Texas Tech Health Check

Send us Fan Mail It's 'Save Your Vision' month and we'd like to bring awareness to the effects of diabetes on vision, including blindness if left untreated. Kelly Mitchell, M.D., is our guest today. He is a Texas Tech Physicians ophthalmologist and professor in the School of Medicine’s Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Dr. Mitchell explains why people with diabet...

Send us Fan Mail There are some services we’ve come to expect to stay with us since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic—curbside pickup, groceries delivered to our door, remote working and virtual office visits or telemedicine. Our guest for this episode is Ariel Santos, M.D., trauma and acute care surgeon, associate professor and director of telemedicine for the School of Medicine. Dr. Santos expl...

Send us Fan Mail It’s nearly that time for spring allergies but some of us have been dealing with allergies year-round. What are our options for relief? James Tarbox, M.D., associate professor in the division of allergy and immunology in the TTUHSC School of Medicine, explains why some of us get respiratory allergies, why we shouldn’t expect relief after a heavy rainfall and he also answers our qu...

Send us Fan Mail According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence , on average, in the United States nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner. During one year, this comes out to more than 10 million women and men. How does this relate to health care and what can you do if you’re in that situation or have a loved one in an abusive relationship? Poorvansh...

Send us Fan Mail Loving yourself and setting boundaries is important for your mental health and well-being. If you struggle with that, Alan Korinek, Ph. D., has helpful advice. Dr. Korinek is the managing director for the TTUHSC Employee Assistance Program and program of assistance for TTUHSC students. He reminds us consistency is important when it comes to setting boundaries.

Send us Fan Mail It's always a good time to think about your heart health, even if you're young and active. This episode's guest is Scott Shurmur, M.D., Texas Tech physicians, cardiologist and Division Chief of Cardiology at TTUHSC. Dr. Shurmur talks to us about heart disease, what effect certain drugs can have on the heart, why younger people could be at risk for heart disease and...

Send us Fan Mail Note: this episode was originally published Dec. 7, 2021, but the advice is still valid. How does the winter weather affect our skin and hair? To explain what happens when our skin and hair become dry is Michelle Tarbox, M.D., Texas Tech Physicians dermatologist. She talks to us about what to use to keep our skin and hair hydrated, why we should pay special attention to young and...

Send us Fan Mail It doesn't have to be the start of the year for you to resolve to exercise more or spend more time with your family. According to experts, it's better if you combine both activities--spend time being physically active with your family. Tammy Camp, M.D., Texas Tech Physicians pediatrician and former Texas Pediatric Society president,  and Suzana Jensen, D.O., TTUHSC pedia...

Send us Fan Mail The big lottery payoffs and big sports games have brought about the discussion of gambling. Some of us might consider it harmless, but for others the uncontrollable urge to gamble could lead to serious health issues. Poorvanshi Alag, M.D., is an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and is an addiction psychiatrist. Dr. Alag tells us why compulsive gambling is a medi...

Send us Fan Mail January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month. With more than a quarter of a million people subjected to human trafficking globally, it is an issue of public health. Our guest for this episode explains what is human trafficking, who are the most vulnerable/what victims look like and what you can do if you suspect human trafficking. Julie St. John, DrPH, MPH,  is an associate profe...

Send us Fan Mail This time of year can be stressful for many of us for several reasons. Alan Korinek, Ph. D.,  licensed marriage and family therapist and  managing director for the TTUHSC Employee Assistance Program and program of assistance for TTUHSC students, suggests we set boundaries and advocate for ourselves in order to keep the stress at a manageable level.  This is the last podcast for th...

Send us Fan Mail Some situations during the holidays could possibly be triggering for someone with PTSD. Helping us understand what PTSD is and how we can helped loved ones with PTSD is Natalie Scanlon, Ph. D., assistant professor and clinical psychologist in the TTUHSC School of Medicine's department of psychiatry. Dr. Scanlon reminds us to be considerate of those around us, especially at th...

