Blog Archive
Testosterone affects more than muscle growth and libido; it intricately influences an array of bodily functions, from cognition to bone density. So, when this potent hormone dwindles below normal levels, the male body and mind face significant changes. Men’s health remains a somewhat under-discussed topic despite a surge in awareness...
Most people overlook their thyroid until it causes alarming symptoms. Even then, it’s easy to miss the signs. For example, when hypothyroidism hits, slowing the production of essential thyroid hormones, the warning signs can be subtle, and you may ignore them. One out of every 300 Americans has an underactive...
You’re going about your day feeling comfortable in your outfit when it suddenly feels like someone cranked up the heater. You start ripping off layers of clothing to cool down, but nothing helps — the heat is coming from within. Nighttime is no better. You fall asleep as usual, snuggled...
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered dramatic changes throughout everyday life — and in the medical community as well. Not only are providers across the country postponing elective procedures, but many are also encouraging people to avoid in-office appointments to reduce their risk of exposure to this highly contagious coronavirus.But what...
No one has to tell you that as you age, your body inevitably goes through a series of changes that affect everything from your looks to your health. Aging can present numerous challenges, from the slow degradation of your physical abilities to increased susceptibility to various diseases and conditions. However,...
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common condition characterized by your blood placing excessive force against the walls of your blood vessels. Over time, hypertension can damage the vessels and lead to conditions such as heart attacks and strokes. Hypertension is a silent but potentially life-threatening condition that affects...
About 52.5 million American adults have some type of arthritis, and the National Arthritis Data Workgroup expects that number to reach 67 million by 2030. However, don’t let its prevalence fool you into thinking it’s normal and harmless. Arthritis is a destructive, progressive disease that attacks your joints, and if...
Whether you suffer from environmental or food allergies, they can be a real pain. From constant sneezing and sniffling, itchy eyes, and headaches to extreme ingredient avoidance, dealing with allergies disrupts your life and keeps you constantly on guard. It’s natural to wonder whether you or your child will ever...
Obesity and overweight have reached epidemic levels in the United States. Statistics show that American adults are in bad shape: 30.7% are overweight 42.4% are obese 9.2% are severely obese And kids aren’t faring much better: 16.1% are overweight 19.3% are obese 6.1% are severely obese Those staggering numbers mean...
Watching your little girl blossom into a woman is bittersweet — as her childhood fades, her womanhood emerges, and now is the time to have those conversations about her changing body. Dr. James Lee and our women’s health team at Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care are here to support...
Facing the unknown can be stressful, so if you’ve scheduled your first mammogram, you may be feeling a bit nervous about what to expect. We understand. Knowing that new experiences can cause anxiety, we do all we can to make your mammogram appointment comfortable. Dr. James Lee and our team of caring...
Most people immediately think of lifelong smokers when they hear the term chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — and they’re not wrong. Over 85% of folks with this debilitating disease got it from smoking. But if your knowledge of COPD starts and ends with this factoid, you’re missing crucial information that could...
We understand that learning you have high-risk HPV can be shocking, but don’t let the initial news distract you from taking positive steps forward. And don’t go it alone. Dr. James Lee and our team at Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care in Woodstock, Georgia, offer holistic care that treats...
You can’t watch TV without seeing an ad for blood pressure medication, and it seems that everywhere you turn, there’s a blood pressure cuff for use. What’s the big deal about blood pressure? We’re glad you asked. Dr. James Lee and our team at Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care...
What should you do when your child complains of a sore throat? How do you know if it’s just a mild cold or strep throat? Knowing when urgent care is necessary can save you time and worry. Dr. James Lee and our dedicated team at Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care want all parents in...
Spring is in the air — and it’s making you sniffle, sneeze, and snort. That’s because all of the blooming flowers and foliage create loads of pollen. It floats through the air and into your nose, wreaking havoc with your nasal passages and upper respiratory system. But pollen isn’t the...
As men age, they’re more likely to experience erectile dysfunction (ED) because their testosterone levels naturally decrease over time. Because testosterone plays a critical role in sexual health and function, low levels can make it difficult to get or maintain an erection. But more and more men — 30% of men...
When you’re sick or injured, you face several choices. You can wait to see whether the problem resolves on its own, make an appointment with your doctor (who may not be available for weeks or months), or go to the emergency room. But there’s another option that may be a...
Allergens come in many forms, from bugs to foods to things you touch. If you don’t know what causes your allergic symptoms, you may need to undergo allergy testing to get to the bottom of it. When you’re ready to find out which allergens are wreaking havoc with your skin,...
It’s the inner you that’s important, not the weight you’re carrying around, right? While that’s true to a certain extent, being overweight or obese greatly increases your risk for developing any number of chronic diseases. That’s why it’s so important to shed the excess pounds. At Woodstock Family Practice &...
Hormones are chemical messengers that control your body’s systems. Although hormonal levels vary from person to person and fluctuate daily and with age, there’s still an optimal level that allows for proper functioning. When hormones dip and spike, you notice the changes right away. Men and women both experience hormone...
