https://www.mdvip.com/doctors/sunnysharmamd, https://teamfeed.feedingamerica.org/participants/DrSunnySharma, http://www.

Dr. Sunny Sharma, 1555 Barrington Road/Doctor's Building 1/Suite 310, Hoffman Estates, IL (2026)

10/26/2026

⚾️🏀🏈🏒 Today is the Sports Equinox. But one of my favorite sports moments this year meant more than the game.

On May 28, I had the privilege of throwing out the first pitch for the Chicago Chicago White Sox in support of brain tumor awareness.

As a lifelong Chicago sports fan, stepping onto that field was a bucket-list moment. But it carried a deeper meaning for me.

I’ve experienced brain surgery, Gamma Knife treatment, and the uncertainty that comes with living with a residual brain tumor. I know firsthand that life doesn’t always go according to plan.

Sports have a way of bringing people together, giving us something to rally around, and reminding us that we’re more than the challenges we face.

I’m grateful to Brian Anderson for helping make this opportunity possible, and to everyone who supports brain tumor awareness and the patients and families navigating this journey.

Today, enjoy the games. Celebrate your teams. But remember the people behind the jerseys, too. We all have a story beyond what you see on the surface.

We’re all more than a title, a diagnosis, or our toughest day.

What’s a sports moment you’ll never forget?

10/26/2026

🚨 FLU SEASON IS STARTING EARLY. HAVE YOU GOTTEN YOUR FLU SHOT?

Flu activity is rising earlier than usual in parts of the U.S. Don’t wait until everyone around you is sick to think about prevention!

💉 YOUR FLU SHOT IS ABOUT MORE THAN YOU. IT’S ABOUT ALL OF US.

Let’s bust some myths. 👇

❌ MYTH: The flu is just a bad cold.
✅ FACT: Influenza can cause pneumonia, hospitalization, heart complications, and death.

❌ MYTH: I’m healthy, so I don’t need a flu shot.
✅ FACT: Healthy people can still become seriously ill and spread flu to vulnerable loved ones.

❌ MYTH: The vaccine isn’t perfect, so why bother?
✅ FACT: No vaccine guarantees protection, but vaccination can reduce your risk of flu and serious complications. Imperfect protection isn’t zero protection!

❌ MYTH: I’ll wait until flu gets really bad.
✅ FACT: It takes about TWO WEEKS to develop the full protective response after vaccination. Don’t delay unnecessarily.

❤️ WHO ARE YOU HELPING PROTECT?

👶 Babies and young children
👵 Older adults
🤰 Pregnant people
❤️ People with chronic conditions
🛡️ People with weakened immune systems

These groups can face a higher risk of severe complications. Protecting yourself can also help protect those around you.

🛡️ YOUR RESPIRATORY SEASON CHECKLIST

💉 Get your annual flu shot.
🩺 Ask about COVID-19 and RSV prevention.
🧼 Wash your hands and improve indoor ventilation.
😷 Consider masking in crowded or higher-risk settings.
🏠 Stay home when sick. If you’re at higher risk and develop flu symptoms, contact your clinician promptly about antiviral treatment.

An early start doesn’t guarantee a worse season. But prevention shouldn’t wait for a crisis.

As an internal medicine and lifestyle medicine physician, I believe in prevention over panic and evidence over misinformation.

PROTECT YOURSELF. PROTECT YOUR LOVED ONES. HELP PROTECT THOSE MOST VULNERABLE.

👇 Have you gotten your flu shot? Share this with someone who needs a reminder!

10/24/2026

🇺🇸 I VOTED. HAVE YOU?

We hear people complain about the direction of our country every day. The division. The cost of living. Healthcare. Education. The future our children will inherit.

But here’s the hard truth: you cannot demand change while refusing to participate in choosing our leaders.

In the 2024 presidential election, approximately 154 million Americans voted. Roughly 82 million eligible citizens did not.

That’s millions of voices that could have helped shape our future but weren’t heard at the ballot box.

