Tag Archives: Sterling Medical Advice

National Condom Week and Your Guide to Safe Sex

Introduction

This Straight, No Chaser acknowledges National Condom Week and provides you a guide to safe sex and condom use. We know you think this is a simple topic, and you’ve probably been using condoms for a very long time (hopefully). However, isn’t it worth getting your knowledge updated?

It’s no coincidence this occurs during the week containing Valentine’s Day! Wanna have a heart? Be smart!

National Condom Week

Quick answers to quick questions!

How effective are condoms against pregnancy?

  • If you use condoms perfectly every single time you have sex, they’re 98% effective at preventing pregnancy.
  • Based on use averaging, that drops to about 85% effective. Unfortunately, about 15 out of 100 people who use condoms as their only birth control method will still get pregnant each year.

How effective are condoms against sexually transmitted infections (STIs)?

Condoms are the only methods of birth control that also help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections. This is a separate consideration from using condoms for preventing pregnancy. However, they must be used every time to have this benefit. It only takes one slip-up (or slip-off) to contact an STI.

How can I make condoms more effective?

  • In a phrase: use them every time from start to finish.
  • In another phrase: think condom plus. The plus would include another form of birth control in addition to condoms, such as bill control pills, IUD or one of the various shots.

How about female condoms?

  • Watch this! 
  • No, you don’t need to use both a female condom with one over the penis. One or the other provides the same level of protection as does both.
  • You shouldn’t use a condom worn on the penis together with a female condom. Condoms are designed to be used on their own, and doubling up won’t necessarily give you extra protection. One condom used correctly is all the protection you need.

Read these!

Since this is the week of Valentine’s Day, we’ll offer you this sweet extra!

Follow us!

Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

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Your Guide to Combating Cold Exposure

Introduction

Cold exposure

This Straight, No Chaser addresses various components of cold exposure.

Congratulations! We sincerely hope you and your loved ones have survived the polar vortex and can think straight again. With that being the case, let’s review posts to offer you safety and tips to combat the odd things that accompany cold exposure. Use this post as a guide to obtain whatever additional information you need. Click the links provided for additional blog posts. They offer up-to-date information on various topics related to frostbite, hypothermia and other topics of interest. Also, ask us questions!

Follow us!

Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Copyright ©2013- 2019 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

In The News: What “Medicare For All” Means and Might Look Like

Introduction

Medicare For All

In the news is a proclamation from no fewer than three prominent candidates for President that they would seek to implement “Medicare For All” as America’s health care system. Let’s go Straight, No Chaser and review what that might mean. Let’s frame the conversation around three frequently expressed concerns. First, let’s remember that no actual proposal exists. Therefore, what Medicare For All may end up looking like is subject to a wide range of possibilities.

“Medicare For All” means socialized medicine.

Actually it doesn’t. If you think it does, you don’t understand the definition of socialized medicine. In an actual socialized medicine paradigm, everything is owned and/or paid for directly by the government. This includes the hospitals, the physicians and everything down to the equipment. That is not what Medicare is. Furthermore, it is not what Medicare For All would be. Medicare is an insurance program and a safety net. Also, it is a means of establishing guidelines and regulations. As such, Medicare For All (MFA) would enroll everyone in the nation under a single health care plan. Medicare would set prices for reimbursement and establish your tax burden.

It is incredibly unlikely that the individual cost of your care would be greater than the current annual burden of insurance. These current costs are just under $11,000/person. Remember, the drive for profits (most notably of insurance companies) would go away. This represents a lot of the current expense of health care. Furthermore, under Medicare For All, you’d get to keep your physician! All physicians would have to accept Medicare because there would only be a single payer. As a result, the lasting criticism about the Affordable Care Act wouldn’t be in play.

Is this good or bad?

One wonders about the public health impact of Medicare For All and a patient’s point of view? Remember, we typically look at these things through the prisms of quality, access and cost. Objectively, you’d have to think there are significant opportunities for improvement. It is worth exploring these opportunities instead of rejecting them out of hand.

  • Quality

Regarding quality, the U.S. currently is not doing a very good job at producing health care outcomes. Our current system is somewhere in the mid-30s when compared with the rest of the world. Furthermore, if you’re one of the 150 million Americans who currently enjoy (or at least prefer) your current insurance arrangement through your employee, take heed. Regarding quality, today’s Medicare isn’t likely to be tomorrow’s Medicare For All product. Medicare has been rather good at compelling specific outcomes. With implementation of a single payer system, convenience and quality would like improve beyond today’s standard.

  • Access

Regarding access, there are still approximately 30 million Americans without any health care. This number is down from approximately 50 million prior to implementation of the Affordable Care Act. So for about 15% of the country who otherwise wouldn’t have insurance, the immediate answer would become MFA is infinitely better than the status quo. Lack of access would be completely eliminated under MFA. This would be especially pleasing to those with pre-existing conditions. The conversation about cost is addressed below as a separate question.

“Medicare For All” means eliminating the current insurance company structure in the United States.

Although Sen. Kamala Harris stated as much as part of her platform, that occurrence doesn’t have to be the case. There is no reason why MFA couldn’t represent a “public option” for everyone. The key here would be the financial part. Let’s assume we allowed private insurance to remain for those wanting to pay for it. That’s possible, even while allowing the public option existed for everyone, whether or not they chose to utilize it. This paradigm would conceivably work.

However, the immediate problem would be both private insurance and MFA would become more expensive. Insurance premiums are largely determined by the number of participants in the system. The more people enrolled in a program allows costs to be pooled and reduced. Furthermore, we would predict that those opting out of MFA would still be required to share the tax burden of MFA. Basically, if you want the new system’s costs to explode, allow it to be something providing care only for the indigent and those otherwise unable to pay for private insurance. So under this scenario, those clamoring for private insurance would likely pay higher premiums to the private insurance company (because of less enrollees) and still having to pay a hefty MFA tax.

“Medicare For All” would bankrupt the country.

Even without doing a financial analysis (which isn’t possible because no actual proposal has been submitted), this has to be a preposterous supposition. To be fair, the United States does spend 17% of its gross national product (GNP) on health care. Disrupting the current system would cause disruption of both the clinical and financial aspects of the health care system – and a large segment of the American economy as a consequence.

