I trained as a Family Doctor so that I would be ready to help patients with any challenge. The old school family doc used to take that skill set out into the community on house calls, sports sidelines, and town hall meetings. At some point the job description was boiled down into a job that started and ended with a 7 minute office visit. That setup is not good for patients, and it's not good for doctors. In this column I hope to start to push the boundary of where the doctor patient interaction takes place - onto the page, into the community, and beyond 7 minutes.
In recent years concerns have been raised about the effect of sunscreen on both human health and environmental health. In the interim there has been a movement away from certain ingredients in sunscreen that may damage coral reefs and potentially harm humans. These risks are weighed against the known risks of sun damage which include higher risk of skin cancer.
Read MoreThe big economic news story of the last month has been the shortage of workers. As people become vaccinated and start to resume normal activities businesses are becoming busier. Many of these businesses had to cut back worker hours, or in some cases even close during the pandemic. Now that restrictions are easing, commerce is becoming feasible again with one missing piece; workers.
Read MoreDr. Oren Gersten is a board certified family doctor who brings his passion for caring for people and building community to Portland Direct Primary Care.
Read MorePlants and herbs are the original medicine used to treat human illness. In fact, many of our modern pharmaceuticals are based on chemicals that we discovered in plants or in nature. Spring is the perfect time for us to appreciate the medicinal properties of some of the plants growing around us.
Read MoreGood news for all the coffee lovers out there. Coffee may have some potential health benefits. A recent study in the British Medical Journal found an association between increasing coffee consumption and lower risks of prostate cancer (1). We are still not exactly sure why this would be the case, but it is thought that the antioxidant properties of coffee may play a part. A word of caution — cream, sugar, and flavoring in coffee can lead to obesity and diabetes which would easily outweigh any other potential health benefits of drinking coffee. Black coffee or just a hint of cream or sugar would be the way to go.
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