Public health officials in the U.S. could take heart at the end of the summer. Even as the new coronavirus continued to spread, fewer people were winding up in the hospital because of COVID-19, and fewer were dying. Now, as the seasons turn, there are signs suggesting there will be more deaths and serious illness ahead.

My healthy husband went for a physical because he was going to retire. They found he had an irregular heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation and put him on amiodarone. Within a few months, he could not function and went in for a cardioversion. They said he was not getting enough oxygen.

Who are you? Really? There are thousands of quizzes online that will tell you what type of wine, sandwich, Hogwarts house, chair or color you are. Two personality theories that have gained a big following, especially in the internet age, are the Enneagram and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. You may be big into horoscopes and secretly assess your relatives and friends thinking to yourself, “Oh that is such a Capricorn thing to say.”

Your body responds to stress – perhaps it's with a faster heart beat and tightened muscles. Another unexpected impact can go directly to the mouth if you're feeling some extra strains because of COVID-19-related issues and world events: pressure on your teeth and gums.

Starting Oct. 3, MultiCare Rockwood Clinic says it will offer seasonal flu shot clinics on Saturdays for its established patients. In addition to flu shots offered during regular facility hours, the designated flu shot clinics for its current patients will be at four locations.

It seems like talk about vaccines is everywhere these days – and rightly so, as immunizations save lives. It’s estimated that during the 2018-2019 flu season, flu shots helped prevent more than 4 million flu cases and 58,000 hospital visits.

Thank you for sharing your experience. Urologist Fredric Coe agrees that thiazide diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide, chlorthalidone or indapamide can reduce the chance of kidney stones. Researchers have found that low-dose thiazides work as well as high doses to prevent development of kidney stones

You may have heard brainwaves referred to in a casual, colloquial sense. For instance, when two people have the same idea we often refer to it as being on the same brainwave or wavelength. These expressions didn’t come from just anywhere – our brains buzz with electrical activity at all times of the day. Whether you are asleep, working on a project, exercising or daydreaming, our neurons are constantly firing and sending signals to each other. Eventually, these neurons form networks of cells to synchronize the sending of signals, resulting in a patterned rhythm of communication. These patterns are what we commonly refer to as brainwaves.

To prepare, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered 9.3 million flu vaccine doses for uninsured people compared with its typical half-million doses, says the American Medical Association. Drug companies hiked overall production of influenza vaccine this year.

Calls to Spokane optometrists began pouring in last weekend along with the smoke as patients sought remedies to relieve eye irritation caused by the worsening irritant in the air. Those patients' questions continued this week at Spokane Eye Clinic, said Dr. Alan Johnson, an optometrist for more than 23 years at the practice.

When Sandra Carr gets coffee in a drive-thru, many baristas working at the window will drop a mask to the chin so she can understand them. That's because Carr is hearing-impaired. In these moments, Carr keeps her mask on or remains physically distanced.

Longtime Spokane chiropractor Kelli Pearson gets frustrated if she sees people who have aged early with bent-over postures and an inability to move well. That's because she knows a few minutes of daily moves can change the equation for many well past age 60.

Let’s talk aspirin – daily aspirin to prevent heart attacks. But before we discuss this, let’s note the Webster Dictionary definition of scientific investigation: “The process that is used by scientists for testing ideas and theories by using experiments and careful observation.”