Medical Exams
Caring for your body shows respect and kindness to yourself. This includes getting recommended health screenings to help find any potential problems or find them early when treatments can be more successful. Plus, getting answers about your health can help relieve added stress and worry. Get empowered to live a healthier, stronger, and longer life.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Personal Safety
* Focus on the road when you are driving.
* Don’t talk on a cell phone or text message while driving.
* Always wear your seatbelt when you drive or ride in cars and trucks.
* Wear a helmet when riding on a motorcycle or a bicycle.
* Drive sober or with a driver who is.
* Discuss, with your care team, if any medication or supplement you take can make it unsafe for you to drive.
* Avoid driving at night if you have limited night vision.
* Keep emergency supplies in your car or truck. These include:
– A cell phone
– A flashlight and flares
– Blankets
– Bottled water
Find out more about safe driving fromwww.safedriving.va.gov/resources/driving.asp
Other Safety Tips
* Wear a medical alert tag to identify health concerns you have. Get one from a drug store or from: MedicAlert Foundation International at 1-888-633-4298 orwww.medicalert.org.
* Keep medicines and vitamins in “child-safe” containers and where children cannot reach them.
* Never be out of reach of a child in or near the water. Make sure children wear approved flotation devices. Adults should wear these, too.
* Lock guns in one place and bullets in another. Make sure children cannot get the keys.
Resources
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Mental Health
If you have signs of it, seek treatment.
Depression is more than just having a bad day. It’s a constant feeling of sadness or anger, inability to concentrate, and lack of interest in anything. Unlike diabetes, a blood test may not be able to detect depression, but it is a medical illness, just the same. It should be diagnosed and treated by a health professional. Over 80 percent of people with depression can be treated with success. Treatment includes medication, counseling, and self-care measures.
Causes:
The exact cause of depression is not known. Most likely, it is caused and triggered by a combination of factors.
* Brain chemicals are not in balance.
* Having a family history of the illness
* Stressful life events, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or job loss
* Physical or mental abuse or neglect
* Alcohol or drug abuse
* Medical conditions, such as cancer or chronic pain
* A side effect or withdrawal of some medications, such as steroids
* Sleeping problems
* Hormone changes, such as after having a baby or with menopause
Signs & Symptoms:
* Feeling hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, or angry
* Fatigue. Loss of interest in life.
* Having a hard time concentrating or making decisions
* Feeling worried or anxious
* Changes in eating and sleeping habits
* Headaches, stomachaches or other aches and pains
* Thoughts of suicide or death
To a depressed person, there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
Action Step
See your doctor if you have had a lot less interest or pleasure in almost all activities most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Mental Health
Schizophrenia does not mean “split personality.” It is a term used for a group of thought disorders in which the sufferer loses contact with reality. The illness often results in chronic ill health and some degree of personality change.
Causes
How severe the illness is varies from person to person. At times, people with schizophrenia appear normal. During an acute or psychotic phase, though, persons cannot think straight and may lose all sense of who they or others are.
Schizophrenia occurs in about 1.5% of the population. It affects men and women equally.
It usually begins during adolescence or young adulthood, but it can also begin in middle or late life.
The exact cause for schizophrenia is not known. Many factors play a role:
* The risk increases if one or both parents have schizophrenia.
* Factors in the environment. It may be triggered by stress or viral infections.
* Brain abnormalities, such as making too much of a certain brain chemical called dopamine.
Recognize Schizophrenia
Types of Schizophrenia
* Paranoid schizophrenia – The main symptom is a constant suspicion with the fear that someone is plotting to harm or destroy them.
* Disorganized schizophrenia – The main symptoms are incoherence, loose thought associations, or grossly disorganized behavior.
* Catatonic schizophrenia – The main symptom is marked psychomotor problems, such as stupor, rigidity, negativism, posturing, excitement.
How to Recognize Schizophrenia
Often, the sufferer’s family or friends are the first to notice the personality and behavior changes that go with schizophrenia. These changes may not be evident for months or even years. Initially, the person may:
* Feel tense
* Be unable to concentrate or sleep
* Withdraw from day-to-day activities and social events
* Neglect personal grooming
* Show problems in communicating
Symptoms become more bizarre as the illness goes on. The schizophrenic may suffer from these psychotic symptoms:
Disordered thinking
Thoughts shift from one topic to another without their control.