Adults rarely get earaches, so it may seem odd for some parents to hear their child often complaining of ear pain. At Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care in Woodstock, Georgia, we help parents and their kids understand and get through chronic childhood earaches. Here, Dr. James Lee explains why...
There’s no denying that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) changes your life. It becomes harder to breathe and more challenging to exercise. It may even cause some emotional problems as you learn to cope with flare-ups and limitations. If COPD is taking control of your life, we invite you to...
More than 650 million people are severely overweight, making obesity a worldwide epidemic. To make sure you don’t add to that statistic — or don’t stay there for long — Dr. James Lee and our team at Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care offer effective, medically supervised weight loss strategies. Your weight has a direct impact on your...
You count on your body to respond to sexual cues and perform flawlessly whenever the desire arises. But it doesn’t always work that way. When you can’t get or keep an erection long enough to have sexual intercourse, you have erectile dysfunction (ED). This dismaying condition may be only temporary,...
You want what’s best for your child, and you’ll do whatever it takes to keep them safe and healthy. But if you’re skipping their annual physicals because your child seems perfectly healthy, you may be doing them a disservice. Here at Woodstock Family Practice and Urgent Care in Woodstock, Georgia,...
At Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care, Dr. James Lee and our team take a scientific approach to weight loss. It starts with a thorough evaluation of your health, so we can identify all of the variables that are unique to your weight loss issues. Then Dr. Lee develops a weight loss management program that...
Every orifice on your body — eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and genitals — is a potential gateway for pathogens to enter your inner systems and cause problems. When this happens, your body is equipped to fight off most foreign invaders, and your symptoms typically resolve quickly. When they stick around,...
The female reproductive system is an amazing feat of engineering that not only performs complex functions, it’s also susceptible to uniquely female conditions, including cervical cancer. Fortunately, Dr. George Papanicolaou, a pathologist at Cornell University Medical College in 1914, discovered that he could detect differences between normal and cancerous cervical...
Not all health conditions come with a warning sign, but Type 2 diabetes does. Unfortunately, its predecessor — prediabetes — can be hard to spot. Dr. James Lee at Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care in Woodstock, Georgia, monitors all of our patients for the risk factors of Type 2...
We don’t typically recommend self-diagnosis, but when it comes to common illnesses, it’s good to be able to identify the symptoms, so you know how to care for yourself and your family, and know when to seek help. When you need prompt, high-quality professional medical care, come see us at...
If you’ve noticed a link between the foods you eat and negative symptoms, you might assume you have a food allergy, so you steer clear of that ingredient. Your survival instincts are right on target, but your terminology may be off. There are four distinct food-related conditions that all sound...
Although anyone can get a urinary tract infection (UTI), it’s mainly a women’s health issue. In fact, 1 in 5 women have had at least one UTI in her lifetime. They are so common, many people just write UTIs off as an inconvenient annoyance and wait for them to go...
For a little gland, your thyroid does a lot of heavy lifting. It controls your metabolic rate, which means it regulates your muscles, digestion, heart, brain development, and bone maintenance. When your thyroid malfunctions, these systems malfunction as well. Here, Dr. James Lee at Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care...
Thanks to advanced technology, physicians can “see” what’s going on inside your body without wielding a scalpel. Diagnostic tests tell us a great deal about the state of your health. At Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care in Woodstock, Georgia, Dr. James Lee and our team offer onsite diagnostic tests...
Weight loss can be one of the most frustrating endeavors in life. You’re constantly bombarded with the newest fad diet or the latest miracle pill that promises to melt away fat overnight. If you’ve been struggling to lose weight for years, we don’t need to tell you that those tactics...
Age changes everything — hair thins and grays, skin dries and wrinkles, and gravity does a number on once-firm flesh. But changes happen on the inside, too, and you may not realize it until you experience clear symptoms. In many men, one of these changes is a growing prostate gland. ...
You’re in your late 40s or early 50s, your period is a bit irregular, and every once in a while you feel flushed. The perimenopausal stage, the transition into menopause, can last for months or even years. Whether you’ve just started to notice the signs, or you’ve been living with...
Ear infections and childhood go hand in hand because kids get them so easily. During the early stages of development, their eustachian tubes — the passageway between the nose, throat, and ears — are small, short, and parallel to the ground, so they don’t drain efficiently. When mucus builds up...
Whether your knife slipped while slicing a melon, your elbow split when you fell and hit the pavement, or a sharp object punctured your foot, lacerations can range from mild to severe. Learning to tell the difference and knowing when to seek medical attention can help you ensure proper healing....
Allergies can crop up at any point in your life. As your body ages and changes, it reacts differently to its environment. Likewise, your environment changes as well. This means that children with allergies may grow out of them, and adults who have been fine their whole life may suddenly...
You change the oil in your car, check the air in the tires, and make sure there’s water in the radiator to keep it running smoothly. This regular maintenance helps you avoid breakdowns that leave you stranded on the side of the road and end up costing a lot of...