And in close elections, a relatively small number of additional votes can change the outcome.

🗳️ YOUR VOTE MATTERS.

Voting is our right and our privilege. It’s an opportunity to influence the decisions that shape our healthcare, schools, communities, and future generations.

I voted EARLY in Barrington Hills, and it couldn’t have been easier. No lines whatsoever, and incredibly friendly volunteers! Thank you to everyone helping make voting accessible.

And yes, I got the “I Voted” sticker! 😎🇺🇸

Haven’t voted yet? You have options:

✅ Early voting
📬 Vote by mail
🗳️ Election Day: Tuesday, November 3

Check your local election authority for locations, hours, and deadlines. In suburban Cook County, early voting is available through November 2.

Mailing your ballot might mean missing out on the cool sticker, but your vote counts just as much!

We don’t have to agree on everything. That’s democracy. But we should all care enough to participate.

Don’t just complain about wanting change. Don’t just post about wanting change. TAKE ACTION.

Vote for the greater good. Vote for your community. Vote for your kids. Vote for the generations who will live with the consequences of today’s decisions.

The future isn’t shaped by the people who complain the loudest. It’s shaped by the people who show up.

🇺🇸 YOUR VOICE. YOUR VOTE. YOUR FUTURE.

10/23/2026

WE MOCKED HIM FOR SHOWING EMOTION. NOW WATCH HIM TEACH US HOW TO REGULATE IT.

Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams has faced years of criticism for being emotional. When he was carted off after his hamstring injury in tears, the internet erupted. People questioned his toughness and mocked his reaction.

I defended him. Others attacked me for doing so.

Let’s be clear: Bullying someone for showing emotion is not toughness. It’s a failure of empathy.

As a physician, here’s what I want you to understand:

🧠 Mental health and physiology are connected. Stress affects our autonomic nervous system, influencing heart rate, breathing, muscle tension, and how we respond to challenges.

🌬️ Breathing can help regulate stress. Humming naturally lengthens exhalation. Slow, controlled breathing may help reduce physiological arousal, while focusing on a repetitive activity can help redirect attention. Humming isn’t a cure, but it can be a useful tool.

💚 Emotional regulation isn’t emotional suppression. Strength isn’t never crying or feeling overwhelmed. It’s learning to recognize emotions and respond to them in healthy ways.

Caleb Cares, Caleb Williams’ foundation, promotes youth mental health, anti-bullying, and emotional well-being. His message matters, especially when young people are watching how we treat someone who shows vulnerability.

As a father and physician, I’m tired of seeing vulnerability weaponized.

You can be strong and sensitive. Competitive and compassionate. A leader and someone who cries.

Resilience isn’t the absence of emotion. It’s learning how to navigate it.

Let’s stop teaching kids to hide their feelings and start teaching them emotional intelligence, stress management, and when to ask for help.

What message are we sending the next generation when we ridicule people for being human?

10/22/2026

🏀 AN NBA STAR. A CHAMPIONSHIP. A CONDITION THAT COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING.

Kristaps Porziņģis is reportedly experiencing recurring symptoms of POTS and weighing his basketball future.

But what is POTS — and how can it affect even an elite athlete?

🫀 WHAT IS POTS?

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome is a disorder involving the autonomic nervous system, which regulates heart rate, blood pressure and circulation.

When someone with POTS stands, their heart rate can rise excessively, causing symptoms such as:

• Racing heart and palpitations
• Dizziness or near-fainting
• Severe fatigue and exercise intolerance
• Brain fog
• Shortness of breath
• Headaches and digestive symptoms

🔬 WHAT CAUSES POTS?

There isn’t one universal cause. Possible mechanisms include autonomic dysfunction, reduced blood volume, abnormal blood-vessel constriction and excessive sympathetic activation.

POTS can develop after infections, including COVID-19, and may coexist with autoimmune or hypermobility disorders. Researchers are still investigating its causes. Not everyone with POTS has an autoimmune disease.

