Tag Archives: Twitter

From the Health Library of SterlingMedicalAdvice.com: What steps should I take if there's an outbreak of head lice?

Head/Eyes/Ears/Nose/Throat, Pediatrics/Kids Health, Skin/Dermatology, , , , , , , , ,

LiceOnHair

head_lice_infestation

Check your child’s hair for lice and nits (lice eggs) every three to four days. Nits commonly look like dandruff, but they cannot be easily brushed off the hair. Also check behind the ears.
Be alert to symptoms of infection: intense itching, red bumps on the scalp, or the feeling of something moving on the hair. If your child experiences any of these symptoms and/or if head lice can be seen in the hair, then using a medicated shampoo is recommended. (Follow the directions on the package.)
Note: If your child is under 2 years of age or if you are pregnant, talk with your doctor first before beginning treatment. Notify your child’s school.
In addition to using medicated shampoo, wash all clothing and bed linens in hot water (130° Fahrenheit). Any items that you cannot wash in hot water, place in large, sealed garbage bags for two weeks. Vacuum all carpets and furniture.
Any combs, brushes, and hair accessories used by the infected person should either be left to soak in rubbing alcohol or medicated shampoo for one hour or they should be replaced.
Some people may need to retreat with a medicated shampoo after seven to 10 days. If the infection has not cleared up after two weeks of treatment or if there are sores on the scalp that look infected (yellow pus), stop treatment and see a doctor.
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. As a thank you for being a valued subscriber to Straight, No Chaser, we’d like to offer 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 new 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.72hourslife.com. Receive introductory pricing with orders!
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2018 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: The Curse of the Weekend Warrior – Achilles Tendon Rupture

Orthopedics/Bones, Sports Medicine, Trauma, Musculoskeletal System, , , , , , , , ,

Kobe

In high school I led the league in stolen bases, and in college my cohorts and I loved inventing ever more creative ways to dunk a basketball. Apparently, my calf muscles worked well. Somehow at a certain age, I quit those competitive sports cold turkey, partially because I knew an Achilles rupture was lurking out there somewhere.

achilles-tendon-rupture

The Achilles tendon connects the muscles at the back of the calf to the heel. The formula for damage is pretty simple and consistent. As you age your tendons tend to stiffen and shrink. As you age you change from the fine-tuned wannabe athlete most of us were to a recreational player, and we overextend ourselves. Others of us, in making a comeback (or just rushing to train for something like a 5K run), try to go from zero (0) to 60 way too soon. In either scenario, that overextension causes the tendon to tear or snap. You’ll recognize it immediately by the sound (pop) and the inability to walk/stand on your toes, which results from the lack of connection from the calf to the heel. (You need to point your foot downward to walk, which is where the Achilles comes in.) Other common occurrences of Achilles tendon rupture include falling from a height and landing on your feet or stepping into a sizeable hole.

achilles-Figure2

Besides being an older guy (or gal, but it’s about five times more common in men) trying to reclaim past glory, steroids and certain antibiotics (flouroquinolones, examples of which are Levafloxacin, aka Levaquin, and Ciprofloxacin, aka Cipro) weaken the tendons enough to predispose you to this injury.
Depending on your age and preexisting health status, you will have surgical and/or nonsurgical options available to you to repair the tendon. Nonsurgical treatment involves a specific type of walking boot or cast, and surgery is more likely when the tear is complete. You’ll need extensive rehabilitation and strengthening of the muscle around the repaired tendon to avoid reinjury. Don’t expect to return to your previous level of strength and activity for four to six months.
So what’s your take home message? Once again, know where opportunities for prevention are. Given how important it is to maintain physical activity as you age, it’s important to remind you to learn how to stretch and maintain musculature so you don’t injure yourself while trying to exercise. Don’t engage in more strenuous activities until and unless you’ve built up to the level where you’re prepared to do so. Achilles injuries occur most often when you’re trying to do too much too soon. Also, be mindful of slippery surfaces; that slide acts the same as an attempt to accelerate too rapidly.
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. As a thank you for being a valued subscriber to Straight, No Chaser, we’d like to offer 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 new 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.72hourslife.com. Receive introductory pricing with orders!
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2017 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – Signs, Symptoms and Those at Risk

Mental Health, , , , , , , , , , ,

ptsd-1

Memorial Day serves to honor our fallen heroes. Part of that involves caring for our soldiers still with us. Understanding and acknowledging the mental components of their suffering remains a vital and underachieved need. Our soldiers disproportionately suffer from several mental disorders, notably, post-traumatic stress disorder. Today’s post begins a review of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We thank all of our veterans for their service.
I’ve dealt with disease and death everyday as an Emergency Physician, and it has been dehumanizing on many levels. Imagine having to pronounce someone dead despite giving your version of a superhuman effort to resuscitate them and then having to deliver the news to a family deep in prayer and holding on to strings of hope. Oh yeah, and then you immediately get to return to a room filled with patients and families oblivious to anything you’re dealing with as an individual, who are completely immersed in their personal situations and often complaining because “you took too long.” Imagine the lives of morticians or cemetery workers, having to stare at and feel the remains of the dead all day everyday. Imagine the lives of those habitually raped or viciously beaten by a loved one as a child. And, of course, there are the soldiers. Over 7.5 million Americans are thought to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), approximately one in every 40 individuals.
Traumatic and post-traumatic stress are not only able to affect your reality, but to adjust your reality. The body’s normal “fight-or-flight” response to danger or extremely stressful situations can evolve into abnormalities in your behavior if you are continually immersed in these environments. One such as the emergency physician may become desensitized and/or empowered to address situations that would make otherwise normal individuals recoil, or one may become overly sensitive, hyper-stressed and prone to a fight response to lesser stimuli—or no stimuli at all.
There are three categories of symptoms of PTSD, which are easily remembered by thinking of a hyperactive “fight-or-flight” response: reliving traumatic experiences, avoiding circumstances or situations that remind one of the experience, and reacting out of hyperarousal to stimuli suggestive of the experience.
ptsd2

