Author Archives : Emily Lunardo

If you have vitiligo, should you get a tattoo? This question is more common than you think. Vitiligo is a condition in which the skin loses pigment, resulting in white patches. Tattoos have been around for centuries as integral cultural part of personal expression. The simple answer to the question – does vitiligo affect tattoos? ...click here to read more

Atrial fibrillation – abnormal heart rhythm – is linked to a higher risk of cancer, more specifically colon cancer. Lead researcher Dr. David Conen said, “We found a significant relationship between atrial fibrillation and cancer.” The study did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship, but did show a strong association between atrial fibrillation and cancer risk. ...click here to read more

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) detection is faster with new breath and blood tests. There is currently no specific diagnostic test for IBS, but a new breath test has identified 16 different substances that can be used to confirm a diagnosis of IBS when measured together. Researchers examined the breaths from 170 IBS patients and 153 ...click here to read more

Zika virus has now been linked to vision problems in babies. Zika virus is already associated with microcephaly, which is a birth defect that causes abnormally small heads and brains in babies. Research has found that one-third of Brazilian babies with microcephaly also have vision problems as well, including ocular lesions, optic nerve abnormalities, and ...click here to read more

Walking pneumonia (atypical pneumonia) is a type of pneumonia, an illness that affects the upper and lower respiratory tract. The term walking pneumonia comes from the fact that many patients who have the condition don’t even realize it because their day-to-day living is not affected. Walking pneumonia does not involve hospitalization or bed rest as ...click here to read more

In the U.S., cases of Zika virus in pregnancy have tripled, and experts suggest the virus may spread to Europe this summer. The rise in Zika pregnancy cases in the U.S. may be a result of government changes in the definition of what is counted as a Zika case. Previously, Zika cases included Zika-positive pregnant ...click here to read more

With warmer weather upon us, the risk of Lyme disease increases as we spend more and more time outside – especially, in wooded, forestry areas. Vector-borne disease expert Stephen Wikel explained, “Luckily, ticks don’t fly, jump, or fall from the sky. They generally move from grass to a living host, and crawl upwards, looking for ...click here to read more

Dear Friend, Last week I shared with you about my diagnosis of both mild Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and if you’re familiar with either condition you know they both negatively affect one’s digestive system. Basically, I went years with bloating, gas, and abdominal pain – all the textbook symptoms. After numerous tests ...click here to read more