On the other hand, the United States is alone in the world in spending 17% of its GNP on health care. The next most expensive system in the world (as measured by percentage of GNP) is France. Amazingly, they spend only approximately 11% of GNP on health care. What this means is there are tremendous efficiencies to be had by reforming the American health care system/industry. These efficiencies would result in tremendous savings.

The necessary next question is “Would you trust the government (or more specifically an expansion of Medicaid) to create those efficiencies and maintain a high quality of medical care and health care outcomes?” Indeed, this could go horribly wrong. However, it could be transformative for an incredible number of Americans. Which of the issues of providing health care to people vs providing profits to the healthcare industry will win? It is on these last two questions that the debate will rage on.

There’s More!

Follow us!

Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Copyright © 2019 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

A Dream of Equal Access to Health Care

Introduction

On the day of observation of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., we discuss applying his dream to equal access of health care.

mlk on health

On this national day of celebration, I always reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s most famous comments on health care in America.

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”

Using the sustained assault on the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) in the US, it becomes as important as ever to revisit this premise.

Injustice in Health Care

Why would Dr. King say such a thing? Injustice in health care has taken many forms. Unfortunately, these result in predictably poor outcomes for those affected. We call these disparities in healthcare. Let’s begin by addressing the inequity in insurance coverage that formed the premise for the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare).

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2009-2010, when the Affordable Care Act (ACA; aka Obamacare) was signed into law, 41% of low-income adults were uninsured, and 45% of poor adults were uninsured. Contrast this with the fact that only 6% of those who make four or more times the poverty rate were uninsured. This pretty clearly makes the case that health care is a desirable asset for Americans who can afford it. Unfortunately, it is too often a choice that can’t be afforded for many. Furthermore, consider that 14% percent of white Americans were uninsured, while 22% of African-Americans were uninsured, and 32% of Hispanic Americans were uninsured. Whether you believe this is just a correlation, coincidence or reflection of something more damning, it is a situation that screamed to be addressed and improved.

Back in 2012 (immediately prior to implementation of the ACA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a survey showing that more than 45 million U.S. residents didn’t have health insurance. Still even more people, 57.5 million, were uninsured for at least part of the 12 months before being polled. Be reminded that the total U.S. population is over 311 million.

The How and Why of Health Care Inequity

Please take a moment and ponder the enormity of the numbers just presented. It begs the question “How can such be allowed to exist?” Dr. King’s comment begged the same question. Unfortunately, the answer is the American health care system isn’t built on producing equality of access or outcomes. You’ve heard me say before that the American health care system remains the only system among all the major industrialized nations on earth that doesn’t ensure access for all its citizens. The American health care system is fundamentally a business enterprise. This sector has captured approximately $3.5 trillion of the American economy annually. Stunningly, this represents over 1/6 (17%) of the gross domestic product.

The US is number one in money spent on health care by a large margin. In fact, the U.S. spends more on people aged over 65 than any other country spends on its entire population. The business of medicine in America is business first. It is largely expected that good health care outcomes will result from good business. Health care is viewed as a commodity in the same way that good cars, computers and smartphones are. Does this work? The outcomes say otherwise. According to the World Health Organization, the U.S. health care system was ranked #38 in the last WHO ranking based on standard health outcomes produced.

The Affect of the Affordable Care Act on Equal Access to Health Care

Despite any perceived and actual flaws in the ACA, one unassailable fact exists. Approximately 20 million previously uninsured Americans obtained it through the passage of the Affordable Care Act. The ACA targets its assistance to the poor and near-poor who are least likely to have health care coverage. The ACA will provide Medicaid coverage to those with incomes up to 133 percent of the poverty level (approximately $16,000). Unfortunately, this isn’t true in states opting out of the Medicaid expansion. People earning between the poverty level and four times that amount are eligible for tax credits for private health insurance.

Access to health care is the beginning of the process by which health care disparities can be erased. As long as failure to have equal access exists to the extent that it does, the types of disparities in life expectancy, disease rates and disease survival will remain predictably dismal for certain populations. As long as total our population is unhealthy in general, and pockets of our population are more disproportionately unhealthy, we will remain less productive and cohesive than we could be. Predictably, these facts will perpetrate a host of additional problems within our society.

MLKMOW

Finally and furthermore, one question still begs to be asked. Why does the US choose to remain the only major industrialized nation in the world that fails to provide universal health care for its citizenry? What part of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness involves doing so without health? How is that Justice?

Happy MLK Day. Remember the Dream, but also remember how that plays out in our lives.

Follow us!

Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Copyright © 2019 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

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Simple Weight Loss Strategies

Introduction

Simple Weight Loss Strategies

Weight Loss Strategies - Diet and Exercise

REMOVE TEMPTATION

If you’re trying to set yourself up for success, keeping donuts and chips around isn’t doing you any favors. Give your pantry and fridge a little makeover to stay on track with your goals.

When I want ice cream, I must leave the house and pay $4.00 for a scoop of ice. If I really want it, I will do it. Otherwise, I will not spend $4.00 on one scoop!

STOP EATING AFTER DINNER

Late-night noshes are usually high-calorie, large portions or snacky foods (Read: cookies, ice cream, chips and candy) eaten mindlessly out of enjoyment to unwind from the stress of the day. It’s a recipe for weight gain and disaster.

So, the real issue is not eating after dinner. The real issue is mindless eating and over doing it in the evening.

LEARN HOW TO ORDER AT RESTAURANTS

Weight Loss Strategies - Healthy Eating at Restaurants

Eating out can rack up the calories, so knowing how to make healthy menu swaps is key. Whether you’re dining at your favorite Mexican, steak, or Italian restaurants, or even if you’re ordering Chinese takeout, this very short list will help you on the right track toward making the healthiest selection. Be smarter at restaurants — but still enjoy yourself.

Note: The high sodium effect is real and still in effect until restaurants are mandated to lower sodium content. Its coming!