  • Reliving can involve flashbacks, scary thoughts and nightmares. Victims have been known to actually re-experience the physical and mental episodes, complete with palpitations, sweating, jitteriness and severe anxiety. Such experiences can become incapacitating.
  • Avoidance is in many ways the opposite end of the “fight or flight” syndrome. In this example, avoidance isn’t just being proactive and staying away from reminders of the experience, but it can escalate to loss of emotions or even recollection of the event. This isn’t a strategic decision; it’s a defense mechanism gone haywire. As an example, imagine the near-drowning victim who refuses to even sit on the beach.
  • Hyperarousal leads one to be on edge, sensitive and prone to overreact. In contrast to the other two symptoms listed, hyperarousal tends to be a constant state of being. PTSD victims with hyperarousal describe themselves as easily angered and always stressed.

Many if not most of us will experience traumatic events in our lives sufficient enough to cause tremendous stress. There are circumstances that enhance the risk of developing PTSD.

ptsd-dv

  • Childhood trauma is especially dangerous in that the developing brain can respond “appropriately” in coding for abnormal circumstances and exposures. Subsequent trauma can trigger PTSD-quality responses.
  • Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men.
  • Mental illness may abnormally shape responses to traumatic events.
  • There is some evidence that susceptibility to the disorder may run in families. Individual differences in the brain or genes may predispose an individual.
  • The relative absence of social support and a functional network is a severe risk.

Conversely, if you have strong coping mechanisms, you may be able to lower your risk for developing PTSD after trauma. Consider the following protective factors:

  • A predisposition toward optimism
  • The ability and inclination to seek out support from others, ranging from friends, family and/or an active support group
  • A mental orientation that you “performed well” in the face of the danger
  • A mental orientation of learning from the experience instead of allowing the experience to define you
  • Sufficient mental fortitude to be able to carry on in the face of the symptoms (fear, anxiety) that follow the event

The presence of these “resilience factors” does not suggest that those suffering from PTSD are lacking in any way; it suggests the best opportunities for you to avoid succumbing to the enormous pressures that exist.
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. As a thank you for being a valued subscriber to Straight, No Chaser, we’d like to offer 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 new 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.72hourslife.com. Receive introductory pricing with orders!
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2017 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress
 

From the Health Library of SterlingMedicalAdvice.com: “Why would my doctor tell me not to take a decongestant?”

General Health and Wellness, Head/Eyes/Ears/Nose/Throat, , , , , , , , , ,

decon

As you struggle from allergies season, the lede is a reasonable question, here is its answer.
Based on how ubiquitous cold and flu remedies are, you would think they were the safest medications known to man. That’s actually not the case and in some instances can be quite far from the truth. The reason for this is simple. Decongestants work by manipulating blood vessels. Specifically, they narrow nasal blood vessels, creating more room for air flow and mucous drainage while reducing swelling and other effects of inflammation. This is a major part of how you treat upper respiratory viral infections like colds and the flu; antibiotics don’t work against viruses.
Unfortunately, if you have certain medical issues, you should not take decongestants. Here’s a list of situations that can make it dangerous to take decongestants:

  • Allergies to pseudo-ephedrine
  • Children under age 4
  • Diabetes
  • Glaucoma
  • High blood pressure
  • Heart disease
  • Kidney disease
  • Prostate disease
  • Pregnant
  • Breast feeding women
  • Thyroid disease

So … even if it’s an over the counter preparation, if you’re not sure, head over to the pharmacist before you make that purchase at the store. Of course, you can always connect with your SterlingMedicalAdvice.com consultant as well.
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new book Behind The Curtain: A Peek at Life from within the ER at jeffreysterlingbooks.com, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and wherever books are sold.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2017 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: The Curse of the Weekend Warrior – Achilles Tendon Rupture

Orthopedics/Bones, Sports Medicine, Trauma, Musculoskeletal System, , , , , , , ,

Kobe

In high school I led the league in stolen bases, and in college my cohorts and I loved inventing ever more creative ways to dunk a basketball. Apparently, my calf muscles worked well. Somehow at a certain age, I quit those competitive sports cold turkey, partially because I knew an Achilles rupture was lurking out there somewhere.

achilles-tendon-rupture

The Achilles tendon connects the muscles at the back of the calf to the heel. The formula for damage is pretty simple and consistent. As you age your tendons tend to stiffen and shrink. As you age you change from the fine-tuned wannabe athlete most of us were to a recreational player, and we overextend ourselves. Others of us, in making a comeback (or just rushing to train for something like a 5K run), try to go from zero (0) to 60 way too soon. In either scenario, that overextension causes the tendon to tear or snap. You’ll recognize it immediately by the sound (pop) and the inability to walk/stand on your toes, which results from the lack of connection from the calf to the heel. (You need to point your foot downward to walk, which is where the Achilles comes in.) Other common occurrences of Achilles tendon rupture include falling from a height and landing on your feet or stepping into a sizeable hole.

