On any given think about how much you use your eyes. Your eyes allow you to see that steaming cup of coffee or tea first thing in the morning, the flowers blooming in your garden, the smiles on the faces of your children or the inner sanctum of your office at work.

Our eyes are such a valuable tool, so why wouldn’t you take care of them?

May is Healthy Vision Month and a good time to visit the importance of eye care and if and when you need to see an eye doctor.

Taking care of your vision is something that should begin at an early age and continue through your lifetime.

While many eye problems don’t begin until later in life, it is not uncommon for preschool age children to have vision issues.

Good vision care can also contribute to good overall health.  It is not uncommon for those who suffer vision issues to be more susceptible to conditions like diabetes, poor hearing, heart concerns, falls and injuries.

The Centers for Disease Control reports among those 65 and older:

• 54.2 percent of those who are blind and 41.7 percent of those with impaired vision report their overall health as fair or poor.
• In comparison, 21.5 percent of those without vision problems rated their health as fair or poor.

The Centers for Disease Control offers what I believe are great suggestions for a lifetime of good vision health:

• Be aware of your family’s vision history
• A good diet (dark leafy greens and fish) help promote good vision health
• Keep you weight at a healthy level
• Protective eye wear is recommended when playing sports for doing outdoor activities around your home.
• Sunglasses block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation
• If you wear contact lenses, properly wash your hands to prevent infection
• Examine your workplace and take precautions accordingly

Healthy vision equals a healthy life.

Additional resources:
Tips for healthy eyes
Make Vision Health a Priority
The Aging Eye

On Sunday mother’s everywhere will be honored by their children. Many will get spoiled with their favorite meal, receive beautiful bouquets of flowers, get pampered at a spa, get the day off from cooking or cleaning or simply receive a hug and a kiss.

If you still are searching for the perfect gift, why not give her the gift of a healthier lifestyle?

National Women’s Health Week (May 13-19) is held to inspire women to put their health at the top of their “to do” list and make the simple changes that can make a difference.

So here are some ideas to help you and your Mom get on your way to a healthier lifestyle or improve upon the positive steps you are already taking.

Eat right: Always include a fruit with every meal or snack and vegetables are a must as well. Both provide key vitamins, minerals and fiber which help fight off disease.

Keep her safe: Make sure the batteries in her smoke alarm are changed on a regular basis. Buy her a fun hat to wear on those sunny days to guard her from the sun’s harmful rays. Check her home for potential hazards that could result in a fall.

Rest easy: Get to know your mom’s sleep habits. Lack of sleep can contribute to various chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression. Also keep her stress level at a minimum. If she is stressed, then good sleep can be difficult.

Move it: Get your mom moving! Go for walks with your mom, work in the yard, take a bike ride or even go dancing. Most experts recommend 2 ½ hours of physical activity a week.

Stop the bad habits: If you smoke or your mom smokes – QUIT. A person who stops smoking greatly increases their chance at a healthier life and reduces the early onset of some diseases. Smoking is not only bad for you, but secondhand smoke is also bad for those around you.

Just remember even the smallest steps can result in big changes toward a healthier life.

Happy Mother’s Day!

I recently saw a patient who was planning to go out of the country for medical care.

With the excellent health care we have available in the United States this may seem hard to believe, but more and more people are looking to get their medical care abroad.

It’s known as medical tourism and according to the Centers for Disease Control some 750,000 United States citizens are going abroad for their medical care.

One of the main reasons many go elsewhere is because of it’s affordability. Procedures such as cosmetic surgery, dentistry and heart surgery can be done much cheaper abroad then here in the U.S.

For many others, it is the simple issue of returning to their native country for their health care needs.

For some this may be their only option, however, traveling to a foreign country for surgical procedures does not come without risk.

Here are a few things to take into account if you are considering this health care alternative.

• There could be a communication barrier. If you don’t speak their language and they don’t speak English very well – misunderstandings could occur – which could spell trouble for you.
• Unsafe injections. It is not uncommon for some doctors in other countries to use the same needle on different patients. This is the leading way to transmit such diseases as hepatitis and HIV.
• Poor quality medications. You could be subjected to some medications that are either counterfeit or not good quality.
• Blood supply. In many countries their blood supply is generated from paid donors who do not undergo screenings before donating. The danger here, again, is the transmission of HIV and other infectious diseases.
• Coming home. Flying after surgery can be risky. A person’s risk of developing blood clots increases a great deal in this situation.

