March is Endometriosis Awareness Month, and at Orleans Family Health Clinic, we believe that awareness without access to care is incomplete. Endometriosis affects approximately 1 in 10 women and people assigned female at birth in Canada — an estimated 1 million Canadians — yet the average time from symptom onset to confirmed diagnosis remains over five years. That delay is not inevitable. With better education, earlier recognition, and a trusted primary care relationship, we can close that gap together.

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A recent commentary by Dr. Sohail Gandhi, former president of the Ontario Medical Association, asked an important question:

“Which pharmacy should you use?”

His answer was clear: patients deserve better than rushed, corporate-driven care.

At Orleans Family Health Clinic (OFHC), we couldn’t agree more.

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Shingles is one of those conditions that most Canadians have heard of but few think will happen to them. The reality is different: approximately 1 in 3 Canadians will develop shingles in their lifetime, and the risk increases meaningfully with age. For adults over 50, shingles is not a remote possibility — it is a genuine and preventable health risk that belongs in a conversation with your family physician.

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Diabetes fasting risk varies by medication type, insulin use, prior hypoglycemia, kidney function, and overall control. This is not safely managed through guesswork.

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Ramadan is a sacred month of fasting, reflection, and discipline. For many families, it also raises important medical questions: Is fasting safe with my condition? Should my medications change? What symptoms mean I should stop fasting?

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February is Heart Month — and with Valentine’s Day here, it’s the perfect time to talk about something many people overlook: the powerful connection between love, relationships, and heart health.

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Heart health requires consistent care — not just during annual checkups. At Orleans Family Health Clinic, heart health management focuses on long-term prevention, early detection, and ongoing support.

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At At Orleans Family Health Clinic in Ottawa, we celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a special opportunity to acknowledge the countless contributions women have made to medicine, public health, research, and patient care.

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In the world of preventative medicine, we often view vaccines through a single lens: preventing a specific illness. We encourage our older patients to get the shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine to avoid the debilitating pain and potential long-term nerve damage (postherpetic neuralgia) associated with the virus. However, emerging research suggests that the benefits of this vaccine may extend deep into our cellular biology.

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