It is often a challenge when the physician receives two versions of the medical history of a patient’s illness. The male version, in my experience, is often not as accurate as the version of the significant other. Recently, one of my patients was experiencing...
Several weeks ago, I attended the home going service for an older friend. During a light hearted moment of the eulogy, the pastor stated “when you get to heaven, you will need a Dr. Thaddeus John Bell closing the Gap in health disparities for African Americans...
We know that obesity is a serious medical disease among African American women. It is recognized as an epidemic throughout the United States and can be prevented if the causes are recognized early and measures taken to prevent it. Obesity is not connected to...
Obesity is a major health issue, especially in our community and it appears to be getting worse. Physicians are having difficulty dealing with obesity among black women because it is a sensitive subject. As a result, many of them never receive the proper...
Obesity is a major foe of the heart. It is apt to occur early among African American women and the medical community is seeing heart disease earlier and worse in these women. The obesity epidemic is raging and early death and major disability will be seen in...
Recently, I saw a good friend who had lost a significant amount of weight at the urging of her personal physician. She was amazed that many of her African American friends thought she was sick because of the weight loss. This thinking is common in the African...
I hope you heard the health tip that addressed obesity as a major health issue among African American women. Obesity is not associated with our cultural heritage. Many African American women become very upset when physicians talk to them about their weight. ...
I realize that I am taking a serious risk by addressing a subject that African American women do not want to hear. It’s okay, because I have been doing this for years, trying to save lives. It is well documented that many African American women think that it...
Prostate cancer is the second, most common cancer that African American men can experience in their lifetime. The exact cause is not known, but risk factors are well documented and a major one is family history. It is imperative for all black men to determine...
Men do not often discuss this type of cancer which commonly occurs between the ages of 15 and 45. It usually appears in the testicles as a painless lump or mass and requires immediate medical attention and evaluation. Please do not wait until the mass becomes...
Most people immediately assume the worse and can become discouraged before receiving all the facts when diagnosed with cancer. Family members often do not provide encouragement to those members who have been given a diagnosis. I have been told by my patients...
The manner in which medicine is practiced today can result in a patient taking too many medications. This problem is often seen in patients who are sixty years or older, have chronic medical conditions, and have been seen by multiple physicians in the past. Patients...