While we’re in National Nutrition Month and while you may be acclimating your palate to a new lifestyle of eating, we wanted to remind you to spice up your lunch hour. Maybe try a new lunch spot:
Don’t forget to add a little extra love for the children in your life.
Feel free to call your Personal Healthcare Assistant/nutritionist for advice on meeting special dietary needs. We’re at 1-844-SMA-TALK or www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com, and we love to help.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Tag Archives: 844-SMA-TALK
Fun Lunch
Hugs help.
Hugs are good, and they can come from unlikely sources.
They can help lower or raise your heart rate.
They can be good for reminding you to do your daily squats.
Some hugs work with no hands!
Some hugs are useful for keeping warm … if you’re strong enough to hold up under them.
Some hugs appear to be from your pet, but feel more like they’re from your friend.
And, of course, hugs are the preferred greeting when you’re on safari.
Join us over at www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com. Our hug-ologists, surgeons, physicians, dentists, dermatologists, nutritionists, therapists and the whole team are available with cyber hugs, information and advice 24/7. You can also call us at 844-SMA-TALK about medical or healthcare questions or concerns.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Hugs are good, and they can come from unlikely sources.
They can help lower or raise your heart rate.
They can be good for reminding you to do your daily squats.
Some hugs work with no hands!
Some hugs are useful for keeping warm … if you’re strong enough to hold up under them.
Some hugs appear to be from your pet, but feel more like they’re from your friend.
And, of course, hugs are the preferred greeting when you’re on safari.
Join us over at www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com. Our hug-ologists, surgeons, physicians, dentists, dermatologists, nutritionists, therapists and the whole team are available with cyber hugs, information and advice 24/7. You can also call us at 844-SMA-TALK about medical or healthcare questions or concerns.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Straight, No Chaser: Tips to Limit Your Risk of Contracting The Most Deadly Diseases
It is interesting and, even more, curious to hear everyone obsess over how esoteric and rare conditions can potentially kill you. Word to the wise: Common things happen commonly. I’m going to make this a very simple post (with links to previous Straight, No Chaser posts covering the individual topics in greater detail). Let’s help you extend your life expectancy by offering very simple tips (three to five for each) to prevent and combat the five most common causes of death. This list is by no means comprehensive, but if you follow the achievable steps mentioned, you’ll be much better off than if you don’t.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), here are the five most common causes of death in the United States for the year ending 2010. (It takes awhile to compile data, but these are basically the leading causes year after year.) I’ve also included the number of annual deaths per condition.
- Heart disease (e.g., heart attack): 597,689
- Cancer (all cases): 574,743
- Chronic lower respiratory diseases (e.g., asthma, COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis): 138,080
- Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 129,476
- Accidents (unintentional injuries): 120,859
Heart disease – Click here to learn early recognition of heart attacks.
- Stop smoking and exposing yourself to second-hand smoke.
- Exercise daily. Walk at least two miles each day. It’s a final common denomination of other problems and is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease. You want your LDL (“bad cholesterol” levels) low and your HDL (“good cholesterol” levels) high. If your LDL and/or overall levels are high, it’s an immediate prompt to reduce your belly, change your diet and exercise more.
- Limit your calories. Never supersize anything. Eat only until you’re full. Learn about healthy plate sizes.
Cancer – Cancer warrants a special comment to get screened! Early detection is the key to survival!
- Don’t use tobacco in any form.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables and less red meat.
- Become physically active: strive for at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity at least five days a week.
- Limit sun exposure and avoid tanning. (Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers.)
- Limit alcohol intake to one to two drinks/day (women and men, respectively).
Chronic lower respiratory diseases
- Stop smoking and exposing yourself to second-hand smoke.
- Get your home tested for radon.
- Follow workplace guidelines for workplace exposures to particles known to cause cancer.
Stroke – Learn early detection.
- Control your blood pressure. This is the most important risk factor in stroke prevention. High blood pressure increases your risk for a stroke four-fold.
- Control your blood sugar levels. Diabetics have a 1.5 times higher risk of stroke.
- Control your cholesterol.
- Stop smoking. Smoking increases your risk for a stroke between 1.5-2.5 times above the risk of non-smokers.
- Control your weight through diet and exercise, which is bundled in each of the first three considerations.
Accidents
- Learn CPR.
- Wear safety belts (shoulder and lap) every trip. Seat belts reduce auto crashes by approximately 50%.
- Stop all distracted driving (drinking, cell phone use, eating, etc.).
- If you’re going to swim, and even if you know how to swim, take a formal lesson that focuses on life-saving maneuvers.
- Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home.
There is no fountain of youth. Your cure won’t be found in a bottle, a fad or any other quick fix. It really is about diet, exercise and risk management. The choices you make matter. Remember, although these tips were focused on prevention, early detection and treatment at the time of crisis give you the best chance to survive. Learn early detection of heart attacks and strokes, learn CPR, get screened for cancer and learn how to survive car crashes. It’s not that hard.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
It is interesting and, even more, curious to hear everyone obsess over how esoteric and rare conditions can potentially kill you. Word to the wise: Common things happen commonly. I’m going to make this a very simple post (with links to previous Straight, No Chaser posts covering the individual topics in greater detail). Let’s help you extend your life expectancy by offering very simple tips (three to five for each) to prevent and combat the five most common causes of death. This list is by no means comprehensive, but if you follow the achievable steps mentioned, you’ll be much better off than if you don’t.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), here are the five most common causes of death in the United States for the year ending 2010. (It takes awhile to compile data, but these are basically the leading causes year after year.) I’ve also included the number of annual deaths per condition.
- Heart disease (e.g., heart attack): 597,689
- Cancer (all cases): 574,743
- Chronic lower respiratory diseases (e.g., asthma, COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis): 138,080
- Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 129,476
- Accidents (unintentional injuries): 120,859
Heart disease – Click here to learn early recognition of heart attacks.
- Stop smoking and exposing yourself to second-hand smoke.
- Exercise daily. Walk at least two miles each day. It’s a final common denomination of other problems and is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease. You want your LDL (“bad cholesterol” levels) low and your HDL (“good cholesterol” levels) high. If your LDL and/or overall levels are high, it’s an immediate prompt to reduce your belly, change your diet and exercise more.
- Limit your calories. Never supersize anything. Eat only until you’re full. Learn about healthy plate sizes.
Cancer – Cancer warrants a special comment to get screened! Early detection is the key to survival!
- Don’t use tobacco in any form.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables and less red meat.
- Become physically active: strive for at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity at least five days a week.
- Limit sun exposure and avoid tanning. (Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers.)
- Limit alcohol intake to one to two drinks/day (women and men, respectively).
Chronic lower respiratory diseases
- Stop smoking and exposing yourself to second-hand smoke.
- Get your home tested for radon.
- Follow workplace guidelines for workplace exposures to particles known to cause cancer.
Stroke – Learn early detection.
- Control your blood pressure. This is the most important risk factor in stroke prevention. High blood pressure increases your risk for a stroke four-fold.
- Control your blood sugar levels. Diabetics have a 1.5 times higher risk of stroke.
- Control your cholesterol.
- Stop smoking. Smoking increases your risk for a stroke between 1.5-2.5 times above the risk of non-smokers.
- Control your weight through diet and exercise, which is bundled in each of the first three considerations.
Accidents
- Learn CPR.
- Wear safety belts (shoulder and lap) every trip. Seat belts reduce auto crashes by approximately 50%.
- Stop all distracted driving (drinking, cell phone use, eating, etc.).
- If you’re going to swim, and even if you know how to swim, take a formal lesson that focuses on life-saving maneuvers.
- Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home.
There is no fountain of youth. Your cure won’t be found in a bottle, a fad or any other quick fix. It really is about diet, exercise and risk management. The choices you make matter. Remember, although these tips were focused on prevention, early detection and treatment at the time of crisis give you the best chance to survive. Learn early detection of heart attacks and strokes, learn CPR, get screened for cancer and learn how to survive car crashes. It’s not that hard.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Confidential
We appreciate the embarrassment and other concerns associated with exposing yourself and your personal health information. Know that your chats and calls with the experts at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com are confidential. Our site at www.sterlingmedicaladvice.com offers the highest level of health security ability on the Internet. Don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-844-SMA-CHAT or www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com with any sensitive medical or healthcare question or concern. We’re here for you 24/7, and we’ll keep any health secrets you share. And you don’t even have to go to Vegas to talk to us.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
We appreciate the embarrassment and other concerns associated with exposing yourself and your personal health information. Know that your chats and calls with the experts at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com are confidential. Our site at www.sterlingmedicaladvice.com offers the highest level of health security ability on the Internet. Don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-844-SMA-CHAT or www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com with any sensitive medical or healthcare question or concern. We’re here for you 24/7, and we’ll keep any health secrets you share. And you don’t even have to go to Vegas to talk to us.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Straight, No Chaser: Management of Herniated Disks
Approximately 40 million Americans have low back pain. Odds are the presence of low back pain is not associated with a herniated disk. Truthfully, herniated disks are more commonly the result of degenerative changes in your spine due to aging and the wear and tear associated with how we live. So, if you really want to decrease your risks, adjust your lifestyle. However, it is important that you appreciate the circumstances under which medical attention is indicated and may make a difference to you.
