Allergy & Asthma Associates - Dr. Mamlok

07/03/2018

Have a safe and happy July 4th!

06/21/2018

Please do not let your children read this! Swearing is vulger and offensive and really stifles one's ability to express our selves in a more meaningful fashion. However, does swearing have a physiological and evolutionary advantage? The English scientists put that #$%&!@ question to the task.

https://www.doximity.com/doc_news/v2/entries/10963707

05/04/2018

Happy Cinco de Mayo from Allergy and Asthma Associates!

02/26/2018

Yes, and…
What a nice way to start to agree or disagree. While doctors are not always the best of communicators, simple strategies can help. And who could be better at communicating than improv comedians. For example, the Second City of Chicago improv comedians work has been added to some medical school curriculums. Their goal is to remove stars and create constellations of healthcare teams. The starting point is to listen to other’s views before we share ours. So maybe laughter will turn into the best medicine after all. Several books are available on this topic such as

The core principles of improvisation—equality, collaboration, flexibility, responsiveness, differing perspectives—can be applied to anything from comedic theater to a hospital room.

02/21/2018

The cost of healthcare and the value we receive is on many of our minds. Although the politics of healthcare delivery are very complex, a starting point is to benchmark the cost of healthcare and compare our medical outcomes to other countries. Recent data from the JAMA suggests that although the cost of healthcare is significantly higher in the US than other countries, there is little evidence that the outcome is better. The cost of emergency care and pharmaceuticals increased at the fastest rates. But, what can we do?

This study used data from National Health Expenditure Accounts to estimate US spending on personal health care and public health, according to condition, age and s*x group, and type of care.

02/17/2018

OK, Allergists are not really thought of as pet lovers. After all, we have seen thousands of allergic asthmatics who have had respiratory misery with dander exposure. However, we love pets and they do have medical benefits. These have been nicely summarized by the group at UCLA. So, if you are allergic to your pet what should you do? A great topic to discuss with your allergist.

UCLA People-Animal Connection

02/11/2018

The pain and personal tragedies that the US opioid epidemic has wracked on families in the US is hard to comprehend. Researchers at the Center for Disease control have recently expressed this crisis in stark epidemiologic detail. They found that in spite of all our medical advances, the opioid epidemic is resulting in a decline in the life expectancy of all children born in the USA.

Americans are dying younger and the opioid epidemic is one undeniable culprit. A CDC official calls the findings 'disturbing.'

02/07/2018

It would not be a New Years without a good resolution. And we are not talking 4K. For many of us weight control is a perennial favorite. But, with a long term success rate of excessive weight loss remaining in the 5-10% range, perhaps there is more to the story of calories and exercise.

For many years, the long-term success rates for those who attempt to lose excess body weight have hovered around 5-10 percent. In what other disease condition would we accept these numbers and continue on with the same approach? How does this situation sustain itself? It goes on because the diet ind...

02/02/2018

The flu season is upon us. What misery to be up at night hacking away, or even worse listening to one’s child coughing a night away. While cough has been called the voice of the lungs, and has a physiologic benefit, why can’t my doctor give me an effective cough suppressant? Well, this week, the FDA summarized that data with a scholarly review of opioid cough and cold medications for children. It is clear that the risks of these cough suppressants far outweigh the benefits.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it is requiring safety labeling changes to limit the use of prescription opioid cough and cold medicines containing codeine or hydrocodone in children younger than 18 years old because the serious risks of these medicines outweigh their pote...

01/24/2018

The solutions to the management of chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes and hypertension have been both elusive and hotly debated. A recent look at the economics of asthma management and its impact on urban hospitals offers some provocative insights. Researchers in Baltimore have some important things to say as they follow the money this month in an article in Scientific American.

The medical system knows how to help, but there is no money in it

01/19/2018

I think we all know of the potential health risks of smoking to***co. But what about E ci******es? Do they lead adolescents to smoke ci******es? Although causality will need further study, a recent report from the Journal of the American Medical Association highlights this potential risk.

This cohort study used high school students’ responses to a substance use survey to evaluate whether baseline e-cigarette use among never-smoking adolescents is associated with starting to smoke ci******es, ci**rs, or ho**ah water pipes.

01/10/2018

How to choose a physician? This is a very personal and often difficult choice. We all want someone who is honest, trustworthy and ideally with infinite wisdom and empathy. By the way, please let me know when that person is found! One criterion to consider is experience. Are we better off with a newly minted physician armed with the latest science and technology or a senior statesman with decades of clinical experience? I do not know the answer to this question, but here is one groups’ opinion.

fiercehealthcare.com  It turns out the age of a physician does influence the likelihood patients will have a complaint. However, the older the doctor, the fewer patient complaints, according to a study published in JAMA Ophthalmology. Researchers from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in...