Let’s talk about sex and birth control! Seemingly when used together, these words are opposites. But the reality is you can’t have one without another. Since the dawn of humanity, not only has sex been an important part of life and reproduction, it’s a pleasurable activity that can help cement the bond between two people.

Having sex is essential to life. Most adults know their options when it comes to contraception, male and female. Some (birth control pills), of course, are more effective than others (withdrawal).

But conception and the misinformation swirling around it can be somewhat mysterious. Can you get pregnant, for instance, if you’re breastfeeding? What if the woman doesn’t have an orgasm? Can condoms cause erectile dysfunction?

One thing’s for certain: We’ve come a long way from the days of animal bladders, crocodile dung and sponges made of plants/grass/moss/bamboo for contraception.

In episode 26, host Mark Gomez, MD, and his guests, Kyle Kiriluk, MD, and Emilie McLain, DNP, APRN, WHNP-BC, lay out the facts about sex, conception and the latest information about birth control.

 

Guests

Kyle Kiriluk, MD – Board-certified urologist, UroPartners.

Emilie McLain, DNP, APRN, WHNP-BC – Doctoral-prepared, board-certified women’s health nurse practitioner, The Wright Center for Women’s Health.

Emotional abuse is hard to talk about, but it’s a discussion worth having. Emotional health is a key component of overall health and well-being. If you personally have not experienced emotional abuse, there’s a good chance that someone you’re close to — a friend, neighbor, sibling, co-worker — has experienced it in the past or is dealing with it now.

Domestic abuse isn’t just a private, personal matter — it can be just as pervasive in our workplaces, schools and neighborhoods.

It’s not limited to romantically involved partners. It can happen in a variety of relationships — between child and parent or boss and employee, for example. Victims of emotional abuse react in a variety of ways, experiencing everything from fear and anxiety to anger. 

In episode 25, host Mark Gomez, MD, and his guests, Gillian Schmitz, MDE, FACEP, and Jason Morris, PsyD, CDP, explain the behavior associated with emotional abuse, how to recognize the signs of emotional abuse in someone who is a victim, and identify key resources to help people break free from it.

Get help for domestic violence. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-SAFE, or the National Mental Health Hotline (Dial 988).

Guest

Gillian Schmitz, MD, FACEP – Board-certified emergency medicine physician and president-elect of the American College of Emergency Physicians Board of Directors, associate professor at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

Jason Morris, PsyD, CDP – Licensed clinical psychologist and certified dementia practitioner, owner of Platinum Psychology Services.

Many of us live in pedal-to-the-metal mode most of the time.

But everyone needs time to recharge. It’s not selfish to take time for yourself. In fact, self-care is a critical component of good physical and mental health.  So how do you take your foot off the gas?

We’d like to think we can do it all (working moms, we’re looking at you). But it’s important be realistic and honest with yourself. Know your limits and when to reinforce the boundaries around your personal time.

The concept of self-care isn’t new, but the application of it in your everyday life may seem strange if it’s not part of your usual routine. It might even spark feelings of guilt.

But intentionally caring for one’s whole self is vital. This includes basics like sleep, hydration, exercise, meditation and good nutrition.

In episode 24, host Mark Gomez, MD, and his guests, Perry Cammisa, DC, and Kristine Warnes, APN, offer practical ways to add self-care to your busy schedule. 

 

Guests

Perry Cammisa, DC – Doctor of Chiropractic, owner of Ultimate Medical Group.

Kristine Warnes, APN – Board-certified family nurse practitioner, Endeavor Health Weight Management, Edward-Elmhurst Health.

Optimal nutrition and regular exercise serve as powerful indicators of health in childhood and adolescence. Conversely, the long-term impact of poor nutrition and physical inactivity during the growing years are harbingers of lifelong healthcare concerns.

We can’t be naive to the reality that more needs to be done to boost nutritional and physical health in kids. Just as parents teach kids the skills for reading and writing, they must teach them the skills for healthy eating and the importance of physical activity. 

But parents face an uphill battle to promote good nutrition and fitness in their kids. 

For example, processed foods with added sugar seem to be everywhere, kids are in front of their screens for hours each day and, since the pandemic began, options for physical activity have been more limited.

What can parents do to boost nutritional health and physical activity in children?

In episode 23, host Mark Gomez, MD, and his guests, pediatricians Joseph Russell, DO, and Victoria Uribe, MD, have a conversation about the importance of good nutrition and fitness in kids and ways parents can instill habits in their children that will last a lifetime.

 

 

Guest

Joseph Russell, DO – Board-certified pediatrician, Duly Health and Care.

Victoria Uribe, MD – Board-certified pediatrician, Elmhurst Clinic.

As it is for adults, mental health is a vital component of kids’ overall health and well-being. 

During the pandemic, kids have faced additional stress (such as wearing a mask, remote school, lack of in-person play with friends) in addition to the typical child and adolescent stressors.

With mental health issues among children on the rise, many parents are looking for help identifying issues and treating their kids’ mental health.

But who should parents ask for help? How can parents create a special connection with their kids? What’s the best way to approach a sensitive situation? How can a parent tell whether their child’s mental health challenge is serious?

