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A dangerous air quality alert was called today for the second day in a row due to the extremely high count for mold detected in the Gottlieb Allergy Count. “Today’s mold count is over the 50,000 threshold for an air quality alert but not as high as yesterday’s 80,000 count,” says Joseph Leija, MD, who created the Gottlieb Allergy Count at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, located outside Chicago. The Gottlieb Allergy Count is the official allergy count for the Midwest.

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Midwesterners with allergies will be feeling low due to the unusually high allergen counts. A dangerous air quality alert was called today due to the extremely high count for mold detected in the Gottlieb Allergy Count.

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A leukemia drug called dasatinib shows promise for treating skin, breast and several other cancers, according to researchers at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

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This last winter was extreme and put many drivers’ skills to the test. Now many seniors can take a driving refresher course that can increase their driving skills and also lower their insurance rates before the snow flies.

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Lupus and other rheumatologic diseases can initially present as neurological disorders such as headaches and seizures, and thus delay diagnosis for many months. And treatments can cause adverse neurological effects.

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Dermatopathologist, Jodi J. Speiser MD, Assistant Professor of Pathology, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, has been named one of the American Society for Clinical Pathology’s (ASCP) “40 Under 40” for her achievements in the medical laboratory field.

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Alexian Brothers Health System and Loyola University Health System are partnering to expand the breadth and reach of their pediatric service lines in the Chicago area.

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Researchers at Loyola University Health System (LUHS) have a study under way to determine if an injectable anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy can more effectively treat pregnancy-related pelvic pain than physical therapy alone. They are looking for English-speaking pregnant women between the ages of 21 and 50 who develop certain forms of pelvic girdle pain in their second trimester and who are not currently receiving treatment.

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As the number of days of summer vacation decrease, children and adolescent anxiety levels often increase. In addition to getting school supplies, registration completed and vaccinations up to date, it’s important for parents to talk to their kids and understand how they feel about heading back-to-school.

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Alexian Brothers Health System (ABHS) of Arlington Heights, Ill., and Loyola University Health System (Loyola) of Maywood, Ill., are partnering to expand the breadth and reach of their pediatric service lines in the Chicago area.

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Treatments that involve neck manipulation may be associated with strokes, although this association is not proven, according to an American Heart Association Scientific Statement written by lead author Dr. Jose Biller of Loyola University Medical Center and other stroke experts.

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A dangerous air quality alert was called today due to the extremely high count for mold detected in the Gottlieb Allergy Count. “Today’s mold count is the highest for the 2014 recording season,” said Joseph Leija, MD, who created the Gottlieb Allergy Count, the official allergy count for the Midwest. The Gottlieb Allergy Count today is: trees - low, mold - very high (dangerous air alert status), grass - moderate and weeds - moderate. “The mold count was 53,000 today, well over the 50,000 threshold that triggers a high alert warning,” Dr. Leija said. How will this affect allergy sufferers?

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Patients recovering from total joint replacement surgery who receive animal-assisted therapy (AAT) require less pain medication than those who do not experience this type of therapy.

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ater summer triggers ragweed allergies in 10 to 20 percent of Americans and today spells misery for those with sensitive systems. Ragweed pollen was reported for the first time in the 2014 allergy reporting season, causing a pollen vortex of sneezing, itching and headaches for Midwesterners. “The ragweed pollen is showing up about one week earlier this year than last year,” says Joseph Leija, MD, who performs the Gottlieb Allergy Count, the official count of the Midwest. “With the high mold count and moderate weed count, the presence of ragweed will make breathing difficult for many.”

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Backpacks. Crayons. Glue Sticks. Epipen? For more and more school-age children the Epipen is becoming a necessity for completing the back-to-school supply list. In fact, allergic conditions are one of the most common medical conditions affecting children in the U.S.

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Loyola University Chicago has established the Institute for Transformative Interprofessional Education (ITIE) to educate future health-care providers and professionals to work as a team to better care for patients.

