"Bubbles & Botox" party Monday, 2/27, 4 – 6 p.m. supports Telluride AIDS Benefit Menus at The Peaks Resort & Spa have always been very very inviting, but recent additions have upped the temptations. I am not, however, talking about food. The subject on the table...
Dr. Koelliker, Medical Director of Emergency Services at the Telluride Medical Center, explains why a stroke or heart attack is really a brain attack and the tell-tale signs of an emergency. Watch the video and then for more info visit www.stroke.org. BIO: Dr. Diana Koelliker was...
Eric Johnson is a board-certified family nurse practitioner, who has worked at the Telluride Medical Center since 1997. During his tenure, he provided emergency and primary care. These days, however, Eric is focused on the upcoming Gary Wright Memorial Skin Cancer Screening Clinic. That event...
Aesthetic skin care for life at 8,750 feet, now at the Telluride Medical Center Seeking to reverse the effects of sun damage and aging? Make a beeline for the Telluride Medical Center. Mountain Skin Care at the Telluride Medical Center offers two popular methods for smoothing out...
By Jesse James McTigue
Moab, Utah is full of some of the most mind-boggling spectacles and seeming impossibilities. Flowers bloom among the arid, desert landscape; rock-towers spiral skyward; and delicate arches perforate smooth rock formations.
Every October, in the middle of all of this natural wonderment, an even more mind-boggling spectacle occurs – the 24 Hours of Moab mountain bike race.
The race occurs at the end of the mountain biking season and has contenders racing from noon Saturday to noon Sunday, for 24 hours straight. Most competitors race on a four or five person team, requiring each individual rider to complete the 15-mile course three or four times. There are also competitors who compete as solo and duo riders and some of these folks do it on a single-speed—a mountain bike with one fixed gear.
Every year, I am amazed at how many people are willing to subject themselves to this race (including myself). Competitors range from professional cyclists to groups of friends looking for a good time and a personal challenge. Some teams are raising money for a cause; others are just hoping to survive.
by Diana Koelliker, MD
Croup is an upper respiratory illness caused by a virus. The virus affects the tissue around the level of the vocal cords and causes swelling, which can lead to noisy breathing and a bark-like cough. It is typically seen in children ages 6 months to 5 years, although it is occasionally seen in older children. The illness is most prevalent in the fall and winter months, but can occur year round. Transmission of the illness is by respiratory droplets (coughing or sneezing) and/or direct contact. Most children with croup will have a hoarse voice, runny nose, fever and the characteristic bark-like or croupy cough. The illness usually lasts about 4-6 days with a peak of symptoms around the 2nd or 3rd day. In the majority of cases, the disease is mild and self-limited (meaning it gets better without any intervention).
The annual health fair at the Telluride Medical Center takes place Saurday, October 8, 2011, between the hours of 8-11 AM. Listen to the conversation between Sasha Cucciniello and Primary Care manager, Eric C....
by Dan Hehir, MD
Here in Telluride the arrival of autumn is heralded by many events. We all recognize the cool mornings and changing of the aspens as signs of fall, but here at theTelluride Medical Center the first sign is the arrival of this years’ influenza vaccine. While many of us may respond to these seasonal cues by taking winter clothes out of the closet, making sure the ski gear is in order, or stacking firewood, I would like all of us to add getting a flu shot to that regimen.
Influenza is a viral illness that affects hundreds of thousands of US citizens a year. When calculating the suffering, death, lost work and productivity, the impact is quite severe. While there has been a lot of attention paid to pandemic flu in the media in the past few years it is important to note that the seasonal flu has great impacts to us all. Indeed it is estimated that it is involved with the deaths of about 36,000 US citizens a year. Fortunately, we have yearly flu shots that can protect us from this insidious virus.
(ed. note: Dr. Hackett's discussion about altitude sickness is part of an ongoing series, "To Your Health" brought to you by the Telluride Medical Center. See this link for an introduction to the series.)
by Dr. Peter Hackett
The symptoms of altitude sickness are much like those of a hangover: headache predominates, and there may be queasiness, fatigue, irritability, dizziness, and trouble sleeping. These symptoms typically come on within 24 hours of arrival to over 8000 ft from low altitude (less than 3000 ft). They usually resolve in 24 hours without treatment, and sooner with ibuprofen or oxygen or descent to a lower altitude.
Ginkgo successfully prevented mountain sickness in some studies, but not in others. It seems that the exact ingredients vary in different preparations, so effectiveness varies. It is safe and non-prescription, and the dose is 100 mg twice a day starting a few days before travel to altitude.
Editor's note: Don't miss mushroom cook-off at the Wilkinson Public Library. Starts noon today and feaures Blakely Stein, executive chef, J.B.& Me; Jesse Mirman, executive chef, Honga's; Lewis Williams & Lucas Price, chef/owner La Cocina De Luz; and Benjamin Steendlik, reigning Champion Mushroom Chef. Which of them will be Grand Master of the Mushroom Parade on Saturday?
Looking for a glimmer of hope in the world? Look down. We are talking about mycelium and their fruit, mushrooms. Fungi are the stars of the Telluride Shroomfest, Thursday, August 18 – Sunday, August 21– and maybe the planet. Just ask guest speaker Paul Stamets.
