UW Medicine

08/04/2026

Wildfire smoke has rolled in and there's no doubt you're noticing it's effects.

Everyone should be protecting themselves from wildfire smoke, especially children, people who work outdoors, older adults and those who are pregnant. Limit your outdoor activity as much as you can, and if you must go outside, be sure to check the air quality index before heading out.

“I recommend sites like Air Now or the Washington Smoke Blog,” says Cora Sack, MD, a lung disease specialist at UW Medicine. “They have very fine-scale maps of what the air quality is in your area.”

While outdoors, wearing a respirator masks like N95s can help by reducing your smoke exposure even for quick errands or taking the dog for a walk. Be cautious of and monitor common symptoms of smoke exposure like a headache, irritated or itchy eyes, sinus congestion, a scratchy or sore throat, and cough.

In hazardous conditions, it's best to put your health first and adjust your plans to the best of your ability. Wait until the smoke clears — your body will thank you.

Try these 4 tips.

08/04/2026

It's completely natural to feel angry sometimes, and learning how to manage and use your anger can help you better understand your needs and protect your relationships. If you’ve never learned how to process your anger, acting out might feel like the only way to release it. But when anger turns into aggression, you risk hurting both the people around you and yourself.

“People can still feel angry and express what they need, or point out something that someone has done to cross a boundary, without being mean, aggressive, hurtful or harmful,” says Dr. Joel Jin, a licensed clinical psychologist and acting assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine - WWAMI. “Someone can be assertive with their anger and confident without being aggressive.”

Read the full story for five healthy ways to deal with your anger.

Don't do something you'll regret.

07/31/2026

Mike Cleek had run marathons and hoped to train for a triathlon one day in the future. That's what he told Jesse Roberts, MD, an orthopedic oncologist at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, who performed surgery on Mike for a rare bone cancer called chondrosarcoma.

Mike had been experiencing worsening pain after hurting his hip running, leading him to seek further diagnosis when physical therapy wasn't helping his symptoms improve.

Mike's CT and MRI scans were used to create a digital 3D model of his pelvis. A titanium implant was then designed to replace the diseased bone by fitting into Mike's pelvis like a puzzle piece. After the surgery, Mike was facing a grueling recovery process, but he had his goals set high. He registered for the Ironman 70.3 Coeur d’Alene.

He started his recovery by exercising for a few minutes on a stationary bike, and soon he was swimming in open water. He tracked his activity level to keep himself motivated.

“I went from essentially 0 minutes of exercise in July to about 55 hours in May prepping for the race,” he said.

In April at his last checkup before heading to Coeur d’Alene, he nervously told his care team about his intentions for the Ironman.

“I was scared, so I debated whether to tell them,” he said. "I knew they hadn’t explicitly said don’t do it, but with a prosthetic, the more you pound on it, the quicker it will degrade."

But he quickly learned that the very same surgeon who had helped to make his goal a reality would be participating in the race as well.

One year after leaving the hospital following his surgery, he crossed the finish line and met his goal.

“I knew running was going to be the most difficult part because I can’t run like I did before surgery,” he said. But he got a boost during the transitions from swim to bike and bike to run, when he caught a glimpse of Roberts. “He is a folk hero, a total celebrity in our house,” he said.

Fred Hutch Cancer Center is an independent organization that also serves as the cancer program for UW Medicine.

After he was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, Mike Cleek opted for a complex hemipelvectomy. Jesse Roberts, MD, relied on a 3D template and a titanium implant to reconstruct Cleek's pelvis. One year later, they both completed the same Ironman race.

07/30/2026

As you finalize your plans for outdoor activities this weekend, don’t forget to check the air quality and consider your health. The wildfire risk in the Pacific Northwest is highest during the summer months, typically peaking from July to September.

Public Health - Seattle & King County guidance recommends staying inside when the air quality index (AQI) is red or purple — 150 or higher — and that it’s generally safe to exercise when the AQI ranges from 50 to 100 (yellow).

The reason is because smoke from a wildfire contains particulates, which consist of tiny pieces of burnt plant and inorganic material. When you breathe in those particulates, they can enter your lungs, make their way into your bloodstream and tissues, and cause inflammation in your body.

“When you’re exercising, you increase your respiratory rate, which means you have a higher dose of pollutants that you’re breathing in,” says lung disease specialist Dr. Cora Sack, MD. “In these fast-acting, really high pollution events from wildfire smoke, it’s crucial to reduce your vigorous exercise outdoors.”

