Premier Health & Holistic Medicine Blog 

Have you ever heard of your “second brain?” If you haven’t, you’re not alone. But believe it or not, your second brain contains more nerves than the spinal cord. Containing more than 100 million neurons, the network of nerve cells lining the digestive tract – your gut – is so extensive that many medical professionals have nicknamed it the body’s second …

As summer fades and temperatures begin to cool down, you may be looking forward to enjoying the fall foliage and spending time in the great outdoors. This could mean more opportunity to brush with black-legged ticks, the irksome creatures known for the spread of Lyme disease. If you live in a highly endemic area such as Virginia, or elsewhere along the …

The human body is a complex organization of systems that work together in a beautiful harmony that is nothing short of miraculous. In the symphony of life, every individual is its own unique instrument with its own vibration, story and song. Western medicine tends to focus on a pragmatic, one-size-fits all approach to healing. This isn’t necessarily wrong …

Lyme disease is a complex illness with many variables, which makes it a highly controversial topic in the medical world.  On the most basic level, Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is usually transmitted by blacklegged ticks and affects an estimated 300,000 patients a year in North America. While most cases tend to be clustered in certain …

Spring has sprung and the glorious sunshine seems to beckon us all to spend more time outdoors. Whether you enjoy hiking, spending a sunny day at the park or conquering spring cleanup chores in your own backyard, it’s important to be mindful of those tiny pests: ticks.  While not all ticks carry Lyme disease, if you’ve been bitten by a tick or are …

Many people worry about their beloved dogs and cats getting tick bites. However, it’s not as commonly talked about for humans. We know that our dogs should have tick prevention measures and understand how to treat them, but people should take similar precautions when visiting areas ticks are common.  As the warmer seasons come around, you are also at …

Detecting Lyme disease can sometimes be challenging. Many of the symptoms share commonalities with flu-like symptoms. However, as time progresses, it can turn into prolonged or severe conditions.  Many people may use the common red bullseye rash that they get from ticks to indicate possible Lyme disease transmission. But some people don’t have the typical …

As the warmer season approaches, you may be getting ready for your favorite outdoor activities like hiking. However, this is the time when you’re most at risk for tick bites.  The spring and summer are the most prevalent times to get Lyme disease. Most ticks hang out in wooded or grassy areas, so when you go out for outdoor activities, this is when …

Although ticks can be spotted year-round, spring and summer are the more prevalent times to encounter ticks. Getting a tick bite can cause a bullseye rash, and an infected tick bite can cause Lyme disease.  Many people can develop signs and symptoms ranging from three to 30 days after transmission. Untreated Lyme disease can spread to the heart, joints, …

Winter is here, and with it, many people are coming down with the flu. The flu can make you feel miserable enough, but if it won’t go away, the misery gets even worse. You begin to wonder if it will ever end, and you start to question if there is something else behind your symptoms. The truth is, there might be. If you have flu symptoms that hang on longer …