Blog Archive

4 Tips to Keep Your Family Healthy During the Holidays Dec 1st, 2023

Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s Eve — there’s no shortage of reasons why families gather together at the end of the year. And you’re looking forward to your own holiday celebrations, so you want everything to go as smoothly as possible. Unfortunately, holidays can also be rife with accidents and...

The Flu Vaccine — More Than Just a Stab in the Dark Nov 1st, 2023

While COVID may have grabbed the headlines over the past few years, the flu is still making its most unwelcome annual rounds. Pre-COVID, rates of flu ranged between 29-41 million cases each year in the United States. Since flu season is upon us, our team at Michael Bazel, M.D., with...

ER or Urgent Care? Our Experts Help You Decide Oct 1st, 2023

Your family’s health, as well as your own, rarely keeps a nice and tidy schedule — one in which you and your primary care provider are both available whenever something crops up. And health issues do crop up, some of which need more immediate attention. In these cases, you’re likely...

What We Want You to Know About Heart Palpitations Aug 31st, 2023

Most of us experience heart palpitations — often quite regularly. Perhaps your heart pounds after you climb a few flights of stairs or skips a beat when something frightens you. These are everyday occurrences that can make you aware of your own heartbeat. But what about when these sensations come...

Why Are Women More Prone to Urinary Tract Infections? Aug 1st, 2023

The gender disparity between men and women when it comes to urinary tract infections (UTIs) is a big one — females get UTIs 30 times more often than men. As a common reason for urgent care visits at the three greater Los Angeles area locations of Michael Bazel, M.D., our team, led by Dr. Bazel,...

The Most Common Types of Work-Related Injuries and Why You Should Seek Treatment Jul 1st, 2023

Tripping over a cord in your office, catching COVID-19, wrenching your back in the warehouse — each year in the United States, millions of people are hurt on the job for any number of reasons. If you’ve been injured or you get sick on the job, your next steps are...

5 Signs of Whiplash After a Car Accident Jun 1st, 2023

Each year in the United States, there are more than 5.25 million reported accidents on our roadways, many resulting in injury, or worse. While there are lots of different ways you can get hurt in a car accident, whiplash certainly accounts for more than its fair share. If you’ve been...

Men's Health Issues That Are More Common Than You Might Realize May 1st, 2023

We often joke about the differences between men and women, and there’s a good deal of truth in this teasing. What’s no laughing matter, however, are the health issues that face each gender, and we want to focus on those that men encounter with alarming frequency. From our three Michael Bazel,...

Cervical Cancer Screening: Understanding Pap Test Guidelines Apr 1st, 2023

Cancer in all its many forms is an insidious and unpredictable disease, so any opportunity you have to stay one step ahead of cancer is a step well worth taking. This is very much the case with cervical cancer, which we can screen for with the quick-and-easy Pap test, or...

Who Should Be Tested for STDs, and How Often? Mar 1st, 2023

Despite awareness efforts, the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the United States continues to rise. In 2021, there were 2.5 million cases of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis, a number that doesn’t take into account herpes, HIV, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. Left untreated, STDs can become very problematic,...

Here's What an EKG Can Reveal About Your Heart Feb 1st, 2023

It’s impossible to discuss heart health without bringing up some fairly frightening numbers. To wit, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and, every 34 seconds someone dies of cardiovascular disease. Now, let’s consider a more positive, but equally dramatic, statistic — 90% of heart...

What's an Asthma Action Plan, and Why Should I Have One? Jan 16th, 2023

While asthma can be predictable, the disease also has a way of catching you off guard and, worse, unprepared. More than 20 million adults and 6 million kids in the United States have asthma, and each of these sufferers can benefit from an asthma action plan that helps keep them one step...

How to Prevent the Flu From Becoming Pneumonia Dec 12th, 2022

It’s that time of year when the flu makes its most unwelcome rounds through our population and, for a certain segment, pneumonia becomes more of a threat. If you want to safeguard your health this year by taking steps to prevent the flu and pneumonia, there are a few points Dr. Michael Bazel and...

Important Steps to Take After a Work Injury Nov 9th, 2022

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are about 2.7 to 2.8 million private industry workplace injuries each year in the United States. From slips and falls to repetitive use injuries, employees can hurt themselves in many different ways while on the job. If you find yourself joining these...

Why You Should Always Seek Medical Care After an Auto Injury — Even If You Don't Feel Pain Oct 11th, 2022

You’re sitting at a traffic light and, out of nowhere, you’re rear-ended. Or, perhaps you’re crossing an intersection at the same time as another vehicle and you collide. There are six million car accidents in the United States each year that occur for a wide variety of reasons.  Whatever the circumstances surrounding...

How to Manage Fall Pollen Allergies Sep 13th, 2022

About 24 million Americans are diagnosed with seasonal allergies, including autumn allergies triggered by pollen, mold spores, and indoor air pollutants.  If you’re one of those millions, taking a few extra precautions could mean the difference between suffering through the fall months and enjoying them.  As a leading primary care...