Mexican Healthier picks

  1. Chicken fajitas
  2. Taco salad (hold the hard shell, queso and sour cream)
  3. Shrimp or chicken taco on soft corn tortillas

Breakfast/Brunch healthier picks

  1. Vegetable omelet
  2. Oatmeal with fruit (get sugar and syrups on the side)
  3. Eggs, whole-wheat toast and fruit

American steakhouse

  1. Filet mignon and baked sweet potato
  2. Grilled salmon with steamed broccoli
  3. Tenderloin with baked potato and side salad
  4. Grilled chicken with steamed mixed veggies and brown rice

Italian

  1. Minestrone soup and house salad
  2. Chicken Marsala
  3. Grilled fish and vegetables with marinara over whole wheat pasta

Southern

  1. Pulled chicken with baked beans and collard greens
  2. Smoked turkey with green beans and corn on the cob
  3. Beef brisket with stewed okra and coleslaw

It’s easy enough to say eat less, move more, but often more difficult to do. Here are a few ideas on how to make it easier:

CONSIDER NON-SCALE VICTORIES

Your weight is determined by a variety of factors, including hydration, climate, when you last ate, bathroom habits and exercise. In other words, weight fluctuation is common, and there’s much more to good health than a number on a scale.

It’s not necessary to weigh yourself daily. In most cases, this causes unnecessary stress and unrealistic expectation. Weigh in weekly as you will have more of basis to make adjustments with eating choices.

GET ADEQUATE SLEEP

Sleep is undervalued. Getting enough quality sleep is holistically tied to your health and weight-loss goals. Sleep offers our bodies a chance at restoration and rejuvenation. When we’re sleep-deprived, we tend to eat more, exercise less and make poor food choices.

Ideally 7-9 hours PER night is recommended.  Quality sleep is key. Yes, 9 hours is possible!

Sandra  is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, specializing in nutrition & weight loss. She helps people who are struggling with losing weight and the impact that weight has on health, self-esteem, well-being and overall life. You can reach her at https://actionchoices.com/.

There’s More!

Review these additional Straight, No Chaser posts for weight loss tips and strategies.

Straight, No Chaser: Healthy, Sustainable Weight Loss – Let’s Get Started

Fiber and Weight Loss

Follow us!

Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Copyright © 2013-2019 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Stalking Awareness

Introduction

Stalking Facts

Stalking awareness conversations aren’t held very often. However, the scope of stalking is wide enough, and stalking is common enough, that you should know about it. This Straight, No Chaser addresses these conditions during stalking awareness month.

Defining Stalking

Stalking has many legal definitions, but you really don’t need a legal definition to know it when you experience it. Formally, the varying definitions involve the following considerations:

  • Stalking involves actions from one individual directed toward another specific individual.
  • Stalking involves actions that predictably would cause fear in a reasonable person.

The data on stalking

Consider the following data from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

stats for stalking awareness month

  • An estimated 6.6 million people are stalked per year in the U.S.
  • Over current lifetimes, 1 in 6 women and 1 in 19 men have experienced stalking victimization, specifically including the fear or belief that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 13 men report a less severe state of stalking, which includes any amount of fear (i.e., fear, but of a lesser level than a life threatening fear).
  • 66% of female victims and 41% of male victims are stalked by a current or former intimate partner.
  • In many instances, stalking begins when victims are relatively young. More than half of female victims and more than 1/3 of male victims of stalking indicated that they were stalked before the age of 25. Additionally, about 1 in 5 female victims and 1 in 14 male victims experienced stalking between the ages of 11 and 17.
  • 11% of stalking victims have been stalked for 5 years or more.

More statistics

Please, take stalking seriously. Consider these additional statistics.

  • 76% of intimate partner femicide victims had been stalked by their intimate partner, and 67% had been previously physically abused by their intimate partner.
  • 89% of femicide victims who had been physically assaulted had also been stalked in the 12 months before their murder.
  • 2/3 of stalkers pursue their victims at least once per week, many daily, using more than one method.
  • 78% of stalkers use more than one means of approach.
  • Weapons are used to harm or threaten victims in 1 out of 5 cases.
  • Almost 1/3 of stalkers have stalked before.
  • 46% of stalking victims experience at least one unwanted contact per week.

 stalking awareness

How stalking is incapacitating.

  • 46% of stalking victims fear not knowing what will happen next.
  • 29% of stalking victims fear the stalking will never stop.
  • 1 in 8 employed stalking victims lose time from work as a direct result of their victimization; more than half of these lose 5 days of work or more.
  • 1 in 7 stalking victims move as a result of their victimization.
  • Stalking victims suffer from higher levels of anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression than the general population.

Know your rights. Furthermore, know your options.

Improve the laws!

There is room in the laws for better protection of victims. Fundamental, it starts with stalking awareness. You may not know that stalking is a crime under the laws of all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Territories and the federal government. Even so, less than 1/3 of states classify stalking as a felony upon first offense.

Fortunately, more than 1/2 of states classify stalking as a felony upon second or subsequent offense or when the crime involves aggravating factors such as possession of a deadly weapon, violation of a court order or condition of probation/parole, involvement of a victim under 16 years or the same victim as prior occasions. Most unfortunately, 54% of femicide victims reported being stalked to police before they were eventually killed.

Stalking is not an innocent occurrence. You would do well to document your concerns and involve friends, family and the authorities for any instance in which you find yourself violated or in a compromised position.

Follow us!

Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Copyright © 2019 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week

Introduction

It’s National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week. Accordingly, this Straight, No Chaser post provides information you need to know!

drug and alcohol facts week

Let’s start with this simple fact.

Alcohol kills more people each year than all illegal drugs combined.

We have already extensively reviewed the various components of alcohol use, abuse, benefits and disease. Therefore, use this post as a guide to obtain whatever additional information you need. Click the links provided for additional blog posts with up-to-date information on various topics related to alcohol. Also, ask us questions!

Follow us!

Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Copyright ©2013- 2019 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Cervical Health Awareness Month

Introduction

cervical health awareness month

January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. To that end, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) boldly proclaims “No woman should die of cervical cancer.” Yes, that is actually possible!

This post has a rather simple message. Cervical cancer is entirely preventable. Furthermore, it can be cured when discovered and treated early.

Quick Tips

Here are some quick tips to help you check this off of your list of concerns.

