For adolescents and young adults between the ages of 15 and 29, the number increases to 290 losses each year and is more frequent with young men. These losses are made up mostly of leukemia, brain and central nervous system cancers; and bone cancer. Most cancers in the young adult and adolescent age groups consist of cancers with good survivability rates if caught early, including thyroid cancers, testicular cancer, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and melanoma.

Read More

September is Acne awareness month, which is important because it can affect your self confidence and it is something that people of all ages. Acne can be mild, moderate, or severe and can be caused by inadequate exfoliation, excess sebum production, hormones, fungal infections, or bacterial infections. The root cause can go even deeper — some people swear by certain diets to help them overcome their acne concerns.

Read More

Seasonal allergies tend to act up amidst warmer weather as pollen runs rampant and our lawns continue to be manicured, releasing allergens into the air. When our body comes into contact with an allergen, we release histamines and other pro-inflammatory mediators. The runny nose and water eyes you have are your body trying to rid itself of the allergens. The stuffy nose is from your mucous membranes becoming inflamed and swelling.

Read More

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) was developed in 1993 by Marsha Linehan and aims at helping people cope with extreme and overwhelming emotions. It is particularly good for people with anxiety disorders and certain personality disorders. Most personality disorders are a direct result of childhood trauma. If you find yourself with a diagnosis of a personality disorder and don’t fully recall any childhood trauma, remember that we incorrectly label children as “resilient.” Something as seemingly benign as your parents separating or getting divorced is in effect a childhood trauma.

Read More

the Comox Valley has two walk-in clinics and one urgent care clinic. If you find yourself in need of a non-emergent visit, you can go to either of the two walk-in clinics, but be prepared to go first thing in the morning so that you can reserve your spot in line. The wait time is incredibly long as the clinics are operating on a first-come-first serve basis and the doctors can only see 100 patients per day. The clinic will take your information and give you an estimated time of when you should return to the clinic.

Read More