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Sexual dysfunction among couples is common, yet it often goes untreated, according to specialists at Loyola University Health System’s Sexual Wellness Clinic.

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Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing recognized recent accomplishments and honors for faculty, students and alumni.

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Becker's Hospital Review has named Loyola University Medical Center to its 2014 edition of "100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Oncology Programs,” a compilation of organizations that are leading the way in quality patient care, cancer outcomes and research.

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Female triathletes are at risk for pelvic floor disorders, decreased energy, menstrual irregularities and abnormal bone density, according to researchers at Loyola University Health System (LUHS). These data were presented today at the American Urogynecologic Society 2014 Scientific Meeting in Washington, DC.

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Friends play an extremely important role in a person’s life. From infancy on, we have a desire to connect and those early relationships help to mold and develop our adult character. Through interactions with one another, we learn to think beyond ourselves to understand the needs and desires of others.

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Nursing orientation programs that address both the compassionate and scientific aspects of patient care help to improve patient satisfaction scores and reduce the incidence of falls and pressure ulcers, according to data published in the Journal for Nurses in Professional Development.

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Chicago-area dermatologists will offer free skin cancer screenings at the city's most popular beach this summer. The screenings will take place from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2, at North Avenue Beach.

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It hardly seems that summer has begun and already Frozen backpacks and 25-cent crayons are filling the stores. Though summer fun will last a few more weeks it’s not too early to start thinking about your child’s back-to-school physicals and making sure they are up to date on their vaccines.

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What’s it like to be a first-year medical school student? Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine gave a taste of the experience this summer to college juniors and seniors or recent graduates looking to enter medical school. The school’s ASPIRE program – “Academic Summer Program Integrating Resources for Excellence” – is geared toward those who have a desire to care for the underserved.

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Once told he would never golf again, burn victim Jamie Nieto, now head pro at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, is leading the ninth annual Burn Awareness Golf Outing and silent auction there on Friday, August 29. All proceeds benefit Loyola University Medical Center Burn Center, where Nieto was a patient

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Some music festival goers will be exchanging their concert wristbands for hospital patient identification bracelets as Pitchfork kicks off the summer music and drug season in Chicago. The Chicago emergency medical community braces for an increase in anticipated substance-abuse cases. “Heroin use is still an increasing issue in the Chicago area and during music fests, we anticipate seeing a number of drug overdose cases,” says Christina Hantsch, MD, FACEP, FACMT, toxicologist at Loyola University Health System.

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Omega-3 fish oil might help protect against alcohol-related neurodamage and the risk of eventual dementia, according to a study published in the journal PLOS ONE.

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Kimberly Koss is fighting an aggressive form of breast cancer. She hopes that long after she dies, her cancer cells will continue to live on in an immortal cell line that would be similar to the cell line described in the book "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks."

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With four nationally ranked specialties, Loyola University Medical Center ranks 3rd in Illinois in U.S. News & World Report’s 2014-15 Best Hospital rankings.

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Although it is rare, tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) can be a difficult and frightening diagnosis for parents and children. The genetic disorder causes nonmalignant tumors to form in many different organs, including the brain, eyes, kidneys and heart. If a child’s brain is affected by the disease, it can be especially debilitating since it can cause seizures, developmental delays, intellectual disability and autism.

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For the twelfth time in 14 years, Loyola University Medical Center has been named one of the nation’s Most Wired hospitals.

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Bacteria found in the bladders of healthy women differ from bacteria in women with a common form of incontinence, according to researchers from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

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A low-carb, gluten-free diet with plenty of vegetables is helping a patient with Graves' eye disease to see normally again.

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Just two weeks after undergoing complex and delicate brain surgery, Bill Abt’s surgeon cleared him to take a fishing trip. Abt caught 182 fish in four days at a remote lodge in Upper Sashkastian. And he didn’t need to take a single pain pill.