Today’s post is not a prompt for you to ask your family physician, emergency department or orthopedist for surgery. In fact, the overwhelming majority (approximately nine of 10 patients) of patients who actually have herniated disks are treated conservatively, meaning without surgery. This post is meant to empower you with information about prevention and treatment as well as an overview of medical management principles.
The best approaches to limiting pain associated with herniated disks (or any low back pain for that matter) are prevention in the first place, then prevention of worsening of the situation.
- Posture. Posture is important because normal alignment of the spine and back keeps everything working as designed. Good posture limits pressure and reduces the occurrence of injuries. Focus on keeping your back straight. This is so important. Do this when sitting, standing and lifting. Use your legs when lifting and not your back. Find something on which to prop one of your legs when standing.
- Exercise. Exercise is all about strengthening your core. You don’t want extra belly girth pulling against your spine. Furthermore, strengthening the abdominal/trunk muscles stabilizes and supports the spine. All those times you slip and don’t injure your back are largely due to this stability.
- Weight. Being overweight places excess pressure on the spine and disks and predisposes you to misalignment of your spine. This places you more at risk for herniation.
I’d imagine that most of you with low back pain have sought medical attention at some point. However, there are basic considerations that you can address prior to seeking medical attention. If you haven’t, it’s likely that your first doctor interaction on the subject will simply consist of instructions to perform some of the following steps:
- Identify and reduce causes. If you have knowledge of what causes your pain, often the first course of action is to reduce or avoid those triggers. Of course this isn’t always easy when the discomfort is caused by work-related activities.
- Reduce your stress. It’s true. Stress does intensify pain. Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, mediation, massage, etc. when your stress level rises.
- Consider professional help. The idea here is to change the way you feel about your pain even if you can’t eliminate it or while you’re taking steps to eliminate it. As mentioned, stress increases physical pain. Mental health professionals do wonderful work in this regard and can help you set realistic expectations.
- Heat or ice.
- Try over-the-counter pain medicines. Acetaminophen, aspirin and anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen and naproxen have worked for millions. This is an appropriate first step.
There’s a difference between when your pain requires medical attention and when it requires emergency medical attention. Your desire for an explanation, worsening of pain, radiation of your pain from your neck or back to your arm or leg, or the development of weakness, numbness and tingling are generally accepted prompts to seek an evaluation for your pain.
There are also prompts for you to get immediately evaluated because your pain could be life threatening. Such prompts include these symptoms.
- Worsening symptoms. “Worsening pain” refers to that pain this renders you unable to work or perform your regular daily activities.
- Bladder or bowel dysfunction. If you become unable to control your bladder (either holding your urine or being able to urinate), this needs to be immediately evaluated.
- Loss of sensation in certain areas. Loss of sensation in the areas that would touch a saddle (i.e., the back of your legs, your inner thighs, and the areas surrounding your rectum) indicates the possible presence of a specific type of emergency that requires immediate evaluation.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Approximately 40 million Americans have low back pain. Odds are the presence of low back pain is not associated with a herniated disk. Truthfully, herniated disks are more commonly the result of degenerative changes in your spine due to aging and the wear and tear associated with how we live. So, if you really want to decrease your risks, adjust your lifestyle. However, it is important that you appreciate the circumstances under which medical attention is indicated and may make a difference to you.
Today’s post is not a prompt for you to ask your family physician, emergency department or orthopedist for surgery. In fact, the overwhelming majority (approximately nine of 10 patients) of patients who actually have herniated disks are treated conservatively, meaning without surgery. This post is meant to empower you with information about prevention and treatment as well as an overview of medical management principles.
The best approaches to limiting pain associated with herniated disks (or any low back pain for that matter) are prevention in the first place, then prevention of worsening of the situation.
- Posture. Posture is important because normal alignment of the spine and back keeps everything working as designed. Good posture limits pressure and reduces the occurrence of injuries. Focus on keeping your back straight. This is so important. Do this when sitting, standing and lifting. Use your legs when lifting and not your back. Find something on which to prop one of your legs when standing.
- Exercise. Exercise is all about strengthening your core. You don’t want extra belly girth pulling against your spine. Furthermore, strengthening the abdominal/trunk muscles stabilizes and supports the spine. All those times you slip and don’t injure your back are largely due to this stability.
- Weight. Being overweight places excess pressure on the spine and disks and predisposes you to misalignment of your spine. This places you more at risk for herniation.
I’d imagine that most of you with low back pain have sought medical attention at some point. However, there are basic considerations that you can address prior to seeking medical attention. If you haven’t, it’s likely that your first doctor interaction on the subject will simply consist of instructions to perform some of the following steps:
- Identify and reduce causes. If you have knowledge of what causes your pain, often the first course of action is to reduce or avoid those triggers. Of course this isn’t always easy when the discomfort is caused by work-related activities.
- Reduce your stress. It’s true. Stress does intensify pain. Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, mediation, massage, etc. when your stress level rises.
- Consider professional help. The idea here is to change the way you feel about your pain even if you can’t eliminate it or while you’re taking steps to eliminate it. As mentioned, stress increases physical pain. Mental health professionals do wonderful work in this regard and can help you set realistic expectations.
- Heat or ice.
- Try over-the-counter pain medicines. Acetaminophen, aspirin and anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen and naproxen have worked for millions. This is an appropriate first step.
There’s a difference between when your pain requires medical attention and when it requires emergency medical attention. Your desire for an explanation, worsening of pain, radiation of your pain from your neck or back to your arm or leg, or the development of weakness, numbness and tingling are generally accepted prompts to seek an evaluation for your pain.
There are also prompts for you to get immediately evaluated because your pain could be life threatening. Such prompts include these symptoms.
- Worsening symptoms. “Worsening pain” refers to that pain this renders you unable to work or perform your regular daily activities.
- Bladder or bowel dysfunction. If you become unable to control your bladder (either holding your urine or being able to urinate), this needs to be immediately evaluated.
- Loss of sensation in certain areas. Loss of sensation in the areas that would touch a saddle (i.e., the back of your legs, your inner thighs, and the areas surrounding your rectum) indicates the possible presence of a specific type of emergency that requires immediate evaluation.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
You Have Questions? We Have Answers!
Medical questions? Mental/emotional questions? Nutritional/fitness questions? Dental questions? Read an interesting medical article lately and want a second opinion?
We’ve stored thousands FAQs, plus hundreds of your favorite “Straight, No Chaser” posts over at www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com. Feel free to get the answers you seek from our extensive online health library or directly from hundreds of medical, dental, pharmaceutical or mental health experts. Login at www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com or call us at 1-844-SMA-TALK. We’re available 24/7.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Medical questions? Mental/emotional questions? Nutritional/fitness questions? Dental questions? Read an interesting medical article lately and want a second opinion?
We’ve stored thousands FAQs, plus hundreds of your favorite “Straight, No Chaser” posts over at www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com. Feel free to get the answers you seek from our extensive online health library or directly from hundreds of medical, dental, pharmaceutical or mental health experts. Login at www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com or call us at 1-844-SMA-TALK. We’re available 24/7.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Straight, No Chaser: My Back and Neck Pain Has a Name – Herniated Disks
It’s quite common for someone to come to me and say, “I have a herniated disk.” I used to ask how they knew, but I came to realize the answer to be unimportant. The pain and relative disability of those suffering from low back pain can be dramatic, both physically and emotionally. Being able to place a name of what’s causing that discomfort is meaningful in and of itself.
We’ve discussed low back pain (LBP) before on Straight, No Chaser (both regular causes and life-threatening causes), but herniated disks are special considerations among its causes. A herniated (aka ruptured or slipped) disk refers to a problem with one of the rubbery cushions (disks) between the individual bones (vertebrae) that stack up to make your spine. A common and effective way to understand a spinal disk is to picture a jelly donut, with a softer center captured inside of a tougher exterior. A herniated disk occurs when some of the softer portion protrudes through the exterior. Keep in mind that your spinal column runs from your neck down your lower back, so herniations may occur anywhere along the spine, although the low back is the most common site.