Erectile dysfunction — the inability to get and/or keep an erection — affects about 52% of American males. If you’re one of them, you’re surely wondering if you have an underlying health problem to blame, and you might also be wondering if having ED can lead to problems with your...
Normally, your pancreas produces a hormone called insulin to turn your blood sugar, or glucose, into energy. If you don’t produce enough insulin, however, or your body doesn’t respond to insulin as it should, you have Type 2 diabetes, which comes with a long list of symptoms and risks for...
Candy corn, turkey feasts, and sugar cookies galore — It’s that time of year again to spend time with loved ones and indulge in holiday delicacies, but it can be difficult to really enjoy the holiday season when you have diabetes. Everything from a co-worker’s innocent platter of Christmas cookies...
While chest pain and dizziness can be unsettling, you usually don’t need to rush to the hospital. But you do need to get to the bottom of these symptoms, because they could indicate a serious health condition. Dr. James Lee at Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care can give you...
If you’re coughing and sneezing and have a sore throat, and you’re like most people, you’re probably confused about what your symptoms mean. Is it a cold? Allergies? Something worse? Here at Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care, those are some of the most common questions we get. The symptoms...
We’ve all done it — slammed our finger in the car door or dropped a heavy can on our big toe. The pain is excruciating and the visual is upsetting, as blood, swelling, and discoloration typically follow the incident. We see this type of injury often here at Woodstock Family...
Losing weight can be difficult, especially on your own. It’s no secret that obesity is prevalent in the US, and many patients who suffer from obesity also experience a number of related health conditions. One of the most effective weight loss plans we offer at Woodstock Family Practice and Urgent...
How do you know when spring has finally arrived? Perhaps it’s when the first flowers start to bloom, or the day when you move your coats to the back of the closet. Unfortunately, many people know spring has really arrived when their nose starts running and their eyes start itching....
While coronavirus has been commanding headlines and health care resources for three months, Mother Nature has continued as normal. As the days get warmer and flowers start to bloom, pollen and allergies may pop back into your mind. If your nose has started to run or your eyes have started...
Butter. Coffee. Eggs. Other than parts of a delicious breakfast, what do these three foods have in common? They’ve all been subject to public debate on their level of healthfulness and nutrition. Every few years, a report tries to change the conversation on whether you should eat butter instead of...
When it comes to age, nobody is immune to ear infections. You could get an ear infection at any age, especially during allergy season or cold and flu season. But while anyone can get an ear infection, children are far more likely to come down with this bacterial infection. According...
As a woman, a Pap smear is an integral part of maintaining your reproductive health. But if you’ve never had one before, you may be wondering just what it entails and why it’s so important. At Woodstock Family Practice and Urgent Care, Dr. James Y. Lee and his team take...
Roughly two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. Obesity is a growing health concern because carrying extra weight often leads to chronic conditions that can lower your quality of life. Being obese puts extra strain on your bones, muscles, and tissues, making your body work harder to carry you through...
Did you know that more than half of all the men in America will experience erectile dysfunction, or ED, in their lifetime? With so many men affected, there’s no shortage of information out there about this condition. But much of what you read online or hear from friends simply isn’t...
All women live with a risk of heart disease. Heart disease is the most common cause of death for both men and women in the United States, but signs and symptoms can look different in women's cases than in men's. It's important for women to know about heart disease risks...
Much of what you associate with men, in terms of general appearance, is because of testosterone. During puberty, this hormone helps build muscle, deepens a man’s voice, and boosts the size of his sex organs. Throughout life, testosterone is the hormone that drives libido and keeps muscles and bones healthy....
Obesity is a chronic condition, affecting more than 2 in 3 adults and about 18.5% of children and adolescents. Obesity and carrying excess weight places you at an increased risk of developing a host of preventable illnesses, like: Heart disease Type 2 diabetes Stroke Kidney disease Fatty liver disease Chronic...
Your body is amazing. Did you know that your body is designed to heal itself? You have the inbuilt ability to repair damaged cells and grow new healthy ones -- but sometimes you might need some help. As you age, your body’s ability to heal itself slows down, and...
Almost two-thirds of American women use a form of birth control. If you are new to contraceptives or are just looking for a change, we at Woodstone Family Practice & Urgent Care can help you determine the best method for you and your partner. When it comes to choosing a...
About 70% of American adults are overweight or obese. Carrying extra pounds can make you feel self-conscious, embarrassed, and less than your best. Extra weight often makes it difficult to enjoy your favorite activities, and it can harm your quality of life. Reaching a healthy weight by losing those extra...
One of the most common injuries, a sprained ankle often causes immediate pain and swelling. As a doctor of osteopathic medicine, James Y. Lee, here at Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care in Woodstock, Georgia, specializes in diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal conditions and injuries. When you sprain your ankle, you...
Northern Georgia is a hot spot when it comes to spring allergies, and it seems to be getting worse. We enjoy a long spring, and while that means lovely temperatures and beautiful days, it also means more exposure to pollen. If you’re tired of sneezing and sniffling through spring, Dr....