Heart Month Preview

I'm getting a jump start on February, which is National Heart Month.  I thought I'd start off with a brief introduction on heart disease.

Heart Diseases/Prevention

Heart disease is the leading cause of the death in the U.S. Over one quarter of all deaths are from heart disease. It is also a major cause of disability. The risk of heart disease increases as you age. You have a greater risk of heart disease if you are a man over age 45 or a woman over age 55. You also are at greater risk if you have a close family member who had heart disease at an early age.

Fortunately, there are many things you can do reduce your chances of getting heart disease. You should

• Know your blood pressure and keep it under control
• Exercise regularly
• Don't smoke
• Get tested for diabetes and if you have it, keep it under control
• Know your cholesterol and triglyceride levels and keep them under control
• Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables
• Maintain a healthy weight

Visit these sites for more information:

5Medication-Free Strategies to Help Prevent Heart Disease (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Cardiac RiskAssessment (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)

Heart andVascular Diseases (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Heart Disease (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Especially for women:

Healthy HeartHandbook for Women (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - Large PDF file

Heart Disease in Women: Understand Symptoms andRisk Factors (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

For more links on heart disease, visit the MedlinePlus Heart Diseases page.

Fire Safety

There was a tragic fire this morning in the city where I live that killed 2 precious children, ages 4 and 7.  The investigators did not find any working smoke detectors in the house.  Right now, the cause of that fire is unknown, but in the United States, cooking is the main cause of home fires. Cigarettes are also a big risk - they are the leading cause of fire deaths.

Here are some fire safety do's and don'ts:

 • Don't leave the stove or oven unattended when they are on.

 • Don't let children use kitchen appliances unsupervised.

 • Don't smoke in bed.

 • Do make sure your smoke alarms work.

 • Do have fire extinguishers on every floor and in your kitchen.

 • Do have an escape plan.

 • Do make sure your electrical appliances and cords are in good condition.

Make sure you have working smoke alarms in your home.  They can warn you at the very beginning of a fire and give you that precious extra time to get out of your house should there be a fire.  Check the batteries frequently.  A good habit to get into is to replace the battery twice a year—when you change your clocks in the spring at the start of Daylight Saving Time and in the fall, when we switch back to standard time.  For a detailed guide to smoke alarms, check out Smoke Alarms from the U.S. Fire Administration.

Some city fire departments offer reduced price or free smoke alarms and will install them for you so call the non-emergency number for your local fire department for details.

Here are some other helpful links to check out for more information:

Heating Fire Safety (United States Fire Administration)

Bedroom Fire Safety (United States Fire Administration)

Home Electrical Fire Prevention (United States Fire Administration)

Escape Planning (United States Fire Administration)

Fire Extinguishers (National Fire Protection Association)

Portable Fire Extinguishers (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

Fire Safety for Older Adults and Their Caregivers (United States Fire Administration)

Influenza (Flu)

Although flu season is off to a slow start nationwide, it’s a good idea to be prepared and to recognize the symptoms in case you do come down with the flu.

Symptoms of the flu come on suddenly and are worse than those of the common cold. They may include

• Body or muscle aches
• Chills
• Cough
• Fever
• Headache
• Sore throat

 TYPES OF FLU:

Influenza, or flu, is a respiratory infection caused by several different kinds of flu viruses.

Here are descriptions of 3 types for flu from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases:

Seasonal Flu

Seasonal flu is the term used to refer to the flu outbreaks that occur yearly, mainly in the late fall and winter. Researchers estimate that between 5 and 20 percent of Americans come down with the flu every flu season.

Pandemic Flu

Pandemic flu refers to particularly virulent strains of flu that spread rapidly from person to person to create a world-wide epidemic (pandemic).

Avian (Bird) Flu

In nature, the flu virus also occurs in wild aquatic birds such as ducks and shore birds. It does not normally spread from birds to humans. However, pigs can be infected by bird influenza (as well as by the form of influenza that affects humans) and can pass on the flu to humans. In 1997, researchers discovered that a virulent bird influenza had skipped the pig step and had infected humans directly, causing a number of deaths in Asia.

FLU PREVENTION:

There are many things you can do to protect yourself from the flu:

•Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.

•Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth since this spreads germs.

•Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

•Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and then throw the tissue away immediately.

•If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine.

TREATMENT:

Over-the-counter medications may relieve some flu symptoms.

Your health care provider may prescribe antiviral medications to make your illness milder and prevent serious complications.

Your health care provider may prescribe antibiotics if your flu has progressed to a bacterial infection.

