Feeling anxious about your health? These five health checks "do it yourself" should ease your mind - and help you maintain control over his body
Eyeball it
In addition to overseeing his vision, there are some easy ways to keep tabs on your eye health. If the whites of the eyes are truly yellow, you may be suffering from jaundice caused by hepatic dysfunction. A milky white ring around the iris (the colored part of eye) is a sign of high cholesterol. To check for iron deficiency, pull your lower eyelid down slightly. If the inner covers are a very pale pink (not bright pink, as it should), this could be a symptom of anemia or low iron.
Eat well: The best way to keep your eyes healthy is to eat a mixture of fruits and vegetables, says Catherine Cervin, associate professor in the department of family medicine at Dalhousie University. Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables contain vitamins A, which are to promote eye health.
How low can you go?
When picking up the morning paper, you can easily bend to pick it up without bending your knees? If not, you may be prone to injury in the back and hips. If you have a good range of motion and are forced to make a sudden movement (eg shoulder check while driving) could risk muscle strain. Flexibility is helpful not only to reach the top shelves is a key indicator of health. While agility is partly determined by our genetics, we tend to lose with age.
Reduce stress: In order to remain flexible throughout life, stretching exercises. Always stretch before physical activity routine to avoid injury and promote circulation. To stretch the neck, try rolling your head in circles while sitting at a red light. While at your desk, take a break to lift the arms overhead, bending your elbows to touch the shoulders.
Breathe easy
Try this exercise to see if you are breathing properly. Close your mouth and breathe continuously through your nose for eight seconds. If you can not get eight seconds without feeling breathless, you're breathing through your mouth too. Since the normal reflex is to inhale through the nose, mouth breathing could suggest anything from allergies to sleep apnea. However, it also could be a sign of chronic obstruction, such as a deviated septum or persistent nasal congestion.
Reduce stress Cervin recommended counter nasal strips, which open the airways for the temporary relief of snoring and blocked airways. But unless you have a cold, you should consult with your physician to identify the root cause of chronic irregular breathing.
Check for a pulse
Take your pulse for one minute, motionless. An average resting heart rate is 60-90 beats per minute. The lower your resting pulse, the more fit you are. Then run down the field for two minutes, resting for a minute before you start taking your pulse. Your heart rate should return to rest in a minute of your shift. If a few minutes before proceeding with the pulse rate drops back to a normal range can mean not getting enough exercise. (Please note that caffeine, stress and anxiety raise your heart rate too).
Get moving: Cervin should arrive 30-60 minutes of activity at least five times a week. Start slowly and gradually the intensity and frequency of your workouts. You should be able to hold a conversation while exercising. Whatever your current level of fitness, be sure to get your pulse in the aerobic range - between 60-80% of your maximum heart rate. Measure your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220.
Peek in your pee
Ok, may sound unpleasant, but has not taken a look at some point and has been a bit surprised by what they saw. Here is a decline of what is normal and when to have medical checks. In a healthy person, the urine should be clear and generally pale. A very dark yellow means you are dehydrated and need to drink more fluids. Orange and green are normal, believe it or not, and probably have to do with the supplements of vitamins or something you ate. B vitamins can also turn your pee a bright yellow for example. However, cloudy and odorous urine could mean an infection. And if your urine is dark tea color, consult your family doctor as this may indicate a liver problem.
Eat well: Drink plenty rarely feel thirsty, Cervin says, although often recommended eight glasses a day can stop for some.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
The Tests Women Really Need [part3]
High Cholesterol
For adults 20 and older, a total cholesterol exam in the form of a simple blood test can assess your risk of heart disease.
Do it: Annually if your LDL, or "bad," cholesterol measures more than 130. If it's lower, get tested every five years.
Under/Over-Active Thyroid
An underactive thyroid, also measured via blood test, can lead to weight gain; an overactive thyroid can indicate an autoimmune disease.
Do it: Every two years if you're over 35 or show symptoms.
Chlamydia and Gonorrhea
Screenings for these STDs, which can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, are done with a cervical swab.
Do it: Annually if you're under 25 and sexually active, or older with multiple partners
HPV
The new HPV DNA test is used to detect the sexually transmitted infection in women over 30. It is performed on the same specimen taken at the time of your Pap smear.
Do it: Talk to your doctor about setting up a testing schedule.
Blood Pressure
It can be an early indicator of heart disease and kidney failure, and is sussed out with a sphygmomanometer (that pump-and-arm-cuff device).
Do it: Every two years if your readings are normal, or every year if they're abnormal.
For adults 20 and older, a total cholesterol exam in the form of a simple blood test can assess your risk of heart disease.
