Doctor Column

ADULT SINUSITIS — RHINOSINUSITIS. TEN (“10”) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Part A

“I have a miserable sinus headache, Doc. My sinuses are killing me. My teeth hurt, the left side of my face is tender, I can’t breathe through my nose and awful stuff is coming out of my nose.” You’re not alone. Millions of adults (18 years and older) suffer from sinusitis at a cost of billions of dollars. Sinusitis affects about one in eight adults and costs over 11 billion dollars a year to treat.

“Thinning” the Blood to Prevent a Stroke from Atrial Fibrillation Part I

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a significant cause of stroke. The lack of contractility from the upper chambers of the heart (atria) lead to pooling of the blood with resultant “clot “ (thrombus) formation. Should even small elements of these clots disperse, and embolize to the brain: the result is a stroke. The latter can be a catastrophic event in a patient and their families lives. Most often, patients are left with a loss of function speech, vision, cognitive abilities , ability to use an arm, leg etc.