  • Every child should get vaccinated at age 11 or 12. Even if you’ve reached age 26 and haven’t been vaccinated, you should discuss options with your physician.
  • Get screened, starting at age 21. This is the most important thing you can do to help prevent cervical cancer.

pap smear

  • The Pap test (or smear) should be performed regularly at age 21. It looks for precancerous changes to the cervix that identify the need for early treatment. In many cases a normal test will eliminate the need for another test for the next three years, but your physician will discuss your individual circumstances in this regard.
  • The HPV test looks for the virus that is now known to be the cause of cervical cancer. Furthermore, human papillomavirus (HPV) is sexually transmitted. The HPV test can be done at the same time as the Pap test from the same examination.

Hopefully knowing these simple tools will convince you to focus on preventing and managing your cervical health. This is a public health success story in that cervical cancer could be eliminated if everyone followed the above steps. The rest is up to you.

Read these!

  • This additional Straight, No Chaser post discusses the prevention strategy that could eliminate in total cervical cancer. Read it for details.
  • This Straight, No Chaser post shares news regarding the success of the vaccine in reducing the rates of HPV infection and cervical cancer. Read it for details.

Follow us!

Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Copyright © 2013-2019 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight No Chaser’s Guide to Completing New Year’s Resolutions

Introduction

This Straight, No Chaser post is a guide to help you completing your New Year’s resolutions!

Resolutions

You call them New Year’s resolutions. We call it getting your health (and life) on a higher plane! Most resolutions involve healthy eating, exercise routines, smoking cessation and stress reduction. None of these endeavors are easy. All too often, they involve starts and stops with failure before success. It seems that the take-home messages are pretty clear.

  • People choose these endeavors because they are the basics to preventing many illnesses and diseases and to enjoying a healthy life.
  • Pursuing these efforts involves a lifestyle change. Quick fixes just won’t get it done, no matter how sexy or well-marketed the fad or gimmick is.
  • Many of you had some success in the efforts you’re pursuing. Understand that difficulty, frustration and occasional setbacks are often part of the process. Fortunately, these setbacks don’t necessary define failure. Furthermore, they shouldn’t cause you to give up the pursuit of better health.

Specific Strategies

If you’re serious about turning your resolutions into completed actions, consider employing some tried and true strategies.

  • Engage others such as friends and family in your quest. Let them know your goal. Empower them to support you and hold you accountable. Encourage them to join you.
  • Plan your strategy. Write it down. Have benchmarks, check-ins and intermittent goals. These lofty goals can’t just be a passing fancy. These are difficult tasks and require a certain amount of serious planning on the front end and diligence along the way.
  • Reward yourself. This effort can’t just be a chore and something that makes you miserable. This is a big deal and should be treated as such. Plan to celebrate your success, and make it a nice enough reward that its pursuit is worth the efforts you’re going through!

Your final take-home message is one we hope you realize by now. You don’t have to pursue these efforts alone. Your medical team should be engaged to help you in these endeavors as needed. However, if and when they aren’t, you have an additional team available to you 24/7 at www.jeffreysterlingmd.com and 844-SMA-TALK.  We wish you the best in your pursuit of better health. Happy 2019!

Specific Blogs for Completing Your New Year’s Resolutions

From previous posts, here’s your guide to successfully completing your New Year’s Resolutions. Click the links!

1 – The Benefits of Exercise and Other Physical Activity
2 – Here are Steps for You to Take – Get Active!
3 – Do You Even Know How to Eat Healthy?
4 – Diet and Nutrition Tips
5 – Smoking Cessation
6 – Here’s How You Stop Smoking 
7 – Why Stress Kills and Stress Management Saves Lives
8 – Your Personal Stress Management Plan

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Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

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The 72 Hours Life Approach to Implementing New Year’s Resolutions

Introduction

It’s the beginning of the year and time for implementing your New Year’s Resolutions! You’ve probably been reflective and have done inventory on major parts of your life, including work, finances, family, relationships and health. That makes it the perfect time to adopt The 72 Hours Life to what you’re doing!

Here are four principles to apply to whatever you’ve chosen to do.

implementing new years resolutions

Make firm decisions about what you actually want to accomplish

As the saying goes, if you don’t plan on going anywhere, then you’ll end up nowhere. Another way of saying this is we slot ourselves into levels and areas of success. Choices have consequences. Think through your goals and your choices. Understand what that means for the rest of your life. Learn to choose wisely. Then proceed happily, enjoying the journey and looking forward to the destination.

Learn what’s necessary to accomplish your goal

You wouldn’t travel without a flight itinerary. Why would you expect to arrive at your destination without a plan? These days, the mystery of accomplishment has largely disappeared. You have access to resources and to help. Take advantage of everything at your disposal. Why would you try to do anything alone? Now, be careful. You want paths that represent best practices and proven success. All advice isn’t constructive. Similarly, every plan isn’t the most efficient choice. When figuring out how to accomplish your goal, be focused on your success and mindful of how to avoid obstacles. Trial and error or learning from your mistakes isn’t what you’re after here. You want success!

Proceed with the end in mind

When it comes to obtaining goals and productivity, implementation is everything. No matter how good the plan, if it’s not executed well, the goal likely won’t be accomplished. Once you’ve defined the outcome and obtained the resources, focus on the plan. If you’ve done the work in constructing the plan, you’ll have minimized the need for mid-course corrections. Every step along the way, continue asking yourself how your actions are contributing to your desired outcomes.

Stay the course

Unfortunately, life’s journey tends not to involve straight lines. You must have and retain confidence in your chosen outcomes, your plan and your ability to implement. If and when you get temporarily knocked off your target, don’t lose faith in yourself or lose the desire to obtain your goal. More often than not, ultimate success is lost as a result of us closing doors in our own faces without knowing how close to winning we may actually be!

Think through how these four principles apply to your personal, professional, health and financial pursuits. If you do this, I have no doubt that you’ll be a lot more efficient and effective in not only accomplishing any New Year’s resolutions but in creating a better approach to life in general.

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Welcome to The 72 Hours Life! Join our productivity community at www.72HoursLife.com. You can obtain Dr. Sterling’s best seller There Are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life at www.72HoursLife.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble or wherever books are sold. Also look for The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: 72 Days to the 72 Hours Life at these same outlets.

Introducing the New 2019 Straight No Chaser: Happy New Year!

Introduction

Straight No Chaser 2019 Logo

Welcome to the new 2019 Straight, No Chaser: our seventh year! We hope you’ve enjoyed our over two thousand blogs and vlogs, and thank you to the millions of you that have read our posts. In fact, many of you have shared the ways we have directly impacted (and saved) your lives.

