Varicose veins: an animation

From NHSChoices YouTube channel: This animation explains in detail what varicose veins are, their causes, symptoms and the various treatment options.

Cirrhosis: Phil's story

From NHSChoices: Many people enjoy a drink in the pub after work without realising how social drinking can damage health. Phil didn't realise the harm his alcohol intake was doing until he was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. He talks about his experience and the shock he felt at being diagnosed.

Related reading:

Cirrhosis - JAMA Patient Page, 2012.

Heart numbers to know - by Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic has been ranked the number one hospital in the U.S. for heart disease and heart surgery for the last 19 years. They must know what they are talking about when selecting the "heart numbers to know". This is the list by the cardiologist Dr. Richard Krasuski and the Clinic Twitter account.

Knowing your risk for heart disease depends on knowing and understanding some important numbers:

- Blood pressure should be less than 120/80 mm Hg

- Fasting blood sugar should be less than 100 mg/dL

- Total cholesterol less than 200 mg/dL

- LDL (bad cholesterol) less than 100 mg/dL, HDL (good) greater than 40 mg/dL

- Waist circumference should be less than 40 inches for men and less then 35 inches for women

- Body Mass Index (BMI) should be between 18.5 and 25. Calculate your BMI here: http://bit.ly/glMJE5

I worked at the Cleveland Clinic until 2008 and at that time the imposing building of the Heart & Vascular Institute was just getting completed:

Cleveland Clinic Heart & Vascular Institute

Image source: Cleveland Clinic logo.

6 (reasonable) things to do in a doctor’s waiting room

1. Make a list of your top health concerns.

2. Write questions down.

3. Make a list of all your medications.

4. Ask the office to check on your test results.

5. Confirm that the office has the correct insurance information.

6. Read something besides the magazines.

References:
6 things to do in a doctor’s waiting room. ConsumerReportsHealth.org.

Image source: picturestation.net, free license.

Plantar Fasciitis - Mayo Clinic Video

"There's nothing like foot pain to make you crazy. That's what an expert at Mayo Clinic says he hears from patients who have a condition called plantar fasciitis [fashee-EYE-tis]. It's very common and can make walking across the room a miserable experience. What can you do about it?"

Related reading:

The Barefoot Running Revolution - INFOGRAPHIC  http://goo.gl/7SUGs