Author: Dr. Jimmy Sparks
The Thin, Fuzzy Line between Medical Science and “Alternative” or “Complementary” Medicine
As physicians we try to draw a clear line when we make recommendations to our patients. Is the treatment choice based on strict, evidence-based medical science, is it based on the doctor’s years of experience, or is there really nothing factual to support a recommendation? Is it just an opinion, or worse, part of the darker side of health care, a profit-driven option? By explaining these differences, we help our patients to make informed choices. Recently one of the U.S.’s most prestigious medical research and teaching hospitals, the Cleveland Clinic, promised disciplinary action against the…
A Brief “Thank You” from Dr. Sparks
Now and then, most of us think about the people to whom we wish we said “thank you” much more often. For the physicians at Sparks & Favor, it’s a long list, but the RNs who care for our patients during labor and delivery surely rank near the top.
Our nurses make an important difference for our patients every day. Sometimes they anticipate a mom’s rising need for comfort measures and offer suggestions early, allowing mom to remain in control of her labor. There are also difficult moments when a nurse’s timely recognition of a true obstetric…
Pelvic Organ Prolapse–a common women’s health problem
Actress Kate Winslett’s recent public disclosure of a very personal problem with bladder control was, in my view, an extraordinary gesture of kindness and support for millions of women around the world who suffer with a similar condition. Past generations of women have been reluctant to discuss such problems, even with their physicians—many believing they alone endured the discomfort and embarrassment. Such openness from a celebrity like Ms. Winslett is helpful; at least, I hope that my patients find encouragement from her message.
In reality, the condition affects millions of women who usually begin to notice symptoms around…
Your Birth Plan–Feeding Your Newborn (includes info about Brookwood’s donor human milk program)
As your pregnancy progresses, you and your partner will begin to imagine your birth experience and consider your personal choices for the special hours leading up to and immediately after your baby’s birth.
One of the most important decisions is how you will feed your newborn. Breastfeeding is best! On this point, childbirth and pediatric experts are pretty much in total agreement. Breastfeeding provides health benefits for your baby and for you that infant formula cannot. Click here for a quick review of breastfeeding basics from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. There is also a helpful infogrphic…
What about eVisits? (Online Medical Evaluations)
For us at Sparks & Favor, the last few years have been amazing! In 2008 we began our transition to electronic medical records. It took quite a while to scan tens of thousands of your charts into our EMR system. That job was just finished this year, so now even our first patients from 1991 have a complete electronic medical record.
In 2012 we overhauled our website and added a social media presence in order to expand or ability to provide up-to-date health information and educational materials.
During the same period, we gained the ability to communicate remotely…
New Info about Peanut Allergies (with particulars for pregnant and breastfeeding women)
The tiny, humble peanut has gotten considerable attention from the health news media in the last few days. The headlines are connected to the fact that peanuts allergies are the deadliest of all food allergies. Individuals who are seriously allergic to peanuts are always alert to the possibility that—each time they dine away from home or open a package of prepared food—they risk consuming peanut protein. They must carry injectable epinephrine (the EpiPen) with them to treat anaphylaxis, the life-threatening reaction that may occur when they are exposed to peanut products.
Why are peanuts so dangerous for…
For Expectant Parents–Should We Delay Cord Clamping?
Perhaps nowhere is the task of separating important, new medical recommendations from the latest hype more unsettling than for expectant parents. You can guess that, in my thirty-plus years as an obstetrician, I have watched trends come and go. Through our association with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, continuing medical education, and annual professional re-certification, your physicians here at Sparks & Favor stay informed about changes in obstetric practice. We want to help you distinguish recommendations based on new medical knowledge from fads (some harmless, but some risky).
One issue about which you may have heard…
Should You Take an Antiviral Medication like Tamiflu?
We hope that you and yours have been well so far. But we will likely continue to see significant numbers of new flu patients into the early spring. If you are one of the unlucky group who does not get through until spring without flu misery, we encourage you to call our office promptly, especially call if you are pregnant! You may benefit from a prescription for an anti-viral medication such as Tamiflu. These medications fight the flu virus inside your body. They are not antibiotics—their action is specific for the flu virus. Anti-viral drugs are not…
Family Cancer Syndromes
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women of all races. About 1 in 8 American women will develop breast cancer in her life. In certain families the risk is much greater than average.
Other cancers (ovarian and colorectal, for example) also seem to occur at higher rates in certain families. Sometimes a defective gene (the genetic material that parents pass to their children at the moment of conception) carries this higher-than-normal cancer risk down through generations in a family. Heredity probably causes only about 5 to 10 percent of all cancers. But knowing whether your family…
Dr. Sparks Discusses Back-to-School Health Concerns
As students head back to college campuses, we want to remind our patients—both young women and their parents—of some health-related concerns that accompany the return to campus life. This is a good time to schedule an annual well-woman appointment. Our professional organization, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, recommends that all young women of this age group have a gynecologic visit. Whether or not this visit includes a pelvic exam (depending on individual concerns), the appointment provides a general wellness check-up, a review of medical history and immunizations, and an opportunity for teaching about…