If the AQI is too high to enjoy too much time outside, you can still hit your fitness goals by switching to exercising indoors with bodyweight exercises, strength training or indoor cardio exercises.

Check the air quality first.

07/29/2026

Jason Maris, a physician assistant at the Sports Medicine Center at Husky Stadium, was witness to the recent float plane that crashed near Sucia Island. Because he was nearby when it happened, he was able to rely on his medical training to jump into immediate action and help rescue the 11 people on board and stabilize them until emergency crews arrived.

After he and some other boaters ferried the survivors away from the fire, Jason had to improvise with what he could find around them in order to triage and tend to the most seriously injured.

“I was just looking for anything to splint legs and things like that,” he says. “I knew the lifejackets had the plies of foam in them, so I just cut one open, pulled a few pieces out and wrapped it around.”

Jason credits his background as a Boy Scout and a Marine, as well as his medical training, for his quick action and ability to adapt to the situation at hand.

“I was a Boy Scout growing up and a former Marine. With my medical training, I just tried to improvise,”

07/29/2026

A new class of medical students at the University of Washington School of Medicine has officially begun their journey to becoming physicians. Across all five WWAMI states, Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho, students arrived recently for orientation, meeting their classmates and taking their first steps toward a career in medicine.

In Seattle, the week included a special moment: new students received stethoscopes gifted by UW School of Medicine alumni. It is a small object with a big meaning, a first tool of the profession and a welcome from the physicians who once sat in these same seats.

Welcome to medical school, class of 2026. We are proud to walk alongside you as your journey begins.

07/28/2026

Sleepmaxxing is the latest social media trend focused on optimizing your sleep. But is it actually helpful?

“The core impulse behind ‘sleepmaxxing’ — optimizing sleep through behavioral and environmental changes — aligns with well-established principles recommended by sleep specialists,” says Dr. Vishesh Kapur, a sleep medicine physician and founder of the UW Medicine Sleep Center. “Where sleepmaxxing diverges is in the intensity and rigidity of the approach, and in the adoption of unproven or poorly studied interventions promoted on social media rather than the scientific literature.”

Beyond what Dr. Kapur calls the core principles, like keeping a consistent sleep schedule and watching your caffeine intake, some other sleepmaxxing tips may also be helpful in certain cases.

Learn more about which methods Dr. Kapur recommends, and which ones you can skip out on.

Here's what really works.

07/24/2026

It is easier than ever to consult "Dr. Google" when a video on your social feed seems to describe your symptoms. But experts have real concerns about self-diagnosis and the anxiety that can come from incomplete information.

“I worry about the credibility of the diagnosis,” says Margaret Sibley, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at University of Washington School of Medicine - WWAMI. “If it seems like the diagnostic standards are so flimsy that anyone could present themselves as possibly being symptomatic enough for diagnosis … it’s just going to create a lot of confusion.”

She notes that it is completely normal to have questions about your health after watching health-related content online, but only a trained healthcare professional can determine whether symptoms meet the criteria for a diagnosis.

“When you assess people carefully, it's not always just about the diagnosis, but also about the solution,” she says.

Read the full story at USA TODAY for tips on how to manage health anxiety from social media.

A new study finds that half of Gen Z have seen a doctor over a medical concern they found on TikTok.

07/23/2026

Congratulations to Salmon Bay FC on winning the USL W League National Championship! UW Medicine is proud to be your sponsor.

07/22/2026

From longer days to enjoying an ice cream cone, summer has a lot of positives. But, it can be rough on your skin. Luckily, our dermatologists have tips on how to keep your skin healthy in the heat and sun this season.

“Increased sun exposure and a higher UV index can lead to sunburns, premature skin aging and skin cancer, while higher temperatures also mean more sweating, which can worsen acne, heat rash, irritation where skin rubs together, and, for some people, even flare eczema," says Dr. S. Max Vale, a dermatologist at UW Medicine Primary Care at South Lake Union.

Applying sunscreen is the most obvious way to protect yourself from UV rays. Dr. Vale recommends using a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher sunscreen daily, even on cloudy days since up to 80% of ultraviolet rays can pe*****te cloud cover. Sunscreen should be applied every two hours when you’re outside and after you’ve been swimming or heavily sweating.

Read on for more summertime skincare tips to keep in mind.

More sunscreen, more often.