🩺 CAN IT BE TREATED?

Management may include individualized fluid and sodium intake, compression garments, carefully progressed exercise or rehabilitation, and medications when appropriate.

Some patients improve significantly. Others experience persistent symptoms that limit daily life.

For an NBA player, tolerating everyday activities is not the same as sprinting, jumping and competing at the highest level.

POTS isn’t simply a fast heartbeat. And invisible illness isn’t a lack of toughness.

As a physician, I want us to remember: people can look healthy and still be struggling. Their limitations deserve to be taken seriously.

Let’s wish Kristaps the best as he works with his medical team.

— Dr. Sunny Sharma, MD, FACP, DipABLM

10/21/2026

Christina Applegate learned she doesn’t have MS after being diagnosed in 2021. But she still doesn’t know what’s causing her symptoms.

Not having MS is good news. Not knowing why you’re suffering is not.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease affecting the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Symptoms can include fatigue, weakness, numbness, vision changes and balance problems.

Here’s why diagnosis can be complicated:

🧠 There is no single test that confirms every case of MS.

🔎 MRI lesions can support a diagnosis, but they aren’t automatically proof of MS.

🩺 Symptoms and imaging findings can overlap with other conditions.

Doctors must consider the patient’s history, neurological examination, MRI findings and sometimes spinal fluid testing—all while evaluating alternative explanations.

Sometimes, a diagnosis needs to be revisited as new evidence emerges.

And a misdiagnosis doesn’t mean someone’s symptoms aren’t real.

As a physician, I believe good medicine requires humility: listening to patients, acknowledging uncertainty and changing our conclusions when the evidence changes.

A diagnosis should guide care—not end our curiosity.

Christina deserves answers, compassion and a thoughtful evaluation—not speculation about what she has instead.

Progress over perfection. Patients over ego.

10/20/2026

🚨 Jalen Hurts reportedly went about 36 hours without sleep before playing an NFL game because of a blood clot. As a physician, I have questions.

Let’s be clear: this report has not been confirmed in the Eagles’ official medical statement. But if medical staff advised him not to sleep because of his clot, the rationale deserves scrutiny.

🩸 What does the evidence say?

There is no standard recommendation to keep patients with a DVT or pulmonary embolism awake as a general treatment. Blood clots require appropriate evaluation, monitoring when indicated, and treatment—often anticoagulants.

😴 Sleep deprivation is not harmless.

CDC/NIOSH reports that being awake for 24 hours can cause impairment comparable to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10% on some performance measures.

That means impaired reaction time, attention, coordination and judgment.

Now consider the stakes: an NFL quarterback making split-second decisions while 300-pound athletes are moving at full speed.

🏈 Here’s my question:

If sleep was considered too risky, how was playing a collision sport considered acceptable?

Hurts was initially diagnosed with a superficial calf clot. Further evaluation revealed a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and blood clots in both lungs—a serious condition. He is now receiving anticoagulation and will not be allowed to participate in contact activities during treatment.

I’m not claiming to know every detail of his care or what his medical team knew at each point. But the reported advice raises legitimate questions about risk assessment, decision-making and athlete safety.

Player health must come before the game. Every time.

This isn’t about attacking a team. It’s about asking reasonable medical questions when the stakes are this high.

What do you think?

10/19/2026

🚨 Jalen Hurts has blood clots in both lungs. Here’s what everyone needs to know.

The Eagles QB was initially diagnosed with a superficial calf clot. Further evaluation confirmed a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and bilateral pulmonary emboli (PEs).

As a physician, here’s the lesson: “Superficial” doesn’t always mean harmless.

🩸 SVT vs. DVT vs. PE
• SVT: A clot in a vein near the skin.
• DVT: A clot in a deeper vein, often in the leg.
• PE: A clot blocking blood flow in the lungs.

A DVT can lead to a PE when clot material travels to the lungs. PEs can strain the heart and be fatal.