Herniated disks may or may not produce symptoms, and you may not even know you have one. Of course, some herniated disks are extremely painful and incapacitating. The problems with herniated disks aren’t just related to the manual eruption of the disk’s contents. You can experience irritation of surrounding nerves, which can produce pain, numbness or weakness in an arm or leg.
The most common signs and symptoms of a herniated disk are relative to the nerves affected by the herniation. Nerves have a distribution (i.e., affected areas of the body) associated with them. The following symptoms can be produced by a herniated disk and will be seen along that distribution.
- Arm or leg pain Arm and shoulder pain may result from herniated disks in your neck, including pain that radiates down the arm. Certain motions and actions (e.g., coughing, sneezing and neck rotation) may exacerbate your symptoms. If your herniated disk is in your lower back, intense pain may be present in your buttocks, thigh, calf and part of the foot.
- Numbness or tingling
- Weakness Similarly, muscles that are served by nerves affected by a herniated disk tend to weaken, and this may cause stumbling and other signs of lessened strength (e.g., decreased ability to lift or hold).
Factors that increase your risk of a herniated disk may include a genetic predisposition, excess weight producing ongoing stress on the apparatus of the back,and various jobs (including those involving heavy or repetitive lifting, bending, twisting, pushing or pulling).
The next post will address treatment options and self-help considerations for herniated disks.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
It’s quite common for someone to come to me and say, “I have a herniated disk.” I used to ask how they knew, but I came to realize the answer to be unimportant. The pain and relative disability of those suffering from low back pain can be dramatic, both physically and emotionally. Being able to place a name of what’s causing that discomfort is meaningful in and of itself.
We’ve discussed low back pain (LBP) before on Straight, No Chaser (both regular causes and life-threatening causes), but herniated disks are special considerations among its causes. A herniated (aka ruptured or slipped) disk refers to a problem with one of the rubbery cushions (disks) between the individual bones (vertebrae) that stack up to make your spine. A common and effective way to understand a spinal disk is to picture a jelly donut, with a softer center captured inside of a tougher exterior. A herniated disk occurs when some of the softer portion protrudes through the exterior. Keep in mind that your spinal column runs from your neck down your lower back, so herniations may occur anywhere along the spine, although the low back is the most common site.
Herniated disks may or may not produce symptoms, and you may not even know you have one. Of course, some herniated disks are extremely painful and incapacitating. The problems with herniated disks aren’t just related to the manual eruption of the disk’s contents. You can experience irritation of surrounding nerves, which can produce pain, numbness or weakness in an arm or leg.
The most common signs and symptoms of a herniated disk are relative to the nerves affected by the herniation. Nerves have a distribution (i.e., affected areas of the body) associated with them. The following symptoms can be produced by a herniated disk and will be seen along that distribution.
- Arm or leg pain Arm and shoulder pain may result from herniated disks in your neck, including pain that radiates down the arm. Certain motions and actions (e.g., coughing, sneezing and neck rotation) may exacerbate your symptoms. If your herniated disk is in your lower back, intense pain may be present in your buttocks, thigh, calf and part of the foot.
- Numbness or tingling
- Weakness Similarly, muscles that are served by nerves affected by a herniated disk tend to weaken, and this may cause stumbling and other signs of lessened strength (e.g., decreased ability to lift or hold).
Factors that increase your risk of a herniated disk may include a genetic predisposition, excess weight producing ongoing stress on the apparatus of the back,and various jobs (including those involving heavy or repetitive lifting, bending, twisting, pushing or pulling).
The next post will address treatment options and self-help considerations for herniated disks.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Thanks!
As we cross 80,000 page views, we wanted to take a moment to say we appreciate your kind responses, your questions, your readership and your sharing our stuff with your friends and family. We take your readership and the responsibility of your trust in us seriously. Thank you for trusting us enough to bring you the seriousness as well as the silliness. We’re here for you either way!
Remember if we can ever be of service with medical/healthcare information and advice, just call us 1-844-SMA-TALK or chat with us at www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com. We’re here for you 24/7.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
As we cross 80,000 page views, we wanted to take a moment to say we appreciate your kind responses, your questions, your readership and your sharing our stuff with your friends and family. We take your readership and the responsibility of your trust in us seriously. Thank you for trusting us enough to bring you the seriousness as well as the silliness. We’re here for you either way!
Remember if we can ever be of service with medical/healthcare information and advice, just call us 1-844-SMA-TALK or chat with us at www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com. We’re here for you 24/7.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Straight, No Chaser In the News: So Fluoride's Bad Now?
To my regular readers: Wow. This is important to me because it continues to be important to you. A few days ago I posted Medical Myths, Health Fraud Scams and Your Boogie Men. (Please review this.) A day later dozens of you ask me the same question. Instead of responding individually, I’ll use this forum to discuss the topic.
Let’s review. Your concerns involve an Internet article from a source (to which I won’t offer free publicity or page clicks) alleging that fluoridated water is not good for you. (The article also conveniently takes a swipe at immunizations, because … why not?) It alleges that an article in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet cites researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health who note an association between fluoridated water and ADHD. (Be reminded that association is not causation.)
Let’s parse the claims made in this article.
1. Have you ever heard of the source of the article? Neither have I. Have you factored in the credentials of the authors? Consider this tidbit from my previous post: “The Internet often provides you just enough information to confuse you, misdirect you, steer you toward someone’s agenda or paralyze you into inactivity.” The U.S. is a country with freedom of speech and a free press. Unfortunately, this licenses most anyone with a slant or opinion to print anything. That places a special burden on you to be an active, investigative consumer of information. Think critically about these types of claims, as I attempted to demonstrate in the aforementioned post.
2. Have you ever heard of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)? Consider these quotes from the CDC website: “Community Water Fluoridation – For 65 years, community water fluoridation has been a safe and healthy way to effectively prevent tooth decay. The CDC has recognized water fluoridation as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.” (emphasis mine) “Nearly all naturally occurring water sources contain fluoride—a mineral that has been proven to prevent, and even reverse, tooth decay.”
3. Have you ever heard of the World Health Organization (WHO)? WHO deems the evidence so overwhelming in favor of the safety and effectiveness of low doses of fluoridation in drinking water and toothpaste that the organization passed a resolution attesting to its safety in 2007.
4. Have you ever heard of the Harvard School of Public Health? As many of you know, I went there, not only for school but in my own quest for the facts about this fluoridation rumor. It’s easier than you may think to just go to the source. I made a simple phone call. In short, to suggest that the Internet article is an overstatement is an understatement.
5. If such a discovery was poised to change everything we know about drinking water and toothpaste, don’t you think it would be on the front pages of the newspapers and the lead story on the news? Has that happened?
Here’s what the writers of the Internet article could have responsively stated as a reflection of the data:
There are ongoing concerns that use of fluorine can cause health problems if used inappropriately. This finding was reaffirmed in a recent study. However, overwhelming data exists that forms the Standard of Care in medical practice worldwide, namely that in the amounts provided in drinking water and toothpaste, fluoridation is not only safe and effective, but the benefits to oral health far outweigh any theoretical adverse effects. Continued research will define the parameters of safe use of fluoridated products.
Now what does this all mean? Consider these two quotes from my previous post:
“I see at least 20 posts everyday on the Internet that, because they’re spoken with confidence or certainty, you take as truth. Without regard to the source, you’re willing to try or do things that if you actually understood some basic anatomy, physiology or chemistry, you’d ignore – especially when tried and true methods (that you likely aren’t optimally utilizing) are available to you.”
Take away: Don’t stop brushing your teeth with toothpaste and water. (Thank you on behalf of all who communicate with you on a regular basis.)
“These Internet articles and sales pitches assert that they, the authors (or salesmen), alone know the truth, and that everyone else, including your government and your physicians are part of some global conspiracy.”
Take away: Don’t encourage a new cult of non-brushers to join this bandwagon by spreading the word. (Thank you on behalf of all breathing, smelling beings … and dentists, though of course their practices might thank you if you do.)
In sum, we have the weight of 65 years of medical evidence with the endorsement of the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (i.e., the foremost authorities on these matters in the world) and governments around the world that continue to endorse and permit use of fluoridated water among its citizens. You have a single article from a largely unknown Internet source, with no comparable credentials to comment on such matters, that misstates findings and alleges that its authority on these matters is superior to dozens of years of case history usage of fluoridation.
