The Globe and Mail - Dr. Marla Shapiro Columns

Take a deep breath

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 11:23 EDT

Back to school means asthma season has arrived

Take a deep breath: Back to school means asthma season has arrived

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:00 EDT

For children with asthma, September is the worst time of year. Attacks in children spike after Labour Day, with the greatest number of attacks happening in the 38th week of the year - next week.

Diagnosis and treatment differ among patients

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:00 EDT

In battling breast cancer, Belinda Stronach joins thousands of other Canadian women who have faced the difficult choices posed by the disease. Dr. Marla Shapiro, author of Life in the Balance: My Journey with Breast Cancer and a board member of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, explains Ms. Stronach's type of cancer and some factors in diagnosis and treatment.

More sleep equals better grades for kids

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 00:00 EDT

Studies released at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies this week highlight the links between poor sleep and a host of health problems, including poor eye co-ordination behind the wheel and higher fast-food consumption. Several studies focused on sleep problems among children and the negative health consequences they face when they sleep poorly.

Apples, fish could help kids avoid respiratory problems

Mon, 21 May 2007 00:00 EDT

Two studies published yesterday shed light on some of the factors that might influence children's chances of getting asthma and allergies.According to a British study, babies whose mothers ate apples and fish during pregnancy have a reduced risk of asthma and allergies. The researchers, from the University of Aberdeen, studied 1,212 children of women who filled out questionnaires about their diets during pregnancy.

How to avoid 'boomeritis:' Get more exercise

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:00 EDT

A 50-year-old patient of mine came in to see me complaining of knee pain. She has been an avid tennis player, walker and golfer. The same as many of the baby-boomer generation, who are sometimes credited with the awakening of the fitness movement, she wondered whether her activity had been the cause of the pain she now found herself in. She wondered if she had ''boomeritis.''

Vitamins: The good, the bad, the unknown

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 00:00 EDT

Patients come in to my office every day asking me about what vitamins to take. It is often confusing to sort out which vitamins do what, if they are helpful, or as recent evidence has suggested, if they can actually be harmful. Vitamins are organic compounds that the body needs in small quantities to function. These are micronutrients that, for the most part, our body does not produce. For example, vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is found in food but it can also be made in our bodies after exposure to UV rays from the sun. Minerals, such as calcium, zinc and selenium, are solid and are also required by the body.

Don't be afraid to talk about the baby blues

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 00:00 EDT

The birth of a baby is an exciting time. But it also is a time of great changes, both emotionally and physically. The sudden responsibility of caring for a newborn, the sleepless nights, and the changing hormones are all part of the transition that goes along with being a new mom. I can remember giving birth to my first daughter and being happy one moment and in unexplained tears the next.

A March escape without shots could find you snared by illness

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:00 EST

With spring break upon us, many Canadians are taking respite from the winter cold and heading to warmer climates. But with reports of Norwalk virus on cruise ships, malaria outbreaks in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, dengue fever in Mexico and concerns about traveller's diarrhea, a lot of my patients have come in asking what precautions to take.