* Associations among thoughts are very loose.
* Thinking is not clear.
* Sometimes, sufferers think that their thoughts are being broadcast to others or their thoughts echo in their heads.
* The person’s speech can be vague or muddled. They may substitute sounds or rhymes for words or make up words that don’t have meaning to others.
Delusions
False ideas that have no basis in reality. These can take a variety of forms:
* The schizophrenic can believe that they are another person (such as Christopher Columbus).
* They might believe that someone is planning to harm them or is spying on them.
* They may think that others can “hear” their thoughts or control their feelings and actions.
Hallucinations
Most often, this is in the form of hearing voices that comment on the person’s thoughts or behaviors.
* These voices may also insult the person or tell them what to do.
* Less often, they are visual hallucinations – seeing things that do not exist.
Catatonic state
Tendency to stay in a fixed physical position or extreme agitation. This state may include:
* Stupor (decrease in reaction to the environment)
* Rigid or bizarre posture
Treatment
Schizophrenia cannot be cured. It can, though, be controlled. Treatment for it depends on its type and severity. Severe cases need treatment in a hospital. This usually includes medication, therapy, and rehabilitation. Medications most often used are anti-psychotics or major tranquilizers, also called neuroleptics. These help to alter abnormal brain chemistry. They reduce or get rid of the chance of relapse for many people when taken regularly. They also help the person better utilize therapy.
These medications can have many side effects so they should only be given under the care and monitoring of a physician, most often a psychiatrist. Therapy can help the sufferer and their family and friends cope with the emotional aspects of the disorder. Its goal is to also help the person learn how to deal with stress and prevent future stresses from leading to further illness. This is very important because schizophrenic attacks come and go in cycles of relapse and remission.
The combination of medication and therapy should be tailored to the person’s needs. While some 10% of schizophrenics remain severely impaired for life, many persons function well within the community with proper treatment.
Medical care, not self-help, is needed to treat schizophrenia.
What You Can Do to Help Someone
* If you suspect someone you know has signs of schizophrenia, get them to see a physician for proper diagnosis and treatment. This may not be easy. They may not realize or want to admit that they need help. They may also be afraid of being “put away.”
* Contact a physician or mental health professional or agency for assistance in how to get help for them if they refuse it.
* Do not leave a person alone who seems to be extremely disturbed.
* Take part in family therapy sessions, if necessary, to learn what you can do to help both you and the sufferer cope with the illness.
* See that your family member or friend takes their medication as ordered. If side effects occur, let their doctor know.
Note: There are many different medications for schizophrenia. It may take trials on different ones to find the medicine or combination of medicines that works best for a person.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Medication
* Things to tell your doctor:
– Things you have had an allergic reaction to.
– If you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
– If another doctor is also treating you.
– If you have diabetes or kidney or liver disease.
– If you use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.
* See that your doctor has an up-to-date list of all the medicines you take. This includes prescribed and over-the-counter (OTC) ones, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Keep an up-to-date list in your wallet.
* Ask your doctor these questions: What is the medicine for? When should I take it? How long do I need to take it? Should I take it with or without food? Can I crush the pill or open up the capsule if I can’t swallow it whole? Write the answers down.
* Give a list of all medicines and supplements you take to your local and mail order pharmacist. Harmful mixtures with other drugs and with foods can be identified.
* Get prescribed medicines from a licensed pharmacy.
* Keep medicines in their original containers or in ones with sections for daily doses.
* Let your doctor know about your past reactions to certain medicines. As some people age, they may be more sensitive to some medications, such as painkillers or sedatives.
* Ask about the possible side effects of a medication. Find out what you should do if you have any.
* Ask if you can drink alcohol while taking the medication(s). Alcohol can lessen the effects of some medicines. Other medicines, such as sedatives, can be deadly when used with alcohol.
* Don’t take someone else’s medication.
* Safely discard unused and expired medicines. Use a community drug take-back program. Or, take medicines from their containers and mix them with used coffee grounds or kitty litter. Put this in a sealable bag and place it in the trash.
