Reviewed by Dr. Chester Tung, DO, a family physician at Dignity Health Medical Group – Inland Empire.

Globally, more than 300 million people suffer from depression. While it’s normal to feel the ongoing ups and downs of life, those who experience lows for more than two weeks may be suffering from depression. Signs of depression may include: not caring about things you used to be passionate about, loss of motivation, and feeling sad, down, hopeless or cranky most of the day, for days at a time.

During a recent live interview, Dr. Joelle Jakobsen of Mercy Medical Group, and Dr. Daniel Herron of Mercy Radiology Group discussed breast cancer and mammograms, including common myths. 

When our family grows stronger, so does yours! The healing power of humankindness grows stronger when we bring together the smartest physicians and health care providers we know. It’s why we’re welcoming a well-known provider in the Camarillo community into the Dignity Health family. 

If you’re experiencing symptoms of valley fever, or you think you’ve been exposed to the fungus that causes valley fever, contact your doctor’s office. Remember that valley fever is not contagious from person to person — it is contracted by inhaling certain fungal spores found in soil. Those working in close contact with soil, that live in areas where valley fever is common, should be extra careful. Since there is no cure yet for this disease, prevention is very important.

Valley fever goes by many names. Some people refer to the infection as cocci, desert rheumatism, California fever or San Joaquin fever. This condition is caused by a fungus that lives in soil throughout Kern County and other parts of the world. When dormant soil with Coccidioides fungus growing beneath it is upturned, microscopic spores are released into the air. Inhaling these spores is what causes valley fever and it is extremely rare to contract the infection any other way.