Blog Archive

Every 33 seconds, somebody in the United States dies from cardiovascular disease. Every year, more than 800,000 have a heart attack. You don’t want to be one of them. Nevertheless, heart disease is rampant in the United States and is the leading cause of death for all genders and most...

You’ve read all of the recommendations that it’s best to lose weight slowly, over time. But it’s hard to wait for results, especially if you have to cut out some of your most favorite foods and feel hungry all of the time. And it’s all the more frustrating to finally...

Arthritis is an umbrella term that encompasses more than 100 types of joint pain. No matter whether you have rheumatoid arthritis, the more common osteoarthritis (i.e., wear-and-tear related to overuse or aging), or gout, you may notice that your stiffness and pain worsen, depending on the weather. Some women and...

You don’t just brush your teeth once and expect to keep the germs at bay for life. Each time you eat, new bacteria enter your mouth and feast on the sugars that coat your teeth. That's why brushing regularly is essential for oral health. Similarly, you can't expect last year’s...

When you’re among the nearly 20% of women and men in the United States who have arthritis, you may despair of ever having a “normal” life again. The things you used to do — or used to do easily – like opening a jar yourself or climbing a ladder now...

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic form of the autoimmune disease called lupus that as yet has no cure. The disease affects so many bodily systems that it may have taken you a while to get a diagnosis. Now that you know what’s behind your symptoms — such as...

Snoring is a hallmark of a life-threatening sleep breathing disorder called sleep apnea. This disorder robs your body of oxygen while you sleep, setting you up for potentially fatal conditions, such as: Cardiovascular disease High blood pressure Heart attack Stroke However, not every snorer has sleep apnea. And not everyone...

Gout is a form of arthritis that usually strikes the joint at the base of your big toe, known as the metatarsophalangeal joint. About 90% of women and men who have gout initially or eventually develop the disease in this joint. The metatarsophalangeal joint bears most of the stress when...

Up to 95% of the 38 million women, men, and children with diabetes in the United States have Type 2 diabetes. Unlike Type 1 diabetes, which is an autoimmune condition, Type 2 diabetes is driven by lifestyle factors. If you’ve developed Type 2 diabetes, you can reverse many of the...

When you’re overweight or obese, you struggle with more than how you look or how your clothes fit. It’s harder to move, it’s harder to stay healthy, and you know you’re at increased risk for — or may already have — a life-threatening illness and disease, including: Cardiovascular disease Hypertension...

With all of the health advice you need to follow these days, you may sometimes just feel like crawling into bed and staying there … except you need to stay active to stay healthy! Instead of avoiding the advice, make it easy to follow.  If you have gout, one of...

You love the holidays and look forward to the new year, but you also definitely feel the stress — especially in your joints. It seems like your arthritis gets worse as the weather worsens, too. While not everybody with arthritis experiences increased joint pain in winter, there are physical reasons...

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and a variety of symptoms throughout your body. As with all autoimmune diseases, lupus is characterized by an overactive immune system that attacks healthy tissues, not just invasive pathogens. African Americans, Native Americans, and Asians are among the racial and ethnic...

Almost overnight, it seems, the media have exploded with stories about new weight loss drugs that promise a fast, easy way to shed unwanted and unneeded pounds.  Because nearly 74% of women and men over the age of 20 in the United States are either overweight or obese, these drugs...

Each year in autumn, the latest mutation of an influenza virus arises, ready to infect everyone it reaches. Also each year, your annual flu shot is modified to counteract that mutation, to reduce your risk of infection or subsequent symptoms. The flu season runs all the way from October into the early spring....

An electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) measures the electrical activity in your heart via electrodes that your doctor places on your chest, arms, and legs. The electrodes send your heart’s signals either to styluses that create waveforms on a printer or directly to a computer that creates digital waveforms. An EKG...

Whether you have rheumatoid arthritis or wear-and-tear osteoarthritis, you may have noticed that your pain and stiffness is harder to bear when the weather is cold and damp. You’re not alone. Multiple studies seem to verify the link between cold or humid weather and the severity of arthritis pain.  However,...

Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that’s caused by the accumulation of excess uric acid crystals in a joint, most usually a big toe joint.  You’re more likely to have attacks of gout if you consume a diet that’s high in sugars or that contains excessive amounts of purines....

No matter your race or sex, you’re at risk for heart disease. Coronary heart disease (CHD), the most common type of heart disease, kills approximately 375,000 people a year. About 5% of women and men older than 20 have CAD. So when you experience chest pain, tightness in your chest, or...

