Adam Hochron

As people's lives get busy one of the things that suffers the most is their ability to get the proper amount of sleep. This can range from mild sleep issues to more extensive bouts of insomnia.

For patients who struggle with positive airway pressure machines there have been developments in recent years to help them treat their sleep apnea and other disorders.

Whether it is obstructive or central sleep apnea or any number of other conditions finding the right treatment method can make a big difference in improving quality of life.

One of the consequences of lung disease for patients can be significant sleep issues. While these are important to manage in the general population, the need is even greater for this group as well.

When patients are looking for a pulmonary rehabilitation center it is not enough to find anywhere that offers a program. Working with their doctors can ensure they find the help they need from the place best suited for their needs.

From the time a patient enters pulmonary rehab until their condition runs its course a total team effort is required to ensure the best results possible.

Patients with cardiac conditions are familiar with the process of rehabilitation after an event as they work to get better. For pulmonary rehab the work is focused on different angles to help improve the quality of life in patients in different ways.

When it comes to the treatment of thyroid cancer the preferred term of "persistent disease" is often considered more than cure.

Once a potential issue is identified in a patient's thyroid there are many options to consider in their overall care and treatment.

Unlike other medical conditions thyroid cancer can be difficult to diagnose. Often the condition is discovered while looking at other health issues a patient may have.

The treatment of ADHD has made a lot of progress from where it was just a few years ago. Despite that there is much more work to be done to help this patient population.

As the diagnosis process for adults with ADHD becomes more commonplace in medicine today there is still a gap in finding effective treatments to help patients with the condition from childhood to adulthood.

One of the biggest differences between military and civilian medicine is the very real chance of being deployed to a forward military unit from a stateside appointment. Lessons from those experiences can shape a doctor's practice back in their home country.

The life of a civilian doctor may not be all that different from a military doctor but there are certain differences which can make it a unique experience for those who serve in military medicine.

The development of new novel oral anticoagulants has made a definite impact in the field in a short period of time. Work is being done to bring reversal agents into the field which can work with these new medications.

Since the days when Warfarin was the lone option in anticoagulants a considerable amount of research has been conducted leading to the development of new novel oral anticoagulants.

In the United States the availability of the latest technology can vary depending on geographic locations in some cases. This can be a greater problem for service members stationed around the world.

Cardiac CT scans can be important in diagnosing various conditions but may not be appropriate for all cardiologists to perform. As a result, with specialized training the results can be dramatically improved to help both civilian and military patients.

At Walter Reed National Military Medical Center there is an extra focus in ensuring tests are accurate for service members either before deploying or when they return home. As a result they have made a concerted effort to improve several tests including cardiac CT.

While it is clear the opioid abuse problem is not going away, those working in the field are still determined to ensure that the problems of the past do not interfere with success in the future.

As the field of pain medicine advances there is a considerable focus on helping patients get better as well as undoing the damage done by the opioid abuse epidemic. Both problems will likely require a long term approach to be successful.

For some patients, especially on a short term basis opioids may still be the best treatment option. Safely prescribing these medications is the focus of a field looking to help patients without causing problems in other areas.

As it is becoming clearer how dangerous opioids can be for some patients work is being done to find alternatives to help manage pain without as much fear of addiction.

While some patients may need procedures like gastric bypass surgery to lose weight others may be able to achieve their goals by taking smaller steps.

After years of hearing they need to exercise and lose weight some patients can lose the purpose of the message and the potential benefits that come with it.

For patients needing to lose the most amount of weight for help with cardiovascular conditions or diabetes there are many ideas on how best to achieve their goals.

For chronic conditions like atrial fibrillation the needs of patients can change regularly. With doctors unable to answer all questions all the time patient organizations can help provide a peer to peer level of help.

When patients come to doctors with information about a given topic it is important for them to provide guidance not only on the information provided but also help them find results that will be of more use to their individual are.

It can be easy for patients to go online and get all the information they could ever want about just about any topic. However, finding information, and finding factual information are two very different issues.

It has been many years since Howard Schatz was a practicing physician and while he said the retina specialty has changed he has also seen the field of photography change as digital passes the age of film.