If you still feel this is your best option, then there are some things you can do prior to departure to assure a good outcome.

• Meet with a travel clinic physician at minimum 4-6 weeks prior to leaving. Learn how to travel healthy, risks you may face with the procedure and traveling safely afterward.
• Look into the credentials of the health care provider doing your procedure as well as the facility itself. The Joint Commission International is a good starting point.
• Confirm in writing the type of procedure you are having and the medications, treatment and supplies that are associated with it.
• If you are traveling to a country where language could be a concern have a plan in place to ease that communication barrier.
• Take a complete listing of all your medications and copies of your prescription.
• Follow up with your local provider upon returning home.

I certainly believe you can’t find better health care than what’s available here in the United States. But I know for some medical tourism is more affordable. Just be cautious and be certain this is the best answer for your medical needs.

While the health risk for malaria in the United States is pretty rare, it doesn’t mean the health issue shouldn’t be of concern to us.

The impact of malaria can be demonstrated by the fact that 3.3 billion people, which is half the world population, reside in high risk areas for malaria. More specifically, that’s 109 countries and territories.

While malaria has all but been wiped out in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control reports that an average of 1,500 cases a year occur in the U.S. The most common group impacted by malaria are those who travel abroad and choose not to take malaria pills prior to departure.

World Malaria Day will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 25, and this year’s theme is “Sustain Gains, Save Lives: Invest in Malaria”.

This annual celebration, initiated by the World Health Organization, has helped make tremendous strides in reducing the number of deaths in Africa – one of the most hardest hit regions by the disease.

Due to the efforts of the WHO and others organizations around the world, malaria deaths in Africa have declined by one-third in the past 10 years.

The CDC also reports, that countries impacted by malaria, outside of Africa, have trimmed the number of deaths by 50 percent during that same 10 year time frame.

The success in beating malaria has stemmed from a world-wide investment in providing aid to those countries in most need. Aggressive steps have been taken to assist these countries in their fight to end the hundreds of thousands of death each year.

Those steps have included:
•    Providing protective nets
•    Spraying homes
•    Early diagnosis and prompt treatment with medicine

The goal of the WHO and other groups is to be at near zero deaths by 2015. That is only three years away. While there have been great strides made, there is still much work to do.

From a little to a lot – there is something that everyone can do to end this disease.

If traveling abroad and you need more information about malaria visit the Methodist Physicians Clinic – Regency Travel Clinic.

The excitement of a destination to a country far, far away can be exhilarating. Once you have boarded that plane and settle in for that 15-20 hour flight, depending on where you may be going, don’t forget to keep moving.

One of the hazards of a trip of this nature can be deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

This condition develops when an abnormal blood clot is formed in a large vein.

The danger stems from a portion of that clot breaking off and making its way to your lungs, which can result in a pulmonary embolism (PE) – which can be fatal.

Folks who travel for long periods of time can be susceptible, due to the lack of movement that often occurs during a long flight, bus ride or travel in car or train.

Are there risk factors?

There are often some groups who are more at risk than others for developing DVT. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) risk factors which can heighten your chances can include:

• A prior blood clot
• Having a family history of blood clot
• A known clotting disorder
• Having undergone a recent surgery
• A recent injury
• Taking estrogen-containing birth control
• Undergoing hormonal replacement therapy
• Older age
• Obesity issues
• Cancer or currently receiving chemotherapy
• Lack of mobility

Tips for traveling

If you are preparing for a trip that will result in a lot of sitting, then consider the following:

• When able, get up and walk around the plane, bus or train.
• If traveling by car, stop with some frequency to stretch your legs.
• While sitting, exercise your calf muscles and stretch your legs by raising and lowering your toes and heels and tighten/release leg muscles.
• When possible sit in an aisle seat – allowing for maximum extension of the legs.

While all these tactics will be helpful, it’s still important to know what you are looking for in regards to DVT.

• Recent swelling of the limb
• Pain and tenderness that isn’t explained
• Area on the skin that is warm to the touch
• Redness of the skin area

One should also be aware of the signs/symptoms of PE, which includes:

• Shortness of breath that is unexplained
• A heartbeat that is faster than normal
• Chest pain
• A cough, which could be bloody
• A feeling of lightheadedness or fainting

Being aware of these symptoms will be beneficial and if any surface, a person should seek medical care as soon as possible. Using tests such as an ultrasound, CT scan or MRI will help your physician confirm a diagnosis of DVT or PE.