2019

For 2019, we are switching formats. You will notice the following differences:

  • As a rule we will always post once a week on Monday.
  • The weekly blog will generally serve as a guide that include links to multiple blogs around a central topic. We will align these topics with national health observances.
  • We will occasionally offer additional blogs during the week based on occurrences in the news.
  • You will see occasional special guest blogs featuring content experts across medicine, mental health and public health.
  • All of our blogs will focus on action items you can time to directly improve your life.

We welcome your blog suggestions, questions, feedback and input (if you’d like to become a contributor)! You still have access to any topic of your choosing by just typing a word in the search engine, located in the upper right part of your screen.

We greatly appreciate your support. We think you’ll find the 2019 Straight, No Chaser to be the most impactful version yet. Happy New Year!

Follow us!

Ask your Sterling Medical Advice expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

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Driving Under the Influence (DUI) & New Year’s Eve

Introduction

This post is about driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and other illicit substances.

Happy-New-Year-Greetings-Images

Celebrating New Year’s Eve? As I am known to say, risks represent incidences of occurrences. Of all days during the year, today you must act to lower your risk of a fatal motor vehicle crash due to alcohol or drugs. Remember, it’s not just your behavior that places you at risk. In addition, the others with whom you’ll be sharing the road will require your full attention and alertness.

Please recall that alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. For instance, it slows down brain function, including reaction time, information-processing skills and hand-eye coordination. This affects judgment, concentration, comprehension, sight and coordination. As a result, you’re much more likely to crash a car if you’ve been using any type of drug.

Drinking and Driving DUI

DUI Facts

You’d do well to know a few FACTS about driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs (Courtesy of National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence).

  • Approximately 30 people a day die from motor vehicle crashes in which a driver was under the influence of alcohol. This is about one death every 51 minutes.
  • An estimated 32% of fatal car crashes involve an intoxicated driver or pedestrian.
  • Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens. Unfortunately, about a quarter of those crashes involve an underage drinking driver.
  • 3,952 fatally injured drivers tested positive for drug involvement.
  • Over 1.2 million drivers are arrested annually for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.
  • On average, two in three people will be involved in a drunk driving crash in their lifetime.

DrinkDrive_Die_Small_2

Tonight is not the night for debate. All of the above facts will become magnified tonight. Driving under the influence is a crime. Therefore, you know the police will be monitoring the roads. Avoid driving if you can. If you are driving, don’t drink, use marijuana, alcohol or any other drugs. The life you save may be your own. I hope to see you safe and healthy in the New Year.

new-year-wallpaper-hd

Follow us!

Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Copyright © 2019 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Eliminating Alcohol from the Body

Introduction

This Straight, No Chaser post is about eliminating alcohol from the body.

vomiting and eliminating alcohol

We get questions from you all the time. In preparation for New Year’s Eve, here’s an example: “How can I eliminate alcohol from the body quicker if I get drunk?”

It’s a frequent misconception that there are a ton of remedies you can take to help you eliminate alcohol quicker or get less drunk. Alcohol is eliminated by a process called zero-order kinetics. In other words, alcohol is eliminated from the body at fixed amount per hour. Nothing you do is going to make you less intoxicated (referral to the legal definition of how much you have in your system). This includes coating your stomach, eating (including a cheese tray) or drinking coffee.

This being said, being less dehydrated does help the blood alcohol concentration. Also, drinking coffee or another stimulant can counter the depressant effects of alcohol and may make you feel more alert. However, my best advice for you is to sleep it off. Of course, if you’re intoxicated to the point that you need medical attention, doing so should be your immediate action.

Bonus question: “Does vomiting help?”

Vomiting is only of value in eliminating alcohol that hasn’t yet been absorbed into the bloodstream. Once alcohol is in your system, it is eliminated as discussed.

For further details on the initiatives listed above, please visit Straight, No Chaser at www.jeffreysterlingmd.com and type any desired topic into the search engine.

Follow us!

Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

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Your Hygiene and Risk for Illness

Introduction

The Straight, No Chaser post looks at the relationship between your hygiene and illness.

sneeze_in_arm

There are things you know, there are things you know but don’t really know, and there are still other things that you think you know that you don’t know at all. When it comes to colds and influenza (both or which are simple to understand, prevent and treat), all of the above apply.

Are you sickly or do you get colds more frequently than others? Respectfully, a big part of that is because you have habits that put you at risk. Common things happen commonly.

germs-on-hands poor hygiene

Of course this is not an actual photo, but it’s a good depiction of what’s happening. Simply put, most of the day, your hands are pretty disgusting. You handle money that’s been handed hundreds if not thousands of times and never cleaned. You grab handles and door knobs all day long. You’re coughing and sneezing throughout the day, spewing germs into the air to be inhaled by others. And you spend time in the restroom. Your unclean hands contribute to many ailments, including colds, influenza, conjunctivitis (pink eye) and gastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhea) and skin infections.

Lower Your Risk

The important points are simple things you can do to lower your risk for infections. First, you have to stop assuming you know more than you do about basic hygiene and allow yourself to start practicing better habits. For example …

  • When you sneeze, do you sneeze into your hands or into the air around you? Please learn the habit covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough by sneezing/coughing into your elbow and not your hands.
  • How often do you wash your hands? You must wash every time you begin to cook, before you eat, after you use the rest room, before you change a diaper and before you apply any topical medicine.
  • Have you ever noticed how much you keep your hands on parts of you that can become infected by doing so? Keep your hands out of your eyes, mouth and nose, and stop picking at your skin!

handwashing hygiene

Yes, you wash your hands, but do you do so effectively and when you need to? Hand washing must be the easiest and most effective ways to prevent disease. Let’s start with this: from now on, whatever you do to clean your hands, do it for twenty seconds. Of course, antimicrobial soap and water are what we all learned to do way back when. It works! If that’s not available, use hand sanitizers or disposable hand wipes. It that’s not available, just rinse your hands! Be sure to rub your hands vigorously during the process as if you’re trying to get someone off of your hands, because you are!

sneeze

Follow us!

Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Copyright © 2018 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Basic Questions and Answers about Anemia

Introduction

This Straight, No Chaser address your basic questions and answers anemia!

