Hormone Replacement Therapy

I have some information for all the women out there who are thinking about taking hormone replacement therapy. The symptoms of menopause can be highly unpleasant but it is important that you know the risks vs. benefits of taking hormone replacement therapy.

Here's a little information from the NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute:

Menopause is the time in a woman's life when her period stops. It is a normal part of aging. In the years before and during menopause, the levels of female hormones can go up and down. This can cause symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Some women take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to relieve these symptoms. HRT may also protect against osteoporosis.

However, HRT also has risks. It can increase your risk of breast cancer, heart disease and stroke. Certain types of HRT have a higher risk, and each woman's own risks can vary depending upon her health history and lifestyle. You and your health care provider need to discuss the risks and benefits for you. If you do decide to take HRT, it should be the lowest dose that helps and for the shortest time needed. Taking hormones should be re-evaluated every six months.

Additional resources:

Facts about Menopausal Hormone Therapy National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Menopausal Hormone Replacement Therapy Use and Cancer National Cancer Institute

Pain

I thought I'd provide some information on a very common problem that has affected everyone at one time or another--pain. I want to share some information that I came across on two different issues of pain management.

I think just about everyone has bought some kind of over-the-counter pain medication for those times when you are suffering from some kind of pain, whether it be over exertion or a headache or some other kind of pain. There are a lot of important health issues to keep in mind when selecting a pain medication. Each medicine has different ingredients and it's important to know what's in the medicine you're taking to make sure it doesn't interact with something else you're taking or some condition you may have.

The American Pain Foundation has a wonderful web page on over-the-counter pain medications called Nonprescription Medicines.

Now, there are people who suffer from chronic pain who can't find relief with nonprescription medicines. There are doctors who specialize in pain medicine and if your pain is bad enough, you should think about seeing a pain specialist. The American Society of Anesthesiologists has a web page called The Management of Pain that describes exactly what a pain specialist does and how they can help you. I highly recommend you take a look at that site if you, or someone you know, suffers from chronic pain that is not under control.

Prostate Cancer

I thought I'd share some information for my male readers. My women readers may want to share this with their husbands/boyfriends. I want to share some information on prostate cancer, since it is the third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages.

Here is some information from the National Cancer Institute:

RISK FACTORS:

Studies have found the following risk factors for prostate cancer:

Age over 65: Age is the main risk factor for prostate cancer. The chance of getting prostate cancer increases as you get older. In the United States, most men with prostate cancer are over 65. This disease is rare in men under 45.

Family history: Your risk is higher if your father, brother, or son had prostate cancer.

Race: Prostate cancer is more common among black men than white or Hispanic/Latino men. It's less common among Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native men.

Certain prostate changes: Men with cells called high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) may be at increased risk of prostate cancer. These prostate cells look abnormal under a microscope.

Certain genome changes: Researchers have found specific regions on certain chromosomes that are linked to the risk of prostate cancer. According to recent studies, if a man has a genetic change in one or more of these regions, the risk of prostate cancer may be increased. The risk increases with the number of genetic changes that are found. Also, other studies have shown an elevated risk of prostate cancer among men with changes in certain genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2.

Having a risk factor doesn't mean that a man will develop prostate cancer. Most men who have risk factors never develop the disease.

SYMPTOMS:

Sometimes men with prostate cancer don't have any symptoms, but if they do, these are the most common:

Urinary problems
Not being able to pass urine
Having a hard time starting or stopping the urine flow
Needing to urinate often, especially at night
Weak flow of urine
Urine flow that starts and stops
Pain or burning during urination

Difficulty having an erection

Blood in the urine or semen

Frequent pain in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs

Most often, these symptoms are not due to cancer. BPH, an infection, or another health problem may cause them. If you have any of these symptoms, you should tell your doctor so that problems can be diagnosed and treated.

MEDICAL TESTS:

For a detailed brochure on the medical tests done for prostate problems, check out the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases publication Medical Tests for Prostate Problems

Ear infections

Since I haven't covered too many topics for parents with young children, I thought I'd provide some information on a very common problem for little ones--ear infections.

Ear infections are the most common illnesses in babies and young children. Most often, the infection affects the middle ear and is called otitis media. The tubes inside the ears become clogged with fluid and mucus. This can affect hearing, because sound cannot get through all that fluid.

If your child does not yet talk, you need to look for signs of an infection:

Tugging at ears
Crying more than usual
Ear drainage
Trouble sleeping
Balance difficulties
Hearing problems

Often, ear infections go away on their own, but your health care provider may recommend pain relievers. Severe infections and infections in young babies may require antibiotics. Children who get frequent infections may need surgery to place small tubes inside their ears. The tubes relieve pressure in the ears so that the child can hear again.

