Deb Balzer (@DebBalzer)
Deb Balzer is a Senior Communications Specialist at Mayo Clinic. She began her career as a TV news producer in Rochester, NY, before joining CONUS Communications, a pioneering national news satellite organization. She also field produced for ABC, CNN, the Rachael Ray Show and Farmers’ Almanac TV. Joining Mayo Clinic in 2015, Deb writes, produces and collaborates on medical stories with Mayo Clinic’s leading experts, providing trusted health and medical information to help patients.
Halloween is when kids wear their favorite costumes and go trick-or-treating for candy. Kids might bring home a bucketful of sugary treats, but it doesn't[...]
Most lumps or nodules in the thyroid, which is a gland in your neck, are not harmful and don't need treatment. But sometimes, they can grow bigger[...]
If you haven't had the flu in a few years, there's a reason. As Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatric infectious diseases physician with the Mayo Clinic Children's Center, shares,[...]
Psoriasis, a skin condition affecting 2% to 3% of the population, can appear in various areas, including the scalp. Symptoms can range from mild to[...]
Your risk of breast cancer increases with age, especially after menopause. Around 8 out of 10 breast cancer cases happen in women over 50. Dr.[...]
Severe damage to the brachial plexus — the group of nerves that control the movements of your hands, arms and wrists — can leave your entire[...]
Hand, foot and mouth disease, most commonly caused by a coxsackievirus, is a highly contagious childhood illness. The virus can be spread through respiratory droplets, person-to-person[...]
If you're at risk of heart disease, your healthcare team might use the pooled cohort equation (PCE) tool to determine your long-term risk and whether taking statins —[...]
De Quervain's tenosynovitis (pronounced da-KWUHR-vanes teena-sine-ah-VITE-us) is a complicated name for a condition that's been referred to as "mother's thumb," "mommy wrist" and "gamer's thumb" —[...]
Influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19 are all part of the seasonal respiratory virus lineup. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[...]
At-home COVID-19 tests allow you to collect your sample and detect active COVID-19 infections. But what if you have at-home COVID-19 tests nearing expiration or[...]
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from Sept. 15–Oct. 15. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the more than 60 million people of Hispanic heritage living in the[...]