achilles-Figure2

Besides being an older guy (or gal, but it’s about five times more common in men) trying to reclaim past glory, steroids and certain antibiotics (flouroquinolones, examples of which are Levafloxacin, aka Levaquin, and Ciprofloxacin, aka Cipro) weaken the tendons enough to predispose you to this injury.
Depending on your age and preexisting health status, you will have surgical and/or nonsurgical options available to you to repair the tendon. Nonsurgical treatment involves a specific type of walking boot or cast, and surgery is more likely when the tear is complete. You’ll need extensive rehabilitation and strengthening of the muscle around the repaired tendon to avoid reinjury. Don’t expect to return to your previous level of strength and activity for four to six months.
So what’s your take home message? Once again, know where opportunities for prevention are. Given how important it is to maintain physical activity as you age, it’s important to remind you to learn how to stretch and maintain musculature so you don’t injure yourself while trying to exercise. Don’t engage in more strenuous activities until and unless you’ve built up to the level where you’re prepared to do so. Achilles injuries occur most often when you’re trying to do too much too soon. Also, be mindful of slippery surfaces; that slide acts the same as an attempt to accelerate too rapidly.
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new book Behind The Curtain: A Peek at Life from within the ER at jeffreysterlingbooks.com, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and wherever books are sold.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2016 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – Signs, Symptoms and Those at Risk

Mental Health, , , , , , , , , ,

ptsd-1

Memorial Day serves to honor our fallen heroes. Part of that involves caring for our soldiers still with us. Understanding and acknowledging the mental components of their suffering remains a vital and underachieved need. Our soldiers disproportionately suffer from several mental disorders, notably, post-traumatic stress disorder. Today’s post begins a review of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We thank all of our veterans for their service.
I’ve dealt with disease and death everyday as an Emergency Physician, and it has been dehumanizing on many levels. Imaging having to pronounce someone dead despite giving your version of a superhuman effort to resuscitate them and then having to deliver the news to a family deep in prayer and holding on to strings of hope. Oh yeah, and then you immediately get to return to a room filled with patients and families oblivious to anything you’re dealing with as an individual, who are completely immersed in their personal situations and often complaining because “you took too long.” Imagine the lives of morticians or cemetery workers, having to stare at and feel the remains of the dead all day everyday. Imagine the lives of those habitually raped or viciously beaten by a loved one as a child. And, of course, there are the soldiers. Over 7.5 million Americans are thought to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), approximately one in every 40 individuals.
Traumatic and post-traumatic stress are not only able to affect your reality, but to adjust your reality. The body’s normal “fight-or-flight” response to danger or extremely stressful situations can evolve into abnormalities in your behavior if you are continually immersed in these environments. One such as the emergency physician may become desensitized and/or empowered to address situations that would make otherwise normal individuals recoil, or one may become overly sensitive, hyper-stressed and prone to a fight response to lesser stimuli—or no stimuli at all.
There are three categories of symptoms of PTSD, which are easily remembered by thinking of a hyperactive “fight-or-flight” response: reliving traumatic experiences, avoiding circumstances or situations that remind one of the experience, and reacting out of hyperarousal to stimuli suggestive of the experience.
ptsd2

  • Reliving can involve flashbacks, scary thoughts and nightmares. Victims have been known to actually re-experience the physical and mental episodes, complete with palpitations, sweating, jitteriness and severe anxiety. Such experiences can become incapacitating.
  • Avoidance is in many ways the opposite end of the “fight or flight” syndrome. In this example, avoidance isn’t just being proactive and staying away from reminders of the experience, but it can escalate to loss of emotions or even recollection of the event. This isn’t a strategic decision; it’s a defense mechanism gone haywire. As an example, imagine the near-drowning victim who refuses to even sit on the beach.
  • Hyperarousal leads one to be on edge, sensitive and prone to overreact. In contrast to the other two symptoms listed, hyperarousal tends to be a constant state of being. PTSD victims with hyperarousal describe themselves as easily angered and always stressed.

Many if not most of us will experience traumatic events in our lives sufficient enough to cause tremendous stress. There are circumstances that enhance the risk of developing PTSD.

ptsd-dv

  • Childhood trauma is especially dangerous in that the developing brain can respond “appropriately” in coding for abnormal circumstances and exposures. Subsequent trauma can trigger PTSD-quality responses.
  • Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men.
  • Mental illness may abnormally shape responses to traumatic events.
  • There is some evidence that susceptibility to the disorder may run in families. Individual differences in the brain or genes may predispose an individual.
  • The relative absence of social support and a functional network is a severe risk.

Conversely, if you have strong coping mechanisms, you may be able to lower your risk for developing PTSD after trauma. Consider the following protective factors:

  • A predisposition toward optimism
  • The ability and inclination to seek out support from others, ranging from friends, family and/or an active support group
  • A mental orientation that you “performed well” in the face of the danger
  • A mental orientation of learning from the experience instead of allowing the experience to define you
  • Sufficient mental fortitude to be able to carry on in the face of the symptoms (fear, anxiety) that follow the event

The presence of these “resilience factors” does not suggest that those suffering from PTSD are lacking in any way; it suggests the best opportunities for you to avoid succumbing to the enormous pressures that exist.
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new book Behind The Curtain: A Peek at Life from within the ER at jeffreysterlingbooks.com, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and wherever books are sold.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2016 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

From the Health Library of SterlingMedicalAdvice.com: “Why would my doctor tell me not to take a decongestant?”

