Seven Questions to Ask During Your First Appointment
As a concierge physician, I take both my time and my patient’s time very seriously. I generally devote about an hour to my initial consult with a patient. This gives me an opportunity to review their medical history with them, assess their current state of health, and...
Having Trouble Sleeping? Ask Dr. Santa Maria
What natural supplements can help me sleep? What are some starter medications for insomnia? What foods should I add and avoid in my diet to provide better sleep? What medications cause sleep disruption? What other activities might be affecting my sleep?
How to Treat a Sunburn
Rehydrate. Spending long hours in the sun that result in a burn, probably means your dehydrated as well. Make sure to refuel with lots of water. Next, consider taking an ibuprofen to ward of pain and inflammation. Next, you can run a cool or lukewarm bath which will allow your body to soak in moisture and ease irritation. Not able to shower? Apply a cool, wet compress to the sunburnt areas.
Ask Dr. Santa Maria: Albumin, Bilirubin and AST Blood Results
What does it means when your Albumin, Bilirubin and AST are all low?
Albumin is a major blood protein that will either go up or down in many different situations. Poor nutritional intake or excess protein losses through bowel movements or urination can cause it to drop. It will also drop when there is systemic inflammation (also known as a reverse acute phase reactant.)
