John Roberts

There is no doubt that antibiotics have saved millions of lives. But, is it all good news? I suspect you have been noting the increasing number of news stories related to problems with overprescribing antibiotics that can result in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin, warned of this inevitability in his Nobel Prize speech…

When traveling home after a ball game, we often stop at a certain national pizza franchise for a late supper. This particular restaurant normally stays open past midnight –– a significant criterion for finding a satisfying meal after the game. We like eating there because the room exudes a fun atmosphere. It’s always alive with…

I saw a patient with a rather large “cold sore” on his upper lip the other day and he asked me to write a column on this unsightly condition. People use the term “cold sore” to describe different types of lesions that occur on the lips or inside the mouth. I have not been able…

This week I want to focus on basic prevention and treatments for insomnia. If the cause of insomnia is not readily identifiable it’s helpful to keep a sleep diary for 2-4 weeks to share with your doctor. It should include sleep and wake times, naps, and actual time spent sleeping. You can download a blank…

Insomnia is a huge problem in the United States. We spend over $10 billion a year on sleep-related treatments and it’s estimated we lose over $40 billion in lost worker productivity due to sleeplessness. Insomnia is a very complex subject that I can address only briefly in this column. I’ll focus on some causes of…

Now that schools are back in session, the incidence of “pink eye” will likely start to pick up. This is a very common condition that accounts for over 30 percent of patient visits for eye problems. Conjunctivitis is the medical term for “pink eye.” The conjunctiva is the continuous connective tissue membrane that covers the…

The comedian W.C. Fields once said, “I never drink water; that is the stuff that rusts pipes.” This referred to his penchant for drinking alcohol. So what do alcohol and W.C. Fields have to do with this week’s topic of rosacea? Read on. Rosacea is a common skin condition usually found on the face, which…

I see a number of patients each year who have suffered a concussion. Usually this is an athletic injury, but it is commonly seen in others as well. Concussions have always been a part of sports, particularly those involving high-energy impacts including football, wrestling, soccer, lacrosse, and basketball. Intensive research, along with lawsuits including the…

I ran into a college athlete recently who complained of shin pain. He had been upping his running mileage in preparation for the cross country season. His pain was due to a stress fracture. It is estimated that between 5 and 30 percent of athletes develop a stress fracture each year. Briefhaupt first described the…

Kidney stones are a topic near and dear to my heart as I’m a member of the club. Stones are also known as calculi, from the Latin for pebble. They can be found in the kidneys (renal calculi or nephrolithiasis) or move down the ureters, the tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder (ureteral calculi…