Listen for To Your Health on COW97 every Thursday around the following times...

6:20am
10:20am
2:20pm
4:20pm

from Franciscan Skemp Healthcare...

Here's more from To Your Health for April!

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Stroke

Provider: Christopher Huiras, MD

Listen to this "To Your Health" Podcast

Stroke is the number one cause of disability, and the third leading cause of death behind cancer and heart disease in the United States. A stroke is a sudden event leaving a major brain disability, such as complete paralysis or numbness on one side of your body, slurred speech, or loss of vision in one eye.
 
The number one risk for a stroke is smoking. Other factors include:
 
·        High blood pressure
·        High cholesterol
·        Diabetes
·        Family history of heart attack or stroke
 
 
What actually happens during a stroke can vary from person to person.  A stroke can be caused by a hardening piece of the neck arteries called plaque that can break loose and travel to the brain, blocking blood flow. A stroke also can also be result of a clot from the heart to the brain in abnormal heart rhythms or bleeding inside the brain itself
           
There are operations to prevent strokes. If neck artery narrowing is present, an operation called carotid endarterctomy can remove the plaque and greatly reduce your risk of stroke.  This operation can be done under local anesthesia and is highly successful with low risks. Check with your doctor to see if you should have an ultrasound of your neck arteries to find out if you are at risk for stroke. 
 
For more information about strokes and stroke prevention, please contact your local  healthcare provider.

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Heart Failure

Provider: Jenny Prinsen, NP

Listen to this "To Your Health" Podcast

Heart failure is a condition in which your heart cannot pump enough oxygen rich blood to meet the body's needs.  More and more people are developing heart failure because the heart doesn't relax properly to fill.  This inefficiency of the heart causes blood and fluid to back up into the lungs and tissues.
 
The three main symptoms that define heart failure are:
 
o       Shortness of breath: May be with exertion, activities of daily living, at rest, or at night.
o       Fatigue: May include activity intolerance.
o       Edema: Swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in the body. Edema may be present in the lower extremities, hands, or even abdomen.  This is often
accompanied by a weight gain.
 
 
If a patient already knows they have heart failure, they can make sure they are taking their medications as prescribed.  It is also important to follow a strict low sodium diet and fluid restriction.  Patients should always call their primary care provider or cardiology provider if they are concerned about what to do when these symptoms arise. By identifying potential symptoms and seeing a provider in a timely manner patients could stop a heart failure exacerbation from occurring.
 
For more information about heart failure, please contact your local healthcare provider.

Provider: Sarah Suarez, PAC

Listen to this "To Your Health" Podcast
 

A variety of different factors could result in the causes of vaginal and vulvar itching with the four most common being infection, allergic reaction, chronic skin condition and cancerous and precancerous changes.

Below are a few things that every woman can do to prevent vaginal and vulvar itching.

• Any products that come in contact with the vulva should be free of scents and dyes.  This includes laundry detergent, soap in the shower, panty liners (that blue strip), toilet paper.  Avoid fabric softener on undergarments, feminine sprays.

• Try to avoid tight fitting clothing and/or synthetic underwear, pantyhose.  Sleep without underwear at night.  

• Don’t douche!

• Try not to scratch!

• If you’re under the age of 26, get the gardasil vaccine to prevent aggressive strains of HPV.  Get your kids vaccinated!

• Try to keep the vulva dry

If you experience any symptoms of vulvar itching there are two options individual can take. The first, trying an over the counter product such as Monistat or Vagisil if they feel like a yeast infection may be the problem. Scheduling a visit with a physician would be the second option. During the visit the physician may check for an infection and recommend either medication or vulvar biopsy depending on the findings.

For more information about vaginal and vulvar itching, please contact your local healthcare provider.
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Provider: Sarah Suarez, PAC

Listen to this "To Your Health" Podcast
 

Urinary incontinence in women is an accidental release of a small amount of urine. The release can be at any time during any of your everyday activities and is often random. Urinary incontinence is a condition that is more common in women as age increases.

Below is a chart displaying the percentage of women that leak regularly (at least weekly or monthly)

Ages 20-39: 7 percent

Ages 40-59: 17 percent

Ages 60-79: 23 percent

Ages 80+: 32 percent

There are a variety of things that women can do at home to help prevent or eliminate leakage of urine. These include:

• Do your kegals

• Eliminate caffeine and smoking

• Avoid straining with bowel movements

• Avoid repetitive heavy lifting

Not every treatment is right for every patient so it is very important to first determine what is causing the leakage of urine. From there, doctors and patients should work together to create a customized treatment plan fit to the cause and needs of each person.

For more information about urinary incontinence in women, please contact your healthcare provider.

When dealing with a work related injury the most important thing to remember is to report it to your manager or human resources department as soon as possible. When reporting you should be sure to include the date, time and what you were doing when it happened. Not all work injuries require evaluation by medical professionals but typically if the injury is affecting your ability to do your job, your employer may require you have it evaluated. All injuries should be reported no matter what and should be done before seeking medical care.

Depending on the severity and urgency of the injury those who experience a work related injury might either go to urgent care, an emergency room or primary care provider. After the initial evaluation, individuals will probably be asked to see an occupational medicine doctor for further evaluation and management before returning to work. Individuals may also be asked to see a specialist, such as an orthopedic doctor, if surgery or any other procedures are needed.

What happens after your injury depends on the injury itself, but it’s important that individuals follow all instructions for work restrictions. If referred to a specialist it’s important to always keep appointments otherwise workman’s compensation may not reimburse you. It is also important that work restrictions and therapies are followed closely as doctors recommend these because they are what will allow for faster healing.

For more information about work related injuries, please contact your local healthcare provider.
 

Before developing type 2 diabetes individuals usually have pre-diabetes or impaired fasting blood glucose. If your fasting blood sugar level is over 100 mg/dL but less than 126 mg/dL you have pre-diabetes. A normal fasting blood sugar for anybody is less then 100.

Pre-diabetes is a worldwide epidemic, currently affecting 57 million people in the United States alone. Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they usually have pre-diabetes or impaired fasting blood glucose. If your fasting blood sugar level is over 100 mg/dL but less than 126 mg/dL , you have pre-diabetes. A normal fasting blood sugar for anybody is less then 100.

Certain people are more at risk for pre-diabetes. These individuals include those that have

• • High triglycerides or low good cholesterol called HDL,

  • High blood pressure

  • Family history of diabetes
    
    
    Individuals that are overweight have had gestational diabetes during pregnancy, exercise less than 3 times per week and are of certain racial backgrounds including African American, Asian American, Native American, and Hispanic/Latino.
    
    Research shows that even a slight increase in your blood sugar can cause damage to your heart and circulatory system, so those with pre-diabetes need to take it as seriously as diabetes. There are no symptoms for pre-diabetes, which is why getting routine fasting blood sugar, checks when you see your primary care provider is important. Studies show that people with pre-diabetes can prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes by up to 58 percent through changes to their lifestyle, including modest weight loss and increasing physical exercise. The fact is once you have pre-diabetes you are on the path to diabetes unless you do something about it.

For more information about pre-diabetes, please contact your local healthcare provider.