What is anemia?

Anemia is a condition defined by blood containing a lower than normal number of red blood cells or if the blood cells present don’t contain sufficient hemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen throughout the body). Anemia from iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency.

What causes anemia?

There are many causes of anemia and many different types of anemia, but the most common causes are blood loss (the moss common cause), a lack of red blood cell production and higher than normal rates of destruction of red blood cells.

What are the symptoms of anemia?

One of the major points of blood is it is the vehicle for carrying blood and removing carbon dioxide (waste) from your body. The presence of anemia means the absence of sufficient oxygen through the body. This produces symptoms such as fatigue (the most common symptom), weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, cold feeling in the hands and feet, pale skin and chest pain. Severe or long-lasting anemia can cause actual damage to your heart, brain, and other organs in your body and can lead to death.

Are there risk factors?

Practically, the biggest risk factor is being a woman of child-bearing age because of the ongoing blood loss that occurs from menstruation. Additional major risk factors include a poor diet (meaning one low in iron, vitamins or minerals), blood loss from surgery or an acute injury, long-term or serious illnesses and infections, and a family history of inherited anemias (e.g. sickle cell anemia or thalassemia).

How do you diagnose anemia?

It’s important to note that all anemia is not created equal. Furthermore, symptoms don’t have to be present. Anemia is rather easily identified with a simple blood test (the complete blood count, aka CBC). In many instances, that’s the beginning of the assessment. Additional tests may be needed to identify the specific test of anemia.

How do you treat anemia?

Believe it or not, in many instances, the treatment of anemia isn’t as simple as taken an iron supplement, and thus medical assessments should be considered essential. Treatment for anemia depends on the type, cause, and severity of the underlying condition. Anemia treatment may involve dietary changes and/or supplements, but it may require other medicines, procedures, or surgery to treat blood loss.

What can I do?

Focus your efforts on these specific actions:

  • Prioritize getting routine evaluations and evaluations as needed in the midst of suggestive symptoms.
  • If you fall into a risk category, your diet and iron supplementation matters. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin. You can enhance iron absorption by eating red meats, chicken, turkey, pork, and fish/shellfish. If you don’t eat meat, foods that are good sources of iron include dark green leafy vegetables. This include such spinach, tofu, peas, dried fruits (prunes, raisins and apricots), prune juice and iron-fortified cereals and breads. Maintaining Vitamins B12, Vitamin C and folic acid, are also important in maintaining healthy cells and absorbing iron.

The good news is anemia can often be easily identified, treated and controlled. As with many other conditions, early diagnosis and treatment are key for improving one’s quality of life and life expectancy.

Follow us!

Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Copyright © 2018 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

Introduction

urinary_tractkids

Ladies, have you ever been told that you get urinary tract infections (aka UTIs or “bladder infections”) because you didn’t wipe front to back instead of back to front? Men, have you ever been told that this could be a sign that your prostate needs to be examined This Straight, No Chaser answers simple questions on urinary tract infections. With over 8 millions cases and 100,000 hospitalizations a year due to these, it’s information you should know. We offer the information in question and answer format.

 Urinary-tract-anatomy

What are urinary tract infections? Are they the same as a bladder infection?

What these questions really ask is “What is the urinary tract?” The body’s drainage system serves to remove excess fluid and bodily waste. It includes the following organs:

  • The kidneys serve to filter blood and produce approximately 1-2 quarts of urine per day as a result of this process.
  • The ureters are tubes extending from the kidneys to the bladder, carrying filtered urine within them.
  • The bladder is the pouch within which you store urine until you’re ready to release it.
  • The urethra is a tube at the bottom of the bladder through which urine gets expelled.

A UTI is an infection anywhere along this path. Infections at different parts of the urinary tract can display different symptoms and have different complications.

What causes a UTI?

Bacteria are the most common cause of UTIs, particularly those that live in the bowel (such as E. coli) and are within or in close proximity to the vagina. Under most circumstances the body is very effective at removing bacteria and other microorganisms from the urinary tract (urinating just washes them out!), but some of us are at increased risk due to diminished defenses or other circumstances in which these microorganisms can grow.

 utianatomy

Why do women get UTIs, and it seems like men don’t?

It is true that women get UTIs about four times more frequently than men, but anyone of any age or sex can be infected. Here are some reasons why.

  • Women have a shorter urethra, which makes it easier for bacteria to reach the bladder.
  • Also, the opening of a woman’s urethra is near the vagina and anus, where bacteria live.
  • Women who use a diaphragm are also more likely to get UTIs than women who use other forms of birth control.
  • The male prostate produces secretions that slow bacterial growth.

Are there other risk factors for UTIs? 

Yes. Others at higher risk for UTIs include the following.

  • those having diabetes or have lowered immune systems
  • those habitually needing a tube to drain their bladder
  • those with urinary tract abnormalities that block the flow of urine
  • those with spinal cord injuries or other nerve damage

Additionally, once a man has a UTI, it’s more likely he’ll have the problem again because the bacteria are extremely difficult to reach once they set up shop in the male prostate.

Are UTIs serious?

Unless you describe the annoying symptoms as serious, most UTIs are not serious. However, UTIs can lead to severe complications if left untreated, including the following:

  • Long lasting or recurrent kidney infections can cause permanent damage and scarring to the kidneys, which can create insufficient kidney function and produce high blood pressure and other problems.
  • Kidney infections can enter the blood stream and become life threatening.

 Urinary-Tract-Infection

What are the signs and symptoms of a UTI?

You should see your physician if you develop any of the following signs or symptoms:

  • A burning sensation with urination
  • Bloody, cloudy, dark or otherwise discolored urine
  • Fever or chills
  • Foul-smelling urine
  • Frequent or urgent need to urinate, regardless of the amount actually expressed
  • Pain in your back or side below the ribs

How are UTIs diagnosed?

UTIs are diagnosed based both on symptoms and a lab test. Many of you have experienced your urine being sent to a lab from the emergency room or your doctor’s office. Based on a combination of symptoms, the presence of bacteria and white blood cells that have accumulated to fight the infection, the diagnosis will be made. If you have frequent infections, infections that don’t respond well to treatment, atypical presentations or are sick enough to be hospitalized, your urine may be cultured in an effort to grow the bacteria causing your symptoms. This allows more precise treatment regimens to be given. In other circumstances, tests may be done to check the normalcy of your urinary tract, including an ultrasound or CT scan. Further details on when and why this would be done is available on www.sterlingmedicaladvice.com.