Gout is a complex form of inflammatory arthritis in which uric acid crystals collect in your soft tissues, particularly in your feet and toes. The largest joint of your big toe is usually most affected by gout.  When you’re in the middle of a gout attack, your toe can be...

Sleep apnea is a serious and potentially life-threatening sleep disorder that may stop you from breathing at night for seconds to minutes at a time. Robbed of the oxygen you need to repair and restore your organs, you may awaken unrested, groggy, and irritable. More than a quarter of adults in the...

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease of the joints that causes pain, stiffness, and sometimes swelling or deformity. About 32 million women and men in the United States have OA, which is the most common type of arthritis. The biggest risk factor for OA is increasing age. In fact, 88% of women and men...

Lupus is a disorder of your immune system that causes it to attack healthy organs, blood vessels, and other tissues that make up your body. Lupus often doesn’t have symptoms until organ damage is already underway. If you have lupus, the more you know about your disease, the better you...

If you're overweight or obese — like more than 70% of women and men in the United States — you’re probably frustrated that you can’t find a lasting way to lose those extra pounds to improve your wellness … and your figure. Diets don’t work. They just don't. So what...

Once you develop one health condition, you’re more at risk for others. That’s because anything that happens in one area of your body affects the rest of your body, too. In fact, if you have diabetes, you’re twice as likely to develop hypertension (i.e., high blood pressure) than someone who...

Every year, a new variation of influenza (aka the “flu”) rounds the globe, causing uncomfortable symptoms and serious complications, especially in babies, the elderly, and the immunocompromised. However, anyone can be affected by the flu. And anyone can develop complications, especially with an increased surge in COVID this fall. Flu...

Nearly 4% of all adults in the United States have an excruciating form of arthritis known as gout. Gout usually affects your big toe’s biggest joint, but it can afflict any joint.  You developed gout because of a combination of genetics, age, and lifestyle choices, including dietary ones. Consuming foods...

Whether you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, controlling your diet is a big part of controlling your blood sugar and your insulin.  While you may think you can’t live without sugar and other foods that have given you comfort in the past, you’ll be amazed as you add in...

An electrocardiogram (EKG) is a simple and fast test that evaluates the health of your heart. There’s no reason to have an EKG, though, unless you’ve either had symptoms that worry you, you’re at high risk for heart disease, or you’re about to embark on an athletic or weight loss...

The autoimmune disorder lupus has a variety of physical and psychological symptoms, including fatigue. In fact, anywhere from 67-90% of women and men with lupus suffer from fatigue that’s severe enough to compromise their lives. Kimberly Bolling, MD, is a specialist in diagnosing, treating, and managing the symptoms of lupus — including fatigue. She and...

If you’re one of the 58.5 million women and men in the United States who suffer from the joint pain and stiffness of arthritis, you’re probably looking for ways to control your disease without drugs or surgery.  Luckily, whether you have rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or one of the many other types of joint...

“You can be fat, but fit,” trumpet the headlines. Even though obesity, morbid obesity, and simply being overweight are associated with increased risk for severe, life-threatening illnesses, each individual’s case is different.  So, is it time to throw out the body mass index (BMI) as a measurement of health? Not...

Diabetes is an epidemic in this country, and in all of the developing world that has adopted a Westernized diet of fast foods, processed foods, and an abundance of sugar, chemicals, and unhealthy fats. In 2019, 1.5 million women, men, and children died from diabetes, making it the ninth-leading cause...

When you’re asleep, your body is hard at work. Yes, that’s right: You’re not lazy when you’re snuggled up in bed. You’re actively clearing out toxins and degraded proteins from your cells, rebuilding damaged cells, and restoring your body from head to toe. However, the end result from all of...

With all of the emphasis on preventing the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, most other illnesses and maladies have been pushed to the side. However, just as it’s important to take the coronavirus seriously and do all you can to prevent getting infected and spreading it, you also...

Gout is just one of more than 100 forms of arthritis, which refers to painful and stiff joints. Gout tends to afflict the big toe. However, it can also move to other joints.  If you have gout, sharp uric acid crystals build up in your big toe joint. These crystals...

Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that tends to develop as you age or as a result of joint overuse or injury. Though arthritis and its stiff, painful joints is usually viewed as an inevitable companion to your older years, you can take steps now to keep your steps more...

According to the National Institutes of Health, more than two-thirds of men and women and one-third of kids in the United States are either overweight or obese.  That’s a tremendous number of unneeded pounds putting people at risk for life-shortening diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, and increasing...

If you wonder which COVID-19 vaccine is best for you and your family, Kimberly Bolling, MD, wants to assure you that all FDA-approved vaccines are perfectly safe. Dr. Bolling recommends getting a vaccine sooner rather than later.  All of the vaccines prevent COVID-19 infection. In the rare cases where an...