Based on this one Internet article, how many of you have decided to disavow toothpaste and start cleaning your mouth with oil — without asking about the safety and efficacy of that particular endeavor? To you, I ask: Do you know anyone that knows anyone that knows anyone that has suffered the alleged consequences of fluoridation?
Allow me to leave you with the same summary from a previous post: Don’t forget that you’re not alone in pursuit of protecting your health. Your physician, dentists and other members of your healthcare team know the variety of medical options available, and they choose the best one for you from those options. You also have access to healthcare information and advice through 844-SMA-TALK (844-762-8255) and www.sterlingmedicaladvice.com. You’re not alone in your effort to live a better, healthier life. Keep in mind the years of study that went into the education your physicians obtained in order to practice medicine. Let that provide you with confidence and guide you when deciding where to get honest and accurate answers.
Feel free to contact your SMA expert consultant for more honest and accurate answers to any questions you have on this topic.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
To my regular readers: Wow. This is important to me because it continues to be important to you. A few days ago I posted Medical Myths, Health Fraud Scams and Your Boogie Men. (Please review this.) A day later dozens of you ask me the same question. Instead of responding individually, I’ll use this forum to discuss the topic.
Let’s review. Your concerns involve an Internet article from a source (to which I won’t offer free publicity or page clicks) alleging that fluoridated water is not good for you. (The article also conveniently takes a swipe at immunizations, because … why not?) It alleges that an article in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet cites researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health who note an association between fluoridated water and ADHD. (Be reminded that association is not causation.)
Let’s parse the claims made in this article.
1. Have you ever heard of the source of the article? Neither have I. Have you factored in the credentials of the authors? Consider this tidbit from my previous post: “The Internet often provides you just enough information to confuse you, misdirect you, steer you toward someone’s agenda or paralyze you into inactivity.” The U.S. is a country with freedom of speech and a free press. Unfortunately, this licenses most anyone with a slant or opinion to print anything. That places a special burden on you to be an active, investigative consumer of information. Think critically about these types of claims, as I attempted to demonstrate in the aforementioned post.
2. Have you ever heard of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)? Consider these quotes from the CDC website: “Community Water Fluoridation – For 65 years, community water fluoridation has been a safe and healthy way to effectively prevent tooth decay. The CDC has recognized water fluoridation as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.” (emphasis mine) “Nearly all naturally occurring water sources contain fluoride—a mineral that has been proven to prevent, and even reverse, tooth decay.”
3. Have you ever heard of the World Health Organization (WHO)? WHO deems the evidence so overwhelming in favor of the safety and effectiveness of low doses of fluoridation in drinking water and toothpaste that the organization passed a resolution attesting to its safety in 2007.
4. Have you ever heard of the Harvard School of Public Health? As many of you know, I went there, not only for school but in my own quest for the facts about this fluoridation rumor. It’s easier than you may think to just go to the source. I made a simple phone call. In short, to suggest that the Internet article is an overstatement is an understatement.
5. If such a discovery was poised to change everything we know about drinking water and toothpaste, don’t you think it would be on the front pages of the newspapers and the lead story on the news? Has that happened?
Here’s what the writers of the Internet article could have responsively stated as a reflection of the data:
There are ongoing concerns that use of fluorine can cause health problems if used inappropriately. This finding was reaffirmed in a recent study. However, overwhelming data exists that forms the Standard of Care in medical practice worldwide, namely that in the amounts provided in drinking water and toothpaste, fluoridation is not only safe and effective, but the benefits to oral health far outweigh any theoretical adverse effects. Continued research will define the parameters of safe use of fluoridated products.
Now what does this all mean? Consider these two quotes from my previous post:
“I see at least 20 posts everyday on the Internet that, because they’re spoken with confidence or certainty, you take as truth. Without regard to the source, you’re willing to try or do things that if you actually understood some basic anatomy, physiology or chemistry, you’d ignore – especially when tried and true methods (that you likely aren’t optimally utilizing) are available to you.”
Take away: Don’t stop brushing your teeth with toothpaste and water. (Thank you on behalf of all who communicate with you on a regular basis.)
“These Internet articles and sales pitches assert that they, the authors (or salesmen), alone know the truth, and that everyone else, including your government and your physicians are part of some global conspiracy.”
Take away: Don’t encourage a new cult of non-brushers to join this bandwagon by spreading the word. (Thank you on behalf of all breathing, smelling beings … and dentists, though of course their practices might thank you if you do.)
In sum, we have the weight of 65 years of medical evidence with the endorsement of the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (i.e., the foremost authorities on these matters in the world) and governments around the world that continue to endorse and permit use of fluoridated water among its citizens. You have a single article from a largely unknown Internet source, with no comparable credentials to comment on such matters, that misstates findings and alleges that its authority on these matters is superior to dozens of years of case history usage of fluoridation.
Based on this one Internet article, how many of you have decided to disavow toothpaste and start cleaning your mouth with oil — without asking about the safety and efficacy of that particular endeavor? To you, I ask: Do you know anyone that knows anyone that knows anyone that has suffered the alleged consequences of fluoridation?
Allow me to leave you with the same summary from a previous post: Don’t forget that you’re not alone in pursuit of protecting your health. Your physician, dentists and other members of your healthcare team know the variety of medical options available, and they choose the best one for you from those options. You also have access to healthcare information and advice through 844-SMA-TALK (844-762-8255) and www.sterlingmedicaladvice.com. You’re not alone in your effort to live a better, healthier life. Keep in mind the years of study that went into the education your physicians obtained in order to practice medicine. Let that provide you with confidence and guide you when deciding where to get honest and accurate answers.
Feel free to contact your SMA expert consultant for more honest and accurate answers to any questions you have on this topic.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
You're Precious
Inside and out, you are a gift and a treasure. But let’s not get you buried prematurely. Be the gift that is healthy enough to keep on giving.
If you ever need help being a good health and wellness steward over the treasure that you are to the world, please call us at 844-SMA-TALK or chat with us at www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com 24/7.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Inside and out, you are a gift and a treasure. But let’s not get you buried prematurely. Be the gift that is healthy enough to keep on giving.
If you ever need help being a good health and wellness steward over the treasure that you are to the world, please call us at 844-SMA-TALK or chat with us at www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com 24/7.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Domestic Violence: How to Get Out of an Abusive Situation
Remember: You are not to blame, and you need not face domestic violence alone.
This is the third in a three-part series on domestic violence. The first post focused on the scope of domestic violence. The second post focused on risk factors and identifying whether your situation places you at risk.
When it comes to domestic violence, it is the immediate danger that can make it difficult for you to figure out the safest next move. Thus, it becomes important to know in advance the how and where of your escape plan.
Escaping the Crisis
If you are in a crisis situation, first make sure you and any other family members (e.g., children, parents) are safe. Leave the scene immediately, and find safe haven wherever it exists, such as an emergency shelter or the home of a friend or family member. You can find a shelter by calling (800) 799-SAFE. Call the police if you think you can’t leave home safely or if you want to bring charges against your abuser. If possible, take house keys, money and important papers with you. The staff members at emergency shelters can help you file for a court order of protection.
Be advised: Do not use drugs or alcohol at this time, because you need to be alert in a crisis. Even while you do what you feel you must do, be aware that use of weapons (even in a life-saving defense) will likely complicate and confuse matters.
If you can, just in case, plan your escape. Establish escape routes and a save haven. Secure important documents.
Where Do I Go If I’m Mentally or Physically Hurt?
Talk to a physician or get to an emergency department. We are prepared to check you for any life-threatening consequences to your abuse, treat any medical issue, provide mental health support and make referrals. Should you find an emergency shelter, counseling and support groups are available for you and your children.
Dealing With Your Abuser
Your primary focus should be on finding help for yourself and escaping the danger.
- First things first: Call the police if you believe that you are in danger.
- Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), your state domestic violence coalition and/or a local domestic violence agency. Seek out and speak with a family law advocate at your local crisis center. He or she can help you press charges against the perpetrator, file a temporary restraining order and advise you on how to seek a permanent restraining order.
- Don’t keep your circumstances hidden. Discuss them with a physician, nurse, therapist, friend, family member or spiritually advisor when you first believe yourself to be in a dangerous environment. Be careful to avoid advice that attempts to place you back in harm’s way or to do anything that is not best for you or your family. Don’t let someone talk you into doing something that isn’t right for you.
- Document any attempts at contact by the perpetrator. Save any new messages (especially threatening ones).
- Keep photographs that show any injuries you received. You will need this should you pursue legal action (e.g., press charges or file a restraining order).
- While it’s best to avoid the abuser completely, if you must meet to exchange documents or personal effects, do it in broad daylight where plenty of people are around, particularly those you know. It is preferably to have someone else make those exchanges, if possible.
After You’ve Escaped
You need to remain detached from your former situation as much as possible and implement changes in your life. Consider these following tips:
- Establish a new routine. Someone looking for you will look for you in places you’ve frequented in the past.
- Maintain an escape plan in your new location. It may seem counterintuitive, but avoid a route that takes you through areas with potential weapons – your attacker may end up with them instead of you.
- Change your mobile or home phone number immediately after you’ve escaped the situation.
Being subjected to repeated domestic violence can extract a devastating psychological toll. Although many domestic violence survivors do not need mental health treatment, and many symptoms resolve once they and their children are safe and have support, for others, treatment is a major component of their plan for safety and recovery.
Again, the National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). You should definitely memorize it, but I hope you never have to use it. Unfortunately, the odds reveal that many of you will.
I hope you have found the information in this series helpful. Good luck. Feel free to contact your Sterling Medical Advice expert consultant with any questions you have on this topic.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Remember: You are not to blame, and you need not face domestic violence alone.
This is the third in a three-part series on domestic violence. The first post focused on the scope of domestic violence. The second post focused on risk factors and identifying whether your situation places you at risk.
When it comes to domestic violence, it is the immediate danger that can make it difficult for you to figure out the safest next move. Thus, it becomes important to know in advance the how and where of your escape plan.
Escaping the Crisis
If you are in a crisis situation, first make sure you and any other family members (e.g., children, parents) are safe. Leave the scene immediately, and find safe haven wherever it exists, such as an emergency shelter or the home of a friend or family member. You can find a shelter by calling (800) 799-SAFE. Call the police if you think you can’t leave home safely or if you want to bring charges against your abuser. If possible, take house keys, money and important papers with you. The staff members at emergency shelters can help you file for a court order of protection.
Be advised: Do not use drugs or alcohol at this time, because you need to be alert in a crisis. Even while you do what you feel you must do, be aware that use of weapons (even in a life-saving defense) will likely complicate and confuse matters.
If you can, just in case, plan your escape. Establish escape routes and a save haven. Secure important documents.
Where Do I Go If I’m Mentally or Physically Hurt?
Talk to a physician or get to an emergency department. We are prepared to check you for any life-threatening consequences to your abuse, treat any medical issue, provide mental health support and make referrals. Should you find an emergency shelter, counseling and support groups are available for you and your children.
Dealing With Your Abuser
Your primary focus should be on finding help for yourself and escaping the danger.
- First things first: Call the police if you believe that you are in danger.
- Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), your state domestic violence coalition and/or a local domestic violence agency. Seek out and speak with a family law advocate at your local crisis center. He or she can help you press charges against the perpetrator, file a temporary restraining order and advise you on how to seek a permanent restraining order.
- Don’t keep your circumstances hidden. Discuss them with a physician, nurse, therapist, friend, family member or spiritually advisor when you first believe yourself to be in a dangerous environment. Be careful to avoid advice that attempts to place you back in harm’s way or to do anything that is not best for you or your family. Don’t let someone talk you into doing something that isn’t right for you.
- Document any attempts at contact by the perpetrator. Save any new messages (especially threatening ones).
- Keep photographs that show any injuries you received. You will need this should you pursue legal action (e.g., press charges or file a restraining order).
- While it’s best to avoid the abuser completely, if you must meet to exchange documents or personal effects, do it in broad daylight where plenty of people are around, particularly those you know. It is preferably to have someone else make those exchanges, if possible.
After You’ve Escaped
You need to remain detached from your former situation as much as possible and implement changes in your life. Consider these following tips:
- Establish a new routine. Someone looking for you will look for you in places you’ve frequented in the past.
- Maintain an escape plan in your new location. It may seem counterintuitive, but avoid a route that takes you through areas with potential weapons – your attacker may end up with them instead of you.
- Change your mobile or home phone number immediately after you’ve escaped the situation.
Being subjected to repeated domestic violence can extract a devastating psychological toll. Although many domestic violence survivors do not need mental health treatment, and many symptoms resolve once they and their children are safe and have support, for others, treatment is a major component of their plan for safety and recovery.
Again, the National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). You should definitely memorize it, but I hope you never have to use it. Unfortunately, the odds reveal that many of you will.
I hope you have found the information in this series helpful. Good luck. Feel free to contact your Sterling Medical Advice expert consultant with any questions you have on this topic.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Need a friend?
Found a whole team of friends for you.
Call anytime: 1-844-SMA-TALK.
Chat anytime: www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com
We are here for you, 24/7.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Found a whole team of friends for you.
Call anytime: 1-844-SMA-TALK.
Chat anytime: www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com
We are here for you, 24/7.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Straight No Chaser: Identifying Risks of Domestic Violence
Today we point to knowledge as the key to preventing potential life-threatening episodes in the household. This is the second in a three-part series on domestic violence. The previous post focused on the scope of domestic violence. The next post will focus on actions to take if you find yourself in a relationship in which domestic violence occurs.
Certain environments or conditions may increase your risk of becoming a victim of domestic violence. Here are certain considerations that suggest you may be at risk:
- Drugs and alcohol can exacerbate an already volatile situation.
- Be aware that pregnancy is a particularly sensitive time emotionally, during which abuse may start or increase.
- Women with fewer resources or greater perceived vulnerability—girls and those experiencing physical or psychiatric disabilities or living below the poverty line—are at even greater risk for domestic violence and lifetime abuse.
Children are also affected by domestic violence, even if they do not witness it directly. To protect them and yourself, evaluate your mate or others in a position to exert control over you. Abusers are masterful at isolating, manipulating, intimidating and controlling those they abuse. Abusers don’t always attack with a frontal assault. Abuse may begin slowly and progress. You may accommodate certain demands in an effort to “keep the peace” in your relationship and then find yourself beyond an easy retreat from a once generous and loving person who is now intimidating and threatening.
The insidious nature of abuse must be reemphasized. What may seem, at first, to be an isolated incident complicated by theoretically understandable factors may grow into a way of life with seemingly small events triggering abuse. Your abuser may change from an individual showing regret and remorse to someone that seems repulsed by your existence, blaming your every action (or inaction or anticipated action) for the abuse that follows.
The following conditions and circumstances have been associated with propensities for abuse. Don’t consider these as absolute predictors as much as risk factors about which you should be aware.
- Whirlwind romance
- Abnormal desire to be with you all the time
- Tracking what you’re doing and who you’re with
- Jealousy at any perceived attention to or from others
- Attempting to isolate you in the guise of loving behavior, including going to lengths to convince you that your friends and family don’t adequately care for you (e.g., “You don’t need to work or go to school” or “We only need each other”)
- Hypersensitivity to perceived slights
- Quick to blame you or others for the abuse
- Pressuring you into doing things you aren’t comfortable with (e.g., “If you really love me, you’ll do this for me”)
Are you at risk? Ask yourself these questions.
- Are you ever afraid of your partner?
- Has your partner ever hurt or threatened to hurt you physically or someone you care about?
- Does your partner ever force you to engage in sexual activities that make you uncomfortable?
- Do you constantly worry about your partner’s moods and change your behavior to deal with them?
- Does your partner try to control where you go, what you do and who you see?
- Does your partner constantly accuse you of having affairs?
- Have you stopped seeing family or friends to avoid your partner’s jealousy or anger?
- Does your partner control your finances?
- Does he/she threaten to kill him/herself if you leave?
- Does your partner claim his/her temper is out of control due to alcohol, drugs or because he/she had an abusive childhood?
If you answer yes to some or all of these questions, you could be at risk for or already suffering abuse.
In the next Straight, No Chaser, we’ll discuss actions you can take to protect yourself and remove yourself from an abusive environment.
It’s personal. We understand and we can help. Please … contact us if you’re in need of support. Our expert crisis counselors are here for you, 24/7. 1-844-SMA-TALK or www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com. You don’t have to “endure with dignity.”
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Today we point to knowledge as the key to preventing potential life-threatening episodes in the household. This is the second in a three-part series on domestic violence. The previous post focused on the scope of domestic violence. The next post will focus on actions to take if you find yourself in a relationship in which domestic violence occurs.