An additional Straight, No Chaser will discuss prevention and treatment options for UTIs.

Follow us!

Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Copyright © 2018 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Prevention and Treatment of Lead Poisoning

Introduction

This point is about prevention and treatment of lead poisoning.

leadaware

What you need to know about protecting yourself from lead poisoning and its effects is reducible to awareness, baseline testing, prevention and treatment.
We covered what you needed for awareness in the previous Straight, No Chaser.
However your goal really should be prevention via avoidance, as much as is possible. However, to prevent, you must have a level of awareness. Think about these things:

  • Do you have a child in your house between ages 6 months and 3 years old? If so, be reminded that children wander around putting things in their mouths.
  • Are you in an old house, or do you have old plumbing?
  • Do you live near a busy road or near bridges?

lead poisoning gettheleadout21

If you are in a high-risk situation, your ideal level of awareness should include preventive considerations such as getting your home tested and your blood lead level checked. If anyone in the home has been found to have high lead levels, the entire household should be checked.

Prevention

Whatever your level of exposure, you want to engage in preventive strategies to prevent further exposure that could lead to disease. Here are a few quick tips to do so:

  • Avoid dust in your home, because you just never know!
  • Wash everyone’s hands prior to eating.
  • Throw away old painted toys, unless you’re sure lead based paint was not used.
  • Use filters for your water, switch to bottled water for drinking and cooking, and/or let any tap water run for approximately one minute prior to drinking or cooking with it.
  • Avoid storing wines in lead crystal decanters for long periods of time.

lead003

Treatment

If you have been found to have any significant levels of lead in your blood, you have a role in your treatment. If your levels and symptoms are significant enough to be hospitalized, that will occur and you’ll receive medicine that facilitates the removal of lead from the body, called chelating agents. However, in the absence of that, your job likely will be to maintain a healthy diet that includes calcium, iron and Vitamin C, all of which help decrease lead absorption within the body.

lead-poisoning1

Prognosis

As mentioned, you want to avoid lead poisoning. Each year in the United States, approximately 310,000 kids aged 1-5 years old have unsafe levels of lead in their blood. In these children, even mild lead poisoning can have a permanent impact on attention and IQ. Remember, the developing brain is more susceptible to the toxic effects of lead. Those with higher lead levels have a greater risk of long-lasting health problems and must be closely followed because of the potential damage to the brain, nervous system, muscles and other systems. Adults who have had mildly high lead levels often recover without problems, but in general, a complete recovery from chronic lead poisoning may take months to years.

If you suspect you may have lead paint in your house, get advice on safe removal from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at 800-RID-LEAD, or the National Information Center at 800-LEAD-FYI. Another excellent source of information is the National Lead Information Center at (800) 424-5323.

If you suspect you or someone in your family is suffering from the effects of lead, call 911 immediately and/or call 1-800-222-1222 to speak with a local poison control center for further instructions while you await the paramedics to arrive.

Follow us!

Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Lead Poisoning

Introduction

lead_poisoning1

Medically speaking, it really wasn’t long ago when dozens of cases of lead poisoning in Flint, Michigan occurred. Of course, this was a result of elevated levels of lead in the city’s drinking water supply. This followed inadequate preventive treatment of the water supply, which is a necessary step in the provision of public health. The water had become contaminated from aging pipes in the Flint river, which became relevant after the city switched its water supply from Detroit sources in 2014. It’s hard to fathom that the number of poisonings was so high the city declared a state of emergency. It’s even harder to accept the suboptimal response that occurred to the emergency.

In case you’re wondering, yes, this could happen to you. If you read on, we’ll tell you how to minimize your exposure. Let’s review some frequently asked questions.

What is lead poisoning? Why is it dangerous?

Lead is a chemical element (“mineral”) that is quite poisonous in humans. Swallowing or breathing lead dust can cause major health problems, both immediately (with a very high exposure), or more commonly, over time with ongoing exposures to low levels. The particular concern is in exposure to children. As is the case with head injuries or most any other type of insult to a developing child’s brain and nervous system, a significant risk to one’s mental development occurs apoteksv.se. The younger the child, the more dangerous the exposure is; the highest risks are in the unborn.

lead

How does one get poisoned? What are the risk factors?

Lead used to be very common in gasoline and house paint in the U.S., but lead based paint was banned in 1978. It is estimated that approximately 4 million Americans are still significantly exposed to potentially toxic levels of lead, because lead basically is everywhere, including old house paint, new toys, dust, dirt and gasoline. Children living in cities with older houses are more likely to have high levels of lead.

Most common exposures

Here’s a quick list of lead exposures (there are many other potential exposures):

  • Homes, toys and furniture painted in the US before 1978 and any toys made outside the US (no, the paint doesn’t have to be peeling);
  • Plumbing, pipes, faucets and the water flowing through them;
  • Soil contaminated by car exhaust (think near expressways or busy streets) or house paint scrapings (think old abandoned buildings); and
  • Storage batteries

Take these exposures seriously, because lead exposure comes from swallowing, touching and/or breathing objects containing lead particles. Once in the body and bloodstream, it spread, causing damage throughout. Two notable areas of concern are the effects of lead on blood cells (causing anemia) and on bones (preventing healthy, strong teeth and bone function due to reducing the absorption of calcium.

Lead-Poisoning

How does lead poisoning get identified? What are the signs and symptoms?

Lead poisoning can affect many different parts of the body, and symptoms can range from nothing obvious to dramatic mental impairment. Symptoms are more prominent as blood lead levels get higher.

Lead is much more harmful to children than adults because it can affect children’s developing nerves and brains. The younger the child, the more harmful lead can be. Unborn children are the most vulnerable.

It’s important to reiterate that many with lead poisoning won’t have signs of illness early on. If you believe your environment poses a risk, you should ask to be checked. Symptoms are often nonspecific, but if you can remember groupings of symptoms, you’d be on the right track.

