Steve Purkiss Health Insights - Page 3
15
Dec
Travel Insurance for Medication Coverage and Emergencies: What You Really Need to Know
Travel insurance can cover emergency medications abroad-but only if you understand the rules. Learn what’s included, what’s excluded, and how to avoid denied claims when you need prescriptions overseas.
15
Dec
Gestational Diabetes: How to Manage Blood Sugar During Pregnancy
Learn how to manage gestational diabetes with diet, exercise, and blood sugar monitoring to protect your health and your baby's. Get clear targets, real tips, and what to expect after pregnancy.
12
Dec
Sick Euthyroid Syndrome: How Illness Skews Thyroid Lab Results
Sick euthyroid syndrome causes abnormal thyroid lab results during serious illness-but your thyroid is healthy. Learn why these changes happen, how doctors tell them apart from real thyroid disease, and why treatment with thyroid pills can be dangerous.
11
Dec
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy: How Habituation and Sound Therapy Reduce Tinnitus Distress
Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) helps the brain stop reacting to tinnitus through counseling and sound therapy. Unlike masking devices, TRT rewires neural pathways to achieve habituation-letting you hear tinnitus without distress.
10
Dec
Penicillin Desensitization: Safe Protocols for Allergic Patients Who Need Beta-Lactams
Penicillin desensitization safely allows allergic patients to receive essential beta-lactam antibiotics when no alternatives exist. Learn how the procedure works, who qualifies, and why it's critical in fighting antimicrobial resistance.
9
Dec
Calcium, Iron, and Mineral Interactions with Medications: What You Need to Know
Calcium and iron supplements can block antibiotics, thyroid meds, and heartburn drugs from working. Learn how to time your doses correctly to avoid dangerous interactions and ensure your medications work as they should.
8
Dec
Shellfish Allergy: Cross-Reactivity and How to Eat Out Safely
Shellfish allergy is one of the most common and severe food allergies, with high cross-reactivity between shrimp, crab, and lobster. Learn how tropomyosin triggers reactions, why false positives happen, and how to dine out safely with practical tips and new diagnostic tools.
7
Dec
Penicillin Allergies vs Side Effects: How to Tell Them Apart and Why It Matters
Most people who think they're allergic to penicillin aren't. Learn how to tell the difference between a true allergy and common side effects-and why getting tested could save your life and money.
6
Dec
Urate Targets in Gout: How Allopurinol and Febuxostat Work to Reach Treatment Goals
Learn how allopurinol and febuxostat help lower serum urate to prevent gout flares and dissolve crystals. Understand target levels, dosing strategies, and why most patients fail to reach them.
5
Dec
Finding Generic Combinations: When Components Don't Match Brand Formulations
Generic combination drugs save money but may have different inactive ingredients than brand versions, affecting patients with narrow therapeutic index conditions. Learn when substitutions are safe and how to protect yourself.
4
Dec
Why Generic Switching Raises Concerns for NTI Drugs
Generic switching for NTI drugs like warfarin and phenytoin can cause dangerous fluctuations in blood levels, leading to toxicity or treatment failure. Learn why even small differences matter-and what patients and doctors must do to stay safe.
4
Dec
Hiccups Triggered by Medications: Common Causes and Proven Remedies
Medication-induced hiccups are more common than you think-especially with steroids and opioids. Learn which drugs cause them, how to stop them fast, and what to ask your doctor if they won’t go away.