Send us Fan Mail This time of year can bring lots of joy as well as heartache, both of which could trigger someone who is in recovery for addiction. Christopher Townsend, Ph. D., assistant professor at TTUHSC, is a licensed clinical addiction specialist and director of the Your Life Behavioral Health and Wellness Clinic at the TTUHSC. Dr. Townsend tells us what those in recovery can do to help the...

Send us Fan Mail It’s always a good time to take care of your heart. Our guest for this episode is cardiologist and division chief of cardiology, Dr. Scott Shurmur. He explains how smoking leads to heart disease, goes over the symptoms and treatments of heart disease and breaks down how shoveling snow early in the morning could be dangerous for our health.

Send us Fan Mail Did you know there are more than 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s Disease and that more than 16 million American caregivers provide over 17 billion hours of unpaid care? Here to talk to us more about Alzheimer’s Disease and how caregivers can take care of themselves too is Dr. John Culberson, associate professor of family and community medicine at the School of Medicine...

Send us Fan Mail Nov. 11 is Veterans Day and we want to bring awareness to some health issues seen among military veterans of all ages. John Norbury, M.D., division chief of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Texas Tech Physicians is one of our guests. He describes some of these injuries and treatments and he also has some very useful advice for the rest of us to keep in mind, especially arou...

Send us Fan Mail November is national diabetes month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 10 Americans have diabetes and about 1 in 5 people with diabetes don’t know they have it. Shaili Felton, M.D., is an endocrinologist for Texas Tech Physicians and an associate professor in the TTUHSC School of Medicine’s department of internal medicine. Dr. Felton describes...

Send us Fan Mail More people in the U.S. have discovered Día de los Muertos. Unlike Halloween, it's celebrated over several days and lifts up the spirits of the dead instead of fearing them. Michelle Saenz, licensed professional clinician associate and mental health clinician in the TTUHSC School of Medicine is the guest for this episode. She explains how Día de los Muertos is celebrated, how...

Send us Fan Mail The cooler weather marks the return of respiratory illnesses so make sure you stay healthy by getting your vaccines and boosters! TTUHSC School of Medicine Dean Dr. Steven L. Berk and Dr. Ron Cook, TTUHSC chief health officer, are the guests for this episode. They explain why it’s important to get your boosters and vaccines, when we should schedule an appointment with our primary...

Send us Fan Mail Do you like to be frightened? Natalie Scanlon, Ph. D., assistant professor and clinical psychologist in the TTUHSC School of Medicine's department of psychiatry, explains that it’s healthy when it’s entertaining but warns about using it to escape our everyday lives. She also reminds us that just because we enjoy scary movies or haunted houses, they could be triggering for oth...

Send us Fan Mail New moms experience "baby blues" but serious problems arise sometimes. Dr. Sarah Mallard Wakefield, chair of the department of psychiatry in the School of Medicine, describes normal "baby blues," who is more susceptible for postpartum depression and what we can do to help loved ones. For health care providers, Dr. Wakefield talks about a resource available to h...

Send us Fan Mail We process the outside world with our senses . For some, their senses do not function as they should because of a condition called sensory processing disorder. People with sensory processing disorder, also known as SPD, have a hard time receiving and responding to information that comes in from their senses. Dr. Cindi Tiongco, occupational therapist and assistant professor in the...

Send us Fan Mail Now's the time to check in with your child to see how they're coping after being in school a few weeks. Dr. Sarah Mallard Wakefield, chair of the department of psychiatry in the School of Medicine, gives us tips on how to talk to the kiddos about mental health. Dr. Wakefield also explains Vital Sign 6 and what resources are available for students to need access to mental...

Send us Fan Mail Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in the U.S. Early detection leads to greater survival rates, so doctors recommend regular screenings starting at age 45. For a number of reasons, not everyone has access to screening. That’s where a $1 million CPRIT grant awarded to Drs. John Kidwell, Rebeccah Baucom and Rakshanda Rahman will help that underserved populat...

Send us Fan Mail It’s that time of year to start preparing for going back to school. If you have little ones, tweens or teens at home, our guest for this episode, Dr. Ana Montanez, Texas Tech Physicians pediatrician, recommends you schedule a doctor's appointment for your child as soon as possible. Dr. Montanez explains why it’s important and what to expect during the visit, how to prepare yo...