Health News

 
November is American Diabetes Month
Consider These 5 Simple Steps to Help Prevent Diabetes
 
Diabetes is a disease in which the body has a shortage of insulin, a decreased ability to use insulin, or both. Insulin, a hormone, is important because it allows glucose (sugar) to enter our cells and be converted to energy. When diabetes is not controlled, glucose and fats remain in our blood and, over time, damage vital organs. Diabetes affects more than 23 million people (7.8% of the population) in the United States.1
 
“According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, almost one-in-four hospital dollars go to treat people with diabetes. The collective hospital bill for diabetes patients in 2008, the most recent year for which data is available, was almost $83 billion,” says Robert Vento, senior vice president at Quorum Health Resources (QHR). “In this day of out-of-control healthcare costs, it’s in the interest of consumers, taxpayers and hospitals to fight diabetes in every way possible. We must encourage prevention through healthy living, and disease management through education and awareness.”
 
The most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. While most cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented, it remains the leading cause of diabetes-related complications, such as blindness, non-traumatic amputations and chronic kidney failure, among adults.

 
“Type 2 diabetes most commonly occurs in people over age 40, who are overweight. However, the disease has also started to appear more often in children because of the rise in obesity and lack of physical activity among our youth,” says Carolyn Key, Director of Education at Ouachita County Medical Center. “The good news is that you can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by committing to a healthy lifestyle.”

 
Consider these tips, she says:

Get active! Regular physical activity can help improve your health in a number of ways. It can help:
·        Reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease;
·        Reduce your risk of some cancers;
·        Strengthen your bones and muscles;
·        Control your weight;
·        Improve your mental health and mood; and
·        Improve your ability to perform daily activities and prevent falls, especially among older adults.
Of equal importance, physical activity can help reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It lowers blood sugar and boosts your sensitivity to insulin, which helps keep your blood sugar within a normal range.
Lose extra weight. If you’re overweight, diabetes prevention may hinge on weight loss. Every pound you lose can improve your health. In fact, in one study, overweight adults who lost 5 to 10 percent of their body weight and exercised regularly reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 58 percent over three years.
Get plenty of fiber…it may reduce the risk of diabetes by improving your blood sugar control. Foods high in fiber include fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Go for whole grains. Whole grains may reduce your risk of diabetes and help maintain blood sugar levels. For this reason, try to make at least half your daily grains whole grains. Just look for the word “whole” on breads, cereals and pasta products. 
And don’t forget a regular blood glucose screening, especially if you’re age 45+ and overweight, or if you’re overweight and have one or more additional risk factors for type 2 diabetes, such as a sedentary lifestyle or a family history of diabetes.
“It’s also important to recognize the symptoms of diabetes and communicate these and other health concerns with your doctor,” says Key. “Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include frequent urination, unusual thirst, extreme hunger, unusual weight loss, blurred vision, extreme fatigue and irritability, cuts or bruises that are slow to heal, tingling/numbness in the hands or feet, and recurring skin, gum or bladder infections.”
 
To learn more, visit www.diabetes.org or talk to your personal physician.
 
This article courtesy of Ouachita County Medical Center and Quorum Health Resources (QHR).  
 
1 American Diabetes Association
 
 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

How Much Do You Know About the Disease?  

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women in the United States. Each year, more than 192,000 women in our country are diagnosed with the disease – as are approximately 2,000 men.
 
“Unfortunately, there is no way of guaranteeing that a person won’t develop breast cancer, but there are steps that can be taken to reduce risk,” says Melissa Pilkinton, Associate Director of Radiology at Ouachita County Medical Center. “As with many health issues, education can be key. If you learn to recognize the symptoms of breast cancer and take steps to minimize your risk, you’re off to a strong start.”
 
What Are the Symptoms of Breast Cancer?
In its early stages, breast cancer often has no symptoms. However, as a tumor develops, the following symptoms may be present:
  • A lump in the breast or underarm that persists after your menstrual cycle
  • Swelling in the armpit
  • A marble-like area under the skin
  • Persistent pain or tenderness in the breast
  • A noticeable flattening or indentation on the breast, which may indicate a tumor that cannot be seen or felt
  • Any change in the size, contour, texture or temperature of the breast
  • A change in the nipple, such as an indrawn or dimpled look, itching or burning sensation, or ulceration
  • Unusual discharge from the nipple
  • An area that is distinctly different from any other area on either breast
 
It is important that any new mass, lump or breast change be checked by a healthcare professional with experience in diagnosing breast diseases. Please talk to your doctor if you see or feel anything out of the ordinary.
 
Who Is at Risk of Developing Breast Cancer?
  • Women with a history of breast cancer have a 3- to 4-fold increased risk of developing a new breast cancer, unrelated to the first one, in the other breast or in another part of the same breast.
  • Women with a family history of breast cancer. Having a mother, sister or daughter who has (or has had) breast cancer increases your risk for developing the disease. The risk is even greater if your relative developed breast cancer before menopause and had cancer in both breasts.
  • Women over age 50. About 77 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer each year are over age 50, and almost half are age 65 and older.
  • Carriers of alterations in either of two familial breast cancer genes called BRCA1 or BRCA2. Women with an inherited alteration in either of these genes have up to an 80 percent chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime.
  • Women with a previous breast biopsy result of atypical hyperplasia, or those with a previous abnormal breast biopsy indicating fibroadenomas with complex features, hyperplasia without atypia, sclerosing adenosis and solitary papilloma.
  • Caucasian women are at a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer than are African-American, Asian, Hispanic and Native American women.
  • Women who have their first child after age 35 or never have children.
  • Women who started menstruating before age 12.
  • Women who begin menopause after age 55.
  • Overweight women, with excess caloric and fat intake (especially post-menopause).
  • Women who have 2 to 5 alcoholic beverages a day are 1.5 times more likely to develop breast cancer than women who drink no alcohol.
  • Those exposed to excessive amounts of radiation, especially before age 30.
  • Women who use Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for an extended period of time. (Risk seems to return to that of the general population after discontinuing use for five years or more.)
  • Those with other cancer in the family. A family history of cancer of the ovaries, cervix, uterus or colon increases your risk of developing breast cancer.
 
It is important to understand that having a risk factor, or even several, does not mean that you will get the disease. Most women who have one or more breast cancer risk factors never develop the disease, while many women with breast cancer have no apparent risk factors (other than being a woman and growing older). And even when a woman with risk factors develops breast cancer, it is hard to know just how much these factors may have contributed to her cancer.1
 
What Steps Can Be Taken to Prevent Breast Cancer?
“While you can’t control certain breast cancer risk factors, such as age and genetic makeup, a healthy lifestyle – i.e. doing more of what’s good for your body and less of what’s bad – can prove powerful in preventing breast cancer,” says Dr. Patricia Cooper, RN, of Quorum Health Resources (QHR).
 
“It’s important to eat right, maintain a healthy weight, stay physically active and limit alcohol consumption,” she says. “And be vigilant about early detection of breast cancer. Do a monthly breast self-exam and if you notice any breast changes, make an appointment to see your doctor for evaluation. Making sure you get your annual mammogram, as appropriate, is critical, too.
 

This article courtesy of Ouachita County Medical Center and Quorum Health Resources (QHR).