The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed a storm of infection — and a storm of misinformation. With everyone scrambling to figure out how to handle the stress of an unexpected event that has disrupted so many aspects of our lives, some faulty information gets passed on too. Kimberly Bolling, MD, a...

From the beginning of the pandemic, scientists and pharmaceutical companies worked hard to develop effective vaccines to prevent infection in individuals and slow down the transmission of the virus throughout society.  Now that the vaccines are here, however, not everyone who’s eligible for a vaccination has received one. Kimberly Bolling,...

Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder that interrupts the restful, restorative sleep your body and brain need every night to repair, recover, and re-energize. If you snore or gag while you sleep, you may have sleep apnea.  Kimberly Bolling, MD, a dedicated and skilled internist, takes sleeping, snoring, and sleep...

Lupus is a chronic disease that’s marked by widespread inflammation due to an overactive immune system.  A healthy immune system attacks pathogens and uses inflammation to increase circulation to an injured area during the repair process. When your immune system is overactive, it attacks healthy tissue, too, including joints. Kimberly...

As with so many chronic conditions, Type 2 diabetes has its roots in lifestyle habits that affect how well your body works. You’ve probably worked with your doctor to modify your diet to focus on fresh, wholesome foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. You’ve also increased your activity level...

Headaches are common and painful, and they can vary greatly in type, severity, and location. Three of four people have an occasional tension-related type of headache at one point or another in their lives.  Most of the time, headaches aren’t worrisome, especially if they’ve been part of your life for...

If you’re overweight, everything is harder. It’s harder to stay active. It’s harder to find clothes that fit. It’s harder to eat a healthy diet. It’s harder to lose weight. Also on the list, it’s harder to stay disease free, especially as you age. Why so many difficulties? One reason...

More than 10% of the United States population has some form of diabetes. Type 2, the most common form, is strongly linked to lifestyle choices. Type 1, a rarer type, affects only 1 in 10-20 people with diabetes.Pregnant women may develop a limited form of diabetes called gestational diabetes. Kimberly...

Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis that tends to affect the joint of the big toe. You can tell when a character on TV or in a play has gout because they usually have a big cast on one foot, walk with a crutch, and usually get kicked in...

Sleep apnea is a common but serious sleep disorder that affects up to 9% of adults in the United States, and even some children. The incidence is probably higher, but many people with sleep apnea don't realize they have it. The most common symptom of sleep apnea is snoring, particularly...

The so-called standard American diet (SAD) and a lack of exercise have led to an obesity epidemic in the United States. More than 42% of adults are considered obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Obesity is a health risk for myriad chronic and acute diseases....

While you may be more afraid of cancer than of heart disease, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with almost 650,000 victims in a recent year. All forms of cancer combined claimed just under 600,000 lives that year. Contrast those numbers with auto accident...

Earaches can be extremely painful, no matter your age. Although earaches are more common in children, because youngsters have shorter and less-angled eustachian tubes (more on those later), earaches can strike teens and adults, too. Kimberly Bolling, MD, a caring and expert physician, offers earache care at her offices in...

Whether you suffer from the autoimmune disorder rheumatoid arthritis, or you’ve developed osteoarthritis from wear and tear on your joints, you don’t have to put up with aches and pains. By adopting a few new habits, you can subdue some of the painful symptoms of arthritis. You may even be...

When you have the autoimmune disease lupus, you may dread the sunny, warm days of summer. But with a little planning and a lot of care, you can enjoy barbecues, beach days, and pool parties with the best of them. Kimberly Bolling, MD, an expert physician in Bowie, Maryland, wants...

Over the course of your lifetime, you’ve probably lost more pounds than you currently weigh. That’s because traditional diets throw off your metabolism and send you yo-yoing between losing weight, gaining more back, losing weight, and gaining more back — again and again. As a caring and expert physician, Kimberly...

If you or a loved one snores excessively, count yourself lucky. Excessive snoring can alert you to a very serious sleep condition called sleep apnea. If you have sleep apnea, you actually stop breathing multiple times in the middle of the night, depriving your brain and all of your other...

Q: What do you not want to have in common with past and present luminaries such as Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, Sir Alec Guinness, and Luciano Pavarotti?  A:  A painful form of arthritis known as gout. Gout is a type of arthritis that tends to affect the big toe...

You’ve read the studies about how being overweight negatively affects your chances for a promotion at work, and even how much money you earn. While you’re absolutely right to be angry at those who judge you only by your appearance, buckling down and insisting that you don’t need to lose...

When you think about going to the doctor, you probably think about your annual exam, getting your immunizations, and going in for regular treatments to help a chronic condition, such as diabetes. Normally, you make an appointment weeks or even months in advance. But when you suddenly feel ill or...

If you’ve been told that you have prediabetes, you’re probably worried about what your future is going to look like. Are you going to have to give yourself insulin injections every day? Limit your foods so much that you don’t even enjoy your life anymore? While diabetes is a serious...

The autoimmune disease lupus affects more than 5 million people across the globe. Lupus affects people of color disproportionately more than other ethnic groups, and has a higher prevalence among women, too.  Kimberly L. Bolling, MD, a compassionate and skilled internist in Bowie, Maryland, has seen for herself how women...

It’s normal to avoid pain, so when you have stiff and painful joints from rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, your instinct might be to limit your movements. However, in this case, your instinct is wrong. Movement and activity are essential parts of arthritis care. Dr. Kimberly Bolling, a caring and expert...

You really never thought that your snoring affected your health until your doctor said you had a serious sleep disorder called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Apneas are pauses in your breathing that can occur from dozens to hundreds of times a night, depriving your body and brain of oxygen for...

According to the Lupus Foundation of America, about 1.5 million women, men, and children in the US have the autoimmune disease lupus. You’re more likely to get lupus if you’re: Female between ages 14 and 44 (i.e., childbearing years) African American Native American Asian   Kimberly Bolling, MD, a compassionate and...

According to The Arthritis Foundation, more than 300,000 children and 50 million women and men in the U.S. suffer from the chronic pain and inflammation of arthritis. Arthritis isn’t a single disease, it’s a group of more than 100 different joint disorders that can cause serious disability and even lead...

Type 2 diabetes tends to run in families, but that doesn’t mean you’re genetically destined to develop the disease. Or, if you already have it, you can still find ways to manage your blood sugar and avoid the complications you’ve seen your relatives endure.  When your doctors first diagnosed you...

Gout is an extremely painful form of arthritis that tends to locate first or primarily in your big toe, but it can affect any of your joints. You get gout when you eat foods that are high in purines, an organic compound. Purines are found in red meat, shellfish, alcohol,...

You’re tired of funneling your time and money into the $33 billion diet industry — without even getting a good return on your investment (ROI).  What if there were a way to lose the weight you want while also gaining health? And what if you knew that everything this weight...

If you’re one of the 26 million women, men, and children in the U.S. who have asthma, you may dread the spring thaw and bloom that others eagerly anticipate. While fresh flowers and greenery are a feast for the eyes, and the warmer weather hints at summer fun to come,...

When you consider our culture’s obsession with thinness, you may find it surprising that about 93 million women and men in the U.S. — 39.8% of the population — are obese. If you’re Hispanic or black, the obesity rate rises to almost 50%. The excess weight not only changes the...

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF HEART DISEASE? Heart disease affects the blood vessels and cardiovascular system. Numerous problems can result from this, many of which are related to a process called atherosclerosis, a condition that develops when plaque builds up in the walls of the arteries. This buildup narrows the arteries,...

When your immune system is functioning normally and optimally, it produces antibodies to attack viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that could cause infections or illness. When you have the chronic autoimmune disease known as lupus, however, your body mistakenly sends those antibodies to attack and even destroy your own...

Pass the Salt…but not on Your Food   What is sodium to my body? Sodium is a mineral that’s essential for life. It’s regulated in the body by your kidneys, and it helps control your body’s fluid balance. It also helps send nerve impulses and affects muscle function. Why is...

Although snoring and gagging during the night are two classic signs that you might have the sleep disorder called sleep apnea, they’re not the only symptoms. Daytime sleepiness, insomnia, forgetfulness, or even a dry or sore throat could also mean that you inadvertently stop sleeping at night, depriving your brain...

Whether you’ve already noticed that your joints stiffen after resting for awhile, or you’re just worried because you have family members with arthritis, pain from the disease doesn’t have to be part of your present or future. While you can’t control all of the risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis or...

Whether you went to your doctor for an annual exam or because you’ve been experiencing troubling symptoms, such as chest pain or tightness, you may be worried when you’re told you need an electrocardiogram (EKG). Though you may associate EKGs with serious heart disease, an EKG is actually a simple...

More than one out of every three adults in this country has prediabetes, which means they are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They are also at risk of suffering from heart disease or a stroke. It is imperative that adults who are at risk of prediabetes make lifestyle changes...

If you’re struggling with your weight, you’re not alone. Over 70% of adults in America are battling excess body weight. Carrying those extra pounds has a detrimental impact that often leads to chronic health issues like high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, and elevated cholesterol. To add to the frustration,...