October is Organize Your Medical Information Month

When we saw our primary physician in June, I picked up a couple of little cards at the desk. These had places for name, allergies, medications, and physician name and phone number. We carry them in our wallets. In case of emergency, we’ve got that information with us. We keep it with our medical insurance card. It’s also useful when we go to the doctor since we’ll have a list of our medicines with us.

A more “high tech” device involves a USB flash drive for your keychain containing your medical information. Two of these are available. See http://www.medictag.com/ or http://www.medicalert.com/E-Health/.

It’s useful to have a record at home as well. This should include:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Allergies
• Prescription medicines with dose and schedule
• Medical problems
• Doctor’s name and telephone number
• Preferred hospital
• Health insurance information

One way make this available in case of emergency is through the Vial of Life program. A form can be printed out and stored in the refrigerator; a decal is ordered to be placed on the refrigerator so emergency responders will know where to look for the information. Details, printable forms, and ordering instructions for decals are found at http://www.vialoflife.com.

Another consideration is finding a next of kin in case of emergency. If you have a cell phone, try ICE. In your contact list, list ICE (in case of emergency) with the number of your next of kin. A sticker on your phone would assist emergency responders as well.

Take care to protect your identity—do not include a social security number in any of these places. Emergency responders do not need this information.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Although more women have mammograms today than ever before, breast cancer is the most common cause of death in women between the ages of 45 and 55. It is the most common cancer in women. Finding the cancer early leads to early treatment and a better outcome.

Most breast cancers are found with mammograms, but some are discovered when women examine their breasts on a monthly basis. The American Cancer Society recommends woman start breast self-exam at the age of 20. Instructions are found at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/breast-self-exam/WO00026/UPDATEAPP=0.

There are some signs women can look for as they examine their breasts:

• Changes in how the breast or nipple feels.
• A lump or thickening in or near the breast or under the arm.
• Tenderness of the nipple.
• Changes in how the breast or nipple looks.
• Changes in the size and shape of the breast.
• Changes in the skin of the breast, such as scaly skin, redness, swelling, ridges, or pitting.
• Any fluid coming from the nipple.

Women who find any of these changes should see their physician.

The American Cancer Society recommends yearly mammograms beginning at the age of 40. Women who have a mother, sister or daughter with breast or ovarian cancer (or both) or a male relative with breast cancer, especially before age 50, run a higher risk. About 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are related to two defective genes. Women with these risks should discuss with their physician whether they need to begin yearly mammograms at a younger age.

Some other risk factors for breast cancer include:

• Age older than 50.
• Radiation exposure.
• Excess weight, especially if the weight was gained in the teen years or after menopause, or if there is more body fat in the upper body.
• Early start of menstruation.
• Menopause after age 55.
• First pregnancy after 30.
• White women are more likely to have breast cancer, but black women are more likely to die of it.
• Use of hormones for symptoms of menopause.
• Use of birth control pills.
• Smoking
• Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.
• Pre-cancerous changes in the breast.
• Dense breast tissue may hide tumors and may also be a cause of increased risk.

Excellent information is found at http://cms.komen.org/komen/index.htm

SEPTEMBER IS OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Of all the cancers, ovarian cancer is the fifth highest cause of death in women. Usually, by the time the cancer is identified, it has spread beyond the ovary. Pap smears do not detect this cancer. The chance of surviving the cancer is much higher when it is found early.

Recently some symptoms of early ovarian cancer have been identified. These include a feeling of pressure, fullness, swelling or bloating in the abdomen; an urgent need to urinate; and pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen. As you can see, these symptoms are common to a lot of problems.

Certain women are more likely to get ovarian cancer: Those who have a family history of breast cancer with inherited breast cancer genes, family history of ovarian cancer, women past menopause (although it does occur in younger women as well), women who did not have children, those who had difficulty getting pregnant, and those who took hormones after menopause. Also, young women who were overweight by the age of 18 seem to have a higher risk of ovarian cancer before menopause.

Women who are at risk of ovarian cancer would be wise to see a gynecologist who is familiar with ovarian cancer regularly. Women who develop the symptoms listed above should see a doctor. If treatment advised by the doctor doesn’t help the symptoms, a visit to the gynecologist and pelvic examination would be advised.
More information on ovarian cancer can be found at http://www.ovarian.org/ or at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/ovarian/

August is Cataract Awareness Month

A cataract is a cloudiness of the lens in your eye. The lens, just like one in binoculars, focuses on what you see, giving a clear image. As we age, cataracts develop. Eventually it's difficult to see clearly, to read and to drive. It's especially hard to drive at night because the glare of headlights makes the problem worse. Think of driving through fog with high beam headlights.

The problem starts slowly. Early on, bright lights for reading and an eyeglass prescription change may help. Cataracts effect seeing things at a distance.