I found some great information from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders on ear infections. Check out Ear Infections in Children for some useful information.

Suicide

Suicide is a serious and tragic problem all over the U.S. It makes me sad when I read about a suicide in the paper. Since suicide affects so many people, I thought I'd share some information on suicide, including some of the warning signs.

From NIH: National Institute of Mental Health:
Suicide is the eleventh most common cause of death in the United States. People may consider suicide when they are hopeless and can't see any other solution to their problems. Often it's related to serious depression, alcohol or substance abuse, or a major stressful event.

People who have the highest risk of suicide are white men, though women and teens report more suicide attempts. If someone talks about suicide, you should take it seriously. Urge them to get help from their doctor or the emergency room, or call 911.

Therapy and medicines can help most people who have suicidal thoughts. Treating mental illnesses and substance abuse can reduce the risk of suicide.

Seek help as soon as possible by contacting a mental health professional or by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at1-800-273-TALK if you or someone you know exhibits any of the following signs:

- Threatening to hurt or kill oneself or talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself
- Looking for ways to kill oneself by seeking access to firearms, pills, or other means
- Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide when these actions are out of the ordinary for the person
- Feeling hopeless
- Feeling rage or uncontrolled anger or seeking revenge
- Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities - seemingly without thinking
- Feeling trapped-like there's no way out
- Increasing alcohol or drug use
- Withdrawing from friends, family, and society
- Feeling anxious, agitated, or unable to sleep or sleeping all the time
- Experiencing dramatic mood changes
- Seeing no reason for living or having no sense of purpose in life

If you know someone who is exhibiting any of these signs, please get help for them as soon as possible. You might just save a life.

High Blood Pressure

Since high blood pressure affects about a third of the U.S. population, I thought I'd share some material on high blood pressure with you. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has a really good page on high blood pressure and since it's copyright-free, I thought I'd just share the whole thing with you since I like the way it is written.

What Is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure (HBP) is a serious condition that can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and other health problems.

"Blood pressure" is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage the body in many ways.

Overview
About 1 in 3 adults in the United States has HBP. HBP itself usually has no symptoms. You can have it for years without knowing it. During this time, though, it can damage the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other parts of your body.

This is why knowing your blood pressure numbers is important, even when you're feeling fine. If your blood pressure is normal, you can work with your health care team to keep it that way. If your blood pressure is too high, you need treatment to prevent damage to your body's organs.

Blood Pressure Numbers
Blood pressure numbers include systolic (sis-TOL-ik) and diastolic (di-a-STOL-ik) pressures. Systolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood. Diastolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats.

You will most often see blood pressure numbers written with the systolic number above or before the diastolic, such as 120/80 mmHg. (The mmHg is millimeters of mercury—the units used to measure blood pressure.)

The table below shows normal numbers for adults. It also shows which numbers put you at greater risk for health problems. Blood pressure tends to go up and down, even in people who have normal blood pressure. If your numbers stay above normal most of the time, you're at risk.

Categories for Blood Pressure Levels in Adults (in mmHg, or millimeters of mercury)

The ranges in the table apply to most adults (aged 18 and older) who don't have short-term serious illnesses.

All levels above 120/80 mmHg raise your risk, and the risk grows as blood pressure levels rise. "Prehypertension" means you're likely to end up with HBP, unless you take steps to prevent it.

If you're being treated for HBP and have repeat readings in the normal range, your blood pressure is under control. However, you still have the condition. You should see your doctor and stay on treatment to keep you blood pressure under control.

Your systolic and diastolic numbers may not be in the same blood pressure category. In this case, the more severe category is the one you're in. For example, if your systolic number is 160 and your diastolic number is 80, you have stage 2 HBP. If your systolic number is 120 and your diastolic number is 95, you have stage 1 HBP.

If you have diabetes or chronic kidney disease, HBP is defined as 130/80 mmHg or higher. HBP numbers also differ for children and teens. (For more information, see "How Is High Blood Pressure Diagnosed?")

Outlook
Blood pressure tends to rise with age. Following a healthy lifestyle helps some people delay or prevent this rise in blood pressure.

People who have HBP can take steps to control it and reduce their risks for related health problems. Key steps include following a healthy lifestyle, having ongoing medical care, and following the treatment plan that your doctor prescribes.

For more information on high blood pressure visit the MedlinePlus High Blood Pressure health topic.