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Approximately 82 people in Chicago were reportedly injured and 14 died due to gun violence during the extended 4th of July weekend. “Those injured or killed are too young and too many,” says DeAndre Williams, MD, emergency physician at Loyola University Health System who worked the holiday. “At Loyola, we are seeing multiple gunshot wounds now as automatic rifles are replacing single shot weapons, which is an alarming trend.”

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Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing recognized recent accomplishments and honors for faculty, students and alumni.

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The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship has selected Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine student Audrey Hertenstein to the prestigious 2014-15 class of Chicago Schweitzer Fellows.

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Retired NFL players may be at risk for permanent hearing loss and tinnitus, according to Loyola University Medical Center ear surgeon John Leonetti, MD.

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Barbara Velsor-Friedrich, PhD, RN, has been selected for induction as a fellow into the American Academy of Nursing. The induction will take place at the Academy’s 2014 Transforming Health, Driving Policy Conference on Oct. 18, 2014, in Washington, DC. Dr. Velsor-Friedrich is a professor and the director of the doctoral program at Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing (MNSON).

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You’ve packed the sunscreen and bug spray to protect your little ones while enjoying a Fourth of July celebration, but many parents don’t think about the potential damage that the loud fireworks can do to a young child’s ears.

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Christopher R. Wood, MD, 48, of La Grange, has been named Chief Medical Information Officer of Loyola University Health System (LUHS). In this role, Dr. Wood connects the two worlds of information technology and medicine, helping physicians use data to improve care for their patients.

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As the mother of a 23-year-old daughter with special needs, Donna Karl knows the importance of having a safe outlet for her child to learn and work. Karl, director of Administration for the Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Therapeutics at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, has launched a partnership for Loyola with the LaGrange Area Department of Special Education (LADSE) to give students like her daughter an opportunity to work at the university.

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At 45,000, the Gottlieb Allergy Count for mold spores is very close to the 50,000 threshold signaling a dangerous air quality alert. “The extreme humidity coupled with the hot temperatures and rain have created a soupy environment that is causing serious distress for those with mold allergies and asthma,” says Joseph Leija, MD, who performs the Gottlieb Allergy Count, the official count of the Midwest. “It’s like having a hot, wet towel over your face all the time for many with sensitive systems.

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Summer means an increase in bug and insect activity. How do you know which insects are harmful, what diseases they carry and how to safely avoid them? “Mosquitoes and ticks are the two pests you primarily want to avoid because they potentially carry infectious diseases,” says Jennifer Layden, MD, infectious disease specialist at Loyola University Health System. “Ticks can carry Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and mosquitoes can spread West Nile Virus.”

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Loyola University Health System has established new guidelines to protect burn victims at risk for hypothermia during surgery.

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The number of children who are obese remains alarmingly high in the U.S. and, unfortunately, diseases associated with obesity are on the rise. Worried about their overweight children, many parents wonder if other diagnoses, such as hypothyroidism, could be the reason behind their child’s weight gain.

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Loyola University Chicago recently hosted a meeting of more than 60 of the world’s leading researchers of a protein that could hold the key to new treatments for heart disease.

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According to the American Burn Association, in 2013:• 450,000 people sought medical treatment for burn injuries • 3,400 deaths were attributed to fire/burn and/or smoke inhalation• 40,000 people were hospitalized due to burn injuries “The old adage of ‘When you play with fire, you get burned’ is true – you must always be very serious and attentive when fire is involved,” says Richard L. Gamelli, MD, director of the Burn & Shock Trauma Research Institute, director of the Burn Unit at Loyola University Medical Center. Dr. Gamelli also is senior vice president and provost of the Health Sciences Division at Loyola University Chicago. ”Injuries due to fire happen easily and fast, especially when children are involved or alcohol has been abused.”

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Pool pass, sports camp, visiting relatives and getting tonsils removed are all normal activities for children during the summer months. "Kids need from 10 days to two weeks recovery time, so summer offers an ideal opportunity to get tonsil removal out of the way without interfering with school or winter holidays," says Laura Cozzi, MD, an ear, nose and throat specialist at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, Illinois.