Too Many Antibiotic Prescriptions

pills-1190217_1920FACT: Antibiotics do not cure viral infections

The consensus among studies, doctors and the medical community is that 30% of all antibiotics (ABX) are given unnecessarily. Unwarranted ABXs are most commonly given for ear infections (otitis media), sinusitis, sore throats (pharyngitis), upper respiratory infections (URI) and bronchitis.

Sinusitis is a viral infection 90-98% of the time. It usually starts after 5-6 days of a running nose. So, wait 10 days before ABX, and then seek them only if it’s still as bad. However, if with symptoms of sinusitis you have facial pain, pus-like discharge, headache and a fever over 102°F (39°C), THEN ABX (commonly Am/Cl) will be needed.

Bronchitis (with no fever present) is also viral, and proper care is to treat the symptoms, for example, with decongestants. However, if your heart rate goes over 100 and your respiratory rate over 24, along with fever >100.4°F (38°C), you need to see a doctor for a thorough lung exam and probable chest X-ray. A good medical caregiver will listen with a stethoscope for abnormal sounds, including wheezing, and will also look at what you are coughing up – is it yellow or green? Smokers are especially susceptible to bronchitis that requires ABX.

Pharyngitis, commonly termed sore throat, along with a hoarse cough and nasal congestion, is most commonly caused by a virus. Only about 5-15% of adults get strep throat. It is most common in ages 5-15. Strep screening, a rapid antigen detection test (RADT), is not 100% accurate, but takes minutes; a 2- or 3-day throat culture is much more accurate.

PLEASE do not insist on ABX if your medical caregiver does not think you need them!

Health Chewing Basics

eat-722387_1280Most of us were never taught how to chew correctly in order to maximize nutrition and not suffer ‘bellyaches’.  Stomachs do not have teeth!

I want to share some basics, so here goes:

-chew your food to liquid then your gut does not have to work so hard – you’ll notice less gas and bloating

-chew each bite 20-50 times. Steak will be closer to 50. It takes time!

-slow down there is no fire. It takes about 20 minutes for the food volume in your stomach to tell the brain – full! How many of us are finished before?

Yes you will loose weight!

Heed these words and watch your digestive irregularities improve and maybe even resolve.

While we are discussing safe chewing I want to let you in on a ‘find’ of mine. Next time what to throw a ‘chew’ in your mouth rather than Glee or Bazooka bubble gum use a probiotic gum. Want to get rid of bad breath, no better way than to use a probiotic gum.

 

Chaperones in the Medical Setting

Bluntly speaking, I want to convey a little known option that we all have when being examined by a health professional. chaporonesMany medical office post this sign, I shot this photo in my Doc’s office last week. No matter your sexuality,  if and when, it pops into your head that you wish someone else was also in the room – stop and ask for a chaperone. It is a patient right! This is a long-standing aspect of one human examination another human being. Common in a male gynecologist’s office is the presence of a female in the room during a pelvic or internal examination. In addition, in the ER, staff is sensitive to the suddenness of a strange person ‘on your body’!

We all have rights, who better than us to speak up for ourselves. Do not fear bullying or intimidation and if you should sense it, get out of that situation and report it to the medical board. Each state has a board that licenses medical health professionals be it physicians, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners. Comments are always welcome!

Estrogen and Migraines

Is there a relationship between estrogen and migraines? As you enter monthly menstruation cycles and menopause, estrogen levels (commonly measured in the urine) fall. Can this affect the likelihood of getting headaches was studied and please read on.headache-1472830_1280

Commonly, the time period two days before and three days after menstruation is associated with the presence of migraines (“menstrual migraines”). Researchers presented a “two-hit” concept regarding this phenomena: the first hit, the rapid fall in estrogen levels, occurs before menstruation, and, combined with another trigger (the second hit), can cause an increase in these painful headaches. Common triggers- second hits –  include stress, lack of sleep, or even a glass of wine.*

Further studies are underway to evaluate how oral contraceptive pills may affect ‘migraineurs‘.

*http://www.neurology.org/content/87/1/49

Statistics on Dangers of Obesity

How many of you know your BMI (body mass index)? Calculate yours using the many health Apps or websites such as Mayo Clinic. Why find out well, this defines what is obesity. Medically speaking it is defined by a BMI of greater than 30. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. There are 3 classes of obesity all based on the BMI, greater than 35 is class 2 and morbid obesity is present if your BMI is 40 or more.

overweight-123947_1280The numbers associated with obesity and related diseases are blatantly scary!

– About 120,00 cancer cases are directly associated with obesity (American Institute for Cancer Research)

-14% of Cancer deaths in men are associated with weight issues, 20% in women older than 50 (American Cancer Society study dated 2003)

-Obese breast cancer survivors have a 30% greater risk of recurrence and a 50% higher chance of dying from cancer from same individuals who are not obese.

Obesity effects increase other health conditions not just cancer. Fact, more than 16% of strokes are associated with obesity. If you are middles aged and you are obese you have a 60% greater risk of dying from a heart attack compared to your counterpart who is not obese.

LIKELY: You will live longer if your BMI is between 20 and 25. It is never too late to loose weight!