Certain environments or conditions may increase your risk of becoming a victim of domestic violence. Here are certain considerations that suggest you may be at risk:
- Drugs and alcohol can exacerbate an already volatile situation.
- Be aware that pregnancy is a particularly sensitive time emotionally, during which abuse may start or increase.
- Women with fewer resources or greater perceived vulnerability—girls and those experiencing physical or psychiatric disabilities or living below the poverty line—are at even greater risk for domestic violence and lifetime abuse.
Children are also affected by domestic violence, even if they do not witness it directly. To protect them and yourself, evaluate your mate or others in a position to exert control over you. Abusers are masterful at isolating, manipulating, intimidating and controlling those they abuse. Abusers don’t always attack with a frontal assault. Abuse may begin slowly and progress. You may accommodate certain demands in an effort to “keep the peace” in your relationship and then find yourself beyond an easy retreat from a once generous and loving person who is now intimidating and threatening.
The insidious nature of abuse must be reemphasized. What may seem, at first, to be an isolated incident complicated by theoretically understandable factors may grow into a way of life with seemingly small events triggering abuse. Your abuser may change from an individual showing regret and remorse to someone that seems repulsed by your existence, blaming your every action (or inaction or anticipated action) for the abuse that follows.
The following conditions and circumstances have been associated with propensities for abuse. Don’t consider these as absolute predictors as much as risk factors about which you should be aware.
- Whirlwind romance
- Abnormal desire to be with you all the time
- Tracking what you’re doing and who you’re with
- Jealousy at any perceived attention to or from others
- Attempting to isolate you in the guise of loving behavior, including going to lengths to convince you that your friends and family don’t adequately care for you (e.g., “You don’t need to work or go to school” or “We only need each other”)
- Hypersensitivity to perceived slights
- Quick to blame you or others for the abuse
- Pressuring you into doing things you aren’t comfortable with (e.g., “If you really love me, you’ll do this for me”)
Are you at risk? Ask yourself these questions.
- Are you ever afraid of your partner?
- Has your partner ever hurt or threatened to hurt you physically or someone you care about?
- Does your partner ever force you to engage in sexual activities that make you uncomfortable?
- Do you constantly worry about your partner’s moods and change your behavior to deal with them?
- Does your partner try to control where you go, what you do and who you see?
- Does your partner constantly accuse you of having affairs?
- Have you stopped seeing family or friends to avoid your partner’s jealousy or anger?
- Does your partner control your finances?
- Does he/she threaten to kill him/herself if you leave?
- Does your partner claim his/her temper is out of control due to alcohol, drugs or because he/she had an abusive childhood?
If you answer yes to some or all of these questions, you could be at risk for or already suffering abuse.
In the next Straight, No Chaser, we’ll discuss actions you can take to protect yourself and remove yourself from an abusive environment.
It’s personal. We understand and we can help. Please … contact us if you’re in need of support. Our expert crisis counselors are here for you, 24/7. 1-844-SMA-TALK or www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com. You don’t have to “endure with dignity.”
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Dun da da DUUUN!
Our superhero OrgMan wants the citizens of the world to remember what all this nutrition talk is about:
We’re doing all we can nutritionally to makes our organs thank us. And then we thank them. And so on …
Contact us at 844-SMA-TALK or www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com to chat with a nutritionist and learn some powerful ways to approach health and healing.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Our superhero OrgMan wants the citizens of the world to remember what all this nutrition talk is about:
We’re doing all we can nutritionally to makes our organs thank us. And then we thank them. And so on …
Contact us at 844-SMA-TALK or www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com to chat with a nutritionist and learn some powerful ways to approach health and healing.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Straight, No Chaser: Focus on Domestic Violence
Are you concerned about domestic violence? You are not alone. Domestic violence occurs in every culture and society. It occurs in all age groups and in men and women. It occurs in all races, income levels and religions. It occurs in heterosexual and homosexual relationships. It is estimated that one in four women and one in nine men will be victims of domestic violence at some point in their lives. That’s right. Many (if not most) emergency rooms now screen every single woman for domestic violence. You need to know the signs of danger and what you can do to get help.
This is the first in a three-part series on domestic violence. This post will focus on the scope of domestic violence. The next post will focus on identifying risk factors. The third post will focus on actions to take if you find yourself in a relationship in which domestic violence occurs.
Domestic violence is the abuse that one person with control in a household inflicts on another. Perpetrators can include parents or other caregivers, siblings, spouses or intimate partners. Domestic violence reveals itself in several forms, including sexual (e.g., rape), physical (e.g., biting, hitting, kicking) and mental abuse (e.g., constant criticisms or threats, limiting ability to lead otherwise normal lives). These forms tend to center around abnormal control of an aspect of another’s life. The level of mental control is such that victims of domestic violence often internalize the activity as normal, assign fault to themselves and/or accept responsibility for the abuse.
Domestic violence is a crime in all 50 states of the U.S.
It is a crime.
Victims do not cause abuse and are not responsible for it.
Domestic violence has consistent adverse effects on mental health.
- Children suffering from domestic violence often display developmental delays, aggressive behavior, difficulty performing in school and low self-esteem. They are at greater risk for being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder.
- Domestic violence increases the diagnoses of anxiety disorder, depression, panic attacks and post-traumatic stress disorder. It is associated with an increase in substance abuse.
- Domestic violence increases the incidence of psychotic episodes, suicide attempts and homelessness. It’s presence slows recovery from those suffering from other mental illness.
- Domestic violence increases the risk of retaliatory violence against the perpetrators.
Please … contact us if you’re in need of support. Our expert crisis counselors are here for you, 24/7. 1-844-SMA-TALK or www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com. You don’t have to “endure with dignity.”
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
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Are you concerned about domestic violence? You are not alone. Domestic violence occurs in every culture and society. It occurs in all age groups and in men and women. It occurs in all races, income levels and religions. It occurs in heterosexual and homosexual relationships. It is estimated that one in four women and one in nine men will be victims of domestic violence at some point in their lives. That’s right. Many (if not most) emergency rooms now screen every single woman for domestic violence. You need to know the signs of danger and what you can do to get help.
This is the first in a three-part series on domestic violence. This post will focus on the scope of domestic violence. The next post will focus on identifying risk factors. The third post will focus on actions to take if you find yourself in a relationship in which domestic violence occurs.
Domestic violence is the abuse that one person with control in a household inflicts on another. Perpetrators can include parents or other caregivers, siblings, spouses or intimate partners. Domestic violence reveals itself in several forms, including sexual (e.g., rape), physical (e.g., biting, hitting, kicking) and mental abuse (e.g., constant criticisms or threats, limiting ability to lead otherwise normal lives). These forms tend to center around abnormal control of an aspect of another’s life. The level of mental control is such that victims of domestic violence often internalize the activity as normal, assign fault to themselves and/or accept responsibility for the abuse.
Domestic violence is a crime in all 50 states of the U.S.
It is a crime.
Victims do not cause abuse and are not responsible for it.
Domestic violence has consistent adverse effects on mental health.
- Children suffering from domestic violence often display developmental delays, aggressive behavior, difficulty performing in school and low self-esteem. They are at greater risk for being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder.
- Domestic violence increases the diagnoses of anxiety disorder, depression, panic attacks and post-traumatic stress disorder. It is associated with an increase in substance abuse.
- Domestic violence increases the incidence of psychotic episodes, suicide attempts and homelessness. It’s presence slows recovery from those suffering from other mental illness.
- Domestic violence increases the risk of retaliatory violence against the perpetrators.
Please … contact us if you’re in need of support. Our expert crisis counselors are here for you, 24/7. 1-844-SMA-TALK or www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com. You don’t have to “endure with dignity.”
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Go Bananas!
Sometimes our lifestyles knock our systems out of whack. When we need an adjustment, healthy food can help.
Every now and then and especially when you’re on the run, a good breakfast or lunch or even dinner substitute might be just a couple of bananas and water. Maybe you should just let the digestion system rest a bit with one thing that is easy to digest instead of opting for a fast food alternative. Start thinking about foods like bananas and nuts as a good dietary substitute. It’ll be good for you in the long run.
Feel free to contact your Personal Healthcare Consultant at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com or 844-SMA-TALK. We love chatting 24/7.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Sometimes our lifestyles knock our systems out of whack. When we need an adjustment, healthy food can help.
Every now and then and especially when you’re on the run, a good breakfast or lunch or even dinner substitute might be just a couple of bananas and water. Maybe you should just let the digestion system rest a bit with one thing that is easy to digest instead of opting for a fast food alternative. Start thinking about foods like bananas and nuts as a good dietary substitute. It’ll be good for you in the long run.