So enjoy that destination of your dreams – just move a little along the way!

Additional resources:

Stop the Clot
This Is Serious
DVT Fact Sheet

Saturday, April 7 is World Health Day.

Why is this important?

It marks the anniversary of the forming of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948. The organization was founded and is charged with directing and serving as the coordinating authority for health within in the United Nations.

The WHO does so by:

• Providing leadership on global health matters
• Shaping the health research agenda
• Setting norms and standards
• Articulating evidence-based policy options
• Providing technical support to countries
• Monitoring and assessing health trends

The theme for this year’s World Health Day, “Good Health Adds Life to Years”, is focused on ageing and health and how maintaining a healthy lifestyle can result in a long life for both men and women.

Here are some interesting statistics provided by the WHO:

• The number of people today aged 60 and over has doubled since 1980.
• The number of people aged 80 years will almost quadruple to 395 million between now and 2050.
• Within the next five years, the number of adults aged 65 and over will outnumber children under the age of 5.
• By 2050, these older adults will outnumber all children under the age of 14.
• The majority of older people live in low- or middle-income countries. By, 2050, this number will have increased to 80%.

It’s plain to see that our population is aging and you and I are certainly a vital part of those statistics. So what steps do we take now to ensure a long life?

• Be proactive with your health. Expressing your health concerns to your physician will help ward off any potential health issues which could evolve in to chronic conditions.
• Stay active. Get involved in your community, your church, the activities of your children and grandchildren because an active mind and body is a good thing.

Hasn’t the recent weather we’ve been experiencing been amazing? The warm temperatures and timely rains have prompted the budding of trees, the bursting of tulips and the mowing of our lawns!!!

However, I read this week our early warm temperatures and pleasant weather could spell trouble for us in the form of severe weather much earlier than normal. Already a tornado struck the folks in North Platte.

Spring weather can truly vary from day to day. We can experience a lovely 70 degree day and the next it will be 40 degrees and raining. That’s why we love Nebraska!

I think this quote from Mark Twain sums up our weather pretty well.

“In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours.”

While we may not have much advanced warning of severe weather striking our community, there are certainly things you can do in advance to be prepared.

The Centers for Disease Control offers the following recommendations:

• A battery-operated flashlight, a battery-operated NOAA Weather Radio, and extra batteries for both
• An emergency evacuation plan, including a map of your home and, for every type of severe weather emergency, routes to safety from each room
• A list of important personal information, including:
  1. telephone numbers of neighbors, family and friends
  2. insurance and property information
  3. telephone numbers of utility companies
  4. medical information

• A first aid kit including:
  1. prescription medication
  2. hydrogen peroxide
  3. antibiotic ointment
  4. over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin and diarrhea medicine
  5. bandages and dressings for injuries

• A 3–5 day supply of bottled water and nonperishable food
• Personal hygiene items
• Blankets or sleeping bags
• An emergency kit in your car

While our local weather experts do their best to warn us when severe weather is approaching, that is not the time to begin gathering these items. Plan ahead, doing so will keep you and your family safe.

Here are some startling statistics from the American Cancer Society regarding colorectal cancer for 2012:

• About 103,170 new cases of colon cancer will be reported
• About 40,290 new cases of rectal cancer are expected
• About 51,690 deaths from colorectal cancer are likely

Not counting skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer found in men and women in the United States.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, which is good reason to discuss risks and the importance of being screened.

What’s your risk for developing colorectal cancer?
About 1 in 20.

 As you age

The risk for colorectal cancer increases with a person’s age. According to the Centers for Disease Control more than 90 percent of colorectal cancers occur in those 50 and older.

Reduce your risk

It is highly recommend that when a person reaches the age of 50 they should get screened for colorectal cancer. Why?

• When screened, precancerous polyps can be detected and removed before becoming cancerous. This is why screening is important.
• Screening also allows for cancer to be caught early, which means treatment can also begin earlier.

