'wellness' posts

Men, what’s your excuse for not going to the doctor?

Everyone has them and they’re about as unique as our fingerprints. But put your finger on this: studies from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) show that American men have worse health than American women and they are less likely to go to the doctor. Help change these stats, stat!

We’ve all heard this advice: eat more veggies, watch your weight, exercise more—the list goes on. But going to the doctor is more than just a chance to be reminded of this advice. It’s a time to get your body tuned just like you would your car. But what screening tests should you have?

Check out this easy chart to find out:

We’ve all had our issues with healthcare—from trying to read through your bill to understanding the instructions your doctor is telling you to navigating through automated phone trees finding someone who can answer your health questions. There are many frustrations that we as patients deal with. Now imagine you’re missing one of your five senses, such as hearing. All of a sudden, those challenges seem much bigger.

A recent study published in The Lancet medical journal suggests that people who are deaf or hard of hearing have worse healthcare and less access to health services. And it makes sense when you think about it.

1. Hearing loss is not often a “visible” handicap so healthcare providers may not know their patients have it. Patients may not even know they have hearing loss!
2. Even if patients do know they have hearing problems, most healthcare providers do not have training on how to effectively communicate with people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
3. Lastly, those frustrations we just talked about keep many of us from accessing healthcare the right way. People who cannot hear well may experience even more difficulties which could keep them from going to the doctor or asking the questions they need to have answered.

The effect on healthcare quality and access for people who are deaf or hard of hearing ...

For this French/Italian girl that grew up on bagels and loaves of bread, it wasn’t easy to read the lab results telling me gluten was the source of all my problems (digestive anyway). Despite a degree in nutrition, I’m here to break the news that it’s far from easy, not just for me, but the unfortunate waiter, the distressed party hostess, or the sibling that doesn’t quite understand why you are no help in devouring the Oreos.

This post is for anyone with a new diagnosis, those just coming to terms with an old diagnosis, and those that think that gluten intolerance might be a possibility. It’s also for the friends and family of those affected by celiac disease or gluten intolerance, and for those that just want to learn more about it.

What’s the deal with wheat, gluten, and these allergies?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. You can be allergic to wheat, which is different than being gluten-intolerant (a broader category of things to avoid), which is different from having celiac disease. Here’s a little about each.

Celiac Disease

• What it is: Not an allergy, but an autoimmune disorder that ....

Risk is not a four letter word. Well, technically it is. But the point being “risk” does not have to be scary or taboo. Regardless of your age or how healthy you look or feel, we all have “risk factors” and they are as unique as our fingerprints. It’s what we do about our risk factors that matters most.

“Risk” is one way to measure how likely it is that you will experience a heart attack, cancer, stroke, diabetes or any number of things. But what are risk factors, you might wonder?

• Demographics: Age, for instance, can put you at a higher risk for some diseases.

• Behavior: Some habits can increase your risk. Are you a smoker? Smoking ups your risk for just about every nasty disease you’d ever want to avoid.

• History: Your family history (genetics) sometimes plays a role in your risk for disease. Also, if you have a history of high blood pressure, for example, you are at a higher risk for stroke.

• Body changes: Certain changes in our bodies make us more prone to disease. For example, during menopause when the chemicals in women’s bodies change, they are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis (weak bones).

The first step to managing risk is knowing your own risk factors—how your personal demographics, behavior, history and body changes can affect your health. Take a quick, free quiz to figure out your risk for:

Summer is almost here, so this is a good time to talk about sunscreens.

We all get excited when the sun comes out in our area, but it is always important to remember that everyone should avoid direct sun exposure when it is the harshest -between 10am and 4pm during the summer months,. Everyone should wear sunscreen, hats and covered clothing when exposed to the sun. Cloudy days do not offer too much protection as the UV rays can penetrate through the clouds and affect the skin the same way. Children and adolescents in particular should avoid tanning beds.

What you should know about different types of sunscreen:

With medicine divided into so many specialties nowadays, it may seem like the era of family medicine and the yearly doctor’s visit are long gone. Now we have the internet to diagnose us so we can just go straight to the specialist that can fix us, right? But there is still value in the annual doctor’s visit besides just the lollipop you might get on your way out the door.

The doctor’s office is no longer just the place to go when you’re sick. In fact, people who go for regular check-ups are less likely to get sick! Our bodies are like cars and primary care doctors are our own personal mechanics. Your car’s engine will run better and you’ll likely experience fewer nasty surprises if you get your oil checked regularly and the same goes for your body.

Primary care providers come in many shapes and sizes—family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, internal medicine, etc.—and each one is a gatekeeper to your optimum health and wellbeing. Like a mechanic, during your yearly check-up, your primary care provider can:

Is the mirror showing a few more wrinkles on your face or a little more sagging than it used to? A combination of physiological changes is responsible for these signs of aging. The elastin and collagen that give our skin its strength and resiliency break down making it more difficult to replenish damaged skin cells with new ones; our skin cell turnover rate slows, causing skin to look dull; gravity contributes to the thinning of our skin; and our glands produce less oil bringing about dryness and accelerating the aging process.

Skin Care By the Numbers

With so many products and services available, how can we know which remedies will actually help slow the effects of aging on our skin? About 50 percent of the way our skin ages is determined by genetics; the other 50 percent we can do something about.

In your 20s:
Leading a healthy lifestyle in your 20s can decrease the effects of aging on your skin. Use a good sunscreen and eat a well-balanced diet that includes antioxidant-rich foods like colorful vegetables and fruits. Also, stay hydrated by limiting alcohol and caffeine and drinking plenty of water; get 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night; exercise; and reduce stress.

In your 30s:
In your 30s, continue a healthy lifestyle and consider using an alphahydroxy acid moisturizer. Changes in hormones and metabolism at this age cause skin to start losing hydration. Use a night cream to hydrate skin during sleep. In your mid to late 30s, consider seeing a skin care professional. Having a chemical peel or laser therapy twice a year will remove dead skin and reveal younger skin. Also, begin using an eye cream if you’re showing wrinkles around the eyes.

40s and beyond: