Texas Tech Health Check

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You may have heard about encephalitis being a possible threat in certain areas of the world, but if you’re like me, you might not know much else. Although we hear about it happening somewhere else in the world, it doesn’t mean we’re immune to it here in the U.S. Our guest for this episode is Walter Duarte, M.D., a neurologist with the TTUHSC School of Medicine. Dr. Duarte explains what encephalitis is, how you get it, who is at risk, what are the symptoms and why early detection is key to effective treatment.

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Hearing loss in rural adolescents is almost double that of the general population of children. We might think of rural areas as peaceful and quiet, but sometimes it gets loud enough to cause harm. Our expert for this episode is Leigh Ann Reel, Au.D., Ph.D., Director of the Center for Speech, Language, and Hearing Research in the Doctor of Audiology Program of the TTUHSC School of Health Professions. Reel talks about hearing loss risks, diagnosis and treatment of noise-induced hearing loss in adolescents. 

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This is the final installment of our three-part series on artificial intelligence in health care for patients, in education and for providers. Part three focuses on the impact of AI on health care providers. Our guests for this series are: Dr. Steph Hoelscher, DNP and associate professor, and Dr. Grace Sun, DNP and associate professor, both from the School of Nursing

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This is part two of a three-part series on artificial intelligence in health care for patients, in education and for providers. Part two focuses on the impact of AI on health care education, including the benefits and challenges. Our guests for this series are: Dr. Steph Hoelscher, DNP and associate professor, and Dr. Grace Sun, DNP and associate professor, both from the School of Nursing

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This is part one of a three-part series on artificial intelligence in health care for patients, in education and for providers. Part one focuses on the impact of AI for the general public and how it is used to improve everything from patient education and preventive care to diagnostics and personalized medicine. Our guests for this series are: Dr. Steph Hoelscher, DNP and associate professor, and Dr. Grace Sun, DNP and associate professor, both from the School of Nursing.

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Learn to be mindful of your mental health during election season. If you're feeling overwhelmed by campaign ads or dreading talking to loved ones, coworkers or neighbors because they bring up politics, you're not alone. Our guest for this episode is Madison Bishop, LMFT, senior therapist at the Department of Psychiatry's Counseling Center's employee assistance program. Bishop gives us tips on how we can stay informed but keeping in mind to protect our mental health. 

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Is it allergies? Is it a cold or is it something else that's making us sneeze and cough? If you do find yourself with a runny nose or cough, is it better to stay home and eat chicken soup or to visit your primary care provider or even go to the emergency room? Our guest for this episode is Rafael Rosalez, M.D., a family medicine doctor with Texas Tech Physicians at the TTP Multispecialty Clinic in the UMC Health and Wellness Hospital. Dr. Rosalez goes over the different respiratory problems which could affect us any time of the year, what we can do to prevent getting sick or making other sick and what we can keep at home to make us feel better if we do feel sick.

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Consider the largest organ in the body. Look after it and it'll take care of you. Our guest for this episode is Patti May, M.D., TTUHSC School of Medicine’s Family and Community Medicine Department and is with Texas Tech Physicians at UMC Health and Wellness Hospital.  Dr. May tells us that it’s never too early to pay attention to your skin for preventative measures. She also explains that there are differences when it comes to Botox treatment for men and women and how you can prepare before meeting with the doctor to embark on a journey to discover how embracing our unique beauty contributes to a healthier, happier life.

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What does it mean to be jealous or envious in a relationship? What does it do to our mental and physical health? Our guest for this episode is Robert Ragland, licensed professional counselor in the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry and Employee Assistance Program. He explains the differences between jealousy and envy and why we sometimes feel jealous or envious – whether it's in a romantic or platonic relationship or perhaps even at work or while on social media.

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Advances in detection and treatment for prostate cancer has improved so much that it's possible that patients are left with less dramatic side effects than those of past years. The key to this is early detection. Pranav Sharma, M.D., division chief of urologic oncology and clinical medical director, tells us who should get tested and when, who is at greater risk for prostate cancer and he explains what treatment is available and why sometimes not treating it is an option.