Screening options for colorectal cancer can include:
•    Colonoscopy
•    High-sensitivity fecal occult blood test (FOBT) – or stool test
•    Flexible sigmoidoscopy with high-sensitivity FOBT

Symptoms

Screening is important because polyps or colorectal cancer don’t always present symptoms early on. Having said that, symptoms can include:

• Blood in or on the stool (bowl movement)
• Aches, cramps or stomach pain that doesn’t go away
• Unexplained weight loss

These symptoms can be attributed to other health issues as well, so certainly if you are experiencing any of these issues you need to speak with your physician.

Be safe and be certain. If you are 50 or older get screened, if you haven’t already. A simply screening can make all the difference. Certainly if any of the issues above are present, then you must speak to your physician.

Other resources:

Screen for Life
Questions to ask your doctor

Between 1983 and 1987 a total of 16 new antibacterial agents were developed. In contrast, less than two new agents have become available between 2008-2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Why does this matter?

Because physicians are becoming concerned that effective antibiotics may not be available to treat very ill patients in the future. This is due to a lack of research and development of new agents and the increased occurrence of resistant bacteria,

Antibiotic resistance

Simply put, antibiotic resistance is when microorganisms can “defeat” the antibiotic given to treat the illness.

What we are finding is many bacteria are now capable of overcoming more than one type of antibiotic, due to overuse and wrong use of medications. This makes treating patients increasingly difficult.

In addition, when antibiotics are overused there are side effects which can occur:

• Allergic reactions
• Issues with diarrhea
• In some cases – death

The issue of antibiotic resistance has surfaced due to the increase in patients suffering from Clostridium difficile (C.difficile), a germ which results in diarrhea and intestinal issues. C. difficile is tied to 14,000 deaths in the United States each year.

Those at high risk for contracting C. difficile are older adults, taking antibiotics and receiving medical care.

Are you sick?

If you are suffering from a virus, such as a cold or sore throat, in most cases rest, increased fluid intake and over-the-counter products will do the job.

Antibiotics are most effective, and should be the course of treatment, when suffering from a bacterial infection. To clarify, colds, many sore throats, sinus infections or ear infections are considered viral infections.

What can patients do?

• If an antibiotic is prescribed, take the medication as directed.
• Don’t skip doses and complete the treatment process
• Don’t share your medications and certainly don’t take someone else’s if offered
• Don’t save antibiotics. Any leftovers should be properly disposed of.
• Don’t ask your health care provider for antibiotics if not needed.

Other resources:
Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work
Clostridium difficile fact sheet
Kids and antibiotics

The weather is getting nicer, we turn our clocks ahead this weekend, birds are chirping…it can only mean one thing – SPRING BREAK!

Okay, not all of us will have the opportunity to slip away for a week to some warm beach, ski resort or other destination, but your college-age children might be. Sure, they will remember their swimsuits, snow pants, sunglasses and a few other essentials, but there are some items that are an absolute must.

Vaccinate before you go: Before you or your anyone heads abroad, look in to what vaccines might be needed or if there are health concerns associated with the destination location. Our travel clinic is a great source of information on both topics.

Insurance: If you are going on an “extreme” trip, this might be worth checking in to. If you are traveling outside the United States your insurance provider might not provide coverage.

Know before you go: In conjunction with the above suggestion, make sure those who are providing the “extreme” activities are reliable. When planning your trip inquire about excursion providers, assuring they are trained and have proper equipment. You certainly don’t want your first scuba experience to go badly.

Watch what you eat: As we say so many times in this space, you must be careful about what you put into your body when traveling, especially if it’s abroad. While eager to sample the local favorites, eat only those foods that have been properly cooked and served hot. If you can’t peel fresh fruits or vegetables yourself – don’t eat them. I recommend only drinking beverages that are bottled and sealed.

Watch your behavior: When on vacation everyone is tempted to “cut loose”. While its fun to get away and enjoy yourself, be mindful of what you are doing. Risky behavior can have long-term effects, so remember:

• If you have sex, use a latex condom.
• To prevent HIV and hepatitis B, avoid tattoos or piercings.
• Drink responsibly
• Be a safe driver/passenger.

Be a smart traveler: Do the simple things which, in turn, will make the trip more enjoyable. Wear sunscreen, swim in only approved locations, take first-aid supplies and your medications. Pack insect spray and anti-diarrhea medications. Finally, know what might be happening politically wherever you may be going. Some countries can turn unstable in a hurry.

Addition resources:

Methodist Travel Clinic

Find a physician

Traveling abroad