeth.

Cavities, dental care, Dental Health, Halloween health, Healthy Foods October 28, 2015 0Comments 0Likes

Cavities, Dental Health, dentistry, Halloween health, Healthy Foods October 28, 2015 0Comments

How to Survive Halloween without Cavities

Impossible, right? Actually, it’s very possible. As a parent, you probably cringe every year about this time thinking about all that candy your kids are going to get on their fun night of trick-or-treating. And all that sugar swishing around in their mouths, well, it’s on a mission to destroy your kid’s teeth and tooth structures. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are things you can do as a parent to help your kids get through Halloween and all its sugary ghoulishness without coming out on the other end with a mouth full of cavities.

Cavities, Dental Health, dentistry, Halloween health, Healthy Foods October 28, 2015 0Comments 0Likes

Exercise, Healthy Lifestyle, Joint Health, Swimming October 12, 2015 0Comments

Swimming Is a Low Intensity Workout

Swimming is the most amazing workout ever. Not only can swimming burn more fat than just about every other exercise there is (short of climbing Everest) because it combines weight-training/muscle building with an effective cardio workout. It’s also an enjoyable workout that keeps you from sweating yourself silly. Plus, it’s oh-so-easy on the joints! And swimming does all this in a nice, pleasant low-intensity workout! You just can’t say that about any other workout. Think about it. When you go to the gym and get on one of those sweaty machines like a treadmill, you walk, walk, walk… and when you get off, not only have you spent all that time doing the same repetitive movements looking at the same walls, but you’ve also sweated yourself to a disgusting, smelly mess… and you’re in the same place you were when you started! But, when you swim, you’re gliding along in that beautiful, silky water and, instead of sweating, you actually come out feeling cooler than when you went in! Now that’s a great workout! Here are some of the health benefits and other reasons to choose a low-intensity swimming workout over any other type of workout.

Exercise, Healthy Lifestyle, Joint Health, Swimming October 12, 2015 0Comments 0Likes

Ear infections, Home Remedies, Natural Treatments, Swimmer's Ear October 8, 2015 0Comments

Home Remedies for Swimmer’s Ear

Medically speaking, it’s an infection of the outer ear canal. Most people know it as ‘swimmer’s ear.’ The problem with this title is that it’s not very descriptive. In fact, it’s even deceptive. Many people think that, because they’re not swimmers, or because they don’t swim very often, they won’t get swimmer’s ear. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. If you’re someone who showers or bathes (and hopefully you are), you can get swimmer’s ear. Though it is true that swimmers tend to experience it more often (hence, the name), it’s also true that all it takes is one time of excessive moisture to get into your ear for you to develop an outer ear canal infection. The symptoms of swimmer’s ear are easy to know, and of swimmer’s ear treatments, there are several. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, you likely have swimmer’s ear: redness in the ear canal; pain in the ear canal; discharge from the ear, either an odorless, colorless fluid, or in more severe cases, pus discharge; muffled hearing; full feeling within the ear (caused by swelling and/or blockage). If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, your swimmer’s ear infection has progressed, and it’s important to see a doctor: severe pain that may have radiated to face, neck, inside the head; fever; swelling of lymph nodes. The good news, though, about swimmers ear is that there are home remedies that can reduce or even eliminate your symptoms.