⚠️ What raises clot risk?
Injury, surgery, immobility, long-distance travel, previous clots, inherited clotting disorders, cancer, pregnancy, estrogen-containing medications, increasing age, obesity and smoking. Clots can also occur without obvious risk factors.

Hurts’ reported calf injury may have contributed, but the exact cause isn’t publicly established.

💊 How are clots treated?
Some lower-risk superficial clots can be managed with warm compresses, elevation, movement and NSAIDs when safe. Higher-risk superficial clots may require anticoagulants.

DVTs and PEs are generally treated with anticoagulants for at least 3 months, sometimes longer. These medicines help prevent clots from growing or new ones forming, but increase bleeding risk.

🏈 Why can’t Hurts play?
Anticoagulants make collisions dangerous because of potentially life-threatening internal bleeding, including bleeding in the brain.

🚨 Know the signs: One-sided leg swelling, pain, warmth or redness warrants prompt evaluation. Sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing up blood or fainting? Call 911.

Blood clots aren’t just an athlete’s problem. Recognizing the signs can save lives.

Save and share this post.

10/17/2026

I AM SICK OF THIS. And I refuse to become numb to it.

Another school shooting. This time, in a special education classroom. 💔

How is ANY of this normal?

Kids are learning how to hide from gunmen before they’ve even learned to read. Parents are afraid to send their children to school. Teachers are expected to protect children with their own bodies while being grossly underpaid. And companies are marketing bulletproof backpacks to families who should never have to buy them.

AS A PHYSICIAN, I WILL NOT STAY IN MY LANE.

Fi****ms are the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the United States. Not cancer. Not infections. Not immigrants. Not red dye 40. GUNS.

This is a public health crisis. Prevention is literally what I do.

I’m grateful for the father who intervened in Oregon. His courage matters. But a good guy with a gun stopping a shooter is NOT the same as preventing a shooting. We can appreciate his actions and still demand better.

Why should a father need a gun to protect children from a gunman in the first place?

And to those who voted for cheap gas and fewer mean tweets: what exactly are we willing to overlook?

I don’t want thoughts and prayers without meaningful action.

I want evidence-based gun violence prevention. Stronger background checks. Safe fi***rm storage. Red flag laws. Accountability. Policies that protect children and communities.

If you’re coming here to argue against change, answer this first:

HOW MANY MORE CHILDREN HAVE TO DIE BEFORE IT’S ENOUGH?

Would you feel differently if it were your child?

As a doctor, I believe the best way to treat disease is to prevent it.

That principle applies here, too.

I’m tired. I’m angry. And I refuse to accept this as normal.

Children deserve to learn how to read, not how to survive a shooting.

10/15/2026

🚨 Pope Leo XIV’s lung cancer diagnosis is a reminder: you don’t have to smoke to develop lung cancer.

As a physician, here are 4 things everyone should know:

🫁 RISK: Smoking is the leading risk factor, but radon, secondhand smoke, air pollution and occupational exposures also matter.

🔬 WORKUP: A lung nodule isn’t automatically cancer. CT imaging, biopsy and pathology help establish the diagnosis and stage.

🏥 PROGNOSIS: Early-stage lung cancer may be curable with surgery. The outlook depends on the stage, lymph nodes and tumor biology. We shouldn’t speculate about Pope Leo’s individual prognosis without those details.

🩺 PREVENTION: Eligible high-risk adults should discuss annual low-dose CT screening with their physician. Persistent symptoms deserve evaluation, even if you don’t qualify for screening.

My message as an internal medicine and lifestyle medicine physician: reduce risks where possible, prioritize appropriate preventive care, and remember that prevention is never a reason to blame patients.

Healthy choices matter. So does early detection. And every patient deserves compassion.

Wishing Pope Leo XIV a smooth recovery. ❤️

Share this to help someone understand lung cancer.

Dr. Sunny Sharma

10/26/2026

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