Courtesy of Cy-Fair Hospital Your skin has about 1,500 bacteria on each square centimeter. Most of these one-celled organisms are harmless, and many are actually helpful. But one bacterium called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, can cause infections that are resistant to some commonly used antibiotics. “MRSA is spread by contact, such as by children in a school read more

Courtesy of Cy-Fair Hospital Whoever first said that bread is the staff of life didn’t know anyone with celiac disease. A person with celiac disease can’t consume foods with wheat, barley, and rye because they contain a substance— called gluten—that leads to damage in the small intestine. While many people have never heard of celiac disease, it’s fairly common, affecting about one in 133 read more

Courtesy of Cy-Fair Hospital As summer approaches and jeans and turtlenecks are swapped for swimsuits and tank tops, it’s important to remember that protecting yourself against the sun’s harmful rays is the best way to prevent skin cancer and other skin-related diseases. “The sun’s rays have long term effects,” says Rashmi Sheshadri, M.D., a family medicine physician on staff at read more

This is a sponsored post written by April Pearson Come out to the Spring Fling Vendor Fair from 9 am-3 pm this Saturday, April 14, 2012, where over twenty vendors will gather at the Steeple Chase Community Center located at 11250 Steepleway Blvd, Houston, TX. Come shop ‘til you drop and enjoy music provided by a DJ. You can also enter to win prizes from some of these vendors by purchasing read more

Courtesy of Cy-Fair Hospital One minute doesn’t last very long. That’s barely enough time to walk up several flights of stairs, find your car keys, or brush your teeth. But that’s all it may take to answer a few quick questions to find out if you are one of the nearly six million Americans who has diabetes but doesn’t know it. As part of American Diabetes Association Alert! Day on Tuesday, read more

Courtesy of Cy-Fair Hospital Ah, spring. The weather’s getting warmer and the flowers and trees are blooming. You want to spend more time outside enjoying the great weather, and then it hits. Your sinuses clog up, your eyes are running and you are sneezing your head off. Welcome to seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever or allergic rhinitis. As many as one in five people has read more

Courtesy of Cy-Fair Hospital Your thyroid is a small—but very important—gland at the base of the throat. When there’s a problem with this gland, it can affect many different organs and their functions. For example, when it produces too much hormone, it can cause the heart to beat too fast or irregularly. “Some little-known signs of an underactive thyroid—called hypothyroidism—include read more

Courtesy of Cy-Fair Hospital If you have an infant or young child in diapers, diaper rash may become part of your life. Wet or infrequently changed diapers, diarrhea, taking antibiotics or even changes in a child’s diet can cause a red, puffy-looking rash to appear in the diaper area. While diaper rash isn’t comfortable for the baby, it’s generally not serious and can be read more

Courtesy of Cy-Fair Hospital Your doctor has been telling you for years. Your friends, family, and coworkers all put their two cents in. But now, thanks to the insight of the Affordable Care Act and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, it is easier—and more affordable—than ever to receive important health screening services. Early Detection: The Best Protection Health screenings read more

Courtesy of Cy-Fair Hospital February is here and symbols of hearts surround us. With Valentine's Day around the corner, we think about those that we love and cherish with all our hearts. But we should also be thinking about our physical heart and what we can do to improve our heart health. February is American Heart Month, a time to raise awareness of the seriousness of heart disease and read more

Courtesy of Cy-Fair Hospital The average American man weighs 189.9 pounds and is 5 feet, 9.2 inches tall. The average American woman weighs 162.9 pounds and is 5 feet, 5.3 inches tall. Are these healthy weights? One way to tell is to calculate body mass index (BMI), a reliable indicator of body fatness based on height and weight for most people. Unfortunately, many Americans have BMIs that read more

Courtesy of Cy-Fair Hospital The new year is quickly approaching and fireworks stands are beginning to pop up all around town. While fireworks are beautiful to watch, they are dangerous to play with. If not handled properly, Fireworks can cause severe injuries to eyes and skin. Even just watching a friend light fireworks can put you at risk. In 2008, U.S. emergency rooms treated 7,000 read more

Courtesy of Cy-Fair Hospital Your great-aunt Edna had red hair. All your cousins have brown eyes. Your father is six feet tall. Your uncle served in the military and your brother is following in his footsteps. It usually is easy to track the physical or historical information about a family. But what about your family’s health history? Did your grandmother have breast cancer when she died read more

Courtesy of Cy-Fair Hospital What do you do when your child has a fever? Should you call the doctor, go to the emergency room, or give your child medicine to bring the fever down? It is important to remember that most fevers are not serious. In fact, fevers under 102 degrees Fahrenheit generally do not need to be treated if your child is over three months old and is acting normally. A read more

Courtesy of Cy-Fair Hospital While we all like to indulge a little during our family meals on Thanksgiving Day, there are ways that you can incorporate healthy eating into your holiday festivities. If you want to eat a healthy diet, you’ll need to do more than choose the right foods. It’s also important to prepare foods in a healthy way. There are many different methods to cut read more