Feel free to contact your Personal Healthcare Consultant at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com or 844-SMA-TALK. We love chatting 24/7.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Straight, No Chaser: Medical Myths, Health Fraud Scams and Your Boogie Men
I feel your frustration everyday. You call me, and you text me. You send me articles and ask my opinion on the newest health claim on the Internet. That’s right, I’m your information and advice guy. Thus, please allow me to offer you some basic principles to help you in your analysis of what you’re reading.
First and foremost, please be careful to appreciate that everything you read (especially on the Internet) isn’t factual. There’s a tremendous amount of misinformation. What’s worse, it’s everywhere. The Internet often provides you just enough information to confuse you, misdirect you, steer you toward someone’s agenda or paralyze you into inactivity.
I see at least 20 posts everyday on the Internet that, because they’re spoken with confidence or certainty, you take them as truth. Without regard to the source, you’re willing to try or do things that if you actually understood some basic anatomy, physiology or chemistry, you’d ignore – especially when tried and true methods (that you aren’t utilizing) are available to you.
This propensity to present opinions and misinformation as facts is part of what’s changed in society. For as scary and odd as it seems while you’re watching, pharmaceutical companies’ commercials are ethical enough to tell you risk factors, side effects and then advise you to discuss the products with your physicians. These Internet articles and sales pitches assert that they, the authors (or salesmen), alone know the truth, and that everyone else, including your government and your physicians are part of some global conspiracy.
Here’s the deal.
Medicine – or at least the way in which physicians treat patients – is largely based on science. The standard of evidenced-based medicine depends on a preponderance of evidence accumulated over multiple studies of a certain caliber (randomized, double-blinded, peer reviewed). New evidence accumulated over multiple studies can cause incremental changes in thinking and treatment strategies. Therefore, your physicians aren’t going off the grid to make recommendations or provide treatment. Safety considerations necessitate proof that the medicines you’re taking or the procedures being done to you aren’t unnecessarily placing you in danger.
You may note that this leaves some room for new discovery, because the last paragraph is not the same as saying that if it hasn’t been researched, it’s not safe. What can be said is the safety and efficacy of certain medicines and procedures can’t be verified, because they haven’t been adequately researched (i.e., the scientific method). This is something often noted about many herbal medications. That’s right: the absence of evidence isn’t always evidence of absence.
Different still is how certain other claims are made. Medical scams and frauds are often perpetrated on the public, and agenda-based fears are presented as if opinions are facts, even in the face of volumes of evidence to the contrary. Claims arguing that immunization will cause the disease from which you’re being protect or that vaccines will cause other conditions such as autism are examples of this.
So, the next time you come across a sensational article that refutes everything that you had previously known or some medical cure than your physician hasn’t shared with you, take a deep breath and ask yourself if it’s possible that you’re being asked to respond to your fears instead of actual medical science.
Now let’s empower you. Here are some tips to help you the next time you’re presented with something alleging to be a miracle cure. Keep in mind that those aiming to perpetrate a scam are attempting to play upon your insecurities. Thus, scams tend to focus on conditions about which you hold fear, including the following:
- Obesity, with promises of rapid and sustainable weight loss
- Impotence, with the promise of a return to peak sexual performance
- Memory loss
- Miracle cures for serious diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and arthritis
Similarly, any product promising the following types of results warrant a conversation with your physician before investing your hard-earned money:
- It includes claims that “One product does it all,” alleging to treat multiple diseases.
- It involves personal testimonials instead of scientific evidence.
- It claims quick fixes for chronic diseases (such as cancer or obesity).
- The product is “all natural.” Remember these types of products haven’t been subject to the rigors of medical testing by the FDA and could actually contain dangerous levels of the same active ingredients as in prescription medicines.
- It’s a “Miracle cure, Scientific breakthrough, Secret ingredient, New Discovery.” Please pay attention. If a truly innovative cure for a serious disease were discovered, it would be on the front page of the papers and would be the lead story on the news, not the topic of an infomercial or an Internet promotion.
- It’s the answer to a conspiracy theory. Claims like “The pharmaceutical industry and the government are working together to hide information about a miracle cure” are always untrue and unfounded. These statements are used to distract consumers from the obvious, common sense questions about the so-called miracle cure.
So lower your stress levels and let the boogiemen go. You’re not going to find a miracle cure in a bottle. Even more importantly, don’t forget that you’re not alone in pursuit of protecting your health. Your healthcare team already knows the variety of medical options available and chooses the best one for you from those choices. You also have access to healthcare information and advice from www.sterlingmedicaladvice.com and 844-SMA-TALK (844-762-8255). You’re not alone in your effort to live a better, healthier life. Keep in mind the years of education your physicians obtained to practice medicine. Let that provide you with confidence and guide you when deciding where to get honest and accurate answers.
Feel free to contact your SMA expert consultant with any questions you have on this topic.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
I feel your frustration everyday. You call me, and you text me. You send me articles and ask my opinion on the newest health claim on the Internet. That’s right, I’m your information and advice guy. Thus, please allow me to offer you some basic principles to help you in your analysis of what you’re reading.
First and foremost, please be careful to appreciate that everything you read (especially on the Internet) isn’t factual. There’s a tremendous amount of misinformation. What’s worse, it’s everywhere. The Internet often provides you just enough information to confuse you, misdirect you, steer you toward someone’s agenda or paralyze you into inactivity.
I see at least 20 posts everyday on the Internet that, because they’re spoken with confidence or certainty, you take them as truth. Without regard to the source, you’re willing to try or do things that if you actually understood some basic anatomy, physiology or chemistry, you’d ignore – especially when tried and true methods (that you aren’t utilizing) are available to you.
This propensity to present opinions and misinformation as facts is part of what’s changed in society. For as scary and odd as it seems while you’re watching, pharmaceutical companies’ commercials are ethical enough to tell you risk factors, side effects and then advise you to discuss the products with your physicians. These Internet articles and sales pitches assert that they, the authors (or salesmen), alone know the truth, and that everyone else, including your government and your physicians are part of some global conspiracy.
Here’s the deal.
Medicine – or at least the way in which physicians treat patients – is largely based on science. The standard of evidenced-based medicine depends on a preponderance of evidence accumulated over multiple studies of a certain caliber (randomized, double-blinded, peer reviewed). New evidence accumulated over multiple studies can cause incremental changes in thinking and treatment strategies. Therefore, your physicians aren’t going off the grid to make recommendations or provide treatment. Safety considerations necessitate proof that the medicines you’re taking or the procedures being done to you aren’t unnecessarily placing you in danger.
You may note that this leaves some room for new discovery, because the last paragraph is not the same as saying that if it hasn’t been researched, it’s not safe. What can be said is the safety and efficacy of certain medicines and procedures can’t be verified, because they haven’t been adequately researched (i.e., the scientific method). This is something often noted about many herbal medications. That’s right: the absence of evidence isn’t always evidence of absence.
Different still is how certain other claims are made. Medical scams and frauds are often perpetrated on the public, and agenda-based fears are presented as if opinions are facts, even in the face of volumes of evidence to the contrary. Claims arguing that immunization will cause the disease from which you’re being protect or that vaccines will cause other conditions such as autism are examples of this.
So, the next time you come across a sensational article that refutes everything that you had previously known or some medical cure than your physician hasn’t shared with you, take a deep breath and ask yourself if it’s possible that you’re being asked to respond to your fears instead of actual medical science.
Now let’s empower you. Here are some tips to help you the next time you’re presented with something alleging to be a miracle cure. Keep in mind that those aiming to perpetrate a scam are attempting to play upon your insecurities. Thus, scams tend to focus on conditions about which you hold fear, including the following:
- Obesity, with promises of rapid and sustainable weight loss
- Impotence, with the promise of a return to peak sexual performance
- Memory loss
- Miracle cures for serious diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and arthritis
Similarly, any product promising the following types of results warrant a conversation with your physician before investing your hard-earned money:
- It includes claims that “One product does it all,” alleging to treat multiple diseases.
- It involves personal testimonials instead of scientific evidence.
- It claims quick fixes for chronic diseases (such as cancer or obesity).
- The product is “all natural.” Remember these types of products haven’t been subject to the rigors of medical testing by the FDA and could actually contain dangerous levels of the same active ingredients as in prescription medicines.
- It’s a “Miracle cure, Scientific breakthrough, Secret ingredient, New Discovery.” Please pay attention. If a truly innovative cure for a serious disease were discovered, it would be on the front page of the papers and would be the lead story on the news, not the topic of an infomercial or an Internet promotion.