General Health and Wellness, Head/Eyes/Ears/Nose/Throat, , , , , , , , , ,

decon

As you struggle from allergies season, the lede is a reasonable question, here is its answer.
Based on how ubiquitous cold and flu remedies are, you would think they were the safest medications known to man. That’s actually not the case and in some instances can be quite far from the truth. The reason for this is simple. Decongestants work by manipulating blood vessels. Specifically, they narrow nasal blood vessels, creating more room for air flow and mucous drainage while reducing swelling and other effects of inflammation. This is a major part of how you treat upper respiratory viral infections like colds and the flu; antibiotics don’t work against viruses.
Unfortunately, if you have certain medical issues, you should not take decongestants. Here’s a list situations that can make it dangerous to take decongestants:

  • Allergies to pseudo-ephedrine
  • Children under age 4
  • Diabetes
  • Glaucoma
  • High blood pressure
  • Heart disease
  • Kidney disease
  • Prostate disease
  • Pregnant
  • Breast feeding women
  • Thyroid disease

So … even if it’s an over the counter preparation, if you’re not sure, head over to the pharmacist before you make that purchase at the store. Of course, you can always connect with your SterlingMedicalAdvice.com consultant as well.
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new book Behind The Curtain: A Peek at Life from within the ER at jeffreysterlingbooks.com, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and wherever books are sold.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2016 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: The Effects of PTSD on Children

Mental Health, Pediatrics/Kids Health, , , , , , , , , ,

PTSD-And-Children

This is part of a series on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

  • For a review of PTSD signs, symptoms and those at risk, click here.
  • For a review of PTSD diagnosis and treatment, click here.

ptsd kids

Children are exposed to the same stimuli that creates post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including physical abuse, sexual assault and the effects of war, but they may have different responses and  symptoms than adults. Symptoms unique to children typically involve developmental regression and may include the following:

  • Clinginess
  • Bedwetting
  • Cessation of speech
  • Acting out the scary event

Teens may become disruptive, disrespectful, or destructive, and they may express guilt or engage in revenge.
Think about these things when your children have been victims of bullying, abandonment or assault. You have to think about PTSD in order to recognize help may be needed. It is very important to get counseling for children that have experienced a traumatic event. The effects may be subtle but could be devastating and long-lasting.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2015 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC

Straight, No Chaser: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – Signs, Symptoms and Those at Risk

General Health and Wellness, Mental Health, , , , , , , , ,

ptsd-1

This is Mental Health Awareness Month. Straight, No Chaser has done multiple posts on depression and suicide, the components of health and happiness, and many other mental health topics. It’s important that you appreciate the ways events in your life and even the way you live your life impact you over the long term. I deal with disease and death everyday as an Emergency Physician, and it’s dehumanizing on many levels. Imaging having to pronounce someone dead despite giving your version of a superhuman effort to resuscitate them and then having to deliver the news to a family deep in prayer and holding on to strings of hope. Oh yeah, and then you immediately get to return to a room filled with patients and families oblivious to anything you’re dealing with as an individual, who are completely immersed in their personal situations and often complaining because “you took too long.” Imagine the lives of morticians or cemetery workers, having to stare at and feel the remains of the dead all day everyday. Imagine the lives of those habitually raped or viciously beaten by a loved one as a child. And, of course, there are the soldiers. Over 7.5 million Americans are thought to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), approximately one in every 40 individuals.
Traumatic and post-traumatic stress are not only able to affect your reality, but to adjust your reality. The body’s normal “fight-or-flight” response to danger or extremely stressful situations can evolve into abnormalities in your behavior if you are continually immersed in these environments. One such as the emergency physician may become desensitized and/or empowered to address situations that would make otherwise normal individuals recoil, or one may become overly sensitive, hyper-stressed and prone to a fight response to lesser stimuli—or no stimuli at all.
There are three categories of symptoms of PTSD, which are easily remembered by thinking of a hyperactive “fight-or-flight” response: reliving traumatic experiences, avoiding circumstances or situations that remind one of the experience, and reacting out of hyperarousal to stimuli suggestive of the experience.
ptsd2

  • Reliving can involve flashbacks, scary thoughts and nightmares. Victims have been known to actually re-experience the physical and mental episodes, complete with palpitations, sweating, jitteriness and severe anxiety. Such experiences can become incapacitating.
  • Avoidance is in many ways the opposite end of the “fight or flight” syndrome. In this example, avoidance isn’t just being proactive and staying away from reminders of the experience, but it can escalate to loss of emotions or even recollection of the event. This isn’t a strategic decision; it’s a defense mechanism gone haywire. As an example, imagine the near-drowning victim who refuses to even sit on the beach.
  • Hyperarousal leads one to be on edge, sensitive and prone to overreact. In contrast to the other two symptoms listed, hyperarousal tends to be a constant state of being. PTSD victims with hyperarousal describe themselves as easily angered and always stressed.

Many if not most of us will experience traumatic events in our lives sufficient enough to cause tremendous stress. There are circumstances that enhance the risk of developing PTSD.

ptsd-dv

  • Childhood trauma is especially dangerous in that the developing brain can respond “appropriately” in coding for abnormal circumstances and exposures. Subsequent trauma can trigger PTSD-quality responses.
  • Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men.
  • Mental illness may abnormally shape responses to traumatic events.
  • There is some evidence that susceptibility to the disorder may run in families. Individual differences in the brain or genes may predispose an individual.
  • The relative absence of social support and a functional network is a severe risk.

