Dr. Philip J Howard MD

Recommended Articles

• What is Degenerative Disc Disease?

  Degenerative disc disease is characterized by the breakdown of the intervertebral discs — the soft discs that act as shock absorbers and provide flexibility to the spine. This condition is not a disease, but it is a common change that occurs with age. It is a common age-related change in which...

• Alternative Treatments for Gallstones

  Alternative Treatments For GallstonesA huge percentage of gallstones never show symptoms, but the moment a stone stops moving on its way to the small intestines from the gallbladder, trouble begins. That’s when signs start occurring, among them severe pain on the ride side of the abdomen that...

• Coping with Muscular Dystrophy

  Discussing with a child that they have a muscle wasting disease is not easy. People who are diagnosed with muscular dystrophy have a mind that functions normally, but a body that does not. Being a parent of a child with MD revolves around acceptance. When you get past the initial fear and...

• What Is a Normal Heart Rate?

  What is heart rate?The heart rate is the number of heartbeats that occur per minute. The normal heart rate depends from person-to-person. As people get older, the heart rate changes and pulse regularity may change, which can signify heart problems or other medical conditions. Your heart rate may...

• Is it Lung Cancer or COPD?

  Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and lung cancer are two ends of the same spectrum. Though vastly different in core characteristics, they share many symptoms such as painful wheezing, a persistent cough, and the production of copious mucus. Both these diseases have similar causes and...

• Is Bronchitis a Contagious Disease?

  The human respiratory tract starts at the nose and mouth and continues down to the lungs. The air that we breathe in through our nose and mouth passes down the trachea and into the lungs through a series of branched tubes called the bronchi. For a healthy breathing to happen effectively, these tubes...