Health
-
Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease
Dementia is a term that means loss of memory and other cognitive functions, which interfere with activities of daily living. Living with any form of dementia can take a toll on the patient and caregivers. It can come as a shock, and it will be a moment of crisis where strong support is needed. Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, accounts for 60 to 80 percent of cases in Canada and generally affects more seniors than any other age group. Alzheimer’s occurs when the brain cells and connections die, affecting the ability to think coherently and remember things both in the long and short-term. Currently, there is no cure…
-
Clinic and Emergency Room Visits During COVID-19
One of the most common concerns that people have as a result of COVID-19 is whether or not it is still considered safe to visit the ER for other maladies unrelated to the virus. Prior to COVID-19 being declared a public health emergency by our officials back in March of 2020, British Columbia saw as many as 6,559 visits to ERs across the province in just one day. However, just one month later, on April 6th, 2020, that number dropped to approximately 2,995 ER visits. While this ultimately shows that people were doing what they needed to be doing by staying home – and that the system, as a whole,…
-
Managing Stress and Anxiety During COVID-19
Stress and anxiety are two things that most people have experienced in their lives at some point or another. While there are certain things that we can do in effort to prevent them from being daily re-occurrences in our lives, there are also times when the stress and anxiety we live through is often brought on by things we don’t have any control over. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic. As a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in the number of Canadians that are experiencing a decline in their psychological health – including not just an increase in stress and anxiety, but also an…
-
What Are Antibodies?
When bacteria, viruses and other types of microbes invade your body and try to make you sick, your immune system kicks into gear and fights hard to protect you. One of the ways in which your immune system does this is through the production of antibodies, which are stored in your immunoglobulin protein and are produced when they react with things such as protein antigens, including infectious organisms, toxins, and even pollen. Produced antibodies will then locate and attack these antigens. Types of Antibodies There are four different types of antibodies to make note of, each of which come with their own set of roles and responsibilities. These include: •…
-
Reducing Back-to-School Anxiety
For some kids and teenagers, returning to school can also come along with a lot of stress and anxiety. In many cases, that back-to-school anxiety is often associated with things such as being away from parents or other family members (especially for younger children who are starting full-time school for the first time), or having to go to a brand new school (for example, transitioning from elementary school to high school, or moving to a new neighbourhood and having to go to a new school as a result.) There are also cases where children may be bullied in school in the past and might have fears about returning. In addition…
-
How to Differentiate Between COVID-19 and Allergies
Spring is here and so is allergy season, but with COVID-19 also in full effect (and despite the decreased number of cases being reported in our province), this somewhat complicates things even further as many of the symptoms that are commonly associated with this deadly virus can also overlap with symptoms related to seasonal allergies, making it that much more difficult for people to differentiate between the two and leads them to wonder if they should be at all concerned about their health. There are several key ways to differentiate between symptoms of COVID-19 and allergies. For example, fever and chills are two of the most commonly reported symptoms of…
-
COVID-19: Where Does British Columbia Go from Here?
If the numbers are any indicator (and judging by the new models that were recently released by the Ministry of Health this week), then all are pointing toward British Columbia continuing to flatten the COVID-19 curve, which is great news. As our Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, stated in a recent briefing, our province is at “the end of the beginning of this pandemic.” That being said, this in no way, shape or form means that we can go back to how we were in December or January, before certain measures went into place (such as physical distancing and decreasing the number of people allowed to congregate in groups.)…
-
How to Ease Anxiety During a Crisis
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health concerns for both adults and children. For some, anxiety can be temporary experience that is based on different factors like relationship struggles (including family), or stress at work and/or school. For others, the anxiety they face can often be a chronic, recurring issue that causes a disruption in someone’s ability to carry out their daily living and may have a much harder time coping with what is often described as an overwhelming sense of dread or loss of control. As we are now seeing a steady and significant rise in the number of COVID-19 cases being diagnosed not just within Canada,…
-
Keeping Yourself (and Home) Healthy Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic
There has been a lot mentioned about the important and necessary precautions that we should all be taking to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These precautions have been mostly centered around hygiene, including washing your hands with soap and water (or using hand sanitizer when you don’t happen to have soap and water readily available), and to also ensure you avoid touching your face – but what you might not be aware of are the specifics that surround these measures, which is why it’s important to remind people of them. Hand Washing Washing our hands regularly is something that we should do every day, not just something we do in…
-
Protecting Patient Privacy
In the vast and intricate tapestry of Canadian healthcare, the concept of patient privacy stands as a beacon of ethical practice, legal responsibility, and a fundamental human right. As a physician deeply embedded in the Canadian healthcare system, I have come to appreciate the profound significance of safeguarding patient health information—a responsibility that extends far beyond the confines of legal mandates. This vital aspect of healthcare not only upholds the dignity and autonomy of patients, but also serves as the bedrock upon which the edifice of the patient-healthcare provider relationship is built. In this article, I aim to explore the multifaceted dimensions of patient privacy, shedding light on its legal…
