Author name: Penny Font

If you are a male age 50 or over, your primary care physician has probably discussed various cancer screenings with you. One of those is a prostate-specific antigen test which measures the level of PSA in the blood, and can indicate prostate cancer. This simple blood test can be done in your physician’s office and […]

Back pain is one of the leading causes of disability and can occur at any age. Some patients experience ongoing deep muscle aches while others feel burning or stabbing sensations, especially when moving their body in a specific way. In most cases, back pain improves with home treatment and lifestyle changes. That’s because many patients

Occasional back pain is not a cause for alarm. This is true, particularly if you’ve just had a grueling workout or helped a friend move to a second-floor apartment. But when back pain is prolonged or interferes with everyday activities, it’s time to schedule an appointment with your physician. Back pain is common among those

Knee pain is a common ailment among people of all ages that can have a huge impact on quality of life. It affects an individual’s ability to walk, run, kneel, climb stairs, sit and stand. Knee pain can be the result of injury, obesity, congenital conditions or osteoarthritis. For many patients, it starts as mild

If you struggle with your weight, you can probably name a dozen or more weight loss programs that promise great results in record time. In fact, you’ve probably tried many of those diets yourself. But if, like many others, you lose and gain the same pounds over and over, maybe it’s time to try something

Patients who have experienced a kidney stone often end up in the Emergency Room in excruciating pain. Symptoms can include difficulty urinating, nausea, fever, chills, and sometimes spreading pain in the lower back. Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals and salts that form in the kidneys and become crystallized. These cause pain as they

The heart is the engine that drives our body 24 hours a day. It reliably pumps blood through the circulatory system, essentially keeping us alive. So we shouldn’t be surprised that any thought of “heart disease” can be unsettling. The good news is that many heart ailments are highly treatable with lifestyle changes, medications or

A growing number of physicians are opting to perform surgeries and procedures at a surgical hospital, rather than an acute care hospital with emergency rooms. But if you’ve never been to a surgical hospital, you may be wondering whether that option is right for you. Places like Cypress Pointe Surgical Hospital in Hammond, Louisiana, are transforming