Time for an anatomy pop quiz: Do you know where your gallbladder is? This small, pear-shaped organ is located beneath your liver on the right side of your abdomen. Its primary function is to hold bile, a fluid produced by the liver that’s released into your small intestines to help you digest fatty foods. Sometimes, hard deposits called gallstones can build up in your gallbladder. What Are Gallstones? Gallstones are hardened deposits of digestive material. They can be as small as a grain of sand, the size of a pebble or even as large as a golf ball. Two main types exist: cholesterol stones

The sinuses consist of air spaces in your skull and facial bones, specifically within your forehead, inside your cheekbones and behind the nose. These air spaces make up the upper part of your respiratory tract from your nose into your throat. Many issues can occur within your sinuses and can cause long-term problems that impact quality of life. At SIU Medicine, we treat many different sinus issues. Common sinus symptoms include decreased sense of smell, post-nasal drip, discolored drainage, congestion and facial pressure. Medical treatment often includes nasal sprays and saline rinses. In

The sinuses consist of air spaces in your skull and facial bones, specifically within your forehead, inside your cheekbones and behind the nose. These air spaces make up the upper part of your respiratory tract from your nose into your throat. Many issues can occur within your sinuses and can cause long-term problems that impact quality of life. At SIU Medicine, we treat many different sinus issues. Common sinus symptoms include decreased sense of smell, post-nasal drip, discolored drainage, congestion and facial pressure. Medical treatment often includes nasal sprays and saline rinses. In

The sinuses consist of air spaces in your skull and facial bones, specifically within your forehead, inside your cheekbones and behind the nose. These air spaces make up the upper part of your respiratory tract from your nose into your throat. Many issues can occur within your sinuses and can cause long-term problems that impact quality of life. At SIU Medicine, we treat many different sinus issues. Common sinus symptoms include decreased sense of smell, post-nasal drip, discolored drainage, congestion and facial pressure. Medical treatment often includes nasal sprays and saline rinses. In

The sinuses consist of air spaces in your skull and facial bones, specifically within your forehead, inside your cheekbones and behind the nose. These air spaces make up the upper part of your respiratory tract from your nose into your throat. Many issues can occur within your sinuses and can cause long-term problems that impact quality of life. At SIU Medicine, we treat many different sinus issues. Common sinus symptoms include decreased sense of smell, post-nasal drip, discolored drainage, congestion and facial pressure. Medical treatment often includes nasal sprays and saline rinses. In

The sinuses consist of air spaces in your skull and facial bones, specifically within your forehead, inside your cheekbones and behind the nose. These air spaces make up the upper part of your respiratory tract from your nose into your throat. Many issues can occur within your sinuses and can cause long-term problems that impact quality of life. At SIU Medicine, we treat many different sinus issues. Common sinus symptoms include decreased sense of smell, post-nasal drip, discolored drainage, congestion and facial pressure. Medical treatment often includes nasal sprays and saline rinses. In

It's time to tee up! SIU Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics invites you to The Rail Golf Course for another round of On Par for Pediatrics. Gather friends for an invigorating 18 holes, followed by a delicious dinner and prizes. The annual outing lets guests enjoy an afternoon on the links and support a great cause: The funds raised ease the financial burden of pediatric patients and their families, providing overnight lodging, food and transportation during extended treatments. For decades, SIU Pediatrics has been an integral part of helping to care for the health of children in Springfield

In March, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law a plan to transform health care in underserved communities, offering support to improve access and collaborations with the goal of greater equity. The State will invest $150 million using federal matching funds to fill health care gaps and focus on underlying health conditions in areas high on the CDC's social vulnerability index scale. These communities have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and are in areas served by critical access and safety-net hospitals, including rural parts of the state. The foundation for this

For Litchfield native Ed Wernsing, the nickname Big Ed just came naturally. "In high school, I was 6'4, 240lbs, and all of the kids would call me Big Ed." The 75-year-old Litchfield owner of Wernsing’s Appliance shares. Big Ed has a big personality to match his towering height. However, Big Ed started to see changes in his health that took a toll on his mobility and go get 'em attitude. Big Ed’s health had begun to decline slowly. Once a formidable powerhouse of strength easily capable of moving refrigerators and ovens across his showroom floor, he began to lose his ability to walk while his