In episode 22, host Mark Gomez, MD, and his guests, Jyoti Shah, DO, and Susy Francis Best, PsyD, MBA, have an important conversation about mental health and the role parents can play in helping their kids develop and maintain a healthy mental outlook.

 

 

Guest

Jyoti Shah, DO – Double board-certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist, Linden Oaks Medical Group.

Susy Francis Best, PsyD, MBA – Clinical psychologist, founder and president of Thrive Group International, LLC.

You may have heard of atrial fibrillation (AFib), but do you know what it is? AFib is a common heart-related disorder. Many of us may know someone with AFib.

So why is it important to know about AFib?

Atrial fibrillation is an electrical disorder of the heart. It can cause fast, irregular heartbeats that can feel odd and cause symptoms like shortness of breath, dizziness, even chest congestion. Sometimes AFib causes no symptoms at all.

AFib is also linked to a higher risk of stroke and can cause heart failure, or weakened heart muscle. So it’s important to get under control.

In episode 21, host Mark Gomez, MD, and his guest, Apoor Gami, MD, provide an easy-to-understand explanation of this complicated condition and discuss risk factors, symptoms and treatment options.

 

Guest

Apoor Gami, MD – Board-certified cardiac electrophysiologist, Midwest Cardiovascular Institute.

Generally speaking, plant-based eating is a lack of animal protein in the diet. Instead, nutrition comes from sources such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and grains.

In a way, we are what we eat. Eat junk and you’ll feel like junk. Eat healthier and you’ll notice the difference in your energy level and overall well-being. Is it healthy for kids to eat vegetarian diets? Yep.

Plant-based diets have enormous health—and environmental—benefits.

There are layers to plant-based diets. They can be broken down into vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian – the levels can vary quite a bit.

So how do you make the transition to a plant-based diet (and how do you choose which one to follow)? Say you want to go plant-based but are worried about missing meat. Or you don’t know where to start. Maybe you’re picturing boring plates of lettuce for dinner every night.

In this episode, host Mark Gomez, MD, and his guests, Amish Doshi, MD, and Christine Doshi, MS, RD, LDN, discuss the benefits of plant-based diets and offer practical tips on to get started.

 

Guests

Amish Doshi, MD – Board-certified internal medicine physician, Edward-Elmhurst Health

Christine Doshi, MS, RD, LDN – Registered dietitian, Vida Health

Men, let’s face it: The more honest we all are with our health, the better it can be. It’s more macho to admit something is going on with your health rather than avoid the subject.

When it comes to sexual health, what are the common issues men avoid talking about?  

Did you know that testosterone, the male dominant hormone, can affect everything from libido to muscle growth to brain health? While testosterone isn’t the cure for everything, it is important for male health.

Erectile dysfunction, loss of muscle mass and a lower sex drive could indicate low testosterone. There are other issues, such as premature ejaculation and urinary tract infections, that men may hesitate to bring up. To get help, however, men would have to share with their doctor that they are experiencing these perceived un-macho symptoms.

Remember: everything is open for discussion with your doctor (they’ve heard it all before).

In episode 19, host Mark Gomez, MD, and his guest, Paul Gittens, MD, FACS, discuss the taboo topics — specifically sexual health — men hate to bring up and why it’s important to address these health issues.

 

Guest

Paul Gittens, MD, FACS – Board-certified urologist, sexual medicine specialist and public speaker, owner and founder of Centers for Sexual Medicine and Wellness in Philadelphia and New York.

Thanks to COVID-19, life as we know it hasn’t been “normal” for a while now.

The novel coronavirus, and the health precautions that came with it, sparked a full range of human emotion, including fear, gratitude, anger, grief and hope. When people are forced to uproot their lives amid a roller coaster of emotion, their mental health can suffer.

As vaccinations continue and the world gradually reopens, many people are feeling uneasy about returning to business as usual. There’s an official name for this feeling: re-entry anxiety.

Listen as host Mark Gomez, MD, and his guests, Ines Casey, MD, board-certified infectious disease specialist, and Marc Browning, PsyD, ABPP, RN, board-certified clinical psychologist, talk about re-entry anxiety and how to overcome it.

Guests

Marc Browning, PsyD, ABPP, RN – Board-certified clinical psychologist, clinical director, Linden Oaks Medical Group Counseling Services, Linden Oaks Behavioral Health.

Ines Casey, MD – Board-certified infectious disease specialist, Metro Infectious Disease Consultants, LLC.

When it comes to the human body’s organs, the bladder tends to be overlooked.

Its job is to store liquid waste. It’s not as glamorous as the heart, lungs or skin. It’s not a powerhouse like the liver.

When our urinary health hits a speed bump, however, we take notice.

Urinary tract infections are common complaints but aren’t the only thing that can go wrong with urinary health—there’s incontinence, urinary retention, overactive bladder, interstitial cystitis and bladder cancer, to name a few.

While some bladder conditions are more likely as we age, they aren’t something we just have to put up with as we get older. Listen as host Mark Gomez, MD, and his guest, Kelly Jirschele, DO, board-certified urogynecologist, talk about the most common bladder problems and how to prevent and treat them.

 

Guest

Kelly Jirschele, DO, FACOG, FACS – Board-certified urogynecologist, Illinois Urogynecology, LTD; Medical Director, Women’s Center for Pelvic Medicine at Edward Hospital.