Early Symptoms

  • Behavioral problems may exist such as irritability, difficulty concentrating, sluggishness or fatigue.
  • Digestive tract problems may exist, such as loss of appetite, a metallic taste in one’s mouth, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, constipation and/or abdominal pain.
  • Neurologic problems may exist, such as headaches, muscle and joint weakness or pain, seizures.
  • Pale skin from anemia is also often a prominent finding.

Longer Term Health Problems

  • damage to the nervous system (such as poor muscle coordination, speech and language problems), kidneys, and/or hearing
  • decreased bone and muscle growth
  • developmental delay

The next Straight, No Chaser will address prevention and treatment strategies.

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Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

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Colorectal Cancer Screening via Colonoscopy

Introduction

This post is about the screening colonoscopy.

colonoscopy

Two previous Straight, No Chaser posts have highlighted recommended screening examinations for men and women between ages 40-64. In today’s post, I want to pay special attention to one examination in particular. The screening colonoscopy seems to generate large amounts of fear (and homophobia).

Colon cancer is the second most common cause of cancer in the United States after lung cancer (stop smoking!). As previously noted in the post on recommended screenings, everyone should have a screening colonoscopy at least by age 50. Certain groups of individuals, such as African-Americans and those with positive family history for colon cancer should have the test done earlier. Simply put, colonoscopy is definitive in screening and diagnosing colorectal cancer. Furthermore, it is one of the most successful ways to both prevent and treat early cancer.

How a colonoscopy is done

colonoscopy-icons

First, you have to do a bowel prep. Over a few days, you’ll eliminate certain foods (e.g. corn, nuts) from your diet. Next, you’ll progress to an all liquid diet. This will be followed by taking a few doses of a very strong laxative to completely clean out the contents of your intestines (those of you looking for a good detox should be so lucky). I actually lost 3.5 pounds doing this.

colonoscopy_procedure

The exam involves using a tube (colonoscope) to view your digestive tissue from your rectum all the way up the large intestine (approximately 5 feet). It includes cleaning away and suction stool that blocks the view, direct visualization of the intestines and real-time removal of suspicious tissue (e.g. polyps) that could be cancerous or early signs of cancer. You may or may not choose to be sedated (put to sleep) during this. Of course, my medical curiosity was such that I wanted to see everything on the screen in real time, so I went without any medications, and yes, I lived to tell the story: the level of discomfort never got higher than a 3 on a scale of 1-10.

A few words about colorectal cancer

The point here is simple and straightforward: Most people in whom colon cancer is found and treated early will not only be alive 5 years later, but many will live a normal life span. On the other hand, when it’s not, colorectal cancer is very dangerous because it often doesn’t cause noticeable signs or symptoms until the cancer is advanced and much more difficult to treat. The screening colonoscopy gives you the best chance to know where you stand.

colonoscopy-s2-why-is-colonoscopy-done

Your risks

So this isn’t that complicated. The following conditions are associated with advanced risk.

  • Advanced age
  • African-American
  • Positive family history for colon cancer or inflammatory intestinal conditions
  • Live a sedentary lifestyle
  • You have a low-fiber, high-fat diet

Here are a few words about your diet. You should know that according to the American Institute for Cancer Research, just 1.7 ounces of processed meats consumed daily (equivalent to less than two strips of bacon) roughly increase a person’s risk for colorectal cancer by 21 percent. More definitely, no amount of processed meat is considered safe for consumption.

Thankfully, my colonoscopy was perfectly normal: I keep telling you diet is 75% of health (unless you’re either lucky or unlucky in your genetic makeup)! The actual colonoscopy took just over 10 minutes, and I won’t have to go through this for another 10 years. Isn’t that investment of time worth giving yourself the best chance for a clean bill of colon and rectal health?

Follow us!

Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Copyright © 2019 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Lactose Intolerance – It’s Explosive!

Introduction

So I’m at dinner with a group of friends, and somehow the topic gets to lactose intolerance. For 15 minutes. They were really into it. At dinner! You know what it is. Everyone seemingly knows someone who has it, even if (hopefully) you aren’t reminded of it too often. Lactose intolerance is a state where you simply have difficulty digesting lactose (one of the sugars we consume, most notably in milk and other dairy products) because of a deficiency in the enzyme that breaks it down, called lactase. Lactose intolerance occurs more often in Black, Asian, Hispanic and Native Americans, but that doesn’t mean your body read that book.

So by now you may be thinking “What is there to discuss besides the odoriferous emanations produced?” (In case you didn’t get the reference that’s from an old Right Guard commercial featuring Charles Barkley.) Well, the biggest concern from a health standpoint is to ensure you’re still getting enough calcium to keep your bones strong and enough Vitamin D.

Here are 3 sets of practical facts to help you get through it all.

lactose-intolerance-400w-green

If you have lactose intolerance, that doesn’t mean you’re allergic to dairy products.

  • This is an important distinction. There’s nothing immediately life-threatening about the ingestion of dairy products if you’re lactose intolerant, as there might be if you were allergic. Just be aware of the cramping, bloating, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and gas that may ensue.

If you’re lactose intolerant, that doesn’t mean you can’t necessarily have any dairy or won’t ever be able to have dairy.

  • Lactose intolerance occurs in many shades of grey. Some people get worse with age; others get better as they learn to work around it. Some develop lactose intolerance at birth, others later in life, and others develop it after injury or surgery to the small intestine (which is where lactase is normally produced). Some can ingest small amounts of certain products without symptoms. In the privacy of your own surroundings, you should discover for yourself if you’re affected every time you have dairy or whether or not only large amounts of certain products cause symptoms (e.g. Try not to eat the entire gallon of ice cream.). You should also gauge your response to dairy after taking various lactase-containing supplements.

If you’re lactose intolerant, you still can get adequate calcium. Here’s a few suggestions.

  • Soy and rice products have exploded (in a different way) on the market. Consider soy milk, soybeans and tofu.
  • Many juice, bread and cereal makers have taken to providing calcium.
  • Some fruits and veggies are great sources. Consider broccoli, collard and turnip greens, kale, okra, pinto beans, rhubarb, and spinach. Oranges are a good source of calcium.
  • Other great foods include almonds, salmon, sardines and tuna.

lactose-intolerance

Follow us!

Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Another free benefit to our readers is introductory pricing with multiple orders and bundles!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Copyright © 2018 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

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