Signs and symptoms of cataract include:

• Cloudy, blurry, or dim vision
• Problems with night vision
• Light and glare sensitivity
• Halos around lights
• Needing bright lights in order to read
• Needing new glasses more often
• Colors appear yellow or faded
• Double vision in one eye

You are more likely to develop cataracts if you're diabetic, smoke, have taken steroids, have had an eye injury, or others in your family have them.

Most folks need regular eye exams, especially as we get older. An opthalmologist is a doctor who specializes in the eyes. He or she will be able to test for cataracts and advise on treatment.

The only treatment for cataracts is an operation to remove the lens. Usually an artificial lens is put in its place. If not, glasses or contact lenses are used. This surgery is a common one--risks should be discussed with your opthalmologist.

July is Herbal/Prescription Awareness Month

Herbs are just plants, so they’re safe to take with my medicines, right?

Wrong—sometimes deadly wrong.

Thousands of Americans use herbs for various purposes—memory, energy, sleep, digestion, weight loss. They’re in every drug store, supermarket, and fitness magazine. They’re available without prescription, so most people consider them benign.

The truth is some drug/herb combinations are dangerous. The effect of the drug might be stronger, weaker, or eliminated altogether. Here are some examples:
If you’re taking Coumadin (Warfarin), a blood thinner, use of ginkgo, garlic, dong quai, and several other herbs may cause bleeding.
Taking St. John’s Wort with certain antidepressants may interfere with the action of Digoxin, taken to help the heart contract, or Theophylline, taken for breathing conditions.
Taking ginseng with Digoxin will make it difficult to measure blood levels of the Digoxin, causing problems for the physician in properly prescribing the drug. Digoxin is effective at certain levels and toxic at others.
Licorice, used for indigestion, interferes with Digoxin and with Spirinolactone, a drug for high blood pressure, making them less effective.
It is very important to tell your physician about everything you’re taking. That includes herbs, over-the-counter remedies, and medications ordered by other physicians. Your pharmacist is an excellent source of information about herb and medicine combinations, too. A good place for information on the web is found at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-information/DrugHerbIndex.

June is Cancer from the Sun Month

As a teenager living in Southern California (a long time ago), my favorite activity was going to the beach—any beach. I had hopes that all my freckles would blend into a beautiful tan. Never happened—but I had some unforgettable sunburns. Now I have some big regrets.

Basically I have a one in three chance of developing skin cancer. All those sunburn episodes increase the risk. A light complexion is another factor. Young people who use tanning beds are more prone to develop skin cancer as well.

Skin cancer is a widespread problem—more than 1 million Americans are diagnosed with it every year and more than 20 die each year, mostly from melanoma.

The best treatment is prevention! A young child’s skin is especially sensitive. Babies need complete protection from direct sunlight; sunscreen should not be used on a baby younger than 6 months old.

Cream-type sunscreens are better for children to prevent drying of the skin. Usually not enough is applied. Although a sunscreen of SPF 15 may be the usual recommendation, a higher SPF may be more effective, even if you’re not using enough. Put it on before exposure to the sun—it takes a few minutes to start working. And check the expiration date on your sunscreen. It’s probably best to buy a new container every year. If you don’t like the cream, try a spray or gel. Your ears and the tops of your feet need a coating. And don’t forget your lips—lip balm with SPF 15 protection might prevent a skin cancer. Most experts advise re-applying sunscreen every couple of hours. Water-resistant sunscreen is necessary on the beach or in the water—sand and water reflect sunlight and intensify the burn.

Dress for protection with wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, loose cotton clothing and shoes or sandals.

Some other pointers:
Exposure to the sun before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. is less likely to burn.
A teen who wants a beautiful tan might try one of the newer self-tanning lotions—they don’t turn your skin orange like they used to!
A cloudy day doesn’t provide protection—those rays get through.
Don’t think you’re safe if you’re dark complected or African-American—the sun can still do damage.

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends a yearly skin exam by your doctor and a monthly self-exam—to learn how to do this, see http://www.skincancer.org/self_exam/spot_skin_cancer.php. Early diagnosis and treatment greatly reduce the risk of death.

May is Fibromyalgia Education and Awareness Month

Have you ever felt sore all over? So tired it’s difficult to move around? Full of tender spots that hurt whenever anything comes in contact with your skin? These are some of the symptoms of fibromyalgia, a chronic condition. A person with these symptoms that last longer than several months should see a doctor. It’s not easy to diagnose fibromyalgia; the doctor will do a thorough examination and tests to be sure it’s not another problem.

People with fibromyalgia have a chronic pain problem; pain affects many parts of the body and is worse at some times than others. They may seem to sleep well but don’t wake up rested at all and are often tired. They have many areas that are tender to touch.

Fibromyalgia is more frequent in women and tends to show up in your 30’s and 40’s—but it may affect younger or older people as well. People with rheumatic disease (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, etc) and who have the condition in their families are more susceptible.

The good news is the problem won’t get steadily worse or be life-threatening. There are medications that help symptoms. Regular exercise will cause more pain at first but often reduces the symptoms.

Some great information can be found at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fibromyalgia/DS00079