Treating flu symptoms without medications:

Get plenty of rest

Drink clear fluids like water, broth, sports drinks, or electrolyte beverages to prevent becoming dehydrated

Put a humidifier in your room/house to make breathing easier

Gargle salt water (1:1 ratio warm water to salt) to soothe a sore throat

Cover up with a warm blanket to calm chills

For more information on the flu, check out these sites:

Flu (Influenza) (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Flu.gov (Dept. of Health and Human Services)

Key Facts about Influenza (Flu) and Flu Vaccine (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month

Since January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, I thought I'd re-post some information that I provided a couple years ago, as well as some updated links.

Glaucoma is a group of diseases that can damage the eye's optic nerve and result in vision loss and blindness. While glaucoma can strike anyone, the risk is much greater for people over 60. It usually happens when the fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises, damaging the optic nerve. Often there are no symptoms at first, but a comprehensive eye exam can detect it.

People at risk should get eye exams at least every two years. They include
• African Americans over age 40
• People over age 60, especially Mexican Americans
• People with a family history of glaucoma

Early treatment can help protect your eyes against vision loss. Treatments usually include prescription eyedrops and/or surgery.

For more information on glaucoma, visit these great web sites:

Fast Facts on Glaucoma

About Glaucoma

NIH Senior Health Glaucoma

National Eye Institute Glaucoma Facts

Medline Plus Interactive Tutorial

More information from MedlinePlus

 

January is Thyroid Awareness Month

Your thyroid is a gland that is located in your neck.  It produces hormones that help your body function properly.  There are a number of different thyroid diseases, including hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and Graves’ disease.

Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid gland is underactive and doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone.  This causes some of the body’s functions to slow down.  Symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, dry skin, and feeling colder.

Hyperthyroidism is when the thyroid gland is overactive and produces too much thyroid hormone and this causes a speed up in body functions.  Some of the symptoms include nervousness, irritability, excessive perspiration, increased heart rate and anxiety.

Graves' disease is caused by a generalized overactivity of the entire thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism). It is named for Robert Graves, an Irish physician, who described this form of hyperthyroidism about 150 years ago.  Besides the other symptoms of hyperthyroidism, Graves’ disease also can cause eye problems.

Check out the links at the end of this article for more information on these thyroid diseases, including treatment information.

SURGERY FOR THYROID DISEASES/CANCER

Surgery is used as a treatment for many thyroid diseases, including an enlarged thyroid, nodules, overactive thyroid, and cancer.

Depending on what condition you have, there are a number of surgical options: biopsy or lumpectomy, removing only a small part of the thyroid; lobectomy, removing half the thyroid; subtotal thyroidectomy, removing almost all the thyroid, except for a small part on each side of the neck; near-total thyroidectomy, only leaving a small part of the thyroid on one side of the neck; and total thyroidectomy, removing the whole thyroid gland.

You should ask your surgeon questions so you understand your options.  You should ask about the risks involved with the operation, as well as how much of the thyroid your surgeon will be removing.  Once you decide on the surgery, your surgeon will give you instructions you need to follow before your surgery.  You will also meet with an anesthesiologist before the surgery.  If you’ve had an allergic reaction to anesthesia in the past, make sure you tell the anesthesiologist.  This should be in your medical record.  Depending on what type of surgery you have, the surgery will usually last between 2-2 ½ hours.  Most people will be able to go home the day after the surgery and you will receive instructions on what to do to take care of yourself.

Thyroid Cancer:

Anyone can get thyroid cancer but there are certain factors that may increase your risk.  Women have a higher rate of thyroid cancer than men.  You are at a higher risk if you are between 25 and 64.  Having a family member with thyroid disease also increases your risk.  Also, if you are of Asian descent, you are at an increased risk.

You should see your health care provider if you have a lump or swelling in your neck.  They may order a variety of tests to diagnose the problem, including which type of cancer you may have.   If surgery is recommended, depending on what type of cancer you have and how far it has spread, you will have one of the surgeries described above.

For more information, check out these links:

http://www.thyroid.org/patients/patient_brochures/surgery.html Thyroid Surgery (American Thyroid Association)

Thyroid Cancer (PDQ): Treatment (National Cancer Institute)

General Thyroid Information:

Frequently Asked Questions about Thyroid Diseases (American Thyroid Association)

Thyroid Function Tests (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Thyroid Hormone Treatment (American Thyroid Association)

Thyroid Medications (Food and Drug Administration)

Graves' Disease (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Hyperthyroidism (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Hypothyroidism (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Thyroiditis (American Thyroid Association)