John Roberts

By: Dr. John Roberts Since our temperatures are heading into the mid-80s this week, it’s time to start thinking about the dog days of summer. We will soon start to see patients suffering from heat illness coming in to urgent care and emergency departments. Heat illness accounts for tens of thousands of visits to medical…

Warmer weather means we have to start thinking about tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease. Many people are aware of the association between tick bites and Lyme disease, but few know exactly what Lyme disease is or what causes it. The number of cases in Indiana has shown a steady increase from 23 cases in 2000…

Barbecue season is in full swing, so it’s a good time to review food safety. Foodborne illness, commonly referred to as “food poisoning,” is something that almost all of us have experienced at some point. Foodborne illness is defined as more than two people having a similar illness with evidence of food as the source.…

Last week I went over some sun and water safety information. This week I want to examine wheeled things that appear in the spring and summer. It’s great to see kids and adults out on their bicycles now that the weather has warmed up. The downside is we will see the inevitable bike accidents. Some…

We finally getting a taste of some warm weather which means it’s time to starting thinking about summer activities. Most people enjoy some time in the sun. Whether it’s lounging by the water, participating in sports, or working outdoors, we all get our fair share of sun every summer. This week, I want to briefly…

It appears that consistent warm weather has finally arrived in Indiana and people are finally able to get out to commune with nature. This will probably result in a lot of rashes showing up in doctors’ offices. Most of the rashes we see in the summer are caused by poison ivy, one of three plants…

Welcome back to part two of my series on shoulder pain. First, I want to do a quick review of shoulder anatomy (refer to the diagram of the right shoulder looking from the front). The upper arm bone (humerus) joins to the scapula at the glenoid and is held in place by two structures: (1)…

The next two weeks, I’d like to address shoulder pain and injuries. Most people experience shoulder pain at some point in their lives. Doctors see it in mostly in athletes and people who overuse their shoulders. We also see it in those who suffer trauma, particularly from taking a blow directly to the shoulder or…

We are definitely living in a post-truth world. It’s not just in the political sphere that we have to be careful of facts and “alternative facts,” it also extends to the scientific and medical realms as well. The public is being constantly bombarded with scientific information via mainstream media, social media, and other internet sources.…

Sometimes I get asked questions in unusual places. A few months ago I was pulled aside at a store and asked if I could write about hot flashes. Women typically describe hot flashes as a feeling of intense heat, usually with sweating and a rapid heartbeat. They can last a few minutes up to a…