* Try to reduce the need for some medications, such as sleeping pills or laxatives. A warm bath and a glass of milk might help you fall asleep. Having more fiber in your diet can reduce or replace the need for a laxative. Check with your doctor on ways other than medicines to help treat your problem.
* Even if you feel better, don’t stop taking a prescribed medicine unless your doctor tells you to. Also, don’t skip doses.
Resources
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
SELF-CARE CORNER
If you or a family member sleepwalks, you may know the signs well. It often involves doing some of the following during sleep:
* Sitting up
* Walking around
* Talking
* Getting food or eating
When a person is sleepwalking, it can be confusing or even frightening for others in the house. They look like they’re awake. They may say or do things that don’t make sense. But the person won’t remember saying or doing anything when they wake up.
Sleepwalking happens during deep sleep. This is often early in the night. It can happen to children and adults.
Is it dangerous?
Many people feel alarmed when a family member starts sleepwalking. Sleepwalking itself isn’t usually dangerous. The best thing to do is to make sure the sleepwalker can’t get hurt. Here’s how to do it:
* Keep the home – and especially their room – picked up. Make sure things like electrical cords are out of the way. Have children pick up their toys, books or other objects.
* Keep exterior doors locked. If you can, use extra locks that are difficult to open, such as a chain lock or a dead bolt.
* Close and lock all windows at night.
* Never yell at or shake someone who is sleepwalking. Instead, guide them safely back to their bed.
* Consider putting a gate across stairways. Use gates that are designed for this purpose.
How to avoid it
Some people may be more prone to sleepwalking. However, there are ways to lower the chances of it happening. They include:
* Don’t drink alcohol.
* If you are taking anti-depressant medicine, talk to your doctor about it. Some of these medicines can cause sleep problems. There may be a different medicine that works for you.
* Go to bed at the same time every night.
* Make sleep a priority. Adults should get at least seven hours. Children often need much more than this. Ask a doctor how much sleep you or your child should get.
Seeing a doctor
If sleepwalking happens a lot, talk to a doctor. There is no test for sleepwalking. But your doctor can check for other sleep problems or health conditions that may be causing sleep problems.
Source: American Academy of Family Physicians
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
SELF-CARE CORNER
It’s easy to take hearing for granted. But without proper care of your ears, you could end up with hearing loss or ear problems.
Worried about wax
Your body makes ear wax to protect your ears. Wax keeps dust and other particles from getting inside.
Only clean the outside of your ears with a tissue, washcloth or cotton swab. Never stick anything, including a cotton swab, in your ear. This will push wax farther down into the ear and can create a harmful blockage.
If you feel that there’s a lot of wax in the ear, you can safely try to soften it with a drop of mineral oil or glycerin. Your doctor can also remove ear wax blockages without damaging your ear.
Saying no to noise
One of the most common reasons people lose their hearing is exposure to loud noises. This can happen very quickly after a loud sound like an explosion. Or, it can happen over time if a person is exposed to loud sounds for months or years.
You can help prevent noise-induced hearing loss with one simple tool: ear plugs. Wear them when going to a loud concert, watching fireworks or attending loud events. Wear them when mowing the lawn or using loud power equipment at home.
If you have a job where you are exposed to noise, make sure you are using the right hearing protection. You may need something more powerful than ear plugs for certain jobs. Talk about this with your employer.
Use headphones with care
The World Health Organization says people should limit how much they use headphones. Don’t use them more than one hour a day. Keep the volume as low as possible, but no louder than 60 percent.
Noise-cancelling headphones help you keep the volume low because they block out sounds around you. But, you should not use these when driving, cycling or walking because you won’t be able to hear possible dangers nearby.
Talk to your doctor about your hearing health. Together, you can decide when you may need a hearing test.
Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
SELF-CARE CORNER
Healthy blood is designed to clot. When blood clots, it prevents heavy bleeding. But, if a clot happens inside a vein, it can be dangerous. This is called a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Sometimes, the blood clot may move through the body and get stuck in the lungs. This is called a pulmonary embolism (PE).