Conversely, if you have strong coping mechanisms, you may be able to lower your risk for developing PTSD after trauma. Consider the following protective factors:

  • A predisposition toward optimism
  • The ability and inclination to seek out support from others, ranging from friends, family and/or an active support group
  • A mental orientation that you “performed well” in the face of the danger
  • A mental orientation of learning from the experience instead of allowing the experience to define you
  • Sufficient mental fortitude to be able to carry on in the face of the symptoms (fear, anxiety) that follow the event

The presence of these “resilience factors” does not suggest that those suffering from PTSD are lacking in any way; it suggests the best opportunities for you to avoid succumbing to the enormous pressures that exist.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2015 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: When Eating Goes Wrong, Part II – Bulimia

Diet and Nutrition, Gastrointestinal, Mental Health, , , , , , , , , ,

Bulimia…-nerviosa-1

If you read Part I of this conversation on eating disorders (anorexia nervosa), you will recall that eating disorders are a mix of an abnormal body image combined with abnormal behaviors that lead to medical consequences. Today’s Straight, No Chaser is on bulimia, yet another dangerous eating disorder.
The ‘Bizz-Buzz’ of bulimia nervosa is ‘binge-purge.’ What that means is bulimics engage in frequent episodes of eating excessive amounts of food (bingeing) followed by one of several methods of eliminating what was just ingested (purging). This methods include forced vomiting (most common), use of diuretics or laxatives, fasting or excessive exercise. It is important to note that the bulimic feels a lack of control over these episodes.

bulimia_nervosa_1

Bulimia is an especially dangerous disease because it usually occurs in secret, and victims are able to hide it. This means symptoms will typically be further along when discovered. Bulimics usually manage to maintain a normal or healthy weight despite their behavior and may appear to be the person who ‘never gains weight’ despite ‘eating like a horse.’ This is a key differentiator between bulimia and anorexia. Otherwise, the two diseases do share some of the same psychological pathology, including the fear of weight gain and the unhappiness with physical appearance.
Treatment considerations for bulimia are similar to those for other eating disorders. A combination of psychotherapy, reestablishment of normal nutritional intake and medications usually leads to marked improvement. Again, the particular challenge with bulimics is discovering the condition in the first place. As with anorexia nervosa, treatment for bulimia nervosa often involves a combination of options and depends upon the needs of the individual. Medications may include antidepressants, such as fluoxetine (Prozac), if the patient also has depression or anxiety.
Let’s recap by revisiting where we started with our conversation on anorexia. Our society doesn’t do the job it should in promoting a normal image of health. The typically promoted American ideal of beauty sets standards that lead many to pursue unrealistic means of meeting that ideal. In the setting of an actual American population that is obese by medical standards, this becomes even more of a problem. The levels of stress, anxiety and depression resulting from this reality sometimes leads to eating disorders. Remember, eating disorders aren’t just habits. They are life-threatening conditions. If you or a loved one is suffering, please seek help immediately.

bulimia

Post-script: If you’re wondering about the above picture of the teeth, you’re viewing the effects of all that regurgitated acid on the enamel layer of your teeth.  I know. It’s not your best look.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what 844-SMA-TALK and http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress. We are also on Facebook at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

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Straight, No Chaser: Fifteen Tips to Care for Diabetic Skin

Endocrine/Metabolic, Health Prevention, , , , , , , , , ,

DiabeticskindmgangreneDiabetic Foot

In this previous post, we discussed the frailty of the diabetic skin and discussed how that sets one up for skin infections, abscesses, ulcers, amputations and even death. Your best defense from these set of illnesses and tragedies is knowledge, prevention and prompt action.  Here are some concern steps you can take to better care for the diabetic in your life. In the event you know a diabetic who appears healthy, I want you to pay special attention to him/her. Diabetes is a chronic and insidious disease. These changes occur over years, and your challenge is to slow the process down as long as possible.
If you have diabetes, these tips may help prevent skin damage and infections:

  1. Do the best to can to control your blood glucose levels. The more out of control it is, the most damage it causes.
  2. You must check your feet every single day for the rest of your life. Diabetes develop decreased sensitivity to their feet. It is extremely common to step on a sharp object and not realize that you’ve done so. A splinter or nail is an excellent medium for an infection.
  3. Eat fruits and vegetables. Your skin needs all the nourishment it can get.
  4. Develop better hygiene. Wash and dry your skin often and thoroughly; this will keep you less exposed to infections.
  5. Make a point of keeping your groin, armpits and other areas prone to heavy sweat dry. Those moist areas in particular are most prone to becoming infected. Talcum powder is a good choice to use.
  6. Stay hydrated. It’s an uphill battle with the frequent urination and high blood sugar (glucose) levels. Dehydration causes your skin to be more brittle and prone to infections.
  7. Stay moisturized! Apply lotion early and often, especially after baths. Note those dry, cracked feet and get ahead of that happening if possible.
  8. Remember: if you’re diabetic, at some point your hands will retain sensation longer than your finger. It’s common to see scald injuries from stepping in water hot enough to burn you without you feeling it initially. Check the water with your hands before stepping into a tub.
  9. Use a milder, less irritating soaps that include moisturizer. Speaking of tubs, avoid bubble baths. Sorry.
  10. Consider investing in a humidifier to prevent skin drying, especially in dry or cold climates.
  11. Always take any skin wounds seriously, especially those on your feet. Avoid placing alcohol on any of your wounds.
  12. Invest in some sterile gauze. If you develop a scratch or other wound, control the wound with it after cleaning.
  13. Limit your self-help to cleaning and gauze wrapping. Only place topical antibiotics or take antibiotics for a skin infection under your physician’s supervision.
  14. Always ask your physician to check your skin during an examination and ask him/her to teach you what to look for.
  15. Immediately consult your physician or access the local emergency room if you have a burn, scratch, abscess (boil) or laceration that seems serious.

Feel free to contact your SMA expert consultant if you have any questions 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. We are also on Facebook at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Straight, No Chaser: Why Are You So Sleepy?

Sleep, , , , , , , , ,

hyperinsomnia

This is part of a series on sleep disorders.

  • Click here and click here for discussions about insomnia.
  • Click here for a discussion of night terrors.
  • Check back for discussions of narcolepsy and sleep apnea.

