About two million people suffer with plantar fasciitis ((plant-ar fash-ee-itis)) one of the most common causes of heel pain and very common in runners. It usually occurs between the age of 40 and 60. WHAT IS PLANTAR FASCITIS? Inflammation of the plantar fascia, the bowstring-like tissue that stretches from the heel bone to the base […]

Get Well Wednesday

Dr . Kecia Gaither is a double board-certified physician in Ob/Gyn and Maternal Fetal Medicine and holds a Masters Degree in Public Health.  In her current role, Dr. Gaither serves as Director of Perinatal Services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln in the Bronx, New York. Dr. Gaither received her BA in Biology from Barnard College […]

ACCORDING TO THE CDC, NEARLY 400 INDIVIDUAL CASES OF MEASLES HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED IN 15 STATES SO FAR THIS YEAR. THIS IS THE SECOND GREATEST NUMBER OF CASES REPORTED IN THE U.S. SINCE MEASLES WAS DECLARED ELIMINATED IN 2000. WHAT EXACTLY IS MEASLES? Measles is caused by a virus. WHY IS IT MAKING A COMEBACK […]

DIABETES ADVOCATE CHARLES MATTOCKS WHO IS ALSO AN AUTHOR, ACTOR, DIRECTOR AND CHEF WAS DIAGNOSED WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES AND NOW HE WANTS TO EDUCATE AND SAVE NOT ONLY HIS OWN LIFE, BUT OTHERS. HE CREATED THE FIRST EVER DIABETES REALITY SHOW “REVERSED”  AND PLANS TO OPEN A DIABETES AND WELLNESS RETREAT IN JAMAICA. THERE […]

Several weeks ago, our Friday Funny Chair comedian Damon Williams shared that his wife is allergic to cold temperatures — like, literally breaks out in hives. Even though it’s late March, we wanted to talk about cold urticaria (ur-tih-kar-e-uh) because it doesn’t only happen during cold winter months. It is a rare disease and many […]

HOW DID HOARDING BECOME A DISORDER? The concept of hoarding has been around for nearly a century with roots in the psychoanalytical realm. Sigmund Freud characterized hoarding has part of the “anal” psychosexual stage of development. It was believed that being people with the anal personality were well on their way to developing OCD, hence […]

It’s National Kidney Month – here’s what you should know about how to keep your kidneys healthy. WHAT ARE THE MAIN CAUSES OF KIDNEY DISEASE, AND WHY SHOULD AFRICAN AMERICANS BE CONCERNED ABOUT IT? Diabetes and high blood pressure are the main causes of kidney disease, and your chances of having diabetes and high blood […]

Last November actress and model Kim Porter died unexpectedly in her home. The L.A. county coroner’s office reports she died from pneumonia. The autopsy report described “lobar pneumonia” as an infection of the lung caused by bacteria.      WHAT EXACTLY IS PNEUMONIA? ARE THERE DIFFERENT TYPES? Pneumonia is an infection in either one or […]

Last month, there was a news report about an 11-year old boy who died after a severe allergic reaction to fumes from the fish his grandmother was cooking. His father tried to give him his asthma medication but the nebulizer wasn’t enough to help him as he was gasping for air. That just underscored the […]

WHAT IS BLOATED BELLY? Bloating refers to a feeling of pressure or discomfort—just short of pain—somewhere in the abdominal area, and/or visible distension of the abdomen that makes your waistline grow. It may affect the top of the abdomen right underneath the breastbone, the lower part of the abdomen underneath the belly button or the […]

January is National Thyroid Awareness Month. The thyroid gland is a butterfly shaped organ located in the base of your neck. It releases hormones that control metabolism— or the way your body uses energy. What is thyroid disease? Any condition that affects the normal function of the thyroid gland, causing too little or too much production of […]

Dr. Icilma Fergus is a cardiologist at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, known as Dr. Icy. She and Debora Grandison share the importance of February American Heart Health Month and what you can do to keep your heart healthy. HEART DISEASE IS THE NUMBER ONE KILLER OF WOMEN. WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN […]