Texas Tech Health Check

Send us Fan Mail March is National Kidney Month . Kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that filter wastes and extra water out of our blood and make urine. Damage to your kidneys means they can’t filter blood the way it should, which could lead to kidney disease. Our guest for this episode is Leo Yamaguchi, M.D., associate program director and vice chief of clinical services for the TTUHSC School of...

Send us Fan Mail Parental vigilance is the best way to keep children safe from burns, a common injury for kids. Possible burns are not limited to injuries from fireplaces, camp fires or fireworks. Risks include chemicals, electric cords, hot foods and hot water from the tap. Allan Pang, M.D., is a Texas Tech Physicians surgeon who specializes in burn, wound, trauma and critical care, and has been...

Send us Fan Mail There are more than 100 confirmed cases of measles in Texas. Measles spreads incredibly fast in children and adults. Ron Cook, D.O., TTUHSC Chief Health Officer, is our guest for this episode. He answers our questions about symptoms, how it spreads, whether or not adults are safe and what we can do to protect ourselves and others from getting sick.

Send us Fan Mail Have you felt an overwhelming sadness when a favorite character or celebrity has died? It's OK to mourn the loss, even over a fictional character or someone you've never met. Natalie Harryman, licensed marriage and family therapist with the Counseling Center, is our guest for this episode. She explains why we feel this loss, what we can do for friends and family who are...

Send us Fan Mail Music and hobbies keep us engaged. If you're like many who use their fingers, hands and arms and sit for long periods when working on their hobbies or playing an instrument, beware that overuse can be lead to injuries. Our expert for this episode, Jean-Michel Brismée , Sc. D., PT, is a physical therapist and distinguished professor in the doctor of science program in physical...

Send us Fan Mail Sudden cardiac arrest is a critical emergency where the heart unexpectedly stops beating. According to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation , it strikes people of all ages who may seem to be healthy, even children and teenagers. Sudden cardiac arrest leads to death in minutes if the person doesn’t get help right away. Ron Banister, M.D. , is vice chairman of anesthesiology and ass...

Send us Fan Mail Hip pain can impact our quality of life significantly, but traditional hip replacement surgery may not be the only option. Matthew Kraeutler, M.D. , an orthopedic surgeon with Texas Tech Physicians , talks to us about hip preservation surgery, procedures designed to delay or prevent the need for a total hip replacement. He tells us who is a good candidate, goes over some of the sy...

Send us Fan Mail Kirsten Robinson , M.D., Texas Tech Physicians pediatrician, discusses essential preparations for new parents. Dr. Robinson advises starting prenatal care early, optimizing health conditions, and taking prenatal vitamins. Key items for newborns include a safe sleep environment, a car seat, a thermometer, basic care items, and a pediatrician. To prepare siblings and pets, she sugge...

Send us Fan Mail Start the new year with a plan to quit smoking, vaping or dipping and see significant health benefits. The good news is that you don't have to do it alone. Sara Tello, a Texas Tech Physicians nurse practitioner specializing in smoking cessation, explains how she helps smokers quit. Tello emphasizes the importance of a personalized approach to quitting using medications and ni...

Send us Fan Mail Alan Pang, M.D., a Texas Tech Physicians surgeon burn specializing in wound, trauma and critical care, discusses common burn injuries during the holiday season, emphasizing prevention and treatment. He highlights scald burns from cooking and hot beverage spills and fire risks from Christmas trees.  Safety tips include keeping children away from cooking areas, using covered cups fo...

Send us Fan Mail Amy Stark, M.D., an addiction psychiatrist with Texas Tech Physicians, discusses the challenges of maintaining sobriety during the holidays. She emphasizes the importance of non-alcoholic options at parties and suggests strategies for those struggling with addiction, such as bringing their own non-alcoholic drinks and using visual cues like holding a drink to deter pressure. Dr. S...

Send us Fan Mail The holiday season is a challenging time for many of us, especially those who might be caught in toxic family relationships or find ourselves estranged from loved ones. How can we deal with that while protecting ourselves is our topic for this episode. Our guest for this episode is Nicole Noble, Ph. D., a counselor with the School of Health Professions Department of Clinical Couns...

Send us Fan Mail It’s been five years since the first known appearance of SARS-CoV-2, otherwise known as COVID-19. In January of 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Later in March, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Our experts for this episode graciously shared their experiences not only as frontline workers, educators and s...

Send us Fan Mail As we age, our memory begins to fail us, but for many it becomes a significant challenge for them and their caregivers. Jonathan Singer, Ph. D., clinical psychologist and director for the TTUHSC Garrison Institute on Aging Memory Clinic , tells about symptoms to look out for and the importance of early diagnosis. The TTUHSC Garrison Institute on Aging is holding several events dur...

Send us Fan Mail Having friends at work helps with your mental health and could even help advance your career. How can you go about making friends if you're shy or if you work from home? Here to help us understand why it's important to have friends at work and give us advice on how to make friends are Lynn Jennings, Ph. D., and Nicole Noble, Ph. D. They are both counselors and with the S...

Send us Fan Mail According to the Pew Research Center, nearly one third of adults in the U.S. have a tattoo, and 22% have more than one. What happens to our skin when we get a tattoo and what makes them permanent? Alan Pang, M.D., Texas Tech Physicians surgeon specializing in burn wound, trauma and critical care, is our guest expert for this episode. Dr. Pang answers our question about protecting...

Send us Fan Mail Jeepers, creepers! Would you like to make your brown eyes blue? We can change our mind, and we can change the color our hair. Can we change the color of our eyes? Kelly Mitchell, M.D. , is a well-known expert to our listeners. He's an ophthalmologist with Texas Tech Physicians. Dr. Mitchell explains how we get our eye color and the purpose behind the color on our iris. He als...

Send us Fan Mail Around 60% of Americans have pets, and many of them are considered family members. How do we deal with the loss when our pet dies? Natalie Harryman, a licensed marriage and family therapist with the Counseling Center, explains that pets bring joy, motivation and unconditional love, but they also bring stress. She notes that grieving a pet is similar to grieving a human loved one,...

Send us Fan Mail Occupational or work-related lung diseases are lung conditions which have been caused by long-term, or even a one-time, exposure to certain irritants. Our guest for today, Anuhya Alapati, M.D., is a pulmonologist with Texas Tech Physicians.  Dr. Alaptai tells us which occupations potentially pose problems, signs of lung disease, treatments and steps to take to prevent it.

Send us Fan Mail Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are common infections, but they're much more common among women than men. What causes a UTI? What should you do if you think you have one? How can you prevent them? Guests for this episode are Melissa Sanford, M.D., Texas Tech Physicians urologist, and Kristen Sharma, Texas Tech Physicians urology family nurse practitioner. They clear up myt...

Send us Fan Mail With the number of people aged 65 years and older projected to more than double in the next quarter century, the need for caregivers will increase as well. Caregiving, especially for adults with dementia, is even now expensive and labor intensive, with some choosing home-care putting pressure on family members and even leading to burnout. Gayle Ayers, D.O., a psychiatrist, with th...

Send us Fan Mail September is designated as Healthy Aging Month, but social isolation and loneliness among older adults negatively affect their mental and physical health.  What does that mean and what can we do to help minimize that risk? Gayle Ayers, D.O. is a psychiatrist with the TTUHSC Garrison Institute on Aging and our guest for this and the next episode. Dr. Ayers explains how the number o...

Send us Fan Mail Violent and horrific images of events and even descriptions of these incidents in the media seem frequent and unavoidable, especially recently. This can have a significant impact on your mental health. Natalie Scanlon, Ph. D., a clinical psychologist in the TTUHSC School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, explains what impact these images can have on our mental health and on yo...

Send us Fan Mail Breathe easier as you listen to this podcast about lung health and learn about keeping your lungs healthy. Anuhya Alapati, M.D., pulmonologist in the Department of Internal Medicine, is our expert for this episode. Dr. Alapati tell us  about how to keep our lungs healthy by explaining what symptoms to watch out for, precautions we should take, how exercise helps with lung health a...

Send us Fan Mail Many of us are aware of our thyroids, but how many of us know what it does or what happens when there’s a problem with our thyroid. Mohammad Sidani, M.D., guest for this episode, tells us all about the thyroid, including the origin of its name, and why if you’re on thyroid medication you should take it exactly as prescribed. Dr. Sidani is a Texas Tech Physicians surgeon and with t...