 

 

Alcohol Effects Your Heart Rhythm

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a common arrhythmia – irregularly irregular heart rate, your heart skips around in no pattern. Yes not good, many complications among them stroke!

AFib Facts*

  • An estimated 2.7–6.1 million people in the United States have AFib. With the aging of the U.S. population, this number is expected to increase.
  • Approximately 2% of people younger than age 65 have AFib, while about 9% of people aged 65 years or older have AFib.
  • African Americans are less likely than those of European descent to have AFib.
  • Because AFib cases increase with age and women generally live longer than men, more women than men experience AFib.

It was long believed that a drink a day was beneficial and many of us physicians supported this belief, however we NOW need to press ‘pause’ and rethink. Alcohol Effects Your Heart Rhythm.

The Journal of the American Heart Association reports negative effects over time (6 year study) on the atrium (we have a left and right atria)of heart. As the atrium chamber enlarges its pacemaker cells get irritable and fire off in no pattern sending impulses thru-out the heart.

A daily drink may enlarge the atrium and increase risk of atrial fibrillation, according to associations found in the Framingham Heart Study.atrium

Each additional 10-gram drink of alcohol per day correlated with a 5% higher likelihood of new-onset AFib and a 0.16 mm larger left atrium during 6 years of EKG follow-up. The study estimated that 24% to 75% of the association between chronic alcohol consumption and AFib risk was due to enlargement of the left atria.

“Our study provides the first human evidence of why daily, long-term alcohol consumption may lead to the development of this very common heart rhythm disturbance,” senior author Gregory Marcus, MD, of the University of California San Francisco said in a press release. “We were somewhat surprised that a relatively small amount of alcohol was associated with a larger left atrium and subsequent atrial fibrillation. ”

FACT: One drink is considered to be 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of spirits (hard liquor). Each of these contains about 12 to 14 grams of alcohol.

 

*January CT, Wann LS, Alpert JS, Calkins H, Cigarroa JE, Cleveland JC Jr, et al. 2014 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2014;64(21):2246–80.

Free Bar App

Easy to use, free and worthwhile – Virtual Bar app from the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility! Calculate your blood alcohol content with an APP – why not?

screen-shot-2016-11-30-at-9-38-41-am screen-shot-2016-11-30-at-9-40-36-amIt is easy to use but you have to be at least 17 to download. Learn how little alcohol it takes for intoxication. Sensitive to body type and gender it calculates approx. blood’s alcohol content (BAC).

This App considers your profile, amount, and type of alcohol-consumed overtime, as well as any food or water consumed. What I like is that it gives you a idea on how that level can make you feel and how long before your BAC will return to zero. As always there are disclaimers up the ying yang. It is only an ‘educational’ guide and not meant be used to drink 4 GTs with pasta primavera and then drive.

Available: For Android, for iPhone, and for iPad

IN Medical News

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Virtual Reality As Medical Care

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has recently announced a new study in the works using virtual reality (VR) for pain management in hospitalized. Certain medical and surgical patients are testing pain improvement when using these devices..

Virtual reality allows a person to put on headset like Google Cardboard (2 for $25, Oculus Rift ($1500.), or Gear VR(@$200 only w Samsung products)and submerge into the view. VR is being tested in many areas of medicine, from treating psychiatric conditions to helping train medical students. I personally am enjoying the Goggle Cardboard and gifting it for friends.

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‘Wearables’ Coined

This new word includes tech textile, such as workout clothing. Biometric data gathering clothing can now cover you head to toe. A sweat cap or band can measure heart rate, body temperature calories burned. Check out socks, shirts and shoes, all Bluetooth connected to a Smartphone App! A starting site is Spree wearables .

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Curbside Cocaine Test

In the works, cocaine roadside testing both sensitive & accurate. The results would be quick and w/o blood or urine needed. Saliva could do it! Further testing is being carried out to make it inexpensive and widely available.

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Only 1 drop of Blood

A one-drop test that the Mayo Clinic, among others, is using can screen for cancer and diabetes. Created in Canada (Univ. Victoria), I hope that this test is coming soon to a hospital near all!

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Great  Book Gift

Screen Shot 2016-07-19 at 11.39.28 AMSee Inside Your Body; Hardcover; Author – Katie Dayneskey age 4 and up

A wonderful gift! This book is targeted for those age 4 & up. Check out the book and reviews on Amazon.

Mobile Devices for Children – Not So Great!

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) just opened their mouths regarding time spent in front of a screen by children ages 0-5. You may ask why these ages? These are most formative years for the brain to develop social behavior and relation building. Most important factor – parental supervision! children-learning-888892_1280

A few highlights:

-eBooks often come with interactive multimedia that can be distracting and may actually decrease comprehension. Parents should use eBooks similar to print

books

– More screen time means increasing body mass index (BMI). Not a profound deduction – more sitting or lying around in front of the screen leads to increases body weight.

– Less sleep occurs, when a device is in bedroom. Watching ‘blue light’ monitors prompted Apple to created ‘night shift’ which automatically changes your display’s colors to be “warmer,” and thus, easier on the eyes.

– Development of social and emotional skills are delayed

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