Those of us caring for a friend or family member with Alzheimer’s disease must keep many aspects of the affliction in mind.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Pink ribbons, the symbol for breast cancer, are everywhere – and with good reason. Here are some alarming statistics:

It’s inevitable: with the start of the school year comes the onslaught of snot. Germs travel throughout the classrooms, cafeterias and locker rooms. As winter draws nearer, the problem multiplies like the bacteria and viruses that cause it, and many of their effects include ear symptoms. The issue lies in knowing when an earache is actually an infection. There is a high likelihood that a visit to an urgent care facility will end with a prescription for an antibiotic; but, most ear pain is not due to bacteria that the medicine is meant to fight. Every year, millions of antibiotic prescriptions are written for otitis media (middle ear infection), despite the fact that 75 percent of them are caused by viruses which, in fact, are not affected in the least by the antibiotic.

We have all heard that old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Well, an apple might not keep the doctor away; but it may help you to need the doctor less often. Apples are available all year ‘round, but they are particularly full of flavor in the fall. Why not add apples to your daily diet and enjoy the health benefits?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. While atherosclerotic heart disease is prevalent in adults, sudden cardiac death is also the leading cause of death in young athletes.

The notion of consuming bacteria to treat or cure disease may, at first thought, seem counter-intuitive. After all, weren’t we always taught to wash our hands before we sit down for a meal or disinfect a cut – all to cut the risk of a bacterial infection? A little perspective: despite our best efforts to get rid of the microorganisms, our body actually houses trillions of bacteria (which, by some estimates, out-number human cells 10 to 1). These bacteria are not all pathogenic (that is, cause disease); in fact, some bacteria – the “good” bacteria – are essential in maintaining proper health and warding off disease. Often, health complications and diseases arise when the body’s bacterial ecosystem, the microbiome, become imbalanced and the pathogenic bacteria begin to outnumber the “good” bacteria.

The top-of-the-line Genesys PACE facility has been up and running since August 1, 2015 in Downtown Flint, near the Flint Farmers’ Market. The new facility is the exclusive provider for Genesee County. There are 114 facilities nationwide, with nine (including Genesys) in Michigan.

Each year, I talk to patients, family and friends about common reasons for not getting an annual flu vaccine. And each year, I know plenty of people who come down with the flu. Let’s take a few moments to go through the facts and you’ll realize there’s no excuse not to get a flu vaccine this season.

Nestled in the Kaza Village of Andrah Pradesh, India, there is a home for orphaned girls – a home that not only provides them with food and shelter, but also gives them their best shot in life. Dr. Sumathi Mukkamala, a retired pediatrician, is the mind behind Chinmaya Vijaya Orphanage and is changing the lives of hundreds of young girls. The operation is a component of CORD – Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development – a service wing of the Chinmaya Mission, which is a spiritual, social, and educational organization that operates around the world.

Human stem cells are non-specified cells that have the ability to generate new tissues and organs. In the field of dentistry, we are in a new era of unparalleled advances in treatments that are set to be developed with the availability of stem cells from oral tissues. Although still in its experimental stages, we will soon have the ability to stimulate dental repair, produce vaccinations against viruses causing disease, and genetically alter pathogens to eradicate caries (cavities) and periodontitis – two of the most common diseases afflicting the population today.