Dr. Barry Sobel

Nephrologist Barry Sobel, M.D., FACP joins Trover A graduate of University of Miami School of Medicine, Dr. Barry Sobel brings over 20 years experience in medicine to Trover.Following his fellowship in Nephrology at Wayne State University in Detroit, Dr. Sobel practiced full time in Nephrology and Hypertension and Internal Medicine.
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Nephrologist Barry Sobel, M.D., FACP joins Trover

A graduate of University of Miami School of Medicine, Dr. Barry Sobel brings over 20 years experience in medicine to Trover.Following his fellowship in Nephrology at Wayne State University in Detroit, Dr. Sobel practiced full time in Nephrology and Hypertension and Internal Medicine.

Dr. Sobel has served as Chief of Nephrology and Associate Professor of Medicine at Texas Tech University.Most recently, he was Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology at Marshall University School of Medicine in Huntington, W. Va.

Dr. Sobel began practicing Nephrology at the Trover Foundation Building on Jan. 12.

"Our peak hours are more like 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.," said Dr. Barry Sobel, an associate professor of medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Odessa.
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Although Sobel said heat stroke is rare in West Texas in spite of our high temperatures, grim reports of heat-related deaths in other parts of the country each summer are reminders that keeping cool goes beyond just being comfortable."We don't have the high humidity that typically accompanies heat stroke," said Sobel, a specialist in internal medicine with subspecialties in nephrology and hypertension."In this climate, such cases would typically involve elderly persons or young children - people who can't care for themselves and are stuck indoors with no fan, no ventilation and no liquid to prevent dehydration," Sobel said, "It is often the poorest of the poor who die of heat stroke."The most common heat injury in West Texas is skin cancer, he said, though local physicians do sometimes see cases of heat cramps or heat exhaustion.Protecting skin from direct sunlight by covering up with a hat, light-colored clothing and a sunblock goes a long way toward the prevention of skin cancer, he said."People should understand that sun damage is cumulative," Sobel said."They're getting potentially damaging exposure even walking to and from their cars each day."Baseball and ‘gimme' caps don't provide adequate coverage, he said.The Western-style hat protects the earlobes and the back of the neck, sites where cancerous lesions frequently appear.A hat can actually slow down the body's cooling process unless it's ventilated, though.The ventilation provides air circulation for sweat evaporation."If you have to be outdoors doing yardwork, do it early in the morning and stay in shaded areas," Sobel said."A wet towel covering the head or worn around the neck can help keep you cool."He said the very young, the very old and those with chronic illnesses such as heart and lung disease and neurological disorders are more susceptible to heat injury and should take extra care to avoid becoming overheated.Many people are unaware that some prescription and nonprescription drugs as well as street drugs and alcohol increase vulnerability to heat exhaustion, Sobel said.High on the list are prescription drugs for Parkinson's disease, some psychiatric disorders and bladder problems.Heat exhaustion, characterized by confusion, headache, nausea and feelings of faintness, is something that should never be worked through, Sobel said."It's important to go indoors, rest and rehydrate the body," he said."If you don't start to cool down within an hour, or if you have a chronic condition such as heart disease, you need to see a doctor."