Are you one of those individuals who is always tired and sleepy? You take iron, you exercise and you’re getting sleep at night. However, you’re still tired? What’s that about?
Hypersomnia (i.e., excessive sleepiness) is characterized by prolonged nighttime sleep and/or recurrent bouts of excessive daytime sleepiness or prolonged nighttime sleep. This is not the variety of sleepiness due to physical or mental exhaustion or insufficient sleep at night.  Hypersomnia makes you want to nap repeatedly during the day. Ironically, even if you do take a nap or even after you sleep overnight, you’re still fatigued.
The functional importance of this is somewhat obvious. Hypersomnia interrupts your life, your work, your ability to normally interact with others. Symptoms are what you might expect from someone not getting enough sleep. Here’s a typical list:

  • restlessness
  • anxiety and irritation
  • decreased energy
  • slow thinking
  • slow speech
  • loss of appetite
  • hallucinations
  • memory difficulty
  • loss the ability to function in family, social, occupational, or other settings

Hypersomnia is difficult. It takes time to realize you’re affected beyond just regular fatigue. It’s also difficult to pin down the cause. Consider the following potential groups of causes:

  • Physical causes may include damage to the brain (e.g., from head trauma) or spinal cord, or from a tumor.
  • Medical and mental/behavioral health causes may include obesity, seizure disorder (epilepsy), encephalitis, multiple sclerosis and other sleep disorders (e.g., sleep apnea, nacolepsy).
  • Mental/behavioral health causes may include depression, drug or alcohol use.
  • Medications or medication withdrawal may cause hypersomnia.

Unfortunately, treatment is symptomatic and often requires some degree of trial and error. For some individuals, stimulants, antidepressants and other psychoactive medications are effective. For others, behavioral changes appear to be more effective.
Any disruption in the quality or amount of sleep warrant investigation. Discuss your concerns with your physician if you have the opportunity. You always have the option of discussing with your SterlingMedicalAdvice.com expert consultant.
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. We are also on Facebook at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

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Straight, No Chaser: What You Can Do To Manage Hypothermia and Serious Cold Exposure

Environmental, Health Prevention, , , , , , , ,

ShiningJackNicholson-300x225

Is this the most famous illustration of frostbite? Do you remember the movie reference?

I’ll admit that my orientation is different than yours. I’ll argue that your orientation should be closer to mine. What’s the difference, you may ask? I’ve actually seen the consequences of your unfortunate actions, and these consequences occur with a much greater frequency than you may imagine. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” isn’t just a catchy quote from Ben Franklin. It’s an “Oops, I should’ve had a V-8 moment” when you’re in front of me, my nurses and big invasive medical treatment options in an emergency room.
Cold exposure is a good example of this. We’ve previously discussed frostbite, but there must be more to the story than frostbite. Frostbite is not a necessary pit stop on the way to very bad things happening due to cold exposure. More importantly, for as bad as frostbite is, there are worse things that can happen to you from cold exposure. This is a relatively important conversation. You need more tools at your disposal than “Just bundle up.” We’ll explore these tools in two parts: basic care and emergency care.
The Basics – Prevention

  • Layers of loose clothing are better. Wear more than one pair of socks, at least until you’re back indoors.
  • Use a hat that actually covers your scalp. (Major heat loss occurs through the scalp.)
  • Use a hat that covers your ears and a scarf that covers your nose. (These areas are prone to frostbite.)
  • Wear mittens. They are better for protecting your fingers than gloves.
  • People greatly underestimate the effect of the combinations of being cold and wet or being exposed to cold and windy conditions. If you have water-resistant, wind-proof options, use them.
  • If you know you’re going to be exposed to the cold for a significant period of time, eat up and rest up beforehand. Avoid alcohol and cigarettes prior to and during such journeys.

Treatment You Can Do If Exposed:

  • Know what symptoms could be a result of hypothermia. Check previous posts for a refresher.
  • Your first step is to call 911, especially if any mental status changes (e.g., confusion) are present. Time is of the essence.
  • Do you know CPR? Refer here for a very easy refresher (you’ll commit it to memory in 2 minutes) of when to use it and how to perform it.
  • Can you get inside? Cover yourself with warm blankets and drink warm (nonalcoholic) fluids if possible. Remove wet and tight clothing (and cover back up with dry ones if possible).
  • You’re stuck outside? You should be thinking about reducing exposure to the cold, the wind and any wetness as much as possible. Don’t forget to provide a layer between the backside and the ground. Prioritize covering the scalp.
  • Think about giving or receiving a hug as a means of warmth. If you have access to warm compresses or towels, preferentially apply to the armpits, groin, neck and chest.

Your take home message is death from hypothermia can be avoided with the knowledge and application of basic fundamental considerations. Even better, you can usually choose to avoid exposure to bitterly cold conditions. I hope you find this information useful and never need to use it.
This is part of a series on medical conditions resulting from cold exposure.

  • Click here for a discussion of frostbite.
  • Click here for a discussion of the symptoms of and risks for hypothermia

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. We are also on Facebook at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

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Straight, No Chaser: Hypothermia (Low Body Temperature)

Environmental, , , , , , , , ,

hypothermia

This is part of a series on cold-related medical disorders.

  • To review the Do’s and Don’ts of Frostbite, click here.

Hypothermia is low body temperature. It’s not the “Oh, it’s cold outside” type of cold, but it is the “Oh, your life is in danger!” variety. Medically, hypothermia is a core body temperature below 95 °F (35 °C), and it can be produced by either an absolute cold exposure or sufficient heat loss beyond the body’s ability to generate a response.