Do it: Annually if your LDL, or "bad," cholesterol measures more than 130. If it's lower, get tested every five years.
Under/Over-Active Thyroid
An underactive thyroid, also measured via blood test, can lead to weight gain; an overactive thyroid can indicate an autoimmune disease.
Do it: Every two years if you're over 35 or show symptoms.
Chlamydia and Gonorrhea
Screenings for these STDs, which can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, are done with a cervical swab.
Do it: Annually if you're under 25 and sexually active, or older with multiple partners
HPV
The new HPV DNA test is used to detect the sexually transmitted infection in women over 30. It is performed on the same specimen taken at the time of your Pap smear.
Do it: Talk to your doctor about setting up a testing schedule.
Blood Pressure
It can be an early indicator of heart disease and kidney failure, and is sussed out with a sphygmomanometer (that pump-and-arm-cuff device).
Do it: Every two years if your readings are normal, or every year if they're abnormal.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The Tests Women Really Need [part2]
Breast Self-Exams
These are fast and free, and the USPSTF's recommendation against teaching them has caused a big-time brouhaha. The group argues that self-exams have not been proved to reduce cancer-related deaths, though no conclusive study has been done in the United States. Most doctors say not to quit altogether. "Women often discover their own cancers," says Runowicz . "So if you're not going to panic about every lump — and if you're young and menstruating, there will be lumps — there's little downside to doing self-exams."
Most lumps in younger women are caused by benign cysts, but there are no absolutes. "I've evaluated women as young as 22 who were diagnosed with breast cancer and found the abnormality while doing a breast self-exam," says Sandhya Pruthi, M.D., director of the breast clinic at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. "If we'd told them 'Don't touch your breasts,' a lump that was cancerous may have been detected at a much later stage."
The bottom line: Become familiar with the normal changes of your breasts by examining them monthly, in the days just after your period. For instructions, visit cancer.org.
Pap Smears
ACOG now says that women should get their first Pap smear, a screener for cervical cancer, at age 21, with follow-up tests every other year until they turn 30; women over 30 who have had three consecutive "normal" results can then wait three years between tests. The group points to studies showing that only 0.1 percent of cervical cancer cases occur in women under 21, but that does little to ease big fears that the killer disease could grow undetected between spaced-out exams.
The bottom line: "It's all about risk," says Celeste Robb-Nicholson, M.D., associate chief of general medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. "A healthy woman who is HPV negative and is either not sexually active or has just one partner can be screened every three years. Women who have risk factors — such as smoking and having multiple partners — should be screened annually."
These are fast and free, and the USPSTF's recommendation against teaching them has caused a big-time brouhaha. The group argues that self-exams have not been proved to reduce cancer-related deaths, though no conclusive study has been done in the United States. Most doctors say not to quit altogether. "Women often discover their own cancers," says Runowicz . "So if you're not going to panic about every lump — and if you're young and menstruating, there will be lumps — there's little downside to doing self-exams."
Most lumps in younger women are caused by benign cysts, but there are no absolutes. "I've evaluated women as young as 22 who were diagnosed with breast cancer and found the abnormality while doing a breast self-exam," says Sandhya Pruthi, M.D., director of the breast clinic at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. "If we'd told them 'Don't touch your breasts,' a lump that was cancerous may have been detected at a much later stage."
The bottom line: Become familiar with the normal changes of your breasts by examining them monthly, in the days just after your period. For instructions, visit cancer.org.
Pap Smears
ACOG now says that women should get their first Pap smear, a screener for cervical cancer, at age 21, with follow-up tests every other year until they turn 30; women over 30 who have had three consecutive "normal" results can then wait three years between tests. The group points to studies showing that only 0.1 percent of cervical cancer cases occur in women under 21, but that does little to ease big fears that the killer disease could grow undetected between spaced-out exams.
The bottom line: "It's all about risk," says Celeste Robb-Nicholson, M.D., associate chief of general medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. "A healthy woman who is HPV negative and is either not sexually active or has just one partner can be screened every three years. Women who have risk factors — such as smoking and having multiple partners — should be screened annually."
Sunday, May 9, 2010
The Tests Women Really Need [part1]
The path to early detection of cancer used to be clear: You have your annual Pap first time after starting to have sex, and its inaugural annual mammogram at age 40 - also doing a breast self-exams. But recently, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued new recommendations of the evidence, not to postpone the initial trials and waiting longer between screenings, which unleashed a firestorm of controversy.
