Mark Tong, MD

3 million girls now participate in high school sports. This is a 940% increase since the Title IX Equal Opportunity in Education Act was pas...

This article in the L.A. Times is pretty interesting, insofar as it's one of those studies where you would think the result would be ob...

Yes; yes it does! This is particularly nice to know at this time of the year when many people gain 7-8 pounds over the holidays. The trick ...

We will be out of the office spending the holidays with our families during Thanksgiving (11/26 and 11/27), on Christamas (12/24 and 12/25) ...

Well, we've got a pretty good start to the skiing and boarding season! (To say nothing of some pretty sorely needed precipitation.) Thi...

Short answer; no. It's actually not known how the idea started that drinking 6-8 glasses of water every day is absolutely essential for ...

We have been closed for the past two days due to the unusual snowstorm to low elevations and loss of electrical power(which includes lights ...

GERD , or gastro -esophageal reflux disease, is a common condition in which acid stomach contents go "upstream" (reflux) from the ...

We have received an ample supply of H1N1 shots, and have started contacting patients who are at high risk and in most need of receiving the ...

The county Public Health Department will be announcing a free flu shot clinic for anyone who needs or wants an H1N1 shot. This clinic is to ...

Well, that depends. Unlike with tobacco products where there really is no safe amount at all, for many folks there is a safe level of alcoho...

When you go to lab to get blood tests done and you are asked to sign a paper you are NOT being told that you WILL be billed. Marshall recent...

This article is fascinating (in a real science geek, wonky kind of way) about ongoing study into the genes that different diseases and diag...

Update: we have, indeed, ordered swine flu vaccines about 2 months ago. We have not yet received them, though are told we may get them with...

A patient recently informed me that the Widowed Persons Association of California has a local chapter here in Placerville. This group is a ...

OK, not your most glamorous topic. It is, however, one I get a lot of questions about. Constipation refers to bowel movements ( BM's ) ...

It's that time of the year again! From now through 12/31/09 you can change your Part D plan, which covers your prescriptions. If you h...

There has been a great deal in the news just in the past month about new studies and recommendations regarding cancer screening. This is al...

Many patients use nasal saline to irrigate their nasal purposes for allergy problems, chronic sinus inflammation and for relief of cold and ...

Patients have been asking me what I think of the government's efforts at reforming our health care system. I've posted once or twice...