- It’s the answer to a conspiracy theory. Claims like “The pharmaceutical industry and the government are working together to hide information about a miracle cure” are always untrue and unfounded. These statements are used to distract consumers from the obvious, common sense questions about the so-called miracle cure.
So lower your stress levels and let the boogiemen go. You’re not going to find a miracle cure in a bottle. Even more importantly, don’t forget that you’re not alone in pursuit of protecting your health. Your healthcare team already knows the variety of medical options available and chooses the best one for you from those choices. You also have access to healthcare information and advice from www.sterlingmedicaladvice.com and 844-SMA-TALK (844-762-8255). You’re not alone in your effort to live a better, healthier life. Keep in mind the years of education your physicians obtained to practice medicine. Let that provide you with confidence and guide you when deciding where to get honest and accurate answers.
Feel free to contact your SMA expert consultant with any questions you have on this topic.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Health Comes First!
We live in a culture where we use food to celebrate, to sooth our anxieties and hurts, to entertain, etc. However, while we’re in National Nutrition Month, let’s put nutrition first on our list of reasons we eat. Let’s respond to our bodies’ signals with the food they need.
If you need help reading those signals, feel free to contact your Personal Healthcare Consultant at 844-SMA-TALK or www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com. We’re here for you.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
We live in a culture where we use food to celebrate, to sooth our anxieties and hurts, to entertain, etc. However, while we’re in National Nutrition Month, let’s put nutrition first on our list of reasons we eat. Let’s respond to our bodies’ signals with the food they need.
If you need help reading those signals, feel free to contact your Personal Healthcare Consultant at 844-SMA-TALK or www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com. We’re here for you.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Straight, No Chaser: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) – A Really Good Reason Not to Get a Sexually Transmitted Disease
We’ve previously discussed sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at length, including gonorrhea and chlamydia. One thing that often gets overlooked or not given enough consideration is the risk of complications that occur when contracting a STI. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is one consideration that should be up front and center as a consideration in your mind. If you’re not familiar with the term PID, commit it to memory, as this is a relatively common condition.
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) refers to an infection of the upper genital tract in women. It is usually sexually transmitted. PID is the single most common preventable cause of infertility in the U.S. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 750,000 cases of PID occur in the U.S. every year.
Here’s your concern: PID can negatively affect your reproductive organs, including the uterus (womb), fallopian tubes (tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus) and ovaries. The inflammation caused by PID scars affected organs and can result in infertility, tubal (ectopic) pregnancy, chronic pelvic pain, abscesses (pus pockets, aka “boils”) and other serious gynecological problems. Most ominous is the fact that up to 20% of women may become infertile as a result of PID.
As mentioned, PID typically begins as an STI. Among STIs, gonorrhea and chlamydia are the most common causes. Here are additional risk factors for PID.
- Prior episode of PID
- Under age 25 – The cervix (opening to the uterus) has greater susceptibility to STIs and thus to PID in this age group.
- Douching — This can force bacteria from the vagina into the upper reproductive organs.
- IUD use — In some women, using an intrauterine device (IUD) to prevent pregnancy can also cause PID.
- Medical care — PID may rarely result from gynecological procedures or surgeries.
There is a pretty significant range in the way PID shows up. You may not have symptoms, or symptoms could be quite severe. Symptoms may include lower abdominal pain, fever and foul-smelling vaginal discharge. You may notice pain with sex or while urinating. Your menstruation may become abnormal.
This may sound odd, but the treatment of PID is much more important than its diagnosis. This is because a diagnosis may be difficult to reach due to the subtlety of symptoms, and the consequences of missing the diagnosis are severe enough that presumptive treatment is commonly done. Early treatment can prevent or limit long-term complications such as infertility and chronic pelvic pain. According to the CDC, without adequate treatment, 20-40% of women with chlamydia and 10-40% of women with gonorrhea may develop PID. Among those with PID, fully one in five (20%) may develop infertility and one in 10 (10%) may develop a tubal (ectopic) pregnancy. Chronic pelvic pain occurs in approximately 18% of cases of PID.
If you are thought to have or are diagnosed with PID, you will need antibiotics. It is critical that you take these until they are all gone. This is not an instance where you should stop taking the pills once you start feeling better. More specifics on the treatment of PID are provided at www.sterlingmedicaladvice.com.
What you really want to remember is that prevention is key. The best way to avoid STIs is to abstain from sex or to be in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and isn’t infected. In addition, correct and consistent use of condoms further reduces your risk of STIs, including chlamydia and gonorrhea.
One more crucial means of protection from PID is early detection. If you think you or your sexual partner may have an STI, get evaluated and treated promptly.
Feel free to ask your SMA personal healthcare consultant any questions you have on this topic.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
We’ve previously discussed sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at length, including gonorrhea and chlamydia. One thing that often gets overlooked or not given enough consideration is the risk of complications that occur when contracting a STI. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is one consideration that should be up front and center as a consideration in your mind. If you’re not familiar with the term PID, commit it to memory, as this is a relatively common condition.
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) refers to an infection of the upper genital tract in women. It is usually sexually transmitted. PID is the single most common preventable cause of infertility in the U.S. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 750,000 cases of PID occur in the U.S. every year.
Here’s your concern: PID can negatively affect your reproductive organs, including the uterus (womb), fallopian tubes (tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus) and ovaries. The inflammation caused by PID scars affected organs and can result in infertility, tubal (ectopic) pregnancy, chronic pelvic pain, abscesses (pus pockets, aka “boils”) and other serious gynecological problems. Most ominous is the fact that up to 20% of women may become infertile as a result of PID.
As mentioned, PID typically begins as an STI. Among STIs, gonorrhea and chlamydia are the most common causes. Here are additional risk factors for PID.
- Prior episode of PID
- Under age 25 – The cervix (opening to the uterus) has greater susceptibility to STIs and thus to PID in this age group.
- Douching — This can force bacteria from the vagina into the upper reproductive organs.
- IUD use — In some women, using an intrauterine device (IUD) to prevent pregnancy can also cause PID.
- Medical care — PID may rarely result from gynecological procedures or surgeries.
There is a pretty significant range in the way PID shows up. You may not have symptoms, or symptoms could be quite severe. Symptoms may include lower abdominal pain, fever and foul-smelling vaginal discharge. You may notice pain with sex or while urinating. Your menstruation may become abnormal.
This may sound odd, but the treatment of PID is much more important than its diagnosis. This is because a diagnosis may be difficult to reach due to the subtlety of symptoms, and the consequences of missing the diagnosis are severe enough that presumptive treatment is commonly done. Early treatment can prevent or limit long-term complications such as infertility and chronic pelvic pain. According to the CDC, without adequate treatment, 20-40% of women with chlamydia and 10-40% of women with gonorrhea may develop PID. Among those with PID, fully one in five (20%) may develop infertility and one in 10 (10%) may develop a tubal (ectopic) pregnancy. Chronic pelvic pain occurs in approximately 18% of cases of PID.
If you are thought to have or are diagnosed with PID, you will need antibiotics. It is critical that you take these until they are all gone. This is not an instance where you should stop taking the pills once you start feeling better. More specifics on the treatment of PID are provided at www.sterlingmedicaladvice.com.
What you really want to remember is that prevention is key. The best way to avoid STIs is to abstain from sex or to be in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and isn’t infected. In addition, correct and consistent use of condoms further reduces your risk of STIs, including chlamydia and gonorrhea.
One more crucial means of protection from PID is early detection. If you think you or your sexual partner may have an STI, get evaluated and treated promptly.
Feel free to ask your SMA personal healthcare consultant any questions you have on this topic.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Kids' Nutrition
Joyfully is how we should introduce nutrition to our children.
New parents have the best opportunity to change the world’s health system by reducing unnecessary sickness from bad eating choices. Kids don’t know that junk food tastes good until we tell them. Once they find out, they won’t know that it will kill them or breed illness overtime. Let’s make the most of their pure lives.
Call us for other strategies around great kid nutrition and health. We’re here for you 24/7 at 844-SMA-TALK or www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
Joyfully is how we should introduce nutrition to our children.
New parents have the best opportunity to change the world’s health system by reducing unnecessary sickness from bad eating choices. Kids don’t know that junk food tastes good until we tell them. Once they find out, they won’t know that it will kill them or breed illness overtime. Let’s make the most of their pure lives.
Call us for other strategies around great kid nutrition and health. We’re here for you 24/7 at 844-SMA-TALK or www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