Why the sudden change? Both groups changed their positions after studying the evidence that less frequent testing may be as effective in the diagnosis of cancer, and that would cost less and deny unnecessary follow-ups. Most physicians, however, according to a one-size-fits-all exam schedule and the stress is critical for women to always have frank discussions with their gynecologists. (This adventure that we had last year in Las Vegas? His "social smoking" habit? Stroke.) Your MD will help you design a customized calendar, but you should start with the following tips.
Mammograms
The American Cancer Society has long held that women should have their first annual mammogram at age 40, but the USPSTF now says most don't need them until they turn 50
The reasoning? Younger, denser breasts are more likely to produce benign cysts, and aggressive testing on innocent lumps is expensive and unnecessary. But some doctors are sticking with earlier screenings until studies prove that fewer exams won't equal higher fatalities, says Carolyn Runowicz, M.D., director of the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Connecticut. "Everyone agrees that mammography reduces mortality in women over 40," she explains. Still, she adds, "It's key to understand that mammograms are effective, but they're not perfect." They can miss cancers or "overread" some benign changes.
The bottom line: Get tested annually starting at age 40, or earlier if you have a family history of breast cancer. Start screenings 10 years earlier than the age of your relative at the time of her diagnosis (so if your mom was diagnosed at age 42, for example, you should have your first mammogram at 32).
Why the sudden change? Both groups changed their positions after studying the evidence that less frequent testing may be as effective in the diagnosis of cancer, and that would cost less and deny unnecessary follow-ups. Most physicians, however, according to a one-size-fits-all exam schedule and the stress is critical for women to always have frank discussions with their gynecologists. (This adventure that we had last year in Las Vegas? His "social smoking" habit? Stroke.) Your MD will help you design a customized calendar, but you should start with the following tips.
Mammograms
The American Cancer Society has long held that women should have their first annual mammogram at age 40, but the USPSTF now says most don't need them until they turn 50
The reasoning? Younger, denser breasts are more likely to produce benign cysts, and aggressive testing on innocent lumps is expensive and unnecessary. But some doctors are sticking with earlier screenings until studies prove that fewer exams won't equal higher fatalities, says Carolyn Runowicz, M.D., director of the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Connecticut. "Everyone agrees that mammography reduces mortality in women over 40," she explains. Still, she adds, "It's key to understand that mammograms are effective, but they're not perfect." They can miss cancers or "overread" some benign changes.
The bottom line: Get tested annually starting at age 40, or earlier if you have a family history of breast cancer. Start screenings 10 years earlier than the age of your relative at the time of her diagnosis (so if your mom was diagnosed at age 42, for example, you should have your first mammogram at 32).
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Low Testosterone Raises Death Rates in Impotent Men
Among men with erectile dysfunction, those who also have low testosterone levels face a higher than normal risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, a new study has found.
In a second study, the same research team also found a link between obesity and impaired blood flow to the penis, which, in turn, is linked to cardiovascular disease in patients with erectile dysfunction.
In the first study, researchers led by Dr. Giovanni Corona, University of Florence, has examined testosterone levels of 1,687 men who seek treatment for erectile dysfunction. After an average follow up period of 4.3 years, 137 men had heart attacks, or other major heart problem, and 15 had died.
Those with lower levels of testosterone were more likely to die of heart problems, the study's authors found.
"Our work shows that the screening of low testosterone in men with erectile dysfunction may help doctors identify those most risk of cardiovascular events," Corona said in a press release of the European Society of Endocrinology. "However, at this moment we can not tell whether low testosterone levels are the cause or the consequence of this increased risk."
A second study found the same group of men and found a link between obesity clinic, which means a BMI greater than 30, and reduced blood flow to the penis. This reduced blood flow was significantly correlated with a higher incidence of cardiac events, such as heart attacks, in obese men but not in leaner men.
In a second study, the same research team also found a link between obesity and impaired blood flow to the penis, which, in turn, is linked to cardiovascular disease in patients with erectile dysfunction.
In the first study, researchers led by Dr. Giovanni Corona, University of Florence, has examined testosterone levels of 1,687 men who seek treatment for erectile dysfunction. After an average follow up period of 4.3 years, 137 men had heart attacks, or other major heart problem, and 15 had died.
Those with lower levels of testosterone were more likely to die of heart problems, the study's authors found.
"Our work shows that the screening of low testosterone in men with erectile dysfunction may help doctors identify those most risk of cardiovascular events," Corona said in a press release of the European Society of Endocrinology. "However, at this moment we can not tell whether low testosterone levels are the cause or the consequence of this increased risk."
A second study found the same group of men and found a link between obesity clinic, which means a BMI greater than 30, and reduced blood flow to the penis. This reduced blood flow was significantly correlated with a higher incidence of cardiac events, such as heart attacks, in obese men but not in leaner men.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)