What you want to know about hypothermia is the conditions and risks that set you up for it. Anyone can get hypothermia if you’re exposed to bad enough conditions, including the following:

  • Being outside without sufficient clothing in cold conditions
  • Being outside with wet clothing in cold and windy conditions
  • Excessive exertion or insufficient food or fluids while in cold and/or windy conditions
  • Excessive cold water exposure (e.g. immersion while ice fishing or boating)

Persons most likely to get hypothermic include the very old or young and those who are chronically ill or malnourished. Persons of normal health can get hypothermia if excessively fatigued or under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
Typical symptoms of hypothermia include weakness, drowsiness, confusion and lack of coordination. Skin becomes cold, pale and frostbitten. Shivering becomes obvious and uncontrollable. Eventually, the heart and breathing rates will slow, and mental ability will progressively fade. Ultimately, the body can go into shock, and the heart and brain can cease functioning. Prolonged exposure will result in death if untreated.
For now I will leave you with the following considerations.

  • If you find someone in the cold who is not responding, don’t assume s/he’s dead.
  • Placing someone in direct heat, such as is given via a heating pad or lamp, or in hot water is not the approach and should not be done.
  • Do not give alcohol to someone exposed to extreme cold.

In the next post in this series we will discuss treatment and prevention strategies for extreme cold exposure.
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. We are also on Facebook at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

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Straight, No Chaser: The Effects of PTSD on Children

Mental Health, Pediatrics/Kids Health, Public Health, , , , , , , , , ,

PTSD-And-Children

This is part of a series on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

  • For a review of PTSD signs, symptoms and those at risk, click here.
  • For a review of PTSD diagnosis and treatment, click here.

Children are exposed to the same stimuli that creates post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including physical abuse, sexual assault and the effects of war, but they may have different responses and  symptoms than adults. Symptoms unique to children typically involve developmental regression and may include the following:

  • Clinginess
  • Bedwetting
  • Cessation of speech
  • Acting out the scary event

Teens may become disruptive, disrespectful, or destructive, and they may express guilt or engage in revenge.
It is very important to get counseling for children that have experienced a traumatic event. The effects may be subtle but could be devastating and long-lasting.
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. We are also on Facebook at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

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We're in the Giving Mood: Free Subscriptions to SterlingMedicalAdvice.com

Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

New Logo

Ok, we’ve lost it, and we’re giving it away for FREE! We’re so excited about SterlingMedicalAdvice.com that we’re giving it away for the month of December! If you like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd or follow the Straight, No Chaser blog at www.jeffreysterlingmd.com you can then go to www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and receive a free December subscription to our service (you will receive a SterlingAdviceSM plan).
Try it for free, and experience the difference personalized healthcare consulting can make in your family’s life. Thank for your support, and Happy Holidays.
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. We are also on Facebook at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

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Straight, No Chaser: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – Signs, Symptoms and Those at Risk

Mental Health, , , , , , , , , ,

ptsd-1

I deal with disease and death everyday as an Emergency Physician, and it’s dehumanizing on many levels. Imaging having to pronounce someone dead despite giving your version of a superhuman effort to resuscitate them and then having to deliver the news to a family deep in prayer and holding on to strings of hope. Oh yeah, and then you immediately get to return to a room filled with patients and families oblivious to anything you’re dealing with as an individual, who are completely immersed in their personal situations and often complaining because “you took too long.” Imagine the lives of morticians or cemetery workers, having to stare at and feel the remains of the dead all day everyday. Imagine the lives of those habitually raped or viciously beaten by a loved one as a child. And, of course, there are the soldiers. Over 7.5 million Americans are thought to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), approximately one in every 40 individuals.
Traumatic and post-traumatic stress are not only able to affect your reality, but to adjust your reality. The body’s normal “fight-or-flight” response to danger or extremely stressful situations can evolve into abnormalities in your behavior if you are continually immersed in these environments. One such as the emergency physician may become desensitized and/or empowered to address situations that would make otherwise normal individuals recoil, or one may become overly sensitive, hyper-stressed and prone to a fight response to lesser stimuli—or no stimuli at all.
There are three categories of symptoms of PTSD, which are easily remembered by thinking of a hyperactive “fight-or-flight” response: reliving traumatic experiences, avoiding circumstances or situations that remind one of the experience, and reacting out of hyperarousal to stimuli suggestive of the experience.

  • Reliving can involve flashbacks, scary thoughts and nightmares. Victims have been known to actually re-experience the physical and mental episodes, complete with palpitations, sweating, jitteriness and severe anxiety. Such experiences can become incapacitating.
  • Avoidance is in many ways the opposite end of the “fight or flight” syndrome. In this example, avoidance isn’t just being proactive and staying away from reminders of the experience, but it can escalate to loss of emotions or even recollection of the event. This isn’t a strategic decision; it’s a defense mechanism gone haywire. As an example, imagine the near-drowning victim who refuses to even sit on the beach.
  • Hyperarousal leads one to be on edge, sensitive and prone to overreact. In contrast to the other two symptoms listed, hyperarousal tends to be a constant state of being. PTSD victims with hyperarousal describe themselves as easily angered and always stressed.

Many if not most of us will experience traumatic events in our lives sufficient enough to cause tremendous stress. There are circumstances that enhance the risk of developing PTSD.

  • Childhood trauma is especially dangerous in that the developing brain can respond “appropriately” in coding for abnormal circumstances and exposures. Subsequent trauma can trigger PTSD-quality responses.
  • Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men.
  • Mental illness may abnormally shape responses to traumatic events.
  • There is some evidence that susceptibility to the disorder may run in families. Individual differences in the brain or genes may predispose an individual.
  • The relative absence of social support and a functional network is a severe risk.

Conversely, if you have strong coping mechanisms, you may be able to lower your risk for developing PTSD after trauma. Consider the following protective factors:

  • A predisposition toward optimism
  • The ability and inclination to seek out support from others, ranging from friends, family and/or an active support group
  • A mental orientation that you “performed well” in the face of the danger
  • A mental orientation of learning from the experience instead of allowing the experience to define you
  • Sufficient mental fortitude to be able to carry on in the face of the symptoms (fear, anxiety) that follow the event

The presence of these “resilience factors” does not suggest that those suffering from PTSD are lacking in any way; it suggests the best opportunities for you to avoid succumbing to the enormous pressures that exist.

  • Check here for a discussion of the diagnosis and treatment of PTSD.
  • Check here for a discussion of the effects of PTSD on children.
  • Check here for a discussion of the effects of PTSD on communities after mass trauma.

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. We are also on Facebook at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

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Straight, No Chaser: When Eating Goes Wrong, Part II – Bulimia

Mental Health, , , , , , , , , ,

Bulimia…-nerviosa-1bulimia

If you read Part I of this conversation on eating disorders (anorexia nervosa), you will recall that eating disorders are a mix of an abnormal body image combined with abnormal behaviors that lead to medical consequences.
The ‘Bizz-Buzz’ of bulimia nervosa is ‘binge-purge.’ What that means is bulimics engage in frequent episodes of eating excessive amounts of food (bingeing) followed by one of several methods of eliminating what was just ingested (purging). This methods include forced vomiting (most common), use of diuretics or laxatives, fasting or excessive exercise. It is important to note that the bulimic feels a lack of control over these episodes.
Bulimia is an especially dangerous disease because it usually occurs in secret, and victims are able to hide it. This means symptoms will typically be further along when discovered. Bulimics usually manage to maintain a normal or healthy weight despite their behavior and may appear to be the person who ‘never gains weight’ despite ‘eating like a horse.’ This is a key differentiator between bulimia and anorexia. Otherwise, the two diseases do share some of the same psychological pathology, including the fear of weight gain and the unhappiness with physical appearance.
Treatment considerations for bulimia are similar to those for other eating disorders. A combination of psychotherapy, reestablishment of normal nutritional intake and medications usually leads to marked improvement. Again, the particular challenge with bulimics is discovering the condition in the first place. As with anorexia nervosa, treatment for bulimia nervosa often involves a combination of options and depends upon the needs of the individual. Medications may include antidepressants, such as fluoxetine (Prozac), if the patient also has depression or anxiety.
Let’s recap by revisiting where we started with our conversation on anorexia. Our society doesn’t do the job it should in promoting a normal image of health. The typically promoted American ideal of beauty sets standards that lead many to pursue unrealistic means of meeting that ideal. In the setting of an actual American population that is obese by medical standards, this becomes even more of a problem. The levels of stress, anxiety and depression resulting from this reality sometimes leads to eating disorders. Remember, eating disorders aren’t just habits. They are life-threatening conditions. If you or a loved one is suffering, please seek help immediately.
Post-script: If you’re wondering about the lead picture of the teeth, you’re viewing the effects of all that regurgitated acid on the enamel layer of your teeth.  I know. It’s not your best look.
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. We are also on Facebook at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

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I just got prescribed an antidepressant. About what should I be concerned?

Mental Health, Toxicology/Drugs, , , , , , , , ,

antidepressant_medications_sign AntidepressantsCartoon4

For the answer to this concern, let’s go straight to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) site, which roughly states the following:
Antidepressants are safe and popular, but research and case history demonstrate that they may have unintentional effects on some people, especially adolescents and young adults. During the first one to two months of initial treatment, patients of all ages taking antidepressants should be watched closely.
Possible side effects to look for are the following:

  • suicidal thoughts or behavior
  • worsening depression that gets worse
  • unusual changes in behavior such as insomnia, agitation, or withdrawal from normal social situations.

If you or a loved one witness or exhibit any of these types of changes shortly after taking antidepressants, please seek medical help immediately. A life could be in the balance.
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. We are also on Facebook at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

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Straight No Chaser: Warning Signs of Cancer – Take CAUTION

General Health and Wellness, Hematology & Oncology/Blood Disorders/Cancer, , , , , , , , ,

fight-cancer

Cancer. The Big C. The medical ‘death sentence’. No diagnosis scares as much as cancer, which is why it is so important that you be as empowered as possible. Be reminded that if you fall into certain risk categories, please get screened. Because many cancers are asymptotic during early stages, screening and early detection gives one the best possible chance for a good outcome.
In the event that symptoms are present, it’s helpful for you to know what typical symptoms are. Courtesy of the American Cancer Society, here is a mnemonic that teaches signs and symptoms to alert you to the possibility of cancer. Think ‘CAUTION’.

  • Change in bowel or bladder habits
  • A sore that does not heal
  • Unusual bleeding or discharge
  • Thickening or lump in the breast, testicles, or elsewhere
  • Indigestion or difficulty swallowing
  • Obvious change in the size, color, shape, or thickness of a wart, mole, or mouth sore
  • Nagging cough or hoarseness

Additional symptoms that may be suggestive include unexplained weight loss, persistent headaches, nausea, vomiting, fatigue or pain, repeated infections and fever. Given that these non-specific symptoms could be due to many other things, as a cancer consideration, typical recommendations are to get these types of symptoms evaluated if they’ve been present for more than two weeks.
Just remember, cancer is something you want to detect, not ignore. If you wait until it’s too late, then, well it’ll be too late.
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. We are also on Facebook at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

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