Healthcare Matters

By Dustin Hamlin Swimmer’s Ear, or otitis externa, is an infection of the external ear canal and can definitely put a damper on your summer fun in the sun.  The pain associated with otitis externa may be more noticeable while chewing or tugging on the ear lobe.  The ear lobe may be red, and one…

By Dustin Hamlin Let’s face it.  No one wants to seek medical help unless they have something they know needs fixed, they are hurting, or feel bad.  Last week’s discussion of hepatitis screening led me to feel the need to discuss additional screenings one should undergo to ascertain diseases that, if diagnosed early, can be…

By Dustin Hamlin Is It a True Allergy or Not? Each week, I have patients present to my clinic for the first time with a history of penicillin allergy.  Many of these patients describe first being diagnosed as a child and advised by parents or grandparents that they should never take a penicillin.  However, in…

By Dustin Hamlin Now that we are experiencing what we know here in Appalachia as blackberry winter, I would like to discuss allergic rhinitis and environmental allergens, once again.  Some years it seems we have increased presentations of allergic rhinitis with sneezing, itchy and runny noses often accompanied by post nasal drip, and a sore…

By Dustin Hamlin Painful feet are a miserable experience, especially if you’re working long days on concrete or hard surfaces.  Painful steps will decrease the number of steps you want to take and lead to a more sedentary lifestyle.  This results in increased body weight and puts you more at risk for chronic conditions such…

By Dustin Hamlin Warmer weather always seems to put people back on the move.  With that being said, a common presentation to the clinic over the past few weeks has been painful feet and toes.  Often, this chief complaint will lead to the diagnosis of in growing toe nail or plantar fasciitis. This week, I…

By Dustin Hamlin Spring has sprung, and the red buds are blooming! Soon the April showers will bring forth the May flowers!  This is a beautiful time of year. Many look forward to it; yet, others truly are dreadful of the season.  These folks suffer from seasonal allergies and often stay sick and miserable during…

Over the past month, I have noticed an increase in injuries resulting from falls.  This past week, one of my eldest patients suffered a fall and has undergone surgeries as a result.  For this reason, I feel it is appropriate to discuss falls.  Falls in general have a higher tendency to be life altering in…

This week at the clinic, we have seen several complaints leading to a diagnosis of H Pylori. H Pylori is an infection of the stomach that will lead to stomach ulcers if left untreated. The exact cause is unknown. The infection can be spread from person to person by kissing or by using poorly cleansed…