Up to 100,000 Americans die from a DVT or PE every year. These clots kill more people than breast cancer, car collisions, and HIV/AIDS combined.
Signs of a clot
Signs of a DVT or PE include:
* Swelling, tenderness, redness or warmth in one area of the body
* Chest heaviness or pain
* Sweating
* Feeling out of breath
* Weakness or fainting
* Fast heart beat
* Feeling of impending doom
Know your risk
Certain things make you more likely to get a blood clot. They include:
* Recent surgery or an injury
* Being in bed for long periods
* Not moving a certain body part, such as a broken leg
* Sitting for a long time, including during travel
* Higher levels of estrogen from birth control pills, pregnancy or hormone replacement therapy
* Medical conditions, such as cancer, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, heart disease, blood clotting disorders or lung disease
* Obesity
* Smoking
* History of atrial fibrillation (A-fib)
Reduce your risk
Talk about your risk with your doctor. You can lower your risk of getting a blood clot by:
* Getting up from sitting at least every two hours
* Moving around after surgery or being in bed for a long time
* Moving legs and feet while on plane trips
* Wearing loose-fitting clothes while sitting for a long time
* Exercising regularly
* Wearing compression stockings if recommended by your doctor
What to do?
If you think you or a loved one might have a blood clot, see a doctor right away. A blood clot can be treated if it’s caught early. Sometimes, doctors use medicines that dissolve the clot. Other times, doctors will perform surgery to remove the clot.
Sources: American Society of Hematology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
BE FIT
If you play sports, shoes are important. Wearing the wrong shoes can sideline you with foot injuries and pain. Follow these guidelines to keep feet happy.
Basketball, tennis and volleyball shoes should have:
* A thick, stiff sole that absorbs impact
* High ankle construction for quick changes in direction
* Lighter weight with a sole designed for quick starts and stops
Soccer shoes should have:
* A good quality footbed to support your arch type
* The correct stud type for the ground you play on: soft, hard, firm or turf
* Molded rubber cleats
Football and lacrosse shoes should have:
* High ankle support, especially for linemen and players who move side to side
* Good traction on a grassy field in wet and dry conditions
* Proper fit – don’t use hand-me-downs
Baseball and softball shoes should have:
* Support to prevent arch pain
* No metal baseball spikes for athletes younger than 13
* Multi-cleats for children ages 11-15
Running shoes should have:
* Good shock absorption for high-impact forward motion (not side motion)
* The right arch type for you (high, medium, low)
Source: American Podiatric Medical Association
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
BE FIT
Many people don’t exercise because they believe it takes too much time or money. They may think they need to spend an hour at the gym each day to get healthier. These myths could be standing in the way of a healthier life.
Exercise is a universal way to improve health. We know that physical activity can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. It also boosts energy levels and can help you sleep better. But there’s another benefit to exercise that many people may not know about: better mental health.
If you are thinking about being more active, a walking program is a tried and true favorite form of physical activity. As an exercise, walking is easy to begin and maintain. Plus, it needs no special skills or expensive equipment, and can be done year-round, outdoors and indoors.
For those who thought they didn’t have time to walk or exercise, there’s good health news. Even a small amount of exercise can help you feel better mentally by reducing feelings of depression and anxiety, and improving cognition.
Getting a treadmill: Questions to ask
Treadmills have been a mainstay in gyms for years. Many people also get one for their homes. They’re simple to use and can adjust to your fitness level. But should you buy one? Here’s what to consider:
How much money do you want to spend?
A new treadmill can cost hundreds – or even thousands – of dollars. But many people can get used treadmills for a fraction of the cost. If you buy a used one, make sure to test it first to be sure it works. Ask the seller if they have the instruction manual.
Can you do other indoor exercise?
You don’t need a treadmill to get a good workout inside. You can turn on music and dance or use a fitness video or interactive game. Consider how many days per year you would need the treadmill because of bad weather. Then, weigh that against the cost.
Will it “work” for you?
Do your research before making the investment. Check out online reviews of the exact treadmill you’re considering. Find out if it’s good for running, walking or both. Will it work with your height? Taller people often need a longer treadmill belt.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine